The delicate mint leaves gave off a faint, refreshing fragrance. Such a patch would repel mosquitoes when summer arrived.

He moved forward and saw honeysuckle draped over a flower trellis, already blooming with golden yellow and snow white flowers, two blooms on one stem, inseparable.

Honeysuckle, also known as mandarin duck vine.

Shao Mingyuan seemed to see that woman who was like a white hibiscus.

She had lived in this quiet courtyard for two years, her delicate hands personally planting the cooling, mosquito-repelling mint and the heat-clearing, detoxifying mandarin duck vine.

When she stood gazing at this honeysuckle vine, did she feel lonely?

What kind of person was she?

Shao Mingyuan raised his hand, his fingers gently brushing the petals.

His hands, accustomed to gripping knives and spears, had thick, hard calluses and were quite rough. The pristine white petals fell.

Shao Mingyuan quickly withdrew his hand, lowering his eyes to look at the fallen petals on the ground, the corner of his mouth pulling into a bitter smile.

Someone like him should never have married, harming others and himself – he deserved this fate!

Shao Mingyuan leaned against the flower trellis and looked up at the sky.

The sun had just set, the brilliant evening glow dimmed to darkness, silently bidding farewell to the mortal world.

All around was quiet, with only the low chirping of insects. When the wind blew, it carried the clear fragrance of mint.

Shao Mingyuan straightened up, brushed away the petals that had fallen on his shoulder, and walked outside.

At this time, the young ladies of the West Residence had finished their lessons. Upon returning home, their first task was to pay respects to Old Madam Deng at Qingsong Hall, which immediately became lively.

“Today was calligraphy class, wasn’t it?” Old Madam Deng smiled as she looked at her three granddaughters.

Among the three young ladies, the eldest was First Miss Li Jiǎo, who had just turned sixteen. With an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, she was very dignified and refined, and was Old Madam Deng’s favorite granddaughter.

The other two young ladies were both born to the Second Madam Liu Shi. The one in yellow was Fourth Miss Li Yan, the same age as Li Zhao, while the one in pink was only about ten years old – Sixth Miss Li Chan.

When Old Madam Deng asked, the youngest, Li Chan, immediately spoke up: “Yes, we just got a new calligraphy teacher who’s very strict. Today she even struck my palm.”

She extended her tender white hand for Old Madam Deng to see, and indeed, there were red marks on her palm.

Old Madam Deng smiled benevolently, “That proves Sixth Girl hasn’t worked hard enough. The new calligraphy teacher was personally invited by the County Lady. You should study well with her and strive to make an appearance at this year’s Buddha’s Birthday.”

The current emperor believed in Taoism, but the Empress Dowager believed in Buddhism, so both Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries flourished in the capital.

Every year on Buddha’s Birthday, ladies from various households would bring plenty of incense, money, and copied Buddhist scriptures to participate in activities like the Buddha bathing ceremony at Dafu Temple.

These Buddhist scriptures were mostly personally copied by the ladies themselves. At some point, this had become an opportunity for families to showcase their daughters’ calligraphy.

The reason was simple – on the same mountain as Dafu Temple was Shuying Nunnery, where lived a Grand Princess who had renounced worldly affairs. By rank, even the current emperor had to address her as aunt. Every year on Buddha’s Birthday, the monks at Dafu Temple would select outstanding calligraphy from the Buddhist scriptures and send them to Shuying Nunnery.

Each year, whichever family’s daughter had her copied scripture catch the monks’ attention and be presented to the Grand Princess would bring great honor to the family.

“Buddha’s Birthday is coming soon – it’s too late even for last-minute cramming,” Li Chan pouted.

Fourth Miss Li Yan reached out to pinch her cheek, “Who told you to slack off normally?”

Li Chan laughed and dodged to the side, “Anyway, one more of me doesn’t matter, one less doesn’t matter either. Don’t we still have Big Sister and Second Sister?”

The “Big Sister” Li Chan mentioned referred to Li Jiǎo, while “Second Sister” referred to Li Jiāo from the East Residence.

