Under Liang Zhe’s instruction, Qinglan and Qingcao gradually reduced the medicine given to Old Madam Liang, then slowly stopped it altogether. Old Madam Liang gradually returned to a normal routine.

Since Old Madam Liang had recovered her health, the younger generation resumed their habit of going to Ning Garden daily to pay their respects and accompany Old Madam Liang for breakfast.

However, Liang Yunshan never appeared.

Liang Zhe’s explanation to Old Madam Liang was that Emperor Delong had sent Liang Yunshan to the capital region. As for what he was doing there, Liang Zhe didn’t explain, and Old Madam Liang didn’t ask.

After the last time paying respects to Old Madam Liang, Liang Jie told Old Madam Liang that Liang Yuan had gotten into trouble with someone at a brothel, been beaten, and needed to rest in bed for a while before he could see people.

Old Madam Liang immediately looked at Luo Meixiang, whose gaze was evasive and whose expression was conflicted.

Luo Meixiang had been particularly tormented during this period and had visibly lost weight.

Ever since that incident, Liang Yunshan had never come to see her again, always staying with Concubine Yue and those other beauties. Sometimes she felt that Old Madam Liang was fake, other times she felt this was just something Liang Yunshan had said to comfort her, and that she and Liang Yunshan were actually siblings.

Liang Yunshan wouldn’t see her, and she didn’t dare see Liang Yunshan either.

Even when coming to Ning Garden to pay respects, her psychology remained conflicted and struggling. Whether Old Madam Liang was fake or was actually her birth mother, she couldn’t face Old Madam Liang.

As for being the daughter of Concubine Zhou, before she had heard that she was Prince Liang’s daughter, she had never felt there was anything wrong with it. But ever since hearing last time that she was Prince Liang’s daughter, she had always harbored strange thoughts.

Actually, she very much hoped she was of imperial blood.

One was imperial bloodline, the other was born of a lowly concubine – the difference between these two was like that between clouds and mud.

Seeing Luo Meixiang’s struggle and Liang Jie’s deception, Old Madam Liang closed her eyes and stopped questioning Liang Jie further.

At this moment, saying anything was empty. Only when she had completely trampled those three jumping clowns Liang Zhe underfoot would she let Meixiang and the three siblings Yuan’er know that only she was their support, only she truly cared for them.

In the blink of an eye, it was the ninth day of the twelfth month.

Days earlier, the palace had sent invitations to prominent families in the capital – the palace was hosting an ice sculpture banquet and inviting the old noble ladies, madams, and young ladies from various mansions to enter the palace for viewing.

The ice sculpture banquet had been started when the Empress Dowager was alive.

For all these years, it had continued to be held grandly. After the Empress Dowager’s death, Imperial Consort De presided over this affair.

Every year, the invitation sent to the Liang family bore Old Madam Liang’s name, but each time, Old Madam Liang had declined for various reasons.

This morning, while everyone was having breakfast at Ning Garden, Old Madam Liang, who had been eating coldly and silently, suddenly looked at Luo Meixiang and said, “Meixiang, go prepare yourself. I will accompany you into the palace shortly.”

Luo Meixiang was startled and nearly stood up. “Mo-mother, what did you say?”

“I want to enter the palace to view the ice sculptures. What’s wrong with that?”

Luo Meixiang was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled. “Mother, I’ll go prepare right away.”

As she spoke, she unconsciously glanced at Qin Shuying. The person currently in charge of the household was Qin Shuying, not herself.

Qin Shuying ate silently, not saying a word.

Old Madam Liang loved using this tactic – treating Qin Shuying like air, not taking her seriously at all.

If Old Madam Liang could act this way, so could she. If Old Madam Liang looked down on her, she didn’t necessarily think much of Old Madam Liang either.

It seemed Old Madam Liang was finally going to take action.

After the meal, all the female masters of the Liang family dressed up elaborately, and everything needed for entering the palace was prepared.

