Chapter 89: The Ugly Daughter-in-law Must Meet Her Mother-in-law

  Xu Mingjin gave Yu Zhi a dowry of exactly one thousand taels. This did not include the additional gifts Xu Mingjin sent to Yu Zhi. Just this already made Qiu Yun and Yu Zhu speechless. The additional gifts Yu Zhu sent to Yu Zhi were a pair of jade bangles, a pair of gold hairpins, and Qiu Yun gave her a pair of jade hairpins. When Yu Zhi received these gifts, she was overjoyed with tears in her eyes. As for Xu Mingjin's gift of one thousand taels of silver, she refused to accept it, but Xu Mingjin quietly told her that it was just the money she earned from drawing a picture, and asked her not to tell Zhang Shuozi about it, so she could keep it as private spending money. Yu Zhi saw Xu Mingjin's firm attitude and heard her say that Yu Zhu and Qiu Yun would also have some in the future, so she blushed and accepted it.

  Xu Mingjin got drunk on the day of Yu Zhi's wedding and almost fell over. Qiu Yun quickly caught him, and together with Yu Zhu, they supported Xu Mingjin out of Yu Zhi's new home and into a carriage to return to the Xu residence.

  Xu Mingjin went back and fell asleep immediately. Yuzhu and Qiuyun took off Xu Mingjin's clothes, wiped her face, covered her with a quilt, and then they both rested without mentioning anything else.

  On the second day, Xu Mingjin woke up and was having breakfast when Yuzhu suddenly rushed in and said: "Miss, something big has happened!"

  After experiencing the so-called "major discovery" of Xuan Yuan Jinglin yesterday, Xu Mingjin is no longer enthusiastic about knowing big news. She ate her bun with her eyes down and muttered: "What's the big deal?" Yu Zhu was brewing her emotions, thinking about how to describe the news she had just heard in the simplest and most direct language to Xu Mingjin. Before she could speak, she saw Xu Mingjin swallow the last bite of her bun and say: "Is it that the little dog next door at Zhang's house has given birth to its third litter? Or did Old Man Wang on East Street trip again when he went out today? Or has our estate's gatekeeper changed to another handsome guy?"

  Bamboo "......"

  Qiu Yun patted her mouth and laughed, saying: "What's the matter with you, just say it! If it's the same as what Miss just said, be careful or Miss will punish you!"

  "Miss, I heard that Miss Qin Wu fell into the river while going out of the city for a stroll yesterday and was rescued by the son of Minister Lin of the Ministry of War. Now, everyone in the capital is talking about this!"

  This news is indeed shocking. As soon as Xu Mingjin heard the four words "Qin Wu Miss", he felt that the bruises and swelling on his body, which had not yet fully faded away, began to ache again. To be honest, Xu Mingjin was still very indignant in his heart. If it weren't for this Qin Wu Miss daring to play tricks on Xuan Yuan Jinglin's carriage, he wouldn't have been wandering around the Ghost Gate Pass and back, plus this body of bruises and swelling.

  "What's next?" Xu Mingjin asked.

  Yu Zhu was stunned, and then what? Was this the end of the matter? Did anything else happen? Yu Zhu thought for a moment and suddenly realized: "Miss, are you asking about everyone's thoughts? Everyone has acknowledged the positive actions of the Minister of War's son in saving her, but not one person agrees that Miss Qin Wu should be married to him. Currently, due to his relationship with the Empress Dowager, Minister Lin is too afraid to send someone to propose to Miss Qin Wu on behalf of his son. However... This Miss Qin Wu was rescued from the river by Minister Lin's son, and her reputation has been completely ruined. Since Minister Lin won't make a proposal, none of the noble families in the capital will dare to come forward with a marriage proposal for Miss Qin Wu. It is said that Miss Qin Wu had high standards, and many noble families who wanted to marry into her family were looked down upon by her! Now she has been shunned by those very same families she once looked down on."

  Xu Mingjin listened to Yu Zhu's words and suddenly felt that this matter must be related to Xuan Yuan Qi. Just like the Xu Mingxia incident, he had just discovered that Xu Mingxia and Yang Lian were conspiring against her that morning, and that night, Li Yushi brought his son to their doorstep, and Xu Mingxia was already pregnant before marriage. Qin Wu's daughter was also involved, but it took several days for the news to spread. Xu Mingjin believed that the delay was due to the fact that the Qin family was related to the Empress Dowager, otherwise, Qin Wu's daughter would have been punished immediately. Moreover, she had only fallen into the water and not been ***, Xuan Yuan Qi had already shown great leniency towards Qin Wu's daughter in consideration of the Empress Dowager's face.

