This day, the sky was overcast with thick, heavy clouds layered upon each other as if about to fall.

Kou’er entered and reported to Luo Sheng, who was using a rattle drum to amuse her young daughter, “Mistress, someone from Ningyuan came to say that Mingzhu has suddenly taken a turn for the worse…”

The rattle drum sound stopped.

The ten-month-old infant looked at her mother in confusion, not understanding why there was suddenly no sound.

“Take the young princess to sleep,” Luo Sheng instructed the wet nurse.

The wet nurse quickly picked up the young princess and went to the side room.

Only then did Luo Sheng instruct Kou’er, “Send someone to the wine house to call Fuxue back.”

Mingzhu had been ill since last year, on and off, sometimes better and sometimes worse. By now, with medicine proving ineffective, they had been prepared.

“Someone has already been sent to call him.” Kou’er pressed her lips together. “Mingzhu… wishes to see you.”

Luo Sheng thought for a moment and stood up. “Let’s go then.”

Ningyuan was in the northwest corner of the prince’s manor. Back when Grand Commander Luo’s family had fled, Fuxue had received Shi Yan’s protection and lived in the prince’s manor.

Later, when Princess Changle met with disaster, everyone in the princess’s manor either died or fled. At Fuxue’s pleading, Shi Yan had risked scrubbing chamber pots for life to take in Mingzhu and the others as well.

This had created a situation where before Miss Luo had even married over, several male favorites had already taken up residence in Prince Kaiyang’s manor.

The manor’s steward had quietly asked Wei Han how to arrange these people. Wei Han had said unconcernedly, “Let them continue living here.”

So the group had remained in the manor ever since.

Entering Ningyuan, she saw Lingxiao and Luqi silently weeping.

Seeing Luo Sheng enter, Mingzhu raised his head with difficulty. “You’ve come.”

Before Luo Sheng could speak, Lingxiao and Luqi tactfully withdrew.

Mingzhu looked at Kou’er by Luo Sheng’s side and gathered his courage to ask, “May I speak a few words with you alone?”

Luo Sheng nodded slightly at Kou’er, who withdrew.

“Miss—” As soon as Mingzhu opened his mouth, he began coughing.

Luo Sheng didn’t correct his form of address and said gently, “Let me send someone to request a divine physician to examine you.”

“There’s no need.” Mingzhu tried his best to show Luo Sheng a smile. “One can treat illness but not fate. Let’s not trouble the divine physician. Besides, I’ve lived long enough…”

Luo Sheng was silent for a moment before asking, “Do you have any wishes?”

Mingzhu gazed at Luo Sheng unwaveringly. “Not really… I just wanted to see you once more, Miss.”

This was the young lady he had secretly admired. It was just unfortunate that with his humble status, even speaking the words “my heart delights in you” would be laughable.

So he wouldn’t say them. He would just hide it in his heart. This affection was of no consequence to the young lady anyway.

He had once belonged to Princess Changle, then was given to the young lady. He had thought he would serve her as he had Princess Changle, but unexpectedly, she only had him massage her legs and shoulders. Rather than treating him as a male favorite, she treated him more like a maidservant.

Later, when Da Bai came along, she simply sent him and Fuxue to raise geese.

In his view, the Miss Luo whom others saw as absurd and willful was actually just a little girl who lived as she pleased.

He had been satisfied with such a stable life, feeling that being able to live out his days this way was fortunate.

When had things changed?

Mingzhu tried hard to remember.

It was probably that spring day in the seventeenth year of Yong’an when the young lady returned from Jinsha. The first thing she said when she summoned him was to dismiss him.

Her cold manner had frightened him, but somehow, from then on, the carefree little girl in his memory had been replaced by a reserved and restrained young woman.

He had been puzzled, curious, wanting to draw near, but had no opportunity.

Yet she grew deeper in his heart day by day.

Only much later did he understand—this was probably what falling in love meant.

Whether he liked the real Miss Luo or the Miss Luo of his imagination, with his lowly status, being able to generate feelings of affection was already a ray of light in his life.

Mingzhu looked deeply at Luo Sheng, wanting to brand her image deep in his soul.

If there was a next life, he hoped he would be a clean and unblemished person. Rich or poor didn’t matter—at least he would be qualified to say “my heart delights in you” to the young lady he liked.

“Brother Mingzhu—” Fuxue rushed in.

Mingzhu looked at the tear-streaked youth and couldn’t help but smile. “Fuxue, have you learned to make braised pork knuckle from Xiu Gu?”

After the young lady came to the prince’s manor, she had asked about their plans. He, Luqi, and Lingxiao had all chosen to live out their days in this small courtyard, while Fuxue had proposed wanting to learn culinary arts from Xiu Gu.

Who could have imagined that the formerly adorable youth would become an assistant cook at Youjian Wine House?

“I’ve learned it, I’ve learned it! I make it even better than Xiu Gu now. Brother Mingzhu, hurry and get better so you can taste the braised pork knuckle I make.”

Mingzhu nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

Luo Sheng quietly withdrew.

Mingzhu passed away that night.

When the news spread, Xiao Qi, who had become deputy commander of the palace guards, also hurried back to see him off.

On the day of burial, Fuxue wept terribly but soon rallied his spirits.

He knew Brother Mingzhu had departed peacefully, even with anticipation as he bid farewell to this mortal world.

Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, summer arrived.

On this day, as Youjian Wine House was about to open, a carriage with blue curtains stopped by the roadside, and two young women stepped down.

Both women appeared to be in their twenties with similar features—clearly sisters at a glance.

Hong Dou recognized them immediately. “Oh, aren’t you the two Wang family young ladies?”

