Looking forward to the spring breeze

Chapter 23

Xu Wei cried out "Injustice!" and said hastily, "I've only seen her a few times, and each time she was with Wei Yuan. We were always very polite to each other and didn't exchange a single word." He had seen many scenes of jealousy and resentment between women in other families and was afraid that You Tong would get angry because of this, so he put on a nervous expression.

You Tong laughed, "I was just joking, why are you so anxious?" Inwardly, she was overjoyed. But then, remembering something, her face hardened, and she warned, "Not only are you forbidden to say it before, but you're also forbidden to say it in the future. If you start like those disreputable men, constantly bringing women home, I'll—" She trailed off, letting out a soft sigh, lowering her head, her expression momentarily somber.

Xu Wei understood her concerns, so he quickly stepped forward and hugged her shoulder, saying softly, "I don't know how to make you believe me. I just want to tell you one thing, Youtong, all I want in this life is to grow old with you." He wasn't good at sweet talk, but every word came from the bottom of his heart.

Growing old together—though only four words, they carried a profound weight that warmed the heart. You Tong looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears and a hint of emotion. She blinked, forcing back the tears that had welled in her eyes, then lowered her head and nuzzled against Xu Wei's chest, smiling as she said, "You're so good at comforting people." Her voice was soft, yet tinged with a sob.

Chapter 45, Untitled...

The next morning, Wenyan came over with a grin and told Youtong that Wenqing had been disciplined by the Third Madam, receiving more than ten strokes of the cane and now lying in bed unable to move, which had certainly vented her anger. Youtong shook her head in disbelief. "You know," she thought, "it's one thing for Wenqing to be domineering, but she's also not very bright; she can't even be a wicked woman. How come Wenqing hasn't learned even a fraction of Aunt Jiang's cunning and scheming?"

You Tong then inquired about the Third Master's reaction and learned that he had remained silent with a somber expression throughout. You Tong was slightly surprised and couldn't help but look at this Third Master in a new light. She had originally thought he was just a mediocre man who was infatuated with beautiful women and couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but now it seemed that he did have some sense of propriety after all.

Although Wenqing had learned her lesson, Youtong still had some doubts about whether she had truly learned her lesson. Logically, after being confined to the temple for nearly a year, she should have improved somewhat, but now it seemed she hadn't become any more clear-headed; in fact, she was even more confused. It was probably because she had been spoiled too much since childhood, forgetting her own status and always thinking she was the same as Wenyan. Little did she know that in aristocratic families, rules were paramount. From the moment Aunt Jiang insisted on marrying the Third Master as a concubine, Wenqing was destined to never be an equal to Wenyan in this lifetime.

"...But she'd rather be a concubine than a proper young lady. Isn't that just slapping the old lady in the face..." Wen Yan was still rambling on when she turned her head and saw You Tong sitting there in a daze. She was both annoyed and amused, and asked, "Ninth Sister, what are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."

You Tong turned around with a "hmm," glanced blankly at Wen Yan, and finally came to her senses. She sighed deeply and said, "You reap what you sow." After saying that, she didn't mention the matter again and instead discussed with Wen Yan the latest trends in the capital.

In the afternoon, more guests arrived. The wife of Gao Taibo brought her two granddaughters, born of his principal wife, to visit. The second wife greeted them, and Wenyan and Youtong also came out to greet the guests. After a short conversation, the four girls, of similar age, went together to Jiangxuezhai to talk. On the way, Wenyan kept giving Youtong meaningful glances. Youtong understood, knowing that one of the two beautiful girls was likely the second wife's chosen daughter-in-law, and she couldn't help but carefully observe them both.

Although they were cousins, the two girls didn't look alike at all. One of them was much prettier, with an oval face, cherry lips, snow-white skin, and extremely beautiful eyebrows and eyes. She was also very lively and became familiar with You Tong and Wen Yan as soon as they met. She chatted with them, especially with Wen Yan, whom she hit it off with immediately.

The other girl, dressed in light green with embroidered lotus patterns, was more quiet and composed. She had a dignified appearance, a faint smile always on her lips, and graceful manners. She didn't talk much, but she wasn't silent either. Most of the time, she quietly listened to everyone talking, occasionally interjecting a word or two, but always hitting the nail on the head, making her impossible to ignore.