  But Xuan Yuan Qi didn't need to do so much for her, did he? The more he did for himself, the more guilty he felt. Being unable to return the same feelings to someone who was inferior to him had always made Xu Ming Jin feel very guilty. But emotional matters couldn't be forced, and all Xu Ming Jin hoped was that Xuan Yuan Qi could be a little happier; if doing so would make him happy, then Xu Ming Jin didn't mind his actions.

  "So, has the Qin family expressed any opinion on this matter?" Xu Mingjin thought for a moment and found that she really wanted to know the attitude of the Qin family towards this matter.

  "There is no message so far." said Yuzhu. She didn't understand, shouldn't the young lady be overjoyed upon hearing this news? Why did she have a worried look on her face?

  Of course, Xu Mingjin had already guessed who was behind this incident and sighed with emotion.

  Xu Mingjin glanced at Yu Zhu and said, "Your family's young lady attaches great importance to this matter. You report this matter to me, you did it right. How this matter develops, keep a close eye on it for me."

  Jade bamboo nodded.

  Xu Mingjin suddenly said: "You go and investigate Lin's son, see if he has a close relationship with Prince Pingxi."

  Yu Zhuo was puzzled in her heart. What did the young lady want her to investigate about Xuan Yuan's oath? But she didn't dare ask, and respectfully answered yes.

  In the Pingxi Royal Palace, Xuan Yuan Xizhi heard the report from the small servant and finally had a hint of a smile on his icy face. He stood there, gazing into the distance, thinking to himself: Jin'er, I won't let anyone harm you! Whoever dares to hurt you will have to pay the price!

  The Crown Princess Yang Lian walked in and saw this scene. She stood at the door, gazing at Xuan Yuan Qi's back with admiring eyes. This man was the one that every woman in the Sheng Xi dynasty wanted to marry, but only she was his wife. In the world, only she could stand by his side, not even Xu Ming Jin, who was just kept in his heart. What more could she be dissatisfied with? Having all this was enough, Yang Lian thought.

  Xuan Yuan Qi's eyes met Yang Lian's, and he saw the admiration in her eyes. He didn't understand why she would look at him like that when he had been so cold to her, only keeping her as a nominal crown princess. Instead of hatred, she showed appreciation, and Xuan Yuan Qi wondered what was going on in her mind. Recently, he found himself increasingly unable to understand Yang Lian.

  Qin's mansion. Linshui Pavilion.

  Miss Qin V destroyed everything in the house and drove all the maids out, locking herself in her room, crying bitterly.

  How did things become like this? This was something Miss Qin Wu had never anticipated.

  That day, she heard that Miss Xu Liu and Xuan Yuan Jinglin didn't have any accidents. The mad horse was rescued by the prince of Ping Xi Wangfu while it was running wildly on the street. As soon as she heard this news, she couldn't help but feel angry, her heart was so angry that she couldn't speak. How could Miss Xu Liu be so lucky? Even a mad horse couldn't kill her!

  Because she was angry, she really couldn't stay at home, so she brought her personal maid to the outskirts to clear her mind. Seeing that lake with sparkling waves, she couldn't help but walk closer. Her personal maid wanted to advise her not to go over there, but was scared into silence by a fierce glare from her mistress. Now thinking back, if she had listened to her maid's words and not gone to the lake, would nothing have happened? But there are no ifs.

  She stood by the lake for a moment, suddenly feeling dizzy and faint, her body swayed, and she fell into the water. The maid beside her hastily stretched out her hand to grab her, but unfortunately only caught a piece of her clothing. She tried to crawl towards the shore in the lake, the maid stretched out her hand to reach her, but unfortunately, before she could grab the maid's hand, a big wave came and her body was pulled towards the center of the lake by a strong force. The water became deeper and deeper, she was greatly frightened, struggling desperately, wanting to grab onto something, but until her strength gradually ran out, she still hadn't grabbed onto anything. Before her eyes turned black, she felt that she was about to die, but she refused to give up. If she died, Second Brother would marry that woman unimpeded...

  When she came to, she was already in her own pavilion by the water. Then, from the mouth of her maid, she learned that on that day, when she was almost drowned, it was the son of Lin, the Minister of War, who happened to be passing by and jumped into the lake to pull her out. At that time, she was soaked to the skin and unconscious, but Lin's son pressed his hand against her chest and forced the water out of her lungs, which made her wake up. However, as soon as she moved her eyelids, without even opening them, she fell asleep again...

  It would be better for her to drown in the lake directly. At least that way, she wouldn't have to suffer so much now. Her clothes were all wet, and she was pressing on her chest... These few words were like a curse, making Miss Qin's heart feel cold. She knew that this life of hers was over. There was no choice but to marry the son of Lin Shangshu. Or maybe there were two other options: either become a nun or die.

