If the emperor had wanted her to carve jade for him, he could have made the request last night. Instead, he had someone come to her jade workshop mysteriously to place an order today.
Could this person not be sent by the emperor?
Impossible.
Very few people had seen her jade pendant. After the emperor had asked her if she recognized it, it was unlikely that another person would suddenly appear with the same knowledge.
Then his intention was worth speculating about.
She had managed to smooth things over during last night's suspicions and probes. If the emperor had truly become suspicious, she would never have had the chance to leave the palace alive.
So had his suspicions faded at that time but resurfaced later? If so, why use such a roundabout way to test her?
Lan Miao pondered hard but could never figure out the emperor's intention.
Seeing Lan Miao frowning, Yue Niang and the others were also filled with doubts. They stood there stupidly, letting the lake breeze blow. Finally, Yue Niang summoned up her courage and called out a few times, "Madam, Madam, what should we do with this gold?"
Lan Miao frowned and came back to her senses.
Yue Niang took the opportunity to open the tray covered with red cloth. The gold was shining brightly. There were as many as twenty ingots. Even Shuang Xi and Shuang Le were shocked by this tray of glistening gold.
How generous!
"Just leave everything there for now. Don't record the gold in the ledger. I'll think about it some more."
"Yes."
Yue Niang nodded in agreement and then let out a few "he he" laughs. She scratched her head with her broad palm and said somewhat bashfully, "Could this person be after you, Madam?"
The Lan Miao in front of her was cold and extremely beautiful. After five years of widowhood, her beauty had only increased, with a touch of gentle and lingering divinity.
What she actually meant was that someone might be courting Madam under the guise of placing an order. She thought it was not only possible but highly likely. After all, the law of this dynasty did not prohibit widows from remarrying. Madam was both virtuous and talented, with both beauty and charm. It would be abnormal if no one courted her.
As soon as Shuang Xi heard this, her face turned pale with shock. "Could it be that Madam has offended someone recently and they want to frame you?" The first person she thought of was Mrs. You from the Marquis Mansion.
"Ah, could it be that Mrs. You who always opposes Madam?"
Shuang Le had the same thought as Shuang Xi and they said in unison.
The two of them were indignant and seemed to have the impulse to throw the gold and the jade pendant out together. Lan Miao smiled faintly, and the confusion from before dissipated with their joking. "It's not Mrs. You."
"Then have you guessed who it is, Madam?"
"Sort of." Lan Miao nodded with a smile. "You can put the things down and go out first. I'll think about it some more."
"Okay, okay, okay..."
Yue Niang and the others agreed and left the jade room one by one. When they left, they kindly closed the door for Lan Miao. After they left, Lan Miao recalled what Shuang Xi and Shuang Le had said. Although their ideas were a bit far - fetched, they might not be without reason.
The emperor's words last night were also very clear.
He suspected that the owner of the jade pendant had evil intentions and might even be in collusion with the enemy country.
So when he asked Lan Miao to replicate the jade pendant, it was possible that he had other considerations.
Whether it was another test or for some other purpose, she had no choice but to accept this order and complete it flawlessly.
"Sigh, luckily the gold given is enough."
The lake breeze by the window was getting stronger and stronger. Lan Miao felt a sudden chill on her body. She reached out to close the diamond - patterned window on the west side. A pair of light - colored pupils reflected the blue - green lake water. When she looked up again, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
She only came to the Jade - Treasuring Workshop once every ten days or half a month.
How could it be such a coincidence that the emperor sent someone to place an order just when she was here, as if he had predicted that she would definitely be in the workshop today?
Was it that the emperor could foresee the future, or...
Had he sent someone to secretly monitor her?
The moment this thought popped up, Lan Miao thought of those deep, dark eyes. A blush like a tide rushed to her face. The next moment, cold sweat broke out on her back. She gently bit her silver teeth, her eyes flitted about, and she stood there silently for a long time. Finally, she closed all the windows in the jade room.
One could never be too careful.
——
Two days later, it was the Cold Dew Festival.
Xue'er came back from the palace to rest for a day. When she climbed out of the palace carriage, wearing a special student's uniform, Lan Miao only then realized that Xue'er had grown up unknowingly. Her face was rounder, looking more like a little girl.
"Mother, I missed you so much!"
Xue'er threw herself into Lan Miao's arms and hugged her tightly.
The noisy little girl outside became a chirping sparrow as soon as she got home. Her little mouth kept chattering, "Mother, the chrysanthemum cakes made by the imperial chef in the palace are so delicious. And the snow - cloud soup and plum blossom sugar cakes also taste great. Yu Jia knew I was coming back, so she packed a lot for me to bring back."
The little maid who served Xue'er was about thirteen years old. After the accident Xue'er had in the palace, Lan Miao personally selected a trustworthy little maid and sent her into the palace to take care of Xue'er. The Empress Dowager had also agreed. This maid was Leng Shuang.
Leng Shuang stepped forward with a heavy food box in her hand and respectfully presented it to Lan Miao.
"Please have a look, Madam."
"You can hold it for now. We'll take it back to the courtyard together."
Seeing Leng Shuang acting so considerately, Lan Miao felt a surge of relief in her heart.
As the Frost's Descent approached, the cold morning mist lingered for a long time.
The group stood at the entrance of the Marquis Mansion for a while. Lan Miao thought it was about time, so she led Xue'er to the Chunxi Hall first to pay respects to the old lady, and then they would return to the Pinglan Courtyard. After Lan Miao had an argument with the old lady, the old lady had surprisingly stopped making things difficult for her.
These days, Lan Miao had been carving jade in the workshop.
She still went to pay her respects. The old lady either avoided seeing her or was cold in attitude. As for Xue'er's return this time, even though she disliked the old lady's attitude in her heart, she still had to take Xue'er to see her. Etiquette had to be observed.
Inside the Chunxi Hall.
The old lady sat high on the seat, sipping tea. Looking at the pair of "debt - collectors" kneeling in front of her, the corners of her eyes drooped, and there was always a hint of displeasure in her calm expression. "Get up."
"Thank you, Grandmother."
Lan Miao helped Xue'er up. Xue'er was smiling brightly and ignored the old lady's cold face.
"Now that you've entered the palace school, don't cause any trouble in the future. Since the Empress Dowager and the princess like you, try your best to please them. Do you understand?" The old lady lowered her voice. Her tone was not as harsh as before, but it still carried a hint of impatience.
"Xue'er understands."
Xue'er nodded obediently. She made a face at Lan Miao when she turned her head, and Lan Miao gently touched her ear.
The old lady took a small sip of tea and squinted her eyes at Lan Miao. "There will be the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet in a while. Since the Empress Dowager likes you, you can go too. Don't dress too extravagantly. You should weigh it yourself."
"Yes, old lady."
They both chose to turn a blind eye to the previous conflict.
Lan Miao nodded. Disputes were inevitable in a big family, but as long as they didn't reach the point of a complete break, life had to go on smoothly. She would have to prepare a separate gift for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. The Empress Dowager was kind and had helped her a lot. This was what she should do.
The old lady asked Xue'er a few more questions about school and then waved them away. Her attitude towards Xue'er had also improved a lot compared to before.
After coming out of the Chunxi Hall, Lan Miao held Xue'er's hand and strolled slowly in the garden. The autumn mist surrounded them, and the thin white mist dampened the corners of their skirts.
Xue'er looked up at Lan Miao.
"Mother, has Grandmother changed?"