The residence quickly became bustling with excitement. Servants ran about spreading the news that Taoist Master Shangguan Chen, whom the general had been waiting for many days, had arrived, and traveling with him was the second imperial prince, Zhao Ai. Ling Tao personally led his subordinates and household servants to welcome them outside the south gate. The female family members didn’t need to appear for now, but when discussing these two distinguished guests, they all showed expressions of surprise and delight.

From the casual conversation among the women, Feng Xian learned that this Taoist master was skilled in medicine and physiognomy, and was said to have prophetic abilities. He had once cured the stubborn illness of the late emperor’s mother, thus earning deep trust from the imperial family. The current Empress Dowager also held him in high regard, often requesting his divination and guidance on important matters. Ling Tao had encountered Shangguan Chen many years ago, and Shangguan Chen had accurately predicted his career path to this day. Therefore, Ling Tao trusted him greatly and had repeatedly invited him. Only recently had Shangguan Chen agreed to visit again, and unexpectedly this time he had brought such a distinguished guest as the Second Prince.

Feng Xian bid farewell to the women and prepared to return to her mother’s quarters. On the way back, she hid behind the corridors of the front courtyard and witnessed her father welcoming the two distinguished guests inside. Zhao Ai bathed in golden sunlight, holding his head high and striding confidently, with a smile at the corners of his lips. His robes fluttering, he walked along the main path where household members stood facing each other with bowed heads in welcome. Shangguan Chen followed beside him, carefully maintaining a distance of two steps behind. Ling Tao guided from the side with lowered head, occasionally explaining something, showing Zhao Ai smiles with obvious fawning intent. This humble expression was something Feng Xian had never seen before, completely different from the father in her memory who was always arrogant and domineering. Zhao Ai didn’t respond, continuing to walk straight ahead without looking aside, only occasionally nodding slightly to indicate he was listening.

That day, Aunt Xu also went to the main residence to collect the monthly allowance. When she returned to the small courtyard, she brought a teenage maid with her, saying Lady Zhuwu had sent her to serve Feng Xian. The girl immediately came forward to bow upon seeing Feng Xian, smiling as she greeted, “Second Miss, may you have ten thousand blessings. I’m called Yan Qiao. I know washing, needlework, and can also cook simple dishes. From now on, whatever Second Miss needs me to do, just say the word, and I will do my utmost to do it well.”

Feng Xian looked Yan Qiao over but didn’t say much, agreeing to let her stay in the courtyard and ordering her to arrange her own living quarters.

Yan Qiao responded and went off first. Aunt Xu looked troubled, and only after Yan Qiao left did she speak to Feng Xian in a low voice: “Miss, when I went to the main residence today, a maid familiar to me who serves the general quietly told me that the general is already preparing to have you replace Third Miss and marry Yin Qi, the eldest grandson of Prince Yanping. Prince Yanping is the current Empress Dowager’s younger brother, deeply favored by the imperial family, and his descendants have repeatedly received hereditary positions. The general also made many requests for matchmaking before securing this marriage connection. But only after the agreement was made did he learn that this Yin Qi has a mental disorder. When it flares up, he beats and kills those around him. I heard that maids and concubines have been beaten to death by him. After learning this, the general felt some regret, but since the marriage had been arranged, he didn’t dare change it. He kept it secret in the residence while privately still preparing to have Third Miss marry over. Third Miss probably heard rumors of this and that’s why she ran away…”

All of Feng Xian’s doubts were resolved, and she couldn’t help but sneer, “No wonder Lady Zhuwu has been so flattering to mother and me. When someone shows excessive kindness without reason, they must have ulterior motives. I’ve been wondering what I have that’s worth her scheming for. So she wants me to marry in place of another.”

“Yes,” Aunt Xu sighed, “I wondered why she was so kind-hearted to persuade the general to find you and bring you back. Now I can completely understand. Today she sent Yan Qiao here, probably to monitor you, fearing that you too would run away after hearing the news… The general invited Master Shangguan this time to have him match your and Yin Qi’s birth charts, observe your physiognomy, and see if you’re compatible.”

Feng Xian smirked, “Compatible or not, they’ll still make me marry over there. Why bother with such formalities?”

Aunt Xu said, “It’s probably also to predict your situation after marrying over. Perhaps the general has noticed that your temperament isn’t as gentle and obedient as Madam’s, so he’s somewhat worried.”

Feng Xian thought for a moment, then asked, “Then why would Master Shangguan bring the Second Prince here?”

Aunt Xu said, “I heard the Second Prince came specifically on the Empress Dowager’s orders to request the Taoist master to enter the palace for consultation. Since the master had already agreed to come see the general, he invited the Second Prince to come together. After the master finishes talking with the general, they’ll go to the capital together… The general was very pleased to see the Second Prince and intends to ask the master to act as matchmaker, hoping the Second Prince will choose one of Fourth Miss or Fifth Miss to marry as his wife.”

Feng Xian pondered, then asked after a moment, “So father will have Master Shangguan and the Second Prince meet me and my sisters?”

Aunt Xu nodded, “It should be so.”

Soon after, someone from the main residence came to ask Feng Xian to prepare herself, as she was to attend a tea gathering in the main residence garden tomorrow morning for Master Shangguan to read her face.

The newly arrived maid Yan Qiao enthusiastically began preparing the clothing Feng Xian would need for tomorrow, fetching clothes and jewelry to display before Feng Xian one by one, asking which she would choose.

