Chapter 70 Zhuo Ling didn't want to get her hands dirty.

In the southwestern borderlands, as the fog dissipated and wild birds chirped, the princess slowly opened her eyes. She had slept exceptionally soundly, and the weariness that had plagued her for days was swept away.

She got up to wash and dress, and noticed a bunch of flowers, in varying shades of blue and purple, inserted into a white porcelain vase on the table.

Although they are wildflowers in the mountains, they bloom in a very bright and beautiful way, with morning dew still clinging to their petals.

"Peizhi, where did this flower come from?" The princess gently stroked the petals, a smile playing on her lips.

Pei Zhi stepped forward to straighten her clothes. "Your Highness, it was brought by a child from the next village early this morning. He said he picked them while picking mushrooms on the mountain and specially presented them to Your Highness. The child is only seven or eight years old, and he was very timid. He presented the flowers and then ran away."

She didn't tell the princess that the child had whispered before leaving, "My mother said that if it weren't for General Pei, our whole village wouldn't have survived. The princess is General Pei's wife, so we should respect her as well." As she spoke, her little face was full of reverence.

Pei Zhi felt heartbroken upon hearing this. She feared that saying these words would upset His Highness, so she did not mention them.

“Country wildflowers are more delightful than the rare treasures of the capital,” the princess said softly, having carefully examined the veins of each leaf and inhaled the fragrance of each flower.

"Your Highness looks excellent today, much better than in the past few days."

"I had a rare good night's sleep." The princess stretched her arms. "I didn't get a single mosquito bite all night and slept soundly."

Pei Zhi smiled and said, "Thanks to Miss Meng's fragrant dew, it is truly miraculous. Your Highness, look, there isn't even a red spot on my arm."

"Isn't that right?" the princess sighed. "Girls are so thoughtful and considerate. Those men, how could they understand such things? They only know how to fight and kill enemies, but they don't realize that the pain of mosquito bites is no less than the danger of weapons."

Pei Zhi chimed in, "Miss Meng is truly thoughtful."

The eldest princess pondered for a moment, then said, "Peizhi, what about this fragrant dew..."

"Your Highness wishes to?"

“I remember Yanxing mentioned that Lingyao runs a cosmetics shop in the capital, and her perfume is especially famous. She will be opening a branch soon. Since this perfume is so useful, we should buy more of it.”

The eldest princess looked out the window. "We've been in the southwest for a season now, and judging from the situation, we'll probably have to stay longer. The soldiers are suffering from acclimatization issues, and the mosquitoes are making their lives miserable. If we had this fragrant dew, it would ease their suffering a bit."

"Your Highness is so considerate of the soldiers; you are truly kind-hearted. This servant will arrange for someone to return to the capital to make the purchases immediately."

"Remember, do not mention this to Lingyao," the princess instructed. "Just say it was bought by an ordinary merchant, and don't let her know it was for military use."

"I've got it."

The princess stepped outside the tent, the morning breeze caressing her face, carrying the scent of grass and earth.

She took a deep breath. "It's strange, really. When I was in the capital, I lived a life of luxury, but I was always in a daze, like a walking corpse. It's only here in this poor and desolate place that I feel like I'm truly alive."

Pei Zhi looked at her with heartache, "Your Highness..."

"It's alright, I understand." The princess's eyes were calm. "Now that we're here, we must handle things properly. If Dingshan could know this in the afterlife, he would be at peace."

-

In the height of summer, in a private room on the second floor of Juxianglou, Meng Lingyao was mixing incense by the window. The amber-colored perfume paste in the jade bowl was being ground evenly with a jade pestle, and a few drops of clear flower dew were gradually added.

The bustling city outside the window only served to highlight the tranquility inside.

"Miss, the fifth madam of the Cui family has really arrived!" Songlan whispered as she approached to report, her voice filled with suppressed excitement.

Meng Lingyao nodded and put down the jade pestle in her hand.

It's good that she's here. It was worth it for her to spend half an hour a few days ago chatting with Madam Cui's old friend about fragrances and rouge, and to give her several kinds of calming and soothing incense under the pretext of a pleasant conversation and instant rapport.

"Let's go down and take a look."

"yes!"

The two descended the stairs leading to the backyard, peering into the shop through a thin gauze curtain.

Meng Lingyao recognized Madam Cui, whose surname was Zhuo and given name was Ling. She was a few years older than Meng Lingyao. When Meng Lingyao officially entered the circle of young ladies in the capital, Miss Zhuo was already engaged to Cui Wulang.

She vaguely remembered that she was a beautiful and spirited young lady, but the woman picking out items in the shop now had dull and lifeless eyes, devoid of any spirit.

Madam Cui wandered around the shop and stopped in front of the "Lanzhi Qingxin Ointment".

The shop assistant immediately recognized that the lady was frequently disturbed by nightmares and was looking for something to calm her nerves. He promptly explained the effects of the balm to her and also recommended other equally effective fragrances such as styrax and benzoin.

The nanny beside her was meticulous, and she asked about the ingredients, effects, and taboos of various incense-making products.

The young man answered each question, and just as he mentioned benzoin, he was interrupted for a moment by another man who was moving goods.

He raised his voice a little and complained, "Hey! These old incense sticks from years ago smell good and are quite effective, but they're most afraid of being stored in a humid and hot place. The smell becomes incredibly strong! You know what? The other day, that old lady at Uncle Liu's house on West Street, didn't she hide some old benzoin cakes under the kang cabinet? The heat from the kang made her sick on the spot, and she almost fainted..."

"Ah Gui! What's all the noise about? Be careful not to startle our esteemed guests!" Manager Qian shouted angrily. Ah Gui immediately begged for forgiveness, bowing and apologizing to the customers in the shop before hurrying back to the backyard.