While Youtong went back to her room to change, Wenyan hurriedly squeezed in and asked in a low, mysterious voice, "Which one are you talking about?"

You Tong smiled and asked in return, "What do you think?"

Wen Yan said, "Of course I like the second young lady." She paused, then sighed helplessly, "But, according to Mother's wishes, she will definitely choose the eldest young lady." The eldest young lady was the composed and quiet girl in green. Wen Yan usually seemed carefree and lively, but she was very perceptive.

The second branch of the family only has one legitimate son, Cui Weiyuan, who will eventually become the head of the Cui family. His wife will be the future matriarch of the Cui family, so naturally, she must be carefully chosen. Although the second young lady of the Gao family is stunningly beautiful, she is somewhat impetuous and not as composed as the eldest young lady. If Cui Weiyuan were not a legitimate son, or if he had a legitimate elder brother, he would be a good match for the second young lady.

You Tong patted her shoulder and whispered, "These things aren't something we can decide." After saying that, the two exchanged a helpless look and quickly went out to greet the guests.

After dinner, Madam Gao and her two daughters took their leave, inevitably running into Cui Weiyuan, who was returning home from his official duties. Cui Weiyuan's face stiffened at first, and it took him a while to slowly regain his composure, managing a weak smile as he greeted the Gao family. Madam Gao smiled and looked him over, while the second daughter stared at him with great curiosity, and the eldest daughter blushed slightly, too embarrassed to look up.

Originally, they thought the marriage would be settled soon, but after several days, they still hadn't heard of the Cui family sending anyone to the Gao residence to propose marriage. Wen Yan couldn't figure it out, and You Tong naturally didn't know either, letting Wen Yan speculate wildly in the room.

Life was going on peacefully until the wedding was to be finalized and the date to be discussed. That evening, Xu Wei suddenly rushed over and said to You Tong with a serious expression, "Something has happened." You Tong's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly had a bad feeling.

Xu Wei, afraid of frightening her, quickly said, "Don't panic. Although it was somewhat unexpected, fortunately we were informed in advance. As long as we take proper precautions, even the Empress Dowager can't do anything about it."

You Tong recalled that she had overheard the young master of the Wu family mentioning in the carriage that he had originally intended to marry his third daughter to Xu Wei, but Xu Wei had politely declined. The Wu family was the Empress Dowager's maternal family, and it was no wonder they were causing trouble for them after Xu Wei had humiliated them. She was just wondering why there had been no movement before, and why they only started making things difficult for them now that everything was settled.

Xu Wei knew what she was thinking just by looking at her face, so he explained, "You know that the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess have been fighting over the position of Right Palace Guard General recently. Today, the dust has finally settled, and it has fallen to General Tan, who just returned to the capital to report for duty. This General Tan is an old subordinate of Prince Zhuang, and Prince Zhuang has always been close to the Grand Princess, so naturally, he is biased towards the Grand Princess. The Empress Dowager is furious but helpless, and only now has she thought of me. The Left and Right Palace Guards are in charge of palace access control. Now that the Right Palace Guard is in the hands of the Grand Princess, she will naturally want to control the Left Palace Guard. Although we are engaged now, we are not married yet. If she summons you into the palace and sets a trap for you, she can fabricate any crime, and this marriage will be ruined."

He dared not even speak to Youtong about what he had to say. Even if he did marry Youtong, the Empress Dowager might still issue an edict to bring in a concubine surnamed Wu. Thinking of this, Xu Wei felt a surge of anger. He prided himself on being a loyal subject, never taking sides or seeking personal gain, only devoted to the Emperor. Yet, the more he acted this way, the more he was pushed back step by step. If the Empress Dowager went too far, then—

You Tong understood perfectly well what was going on. She was both angry and sad, but she knew that Xu Wei must be feeling even worse right now, so she managed to suppress her anger, smiled, and gently comforted him, "I understand. I'll just say I'm sick and stay home from tomorrow. No matter how powerful the Empress Dowager is, she can't force someone like me who can't even get out of bed to go to the palace."

"I'm afraid she'll refuse to send the imperial physician over—"

“I understand,” You Tong laughed. “It’s not the first time I’ve pretended to be sick. I guarantee even the imperial physician won’t be able to spot a thing.” She had practiced martial arts and knew how to control her heartbeat and pulse. No matter how skilled the imperial physician was, how could he possibly discern anything by taking her pulse through the curtain?

