Wang Qingyao knocked on the door of the adjacent private room.
It was customary for her to greet the owner when she encountered him during a meal.
There was a moment of silence from within the room before Yuan Bao opened the door.
"Greetings, miss."
Wang Qingyao glanced inside. Three handsome young men, all looking fresh and spirited. She recognized Ding'an Wang Xiao Yun and the Seventh Prince Yuan Xun. The one she didn't recognize was slightly older than Xiao Yun, dressed in a green brocade robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, exuding an air of politeness.
Since all three were seated, Wang Qingyao only saw their upper bodies, which she could barely manage to control.
Xiao Yun and the elder man looked guilty, as if caught eavesdropping. Only the Seventh Prince showed no self-consciousness and waved enthusiastically at Wang Qingyao, "Sister-in-law Wang, what a coincidence."
The elder man was the son of Xiao Yun's maternal uncle, named Fang Zheng.
The three were either practicing martial arts or internal cultivation, possessing sharp hearing and sight.
It wasn't intentional eavesdropping, but Wang Qingyao's voice was simply too loud, and the soundproofing in Xinghua Tower wasn't very good.
Fang Zheng had never known Wang Qingyao's true identity, and he was startled when the Seventh Prince revealed it.
"A'yun, is this your..." Thinking of the woman's words from earlier, his expression became subtly complex.
Oh dear, a fresh cuckold's hat...
Xiao Yun knew what Fang Zheng was thinking without looking. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, he coughed a few times and introduced, "That's right, this young lady is the second daughter of the Wang family, the future Ding'an Wang Consort, as decreed by His Majesty."
He then said to Wang Qingyao, "You've met the Seventh Prince. This is my cousin, the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhongyong's manor."
Names like Wang Er and Zhang San were hardly pleasant appellations. Wang Qingyao frowned slightly. After greeting Fang Zheng, she entered the room and said to Xiao Yun, "Your Highness, did you hear everything just now?"
Xiao Yun awkwardly replied with a "Mm," while the Seventh Prince enthusiastically raised his hand, "We heard it too." He sheepishly lowered his hand after a glare from Xiao Yun.
"What are Your Highness's thoughts?"
As a woman who had diligently studied all sorts of melodramatic domestic and palace intrigue novels from the 21st century, Wang Qingyao knew that her previous engagement to Tian Yu was a huge ticking time bomb. To avoid it being unearthed and exploited by malicious individuals in the future, thus affecting her career, it was better to clarify things with Xiao Yun now.
Xiao Yun hadn't expected her to be so forthright and generous. Thinking of the words she had just spoken to Mrs. Tian, he couldn't help but smile, "You already called her ugly, what else could I possibly think?"
Wang Qingyao: "Doesn't Your Highness want to beat her up?"
Xiao Yun's smile faltered: "..."
The Seventh Prince and Fang Zheng, who were pretending to drink, paused: "..."
"Your Highness is of noble birth, and she actually wants to cuckold you. Can Your Highness tolerate this?"
Xiao Yun: "...Cough, cough, cough."
Fang Zheng: This girl is fierce! She talks about cuckoldry as if it's everyday conversation!
"If Your Highness can tolerate it, then pretend I said nothing." Wang Qingyao said as she sized up Xiao Yun, her expression unreadable, a mix of disappointment and disdain, as if she were about to exclaim "tsk tsk tsk."
Who could tolerate this?
"I have other matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
Wang Qingyao turned and left with a flourish. Behind her, there was a "crack" – Xiao Yun had crushed the wine cup in his hand.
...
Wang Qingyao admitted that she had deliberately provoked Xiao Yun and incited him to deal with Mrs. Tian.
She had transmigrated here after the original host committed suicide, gaining a new life.
In a sense, the original host owed her a life-saving debt.
So, if she were to slightly punish the person who caused the original host's death, wouldn't that be a form of repayment?
