Chapter 19 The northernmost courtyard of the Yuan residence was cold…

In the northernmost courtyard of the Yuan Mansion, a secluded and sparsely populated area, several burrs grew haphazardly at the base of the wall. They appeared to be wild, but the still-damp soil indicated that someone had just watered them.

Bamboo baskets woven from bamboo strips were stacked in the corner of the courtyard, filled with prepared herbs. Several drying racks were neatly arranged in the center of the courtyard, and the whole courtyard was filled with the bitter aroma of herbs.

Yuan Jixue was dressed in a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with the wide sleeves neatly rolled up at the shoulders, revealing a section of her slender, fair wrist. She was half-squatting beside the small medicinal herb garden she had cultivated in the courtyard, tending to the herbs she had grown herself.

The medicinal herb field is not large, but it is divided into plots of land, arranged in a neat and orderly manner.

The tightly closed courtyard gate was rudely pushed open, and a servant stood at the gate with little respect, announcing: "Third Miss, someone from the Prince's Mansion has come to invite you to come over for a talk."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Jixue raised her hand, her eyes brightening slightly. Suppressing the joy in her eyes, she replied, "I understand. I'll go then."

She hurriedly got up, washed her hands, untied her shoulder straps, and tidied her clothes and hair before heading out, afraid of keeping people waiting.

The courtyard gate wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack. Just as Yuan Jixue was about to open the gate and go out, she suddenly heard the servant who hadn't gone far talking to someone.

"Hey Chen Shi, the Third Miss might enter the Prince's mansion in the future, why don't you treat her with more respect?"

The messenger, called Chen Shi, scoffed: "Tch, look at all these years, have the young master and the princess ever shown any intention of getting married? Our lady has already started looking for suitable matches for the third young lady, who knows, she might get married someday."

"Besides, our third young lady is ambitious and dreams of marrying into a wealthy family, but the real phoenix is ​​living in the Prince's mansion right now and will soon be marrying the Crown Prince's wife. What chance does she have?"

"Even if you go to great lengths to squeeze into the Prince's mansion, at best you'll only be a concubine who can never rise above her station. Let alone those wealthy and powerful families in the capital, even in a family like ours, would the matriarch allow such an ambitious girl to remain in the household?"

The two walked away, mocking each other. Yuan Jixue, standing alone by the door, silently clenched her fists, her unpainted nails digging deep into the soft flesh of her palms.

She remained silent for a long time, took a deep breath to expel the stale air from her chest, and stepped out of the courtyard gate with her head held high.

Upon seeing Liu Ying waiting at the side gate of the Yuan residence, Yuan Jixue realized that the person looking for her was the princess, and her eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly.

Inside Xueyue Residence, Feng Mian was watching the servants set up a swing under the big locust tree when he suddenly saw Liu Ying leading Yuan Jixue into the courtyard. He immediately went to greet them happily and helped the person who was about to bow up to them.

"Miss Yuan, I hope I haven't disturbed you by inviting you here so abruptly?"

"It's alright, I'm just a free person anyway. These past two days, apart from making some medicine for the young master's injuries, I haven't had anything else to do," Yuan Jixue said with a gentle smile.

"Did you make the medicine for the prince's injuries?"

Yuan Jixue nodded, her voice tinged with a smile: "Speaking of which, I have to thank the Prince for leading me down the path of medicine. The Prince has practiced martial arts and fought since childhood, and he inevitably suffered bumps and injuries. So I learned to make medicine and gave it to him to carry with him. The Prince said that the medicine I made was very effective, so he has been using it ever since."

As Liu Ying listened, she silently puffed out her cheeks. The words seemed to imply how close she was to the prince, and that he trusted and relied on her quite a bit. It was really unpleasant to hear.

But she spoke so frankly and openly, without any ambiguity, that if one were to nitpick, it would seem petty of one to do so.

But Liu Ying couldn't help but interject, "Was the Sanqi ointment that His Highness specially sent last night also made by Miss Yuan? The medicine is indeed very effective, no wonder His Highness praised it."

Yuan Jixue was taken aback. Wasn't the young master displeased with this marriage? Why was he coming to the princess's courtyard at night?

