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  The blood on her palm had seeped into the apricot-colored headscarf, dyeing it a shocking black, surrounded by a messy water stain. Ming Xuan stared blankly at the crescent-shaped tear on the edge, which she had accidentally torn last night. This headscarf was undoubtedly the one she had lost last night.

  She thought to herself, if it was the unknown man who picked it up last night, how could this handkerchief possibly appear here? It must have been lost near the side door, and coincidentally, a samanera happened to pass by, saw it and picked it up, and for some reason put it on the case in the medicine room.

  It's all right as long as the handle doesn't fall off.

  Ming Xuan felt a slight relief in her heart, so she rolled up the cloth bundle and hid it in her sleeve. If no one noticed, that would be best; if someone asked, she could use the excuse of bandaging her injured palm to take it away without arousing suspicion.

  Before long, Jingxin hurried over and said, "There is a guest at Yu Zhen's place, I've invited Yuanhui Shifu to come over."

  Yuan Hui followed closely behind, saw the bloodstains on Ming Xuan's hand and her face changed color, hastily took out some bottles and jars from the medicine cabinet, carefully treated her wound with a cautious expression, "It's all bloody and bruised, we must wash the wound clean, otherwise leaving scars is secondary, if the wound doesn't heal well that would be disastrous."

  Those who believe in Buddhism also believe in fate. Yuanhui noticed that Xiang's left hand injury had disrupted her original palm lines, and she was afraid that if the wound did not heal thoroughly, it would change her palm lines. She became even more cautious in her movements.

  She applied the ointment to Mingxuan again and re-bandaged it with clean gauze. As she put the medicine bottle used just now into a cloth bag, she reminded her, "Xuan sister, take these medicines back, change the dressing every day, and re-wrap them with clean gauze. The master is skilled in pharmacology, and the medicine made is very effective. Within five days, this wound will definitely heal and scab over. If you take good care of it, there shouldn't be any scars left."

  Ming Xuan looked slightly stunned and said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm not convenient to apply the medicine myself, I'm afraid it's better for me to come to the medicine room every day to trouble Master to apply the medicine."

  Yuan Hui was somewhat surprised, and she pointed to the outside of the door, saying, "Just now I saw a carriage from your esteemed manor at the entrance of the temple. A matron surnamed Yan asked me to help her deliver a letter to Shifu, saying that the eldest lady of your manor passed away last night, and the old madam wants to take Xiang'er back for a few days. Shifu has already agreed."

  She paused for a moment, "I thought I knew."

  Ming Xuan's eyes widened suddenly, she was still thinking about the death of Jian'an Bo's wife last night, many things were unresolved, and she didn't know what to do. But in just half a day, her elder sister really...

  When she came here, Gu Mingru had already married and met with her only a few times. The most impressive time was when she almost got calculated by her aunt during the New Year. If it's really said that her relationship with her sister is not good, even on the surface, it can be said to be very bad. Even though she had expected this to happen, when she actually heard that her sister was gone, she didn't feel relieved in her heart, but instead felt a bit suffocated.

  No matter what, someone died, it's never a good thing.

  Moreover, after Gu Mingru's death, the problem of her belonging would have arisen. Where to go and where to stay, whether to hastily find a household that is not threatened by Han Xiu or to spend some time in this quiet and peaceful place, there should be a final decision. It's not that she underestimated herself, as long as Han Xiu didn't let go of her, no matter now or in the future, her marriage would never be so easy.

  Ming Xuan's heart began to feel anxious, these days except for the morning and evening classes, she had never had any deeper contact with Master Yu Zhen, she couldn't determine what impression Master Yu Zhen had of her, if she went out this time and wanted to come back, if Master Yu Zhen was unwilling to shelter her again, then how would she be?

  She thought so and said, "Master Yuanhui, I want to go say goodbye to Shifu."

  Yuan Hui's face showed a difficult expression, and she said in a low voice, "The master is receiving a noble guest in the Zen room, so it's probably not possible to see her. Don't worry, Xiang sister, the master already knows that you need to go back; she won't blame you for being impolite."

  Ming Xuan felt a pang of disappointment in her heart, but she didn't want to show it on her face. She forced herself to say, "Then I'll just pay my respects at the door of Shifu's meditation room. I'll be careful not to disturb the guest."

  She came with only a package of close-fitting clothes, and she deliberately left the package behind as an excuse for her next visit. With empty hands, she went alone to the front of Shifu's Zen room, made a neat bow, then turned around and left.

  In the Zen room, Yu Zhen Shitai gazed through the slightly ajar wooden window at Ming Huan's back, which carried a hint of desolation and anxiety. She lightly twirled her Buddhist beads and whispered incantations for a long time before turning to face the people inside the house, saying, "When Mother was alive, due to her gentle nature, she got along with all the noble ladies in Shengjing City, but she only brought the three madams of the Gu family here. This shows that although she acted weak and gentle, her heart was as clear as a mirror."

  She paused slightly, "Indeed, after Grandfather died in battle, the Emperor was somewhat angry for a time. Those noblewomen who often came and went all retreated from Mother, except for Madame Gu San, who still wanted to get close to her. Later, when Mother passed away, Madame Gu San heard some rumors and even specially came to ask me for protection."

  It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but it's precious to send charcoal in snowy weather.