Although she didn't have a burning desire for revenge, if some people shamelessly provoked her, she couldn't be blamed for seizing the opportunity.
She went to the counter to pay the bill, then used the jade pendant Xiao Yun had given her last time to withdraw one hundred taels of silver from the Liyuan Money House. Afterward, she strolled through Zhuangyuan Street until evening, purchasing a large collection of stationery and various calligraphy samples from famous masters – learning still required self-effort.
She returned to the manor just in time for dinner. A table full of delicacies was laid out in Lengxiang Courtyard.
There were preserved plum fish strips, stir-fried lamb with scallions, Dongpo pork, Luo Han prawns, and black chicken and mushroom soup, along with several plates of vibrant green side dishes. The rice was also the pearl rice that only the old madam and the eldest branch could eat.
As she leaned closer, she could smell the medicinal aroma from the soup.
The First Madam was truly quick, Wang Qingyao thought. The Empress Dowager had only spoken this morning, and by evening, she had prepared the medicinal meal.
It was a pity that Wang Qingyao had eaten a late lunch and then indulged in street food while shopping, leaving her stomach so full that she couldn't even drink a drop of water. She asked Zhizi and Yin Zhu to share the meal.
She cleared a desk by her bedroom window, practiced calligraphy for half an hour, and then washed up and went to bed.
Having eaten too much, she tossed and turned for a long time, unable to sleep.
After rolling back and forth on the bed dozens of times, she propped herself up and softly called out to Yin Zhu, who was on night watch, "Yin Zhu, are you asleep? I can't sleep, let's chat."
There was no response.
Yin Zhu was sleeping like a log.
Wang Qingyao sighed helplessly. Why was she sleeping so soundly tonight?
Normally, whether it was Yin Zhu or Zhizi on night watch, they would be extremely alert, fearing any orders from their mistress.
So bored...
Wang Qingyao stared blankly at the canopy of her bed.
Just then, she heard a faint sound of footsteps in the courtyard. The owner of these footsteps was cautious. If Wang Qingyao had been asleep, she definitely wouldn't have heard them, but she had eaten too much...
She used her clairvoyant eyes to look through the wall.
The figure was that of a woman, but it was too dark to see her face clearly.
She saw her stooping, looking around furtively, and then sneaking to the base of the eastern wall. She took out a hoe and dug a hole at the base of the wall, burying something within.
After finishing, she hurriedly scurried into the back rooms behind the main house.
The back rooms were used for storing miscellaneous items. After Chunlan and Xiahe arrived, Wang Qingyao had Zhizi tidy them up for the four of them to live in.
She knew who this woman was.
During the day, Zhizi had mentioned that Chunlan had gone out that afternoon.
Heh, she smiled silently at the canopy of her bed. No wonder she brought her medicinal meal today, and no wonder Yin Zhu was sleeping so soundly...
The next morning, she called Yin Zhu and Zhizi in to help her change. She quietly recounted what had happened last night.
Upon hearing this, Zhizi's eyes widened in anger, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to confront Chunlan.
Yin Zhu stopped her, "Calm down. Don't mess up the young lady's plans."
Wang Qingyao gave detailed instructions...
At Chen Shi, she went to Lijing Courtyard alone for her lessons.
Wang Qinglin acted as if nothing had happened, so she also pretended that everything was normal.
She was still made to practice wild cursive script, and after the instructions were given, the person disappeared.
However, they didn't dare to withhold lunch today. It was delivered to the study on time, a meal of four dishes and one soup, exquisite and delicious.
After lunch, she went for a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion.
Lijing Courtyard had many maids, and from time to time, someone would secretly glance at her and whisper a few words.
She paid them no mind.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, as she was about to re-enter the study, a man suddenly rushed out from the side and angrily confronted her, "Wang Qingyao, even if our Tian family wronged you, you shouldn't have sent someone to beat my mother! Do you have any respect for elders, or any kindness as a woman?"