The thought flashed through her mind in an instant, and she suppressed her emotions, looking at Feng Mian with concern, "Is the princess injured?"

"It's a minor injury, almost healed."

"That's good. Speaking of which, the medicine packet I made for the princess is ready. It's just that I didn't bring it with me today because I didn't know the princess was looking for me."

“We’re neighbors, so we’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. Just bring it next time.” Feng Mian led the people towards the bedroom. “I also have something to give you.”

Pressed in front of the dressing mirror, Yuan Jixue was already somewhat dazed. When Liuying and Wuliu tucked her hair in from either side, she was even more stunned.

Today, she simply used a jujube wood hairpin to style her hair into a slanted bun that resembled fruit hanging from a branch, a very simple style.

Wu Liu removed the jujube wood hairpin from her hair and replaced it with a bamboo-joint jade hairpin inlaid with silver wire; the pale white jade was as elegant as smoke. Liu Ying took a snow willow branch covered with pearls and tied it around her hair, adding a touch of charm to her already elegant appearance.

"I'm truly sorry about yesterday. These are my apologies to you, please don't refuse." Feng Mian rested her chin on her hands, smiling as she sat beside her, watching her. "They all suit you very well."

Yuan Jixue clenched the hem of her dress with her fingers hanging in her sleeves. She looked at the jade hairpin Xue Liu on her hair in the mirror, which was not particularly ostentatious but had an inner radiance. A faint smile appeared on her face, and the corners of her eyes curved into a just-right arc. However, her thick eyelashes drooped down, casting a shadow under her eyes, and a bitter taste that only she knew rose in her throat.

"Having received such a valuable apology gift from the princess for no reason, it seems I must accompany her to explore the entire Yunzhong County."

Feng Mian clapped his hands in delight: "This suits me perfectly! Wu Liu, quickly prepare the carriage."

The dowry included several shops spanning the east and west markets; the east market was mostly occupied by officials' wives and children, while the west market was mostly occupied by commoners. The carriage departed from the Prince of Dingbei's residence, turned two streets, and arrived at the west market.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and pedestrians thronged the area.

Feng Mian rode in a very ordinary carriage, without any sign indicating it was from the Prince's Mansion, and thus went unnoticed.

Fengmian has only six shops in the West Market: two jewelry stores, one spice shop, two pastry shops, and one silk shop, scattered across several streets, all occupying excellent locations.

Feng Mian glanced around and was pleased to find that several shops were doing quite well. Then she asked Yuan Jixue where the people in the West Market liked to go, and followed her into the bustling entertainment district.

The house has three stories high, with eight vermilion pillars supporting five rooms. The staggered arrangement of the buildings creates a play of light and shadow. Various colored curtains adorn the four sides, embroidered with auspicious words. The stitches are rough, yet the style is simple and unpretentious.

On the stage on the first floor, a performer with lightly powdered face was singing a song, swaying her flowing sleeves. Feng Mian had never heard this song before, but the guests around her were used to it and would occasionally shout "Bravo!" Some young children, held on their fathers' shoulders, swayed their heads and sang along, creating a lively scene.

The bamboo curtains in the second-floor private rooms were half-rolled up, while the doors and windows of the third-floor private rooms were closed, making it impossible to see anything inside from the outside.

Feng Mian looked around curiously, just about to find a place to sit on the first floor, when he suddenly heard a shout not far away—

"Those who want to place their bets, do so quickly; those who want to change their bets, change them quickly. Let's see if our young master's marriage will go through!"

Feng Mian turned her head sharply to look.

In one corner of the restaurant, there was a betting table, and a group of people crowded around it, talking all at once.

“If I don’t change, this marriage will definitely not go through! Haven’t you all noticed that ever since the princess moved into the prince’s mansion, the young master has hardly ever gone back?”

"That's right, I also think this marriage can't go through."

"Are you all crazy? This is a marriage bestowed by the Emperor. Even if our young master doesn't want it, how can he refuse?"

"Exactly! You all say you want the princess to back down, but what have you done? You've been throwing vegetables at the city gate and even at the young master's head. It's all useless."