Then she suddenly remembered something and pointed at the woman in the apricot-colored vest. “Didn’t Miss Wang disappear?”

Miss Wang smiled and curtsied to Hong Dou. “Big Sister Hong Dou, we meet again in good health.”

Hong Dou didn’t have time to quibble about the form of address now. She looked at Miss Wang, then at Second Miss Wang.

Second Miss Wang smiled. “Are the private rooms available now?”

“Ah, yes, they’re available. Please come in, you two.”

In the main hall, Shi Yan was wiping tables while the female shopkeeper was reviewing account books. Both froze upon seeing who entered.

After Hong Dou led the two into a private room and came out, Shi Yan immediately approached. “Wife, those looked like the two Wang family young ladies!”

Hong Dou shot him a look. “You don’t need to tell me. They want to see the mistress. Quick, go to the prince’s manor and inform her.”

“Right away.” Shi Yan tossed the cloth onto the table and hurried out.

Luo Sheng was both surprised and delighted to receive the news and quickly rushed to the wine house.

Seeing her enter, Miss Wang and Second Miss Wang, who had been waiting in the private room, both stood up together.

Luo Sheng gazed steadily at Miss Wang and smiled. “How wonderful that Miss Wang is safe and sound.”

Miss Wang and Second Miss Wang exchanged glances, then suddenly bowed together.

Luo Sheng hastily helped them up. “You two need not do this.”

Second Miss Wang’s eyes reddened. “Miss Luo, I once resented you. Only later did I realize how fortunate Elder Sister was to encounter your esteemed father. We couldn’t conveniently go thank him, so we came to pay our respects to you…”

That year, Grandfather had urgently taken the whole family away from the capital. On the road to their hometown, they heard the capital had put the city gates under control and all young women would be arrested and killed.

At that time, she understood Grandfather’s urgency. And when they returned to their hometown and she saw her elder sister at that moment, she understood Grand Commander Luo’s benevolence.

Miss Wang’s eyes also reddened. “We should have come to the capital earlier, but Grandfather quickly arranged marriages for my sister and me—”

Second Miss Wang said with slightly flushed cheeks, “After the wedding, first Elder Sister became pregnant, then I also conceived. Things kept getting delayed until now…”

Luo Sheng invited the two to sit down and smiled. “Safety is most important. Can Miss Wang tell me about the circumstances back then?”

“At the time, I and several other young ladies were confined in a courtyard, guarded by two young men. I only knew that place wasn’t the capital—I knew nothing else. One day, one of the young men said they were leaving and warned us it would be best not to return to the capital…”

Recalling the past, Miss Wang’s expression was complex. “At first, I thought they were deceiving us, but I soon discovered they’d truly left. We were free. The girls were clamoring to go home. Remembering the young man’s warning, I felt uneasy. After calming them down, I made some inquiries and learned about the Jinlin Guard’s indiscriminate killing of young women and Grand Commander Luo fleeing the capital with his family. Then I finally understood the reason we’d been abducted and realized how fortunate we few were. Realizing the danger in the capital, I led the other girls back to our hometown together…”

Second Miss Wang laughed through her tears. “Miss Luo, you don’t know what it felt like when I returned to our hometown in utter despair with my family, only to discover Elder Sister was there waiting for me.”

Miss Wang held her sister’s hand and smiled. “After all the twists and turns of returning, we actually sent word to the capital, but by then my sister and the others were already on the road. We also thought of writing to Miss Luo, but later decided it would be better to come to the capital in person to express our thanks.”

“I didn’t expect the wine house would still be open.” Second Miss Wang’s expression was joyful as she looked at Luo Sheng. “Should we call you Princess Consort now?”

Luo Sheng smiled. “The form of address doesn’t matter. What would you two like to eat? Today is my treat.”

Miss Wang smiled. “Just two bowls of plain noodles then.”

“And a plate of braised beef.”

The two sisters smiled at each other.

Luo Sheng also smiled.

Several years ago, when the two sisters had first entered Youjian Wine House, they had ordered two bowls of plain noodles and one plate of braised beef.

At that time, they had struggled to hide their timidity and awkwardness at the high prices. Now there was only composure and joy after weathering storms.

Just like her Youjian Wine House—after going through wind and rain, it had finally become a pure wine house.

The time came to open the wine house. The main hall grew lively. Standing upstairs, one could hear Minister Zhao’s vigorous voice shouting, “Big Sister Hong Dou, shouldn’t you be introducing a new dish today?”

Hong Dou rolled her eyes. “Who are you calling Big Sister?”

The old minister thought for a moment and ventured, “Shi family’s wife?”

This form of address should work, right?

Minister Qian on the side undermined him. “Kou’er Big Sister also married a Shi family brother. Old Zhao, using this form of address would easily cause confusion.”

“Then… Sanfire’s wife?”

Hong Dou’s face darkened. “Just call me Big Sister Hong Dou.”

At this moment, Wei Han walked in. Shi Yan scurried over to greet him. “Master, you’ve come to fetch the princess consort?”

Wei Han looked up at the woman walking leisurely down the stairs and smiled. “I heard the wine house is introducing a new dish today. I’ve come to drink wine with my wife.”

Luo Sheng walked over with light steps.

Wei Han took her hand, and together they walked toward the window seat.

The wine house patrons were completely accustomed to this and didn’t even spare them a gossiping glance, focusing wholeheartedly on drinking wine and eating meat.

It was a night of the full moon. Bright moonlight bathed the mortal world. The green wine banner outside the wine house door fluttered in the wind, showing off the wine house’s liveliness to passersby.