The letter, written on the finest Chengxin Hall paper, contained only a few words. It requested Yining to meet again at the Auspicious Cloud Restaurant. The signature was Xie Yun’s.
Yining had never seen Xie Yun’s handwriting before. Moreover, why would Xie Yun want to see her? Suspicious, she set the letter aside without much thought.
When Luo Shenyuan returned in the evening, Yining was still at Lin Hairu’s, playing with Nan’er. Luo Shenyuan came to the main room to pay his respects. After several days of marriage, the child had finally warmed up to her. He no longer cried or fussed when she held him, instead wrapping his small hands around her neck. However, upon seeing Luo Shenyuan, he immediately turned away, ignoring him. Yining laughed and playfully patted his bottom.
Lin Hairu was pleased to see Nan’er and Yining getting along so well.
Today, Luo Chengzhang was dining at home. Yining bowed slightly and called him “Father.” Luo Chengzhang’s expression softened a bit. After all, he had raised her as a daughter for so many years. Thinking of Yining as a child, he couldn’t entirely dislike her.
Even raising a cat or dog creates emotional attachment, let alone a child.
Soon after, Luo Yilien and Luo Xuanyuan entered, paying their respects to Luo Chengzhang and Luo Shenyuan in turn. After Luo Xuanyuan sat down, Luo Chengzhang asked about his studies. Luo Xuanyuan answered fluently, his young voice clear and bright. Luo Yilien then said, “Father, I see that Xuan’er studies diligently, but he doesn’t have many servants assigned to him. Could you please allocate a few more to attend to his daily needs? That way, he can focus entirely on his studies.”
Luo Shenyuan had always been fond of these two siblings. Hearing this, he turned to Lin Hairu and asked, “How many servants have been assigned to attend to Xuan’er?”
Lin Hairu replied, “Four maids, two old women, and four pageboys. That’s more than enough. When Shenyuan was studying, he only had three or four people attending to him. What’s the need for so many?”
Luo Yilien bit her lip slightly. Her brother had been pampered since childhood, while Luo Shenyuan was merely an unfavored son born to a concubine back then. How could they be compared?
“Then let’s assign two more old women,” Luo Chengzhang said. “He’s older now and naturally needs more help.”
“No,” Luo Shenyuan interjected calmly, his chopsticks making a light sound. “He has more than enough people. It’s not like he can’t lift a finger or carry anything himself.”
Being contradicted by his son in front of others, Luo Chengzhang felt somewhat embarrassed.
Hearing this, Luo Xuanyuan stood up, a smile on his handsome face. “Third Brother is right. I have enough servants already. I can do some things for myself. There’s no need to increase the number of attendants.”
He discreetly squeezed Luo Yilien’s hand under the table, signaling his sister not to say more.
After all, there was no point in arguing over such matters.
Luo Yining silently observed the siblings’ actions.
After the meal, as they were returning to their quarters, Yining walked beside Luo Shenyuan and said, “Xuan’er seems to have matured these past few years. I remember when I left, he and Luo Yilien didn’t get along well. How did they become so close?”
Luo Shenyuan glanced back at her before replying, “Blood ties aren’t easily severed. Luo Xuanyuan is a clever person. His sister treats him well, so naturally, he reciprocates.”
Luo Xuanyuan, after all, carried the Luo family bloodline and was the Third Brother’s sibling. As long as he was raised properly, he wouldn’t turn out badly.
Now that Third Brother was in charge of the Luo family, no one would dare defy his wishes. No matter how clever Luo Xuanyuan might be, he could never surpass Luo Shenyuan – the gap was simply too wide. Yining asked, “So you’ll look after him too?”
“I have many affairs of state to handle and rarely manage household matters,” Luo Shenyuan told her. “But once you enter the court, you understand that family is closely tied to one’s reputation. When he goes out, people will only say he’s Luo Shenyuan’s brother, not Luo Xuanyuan.”