"Doesn't the Prince of Dingbei's mansion possess a precious sword bestowed by the late emperor? It's something that can be used to pay with one's life. Using it to annul the engagement shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"The princess is still a young girl, so let's not go too far. It's not good for her to make the prince annul the engagement. Instead, let's think of a way to get the princess to annul the engagement on her own initiative."

...

"That's too much!" Liu Ying was so angry that she almost bit her lip. She wanted to rush over, but Feng Mian grabbed her hem.

"It's not that bad." Feng Mian pulled the person to an empty table and sat them down. "Sit down and have a cup of tea to calm down."

"How come you're not angry at all when they say those things?" Liu Ying reluctantly plopped down.

Did they say anything nasty?

When Feng Mian asked this question, Liu Ying was stunned for a moment. "It seems that there isn't... but they are all talking about your marriage with the prince and trying to force you to break off the engagement."

As she spoke, she asked Yuan Jixue, "Miss Yuan, how long has this betting game been set up?"

Under the gazes of the three, Yuan Jixue spoke with difficulty: "It was set up on the day the imperial edict arrived, and very few people have been able to win."

She gazed at Feng Mian; no one had a good opinion of her. What choice would she make?

Feng Mian rested his chin on one hand and held a teacup in the other, sipping his tea as he looked at the bustling gambling table.

This won't do. The will of the people is the key to victory. If the people of the Northern Frontier are so hostile towards her, their future Crown Princess, how will she quell any unrest that may arise later?

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, even Wu Liu couldn't help but call out, "Princess?"

Feng Mian snapped out of her daze and saw that Liu Ying and Wu Liu both looked worried. She smiled and said, "It's just a few idle words. There's no need to take it to heart. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Besides, what's important for this marriage is the attitude of the Prince's Mansion."

"Let's take a break, we still have to go to the East Market."

During his stroll through the East Market, Feng Mian unexpectedly encountered someone.

It was almost dusk when Feng Mian was being pulled out of a shop selling crispy cakes by Liu Ying and Wu Liu.

One advantage of northern Xinjiang is that the weather warms up slowly. During this transitional period between cold and warm weather, shops selling iced drinks and fruits have already opened.

Feng Mian loves ice cream, but due to her poor health, she's always restricted from eating too much. Even now, her excuse of wanting to try some northern flavors is not allowed.

As she stepped out of the shop, she happened to brush past a portly, wealthy merchant.

Feng Mian inexplicably stopped and turned around to stare at the wealthy businessman's figure.

Why does he look so familiar?

Feng Mian turned to walk back, but Liu Ying and Wu Liu stepped forward to stop her, "Princess, you really can't eat ice anymore."

"Don't worry, I won't eat. I suddenly have something urgent to attend to. Come in with me quickly, I'll get you some crispy mountain snacks." Feng Mian grabbed Shangyuan Jixue with his left hand and scratched Liu Ying with his right. Liu Ying then grabbed Wu Liu, and the four of them went back to the shop in a row.

Feng Mian walked straight to the wealthy merchant and asked, feigning curiosity, "Sir, are you a regular customer here? Do you have any special recommendations?"

The three people behind her exchanged puzzled glances. The princess had already asked the shopkeeper this question as soon as she came in, so why was she asking it again?

The wealthy merchant looked up and saw a young and pretty woman speaking to him. She was very gentle: "I'm not a regular customer, but whenever I travel here, I always stop by for a bowl of Golden Peach Honey Snow Pastry. The filling contains a whole honey-preserved apricot, which is the owner's secret recipe. If you're interested, you can give it a try."

"You're a traveling merchant?" Feng Mian's eyes widened slightly, looking quite surprised and admiring. "Where do you come from?"

"I wonder if young lady has ever heard of Qingxi?"

"You actually came from the south?" Feng Mian's eyes revealed admiration. "You have to pass through Wolf Bone Ridge on the way, where there are many bandits. You're lucky you didn't run into any."

The wealthy merchant immediately showed a look of lingering fear: "How come we didn't run into them? I was captured by that bandit leader!"

Feng Mian's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that this wealthy merchant was probably the same one she had seen at Wolf Bone Ridge that night.

He's still alive?!

A note from the author:

----------------------