Outside the main gate, a tall bay horse was all saddled up and ready to go. Its hooves tapped lightly on the ground, making a low sound as if urging on the departure.
Xiao Jingnan took the cloak handed over by Lu Ping and nimbly mounted the horse. His black cape fluttered noisily in the night wind. The lion emblem on his shoulder glinted coldly in the moonlight, looking as fierce as iron armor.
He looked down at Li Wanming, his gaze deep and resolute, his voice low but clear. "Protect yourself. Wait for me to come back."
Before his words faded, he whipped the horse and set off.
The horse neighed loudly. Its iron hooves crushed the moonlight on the ground, and the splashed dust formed a frosty mist in the air. The hem of his black cloak billowed like waves, as if it were a torrent carrying the glint of swords and the shadow of spears. In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the red lantern with the Chinese character "Xi" (happiness) still hanging under the eaves.
Li Wanming stood in front of the door, her eyes following the gradually disappearing figure. She remained still for a long time.
The night wind blew across her cheeks, bringing a bone - chilling cold, but she seemed not to notice.
It was not until the moon reached the middle of the sky that Chun Tao softly called out to her. "Mis... Mistress of the heir apparent, let's go back."
Li Wanming slowly withdrew her gaze and looked at the cold moon on the horizon. Her voice was so soft that it almost melted into the night. "Yes, it's time to go back." She paused for a moment, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. "Tomorrow, there'll be another tough battle to fight."
————————
In the early morning, the birds outside the window chirped merrily on the branches. The crabapple trees in the courtyard were in bud, presenting a beautiful spring scenery.
Li Wanming sat in front of her dressing table, with two dark circles under her eyes. She couldn't help yawning deeply.
She had stayed up all night, and her head felt as heavy as if filled with lead.
Xiao Jingnan had already left. No matter how worried she was, there was nothing she could do.
For now, she could only focus on the current situation. After all, Mrs. Kang was not an easy person to deal with.
Chun Tao had applied makeup on her several times. She had almost plastered three layers of perfume paste on Li Wanming's face like white - washing a wall, but still couldn't cover up her tired look and the dark circles under her eyes that were as big as duck eggs.
"What should we do? What should we do?" Chun Tao paced around anxiously. "The mistress of the heir apparent will go to the Jujing Hall to take over the token of the mansion later. She looks so haggard now. She can't show her face like this..."
Li Wanming lazily turned her head and glanced at her. "Thank you so much!"
She picked up the snail - shaped eyebrow pencil from the dressing box and began to draw her eyebrows listlessly.
"It doesn't matter. On the wedding night, my husband was called to the battlefield, leaving me alone in the empty room... I'm afraid by now, I've already become the laughingstock of the entire mansion. Whether I look good or not, what does it matter?"
"Surely not?" Chun Tao widened her eyes, looking unconvinced. "The heir apparent was called away by the imperial edict. How can they blame the mistress of the heir apparent?"
Li Wanming squinted one eye and stared hard at herself in the mirror. "They don't care about the reasons at all! When they want to spread rumors, do they need a reason? They'll only say that I'm ugly and vulgar, so I can't keep my husband by my side."
"But... But you two are a perfect match made in heaven!" Chun Tao couldn't help shouting.
"That's all for deceiving the common people outside." Li Wanming stared at her eyebrows as black as the bottom of a pot. The more she looked, the more dissatisfied she became.
She was dizzy and weak all over. Even the hand holding the eyebrow pencil trembled involuntarily. As a result, a willow - leaf - shaped eyebrow that should have been slender and graceful was drawn like a crooked, thick earthworm, lying crookedly on her brow bone, looking extremely comical.
"Thanks to Xiao Jingnan and those capable storytellers some time ago, they spread our past as a beautiful tale. But people's mouths have two flaps. With a simple turn, the tune can be completely different. Today it's a beautiful tale, and tomorrow it will be a scandal. Today I'm the sweetheart of the heir apparent, and tomorrow I'll be the abandoned wife."
Li Wanming threw away the eyebrow pencil and picked up a box of lipstick. She thought the bright red color might improve her complexion a bit.
"Especially in this mansion, everyone is on Mrs. Kang's side. They're just waiting to laugh at me. What good words can they say about me?"
Just as she was feeling dejected, she heard a familiar voice outside the door. "The mistress of the heir apparent can foresee things from small signs and is perceptive. This battle is not without a chance of victory."
The bamboo curtain was gently lifted, and a slender figure walked in gracefully.
The newcomer had willow - leaf eyebrows and almond eyes, and a face like a lotus flower. Her light purple satin long dress made her look gentle and charming. Her smiling face was like a gentle spring breeze.
"Qinglan!"
Li Wanming exclaimed in surprise. A smile instantly appeared on her face. She almost jumped up and rushed over, grabbing Qinglan's hand. "Why are you here?"
Qinglan smiled slightly, her tone gentle but firm. "The mistress of the heir apparent has just entered the mansion. How can she not have capable people by her side? I grew up in the mansion since I was a child. Although I'm a servant, my brother - in - law and sister - in - law are quite capable in the outer courtyard. I should be able to help the mistress of the heir apparent."
Hearing this, Li Wanming hesitated a bit. "But Qinglan, you've just been freed from slavery and found a livelihood in the silk shop. Why do you want to come back to this deep and secluded mansion..."
However, before she could finish her words, Qinglan had gently let go of her hand, took a half - step back, covered her forehead with both hands, and knelt down solemnly to perform a grand salute.
"Mistress of the heir apparent, it was you who gave me my freedom. Now that you're in a dangerous situation and alone, how can I only think about myself and abandon you?"
Li Wanming was deeply touched. Her eyes became slightly red, and her throat felt blocked. She couldn't say a word for a moment.
Qinglan looked up, her gaze sincere and resolute. "Mistress of the heir apparent, I'm a quiet - tempered person. The bustling counter in the shop is not suitable for me. Being by your side in the mansion may give me more opportunities to show my abilities."
Li Wanming lowered her head and thought for a moment. Then she broke into a bright smile, a smile so brilliant that it seemed to dispel the haze in the room. "I'm more than welcome if you're willing to come!"
She knew that Qinglan's words were not just polite remarks.
Qinglan was gentle - natured, not as spicy as Cai Wei. It was indeed not suitable for her to be a shopkeeper at the counter of a shop.
Maybe staying by her side as a housekeeper would allow her to achieve more.
Qinglan got up and immediately began to make arrangements.
She first ordered the old maid waiting outside the door to fetch hot water and the little maid to get a clean towel. Then she directed Chun Tao to open the wardrobe and pick out a set of elegant and plain brocade long dresses.
Finally, she pulled Li Wanming to sit in front of the rosewood dressing table. She appraised and selected among the jewelry that had been messed up by the mistress and her maid.
"The gold hairpin is too shiny and looks vulgar; the silver bracelet is too plain and looks too petty; the coral is too red. Since the prince has just gone to the other courtyard to recuperate because of his leg injury, the mistress of the heir apparent shouldn't wear such bright colors..."
After a round of selection, Qinglan finally chose a pair of hair ornaments in the shape of cloud patterns in the color of misty blue - and - white porcelain, a pair of moon - shaped earrings made of South China Sea pearls, a gold - inlaid jade pendant necklace, and of course, the jade bracelet with a black fan pattern that the princess had given her when they first met.
The dressing table was quickly tidied up, leaving only delicate and elegant jewelry on the table.
With her commands, everything was in good order.
Without raising her voice or showing any panic, she had directed everyone in the courtyard. Everyone was bustling around like fish in water, but it was all done in silence.