Feng Xian remained composed and selected a set of plainly colored clothing. Yan Qiao asked what hair ornaments she wanted to use. Feng Xian made a thoughtful expression, then said, “I hear that nowadays the imperial family from top to bottom doesn’t favor luxurious items. If I use gold and jade jewelry, I’m afraid the Second Prince would think us extravagant and vulgar. I see there are early-blooming peonies in the main residence garden – they’re large and brilliantly colored. If pinned in my hair, they would be both beautiful and naturally charming, which would be perfect. Go quickly to the main residence and pick some for me.”

Yan Qiao happily agreed and was about to leave when Feng Xian called her back: “Noble people in the capital, both men and women, love fragrant incense. Tomorrow my clothes must also have fragrance, or I’ll appear crude and rude. First go to Madam’s room to borrow an incense burner and fumigation cage for me.”

Yan Qiao received the order, first fetching the incense burner and fumigation cage, then went to the main residence to pick peonies. After Yan Qiao’s figure disappeared, Feng Xian took out the incense box she had brought from Pujiang. Inside were various aromatics, but she only took one type – borneol incense. She lit charcoal and placed it in the incense burner, arranged the incense ash properly, added silver leaves on top of the ash hill, picked a little borneol incense to place on the silver leaves, poured boiling water into the copper basin below the incense burner to create moisture to humidify the clothes, covered it with the fumigation cage, then draped tomorrow’s clothing over the fumigation cage and began the fumigation process.

The next day after the morning meal, Ling Tao invited Shangguan Chen and Zhao Ai to appreciate flowers and drink tea in the garden. After some conversation, he ordered his daughters to enter the garden, bow to Shangguan Chen and Zhao Ai one by one, then had servants bring out famous tea varieties from Fujian tea gardens. Pointing to Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss, he said to Shangguan Chen, “Although these two daughters of mine aren’t particularly clever, they have learned calligraphy, painting, tea whisking, and flower arrangement in imitation of capital young ladies. They have always admired your high virtue, Master. When they heard a few days ago that you would grace us with your presence, they both hoped to offer you a cup of tea to show their respect.”

Shangguan Chen expressed his great honor, smiling, “The Second Great Prince is the emperor’s legitimate son. This first cup of tea should rightfully be offered to the Second Great Prince, to show that the general’s entire household remembers imperial grace and serves the sovereign with sincerity.”

Ling Tao repeatedly said, “Reasonable, reasonable.” He then indicated for Fourth Miss to come forward and whisk tea.

Fourth Miss approached with lowered head, sitting gracefully at the tea table. After the water in the kettle boiled, she lifted it and poured it into the tea pitcher, waiting for it to stop boiling. Then she placed tea powder that had been ground by a maid using a silver tea mill into a rabbit-hair glazed Jian tea bowl. With one hand holding the tea pitcher, she poured a small amount of water into the bowl, and with the other hand holding a bamboo tea whisk, she mixed the water and tea powder into a paste. She continued pouring hot water, then rapidly whisked with the tea whisk to create white foam in the bowl.

She usually practiced tea whisking regularly and was normally very skilled at this routine, but today she had pinned a large peony in her hair and fumigated her clothes with flower-like fragrance, making her extremely fragrant all over. While whisking tea, a bee flew over, circling around her head. Between her fear and concern about whisking tea, Fourth Miss’s movements became timid and hesitant, frequently pausing, with sweat beading on her forehead. When this cup of tea was finished, both the paste mixing and whisking were insufficient. The foam on the tea surface quickly dissipated, revealing water marks. Good tea whisking is valued for how long the foam lasts. Fourth Miss’s performance was truly embarrassing. Ling Tao watched with a darkening expression, feeling very awkward.

Fourth Miss put down the tea whisk, lowering her head to stare at the tea bowl before her, not knowing whether she should offer it to Zhao Ai, remaining silent throughout. Seeing that tears were about to fall from her eyes, Zhao Ai gestured for a nearby maid to present the tea bowl. He lifted it himself, took a sip, and smiled, “Not bad.”

Ling Tao quickly waved for Fourth Miss to withdraw and ordered Fifth Miss to come forward and whisk tea.

Fifth Miss also had a peony pinned in her hair, but while Fourth Miss had used purple, she had chosen pink, equally fragrant. Being younger, she probably preferred sweeter scents. The clothing fragrance she was wearing was orange blossom steamed with Hainan agarwood, which smelled particularly sweet. This also attracted bees, and not only did they circle the flower in her hair, but when she lifted the tea pitcher, a bee landed on her hand as she poured water.

Fifth Miss let out a startled cry, loosening her grip. The tea pitcher fell and collided with the Jian bowl. The tea bowl and pitcher successively rolled and fell to the ground, hot tea splashing everywhere, making the tea table a complete mess. Fifth Miss also had several spots on her body and hands scalded by the hot water, screaming as she jumped up.

Ling Tao’s face turned ashen, and he couldn’t help but directly scold Fifth Miss: “Get out!”

Fifth Miss covered her face and left crying.

Ling Tao apologized to the two distinguished guests and ordered the tea table to be cleaned up. Not knowing whether to continue the tea gathering, he saw Zhao Ai’s gaze turn toward Feng Xian standing in a corner, asking with a smile, “Is that also your daughter? Is she also skilled at tea whisking?”

Ling Tao said awkwardly, “She is my second daughter, legitimate-born, but she was separated from the family since childhood and raised in a rural household. I’m afraid she doesn’t know tea whisking.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Xian slowly stepped forward and responded softly but clearly enough, “I know tea whisking.”

Ling Tao looked at her in surprise. Feng Xian raised her head slightly, meeting her father’s gaze, showing him a confident smile.

She had no fresh flowers pinned in her hair, adorned only with a few pearls. With her father’s tacit permission, she gracefully walked behind the tea table and sat down. As she moved, a gentle breeze passed by, and Zhao Ai caught the crisp scent of borneol incense from her body.