  These two options, any 28-year-old girl in her youth with a budding beauty like a flower would not choose. Miss Qin Wu is no exception.

  Madam Qin has been suffering no less than Miss Qin for the past two days. Which mother can bear it well when her daughter encounters such a thing? Every day, she comes to see her daughter and sees that her face is haggard and heartbroken. She is no longer as radiant as before, and her heart feels like being cut by a knife. In her heart, she scolds the son of Lin Shangshu until he is covered in dog blood. Thinking about it, the son of Lin Shangshu should have grown calluses on his ears these two days, shouldn't he?

  Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin discussed it back and forth, and finally felt that marrying their daughter to the Lin family as soon as possible was the best choice. Mrs. Qin was truly heartbroken for her daughter, but Mr. Qin sighed in his heart: What a good chess piece! It's ruined like this. Originally, he wanted to marry her to the crown prince as a concubine. When the crown prince ascended to the throne, she could be made a consort. The Qins would have both an empress and a consort, absolutely the most noble aristocratic family in the Shengxi dynasty. What a pity!

  Madam Qin felt it was unworthy of her daughter. Her daughter, born with a beautiful face and appearance, not to mention that she was proficient in all four arts - zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, would have been more than qualified to be an empress. Now, however, she had to marry the son of a mere Minister. It was indeed a case of a high-born lady marrying beneath her station! But at this point, there was no better solution, so Madam Qin could only suppress her discontent and persuade her daughter.

  But Miss Qin Wu's reaction was extremely violent: "I won't marry! I won't marry! I won't marry! The only person I want to marry is the Second Prince! Besides him, I won't marry anyone else!"

  Madam Qin felt a pang in her heart. She comforted her with gentle words, "Mei'er, the Second Prince has already been betrothed by the Emperor! If you marry him, you'll only be a secondary wife! This is also too humiliating for you!"

  Miss Qin cried out in pain: "Concubine is just concubine, I am willing!"

  Madam Qin sighed: "Now, your reputation is ruined. Except for the son of Minister Lin, you can't marry anyone else. No family would be willing to take a woman with a tarnished reputation as their daughter-in-law."

  Miss Qin heard her mother say this, and let out a "wow" as she burst into tears, crying with a broken heart. Mrs. Qin saw the situation, panicked, and hurriedly comforted her with kind words, but Miss Qin's sorrow was stirred up and couldn't be dispelled. Mrs. Qin had been comforting her for half a day before her crying subsided a little, but she still sniffled from time to time. From then on, Mrs. Qin didn't dare mention this matter in front of her daughter again.

  Half a month had passed and the comments had finally died down. The hearts of both Madam Qin and Mr. Qin could finally rest easy.

  During this time, the empress had sent someone to invite Madame Qin into the palace, and carefully inquired about the course of events. In the end, the empress sighed: "This child, Yue'er, I quite like her, it's a pity... Now she still doesn't want to meet anyone? You all persuade her a bit more. As for Yue'er's marriage, how do you think it should be handled?"

  The Empress was told about how Consort Qin's face turned ugly as she tried to persuade her daughter, and how the latter cried until she almost fainted.

  The queen listened and her face also looked ugly. After a while, the queen said: "Forget it, let Yuèr rest for now, we'll talk about this later."

  Madam Qin heard the Empress say this and had no choice but to shut her mouth. After some idle chatter, the Empress bestowed many precious gifts, and Madam Qin thanked her and left the palace.

  Miss Qin was still unwilling, but several months later, the Qin family finally agreed to this marriage when Lin Shangshu came to propose, because they had no other choice.

  Miss Qin knew that her marriage had been settled, and she was to marry the son of Lin Shangshu. From then on, she did not utter a word, nor did she wail or make a scene. Seeing this, Madame Qin let out a slight sigh of relief while also feeling anxious, thinking that her daughter's reaction was too strange. As the saying goes, "the unusual is ominous." Madame Qin feared that her daughter might do something foolish and so had someone keep an eye on her every move day and night.

  Xu Mingjin sat in the study, the warm sunlight of the afternoon shining on her. In front of her stood Yu Zhu.

  "Miss, I've made inquiries and found out that the young master of the Lin family is a scoundrel who will stop at nothing. He's actually a bastard, but he's been registered under his stepmother's name, and Lady Lin has spoiled him rotten, which is why he's turned out this way. Your guess was correct, Miss - the young master does have a close relationship with Prince Pingxi of Wang's family. Apparently, on the day before the incident, Prince Pingxi secretly met with the young master at the Wishing Moon Pavilion."

