cold clothes

The Fifth Prince's illness did not cause much of a stir in the palace, as the palace servants were busy preparing for the Spring Festival, let alone the news spreading outside the palace.

The only one who truly cared about the Fifth Prince's life or death was Fengxianglou.

Inside Jingya Pavilion, when Hu's mother heard about this, her first reaction was that Zhao Yin was faking illness. The letter clearly stated that Zhao Yin was in a coma and it was unknown when he would wake up. Even someone like Hu's mother was stunned and it took her a long time to accept the reality.

Zhao Yin is the only prince with Xie family blood. His misfortune fundamentally affects the revenge against the Wang family and the revitalization of the Xie family. However, it is worth considering that this sickly prince is not only physically weak, but also under the control of Empress Wang, and his life is in grave danger. He may wake up in a few days, or he may never wake up. Even if he wakes up, Empress Wang can make him "fall ill" again.

They shouldn't bet on just one prince; Fengxianglou should also consider its options. Regardless of which prince they assist, the ultimate goal is to defeat the Third Prince and the royal family behind him.

Madam Hu quickly devised a plan and immediately summoned her trusted confidants to discuss important matters. First, they must seize this opportunity to have someone widely publicize on New Year's Eve that the Fifth Prince's illness was related to the Third Prince, thus tarnishing the Third Prince's image. Second, they must pay close attention to the Second Prince and cultivate relationships with more Confucian scholars.

"Next year will be the triennial imperial examination. Liu Xia, you will be in charge of winning over the scholars who are coming to the capital for the examination," said Madam Hu.

"Liu Xia understands," Liu Xia replied softly.

"Is there any news about Yunqiu at the Duke's mansion?"

"Reporting to Madam, Yunqiu has not yet obtained any useful information, but she has successfully won the favor of Wang Yiqing and his cousin Wang Yuhua, and is being treated very well in the Duke's mansion."

"Very good, let her refrain from making any rash moves for the time being."

They then discussed various matters until the city lights came on. Mrs. Hu rubbed her temples, and the nanny beside her, noticing her complexion, asked if she wanted to rest.

After a moment's thought, Madam Hu said, "Let's go to Zhuoyu Pavilion and see the young courtesans."

-

The third floor of Zhuoyu Pavilion.

As soon as Madam Hu arrived, the young courtesans stopped their rehearsals and greeted her. Perhaps they were all a little tired, for Madam Hu seemed somewhat dazed when she saw them, as if she were seeing old friends.

She scanned the girls' faces one by one. Xia Hua had delicate features, and her eyes, like her mother's, were bright and sparkling. Nong Yue resembled her father, with long eyebrows and bright eyes, but her temperament was more like her mother's, calm and serene, with a cool and beautiful appearance. Wei Feng had black hair, snow-white skin, almond eyes, and peach-blossom cheeks, and was growing more and more beautiful. It wasn't hard to imagine that each of them would become a stunning beauty in the future.

She couldn't help but recall those days when she and her friends were renowned ladies from prominent families in the capital, often meeting to play the zither, dance, drink, and sing. The moon flowed silently down the long ditch, and amidst the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms, laughter echoed until dawn. But… more than twenty years had passed like a dream, a dream from which it was difficult to continue. Looking back, she could only listen to the water clock dripping through the long night, counting the stars.

Madam Hu suddenly snapped out of her daze. Not wanting anyone to notice her absent-mindedness, she straightened her face and ordered the young courtesans to each perform for her to check.

Then she noticed Ningbi and was momentarily stunned.

Ningbi wore a red dress tonight, her black hair reaching her waist, loosely tied with a silk sash. The red dress looked like it was made from an old garment, but it didn't look shabby on her at all. Her clear blue eyes reflected the candlelight, shining brightly.

Red suits her so well.

"This clothing..."

Leng Yi couldn't help but feel nervous: "This dress was made from Sister Nuan Dong's old clothes. My dance costume is dirty, and there's no time to order another one."

Would Mrs. Hu think it's ugly? As soon as Wei Feng saw her, she laughed at her. She only fell silent after Wei Feng raised her fist, hiding behind Xia Hua with a pitiful and aggrieved look.

Her relationship with Breeze is very strained now; she feels like hitting her every time they meet, even worse than her relationship with Xia Hua before. Ironically, Xia Hua hasn't provoked her anymore.

"Yes, it suits you very well." Unexpectedly, Mrs. Hu smiled and said, "You seem born to wear red..."

This sudden praise left Leng Yi bewildered, while Wei Feng was incredibly jealous upon hearing Hu's mother praise Leng Yi.

From then on, Mrs. Hu ordered many sets of red clothes for Leng Yi, but that's another story.

Before they knew it, it was New Year's Eve. It snowed all day, and Lingcao kept the windows tightly closed so Lengyi wouldn't see. Lengyi couldn't help but chuckle at her nervousness, but she didn't stop her. She really didn't dare to look at the snow.

At noon, Warm Winter told her to set off, and her heart pounded. It wasn't because she was nervous about the performance, but because she could finally leave this damned place, and she really wanted to steal as much gold and silver jewelry as possible and run away as far away as possible!

However, the truth is that despite having the thought of running away a hundred times in her mind, Leng Yi still couldn't leave, just like how she used to shout every day that she was quitting, but then she would run to work under the scorching sun.