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  On the sixteenth day, Minghe was getting married, and Madam Zhu was afraid that Han Xiu would take advantage of the occasion to come and cause trouble again. So she thought of a heavy excuse and sent Mingxuan to Baiyun An on the halfway up Qingliang Mountain to chant scriptures and pray for blessings on her behalf.

  Baiyun An and Qingliang Temple are not far apart, but a steep cliff in between separates the hustle and bustle of Qingliang Temple, although they are on the same mountain, it is two different worlds. The owner of the hut, Yu Zhen, was from the collateral branch of the Zhou Dynasty imperial family, and when it came to her generation, the current emperor still had to call her "ancestral grandmother". She received offerings from the imperial family, so she didn't receive incense and firewood, only a small hut, several houses, seven or eight young nuns, very quiet.

  The An Tang does not receive external guests, and Madame Zhu was also able to enter the eyes of Yu Zhen Shifu due to her relationship with the old princess of Dongping. Every few years, she would have the opportunity to pay her respects once or twice. If it weren't for Han Xiu's urgency this time, she wouldn't have disturbed Yu Zhen Shifu's tranquility so easily.

  Ming Xuan thought that Liu Jie's big wedding was imminent, and she would definitely miss it this time. She packed two hairpins with embedded gems in a purple sandalwood box, along with an embroidered scroll, and personally ran to the Jade Lotus Pavilion.

  Mei He's personal maid, Wei Ziying, welcomed her in, "Seventh Miss has arrived."

  Ming Xuan knew that Yu He Xuan was busy with her wedding for the past two days, and she didn't want to disturb her. So, she went straight to the point and said, "I originally wanted to give you a dowry on your wedding day, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance now. These two hairpins were painted by me last year and made by someone else. Although they're not very valuable, they're a token of my sincerity. I hope you won't despise them."

  She opened the brocade box and pointed at the golden hairpins in it, saying, "One is a golden lotus, one is a jade rabbit."

  A red gold-made lotus flower is in full bloom, with delicate patterns on the petals that are clearly visible. The tip of the lotus is inlaid with five-colored precious stones, making it look luxurious and elegant. A golden silk ribbon hangs down from the stamens, swaying gently. Imagine how charming it would be when the lotus steps move lightly.

  Another one is a messenger of Guang Han carved out of sheep fat white jade. Although the quality of the jade is not top-notch, what's rare is the exquisite workmanship that leaves no room for improvement. The rabbit-shaped design is novel and unique, with a warm and lustrous glow that doesn't lose its cuteness.

  Minghe was overjoyed, stroking Jinhua with one hand and holding Yutu in the other, reluctant to let go. Even her usual calm and composed face broke into a bright smile, "So beautiful, are these all painted by Xiang sister?"

  Ming Xuan smiled and nodded, "I drew them when I was bored. There are some more scribbles at my place. If Sixth Sister likes them, I can have Ya Tou send some over?"

  The past two years have been difficult for her. She was confined to the house, with a lot of free time on her hands. If she didn't find something to do herself, she feared she would suffocate from boredom. After reading through all the miscellaneous books in the study several times, she worked hard at practicing embroidery and occasionally copied scriptures. This was partly to deepen her bond with her grandmother, but also to pass the time. When she had even more free time, she would spread out paper and ink, randomly painting whatever came to mind.

  At first, to reminisce about the past, she had also painted tall buildings and grand houses. Once, Dan Hong stumbled upon her and asked her about it, and she barely managed to brush it off. After that, she only dared to paint patterns of clothes and accessories. She had a thick stack of such papers hidden away in her study, which weren't particularly precious to her. If the future Duchess liked them, she could take them all without any issues.

  She is now in a precarious situation, urgently awaiting reinforcements. If she can get along with Sixth Sister, it would be an additional help when Han Shu becomes too pressing.

  Minghe saw that the two hairpins were exquisite and unique, with clever ideas that she had never seen before. She was already delighted in her heart, and when she heard that there were still patterns at the Shuoyu Pavilion, Mingxuan took the initiative to show them to her. Smiling, she nodded, "That's naturally good."

  She had been betrothed to the Crown Prince of Qingping since she was young, and from a young age, every move and every word were cultivated with the requirements of a future princess. Therefore, although she was young, she had developed a dignified and serious temperament, and with a bit of natural pride, she seemed unapproachable. Her sisters at home all respected her and kept their distance from her, except for her younger sister Ming Xuan, and she had never been so close to anyone else before.

  Ming Xuan's mouth curved up in a benevolent smile, "Then I'll instruct Dan Hong to send them over later. Sixth Sister can pick out the ones that are still pleasing to the eye and take them as she likes. I won't say anything else, but according to my design, the hairpins, rings, and needles will be made, and when worn out, they will surely be unmatched throughout the entire Zhou Dynasty."

  She handed over the embroidered scroll with both hands, "Those two hairpins are for dressing up, this is a gift, sister, open it and see if you like it?"

  Ming He then ordered Wei Zi to hold the scroll, and she personally unfolded the embroidered silk slowly. The surprise on her face grew deeper, and she opened her small mouth to ask softly, "Is... is this embroidered by me?"

  The lotus leaves were layered and stacked, the lotus flowers were quiet, but the lotus pods were in full bloom. A young girl with a pink skirt and shirt sat on the stone platform of the pavilion in the middle of the lake, leaning against the red pillar, her skin as white as snow, her smile like a flower, lost in a sweet dream. This was last year's Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, when Second Master had just been promoted to a higher rank, and Madame Zhu was in high spirits, urging the sisters to drink more cups of wine. Minghe couldn't hold his liquor, so he sneaked out to walk off the effects by the lotus pond, but who would have thought that he fell asleep like this?

