Scheming

Mei Sheng was not good at arguing, and besides, the journey had been bumpy, and the sedan chair had been damaged along the way, so he was somewhat absent-minded in his reply.

"Yes, Aunt Ling, I understand."

After a few words, Mei Sheng felt there was nothing more to say to them, so she politely nodded to them, then turned and headed towards the gate of Governor Pei's mansion.

The Governor's Mansion has an imposing gate, with golden door studs and stone lions on both sides that make it look even more majestic and solemn.

After walking a few steps, she realized it was cold outside, so she kindly told them that it was too chilly to go back to the manor. Afterwards, Steward Yang greeted Aunt Ling, settled the bill with the coachman, and then hurriedly followed behind Mei Sheng, giving her directions.

The maid Pinglan was dumbfounded: How could this person be so arrogant? Is this her house? She just walked in!

Seeing that Mei Sheng's attitude towards them was really perfunctory, Pinglan was indignant and turned her head to say, "The main gate is not..." The next moment, she stopped talking.

Following Steward Yang's patient guidance, Mei Sheng headed towards the side gate of the mansion. She walked in without any hesitation or dissatisfaction.

In the blink of an eye, Mei Sheng's figure had disappeared. Only an old woman remained at the side gate, eagerly saying to them, "It's windy outside, and Aunt Ling is frail. Would you like to come in with us?"

The words were kind, but the listener was in a bad mood, so no matter how kind they were, they wouldn't give a good look. The old woman guarding the gate, after being glared at by Pinglan, gave an awkward smile, shrank back a step, and fell silent.

Meanwhile, Ling Yu's coughing had stopped. She looked at Mei Sheng's actions, her frail body gradually straightening, her brows furrowing slightly: "This Sister Mei is quite interesting."

Pinglan gripped Lingyu's hand tightly, saying dejectedly, "What's interesting? I think it's rudeness! No, it's scheming! Someone who even covers their face is clearly not an upright person. I don't know why Master..."

Ling Yu shook her head in disagreement. Just then, a cold wind blew in, and she quickly covered her mouth and nose with her handkerchief, tugging at Ping Lan's sleeve: "Your words were inappropriate, and Sister Mei did nothing wrong."

“Aunt, ever since you heard that this person was coming to the manor, you rushed back to welcome her, but what about her? Why is she so arrogant and domineering, not taking you seriously at all? It’s really hateful.”

"If the master were here, he would never have allowed this person to bully the concubine like this."

Hearing this, Ling Yu's brows relaxed, and she said with a playful smile, "I'm always very proper, how could I joke around like this with you? I know you're worried about me, cough cough..."

The coughing grew louder, and Pinglan, looking distressed, quickly helped Lingyu back to the mansion.

The mansion gate and Mei Sheng's courtyard were not far apart. Following several covered walkways down and passing through two crescent-shaped archways, Mei Sheng arrived at her residence. Before she could even push open the door, it suddenly opened from the inside, startling Mei Sheng.

The door opened, revealing a familiar face—it was Tang Yun, whom I hadn't seen since leaving the manor last time.

"Girl, you've arrived." Tang Yun smiled, her round face as sweet as ever, making everyone else smile. Manager Yang greeted Tang Yun, left Mei Sheng's luggage behind, and respectfully departed.

In the unfamiliar environment, upon suddenly seeing Tang Yun, Mei Sheng felt a complex mix of emotions, seemingly happy yet also unhappy.

Mei Sheng said, "I'm fine. That time... were you punished?"

Tang Yun: "I was given a few lashes, but I'm all better now. Look, I've even gained a lot of weight." After saying that, she circled around Mei Sheng twice, her movements fluid and without any visible signs of injury.

Indeed, as she said, she was perfectly healthy. As for her weight gain, Mei Sheng hadn't noticed it. Girls her age don't gain weight no matter how much they eat; they have excellent constitutions. And that round face was just something she hadn't fully developed yet.

The two met, tidied up, and chatted briefly. Once inside, Mei Sheng removed her veil and changed into clean clothes.

Suddenly, Tang Yun was seen pacing back and forth, feeling guilty and conflicted, with tears in her eyes: "Girl, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been by your side, you wouldn't have had to suffer like that." She was referring to the time when Mei Sheng fell into the water.

Then, following the conversation, Tang Yun recounted, in fits and starts, some of the things she used to do while watching over Mei Sheng.

As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly knelt down, wanting to apologize to Mei Sheng, saying that Mei Sheng could punish her as he pleased, and she would have absolutely no resentment. However, as soon as Tang Yun's knees touched the ground, Mei Sheng pulled her up.

After she finished, she silently shook her hands. It seemed that Tang Yun was right; she was indeed a bit heavy.

In the end, it was Mei Sheng who comforted Tang Yun. Mei Sheng wrinkled her nose, suddenly realizing that she was destined to be a worrywart.

Tang Yun's emotions came and went quickly; she would laugh one moment and cry the next. The initial awkwardness between the two had long since dissipated, and the room gradually became lively.

She jogged a few steps, opened the wooden door in the center of the courtyard, and smiled at Mei Sheng, "Knowing that you were coming, I prepared a lot of food from Yanjing."

Inside, on the sandalwood table were several dishes that Mei Sheng used to love to eat, as well as some novel pastries. However, Mei Sheng didn't recognize some of the dishes on the jade plates; she thought they must be unique to Wu County.

"Girl, try it while it's still warm. It tastes just like the food from Yanjing."