Luo Shenyuan now represented the entire Luo family. If anyone in the family behaved poorly, it would affect his reputation as well.
Yining found his reasoning very logical.
After returning, he still had to review official documents from the Ministry of Works. Yining rolled up her sleeves, ready to assist him by grinding ink – a classic scene of a wife supporting her scholarly husband.
In the study, candles burned quietly. She ground ink for a long time but noticed he wasn’t writing. She couldn’t help but say, “My ink is about to dry up. Why are you thinking for so long without writing anything?”
“It’s not that simple,” Luo Shenyuan put down his brush. “Approving mining and quarrying operations can’t be decided lightly. Otherwise, it could lead to endless harm.”
Zhemu brought in a bowl of tonic soup. Yining placed a handkerchief underneath and lifted the lid, handing it to him.
“You drink this. Let me take a look,” she said, feeling a sense of accomplishment in nurturing a future Grand Chancellor as she took the memorial he had been reading. These documents were rather dull, detailing the locations and depths of various mines. They certainly weren’t as interesting as the case files from the Court of Judicial Review.
Luo Shenyuan drank the soup, leaning back in his chair and smiling as he watched her. “Have you figured anything out?”
She frowned, “They all look about the same to me…”
A large hand reached from behind her to take the memorial. He leaned close, his entire body near hers: “What could you possibly understand? Keep grinding the ink. I’ll write.”
Alright then, back to grinding ink for him.
Luo Shenyuan dipped his brush in the ink and paused in thought. With one hand on the edge of the desk, he finally began to write.
Luo Yining gazed at his profile, finding him incredibly handsome. She suddenly understood why so many people were infatuated with him. It wasn’t just about his looks; it was a certain aura he possessed.
After he finished writing, Yining took a look. The critique was clear and well-organized, written in neat calligraphy.
“That’s all for now. Let’s go rest,” Luo Shenyuan called for a pageboy to tidy up.
As he led her back to the main chamber, Yining told him about her plans to visit the Ying Guogong Manor the next day.
“Take your guards with you when you go out,” Luo Shenyuan instructed her. “Leave early and return early.”
Yining looked up at him with a smile. It was just a visit home, after all.
The Ying Guogong Manor had been lively lately. As the weather turned colder, the leaves of the large locust tree at the entrance had all fallen. Braziers were already in use in Old Madam Wei’s room. Yining sat with Zhao Mingzhu and Old Madam Wei to discuss matters.
The three generations of women sat cross-legged on the arhat bed.
“Their Eight Characters are compatible, and she has a fortune that will bring prosperity to her husband,” Old Madam Wei said. “Your father intends to marry her. The wedding will likely be in two months, once an auspicious date is chosen.”
Yining raised an eyebrow, “So soon?”
Old Madam Wei handed her a box of almonds, “These almonds have a milky fragrance and are especially delicious. Take a few boxes back with you later.” She continued, “You know your father – once he decides on something, that’s it. Besides, Miss Xu lost her parents early and only has her brother, the Duke of Xu, to look after her. Although she’s cherished by her brother and sister-in-law at home, she’s already seventeen. She should marry early.”
Old Madam Wei added, “Don’t worry. When you come back, everything will be the same as before.”
Was she worried that her stepmother wouldn’t treat her well?
Yining smiled bitterly. Her life had been full of twists and turns. This would be her third stepmother, and one not much older than herself. “Did Father agree so readily? I thought he would deliberate for a long time.”
“You persuaded him, so how could he not listen?” Old Madam Wei laughed. Moreover, her health was indeed deteriorating. With Yining married off and Mingzhu being an outsider who couldn’t interfere in the Ying Guogong Manor’s affairs, there was no other choice.
Zhao Mingzhu told her, “Yining, Uncle has also prepared clothes and jewelry for you. I’ll give them to you to take back later.”
As a result, when Yining returned from her maiden home, her carriage was piled high with gifts.