A glint seemed to flash in Madam Cui's eyes. After a few breaths, she finally spoke, her voice very soft, to the shop assistant in front of her: "I have been unable to sleep well for many years. Ordinary incense may not be effective. I would like some of the best aged incense in your shop."

Alright!

The waiter readily agreed and hurried off to find suitable incense, which he then wrapped up and handed to the customer.

Meng Lingyao raised her eyes and, through the gauze curtain, saw the frail figure of Madam Cui Wu being helped onto the carriage by her nanny. Her back view conveyed an indescribable heaviness and weariness.

She withdrew her gaze, turned around, and went back upstairs to continue grinding incense. The soft sound of the jade pestle striking the jade bowl was monotonous and cold.

She had merely placed a suitable stone in the front hall; the one who tripped over it was a passerby who was already in a state of unease.

Who cares where a pebble comes from?

In June, the Cui family mansion is a sea of ​​green lotus leaves stretching to the horizon, with pink and white lotus blossoms standing tall and graceful. A gentle breeze carries their subtle fragrance.

The lotus appreciation banquet was an annual grand event for the Cui family, and they sent out invitations to many prominent families in the capital.

However, the host of this lotus-viewing banquet was not the current matriarch of the Cui family, but the great-aunt who had married out many years ago—Madam Cui.

Although Madam Cui had been away from the mansion for many years, she still firmly held power in the inner quarters of the Cui family. She came from a distinguished family and married into a high-ranking one. All her children were successful, and even her youngest daughter, who was previously considered the least promising by outsiders, was about to become the Third Prince's consort. Who knows, she might have a great future ahead of her.

She holds a superior position in the Cui family. The current Cui family matriarchs are all inferior to her. Even important events like banquets have to be handled by her personally, leaving no room for others to voice their opinions.

The day before the banquet, all the stewards in the mansion withdrew one by one after listening to the instructions. Cui Wulang stepped into the flower hall. Madam Cui sat in the main seat. When she saw him come in, she did not raise her head, but slowly took a sip of tea before speaking.

"Sun Fanghai has been imprisoned in Dali Temple."

Cui Wulang's expression remained unchanged, and he only nodded slightly. "Don't worry, Aunt. He doesn't know much. Usually, what we give him are just trivial matters. The truly important things are in the hands of our own people. Besides, his only daughter is still in our household. How could she not keep her tongue in check?"

Madam Cui raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a knife, and slowly swept across Cui Wulang's face. "It's good that you know what's going on."

“Now that he’s in prison, he’s a pawn to be discarded. As for Madam Sun… you should also have a limit. Madam Zhuo is, after all, your lawfully wedded wife. Don’t let others laugh at you.”

“It’s not that I’m unwilling,” Cui Wulang complained, “that Zhuo family is a barren hen…”

“No matter what, she is still a young lady of the Zhuo family, of noble birth.” Madam Cui interrupted him, “Don’t think I don’t know why she has been childless for so many years. Isn’t it all thanks to Madam Sun?”

Cui Wulang's smile froze slightly. He respectfully handed over his luggage and apologized repeatedly.

“Aunt,” he suddenly asked, “we have no enmity with the Meng family, why do you bother with a junior?”

And we've even lost a valuable chess piece for nothing. Even if they didn't accept the marriage proposal, isn't that just normal?

If he were a woman, and his beloved younger brother were placed alongside Pei Xu, he would undoubtedly choose the latter without hesitation.

"How dare you say that?" Madam Cui sneered. "If you had any ambition at all, would the reputation of our Cui clan be trampled underfoot by a mere fourth-rank civil official?"

“…Aunt, please don’t make a scene,” Cui Wulang said with a forced smile. “That little brat doesn’t know what’s good for her. We’ll teach her a lesson sooner or later.”

As he bowed to pour tea for Madam Cui, a dark glint flashed in his eyes. If he were any more capable, how could he tolerate an aunt who had married out of the family interfering in the Cui household?

"You may leave now; I have some matters to attend to," Madam Cui waved her hand.

"yes."

Cui Wulang gave a perfunctory bow and left.

Before even reaching his own courtyard, he saw a woman leaning against the railing in the pavilion, weeping pitifully, her face streaked with tears. It was none other than his aunt, Madam Sun.

Cui Wulang rushed to greet him, "Oh dear, what's wrong? Why are you crying like this? It's possible your heart condition has flared up again."

Sun's appearance could only be described as pretty, but she had a perfectly proportioned figure, full where she should be and slender where she should be. It was also said that she had a heart ailment since childhood, and when she occasionally had an attack, she would lie in Cui Wulang's arms and breathe softly, which made him even more affectionate towards her.

"My father committed a terrible crime and almost implicated Fifth Master. I... I have no face to live on in this world." Sun's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Cui Wulang. Her tears melted his heart. He forgot all about his aunt's instructions and had to coax his beloved son until he finally smiled.

"Madam, Fifth Master... went to Concubine Sun's room."

After a long silence, Madam Cui moved her lips slightly and said, "As expected."

"That vile wretch claimed to have a heart ailment again," the personal maid said with disgust, "causing chaos throughout the entire courtyard. It's only because Fifth Master indulges her..."

Madam Cui's eyelashes trembled slightly. "Everyone says that benzoin can soothe the mind and body. We just got some good stuff. Let's send it to her courtyard."

“Miss,” the nanny suddenly said, “there’s no need for us to deliver it ourselves. Just let her know that we have such a fine gift. Knowing her personality, she’ll definitely insist on taking it. It’ll save us the trouble…”

I got my hands dirty.

The old woman lowered her voice, "Over there... this old servant has also made arrangements."

Madam Cui nodded slowly.

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Author's Note: The next chapter is a transitional chapter, setting the stage for the main event to come. [doge emoji with rose in hand]