  After hearing Yu Zhu's words, Xu Mingjin was certain that his guess was correct. That Qin Wu Missy was indeed the one who had fallen into Xuan Yuan Qi's trap. Xu Mingjin couldn't help but feel a growing sense of worry in his heart. He always helped her get rid of those people who were unfavorable to her without considering the consequences, had he ever thought that he would get himself into big trouble? Take this matter for example, the Qin family was definitely not someone to be trifled with. If they found out that he was involved in this matter, even if he was the Prince of Ping Xi, what could he do? Could he withstand the Qin family's counterattack and revenge when the time came?

  Xu Mingjin let out a soft sigh, thinking to herself whether she should advise him or not. But Xu Mingjin felt that it was better if she saw less of him. After some thought, Xu Mingjin decided that the only time she would bring it up again was when Xuan Yuan came to her as his wife.

  Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. Xu Mingjin was just thinking of Yang Lian, and Yang Lian came to visit.

  Xu Mingjin was delighted. Wasn't this a surprise from the pillow? She personally came to the entrance of Feicui Garden to welcome Yang Lian.

  Unexpectedly, Xu Mingjin came to welcome her, Yang Zhen was very surprised. When she saw Xu Mingjin's excited expression, she was puzzled - why was Xu Mingjin so happy to see her?

  After the two exchanged greetings, they returned to the hall and took their seats. Just as Yang Lian had finished drinking a sip of tea, Xu Mingjin couldn't wait any longer and asked: "I don't know what important matter the young master's wife has come for today?" After speaking, she looked at Yang Lian with eager eyes. Yang Lian felt uneasy under her gaze, thinking to herself: Can I say that I came because my husband wanted to see you?

  "Oh, I see. My young master said that Miss Xu Liu was frightened that day and he's been worried about her ever since. So, he sent me to visit her and see if she's recovered?" Yang Lian said.

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said, "It's just some bruises, it's almost healed. It's hard for him to still be worried about it." After thinking for a moment, Xu Mingjin asked tentatively, "I wonder if the young master's wife has heard about Miss Qin Wu falling into the water?"

  Yang Lian's eyes flashed, and she nodded, saying: "Such a big thing, of course I've heard about it."

  Xu Mingjin looked at Yang Lian's expression and guessed that Yang Lian had probably already figured out that her husband was the one who did it. Xu Mingjin smiled slightly and changed the subject, saying: "I heard that recently, the young master and Lin Gongzi have been getting along quite closely?"

  As soon as this was said, Yang Lian immediately guessed that Xu Mingjin already knew the truth about this matter. However, she wasn't afraid that Xu Mingjin would reveal it, because her husband's intention was to help Miss Xu Liu, and she wouldn't expose it either. Even if she did, it wouldn't benefit her at all, but rather benefit Qin Wu Miss, who is now Xu Mingjin's arch-nemesis!

  What did Xu Mingjin mean by that? Yang Lian was really unable to guess, so she said: "Miss Xu Liu is right, it's quite close."

  This sentence indirectly told Xu Mingjin that her guess was correct. Xu Mingjin said: "I heard that Lin Gongzi is just a idle and dissolute young master, people often say, 'near vermilion one becomes red, near ink one becomes black.' The Crown Prince's wife still needs to advise the Crown Prince to avoid these kinds of people, if they get into some kind of trouble, it will ultimately be bad for him."

  Yang Lian never expected that Xu Mingjin would tactfully remind her to advise her husband not to do those things again, and not to invite trouble. She was actually worried about her husband! Yang Lian looked at Xu Mingjin with a complex expression, but saw the other party's face as calm and unruffled, without any ulterior motives, just like worrying about a friend.

  Alright, friend. Yang Lian thought so. She stood from Xu Mingjin's perspective and understood that her husband had paid so much for her, whoever it was would be grateful, this gratitude has nothing to do with love. Since her husband had paid so much for her, Xu Mingjin being grateful to him is normal. If Xu Mingjin wasn't worried at all, then he wouldn't be Xu Mingjin anymore, and it wouldn't be worth her husband thinking of her all the time.

  Xu Mingjin wants to persuade him not to do such things again. Yang Lian sighs bitterly, can she really persuade him? She overestimates herself too much. In this world, the only one who can persuade him is Xu Mingjin. Yang Lian goes to see Xu Mingjin and finds her looking at herself with an expectant expression. Instantly, Yang Lian understands what Xu Mingjin means - she doesn't want to meet with her husband again. So, she uses her own mouth to persuade Xuan Yuan Qiyue, hoping that she can pass on her words. Xu Mingjin is using a clever trick to avoid meeting with her husband and creating an opportunity for herself to get close to Xuan Yuan Qiyue!

  Yang Lian smiled and said: "Please rest assured, Miss Xu Liu, I will definitely bring your advice to the letter."