Yining couldn’t help but think of the past. When she used to return from the Marquis’s mansion, her family treated her with respect and politeness, as if she were a stranger. This was how a maiden home should be. If it weren’t for the custom of not separating beds for the first month of marriage, they would surely have kept her for ten days or half a month.
“Young Mistress, are we heading back now?” the guard outside asked.
Yining thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go to the Auspicious Cloud Restaurant.”
She wanted to see what Xie Yun was up to.
The carriage stopped at the Auspicious Cloud Society. Women frequently visited here, so security was strict. Yining had to present Luo Shenyuan’s name card to gain entry. Having been here before, the serving maids recognized her as Lord Luo’s wife and respectfully led her upstairs.
“Is Miss Xie here?” Yining asked a maid.
The maid curtsied, “Miss Xie is here. She just went downstairs with a lady. I’ll go inform her of your arrival.”
Yining moved to the railing and saw someone standing by the pomegranate tree at the foot of the stairs.
This woman wore a cape, and her hair was styled very simply without any ornaments. Although she was approaching middle age, she had an elegant demeanor and dressed very plainly. Two little maids stood behind her as she looked up at the pomegranates on the tree, her expression gentle and serene.
“My lady, the flowers over there are blooming so beautifully. Why don’t you go take a look?” one of the maids behind her suggested.
Yining overheard a noblewoman nearby whispering, “How did she come out…”
“Wasn’t she said to be fasting and praying, refusing to come out? She looks so sickly. Who knows what’s happened to her all these years.”
“Her husband died just like that, leaving her alone. It’s quite pitiful…”
“What’s there to pity? Didn’t they say she killed someone? This is her retribution.”
The woman seemed to hear people talking about her and looked up at the railing. She said to her maid, “Let’s go.”
Yining’s face remained calm, but her heart was in turmoil. This person was the most familiar to her – how could she not be? This was the former Ningyang Marquis’s eldest daughter-in-law, Xie Min, her sister-in-law.
When Yining first married into the Ningyang Marquis’s family, Xie Min was already famous throughout the capital. She was the eldest daughter of the Xie family, incredibly talented, just like today’s Xie Yun. Xie Yun couldn’t compare to her; back then, she was truly unparalleled.
At first, Xie Min didn’t think much of her either, and their interactions were minimal. Later, Yining was framed and fell to her death from a cliff, trapped in a jade hairpin for over twenty years, witnessing the changes of time.
Meanwhile, Xie Min had fallen from grace. Her husband was killed by Lu Jiaxue, and she withdrew from society.
A bitter smile played on Yining’s lips. Those days in the side courtyard, listening to the sound of scripture readings, feeling like a trapped beast – it all seemed so vivid. She gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white. It was Xie Min!
As she watched Xie Min’s retreating figure, someone approached, affectionately linking arms with Xie Min and saying with a smile, “Aunt, the play isn’t over yet. Why did you come downstairs?”
It was Xie Yun.
Xie Min gave Xie Yun a faint smile and said, “It felt too noisy. I came out for some fresh air.”
“You find it noisy, but I think it’s lively,” Xie Yun continued. “It’s rare for you to leave the manor. You must keep me company properly.”
Xie Min’s child had died of a sudden illness in infancy, so she was especially fond of Xie Yun. Otherwise, how could anyone persuade her to leave the manor? She truly despised the outside world now.
“Then let’s go back,” she said slowly, her voice slightly hoarse. Xie Yun supported Xie Min as they climbed the stairs.
The stairs in the Auspicious Cloud Society were narrow, and their footsteps echoed loudly. However, Xie Min’s steps were exceptionally light. Yining took a deep breath and turned to look at the pothos plant on the tall red sandalwood table, waiting for the two to pass by.
The footsteps gradually drew closer, reaching Yining’s side as Xie Min was about to brush past her. For some reason, she suddenly stopped and said softly, “This lady looks somewhat familiar to me.”
