It was a good day to go out as the sun was shining brightly, and the scenes of springtime were beautiful.

When Yuxi took Zijin to the Qin residence, she saw several carriages parked outside, and she was not that surprised. The fact that Xu Shi had invited her in the name of the chrysanthemums appreciation event, she must have also requested other people’s attendance. That was fine. Yuxi would take this opportunity to know more about these official ladies of Yu City.

When Yuxi got off the carriage, she didn’t see any small carriage or a palanquin. It was apparent that they would have to walk in.

An old lady greeted her and ushered, “Please come with me, Miss Han.”

Yuxi smiled and nodded her head. Initially, she wanted to have a good look at the layout of the Qin Mansion. After all, the houses here were different from the ones in the capital. Unfortunately, before she could even begin to look around, she ran into a plump woman wearing a silvery red dress.

When the woman saw Yuxi, she came over with a smile on her face and inquired, “Oh, whose girl is this, looking so beautiful and bright? How come I haven’t seen her before?” The way this girl dressed was different from the other married women in the city, so there was no way she couldn’t recognise her.

Yuxi bowed in greetings towards the woman and smiled appropriately. “I am the Fourth Miss of the Duke Han residence. May I know who this Madam is?”

The woman let out a cry of surprise as she asked, “How is that possible? Wasn’t The Fourth Miss of the Duke Han residence killed by the northern captive barbarians, and now has been properly buried?”

Yuxi explained with some sadness, “My Dage heard that the road was unsafe and was worried that something might happen to me. So, he found someone to pretend to be me, who would travel on the official road with the dowry while I took a few of my trusted servants to take the smaller road. I didn’t expect to hear that the northern captives had taken my double away halfway on my journey. Speaking of which, I also feel sorry for her.” It caused her to exert great mental effort to give a partly true and partly false statement.

The woman was stunned but quickly reacted as she took Yuxi’s hand and said affectionately, “Ah, it turns out you’re indeed the young girl of the Han family! I was saddened to hear that Miss Han had been killed by those b*stard northern barbarians before. The other ladies of Yu City also said that Miss Han was a beautiful woman who suffered a harsh life, but I did not expect it to be just a false alarm.” After a pause, she introduced herself, “My husband’s surname is Xia, who is in charge of the military provision.”

Although Yuxi was not used to being held like this by a stranger, she still bore the discomfort as she nodded and said, “Yes! Fortunately, I took the smaller road. Otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened to me right now?” After saying that, she revealed a frightened look.

Madam Xia smiled and said, “This is also Meimei’s good fortune.” Madam Xia muttered in her heart. Her husband had felt that there was something fishy about the situation back then. She did not expect the deceased girl was not even the actual person.

When they went to the garden together, Madam Xia pretended to be casual. She said, “I heard from Madam Qin that Han Meimei was very good at needlework and could embroider double-sided embroidery several years ago. I wonder if this is true?”

Yuxi could hear the sound of probing from her question and answered with a smile. “I am only somewhat talented in embroidery, but I am not good at anything else.”

Madam Xia was surprised. “I have never assumed Madam Qin was genuinely telling the truth. I didn’t believe it at that time! Han Meimei is undoubtedly handy, and Assistant General Yun is fortunate to marry Meimei.” Only Madam Qin could get her hand on a double-sided embroidery, and she even showed it off to them before! She didn’t expect someone from Yuxi’s background could embroider something like that, which she couldn’t even compare.

Yuxi smiled shyly and didn’t answer Madam Xia’s words. This person’s husband must not have been close to Yun Qing. Otherwise, he would not have addressed Yun Qing as Assistant General Yun.

Soon after, they finally arrived at the garden. Even though one couldn’t say beautiful purples and brilliant reds filled with the Qin residence’s small garden, it still had a lot of blossoming flowers on the green willows, which shone with their redness, giving them outstanding scenery. The chrysanthemums, especially, were in full bloom. Yuxi didn’t know why, but looking at the brilliantly blooming chrysanthemums made them seem unsightly to her. T

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Madam Xia led Yuxi to a woman wearing a lilac coloured dress. She smiled and introduced, “Miss Han, this is Madam Qin.”

