The back garden was quiet, with only the sound of wind rustling through the treetops.
When Yining first heard those words, she briefly thought, absurdly, that Cheng Lang had recognized her. But in an instant, she realized it was impossible. No matter how clever Cheng Lang was, he couldn’t possibly guess such a preposterous, supernatural occurrence.
She recalled that Cheng Lang had seen her when she was eight years old. He must be referring to that childhood meeting.
Yining looked at him and asked, “Cousin Cheng Lang, weren’t you accompanying Sister Mingzhu to find Ting’er? Why have you come here?”
Cheng Lang took another step closer, his tall figure as straight as bamboo. If Yining were truly an innocent young girl, how could she not be attracted to Cheng Lang? But she was far from innocent.
“Mingzhu had to leave early, and I saw you coming this way, so I came to check on you,” Cheng Lang said with a slight smile, gazing into Yining’s eyes. “Do you like looking at the lake, Yining?”
Seeing his behavior, Yining could guess what he was trying to do. Her heart gradually turned cold.
Given Cheng Lang’s attitude, he couldn’t possibly like Zhao Mingzhu. A man like him would only treat Zhao Mingzhu well on the surface. But by directly refusing Old Madam Wei, he had offended Duke Ying’s household. Coincidentally, at this time, the true young lady of Duke Ying’s household had returned – Zhao Mingzhu’s enemy. Cheng Lang was using this advantage to get close to her. If she were a naive young girl, she would surely fall for him because of this.
He could then break free from Zhao Mingzhu effortlessly, a clever move indeed.
Realizing that Cheng Lang was scheming against her, Yining felt a chill in her heart.
When Cheng Lang was little, how much she cared for him, teaching him to be upright and honest. She had taught him only positive things. Why had he now turned his schemes on her, even on an innocent young girl?
Looking at Cheng Lang’s handsome, upright figure, Yining thought of when he was a child, leaning against her, refusing to leave, childishly complaining about dragonflies flying away. Or when he had eaten too many pastries and came to her crying with a stomachache, and she had punished him, half-angry and half-amused, forbidding him from eating pastries for a month.
She gazed at him slowly, her eyes cold, and said, “The scenery by the lake is indeed beautiful. Does Cousin Cheng Lang like it too?”
Cheng Lang hadn’t expected this young girl to look at him so calmly.
The smile on his face faded slightly.
The sound of maids searching for someone came from behind, and several maids approached. They curtsied to Cheng Lang and said, “Young Master, so you were here. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Zhao Mingzhu followed the maids. Seeing Yining standing beside Cheng Lang, she couldn’t help but look a few times.
If anyone liked Cheng Lang, she could understand. Even she would sometimes be captivated by him, especially when he was aloof. As for being passionate, he was indifferent to the Gao family’s daughter and that famous courtesan from Qinhuai. When he didn’t like someone, he treated them coldly. If he truly disliked people, how could so many still pursue him?
But what did it matter if she liked him? Cheng Lang wouldn’t have feelings for a young girl. He was well-versed in the art of remaining unattached despite his many dalliances.
“Sister Yining, instead of looking at the scenery here, why don’t you go to my Fangshan? There’s a grove of red plum blossoms there, blooming beautifully now,” Zhao Mingzhu said slowly. “How about I have someone pick some red plum blossoms for your room? Would you like that?”
Yining felt Zhao Mingzhu’s words carried a deeper meaning.
She raised her head slightly to look at Cheng Lang, noticing his expression was indifferent. Then Yining turned away and said quietly, “I don’t like red plum blossoms. I prefer winter plum blossoms. Unfortunately, they’re rare in Beizhili. But thank you for your kindness, Sister Mingzhu.” With that, she walked past the group, heading straight ahead.
Cheng Lang’s expression changed upon hearing these words. When he turned to look, he only saw her slender, almost frail figure.
In his memory, that person… She had recited the “Classic of Filial Piety” to him in a mellow voice, the jade bracelet on her delicate wrist swaying gently. Though his childhood memories were blurry, these scenes remained particularly clear. In the white porcelain vase beside them, there was a bunch of winter plum blossoms. A maid had asked her, “Madam, why not use red plum blossoms? They’re beautiful too!”
“I just love their fragrance; it’s so soothing,” she had smiled, touching the petals with her fingers. She had even plucked one for him, saying, “Lang’er, doesn’t it smell nice?”
Thinking of this, Cheng Lang lowered his head and smiled, then ceased to dwell on it further. He also walked straight out, without looking at Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingzhu bit her lip, then followed after him.
Wei Ling was about to meet the Marquis of Ding Bei when a servant came to announce that Commander Lu had arrived.
Wei Ling hurried to the study, where Lu Jiaxue was already drinking tea and waiting for him.
“You’ve found your girl?” Lu Jiaxue glanced at him, noticing his poorly concealed joy, and asked casually.
“Thanks for your help,” Wei Ling said, sitting down in the armchair to Lu Jiaxue’s left and waving for the guards to leave.
“You’re in such a hurry to see me. Do you want me to see that girl of yours?”
Lu Jiaxue couldn’t help but smile. “How could that be? I’m here to tell you that the date for the winter hunt has been set. You should have the Shen Ji Camp keep watch then.”
Wei Ling’s expression turned serious upon hearing this. “You’ve already discussed this with the Crown Prince? But isn’t this too risky? If we successfully eliminate the eldest prince, we’ll naturally be rewarded for our loyalty. But if he survives, this could be a crime that implicates nine generations of our families.”
“It seems you’ve become more cautious now that your daughter has returned,” Lu Jiaxue waved his hand dismissively. “With Dao Yan there, you needn’t worry. He’s a genius. Besides, the eldest prince will certainly die… If we don’t kill him, Wang Yuan will. That old fox is just as ruthless as you and me.”