  The man, who was half-kneeling in front of the Zen master, raised his head and revealed a pair of starry eyes. "I'm surprised, kid. All these years, you've been avoiding trouble and rarely even see your own family members. This time, you agreed to let Gu Qi stay in the Ancestor's Hall for a short while. It turns out it was all because of Madam Gu San."

  Yu Zhen Shitai shook her head, her face soft and compassionate, but her eyes suddenly flashed with a few sharp glints. "Zhen Ge, I agree to let Miss Gu Jia stay here for a short while, of course, I have my own reasons."

  She let out a soft sigh, "In the past two years, because of illness, I've rejected several marriage proposals, and now I'm almost twenty, still alone. If Mother were aware, she'd probably blame me for not taking good care of myself. Zhen, it's time to stop being ill, and also time to marry a suitable wife."

  The deep sorrow in his tone made Pei Jingchen's nose sour. He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "The marriage Yang Shi told me about is not good. If I didn't use illness as an excuse to decline, I would have been controlled by her in the future. Now that I am alone and have no wife or children in the manor who can be used against me, I am free to act without restriction, which is a good thing."

  He took the opportunity to bury his head in Yu Zhen Shifu's legs: "Ancestral grandmother, if it weren't for you, I would have met my mother in the Yellow Spring several times. Your great kindness and virtue, my mother, if she is aware of her death, will be grateful, how can she blame you?"

  Yu Zhen sighed sympathetically, "Although it's like that, if you want to do something big, your body should gradually get better. As the eldest son of the Pei family, being seriously ill was one thing, but now that he's recovered, Yang must be thinking of arranging another marriage for him. In name, she is his stepmother, and if he refuses, it would be ungrateful."

  She paused, "Rather than that, it's better to choose a virtuous and talented woman with a strong mind, so that in the future, even if she can't help much, at least she won't hold you back. Brother Cheng and Grandma have already chosen a young lady."

  Pei Jingchen's face showed a hint of surprise, he looked up at Yu Zhen and said, "Please instruct me, Ancestral Grandmother."

  Yu Zhen said in a soft voice, "I have always admired Madame Gu's virtues and had intended to meet her daughter. Now that I've met her, she is indeed an exceptional young lady."

  She recounted Ming Xuan's behavior over the past few days, nodding her head in satisfaction. "When she first arrived, she was able to see through my intentions, showing that she is extremely intelligent and perceptive; she followed the nuns to fetch water, chop firewood, and do hard labor, never complaining or slacking off, showing that she is humble and willing to endure hardship; I intentionally treated her coldly, but she didn't take offense or cause trouble, showing that she not only knows how to read the situation but also can endure humiliation. Zhen Ge, Gu's seventh young mistress, is a woman worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you."

  Pei Jingchen's mind suddenly flashed a slender figure, his heart moved slightly, and he suddenly thought of something, couldn't help but smile bitterly and say, "Grandma said that Miss Gu Qi is good, she must be good, I also want to have such a wife by my side. But the Gu family and the Pei family have a grudge, when it comes to the three branches of the Gu family having problems in the past, they are always related to the Pei family, I'm afraid that this marriage will not be agreed upon by the Gu family, and Miss Gu Qi won't be willing either."

  He has the blood of the Pei family flowing through his veins, and even if he is unwilling, he will still have to bear the empty name of the Pei family.

  Yu Zhen Shitai shook her head, "Grandfather wasn't a good person, but when it came to family interests, he was always clear-headed. Back then, he was willing to support the Ninth Prince's ascension to the throne, naturally because he wanted the Pei family to produce an empress. The Ninth Prince understood this, several relatives of the clan understood, and the people of the Gu family also naturally understood."

  Five dragons seize the throne, except for the ninth prince, the other four all have a legitimate wife and son, so even if it's the third daughter of the Gu family entering the palace later, she may not necessarily hold a high position. However, if she joins forces with Pei to push the ninth prince to a high position, even if she loses the empress position, she can still keep the noble consort position. Moreover, as the original wife of the ninth prince, the current emperor has some affection and guilt towards her, so in the future, the opportunity to give birth to the imperial heir is extremely great. The Gu family does not scheme for temporary gains, but rather looks at the long-term situation.

  Gu Changping's death was unexpected, neither Emperor Zhao of Tang nor Pei Xiang had anticipated it.

  She paused, "Even if the Gu family is dissatisfied with the Pei family in their hearts, they will not bring up the matter of the three houses on the surface. If they humbly ask for a marriage, how can they refuse? On the contrary, to show the harmony between the Pei and Gu families, the Marquis of Yongning will definitely agree to this marriage."

  Yongning Marquis is a politician who will stop at nothing if it's beneficial.

  At present, Bae Sang's power is at its peak, and judging from the situation, it will likely collapse in the next five or six years.

  The marriage between the Gu and Pei families is actually not a bad thing. Not only can it dispel the Pei family's vigilance towards the Gu family, but also ease the relationship between the Empress and the Imperial Concubine in the palace. Even the current Emperor is optimistic about it. As for Gu Mingxuan, she is just a niece from a neighboring room. If the Pei family falls in the future, she will follow suit, but it won't hurt the foundation of the Yongning Marquis Manor.

  Yu Zhen's eyes moved slightly, "Chen Ge, the old lady has thought of a way to make Yang's wife voluntarily bring Gu Qī over. If you're willing, I'll send someone to arrange it."

  Pei Jingchen nodded slightly, "By the ancestors' authority."

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