When Yuxi walked in, she saw Xu Shi surrounded by many people. This Xu Shi had a small melon face, fair skin and thin red lips. Although her appearance could be considered delicate and pretty, she had a gentle temperament of a woman from a river town, making her an easy person to get close to.

Yuxi had done my homework before and knew that Xu Shi’s birth mother was a Jiangnan woman. Thus, it was not surprising that Xu Shi would look like this. She greeted Xu Shi with her signature smile on her face, “Hello, Madam Qin.”

Xu Shi said with a smile, “I wanted to invite Meimei to our door two days ago when I knew you were in Yu City. But I thought about your long-distance travel, so I just gave up. I wonder if Han Meimei is already used to living in Yu City?”

A modern duijin with panels skirt.

Image Credit | To a seller at XM680

When Yuxi came in just now, Xu Shi had already seamlessly sized up Yuxi. Today, Yuxi wore a ruyi patterned summer duijin shirt and a moonlight coloured skirt with twelve light blue panels, embroidered with iris orchid patterns sprinkled in gold. She combed her hair into a woduoji, inserted with gold dotted jade phoenix hairpin. A pair of sapphire earrings were on her ears and a suet jade bracelet on her wrist, making her wrist as white as jade. She didn’t adorn that much jewellery, but everything she put on was made of fine quality.

Woduoji

In front of strangers, Yuxi always adhered to the principle that talking too much would lead to many mistakes. Hence, Yuxi smiled while giving a simple answer. “The weather is a little dry, but everything else is fine.”

While they were are talking, they heard the sound of laughter. “I’m late.” The person did not yet arrive, but the voice came first.

Xu Shi smiled and introduced the owner of the voice to Yuxi, “That is my clan younger sister, Ah Gu, who is a bright and cheerful person.” She only introduced her as her younger sister, not even mentioning her husband’s surname and official position.

Lantern hanging on a golden string hairpin

Image Credit | The jewellery seller of this hairpin

Soon, the said person finally showed up. Yuxi looked at the lady who just came with a very subtle feeling. This person, introduced by Madam Qin, was dressed in crimson coloured clothes. She inserted the front of the bun atop her head with a lantern hanging on a golden string hairpin and long golden hairpins inlaid with gemstones decorating both sides of it. At the back of her burn, she attached a bluish-green lotus flower. She adorned her ears with jade coloured cat’s eye stone golden ear pendants. She also put on soft golden bracelets mounted with pearls and jade on her wrists, making her look extremely rich. Even though her dress was extravagant, she still looked gorgeous.

Yuxi greeted her with a smile, “Hello, Madam Hong.” Although Madam Qin didn’t give a detailed introduction of this lady to her, Yuxi had done her homework in advance. She had a rough idea of the wives’ characteristics and surnames of the fifth rank and above officers in Yu City. The wife of Deputy Prefect Hong, Xu Shi, was Madam Qin’s clan younger sister and known to many people in Yu City. This kind of homework was an essential part of social interaction.

Madam Hong looked at Yuxi and spoke with a smile, “You must be Assistant General Yun’s fiancée, Fourth Miss Han? As expected, knowing somebody by their reputation can’t be compared to meeting them in person. You’re truly a great beauty.”

Yuxi was a little uncomfortable with such blunt words but responded with an unchanged expression, “Madam Hong is overpraising me.” One by one, they both said she was beautiful as if she was a vase, and she didn’t know what these people were implying.

Yuxi didn’t return until she finished her lunch in the Qin residence. The morning passed smoothly, and there was no conspiracy nor trickery as Zijin had feared.

Zijin was a bit puzzled and asked, “Miss, all morning they’ve been talking about flowers, pastries, and tea. What is this woman planning by inviting Miss here?”