The East Residence had two young ladies. Second Miss Li Jiāo was legitimate-born and most favored by County Lady Madam Jiang. It could be said that the young ladies from the West Residence attending the women’s school established at the East Residence were merely companions to the crown prince’s studies.

As for Fifth Miss Li Shu, she was concubine-born and need not be mentioned much.

“Sixth Sister is teasing me again,” Li Jiǎo smiled gently.

In this harmonious atmosphere, Old Madam Deng spoke up: “Third Girl has returned.”

The room fell silent – you could hear a pin drop.

Fourth Miss Li Yan and Sixth Miss Li Chan couldn’t help but look at Li Jiǎo.

After the initial shock, Li Jiǎo’s face showed surprise and joy: “Third Sister has returned?”

Her hands, hidden in her pale purple sleeves, clenched tightly.

“She was brought back today.”

“That’s wonderful! I thought—” Li Jiǎo bit her lip halfway through her words, her voice choking.

Li Yan and Li Chan exchanged glances but remained silent.

“Alright, you three go back and rest.”

After leaving Qingsong Hall, Li Jiǎo asked the Li Yan sisters, “Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister, will you come with me to see Third Sister?”

Li Yan’s jaw tightened. “We need to return to Jinrong Courtyard first to pay respects to Mother.”

“Yes, who wants to see her? She was kidnapped but came back – how embarrassing—”

“Sixth Sister!” Li Yan shot Li Chan a warning glare.

The two sisters reached the crossroads and bid farewell to Li Jiǎo.

Watching their departing figures, Li Jiǎo smiled slightly. She returned to Yahe Courtyard to first pay respects to He Shi, then proposed to visit Li Zhao.

He Shi naturally stopped her, “No need. Zhaozhao has already gone to rest.”

“Then I’ll visit her tomorrow.”

Li Jiǎo returned to the East Side Courtyard. Only after entering her room did her expression darken.

“My young lady, why are you unhappy?” A woman in her thirties embraced Li Jiǎo.

The woman had smooth hair styled in a neat bun, secured with a jade hairpin – clean and efficient.

“Nanny, I just came from Grandmother’s and heard her say Third Miss has returned. Tell me in detail everything that happened today.”

The nanny had naturally been paying attention to such a major event and immediately told Li Jiǎo everything in detail.

After listening, Li Jiǎo lowered her eyes without speaking.

The nanny gritted her teeth, “That little pest – why didn’t she die out there! Now that she’s back, isn’t it Miss who’ll be harmed!”

Li Jiǎo suddenly smiled, “Nanny, it’s fine. It’s good that she’s back.”

At dawn the next day, Shao Mingyuan quietly left the city, leading a group of personal guards.

When the warm sun generously bathed the entire capital, a shocking piece of news spread like wildfire.

The family of Lord Qiao, the former Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief who had returned home to observe mourning, had suffered a great fire. Only Young Master Qiao, who had been out visiting friends, had fortunately survived, though his face was disfigured while trying to save his younger sister. He was now staying with his maternal relatives at Minister Kou’s residence.

Although Lord Qiao had temporarily left the capital’s circles due to mourning, he was, after all, a prestigious second-rank official, not to mention the son of the renowned Master Qiao. That his entire family had met such a fate caused countless people in the capital to sigh with emotion.

Even more heart-wrenching was that Lord Qiao’s only legitimate daughter, the wife of Marquis Guanjun, had her coffin traveling toward the capital along with the coffins of soldiers who had died for their country.

The Qiao family was truly unlucky.

Countless people thought this way.

Minister Kou of the Ministry of Justice petitioned the throne to thoroughly investigate the Qiao family fire. Emperor Mingkang agreed and ordered imperial investigators to travel to Jia Feng to investigate.

Just as the Qiao family matter drew everyone’s attention, people from Earl Changchun’s residence quietly visited the Li family’s door and broke off the engagement between Earl Changchun’s youngest son and First Miss Li.