At noon, after lunch, surrounded by guards and maids and servants, the carriages of the Pingxi Earl’s mansion slowly proceeded toward the imperial palace.

At the palace gate, quite a few carriages belonging to ladies were already parked there. Everyone got out of their carriages one after another and, guided by palace servants, headed toward the inner palace.

When Old Madam Liang got out of her carriage, many ladies kept looking toward the Liang family’s carriage.

Even more old noble ladies looked at the elaborately dressed Old Madam Liang in surprise. People whispered among themselves, asking who this imposingly noble and absolutely beautiful middle-aged woman was.

When they heard it was Old Madam Liang, everyone couldn’t hide their amazement. Particularly those old noble ladies of the same age as Old Madam Liang unconsciously touched their own temples.

Old Madam Liang’s hair was still jet black and lustrous, her figure still tall and graceful, her eyes still bright, her skin still snow white. If someone said she was their daughter, no one would doubt it.

Many people had long known that Old Madam Liang possessed stunning beauty that could topple kingdoms, which was why the old Pingxi Marquis had been willing to disregard his status and insist on marrying her, a lowly concubine’s daughter.

But the past was the past. Many of them had seen Old Madam Liang when she was young and knew she was beautiful beyond their comparison. But why, after all these years, was she still so beautiful?

Every woman had a dream of beauty. Even after becoming old noble ladies, their love of beauty remained unchanged. Usually without comparison they didn’t feel much, but now, contrasted against Old Madam Liang, they immediately began having all sorts of thoughts.

Old Madam Liang had not left her home for many years. The ladies she had been close with in the past had either gone to other places or had long since died. Therefore, among the five or six old noble ladies at the gate, there wasn’t a single familiar face.

Under everyone’s gazes of surprise, envy, or sighs, Old Madam Liang held her neck high, her expression composed and elegant, her eyes sparkling with flowing light, her steps graceful, showing no embarrassment or awkwardness whatsoever.

Liang Zhen couldn’t come, and as the wife of a secondary son, the Meng family couldn’t come either. Luo Meixiang, Qin Shuying, and Liang Qiong followed behind Old Madam Liang.

All three were very surprised.

Luo Meixiang and Liang Qiong were surprised by Old Madam Liang’s myriad graces and lofty bearing – such demeanor was beyond even Liang Qiong’s reach.

Qin Shuying was surprised that Old Madam Liang seemed very familiar with the directions within the imperial palace.

The place they were heading to now was Wanshou Palace, the palace where the Empress Dowager had lived before her death.

Within Wanshou Palace, there was an exquisite pond, very spacious open ground, and very warm conservatories.

The ice sculpture banquet was set in the conservatories, while the ice sculptures were placed above the pond and on the open ground.

Skilled craftsmen had used winter ice blocks, borrowing the ingeniously crafted arrangements in the pond as well as the open ground, to carve exquisite ice sculptures.

These ice sculptures included birds flying up from the water, carriages galloping across the ground, delicate implements, and lifelike beauties… all were exquisite and varied.

During the day, they would view ice sculptures, feast, admire the snowy scenery, and appreciate plum blossoms.

By late afternoon, as the sky gradually darkened, the Imperial Household Department would provide especially bright jewels to be embedded within the ice sculptures. At that time, the luminous pearls and glowing gems would emit dazzling light, making the ice sculptures appear dreamlike and fantastical, like a fairyland.

Viewing the ice sculptures at that time would be an entirely different scene.

Dreamlike and fantastical, not seeming of this world.

These ice sculptures were not easy to make – difficult to carve and difficult to preserve.

Being able to attend the ice sculpture banquet at Wanshou Palace was an honor that ordinary people could not obtain.

Luo Meixiang and Liang Qiong came almost every year, while this was naturally Qin Shuying’s first time participating.

After entering the palace gates, no one could bring maids with them.

Having to both remember the routes and observe Old Madam Liang, Qin Shuying basically had no other mental energy to think about other matters.