Xie Yun, of course, had noticed Yining. Thinking of Luo Shenyuan’s recent actions made her uncomfortable. But given her personality, she didn’t want to quarrel with Yining. She said, “Aunt, this is the wife of Lord Luo, the Vice Minister of Works. She’s a young lady from the Ying Guogong Manor.”
Only then did Yining turn to look at Xie Min. Xie Min’s gaze was gentle, but it felt as cold as ice water when it fell on her.
“Looking at you, young lady, I feel as if I’ve known you for many years,” Xie Min said softly. “But your face is unfamiliar. Have you perhaps met me before, Lady Luo?”
Yining shook her head with a smile, “I’ve never met you before, madam.”
“Yun’er, you seem to know Lady Luo. Would you invite her to watch the play with me?” Xie Min turned to Xie Yun.
“Since it’s my aunt’s request, would Lady Luo grant me the favor?” Xie Yun rarely spoke, her tone somewhat stiff. She had adored Xie Min since childhood and respected this aunt more than her imperial aunt, the Empress. She never refused her aunt’s requests.
“Didn’t you write me a letter to invite me out for a chat, Miss Xie? Let’s sit down then,” Yining curtsied with a smile, then walked upstairs. She sat at an eight-immortals table and began slowly eating a handful of melon seeds.
Xie Min approached and sat down next to Yining, chuckling softly, “Does Mrs. Luo know it was I who wrote the letter inviting you?”
“Xie Yun doesn’t know,” Yining said coolly. “Since you wrote the letter in Xie Yun’s name and deliberately stopped me, it must be you who invited me here, Madam.”
What did Xie Min want?
Yining turned her head to look at her. Xie Min’s expression was calm, while Xie Yun, standing behind her, seemed somewhat resentful. She didn’t like Xie Min talking to Luo Yining, feeling like a child whose beloved possession was about to be snatched away.
“Yun’er, go fetch tea for Mrs. Luo and me,” Xie Min said calmly. Xie Yun didn’t move until Xie Min gave her a look, then she bit her lip and complied, obediently going to the side room to fetch tea.
“Mrs. Luo,” Xie Min began unhurriedly after sitting down, “I’ve watched Yun’er grow up. She’s a bit spoiled, but not bad-natured. What do you think of her?”
Yining stroked the auspicious cloud pattern carved on the armrest, slowly caressing it. She smiled, “Miss Xie is talented. Her personality is vivid, something others can only envy.”
“It’s precisely that personality that gives people headaches,” Xie Min continued, looking at Luo Yining. This Mrs. Luo was quite young, strikingly fresh, and beautiful. But her eyes, Xie Min didn’t know how to describe it, that kind of clear purity, must have come from experiencing a thousand tribulations.
“I’m her aunt, with a cool temperament, so she’s used to being mischievous and difficult with me,” Xie Min smiled. “In truth, I care about her very much. If anyone were to bully her, I certainly wouldn’t let them off.”
Her voice lowered slightly, inaudible to others.
Listening to Xie Min’s words, Yining gradually calmed down. It was a bit amusing; Xie Min must have heard that Xie Yun was bullied and came to seek justice for her niece. When would this cycle of revenge end?
Having spent over twenty years with Xie Min, she of course knew how much she loved Xie Yun. In her youth, Xie Min had been the toast of the capital but later lost her brilliance. Only Xie Yun was most like her, so she was especially fond of her.
“Madam has said so much, I’ve heard it all. But you know your niece’s temperament better than anyone. It’s not easy for anyone to bully her. As long as she doesn’t cause trouble, who would go out of their way to make things difficult for her?”
“If someone has ill intentions, they could easily hurt her,” Xie Min displayed a bit of her former air as the Xie family’s young miss, smiling, “The girls of our Xie family are easily trapped by emotions. When my husband died, I was trapped by emotions for over a decade. She seeks but cannot obtain, naturally, it’s the same. I’m not entirely unaware of Mrs. Luo’s situation. If Mrs. Luo poses a threat to her… you can’t blame me.”