Yuxi answered somewhat tiredly, “They wanted to investigate me.” After saying that, she rubbed her temples. Going out to socialise was the most tiring thing to do.

Zijin said, “Miss, how come all the vice prefect, the leaders of garrisons and battalions in Yu City are friendly with the Qin family?” She might be slow to react, but even she knew something was wrong with this situation.

Yuxi said with a bit of a headache, “The water in this Yu City is deeper than I’ve imagined.” Qin Zhao’s power was even greater than she thought. In this case, for Yun Qing to still manage to survive without being killed by him, she had to say that he was skilful!

As Yuxi thought about it, she couldn’t help but sigh. This was the downside of marrying far away from her home, to a strange place where she knew no one and had to figure out everything by herself slowly. Being bestowed a marriage to Yun Qing was the worst. There was not even a person around that could help her, and she had to fight everyone alone. And, through today’s social interaction, Yuxi could see that Yun Qing’s popularity was not even good. If not, more than ten ladies had watched her being asked questions continuously by Madam Xia and Madam Hong today. However, none of them came forward to help her. All of them chose to watch from the sidelines.

After Yuxi left, Madam Hong said to Xu Shi, “Jiejie, this Han Shi can’t be a fake. She’s the real person.” No one could impersonate an unmarried young lady of a noble house.

Xu Shi didn’t think Han Yuxi was fake from the very beginning because there was no need for Yun Qing to do so. Even if the one killed by those b*stards was Yun Qing’s fiancée, so what? Once Yuxi moved into her husband’s house, Yun Qing would be the one who killed her instead. “This Han Shi seems harmless, but she has made sure that not a single drop leaks out from her mouth.” At the banquet, she had introduced Yuxi to a dozen people in general ways. However, Yuxi was still composed and able to give appropriate responses instead. This kind of skill was not something that an average person could achieve.

Madam Hong nodded and said, “Yes, Madam Xia and I talked to her for a long time, but we couldn’t get any useful information at all.” Han Shi would either simply pass their questions with a few words or just smile shyly in response. She genuinely didn’t let anything slip and wouldn’t show her hand.

Xu Shi was a little worried. “I just hope that it will always be this calm.” Although her husband was the Commander-in-chief of the northwest army, many people under him wouldn’t want to accept it. While Yun Qing was on the side, glaring at him like a tiger watching its prey. Therefore, her husband’s situation was actually quite tricky. It was also fortunate that Yun Qing did not marry the girl from the Zhao family. Otherwise, their situation would be even more unfavourable right now.

Madam Hong reacted with a smile, “Jiejie, you worried too much. Although this woman has a few tricks, they are only the inner courtyard tricks. What kind of waves can she create anyway? Furthermore, doesn’t Jiejie know that this Han Shi is a bearer of ill luck? Even before she marries Yun Qing, she has made him lose the Zhao family’s support for him, and a few days ago, she had made him lose all his face. Once she gets married to him, I don’t know how disgusted Yun Qing will be!”

Xu Shi gazed at her clan younger sister and shook her head helplessly. Not to mention that Han Shi was gorgeous where no men would not sway just from looking at her; just knowing that she came from the Duke Han of the State Residence was enough to make Yun Qing treat her well. Duke Han was a powerful Assistant Minister of War, and Yun Qing was not that foolish to throw away such a powerful clan behind his wife.

There was a saying that good things wouldn’t come out of the gate, but bad things spread a thousand miles. The news about Fourth Miss Han being robbed by bandits had just dissipated in the capital when it was revealed it didn’t happen that way. Instead, she had been taken away by northern barbarians.

When Han Hao told Han Jianming about this rumour, he asked, “Lord Duke, what should we do about this?” The talks outside were so vivid that Han Hao could not help but believe them.

Han Jianming answered in a deep voice, “It’s just a rumour. Just ignore it.” He knew about this news last night, but he believed that with Yuxi’s intelligence, it would not be that easy for her to fall into the hands of the northern barbarians. The only thing they could do now was to wait for the news from the border city.