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  As she pushed aside the thick warm curtains, Ming Xuan caught a strong whiff of bitter medicine. Having just come in from outside where the snow had not yet melted, she felt it was especially pungent and irritating to her nose. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she quietly took stock of everything in the room. Fortunately, neither the furnishings nor decorations were copies of those in the Jade Pavilion, nor did they reflect her own or Ming Xuan's former tastes, which inexplicably made her feel a little better.

  The woman who was called Nian's wife, and who had shown her in, heard this, and with a smile said to Mingyu, "Please wait a moment, Lady Pei." She then hastily went into the inner room to announce her arrival, "Milady, Lady Pei has arrived."

  Inside the house, there was a rustling sound. The maid hastily dissuaded her, "Madam, don't get up, just lean against it and that's fine. You're a patient, and Mrs. Pei won't mind if you receive guests like this. Nian'niang, quickly go out and invite Mrs. Pei to come in and talk. Our madam is seriously ill and can't come out to see the guest, please ask her to be understanding."

  Two rooms were separated only by a purple sandalwood screen carved with flowers, grass, fish and birds. The wooden crescent-shaped door had pearl curtains hanging from it, but in fact, there was no obstruction at all. The conversation inside could be heard clearly outside. A sentence "serious illness" made Ming Xuan's heart jump suddenly, and he didn't know what kind of scene he would face next.

  The old lady invited Ming Xuan in.

  Ming Xuan fixed her eyes on the scene, and all she saw was a pale yellow-faced young woman leaning against the headboard with no vitality. Her hair bun was loose, and there was no rouge or powder on her face to cover up her heavy illness. On the bright red satin quilt with a thousand sons pattern, a pair of slender hands were exposed, with bony fingers tightly grasping one corner of the quilt, looking particularly eerie and fragile.

  She couldn't bear to continue watching and hastily paid her respects, "Pei Gu's wife has seen the county master, may the county master have good fortune."

  Huian County Master invited her with a title, she had to respond with etiquette facing the county master.

  Lu smiled weakly and waved her hand, saying, "My name is Yue Ru. I'm one year older than you, so if you don't mind, just call me Sister Yue Ru. There's no need to address me as 'Miss' or make such a big fuss with the formalities. It's tiring for both of us, and it doesn't look good either. I used my title to invite you only because I was afraid you wouldn't come otherwise, so I had to resort to this tactic. You probably knew that too."

  Her eyes were dull and her smile was even more bitter. "If I hadn't used the Huian dialect, I'm afraid you wouldn't have come, would you?"

  The voice was low and weak, but the words were extremely straightforward.

  But Ming Xuan didn't answer the question as directly, and could only respond with a sincere smile, vaguely covering it up.

  Lu's wife withdrew, leaving only Nian'niang by her side. She gazed at Mingyu for a long time before speaking in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, I invited you here not to do anything, just out of curiosity. I wanted to see what you look like and what kind of temperament you have. What abilities do you possess that can make that person remember you all these years, no matter what I do?"

  Her lips curled up slightly. Her smile was as cold and beautiful as the moon goddess, but it seemed like it would disappear in an instant, looking very fleeting. "It's been four years, I've always wanted to find an opportunity to see him, but in the past...I didn't dare to. However, now that he's no longer here, and I'm already old and worn out, there's nothing left to worry about. If I don't see him before I die, I'm afraid I won't be able to close my eyes even as a ghost."

  Dan Hong listened and involuntarily shifted her body slightly, blocking herself in front of Ming Xuan.

  Ming Xuan's face was as calm as still water, without revealing any emotions, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking. She subtly pushed the crimson fan away and suddenly smiled at Lu Shi, saying, "I wonder if Mrs. Han is interested in hearing me tell a story?"

  She finished speaking, as if she was certain that Lu would listen, and smiled at Nian's nanny, saying, "My maid is a bit thirsty, I wonder if Nian's nanny can give her a cup of hot water?"

  Thirst and hot water are just excuses, this means wanting to get rid of Nian Gugu and Dan Hong.

  Lu's eyes showed a few hints of confusion and puzzlement, but she still followed her words, "Nian Nian, personally accompany this young lady outside for a while, prepare some hot tea and snacks, and entertain Miss Pei's personal attendant on my behalf."

  Everyone else had left, and she smiled and said, "I'm not afraid of being alone with you. If anything happens to me, I'll blame it on you."

  Ming Xuan's eyes drooped slightly, then she raised her head and smiled, saying, "If Madam Han really wanted to harm me, there would be plenty of time and opportunities. She wouldn't choose today or now. Although I'm dull-witted, at least I have some insight into people's characters. Moreover, there is no deep-seated grudge between us, at most just a small misunderstanding. As long as Madam Han can calmly listen to the story I am about to tell, even that last bit of misunderstanding will be dispelled."