Xu Wei knew of her abilities, but his concern clouded his judgment. He held her anxiously for a while, and only after calming down did he slowly let go of her, saying earnestly, "No matter what, even if it costs me my life, I will protect you and keep you safe."

You Tong quickly covered his mouth with her hand, saying irritably, "Why are you talking about death and life for no reason? What's the use of these promises if you're dead? I can protect myself, so you don't need to worry about me. Just go about your own business and don't let others take advantage of you. If something happens, you won't get the marriage and you'll lose your official position instead. Be careful, or I won't want you anymore."

Xu Wei laughed heartily, embraced her tightly, and kissed her cheek fiercely. He said with great pride, "If I really lose my official position, I will take you with me to travel all over the country, to see the scenery beyond the Great Wall and the misty waters of Jiangnan. How wonderful that would be!"

Seeing that his brows were relaxed, You Tong knew that he had temporarily let go of his burdens, and so she felt relieved as well. The two stopped talking about these troublesome matters, lingered affectionately for a while, and then Xu Wei left.

Upon reaching the window, Xu Wei suddenly remembered something and turned to You Tong, asking, "What do you plan to do about Yu Wan? How about I send someone to escort her out of the capital?"

You Tong was taken aback. Several months had passed since Yu Wan's incident, so why was she suddenly being brought up again?

Xu Wei also looked helpless and explained, "I don't know what kind of leverage Master Yu has over Li Hanlin. Even after such a big incident, the Li family hasn't sent Yu Wan away. For several months in a row, the Li family has sent many letters to Qiantang, mentioning your matter, but I have had them intercepted. Since the Li family hasn't seen anyone from Qiantang, they must have become suspicious. A couple of days ago, they personally sent someone to Qiantang to report the news. I'm afraid that this will attract Master Yu's attention. After thinking it over, the only thing to do is to send Yu Wan away first."

You Tong had no feelings for the girl who had harmed her countless times, and asked in surprise, "Yu Wan is staying in the Li family well, how are you going to get rid of her?"

Xu Wei just smiled, grinning to reveal his snow-white teeth, looking simple and honest. "Anyway, I have a way. It's settled then. In a few days, I'll have someone bring her out of the city. Even if Master Yu comes then, he'll be hesitant and won't dare to do anything reckless."

When You Tong thought of Master Yu's face, she felt a sudden surge of disgust. She quickly shook her head to banish him from her mind and smiled as she said goodbye to Xu Wei.

The next morning, as expected, Youtong fell ill. Her voice was hoarse, she had a fever, and she was so dizzy that she couldn't get out of bed. The second madam quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor. After taking her pulse, the doctor said that she had caught a cold from being exposed to the wind and needed to rest in bed for a while.

Only after the medicine was brought back did the Empress Dowager send a palace servant to summon Miss Cui Jiu to the palace for an audience. The Second Madam told You Tong, who was breathing weakly while asking Hui Qiao to help her change her clothes. She managed to stand up, but her body went limp again, and she fainted on the ground.

The room was in chaos. Seeing that she could not even stand steadily, the second madam naturally could not bring up the matter of entering the palace again, so she had no choice but to go to the palace in person to apologize to the Empress Dowager.

As Xu Wei had predicted, the Empress Dowager became suspicious upon hearing that You Tong was bedridden and immediately dispatched a palace physician to the residence to examine You Tong. The physician took You Tong's pulse through the curtains, asked him a few questions, and then returned to the palace without saying a word. The Empress Dowager did not say anything further.

46. The Grand Princess

Feigning illness is an art. It can't be too mild, or it won't be effective. Nor can it be too severe, or you'll have to be wary of all sorts of rumors spreading. Being half-dead is the least of your worries; the worst thing is when gossipy women make wild assumptions. Being jealous and sour is one thing, but they even spread rumors that the Xu family has broken off the engagement.

Although the rumors outside were quite detailed, the Cui family remained calm and went about their business as usual. Because there were more people keeping watch at night in You Tong's room, Xu Wei couldn't visit anymore and could only ask Madam Xu to send some medicine and tonics. After Madam Xu visited several times, the rumors outside gradually dissipated.