  Xu Mingjin smiled slightly, and beside him, Yu Zhu suddenly said: "Young Master's wife, I have a sentence, I don't know if it should be spoken or not."

  Xu Mingjin was shocked beyond measure. What was Yuzhu going to say? Did she know something? However, she looked at Yuzhu and remained silent.

  Yang Lian smiled and said, "Go ahead! I won't blame you."

  Yu Zhu stepped forward and carefully observed Yang Lian's expression again, saying: "Is the Crown Prince's consort still intact?"

  As soon as this was said, Yang Lian suddenly blushed and Xu Mingjin's mouth opened in surprise. Yu Zhu saw the situation and explained repeatedly: "Princess, I didn't mean it that way, what I meant to say is, Princess, since you are still intact, why do you need to take medicine that can cause women to become infertile? That would make you barren for life!"

  Yang Lian was struck as if by lightning. Her face immediately turned pale, she grabbed Yu Zhu's hand and asked tremulously: "Wh...what did you say?"

  Xu Mingjin was extremely surprised, but she still trusted Yu Zhu's medical skills very much. Since Yu Zhu said so, this matter must be true. She explained to Yang Lian: "The young master's wife doesn't know that my maid has learned medicine from a young age and is quite skilled." However, when Yang Lian heard Xu Mingjin's words, her face turned even paler. If it was really like that, then didn't it mean that what the maid said might be true?

  Yu Zhu said, "Princess, the last time I saw you, your complexion was very good. At that time, I didn't notice any signs of you having taken this kind of medicine. It's only this time that I noticed it."

  Xu Mingjin looked at Yang Lian's face, thought for a moment, and understood. Yang Lian must have been careless for a while, allowing someone to take advantage of her. She walked over to ask Yuzhu: "You mean to say that the person who poisoned her has only recently started doing so. In that case, is there still any hope of saving the Crown Prince's consort?"

  After hearing Xu Mingjin's words, Yang Lian also stared tightly at Yu Zhu, her expression tense and expectant.

  Yu Zhu nodded and said, "Miss is indeed clever. I'll tell you, that kind of medicine should be put in food and drink, fearing people's detection, each time the dosage is very light, for someone like the Crown Prince's consort, there is still hope for rescue, but to confirm, let me take her pulse."

  As Yu Zhu said this, Yang Lian hastily stretched out her hand and said, "Princess, please come this way." Yu Zhu asked Yang Lian to sit down beside the tea table, and she also sat down, stretching out two fingers to feel Yang Lian's pulse. Xu Mingjin stood aside, staring intently at Yu Zhu's movements. Yang Lian was also anxious, her eyes fixed on Yu Zhu's face without blinking. After a moment, Yu Zhu withdrew her hand and smiled: "Princess, don't worry, this medicine won't harm you. Fortunately, it was discovered early, but when you return, you should still take more tonic medicine to be safe. Also, you should be more careful with your diet."

  After hearing Yu Zhu's words, Yang Lian let out a big sigh of relief and finally put her mind at ease. Yu Zhu continued: "If the princess consort does not believe what I said, she can ask the imperial physician to take another look. After all, my humble skills are not worth mentioning."

  Yang Lian gratefully said to Yu Zhu: "I believe you! These two days, my stomach has not been feeling well. The day before yesterday, I even asked the imperial physician to take my pulse, but he just said that I had some food stagnation and didn't have any other symptoms. I took the medicine he prescribed, but it was completely ineffective. These two days, I've still been feeling unwell, and I never thought that someone had poisoned me!" She thanked her profusely: "Miss Xu Liu, I don't know how to thank you enough!"

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said: "This is Yu Zhu's credit, if you want to thank, just thank her! I don't know any medical skills, can't save you!"

  Yang Lian shook her head and said, "If it weren't for my intuition today, I wouldn't have come to see you, and that little girl wouldn't have discovered that someone had drugged me. I should thank you, both of you!"

  Xu Mingjin said seriously: "Crown Prince's wife, then you should be good to the Crown Prince! I'm not afraid of your ridicule. The Crown Prince's feelings for me are clear in my heart, but I have no way to repay him. You are his wife, and I sincerely hope that you can live a life of love and harmony until old age. This time, Yu Zhu was able to save you, which makes me very happy, because you are his wife, and being able to help you is like helping him."

  Yang Lian didn't expect Xuming Jin to say such a thing, and she couldn't help but tear up. After a long while, with red eyes, she said: "Don't worry! I will definitely love him dearly and grow old together!"

  Xu Mingjin smiled happily.

  Up until now, Yang Lian finally believed that Xu Mingjin really and truly hoped for her and Xuan Yuan Qi's happiness.

