Chapter 4: Way Out

After she finished speaking, the air seemed to be silent, and only the sound of wind and snow outside the corridor could be heard. Zhaocai couldn't stand it anymore, and quietly pulled Ming Huashang: "Madam..."

Ming Huashang pushed Zhaocai's hand away and said confidently, "Don't make a fuss, this is very important. You know that banquets in Luoyang are always stingy, and snacks are like feeding birds, they are gone in one bite. You can bear with it for a meal, but we'll be gone for three days, and in case there's not enough food, we have to bring food with us in advance."

She spoke so loudly and seriously that Ming Huazhang could not answer. Because he really didn't know whether there would be enough snacks at the banquet.

Probably no one who went to the banquet was there to eat. Ming Huazhang paused for a moment and said, "Your worry is reasonable. It was my negligence. Just bring whatever you like to eat."

Ming Huashang happily agreed. Thinking of the dream she had last night, she felt that Ming Huazhang was the least suspicious person at the moment. This was her life-saving talisman in the future, so Ming Huashang felt it was necessary to build a good relationship with Ming Huazhang, and asked flatteringly: "Second brother, what do you like to eat? I'm familiar with all the snack shops in Luoyang, and I'll bring you whatever flavor you want!"

"Thank you, but it's not necessary." Ming Huazhang refused without hesitation. Ming Huachang thought Ming Huazhang was embarrassed, so he said generously: "Second brother, you don't have to be polite to me. I heard that a new shop opened in the south of the city. The plum blossom cake is sweet and refreshing, and it is often out of stock. If you want to eat it, I will ask Jinbao to queue up early tomorrow and I will definitely buy it for you."

It was no surprise to learn that she had a maid named Zhaocai and another named Jinbao. Ming Huazhang looked at her and knew clearly that she wanted to eat. Ming Huazhang wanted to remind her to be careful at the Feihong Banquet and not to approach strangers, so as not to be involved in the internal struggle between the Li and Wu families. However, when he looked at Ming Huachang in front of him, whose eyes were bright and she seemed to be attending the banquet, he felt that it was unnecessary to say anything.

Her mind was full of food and drink, so she didn't care about those princes. Ming Huazhang sighed slightly and said, "I don't eat sweets or cakes. Just prepare your own things and don't worry about me. I will send someone to check your luggage list with you the day before departure. Is there anything else?"

Ming Huazhang had a cool and upright look on his face, as bright and clear as the moon. Ming Huashang shook her head slightly and didn't dare to beg him any more.

She was a little upset. She and Ming Huazhang had not been close in recent years, and she didn't even ask about his well-being. She didn't even know that Ming Huazhang didn't like sweets.

How could there be people in the world who don’t like sweet food?

Ming Huazhang gave Ming Huashang instructions and turned away. After he was far away, Zhaocai dared to approach and whispered, "Madam, Erlangjun is so serious. I didn't dare to say a word when he was here just now."

Ming Huashang shuddered, wrapped his fluffy fur collar tightly around him, and said, "Yes, this is what we call natural nobility, and awe-inspiring even without anger. A-choo, hurry back quickly, I'm freezing to death."

Ming Huashang almost ran back to her own courtyard. After returning to her house, she held the heater in her arms, ate a plate of cakes, and drank half a cup of ginger tea. Only then did she finally feel that she was alive.

She was wearing a silver-red long skirt, a white top with a fur-trimmed collar, and she was lying on the pillow without any manners. Surrounded by the warm wisteria fragrance, Ming Huashang yawned and felt sleepy.

If it were usual, she would go back to catch up on her sleep, but today she had something important to do. Ming Huashang forced herself to cheer up and said loudly, "As you wish."

A maid with a bun in her hair answered and ran quickly to Ming Huashang's side, her voice sweet and crisp: "Madam, what's wrong?"

Ming Huashang has four maids, named Zhaocai, Jinbao, Jixiang and Ruyi. Zhaocai is in charge of her clothes and jewelry and usually goes out with her; Jinbao is a good cook and is in charge of food. Sometimes when Ming Huashang feels hungry, she asks Jinbao to light the stove or go out to buy snacks; Jixiang is steady and down-to-earth, and is in charge of sweeping the dishes inside and outside Ming Huashang's yard; Ruyi is smart and capable, and is responsible for helping Ming Huashang to gather information and build relationships.

Ming Huashang beckoned with her finger, and Ruyi understood and moved closer. Ming Huashang whispered, "Go outside and ask the older women if anyone knows a nanny named Su, who was my mother's wet nurse and used to serve in the main courtyard."

