As the year draws to a close, red lanterns hang high on the long streets and corridors, and embroidered banners with bright red designs line the way.
The incense shop was thriving, with bright red paper-cuts of the God of Wealth hanging from inside to outside the shop.
The new year should bring a fresh start, so let's take advantage of the upcoming holiday.
Qin wanted to take her daughter to Wanfo Temple again to get some amulets and also have her birth charts checked.
Let's calculate whether the Third Prince's birth chart is compatible with hers.
Qin Shi earnestly advised, "You and the Third Prince are not yet engaged or betrothed, so you must not do anything out of line, do you hear me?"
"......"
Does kissing, hugging, or lifting someone up high constitute crossing the line?
Tianyun saw Qin Shi out the door.
"Yes, Mother." Her ears burned, and she smiled sweetly.
“However, I will not go to Wanfo Temple with you. My daughter must go and reclaim what is rightfully hers.”
What kind of Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny) calculation is this?
They're a match made in heaven, no need to calculate.
Qin had no idea what her unconventional daughter was thinking! Upon hearing that she was going out, she assigned her bodyguards to her.
Before leaving, Qin returned, still worried, and gave him one last reminder—
"Mother will discuss it with Master Hongyi again. You must not rush to settle down, understand?"
He seemed quite worried about her.
Tianyun chuckled and replied, "Okay, okay, I got it."
※※※※
The woman before the mirror had her delicate eyebrows slightly arched today, and her cherry-like lips, which usually required only a light layer of lip rouge to outline their exquisite shape, were now painted with a bright vermilion.
He seemed to be adopting a rather arrogant attitude.
Tianyun smiled with satisfaction and asked Lingqi, who was staring blankly at herself in the mirror, "Girl, do I look like I'm going to wreak havoc on someone's turf?"
She no longer plans to participate in the semi-finals of the Hundred Flowers Banquet; knowing when to stop is the best long-term strategy.
But I still need to take the phoenix tail zither!
His Highness's investment of 20,000 taels of gold may not seem like much to him, but careful budgeting is an important principle for sustainable development.
Looking at her young lady in her stunning attire, exuding confidence, Lingqi nodded in deep agreement, "Whose event are you going to disrupt, young lady?"
Only a fool wouldn't watch a good show!
"Can you take me with you?"
—The little girl smiled foolishly.
“Great! I need a porter to carry the zither.”
Aunt Liu brought Qin Yuwei to the Siye Mansion many times, but Shangguan Tianyun never visited the Qin Mansion.
Today, the young lady is getting into her bridal sedan chair—for the first time ever.
The Qin residence was fairly spacious, though not as extravagant as the Siye residence.
A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the bluestone ground in front of the mansion gate, which was wide open and bare, without even a servant guarding it.
Aunt Liu has already dismissed many servants. The Qin family is now all show and no substance, with little savings left, and can no longer afford to pay the monthly wages of so many servants.
Tianyun walked in.
I heard that after his business declined, Master Qin became obsessed with martial arts, locking himself in his room all day to cultivate and never seeing anyone else.
With the head of the household neglecting his duties, Aunt Liu was forced into a corner and looked around for a good marriage for Qin Yuwei so she could leave this miserable place as soon as possible.
Men fear choosing the wrong career, and women fear marrying the wrong man.
Sister-in-law Liu didn't want Qin Yuwei to follow in her footsteps, so she set her sights on the wealthy playboy, Shangguan Tianlin!
Lingqi moved closer to her, seemingly a little frightened: "Miss, why is this mansion so deserted and eerie? Could it be that Madam Liu knew in advance that you were coming to collect a debt, and that's why she's hiding?"
It's almost Chinese New Year, but there's not a trace of festive spirit in the Qin residence. It seems this year's New Year won't be easy.
A cool breeze blew from afar, and the snowflakes on the tree were blown about by the wind, swirling like dust.
Tianyun reached out and gently pinched her nose, laughing, "You can run away, but you can't hide. Her home is here, where can she go?"
The loss of a phoenix-tail zither undoubtedly made the already impoverished Qin family even worse off.
However, since Aunt Liu has made a promise, she should keep it.
Tianyun doesn't consider herself a saint. She only believes in one principle: what is hers is hers, and what is not hers, she won't covet.
She came today to take the phoenix-tail zither away.
Tianyun sat in the main room for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea before finally seeing Qin Yuwei come out to greet him, looking tired.
Qin Yuwei narrowed her eyes and said sarcastically, "My sister is quite patient; she can sit still like this."
He thought that if he ignored her for a while, Shangguan Tianyun would leave on her own, but he didn't expect her to be so difficult to deal with, as if she was determined to keep going!
"You flatter me. Good things are worth waiting for. I've been eyeing the Phoenix Tail Zither for a long time, so there's no rush." She smoothed the folds in her dress.
Such fine silk brocade becomes smooth and lustrous with the slightest touch.
Qin Yuwei had previously owned two dresses made of this material, but now she could no longer wear them casually; she could only save them for important poetry gatherings to make an appearance.
They had to be very careful, not daring to let their clothes snag or tear.
Thinking this, the envy in Qin Yuwei's eyes vanished, replaced by self-mockery of her tragic fate.
She gave a cold snort and said unwillingly, "I can give you the Phoenix Tail Zither, but you must promise me one thing."
Tianyun didn't want to agree.
In her eyes, Qin Yuwei and Shangguan Jingyi were birds of a feather, both ruthless in achieving their goals.
Qin Yuwei disliked her brother and even despised him as an illiterate playboy, but she would fawn over him for the sake of the Siye Mansion's wealthy life.
She frowned. "My aunt didn't mention any other requirements."
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