  Farewell to Xu Mingjin, Yang Lian returned to the Pingxi Wangfu and immediately sent someone to invite a doctor to come and take her pulse in front of Princess Pingxi. This doctor was specially invited by Yang Lian and was not the one she had previously invited. As expected, after taking her pulse, this doctor gave the same result as what Yuzhu had told her. Upon hearing this, Princess Pingxi's face immediately changed color, never expecting that such a thing would happen under her nose!

  The Princess Pingxi immediately sent someone to investigate thoroughly. The efficiency of the royal household's servants was indeed fast, and soon the suspect was brought forward - a newly acquired concubine named Xuan Yuan Qi Yi from the palace.

  Yang Lian took one look at the concubine who was brought before him, and indeed her face had a three-part resemblance to Xu Mingjin. He couldn't help but feel anger rising from his heart: "You may resemble Miss Xu in appearance, but your thoughts are as different from hers as heaven and earth!" Xuan Yuan Qi returned and heard about the matter. With an expressionless face, he glanced at Yang Lian once, without even scanning the concubine with the corner of his eye, and directly ordered: "Behead her!"

  The concubine cried until her face turned pale, originally thinking that the prince had been extremely affectionate towards her recently, almost never spending the night with the princess. She thought she had already won over the prince's whole heart. Who would have thought that the prince wouldn't even glance at her and directly said those two terrifying words? The concubine fainted on the spot. Princess Pingxi heard her son's orders, coldly kept silent, thinking to herself: I've always disliked this fox-like woman, it's good she's dead! She couldn't help but think, has that Xu family girl also become someone who can be killed or beaten in my son's heart? That would be great.

  Have to say, sometimes Princess Pyeonghwa is so stupid that it's speechless.

  Yang Lian watched from the side, sneering continuously. This little concubine relied on Xuan Yuan's favor and dared to provoke her! Doesn't she know that she is just a substitute? What qualifications does she have to compete with me?!

  "Follow me." Xuan Yuan Qi said to Yang Lian. After finishing speaking, he turned around and walked away. Yang Lian saw this and quickly followed him a few steps behind.

  The Queen of Pyeonghwa watched as the two figures disappeared into the distance, her heart feeling a pang of sadness.

  Time has passed slowly, and suddenly it's already the coldest time of the year again.

  Xu Mingjin has been thinking about Xuan Yuanze lately, and after counting the days, he should be back in half a month. Before they were engaged, Xu Mingjin often thought of him, but after getting engaged, she didn't think of him much. This time, it's the first time Xu Mingjin has thought of him since he left two months ago.

  Xu Mingjin thought that he must have been too idle lately, so he would miss Xuan Yuanze. It seems that he needs to find something to do for himself.

  Xu Mingjin was lost in thought, wondering what she should do. She even thought of knitting a sweater for the little dog and was about to start when she saw Yuzhu rush in with her slender figure, excitedly saying: "Miss, Princess Jinglin has arrived!" As she spoke, she had already walked up to Xu Mingjin.

  "How come I always feel like you're more affectionate when you see her than when you see me?" Xu Mingjin said with a sour tone.

  Jade Bamboo: “......”

  Looking at Yu Zhu's expression, Xu Mingjin rarely showed a kind heart and asked: "Did she say what it was about?"

  "Miss, the princess has come to take you to the palace to meet Her Majesty the Empress!" exclaimed Jade Bamboo, her big eyes shining brightly.

  Xu Mingjin was immediately flustered and stuttered: "What? The empress wants to see me? Why?"

  Yu Zhu shook her head and said: "This, I don't know. When you meet, the princess will tell you."

  Xu Mingjin thought so too. She hastily instructed Yuzhu and Qiuyun to re-dress her, and soon the casual attire she originally wore was gone, replaced by a dignified, elegant, and refined image of a young lady from a good family. Xu Mingjin stood in front of the dressing table, looking herself up and down, revealing a satisfied expression, then set off with Yuzhu and Qiuyun.

  Xuan Yuan Jing Lin saw Xu Ming Jin's outfit and also showed a surprised expression in her eyes. She nodded, saying: "Not bad, very much in line with my mother's aesthetic standards."

  Xu Mingjin let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the words. This was easier to handle, after all, she had to make a good first impression on her future mother-in-law. At first, when she heard that the Empress Dowager wanted to see her, Xu Mingjin's heart was filled with uncontrollable panic. But then she thought: what is there to be afraid of? The Empress Dowager is just like any ordinary person, with one nose and two ears. As the second imperial princess appointed by the Emperor himself, she shouldn't be too difficult to deal with. If she wanted to make things difficult, it would have to wait until after Xu Mingjin married Xuan Yu Ze. Sigh, speaking of Xuan Yu Ze, he should be returning soon, right?