In the dream, Duke Zhenguo said in no uncertain terms that Ming Huashang was a fake and Su Yuji was his real daughter. Her father was so sure that Ming Huashang had no doubts about the truth, but she had never heard of Su Ma Ma as far as she could remember.

Even on the day when the truth was revealed, it was only Su Yuji who showed the evidence, and the Duke of Zhenguo admitted it after checking it, and did not find the culprit, Nanny Su, to confront her. A wet nurse who was able to exchange the daughter of a duke's mansion should have a very high status in the inner house, so why did Ming Huashang have no impression of this person?

Ruyi took the order and left. Ruyi was indeed a socialite, and she found out everything in just one afternoon.

Under the lamp, Ming Huashang drank Ganzisu while listening to Ruyi say: "...The person you want to ask about is a bit old. I ran around all afternoon and asked more than ten people before someone finally heard of Nanny Su. But she didn't know her well either. She only knew that Nanny Su was the most trusted wet nurse of the Duke's wife and accompanied her from Taiyuan when she got married. Nanny Su served the lady personally, and her son and daughter-in-law helped the lady run the shop in Chang'an, which was very respectable. She retired and returned to her hometown sixteen years ago and has not appeared since."

Sixteen years ago? Wasn't that the year Ming Huashang was born? Ming Huashang hurriedly asked, "Why did she retire and return to her hometown?"

"I don't know. It seems that her grandson is very talented and a good student. She had been raising him in the family before. But as he grew older, she felt that it was not a good idea to separate the whole family, so she took her son and daughter-in-law back to her hometown and focused on supporting her grandson's education."

Ming Huashang raised an eyebrow, unable to accept this reason. Retiring to her hometown and enjoying her grandchildren seemed very convincing, but Nanny Su was not a teacher, so what could she teach her grandchildren when she returned to her hometown? According to normal people's thinking, wouldn't it be more reasonable to bring her grandchildren to Chang'an to reunite with the family?

Moreover, Wang Yulan died after giving birth, and no one took care of the dowry and the farm. The two babies were crying for food. As the wet nurse of the lady, shouldn't Su Ma stay in the master's house at this time, taking care of the young master while letting her son and daughter-in-law take over Wang Yulan's farm? Before the two young masters grew up, she could earn a lot of money just by managing the dowry. It was not in line with the human nature of seeking profit for Su Ma to retire and return home at this juncture.

Ming Huashang asked, "Who let Nanny Su leave the Duke's Mansion?"

Ruyi frowned, trying to recall, and said uncertainly: "It should be the Duke, right? At that time, the Duke's Mansion was still in Chang'an. When the lady was pregnant with the mistress and Erlang, she was not in good condition. At that time, the situation outside was not peaceful, and there were searches for treason every few days. The Duke was afraid of alarming the lady, so he sent her to the manor on Mount Zhongnan to recuperate. The lady gave birth to Erlang and the lady in the manor, but unfortunately the lady did not survive and died just after giving birth to the dragon and phoenix twins. Later, the Duke took the husband and the lady back to the manor, and it seems that since then, she has not seen Nanny Su. Maybe the Duke sent her away."

Ming Huashang didn't know that so many things happened in the year she was born. She pondered in silence and slowly came up with a guess.

The only thing that can make people resist the temptation of interests is greater interests. Could it be that Wang Yulan gave birth outside the city, and the rules in the villa were not as good as those in the Duke's Mansion, so it gave Nanny Su an opportunity to take advantage of it. After she secretly replaced the two children, she felt guilty and took advantage of Wang Yulan's death and the Duke of Zhenguo not knowing the truth, and she escaped in the name of retiring to her hometown?

It was very possible, but Ming Huashang always felt that she had overlooked something. Ming Huashang asked, "Who else followed my mother to the villa to wait for the birth of her child?"

Ruyi shook her head: "I don't know."

This happened sixteen years ago. Ruyi only entered the palace twelve years ago. How could she know about the events during the Yonghui period? Ming Huashang said, "Go ahead and find the people who accompanied my mother to the villa. When you find them, don't make them public. Come report to me first, and then quietly bring them here."

Ruyi agreed. She paused and asked cautiously, "Madam, why are you asking about this?"

Of course, it was to save her life. If her life was not threatened by an unknown person, who would be willing to investigate these old things? Ming Huashang exhaled a breath of stale air and said, "I'm curious about something. You are not allowed to tell anyone about these things. Once you leave this door, you are not allowed to mention them to anyone, not even to my father or my second brother. Do you understand?"

Ming Huashang was rarely so serious, Ruyi was startled and quickly agreed.

After Ming Huashang finished asking questions, she asked Ruyi to leave. She sat alone in the room, looking at the flickering candlelight, and suddenly felt confused.