Wei Ling sighed slightly. Lu Jiaxue’s will was unchangeable. Moreover, the eldest prince was indeed in his prime, posing too great a threat to their faction.
Lu Jiaxue only gave Wei Ling a few instructions before finishing his tea and preparing to leave. Seeing him about to go, Wei Ling hurriedly called out, “Why don’t you stay for a meal? How about becoming my girl’s godfather?”
“When Mingzhu was brought back years ago, your old madam had me become her godfather,” Lu Jiaxue said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “What, do you want me to take on another one now?”
With him as a godfather, it would be an added status, increasing her value. Previously, Old Madam Wei had doted on Zhao Mingzhu, wanting to give her the best of everything.
“She’s still young and wasn’t raised by us. I feel for her,” Wei Ling said. “Are you sure you don’t want to see her?”
He had no interest in Wei Ling’s daughter. Lu Jiaxue said flatly, “Don’t forget about the Shen Ji Camp matter. I still need to go to the palace. I’ll take my leave now.”
Outside, people were already waiting with a hidden sedan chair. Wei Ling watched Commander Lu get into the chair before returning to his study.
The steward came to remind him, “My Lord, it’s time to open the ancestral hall.”
Wei Ling grunted in acknowledgment and went to Jing’an Hall.
To be entered into the family records, one had to kneel and pay respects to the ancestral tablets, signifying acceptance into the family lineage. With Yining’s name added to the family records, Wei Ling personally led her in kowtowing.
When he brought her out, the elders of Wei’s family’s maternal side were waiting outside. Wei Ling introduced her to each of them, saying, “…She’s the one I’ve just found. She was raised in another family. She’s never been a young lady of Duke Ying’s household before, so I fear she might be nervous.”
As Wei Ling led her along, Yining understood what he was doing. Wei Ling was telling others that she was the young lady of Duke Ying’s household, with status and position. He was ensuring that others wouldn’t look down on her.
Yining wasn’t shy, but there were too many people to remember. However, a distant aunt who had three sons seemed particularly friendly towards her.
Wei Ling changed his tone and said coolly, “This is your fourth aunt. Mingzhu is her daughter.”
So this was Zhao Mingzhu’s birth mother!
Yining had heard that Zhao Mingzhu’s family wasn’t wealthy, that her father had squandered all their money, and they had been living on Old Madam Wei’s charity for years.
Yining was somewhat interested. She saw that the woman wore a plain silk padded jacket, probably newly made. Her smile was gentle, though Zhao Mingzhu didn’t resemble her much. Her three sons, however, were rather unpleasant to look at. When one of them stared at Yining, Wei Ling frowned in displeasure and sent them away.
Before the woman left, she said to Wei Ling, “I hope our Mingzhu hasn’t been causing you trouble. I’ve been wanting to see her, but haven’t had the chance.”
Yining thought to herself that after living a life surrounded by people in Duke Ying’s household, Zhao Mingzhu would hardly want to see her mother. She probably avoided her as much as possible.
Finally, Yining offered tea to Old Madam Wei, officially completing her acceptance into the family. Her name was recorded in the family records as Wei Yining, which would also help her get used to it.
Old Madam Wei drank the tea and looked up, noticing that Zhao Mingzhu wasn’t there.
After returning to Jing’an Residence, Old Madam Wei sent someone to fetch Mingzhu.
When Zhao Mingzhu entered, she saw Old Madam Wei sitting on the luohan bed drinking tea. She went over and took the small hammer from the maid to massage the old lady’s legs. “Grandmother, you’ve been busy all day. You must be tired?”
Old Madam Wei looked at her familiar features, feeling tender-hearted. “I saw you go to the ancestral hall earlier. Didn’t you want to see your mother?”
Zhao Mingzhu pouted and said, “You know how it is. Every time she sees me, she just talks about trivial matters. I don’t want to listen. Besides, Uncle was introducing Sister Yining to the guests. I didn’t want to intrude.” She smiled coquettishly at Old Madam Wei. “I’m most comfortable with you, Grandmother! I don’t care for anyone else as much.”
Old Madam Wei reached out to help her up and sit beside her. “But you shouldn’t treat your cousin Yining poorly. Remember what I said, try to get closer to her.”
“You want me to get close to her, but how can I?” Zhao Mingzhu felt uncomfortable again. “As soon as Sister Yining returned, Uncle acted as if I didn’t exist. I sent Sister Yining a pair of cloisonné vases. They weren’t expensive, but they were exquisite. Who knew Uncle would return them, saying Sister Yining didn’t want them.”
Old Madam Wei frowned upon hearing this, her tone turning stern. “He returned them to you?” This Wei Ling was going too far. Even if his birth daughter had returned, he shouldn’t immediately abandon his adopted daughter. Wasn’t that too heartless?
Zhao Mingzhu continued stubbornly, “Grandmother! You’ve always loved me the most. I was the only one in the household! When I was little and fell ill, you stayed by my side day and night. I’m upset too. Why doesn’t Uncle like me any more now that she’s back? I’m afraid that one day you won’t like me either! I want to like Sister Yining too, but how can I like her so quickly?”
Her words touched the old lady’s heart. After all, Mingzhu was the one she had raised. She hugged Mingzhu, comforting her, “Silly child, of course, I like you the most. After all, you’re the one I raised with my own hands! Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, who wouldn’t like you? Who would dare look down on you? Not even Yining or Wei Ling would dare.”
The bond with the child she had raised herself was indeed strong. Although Old Madam Wei liked Yining, Mingzhu was her precious pearl, held in her hands. She couldn’t help but show some favoritism.
No matter how difficult Zhao Mingzhu might be, she was the one Old Madam Wei had raised.