A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

Now that the engagement has been called off, Du Wushuang and the General's Mansion will inevitably become the talk of the town, and some ridicule is inevitable. However, the capital is always a place of rapid change, with new things constantly emerging, making it difficult to keep up. Perhaps in a short while, other new and interesting things will happen, and people's attention will be diverted, and the past of Du Wushuang and the General's Mansion will gradually fade into oblivion.

Anyway, now was the time to recuperate. Du Shuangshuang had already made up her mind: she might as well stay in the general's mansion and stay indoors. She wondered to herself, "Those nosy people wouldn't be so shameless as to come and ridicule her to her face, would they?" As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." As long as she ignored the rumors and focused on recuperating, everything would gradually heal once her body was back to normal. With this thought, Du Shuangshuang's mood calmed down a little.

He couldn't just avoid the old general and the people in the general's mansion. The old general, Du Wushuang's grandfather, was a very wise old man, otherwise he wouldn't have been a general. The old general was once invincible on the battlefield, otherwise how could the peace and stability of the Great Xia Kingdom come from? The Great Xia Kingdom was the largest country in the entire west, and the other small neighboring countries were all its vassal states. They were beaten into submission by the old general, and as long as the old general was alive, they probably wouldn't dare to act rashly in this life.

Du Shuangshuang actually felt that it was not worth it for the old general, but she had no choice. The emperor did not go too far after all. Although the old general had no real power, he was still given enough rewards and honors.

For example, every New Year's banquet would be accompanied by the General's Mansion, and various gifts of food and jewelry would be given. No matter how domineering Du Wushuang was, or whoever complained about her, the emperor would always protect her and never punish her. Similarly, when faced with framing Du Wushuang, even if the evidence was irrefutable, he would smooth things over and protect those who accused him. He seemed foolish, but how could such a foolish person be able to rule a country with such stability?

Du Wushuang hadn't understood it before, always believing the emperor still loved her, just a bit confused. Now, Du Wushuang felt that his previous defense of her was probably flattery, a way of showing off his favor to the General's Mansion and his generosity, just waiting for her to cause a disaster so he could kill her. How could the emperor be confused? He was incredibly shrewd. From the beginning to the end, Du Wushuang was the only one confused.

Here, Du Shuangshuang, a daughter of an official family, lay lazily on a luxurious couch, enjoying an incredibly relaxing moment. Beside her, her maid, Fanhua, expertly washed and peeled freshly picked grapes, then carefully placed the crystal-clear flesh one by one into Du Shuangshuang's slightly opened cherry mouth. Meanwhile, another maid, Jinxiu, gently massaged Du Shuangshuang's slender legs and rounded shoulders, bringing her complete relaxation.

At this moment, Du Shuangshuang was overwhelmed with emotion. Thinking back on her past life, those years seemed like a waste. She had never known such luxury and comfort, let alone the meticulous care and pampering she now enjoyed. Every day, she racked her brains to figure out how to save money. With her family's financial situation limited, every penny counted. She also worried about finding a stable job after graduation. Then, she'd have to humbly serve her bosses and clients, and face the intrigues of colleagues. The pressure was almost suffocating.

But now, everything was so different. Here, she was the eldest daughter of a general's mansion. She didn't have to please anyone unless she wanted to, and there were countless others who wanted to please her. She didn't have to worry about food, clothing, housing, or transportation, and could do whatever she pleased. This sense of relaxation, from the inside out, intoxicated Du Shuangshuang. She secretly felt fortunate to have traveled here and begun a new life. She just wondered what her modern self was like, and whether her parents were doing well.

Alas, thinking of modern parents, Du Shuangshuang sighed helplessly. Her parents were her only concern, and she hadn't had time to repay them. They'd saved for her their entire lives, and she still hadn't had the chance to repay them. But there was nothing she could do about it; she could only live in the present. If she had the chance, she'd definitely want to go back. At least bringing back two vases would be enough for the family to spend for several lifetimes. But there was no point dwelling on this; she could only live in the present.

Du Shuangshuang was happily enjoying this wonderful life with someone to serve her when she heard the maid's report from outside.

"Miss, the second lady is here to see you."

Since she fell ill, Du Shuangshuang hasn't left the courtyard. Apart from the occasional visit from the old general to see his granddaughter, no one has ever set foot in her house. Today, the second sister from her second uncle's family unexpectedly came, which was quite a rare visitor. After all, Du Wushuang used to have a bad reputation and a bad temper. Everyone had different hobbies. The second sister was a typical official's daughter, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Du Wushuang didn't like to read, let alone learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She loved wielding spears and sticks, and even the dances she learned were sword dances. Of course, after all, she had wanted to marry the eldest prince, and she had put a lot of effort into music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but unfortunately, she didn't have the talent, and could only barely do it.