  Ming Xuan came out to blow the wind, just saw this kind of pleasant scenery, and her heart was itchy. She went back to the Jade Pavilion and picked up her brush to paint. The other day, the second lady wanted her to embroider a screen, she took the opportunity to get rid of those hot gifts from Han Xiu, but still felt a bit perfunctory. So she took out the painting with Dan Hong and embroidered it again according to the scene at that time.

  This will see Minghe's expression, knowing she must be happy.

  Ming Xuan nodded and said, "Sister is going to Rongzhou soon, although it's not far from the capital, but after all, it's not a place that can be easily visited. Moreover, I don't know where my future home will be, we sisters have been together for so long, who knows if we'll be separated in the future, this embroidery is a keepsake for sister."

  She suddenly smiled and said, "The wine is fragrant and intoxicating. On that day, my sister's face was flushed with red clouds, her face looked like it had been dyed with the colors of the sky, really beautiful!"

  Ming He's eyes sparkled slightly as he held Ming Xuan's hand, and after a long silence, he said in a low voice, "Are you leaving at noon? I'll see you off."

  There was a hint of pity in his tone.

  Yesterday, her grandmother specially invited her mother and asked her to go to the An Tai Temple for questioning. Later, she said that she had been having nightmares and wanted to send Xiang sister to the White Cloud Temple to practice for a few days, so that she could replace her in chanting sutras day and night to pray for peace. She originally felt something was strange, as her grandmother had many granddaughters under her knees, although not the most loved one, but usually treated her well. With her big wedding approaching, how would her grandmother want to send Xiang sister away? The two sisters in the mansion were not around, and it didn't look good on the surface.

  The mother, who had always been strict and demanding, was unexpectedly silent this time, seemingly pleased with the arrangement. However, in her heart, she felt even more puzzled. It wasn't until last night that she heard that Xiang's marriage to the Yan family had fallen through, and it was the Yan family who had initiated the breakup. She suddenly realized that Xiang's marriage had not gone smoothly, and her mood couldn't be good. Her grandmother might have been afraid of Xiang getting emotional, but her mother was worried about complications arising from the wedding.

  This time, Minghe saw that although her eyebrows were hidden with a hint of melancholy, the smile on her face was genuine. The hairpin and embroidered silk she gave as gifts were all made with great thoughtfulness. If it wasn't for her sincerity, she wouldn't have been able to do these things. For a moment, she felt some regret, just like what Xiang sister said earlier - no matter what, they are sisters, and after marrying out, they will scatter in different directions, who knows if they will still be on the same side of the sky or not. This time, while they are still together, they should cherish their relationship.

  It's just that thinking about these things now seems a bit too late.

  Ming Xuan's face showed a hint of a smile, her mouth slightly curved, "Let's go after noon."

  Ming He nodded, "Then I'll come over after lunch."

  In such a hurry to leave, there must be many things that have not been instructed in the Yu Ge, so she did not stay with Ming Xuan and personally sent her out.

  Ming Xuan returned to the Yu Ge, and Yan Niang had been waiting for a long time. She made a curtsy and said, "The old princess just sent someone with a message saying that this time, Seventh Miss might have to make some sacrifices."

  She turned to Dan Hong, who was packing her luggage, and said, "Yu Zhen Shitai is particular about cleanliness, and the White Cloud Nunnery originally did not allow outsiders to stay. This time, she is willing to accept Seventh Miss, which is already an exception. Dan Hong, you can't follow along. As a member of the imperial family, Shitai does everything personally, so even if Miss brings someone along, how can we be expected to serve them?"

  Tan Hong said discontentedly, "The nunnery is simple and plain, I heard that you even have to chop wood and cook meals yourself. Miss, you are a noble lady, how can you do those things?"

  Ming Xuan said, "Yu Zhen Shitai is willing to protect me, it's already a great kindness, as the saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Since Baiyun An is so strict, I'll just follow along. But chopping firewood and cooking, those little nuns can all do it, can't I?"

  She leaned in close to Dan Hong's ear and said with a playful tone, "Stay here and guard the Xiyu Pavilion for me. We still have so much silver, you must keep it safe for me. Otherwise, if someone else gets their hands on it, when I come out of the White Cloud Temple, our silver will be gone, what can we do then?"

  Dan Hong thought of the silver that was hard to come by, and hesitated again. After thinking for a while, he nodded and said, "Then I'll follow Nanny to send Miss there before leaving, is that okay?"

  She paused for a moment, "After all, I should recognize the door, this time I don't know how long you'll be gone, if something happens in the mansion, at least I'll know where to find you."

  Ming Xuan then looked at Yan Nian Nian.

  Yan's aunt smiled and nodded, "Originally didn't stop going to send Miss Qi away, the nunnery doesn't allow male guests, Miss's luggage still needs to be taken in."

  At noon, Ming Xuan paid her respects to Old Lady Zhu and bid farewell to Madame Hou. As expected, she saw Ming He waiting at the Shuiyu Pavilion. The two of them chatted for a while, both feeling that they had become even closer than before. Unfortunately, it was soon time to leave, and she reluctantly got into the carriage.

  Inside the An Tai courtyard, Old Lady Zhu held her Buddhist rosary and gazed at the empty yard, sighing softly, "Xuan Jie, whether or not we can gain Master's favor depends on our fate. What else can be done? Even...the road ahead won't be easy either. But Grandmother, there really is no other way..."

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