She is Ming Huashang, but not the Ming Huashang of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. When the real daughter returns next year, where will she go?

Why not take advantage of this year to find a good husband to marry?

This thought only flashed through Ming Huashang's mind for a moment before she rejected it. When nobles and officials marry, are they after the bride herself? They want to marry a symbol of the other family's wealth and kinship, and the person they are marrying is the least important. Her father, who regarded her as a treasure, gave up on her after learning her true identity. Why did she think that a man she just met would stick with her?

Ming Huashang had already ruled out her staying in the Ming family, and she didn't want to be killed for no apparent reason again. Maybe she should return to her real family, the Su family?

Ming Huashang also didn't think this was a good choice. How could a family with a grandmother who could exchange her granddaughter for the daughter of a duke for money be a good family? Not to mention that Nanny Su also had a very promising grandson, and the whole family was using all their strength to support this son's education. If Ming Huashang returned, who knew if she would be sold?

Since she couldn't stay in the Duke's Mansion, nor could she return to the Su family, she could only find a way to establish her own household. But being independent was not as simple as buying a house. She was a woman, and if she wanted to live independently without her father, brother, or husband, she could only establish a female household. However, establishing a female household had many harsh conditions, so it was not easy to do.

Even if she found a way through the government and successfully registered as a female householder, how would she make a living as a good-for-nothing who was not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy or painting?

Ming Huashang thought of the bleak future and sighed deeply for herself. She saw that the Gan Zi Su in her hand was getting cold, so she drank it all in one gulp.

Of all things, eating and sleeping are the most important. Fortunately, there is still a year left, so she can take her time to make arrangements. The most urgent task is the upcoming Feihong Banquet.

Ming Huashang pulled out a list and carefully wrote down what food she wanted to bring. Plum cakes in the south of the city were really hard to buy, so she had to ask Jinbao to prepare some quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the fourteenth day of the first lunar month arrived. The capital lifted the curfew, and within three days, the country celebrated wildly, with no taboos. Tall red lanterns were hung on the Vientiane Temple, and the streets and alleys were filled with lanterns. Even the cold and compassionate Buddha statues seemed to be tinged with human warmth. People from the surrounding counties and prefectures came to Luoyang with their families to watch the lantern festival, and at the same time, many luxury cars went against the flow of people and went out of the city.

Princess Taiping held a banquet at Mount Mang, inviting all the talented people in the capital to enjoy the snow and lanterns at Mount Mang. Since the reign of the empress, it has become a sarcasm that women without talent are virtuous. In the past, there were empresses who ruled the world, and later there were a series of female officials represented by Shangguan Wan'er who participated in politics. Being a monarch or an official is no longer exclusive to men. More and more women have stepped out of their private rooms and participated in the fields that were once only for men. This time, Princess Taiping held a banquet in the same way. Not only did she invite talented people from aristocratic families, she also invited many talented women from noble families.

Suddenly, the road was filled with precious horses and carved carriages, and the fragrance of the wind filled the air. Ming Huashang was originally worried that the road up the mountain would be difficult to walk on, but she didn't expect that the snow would be flattened by the endless carriages, and she reached the top of the mountain smoothly. As soon as she got off the car, Ming Huashang was stunned by the scene in front of her.

The place was filled with beautiful women and gold and jade. Perhaps all the nobles in Luoyang were here? Ming Huashang had been a fisherman for sixteen years. This was the first time she had seen such a grand scene. She subconsciously went to find Ming Huazhang: "Second brother."

Ming Huazhang was holding the horse and talking to the people at the door. When he saw Ming Huachang looking over, he handed the reins to his attendant and said briefly, "Lead the horse to the stable. Don't use their fodder. Use our own. You go and watch it yourself. Don't make any mistakes."

The attendant agreed and led the horse away. Ming Huazhang walked towards Ming Huashang and asked, "It took longer than expected to climb the mountain. Do you feel uncomfortable?"

Ming Huashang shook her head: "I'm fine. I have food and drinks in the car, so how can I feel uncomfortable? On the contrary, my second brother has been riding a horse all the way, so he is not frozen, right?"

He was still in the mood to eat, so he looked fine. Ming Huazhang said, "This short distance is nothing to me. Since you are fine, I will take you to your place first."

Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang were about to leave when suddenly a clear and smiling voice came from behind them: "Jingzhan."

Ming Huashang did not notice that her brother Ming Huazhang raised an eyebrow, revealing a helpless look. She turned around following the voice and saw a man standing under a cedar tree, dressed in a slender and elegant green robe. Seeing Ming Huashang, he raised his eyebrows and smiled, his eyes were unrestrained and romantic: "Jingzhan, is this my second sister?"