But he couldn't keep feigning illness forever. The wedding date was fast approaching, and he couldn't let the Empress Dowager's presence delay the ceremony. Xu Wei couldn't help but feel anxious and impatient at the thought of the Empress Dowager's relentless pressure. Coupled with not seeing You Tong for several days in a row, his temper grew increasingly volatile. He wore a stern face all day long, and the air within three feet of him seemed cold. The guards at the gate didn't dare to breathe loudly, fearing they might inadvertently anger him.

Seeing this, Madam Xu was both angry and amused, and whenever she had a chance, she scolded him for being impatient. Xu Wei didn't argue back, but instead asked her what to do. Madam Xu was also helpless, and shook her head, saying, "The Empress Dowager is keeping a close eye on things, and what else can we do but stall for time? It's easy to get the Empress Dowager to let You Tong go, but you have to comply with her orders and bring the Wu family girl into the mansion. Don't say that You Tong won't agree, I won't agree either."

Although the Empress Dowager is very arrogant now, everyone in the court knows that she is like a grasshopper in autumn, and she won't be able to jump around for long. Now that the Grand Princess is clearly in power, it is likely that in a few years, the Empress Dowager will have to obediently return to Chongfu Palace to retire. If the Xu family gets involved with them now, wouldn't they be courting death?

Seeing Xu Wei's ashen face, Madam Xu finally couldn't bear it any longer and laughed, "Look at you! You're usually quite clever and quick-witted, but when it comes to You Tong, your head turns to a block of wood. Think about it carefully. You're doing a good job as a guard at the Left Gate, but the Empress Dowager is forcing you to take her side. Putting aside others, the Grand Princess will definitely object. Who's in charge in this palace now? It's not the Empress Dowager, it's the Grand Princess. Even if you don't beg her, she'll still intervene."

Xu Wei finally realized what was going on, feeling both happy and annoyed. He complained, "Mother, why didn't you tell me sooner? You made me worry all day long!" He immediately started excitedly thinking about how to tell You Tong the news.

You Tong had been ill for six or seven days, but finally began to improve, bringing a sigh of relief to everyone in the household. After worrying for so many days, even Wen Yan had lost weight, not to mention Hui Qiao and Hong Yun who had been attending to her. These past few days, she had been lying in bed, oblivious to everything happening around her, and only now did she learn that the third branch of the family had moved to their new house in the east of the city. The third madam had been arranging a marriage for Wen Qing a few days earlier, having already looked at several families, but Aunt Jiang had rejected them all. The third madam was furious and had declared that she would no longer interfere.

Furthermore, upon learning that Youtong was bedridden, the Shen family sent medicine, putting the Second Madam in a difficult position, unsure whether to accept it or not. However, she couldn't tell Youtong about these things beforehand, only mentioning them occasionally as a joke after Youtong recovered. Wen Yan even scoffed, "I think that Third Young Master Shen has some mental issues. He didn't cherish Ninth Sister's engagement to him, but now that she's betrothed to Brother Xu, he puts on this show of concern. I wonder who he's trying to impress?"

Mentioning Shen San made You Tong feel a little uncomfortable, so she quickly changed the subject, saying, "Why bring him up? It's just making things difficult for yourself. Tell me what's going on in the capital lately. I've been lying in bed every day for the past few days, and my bones are practically rusting."

Wen Yan frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "The sun is too strong outside, and my mother won't let me go out. I only hear about things from the maids downstairs, so I don't know if it's true or not. I heard—" Her eyes lit up, and a mysterious look appeared on her face, "that Yu Wan was taken away by people from Qiantang."

You Tong was slightly taken aback. Xu Wei hadn't said he would—she suddenly realized the reason. Even if the people sent by the Li family went to Qiantang, there was no reason for them to return so quickly. Therefore, the so-called people from Qiantang were most likely instigated by Xu Wei.

Wen Yan continued her rambling story about Yu Wan, inevitably mentioning the poor eldest daughter of the Yu family, and couldn't help but shed a tear of sympathy. Finally, she patted her chest and said somewhat uneasily to You Tong, "Ninth Sister, there are some things I've always wanted to tell you, it's just—" She bit her lip, hesitant, but finally whispered, "Brother Xu—he has deep feelings for that Miss Yu, I'm afraid he…for you…" She left it at that, the deeper meaning in her words self-evident.