  She leaned in close to Lu, sitting on the edge of the bed, and said in a low voice, "In the past, there was a young lady from a good family. On her wedding day, something unexpected happened at home. Not only did her fiancé publicly call off the engagement, but he also took her father away and had him imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. She was hot-tempered and felt deceived and betrayed, which added to her humiliation. In desperation, she tried to take her own life by banging her head against a wall. Fortunately, she was lucky and survived with only a large wound on her forehead."

  Lu's eyes widened slightly, even though she never left the house, but there was nothing that could be hidden from her. What Ming Xuan said was exactly what happened on the day of Han Xiuying's wedding four years ago. She had heard it countless times before, only in the past, although she felt unbearable in her heart, but since the person involved was her deeply loved husband, every time she heard it, she felt a little rejected. Now that Ming Xuan told her personally, for some reason, she had a different feeling.

  She didn't interrupt and listened quietly.

  Ming Xuan continued in a calm tone, "Those few days were a catastrophe for that young lady. Her parents died one after another, and their deaths were shrouded in mystery. Her older sister starved herself to death because of it, and her only brother was banished to a far-off place. From then on, she fell from being a shining pearl in the sky to rolling around in the muddy world, becoming a lone wild grass, relying on others for survival."

  She glanced slightly and continued, "Mrs. Han knows that in this world, a woman's glory comes from men. In her youth, she relies on her father and brothers, after marriage, she is tied to her husband, and in old age, she relies on her children and grandchildren. That young lady has no father or brothers to rely on, like a floating water lily, making it especially difficult for her to get married. Fortunately, heaven pitied her and let her meet a good husband who understands, loves, and cherishes her. Although the world is difficult, she only wishes to hold hands with her husband and live a life of love."

  Lu's eyes were slightly dim, and she spoke in a low voice, "If that miss knew, her fiancé was forced to do such a ruthless and heartless thing at the beginning, I wonder what she would think?"

  Ming Xuan smiled and shook her head, "Mrs. Han, if one has a mind to do something, where would there be anything that can't be helped? Once it's done, it's done, no need to look for excuses. Even if it was really an unavoidable move, it was still the choice of the fiancé. Since he's already made his choice and benefited from it, then don't pretend it was unavoidable. No one is holding a knife or arrow to his throat, forcing him, even if there was, he could still choose to die rather than yield."

  "There's no medicine for regret in this world."

  Lu's slender hand involuntarily rose a little, and she couldn't help but ask again, "Does she still hate him?"

  Ming Xuan burst out laughing, "Without love, where would there be hate?"

  She lifted the thick veil, revealing a narrow scar on her forehead. After four years, those lines had become very shallow, but from this close distance, you could still see some wrinkled skin. She gently put it down and said in a low voice, "Although that miss was lucky enough to survive, the impact on her head was too great, and she forgot everything from before, let alone her fiancé, even her relatives at home, took a long time to slowly remember."

  She sighed faintly, "Only those who have experienced pain will want to hate. That miss doesn't remember past events, so when others mention that name, it's just a stranger to her."

  Lu seemed stunned, she didn't expect Ming Xuan to have actually forgotten about Han Xi.

  After a long time, she finally spoke in a low voice, "Does Madam Pei want to hear me tell a story too?"

  Ming Xuan nodded, "I'm all ears."

  Lu's gaze passed through the long veil, looking towards an unknown distance. Her voice was cold and ethereal, yet carried a hint of nostalgia and reminiscence. "In the past, there was a girl who had been frail since birth. Because her family only had boys, she was the only daughter, and her body was weak. So, her parents and brothers all doted on her. Even when their family's situation wasn't great at the time, as long as she wanted something, they would find a way to give it to her. There was just one thing they couldn't promise her."

  She turned her head and glanced at Ming Xuan, then said, "That year, the young general returned to Beijing in triumph, and the people of Shengjing welcomed him with open arms. The procession welcoming his troops stretched from the city gate all the way to the imperial palace. As it happened, when he was touring the streets, he had to pass by the west wall of our house. The girl was curious and climbed up a small building near the west wall to take a look at him. From then on, she didn't know what got into her, but in her heart and eyes, there was only that young general. But at that time, her father and brother were just ordinary minor officials, with no power or wealth. She was just a daughter of a humble official family, how could she be worthy of the current general?

  Later, she heard that he was engaged, his fiancée not only came from a noble family but also was a stunning beauty of her generation. After hearing the news, she became depressed and her originally poor health worsened. She could no longer walk around occasionally as before and fell ill, lingering on her sickbed.

  Ming Xuan's heart was shocked and he stared at her, listening to her continue speaking.

  Lu hesitated for a moment, as if deeply immersed in the story. "One day, an imperial edict suddenly arrived at her home, and her father was conferred the title of Marquis. She was also exceptionally conferred the title of Princess. It turned out that her previously unknown and unremarkable imperial cousin had become the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She was overjoyed, thinking that this time, she would finally have the qualifications to stand alongside that young and powerful minister. At that time, her health was poor, and her only wish was to become his wife before she died, even if it was just for one night."

  Her eyes were distant, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, "Of course, she succeeded."

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