The people Lin Hao and the others encountered were Madam of the Marquis of Wuning and her daughter Tang Wei.

Madam of the Marquis of Wuning was of similar age to Madam Lin. Her brows and eyes carried the arrogance of someone whose life was going well, though at the moment she didn’t look to be in particularly good spirits.

“Isn’t this Madam Lin? What a coincidence.” Madam of the Marquis of Wuning surveyed Madam Lin and spoke first.

Madam of the Marquis of Wuning’s maiden name was Tian. Like Madam Lin, she was a tigress daughter from a military family. When they were young, both had had hard tempers and didn’t get along well.

Now Madam Lin had severed ties with her husband and lived long-term in her maiden home, while Madam of the Marquis of Wuning was the lady of a marquis manor, and her eldest daughter was the illustrious and noble Crown Princess. Looking now at someone she hadn’t gotten along with in the past, her mood improved considerably.

Madam Lin had long known what kind of person Madam of the Marquis of Wuning was. She smiled politely. “It is quite a coincidence. I didn’t expect Madam of the Marquis to also bring your esteemed daughter to offer incense.”

Madam of the Marquis of Wuning furrowed her brows.

The reason she had come to offer incense was because she’d encountered something disgusting.

The Crown Prince was fond of beautiful women. Facing the bevy of beauties in the Eastern Palace, Qiang’er had long since learned to turn a blind eye. After all, those women were merely playthings for the Crown Prince’s amusement. If they truly provoked Qiang’er, they would get no benefit from it.

Who would have thought that the cousin from Prince Jing’s manor would actually enter the Eastern Palace!

She hadn’t met that little hussy, but according to what Wei’er had said, she looked fifty or sixty percent like Princess Consort Jing, but was even more delicate and fragile than the Princess Consort.

Qiang’er was unhappy about it, so naturally she as the mother felt uncomfortable. That was why she’d thought to come to Qinglu Temple to offer incense—to pray for peace of mind for her eldest daughter and a marriage match for her second daughter.

“Since we’ve run into each other so rarely, let’s have tea together after we finish offering incense.” Madam of the Marquis of Wuning extended an invitation.

Though she and Lin Wanqing didn’t get along, when she was feeling vexed, seeing someone worse off than herself always improved her mood a bit.

Madam Lin refused without hesitation. “To show sincerity to Buddha, I plan to recite sutras for half a day. Let’s have tea together another day.”

She couldn’t be bothered to listen to this annoying person constantly going on about how her Crown Princess daughter was doing this or that.

Now she was showing off arrogantly and acting superior—this wasn’t like when they were young and she would cry when hearing her shout her full name “Tian Chunhua.”

This was also what Madam Lin disliked about Madam of the Marquis of Wuning—she didn’t like people calling her by her own name. Wasn’t that a problem?

It had been a long time since Madam of the Marquis of Wuning had been directly refused. Her face darkened. “Another day then.”

“Madam of the Marquis, please go first.” Madam Lin stepped aside, indicating that Madam of the Marquis of Wuning and her daughter should offer incense first.

Madam of the Marquis of Wuning stepped forward with a stiff expression and accepted the incense sticks handed over by a monk.

Only after Madam of the Marquis of Wuning and her daughter had finished offering incense did Madam Lin unhurriedly lead the Lin sisters to worship Buddha sincerely.

Tang Wei, walking out of the treasure hall, curled her lip. “Mother, why did you bother with them?”

The mother was unappreciative, and the daughter shamelessly fawned over the young princess—they were all disgusting creatures.

“As a young lady in public, don’t purse your lips so much you could hang an oil jar from them.” Madam of the Marquis of Wuning scolded.

Tang Wei was too lazy to listen. “Mother, you go back and have tea. Since we’ve come here rarely, I want to walk around.”

Watching her daughter disappear with her maid in a flash, and having failed to arrange a meeting with Madam Lin where she could show off, Madam of the Marquis of Wuning went to drink tea with a gloomy expression.

After offering incense, Madam Lin said to her two daughters, “Didn’t the young novice say the maple forest to the west is very beautiful? You two go play for a while.”

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Lin Chan asked.

Madam Lin shook her head. “I’m not a young lady like you two anymore. After sitting in the carriage for so long, I’m a bit tired. I’ll sleep for a while.”

Lin Chan and Lin Hao first accompanied Madam Lin back to the guest room, then headed together toward the maple forest.