You Tong glanced at her gratefully and smiled, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Come to think of it, among the members of the second branch of the Cui family, Wen Yan was probably the only one unaware of her true identity. You Tong was naturally moved by her unwavering devotion. She stepped forward, took Wen Yan's hand, and gently shook it, saying, "Brother Xu is a good person; he will definitely treat me well. Don't worry."

The next day, the Empress Dowager indeed issued an edict summoning You Tong. The Second Madam also noticed something was amiss. The Empress Dowager did not often summon noblewomen to the palace, let alone the young ladies of various households. The fact that she summoned You Tong again and again was already somewhat unusual. In addition, the timing of this summons coincided so perfectly with You Tong's illness, which could not help but arouse suspicion.

If Youtong hadn't stayed at the Cui residence all day without leaving, the Second Madam would have wanted to find her immediately and question her thoroughly. After much deliberation, the Second Madam decided to go to the palace with Youtong. She quickly submitted a memorial to the Dowager Consort Sun, and the next morning, she and Youtong boarded the sedan chair together.

Xu Wei had also received the news long ago. Although he was certain that the Grand Princess would not stand idly by, just in case, he still sent Madam Xu to the palace and invited several influential concubines to go to the Empress Dowager's palace with her. Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to manipulate You Tong, she couldn't do it too much in front of everyone.

To catch a glimpse of You Tong, Xu Wei deliberately waited at the palace gate, his eyes fixed on the road. Finally, he spotted the Cui family's sedan chair, and his heart pounded. He coughed twice, immediately stood up as if to inspect the area, but his eyes involuntarily drifted towards the sedan chair. The accompanying attendants couldn't help but want to laugh, but dared not be unrestrained with Xu Wei right there; they all blushed deeply.

They entered the palace gates smoothly, and the sedan chair remained outside. You Tong, dressed in a dark blue long dress, slowly stepped out of the sedan chair. Because she was "recovering from a serious illness," her face was slightly pale, and her lips had lost their usual rosy red, only a light pink, making her look very weak.

Although he knew she was doing this on purpose for others, Xu Wei still felt a pang of pain in his heart. He stared at her longingly, wishing he could rush forward and embrace her tightly. After staring intently for a while, even he felt his gaze had been a bit too presumptuous, so he reluctantly withdrew it and turned to glare at the attendants who had been staring at them. This glare, however, was devoid of any fierceness. The subordinates were not only unafraid, but instead exchanged knowing glances and giggled.

Someone was already waiting at the palace gate, and led the Second Madam and You Tong directly to Chongfu Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided.

This wasn't You Tong's first time in the palace, but she was still a bit disoriented once she entered the gates. Looking around, all she could see was a long, seemingly endless corridor, flanked by high red walls, magnificent and opulent, inspiring a sense of awe. After walking through the maze-like corridors for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, just as she was about to turn a corner, she suddenly saw a large group of people marching towards her.

The palace servants in front had already knelt down, and the Second Madam also respectfully knelt down by the roadside. You Tong quickly looked up and glanced at them, and was about to kneel down with them when she suddenly saw a familiar face. Her mind went blank, and she froze on the spot, forgetting to react for a moment.

The second wife noticed You Tong's unusual behavior behind her. She was both anxious and angry, and quickly pulled her aside. She thought to herself, "This girl is usually so generous and open-minded. Why is she acting so strangely today?"

Pulled by the Second Madam, You Tong regained some clarity and knelt down behind her, her eyes involuntarily fixed on the person on the palanquin ahead. The group didn't rush over; they stopped less than ten feet in front of You Tong, and a woman in a light green palace dress asked, "Who is down there?"

The second madam quickly agreed, and the palace maid hurriedly turned around and said something to the noblewoman on the palanquin. The noblewoman looked at her with a smile on her lips, her eyes full of affection. You Tong's eyes immediately stung, and she lowered her head, tears falling down her cheeks.

"The princess and Miss Cui hit it off immediately and wish to invite her to the palace for a chat. You should take the Second Madam to Chongfu Palace first, and Miss Cui can come over later." The palace maid said to the servant sent by the Empress Dowager earlier. Although her expression was still relatively gentle, there was an unavoidable hint of command in her tone.

The palace maid said a few words with difficulty, and her expression immediately changed. She said angrily, "Does the princess have to come down and talk to you herself?"