  Sitting in the carriage on her way to the imperial palace, Xu Mingjin couldn't help but think of Xuan Yuanze. Xuan Yuanjing, who was sitting beside her, saw Xu Mingjin's unhappy expression and comforted her, "Every daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law eventually, it's a process every woman has to go through, don't worry, my mother won't make things difficult for you."

  She didn't persuade him, but as soon as she did, Xu Mingjin started to get nervous again. He nervously grabbed Xuan Yuan Jinglin's sleeve and asked, "Where is the empress dowager going to meet me? Who else will be in that palace?"

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin smiled and said: "Don't worry, I'm here! The Empress Dowager is receiving you in her own Weiyang Palace, there are no other consorts present."

  Xu Mingjin finally felt at ease, then she thought of another thing: "You say, will the Empress Dowager know that I entered the palace and summon me to take a look?"

  Xuan Yuan Jin Lin said strangely, "Ming Jin, how did you think of the Empress Dowager? She is an old lady who eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures on Mount Wutai, and she is not currently in the palace." After thinking for a moment, she said, "Ming Jin, my mother is not as scary as you imagine her to be."

  Xu Ming Jinbai gave her a glance and said: "The first time entering the palace, everyone will be nervous, won't they? This is a normal reaction."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin said: "Alright, what does it mean that you keep pulling on my sleeve and won't let go? If you pull any harder, my sleeve is going to be torn apart by you."

  Xu Mingjin looked down and saw that Xuan Yuan Jinglin's sleeve had indeed been pulled out of shape by him. She said with a blush: "This clothes' quality is really not good."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin only felt that a group of crows flew over her head, making a loud noise... Is this the quality of clothes made in the imperial palace?

  Soon, the imperial palace arrived. Since Xu Mingjin was riding in Xuan Yuan Jinglin's carriage into the palace, she did not get off at the palace gate and only got off when they were about to arrive at Empress Dowager's Weiyang Palace, then took a sedan chair.

  The closer Xu Mingjin got to Weiyang Palace, the more nervous he became. However, when he finally entered Weiyang Palace, Xu Mingjin was not afraid at all.

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin noticed Xu Mingjin's change in expression and couldn't help but wonder: just now he was scared to death, but this time he is calm and composed, what a weirdo!

  The empress had just finished her lunch and was leaning against the kang in the side hall with her eyes closed, resting. When a palace maid came to announce that Miss Xu Liu and Princess Jinglin were waiting outside, the empress suddenly opened her eyes and repeatedly ordered them to be brought in quickly. As she straightened up, her eyes also turned towards the door of the side hall. She thought to herself, finally getting to see the woman that Zhe'er was so determined to marry, and wondered if she could compare to Yue'er.

  She soon saw her daughter Jinglin and a beautiful woman with an embroidered jacket, a golden embroidered skirt, and a hairpin walking into the hall. The woman's eyes were bright and moving, and she was indeed a stunning beauty, even more so than Yue'er, the empress thought to herself. She also noticed that Xu Mingjin did not have the same nervous expression as other noblewomen who had been suddenly summoned to the palace, and her heart felt a few points of fondness for her.

  Xu Mingjin walked in with a light step from outside, although her heart was already nervous and uneasy, but her face didn't show it at all. She quickly raised her eyes to glance at the legendary Empress Dowager sitting above, feeling deeply moved in her heart. She hadn't expected that she would be able to see the Empress Dowager in her lifetime, and unexpectedly became her daughter-in-law by a twist of fate. This was indeed a play of fate!

  Thinking so in his heart, Xu Mingjin hastened to kneel down and pay respects to the empress with three bows and nine knocks, saying: "Mingjin has seen Empress Dowager, may Empress Dowager be forever safe and prosperous."

  "Lift your head and let me take a look." The queen said softly.

  Xu Mingjin raised her head in a big and generous manner, took a quick glance at the empress, and then lowered her eyes. In her heart, she thought: The women in the imperial palace are indeed all fox spirits, they don't age. This empress looks like she's only in her thirties, this is what her future mother-in-law will be like, having to call such a young woman "mother" was really hard for Xu Mingjin to accept.

  The empress gazed at the woman kneeling below, admiring her in her heart. Not bad, a proud and unyielding woman, this appearance can match Ze Er. But thinking of Qin Wu's daughter, the empress felt a surge of sadness in her heart. She was also a good child, unfortunately, she had too little luck. No fate to be her daughter-in-law, could only marry that dandy, truly a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.

  The queen sighed and said softly: "Let him go."