As a temple with abundant incense offerings, Qinglu Temple had a constant stream of worshippers. However, since this western area was only open to lodging guests, they didn’t see many people along the way.

Ahead spread a sea of fiery red, magnificent and beautiful.

Lin Hao and Lin Chan walked on the thick carpet of golden-red maple leaves, experiencing the beauty of late autumn.

A maple leaf floated gently down and landed on Lin Chan’s fingertip.

“We really should come out and walk around. I was thinking about what to embroider for Grandmother’s birthday, and now I’ve thought of it.”

Looking at that fallen leaf, Lin Hao asked with a smile, “Is Elder Sister planning to embroider maple leaves?”

“I plan to embroider a double-sided maple piece. It would be both seasonal and beautiful to display in the room.”

“Elder Sister has already thought of a birthday gift for Grandmother, but I still have no ideas.” Lin Hao tugged on Lin Chan’s sleeve, smiling coquettishly. “Elder Sister’s embroidery is so good, could you embroider two handkerchiefs with red leaves for me?”

“Do you even need to ask for that?” Lin Chan glanced at her sister.

A cold snort came from nearby.

The two looked toward the sound and saw Tang Wei standing not far away with her lip curled.

“Has the General’s manor fallen on such hard times that you have to beg for even a handkerchief?”

With no one else around, Tang Wei didn’t even bother maintaining basic courtesy.

She had been very displeased recently.

Not only had she failed to deal with that little hussy Sun Xiuhua, but the woman had entered the Eastern Palace and was causing trouble for her elder sister. The young princess she often played with had become friends with the Lin sisters whom she found disagreeable. And coming with her mother to offer incense and relax, she’d actually run into them.

Lin Hao stepped forward, staring fixedly at Tang Wei.

Tang Wei frowned. “What are you looking at?”

Lin Hao’s expression was serious. “I suddenly discovered… your mouth is a bit crooked.”

“Pfft.”

Lin Chan was usually composed. Thinking she’d failed to hold back her laughter, she quickly covered her mouth.

Tang Wei angrily looked toward the source of the laughter.

Several young men stood not far away. One of them, holding a folding fan, cupped his hands. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to laugh.”

Unless he really couldn’t help it.

He didn’t dare say the second half of that sentence. His gaze swept over Lin Hao and Lin Chan’s faces.

Lin Hao felt this person looked familiar. Looking again at Wen Feng standing beside him, she remembered: both times she’d encountered Wen Feng by chance, this person had been there.

Tang Wei clearly knew this young man. With a dark expression she said, “Han Baocheng, are you making fun of me?”

Han Baocheng was the young master from the Minister of War’s manor. Well aware of this Second Miss Tang’s temperament, he quickly waved his hands. “No, no.”

Tang Wei suddenly curved her lips upward and pointed at Lin Hao. “She just insulted me verbally. You all heard it, right?”

Han Baocheng stiffened.

He had heard, but since Second Miss Tang was such an unpleasant person, he didn’t want to help her.

With Han Baocheng’s silence, the others received Tang Wei’s warning glare.

“My apologies, we just arrived and didn’t hear clearly what you three young ladies were discussing.” A clear, bright voice rang out.

Tang Wei looked at the speaker. “You are—Top Scholar Yang?”

Of course she had gone to watch the top scholar’s procession through the streets, and had even secured the best viewing spot.

Though she looked down on Yang Zhe’s background, having such an extraordinarily handsome top scholar speak up for the Lin sisters made Tang Wei feel exceptionally furious.

“You all clearly heard it, otherwise why would you laugh?”

Facing Tang Wei’s aggressive manner, Yang Zhe’s expression didn’t change. “I didn’t laugh.”

Tang Wei was momentarily choked. Her angry gaze fell on Wen Feng beside them.

Wen Feng lowered his eyes and bowed. “Miss, you’re mistaken. We truly didn’t hear.” Afraid Tang Wei would persist relentlessly, he quickly added, “I didn’t laugh either.”

The other two, fearing they’d draw fire, hastily declared they hadn’t laughed.

Tang Wei glared furiously at Han Baocheng.

Han Baocheng silently cursed his friends for their disloyalty and said with a straight face, “I was laughing because I suddenly thought of the dream I had last night. I didn’t hear clearly what you three young ladies were saying at all. Ah, please continue your conversation, young ladies. We won’t disturb you.”

Before Tang Wei could speak, the group turned and ran.