Xie Min was threatening her.
It seemed that for the sake of her niece, Xie Min had already had people investigate her. Yining had witnessed Xie Min’s formidable nature in the past. None of the four daughters-in-law could compare to her; she had the old madam wrapped around her finger and often discussed political affairs with Lu Jiaran, showing great wisdom and strategy.
A person, deeply in love with Lu Jiaran. For her deep affection, Lu Jiaran had never taken a concubine.
But what others didn’t know, Yining couldn’t help but know. Back when she was in the Marquis’s mansion, she had gone out for an evening stroll and accidentally witnessed an unsavory scene.
There was a path in the back of the Ning Yuan Marquis’s mansion leading to a bamboo grove, which others avoided as it was secluded. Yining often went there to look at the bamboo and dig up bamboo shoots with her maids to make pickles. That day, she stumbled upon a lean body pressing down on a woman in the bamboo grove, clothes half undone, a handsome face covered in sweat. She couldn’t see the woman’s face, but she saw Lu Jiaran’s face and heard the sounds made by this illicit couple.
Lu Jiaran suddenly raised his head, and she immediately fled from the bamboo grove.
On her way back, she recalled the woman’s clothes, which weren’t those of a servant. The smooth, white skin of her hands and the slender, swan-like neck suggested she was quite a beauty.
Lu Jiaran was having an affair behind Xie Min’s back, the two of them in an intimate embrace. How pitiful was Xie Min’s deep love of over twenty years?
Every time Yining heard her chanting sutras or saw her wiping Lu Jiaran’s belongings, she wanted to say these things. It had been difficult to hold back then, but today she could finally speak out.
“Since he’s been dead for over a decade, why does Madam still hold onto such deep affection? If the person you cherish were still alive, would he treat you the same way you treat him?” Yining opened her hand, letting the remaining melon seeds fall into the plate. “Does Madam think this undying love is something to be proud of? Xie Yun’s undying love, what does that have to do with me? Am I supposed to be responsible for it?”
After more than twenty years of hardship, she felt she could empathize with Xie Min. But now, her connection with Xie Min probably ended with these words.
At this moment, Xie Yun came up with the tea.
On the square tray were two cups of tea, one Snow Bud, and one pre-rain Dragon Well. Yining took them and handed the Snow Bud to Xie Min, saying, “Snow Bud clears heat and brightens the eyes, it’s most suitable for you, Madam.”
Xie Min took the tea and froze, immediately looking at Yining.
Few people knew she liked Snow Bud. She used to be addicted to tea but had been drinking less in recent years. Back when she was paying respects to the old madam in the Marquis’s mansion, the youngest fourth daughter-in-law often brewed tea personally, and only hers was Snow Bud. At the time, she found it strange how the fourth daughter-in-law knew her preference.
The fourth daughter-in-law back then wasn’t outstanding, and she hadn’t paid much attention to her. Because of this, she valued her a bit more. Later, she gradually discovered that the fourth daughter-in-law was quite clever, just in an unobtrusive way.
Yining took a sip of her tea and looked up to see Xie Min watching her.
“Mrs. Luo just happened to choose Snow Bud for me, quite a lucky guess,” Xie Min said. “I usually love drinking this.”
It was just an unconscious action, Luo Yining sighed inwardly: “I’m glad you like it, Madam.”
Xie Min was a woman, and women’s intuition is very keen. Yining was just sitting beside her, but Xie Min’s gaze on her became increasingly strange.
Since she now knew why Xie Min had invited her over, Yining didn’t want to stay any longer. She stood up to bid farewell to Xie Min, preparing to return home.
However, Xie Min held her hand, saying, “Don’t move, Mrs. Luo.” Her voice was soft, “I wasn’t lying to you earlier. I felt an extraordinary familiarity when I first saw you. As if we were old friends, I just wanted to chat with you.”