The palace maid immediately fell silent, daring not to utter another sound. Although the Second Madam was suspicious, she did not ask any further questions. She simply curtsied to the Grand Princess on the palanquin, and then followed the palace maid to Chongfu Palace. You Tong followed behind the palace maid with her head down, afraid that others would see the tear stains on her face.

"How are you doing, Miss?" After walking a while, the palace maid who had spoken earlier suddenly leaned close to Youtong and called her softly. Youtong was startled, looked up at her, and felt that she looked somewhat familiar. After looking more closely, she finally recognized her. She was both surprised and delighted, and covered her mouth to whisper, "An Hui, it's you—"

An Hui smiled and said, "I returned to the capital with the Grand Princess. I just changed my clothes, and Miss almost didn't recognize me."

You Tong looked up at the Grand Princess on the palanquin, then lowered her head and whispered, "I really didn't expect that my master would be—" No matter how smart she was, she could never have imagined that the nun Jingyi, who had lived in Jing'an Nunnery for more than 20 years, would be the current Grand Princess who held immense power in the court.

Then she thought of the Empress Dowager, who was still in the palace waiting to find fault with her, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. With her master as her backer, she could see how the Empress Dowager would make things difficult for her.

47. Sparring

Upon arriving at the Anning Palace where the Grand Princess resided, all the palace maids and eunuchs except for An Hui withdrew.

Master Jingyi then hugged Youtong tightly. The two of them didn't say a word and first had a good cry. To be honest, neither of them were ordinary weak women and were not used to such a weak and tearful state. It was just that they had been separated for so long and each of them had their own circumstances and had a very difficult time. Thinking of these things, they couldn't help but shed tears.

After crying, having finally released all the bitterness and frustration in her heart, You Tong finally remembered to write: "Master, although you are in the palace, you have many eyes and ears. You must already know my identity. Why didn't you come looking for me? I've been wondering where you went."

Abbess Jingyi wiped her face, tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and said softly, "The palace is a place that devours people without spitting out bones right now. Moreover, it's now entangled with court affairs, it's beyond chaos. Even I myself only want to stay away. If it weren't for the late emperor's urgent appointment, I wouldn't have come back to clean up this mess. I was born into the royal family, and it's my duty to serve the court wholeheartedly, but how could I drag you into this?"

Ever since rumors of the controversy surrounding the identity of the ninth young lady of the Cui family spread throughout the capital, Abbess Jingyi quickly sent people to secretly investigate. Upon learning that it was indeed Youtong, she was overjoyed and almost couldn't resist immediately summoning her to the palace. However, after careful consideration, she decided against it. If someone with ulterior motives were to discover their relationship, Youtong would never have a peaceful day.

Now that the Empress Dowager is pressing her relentlessly, if she doesn't step in, You Tong will inevitably be targeted. After much deliberation, Jing Yi decided to abduct her midway.

When Jingyi returned to the capital, the late emperor was on his deathbed. She was entrusted with the reins of government in this critical situation. Initially, due to frequent rebellions, the Empress Dowager stood by her side. However, as the situation gradually stabilized, the Empress Dowager became restless and began to use her family's influence to vie for power with Jingyi. Unfortunately, the Wu family was no match for the powerful families like the Cui and Shen; they were hopeless and, within a year, they were already on the verge of collapse. Otherwise, why would they resort to such underhanded tactics to coerce Xu Wei?

Thinking of Xu Wei, Abbess Jingyi's expression turned strange again. She stared at Youtong with suspicion and asked, "I've been so busy for the past year that I haven't been able to go back to Huzhou to inquire about things. I also don't know how you ended up in the Cui family and became the ninth young lady of the Cui family. It's one thing to break off the engagement with the Shen family, but how come you're now engaged to Xu Wei?" Since Youtong had made up her mind to fake her death and run away from the marriage, she shouldn't have let herself jump into the same trap again.

Qingdai had asked this question before, but even when Youtong brought it up a second time, she was still a little embarrassed. She blushed and told Jingyi everything about how Xu Wei had treated her. After listening, Jingyi couldn't help but sigh and said, "It really is a case of coming full circle. What's yours is yours, and you can't escape it."