As for the various banquets that everyone likes, Du Wushuang is also very annoyed. The main reason is that everyone excludes her, and if they occasionally show her some kindness, it must be because they are trying to plot against her.

As the maid finished her words, a petite figure sauntered in. A closer look revealed a young girl of twelve. She was a delicate, delicate girl, her face as delicate and alluring as a peach blossom in early spring; her skin as smooth and delicate as white jade, seemingly as soft as a touch. Her hair was styled in a pair of exquisite twin buns, each adorned with a pink jade hairpin, further accentuating her graceful demeanor. Her demeanor and bearing alone revealed the rigorous training and meticulous instruction of this young woman, whose every gesture exuded elegance. This beautiful woman was none other than the second young lady of my second uncle's household—Du Yunyan.

Du Yunyan approached with light steps and whispered, "Sister, are you feeling better? I should have come to visit you a few days ago, but I was worried that you were not in a good mood, so I delayed a little longer. I hope you won't blame me."

When Du Shuangshuang heard the maid say someone was coming, she quickly put away her previous lazy and happy expression, and instead put on a depressed and unhappy look, and responded in a low voice: "Well, it's okay now, thank you for your concern, sister."

Two people who were originally distant and not close to each other were now forced together, which was extremely awkward and uncomfortable. In such an atmosphere, naturally there were not many common topics to discuss. And for Du Shuangshuang, who was straightforward and frank, she was unwilling to compromise and deliberately find those boring topics to break the silence! On the contrary, if she could maintain this relatively silent state, it would be good, at least it could avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble and trouble. Maybe from now on, the other party would give up and never disturb her peaceful life again!

Although he was currently without parents, his father had left him a large fortune. These were his personal assets. When he got married, he could take them with him. They would also provide him with the confidence and capital to continue his happy life.

As her thoughts drifted, Du Shuangshuang couldn't help but gently stroke the object hanging from her neck through her clothes—a seemingly ordinary pendant. In reality, it was a simple ring, made of something that looked like wood, devoid of any decoration, a simple ring. Because it was slightly too large, it felt a little uncomfortable, so she had never worn it. But this ring held immense meaning. It was the only thing her mother had left her, the only thought she had left of her. For this reason, Du Shuangshuang treasured it, carrying it close to her, never leaving her body for a single moment.

The two were silent for a while, and Du Yunyan took the initiative to leave. Du Shuangshuang also breathed a sigh of relief. It was not easy for her to ask for help to chase them away. The second sister was only one year younger than her. Although it was only one year, it was only a little over a month apart. The two had a good relationship when they were young, but as they grew up, the difference in their personalities and Du Wushuang's wholehearted devotion to the eldest prince gradually alienated them. Although the relationship between the two was not very close, there was no conflict, not to mention that the second uncle's family was also good to her. Especially the second uncle was also somewhat fond of his niece. She would have a share of what the second sister and the others had. The second aunt was the housekeeper and never treated her harshly.

After her second sister left, she stayed in the courtyard every day, and apart from her grandfather who occasionally came over, she had never seen anyone else. Du Shuangshuang liked this kind of life very much. No matter how lonely the general's mansion was, it didn't matter. She was not a man. She had money, people to serve her, and the best food and clothes. What was there to think about high status and power? You know how to play that game yourself? I don't know if I can even make it to the end of one episode, let alone two.

Du Shuangshuang was genuinely puzzled by Du Wushuang's fascination with power. If the old general cared so much about it, why would he have surrendered his military command, and why would his second uncle have chosen to pursue a career in literature? Although she had never met her second uncle since she'd traveled through time, she remembered him as a very imposing figure. She remembered his impressive martial arts skills as a child, and even now, he was far from the average person's match. As for his decision to abandon the military and embrace literature, it was likely a desire to relinquish power and reassure those above him. While her grandfather claimed it was to leave a legacy for the family, that was likely just one of the elder's considerations. Besides, it was a peaceful time, and even serving in the military wouldn't be dangerous.

After many days of thinking, Du Shuangshuang felt that Du Wushuang was the only one in the family who was unwilling to accept her fate. In fact, she had her reasons for being unwilling. She thought that when she had the ability, she could send someone to find her father. Alas, this girl who looked carefree and straightforward actually had something else in her heart.