Yining said, “Madam and I are strangers, I don’t think we have much to talk about.”
Xie Min smiled and said, “Mrs. Luo, you’re also called Yining. My fourth brother, the now all-powerful Governor Lu, once had a first wife… with the same name, but she was harmed by him and passed away before nineteen. Your walking posture and way of speaking are very similar to hers.”
Xie Min had been observing Yining closely. The more she looked, the more familiar her demeanor seemed. She always seemed distracted when watching plays, but her gaze would be fixed on the stage, and if the gongs and drums were too loud, she would frown in displeasure. And she always had to hold something in her hand, habitually fiddling with it.
She suddenly had an inexplicable intuition, moreover, as a Buddhist believer, she had always believed in reincarnation. If there was a connection with that person, then her words today would be laughable.
Yining calmly said, “That is indeed very unfortunate.”
“Indeed unfortunate. If she were still alive, with Lu Jiaxue’s position today, she would have enjoyed endless glory and wealth,” Xie Min said with a smile. “Now, who knows that Lu Jiaxue once had a wife? He doesn’t even allow the servants to mention it. I became the murderer who killed her. But no one thinks, I was already in such a position, why would I kill her? Who benefited, that’s who killed her. Think about it, she’s the more pitiful one, killed by someone close whom she never suspected. I wonder if she reincarnates, will she come back to avenge herself.”
“If she wants revenge, I will certainly help her,” Xie Min’s tone turned cold.
Yining knew well that Xie Min hated Lu Jiaxue to the bone.
Did she want revenge? To get entangled with these people again?
Yining didn’t want revenge; she was living well in this life. She had so many people who accompanied and loved her. Besides, this person was Lu Jiaxue. How could she contend with Lu Jiaxue? Seeking revenge would only bring trouble upon herself, at least not now.
Xie Min and she were in similar situations.
Yining didn’t sit down but turned her back to Xie Min and said, “Madam, the Buddha’s Deer Mother Sutra says: ‘All affection and love will meet, impermanence is hard to last long. Life in this world is full of fears, life is as precarious as morning dew.'”
“Madam, continuing to dwell on past events will only hurt your heart and body. It would be better to leave the Lu family and find a farm to settle down. Live a peaceful and stable life. As for other grudges, Madam need not concern yourself with them.”
Xie Min’s eyes brightened slightly. Earlier it was just a guess, feeling that this person’s spirit was extremely similar to that person. The age also matched, so she had the thought of reincarnation. She often prayed before Buddha, asking for Yining to come back to life, at least to let her know the truth. Now hearing her words, it seemed she knew something, so she became a bit excited: “You… I never said who I was. How do you know about the Lu family?”
Yining smiled faintly: “Madam, don’t dwell on it too much. Miss Xie calls you aunt, and the only aunt of Miss Xie that I know of is the first madam of the Lu family. I say these things only because I see that Madam is troubled, hoping to offer some consolation, nothing more. We are strangers, after all.”
“As for Miss Xie, since she’s already preparing to marry someone else. Is undying love such a good thing? Madam should be advising her instead.”
“Wait…!” Xie Min stood up and said, “Just forget what I said earlier about Yun’er.”
Yining had already pushed open the door and left.
Xie Yun was waiting for her outside the door, seeming to have been standing there for a long time.
“Aunt invited you here because she can’t bear to see me wronged,” Xie Yun said. “Don’t embarrass her, otherwise I won’t let you off… Even if I don’t care about Luo Shen Yuan, you can’t do anything to her.”
They all seem so eager to be victims, does she look like someone who can bully others?
Yining almost laughed in exasperation, not bothering to respond.
Xie Yun slowly said behind her back: “Mrs. Luo, when I marry Cheng Lang in the future, we’ll be neighbors. There will inevitably be interactions then, perhaps we’ll even become close family friends.”
“Then I can only wait for Miss Xie,” Yining smiled and replied politely.