Mei Sheng nodded in agreement, but she still had doubts in her heart, so she asked, "After you went south, did you stay in the Governor's Mansion the whole time?" Tang Yun's personality was not like that of a proper young lady from a noble family who was properly trained in this mansion.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yun propped her chin up with her hands and gave Mei Sheng a resentful look: "Miss, it's been so long, and you still haven't asked the old man?"

Now, she couldn't even eat.

Mei Sheng smiled sheepishly, realizing that Mei Sheng's words revealed a hint of guilt.

Tang Yun was momentarily stunned by the smile that appeared on her face, and unconsciously replied, "I don't live in the Governor's Mansion, and I only returned today..." It had been quite a while since she last saw the girl, and she was even more beautiful.

Tang Yun is Han Zhou's sworn sister. She went to Yanjing with Han Zhou and learned that Pei Jue needed a maid to take care of him, so she volunteered to help Pei Jue.

But to everyone's surprise, this worry was exceptionally small, Tang Yun sighed.

Mei Sheng was amused by Tang Yun's sigh. After the meal, Mei Sheng let Tang Yun arrange all the affairs in the courtyard. The stewards and servants of the mansion all knew Tang Yun's identity, so the servants did not cause any trouble.

For several days in a row, Mei Sheng stayed indoors and did not go out.

At the beginning of winter, the temperature in the entire city plummeted, and light snow began to fall. A maidservant went out and found a thin layer of ice in a small water vat on the right side of the house.

In the north, there are heated kang beds, but in the south, people can only survive on braziers. Mei Sheng wrapped herself tightly in her newly made thick fur coat, snuggled close to the incense burner, and warmed herself comfortably by the fire. The cold of the south chilled her to the bone; even though she was dressed warmly, it was no use.

Mei Sheng's entire allowance was arranged in accordance with the daily routine of Consort Ling in the mansion, using high-quality charcoal that burned brightly and had a faint fragrance.

No one asked whether Mei Sheng was Pei Jue's concubine or not; everyone tacitly accepted it. Since no one asked, Mei Sheng wouldn't inexplicably seek out someone to tell her she wasn't Pei Jue's concubine.

Even if she said it, others would say: How is that possible?

"Miss, according to Han Zhou, Master should be back in the next few days." Tang Yun said with great seriousness as she drank a bowl of hot beverage. She knew that Mei Sheng had not yet undergone the formal rites of becoming a concubine, so she still addressed her as "Miss."

But she had already accepted Mei Sheng's status as her aunt in her heart.

Mei Sheng carefully picked up the porcelain bowl, the warmth spreading to her hands and gradually warming her heart.

Pei Jue had been in the army all this time and hadn't sent any messages, so Mei Sheng naturally didn't know what he was doing. However, Mei Sheng secretly thought that it must be closely related to his return to Yanjing a few months ago.

This matter must be of great importance; otherwise, why would he have been assassinated on the day he entered the capital? It was probably a purge of his own ranks.

Winter offers few opportunities for entertainment, but Mei Sheng is quite adept at amusing herself. She stayed in a corner of the soft couch indoors, with the doors and windows closed, playing a drinking game with Tang Yun. The warm wine dispelled some of the winter chill.

What are they doing?

Mei Sheng looked into the distance and saw Steward Yang and several servants hurrying back and forth two or three times already.

Tang Yun looked at the special window, which was made of precious gauze. It was airtight, yet allowed one to see the scenery outside, demonstrating the craftsman's ingenuity.

Tang Yun leaned closer and replied, "Miss, you may not know this, but tomorrow is the sixtieth birthday of the old lady of the Xiao family in Wu County. Steward Yang is preparing a gift for the old lady."

Mei Sheng asked, "The Xiao family?"

Seeing this, Tang Yun spoke with Mei Sheng about the Xiao family.

The Xiao family was once the governor of Wu Commandery, with numerous military achievements. However, due to the chaos of war, the adult men died one after another. The Xiao family gradually declined, but fortunately, Xiao Yin survived. He has now joined Pei Jue's service as the chief clerk of the governor and is highly regarded by Pei Jue.

Tang Yun added, "This Chief Secretary Xiao is the heartthrob of many young ladies in Wu County." The young woman, not yet of marriageable age, blushed slightly as she spoke.

Mei Sheng seemed to have realized something.

At night, by the flickering candlelight, Mei Sheng looked at the object in her hand and finally smiled. After thinking it over, she decided to sew it onto her belt, which she rarely wore, and then put it at the bottom of her wardrobe.

After finally getting a good night's sleep, Mei Sheng was suddenly struck by a chill that made her shiver and her eyelids snap open.

In the dim light, Pei Jue said with a hint of guilt, "I didn't mean to wake you, but who knew—"

"Now that you're awake, have you thought through what I told you before I left?"

Mei Sheng's still-unconscious mind raced for a long time, but she just couldn't remember what he had said when he left.

Fearing the other person might discover something, Mei Sheng blinked hard, yawned, rolled over, wrapped herself tightly in the thick quilt, and went inside. She then closed her eyes again and muttered softly, "Oh."

It was extremely cold. Pei Jue had just returned from the army and his body had not yet fully warmed up. Fearing that she would get cold, he kept his distance from her. Meanwhile, the maid he had summoned quietly brought a new quilt and spread it out on the other side of the bed.

On the day he left, he asked her if, if he gave her the freedom to leave the manor in the future, she could stay in Wu County and be his concubine without worry.

Pei Jueping lay on the bed, looking at the person wrapped up like a cocoon, and thought to himself: Since you're pretending to be stupid, he'll take it as agreement.