After saying that, she shook her head and laughed, "I've often seen the fifth son of the Cui family, but I never expected that he was the one who kidnapped you. This child usually seems well-behaved, but it turns out he has such methods in private. He's so unreasonable and domineering, why didn't you retaliate?" Magnanimity was not You Tong's style, and Jing Yi knew her personality very well.

You Tong didn't want to say that Cui Weiyuan seemed to have feelings for her, so she just smiled and said, "Although his methods were a bit underhanded back then, he did me and Brother Xu a big favor. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid Brother Xu and I wouldn't have met. Besides, he has treated me well over the past year, so I can't go too far."

Jingyi nodded upon hearing this. As for Shen San, Youtong didn't say what she planned to do, and Jingyi didn't ask further. After all, this was a love triangle between young people, and she shouldn't interfere. The master and disciple talked for a long time, mostly about what had happened since their separation, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing.

Seeing that they had been staying at Anning Palace for two hours, and that An Hui had even refilled several pots of tea and served several plates of snacks, the Grand Princess finally remembered that the Empress Dowager was still waiting for You Tong. She smiled and said, "I'll take you there in a while and tell her that I've recognized you as my goddaughter. No matter how bold that old hag is, she won't dare to make things difficult for you."

You Tong didn't refuse and smiled as she kowtowed to Jing Yi, thus acknowledging her as her godmother. However, given Jing Yi's status, there would definitely be a formal ceremony later; that would be a matter for the future.

After straightening her clothes, Jingyi had An Hui bring out a jewelry box from the house. She picked out a piece from it, found the largest gold peach blossom leaf hairpin and put it on her head, and then found two translucent green jade bracelets for her to wear. She dressed herself up in a flamboyant manner, as if afraid she wouldn't be eye-catching enough. Finally, she simply pushed the box into Youtong's arms and laughed, "I'm getting old. Only young girls like you can wear these things."

You Tong naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony with her, smiling as she accepted the gifts. Then, looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but laugh, "Master, isn't this outfit a bit too tacky? With all this stuff on my head, my neck probably won't be able to take it after walking around for a while."

Jingyi said, "What's so vulgar about it? When the late emperor was in power, everyone in the palace was dressed up in their finest attire. What you're talking about is nothing. I once saw a concubine with more than ten hairpins in her hair, and the pearls on her clothes alone weighed several pounds. You're a martial artist, aren't you afraid of being laughed at for saying this?"

After speaking, she stared at Youtong carefully for a while, then shook her head repeatedly and said, "This outfit is still too plain." She then turned around and instructed An Hui to fetch a few brighter clothes. Youtong wanted to stop her, but Jingyi stopped her and said seriously, "Don't worry about it. Today we're going to teach that old hag a lesson and see if she doesn't get angry."

In the end, You Tong couldn't resist Jing Yi's insistence, so she changed into a peach-colored long gown embroidered with white plum blossoms and a dark blue fairy-like long skirt. She wore five gold hairpins with dangling ornaments in her hair, and a gilded cloisonné hibiscus flower on the top of her hair bun. She wore long emerald earrings on her earlobes, and a pair of bracelets on each of her hands. Finally, Anhui carefully added a gold-inlaid jade belt to her waist, with a set of jade pendants hanging down, from jade flowers to jade tusks, all of which were exquisitely crafted.

The accessories on her body must have weighed at least several pounds, and You Tong was now walking rather awkwardly. Jing Yi, however, was quite satisfied and nodded repeatedly. She quickly instructed An Hui to prepare a palanquin, while she took You Tong to join the Empress Dowager in the festivities.

You Tong and the others entered the palace in the morning, and it was well past noon by now. The Empress Dowager had just finished her lunch. The several imperial concubines invited by Madam Xu were very dedicated and did not take their leave. Madam Er was also anxiously waiting at Zuo Chongfu Palace, fearing that You Tong might do something inappropriate to offend the Grand Princess.

Upon hearing the palace servants announce the arrival of the Grand Princess, the Second Madam finally breathed a sigh of relief. If she had truly offended the Grand Princess, she probably wouldn't have come in person.

The Empress Dowager's expression darkened; though she still wore a smile, her eyes held a fierce glint. The Second Madam dared not speak, but the several imperial concubines, without such restraint, rose to greet the Grand Princess, smiling and saying, "Grand Princess, what brings you here? Oh, this young lady looks unfamiliar; which family's daughter is she?"