  Xu Mingjin said, "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." and stood up. At this time, Xuan Yuan Jinglin also bowed to the empress dowager: "Jinglin pays her respects to Mother Dowager." After finishing her courtesy, she didn't wait for the empress dowager's words, got up and walked to the front of the bed, sat down beside the Empress Dowager, warmly holding the Empress Dowager's arm, saying: "Mother Dowager, please let Mingjin sit down! Look at how tired she is from standing." While speaking, she winked her eyes.

  The empress gazed at Xuan Yuan Jing Lin with a pampered look and said to the palace maid beside her, "Have him sit down."

  An attendant hastily brought over a footstool, and Xuming Jin said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat." Then he carefully sat down.

  The empress smiled at Xuan Yuan Jing Lin and said, "What's wrong, are you afraid that I will punish your good friend? Even if you don't say anything, I will still grant Xu Liu a seat."

  Xuan Yuan Jinglin smiled and said, "I'm afraid the empress dowager will forget, that's all!" As she spoke, she threw a reassuring glance at Xu Mingjin. Xu Mingjin understood her intention.

  The queen smiled and said: "Do you think I have a memory as poor as yours?"

  Xuan Yuan Jing Lin stuck out her tongue. She pulled the empress and chattered a lot of nonsense, trying to drag out time! The more the empress talked to her, the less time she would have to ask Xu Ming Jin questions.

  Xu Mingjin sat there, his eyes fixed on the ground, his nose twitching with anxiety. He appeared to be careless, but in reality, he was extremely tense. Every word that Xuan Yuan Jinglin and the Empress said, Xu Mingjin listened intently, afraid that the Empress would suddenly mention his name and he wouldn't know how to respond. However, how could Xuan Yuan Jinglin's little tricks escape the sharp eyes of the Empress?

  As expected, Her Majesty suddenly asked Xu Mingjin: "How did Miss Xu Six meet the Second Prince?"

  Xu Mingjin hastily replied with respect: "In response to Your Highness's words, I met the Second Prince two years ago."

  "Oh? You've known each other for two years already? Where was that?" The queen asked in surprise. That they had known each other for two years already, this was something she had never heard her son mention before.

  Here is the translation:

  Xu Mingjin took one look at the Empress's expression and knew that Xuan Yuanze hadn't told her about this matter. So did she want to say it or not? Even if she had saved Xuan Yuanze's life, as a lone woman living with a man, speaking out would be difficult to avoid the Empress thinking she was an unchaste woman who dared to take in strange men. Xu Mingjin thought carefully and said: "Your Majesty, two years ago when I was at my hometown of Liu City, I went to the nearby White Cloud Temple to burn incense. In the middle of the night, Princess Ping Xi suddenly came knocking on doors looking for someone. After searching in vain, they left, and I saw a man standing in my bedroom, unconscious. At that time, he was holding a knife pointing at me. Just as Miss was about to scream, he fainted. It wasn't until later that I knew he was the Second Prince. At that time, he was seriously injured, and originally, I shouldn't have let an outsider stay in my boudoir, which would also affect my reputation. However, for the sake of a reputation, seeing someone die without saving them was something Mingjin couldn't do, not to mention saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Mingjin hid the Second Prince in her own boudoir and, together with her maid, cleaned his wounds, applied medicine, and later...

  Xu Mingjin recounted the scene where she saved Xuan Yuanze in Baiyun An. The empress listened and remembered that two years ago, Xuan Yuanze had indeed gone to a place called Liu Cheng. It turned out that this Miss Xu had also saved her son's life. After hearing about this matter, the empress looked at Xu Mingjin even more favorably. However, she still said: "I heard that the eldest son of the Pingxi King's mansion once ran to the Shangshu Mansion to ask Xu Shangshu to take you as his concubine?"

  Xu Mingjin knew at once that Princess Pingxi must have spoken ill of her in front of the Empress, and since the Empress already knew about it, there was no need to hide it. Thinking this, she respectfully replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, yes, such a thing did happen. However, my father has not agreed to him."

  The queen nodded and said: "This matter is known to the palace, but where did you see Prince Ping Xi?"

  The queen said, "Why did he also want to marry you?" Could it be that you also know him? This statement is dangerous, Xu Mingjin hastily replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, I only met him once when I accompanied my mother to the Pingxi King's mansion as a guest, and there was no further contact."

  The empress knew that Xu Mingjin was telling the truth. In fact, since the imperial edict of marriage was issued, the empress had secretly sent someone to investigate Xu Mingjin. This woman, seemingly rootless and helpless in the Shangshu Mansion, was actually extremely intelligent, and many people wanted to harm her, but she always maintained a calm and composed demeanor. She even sent her young brother to study at the academy, avoiding the intrigue and plotting within the Shangshu Mansion. Not many people had the means to do so.