Although she left a good impression on Grand Secretary Qin before, he, as an old minister serving three emperors in a row, would certainly take everything into consideration. Therefore, it was uncertain, whether she would be able to persuade him.
“Little girl, you are insisting on it. You found something, didn’t you?”
Qinghu asked in a low voice. After thinking about it, he figured out the real reason for her entering the Palace.
Thinking twice, Lin Mengya shook her head. “TCM is broad and profound. They may be involved, unless I get it wrong.”
“It’s just a palace. Little girl, you can go anywhere you want to, even if it is an extremely dangerous place.”
Qinghu cracked a cheeky grin from the corner of his mouth as usual. He was always standing by her side, and supporting her in everything she did.
“Crazy! Are you all mad? That’s the Imperial Palace, not just any place that anyone can come and go. You will die, sister!”
Lin Zhongyu was almost driven mad. Those people behind him warned him many times not to create trouble with the royal family of Jin State.
But Lin Mengya insisted on going into the Palace. It was like throwing an egg against a stone!
“Not a big deal. An old woman and a spendthrift? I’ve entered the Imperial Palace many times.”
Qinghu said this as if he did not care about the Empress and the Crown Prince at all. In fact, not the whole Palace was under her control.
The Emperor, who was lying on the sick bed, still had the authority. As long as she took care, Lin Mengya could escape from any danger.
Besides, they had lived a quiet life for quite some time already. Qinghu knew that she also craved a thrilling life, like him.
“Fine, let’s leave it first. I’ll be going out in the afternoon. Xiaoyu, you come with me.”
Baiji had prepared some simple presents. They were not precious items, but they came from her heart. The Qin family, noble and rich enough, would not care about money. If she prepared something priceless, it would turn out that she had outsmarted herself.
“Okay, I’ll go and get myself ready.”
Lin Zhongyu left, full of worries. “No matter what, I should try to persuade Sister to give up that dangerous idea of entering the Palace.”
Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu, after Lin Mengya had recovered from a dangerous illness, tried every means to present all kinds of treasures to her, daily. Nobody knew what spurred them on.
Lin Mengya was wrapped in a classy cloak made from the fur of an arctic fox.
Baiji, Baisu, and Lin Zhongyu, all wrapped in brown fox-fur cloaks, followed behind her.
A burning stove made the space inside the covered carriage a little warmer.
The inside was covered by fine woolen blankets. Lin Mengya thought of it to be a waste, but since Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu insisted, she had to accept it.
The veins around her heart hurt. The doctor said that she should take more care, especially in winter.
She often stayed inside her room and read books. Otherwise, Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu would cover the ground of Liuxin Courtyard, with blankets.
“You guys, don’t worry about me. I’m a doctor. I know my own health condition.”
It was strange that every time she detoxified herself, one part of the pills would change into nutrition to nurse her own body.
She was actually well already.
“No. It’s not that simple, since the veins around your heart are hurting. I’ve found lots of rare medicinal herbs. They will be sent to your private coffer in a few days. Sister Baiji, remember to make sure that my sister drinks it.”
Then, Lin Zhongyu took some warmed grapes from a box made of warm jade, and presented it to her.
She let out a long sigh, but she was actually touched.
“Was I such a poor girl in my previous life? So I have such a luxurious life now?”
Even a fruit box was so valuable. Lin Mengya was really worried that she would be robbed one day, if someone knew about it.
“Oh, I’ll take you back to my parents’ home after we are done visiting Uncle Qin. I told you last time that I planned to let my father adopt you. But later, I thought about it and realized that it would be a little abrupt. So I changed my plan. I will find an uncle, who has no children to take you as his adopted son, what do you think?”
Sooner or later, Xiaoyu’s identity would be made public.
Lin Muzhi was the general at Jin State, the enemy of Xiaoyu’s motherland. His reputation would be destroyed if anyone knew about their relationship.
It would be worse once Lin Muzhi was framed as a traitor of Jin State.
“It is your choice, Sister.”
Lin Zhongyu silently chuckled to himself. “If I’m her cousin, then, those people won’t be able to achieve their purpose.”
Under the soft light, Lin Mengya’s side face looked softer and more beautiful.
Her gentle gaze made Lin Zhongyu forget everything for the moment, even national enmity and family hatred.
“No matter how they force me, I won’t harm Sister!”
They arrived at Qin’s Mansion soon. Lin Mengya delivered the visiting card and soon, they were invited into the reception room.
The aroma of tea lessened the coldness of winter.
On the path to the reception room, the decor of the house, including grass and trees, appeared totally natural.
The designer must have made a huge effort, but it gave visitors the impression that it was what it should be. It was completely natural, and was one with the sky and the earth.
It was not hard to guess that it was a peaceful and quiet family. The Qin family looked more like a respectable, morally lofty family, in comparison with Prince Yu’s family and the Lin family, who never ceased to be at the center of troubles.
“It’s hard to travel on a snowy day. Why let yourself suffer by paying me a visit personally, Princess Yu? Since you and I get along well, you could have asked someone to send me a message, and then, you won’t have to suffer from the cold.”
By virtue of her rank, Lin Mengya should take the seat of honor.
But she insisted on acting as a junior and sat on the right-hand seat. Immediately, Minister Qin had a good impression on her.
Not being arrogant was what a princess should be
“Uncle Qin, thank you. I should have visited you earlier. But I have been delayed by the affairs in the house. Last night, there was quite a large snowfall. From inside the carriage, I looked out at the snow-covered world, and found it looked like a rare wonder.”
Lin Mengya gave an elegant smile, and appeared lovely and clever.
She knew that Uncle Qin, as a retired minister, was proud of himself and stubborn.
Therefore, she did not behave as Princess Yu, but as the daughter of his old friend. That was about it.
“Uncle Qin, today, I actually came here to ask for your help.”
There were lots of boys born to the Qin family. Grand Secretary Qin had three sons. So he enjoyed Lin Mengya’s gentle and lovely behavior.
“Princess Yu, just tell me.”
Lin Mengya smiled and then said sorrowfully.
“The Winter Solstice Festival is nearing, and there will be a ceremony. You know, His Majesty always holds a blessing ceremony in the ancestral temple. But this year, His Majesty has not recovered yet. The Crown Prince then asked Prince Yu to go together. Even though I became a member of the royal family, I have little experience of it. So if I do something wrong and interrupt the ceremony, I would feel guilty.”
Lin Mengya explained this in a sincere manner. Grand Secretary Qin had been invited by Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu before, so he would not say no this time.
“You’re right, Your Highness. You should be careful during the ceremony. Tomorrow, I’ll go to your house personally. So, Your Highness, I may be disturbing you for a few days.”
Usually, Senior officials like Minister Qin were invited to act as a guide to the Crown Prince.
But the Crown Prince did not like him. Lin Mengya grasped this opportunity. It proved that Long Tianyu was much cleverer than the Crown Prince. The establishment of a good relationship with the Qin family, would attract more senior officials to join him.
Lin Mengya owed it to the Crown Prince for being as blind as a bat.
“Well, then, thank you, Uncle Qin. I should be leaving now. Father just returned from the frontier juncture, so I should see more of him. I’ll see myself out, Uncle Qin.”
Minister Qin understood what she really meant, but he did not point it out, and even personally walked her to the gate. It proved that he really appreciated her.
They went back to Marquis Zhennan’s place. Before entering, Lin Mengya saw many people entering and leaving by the gate that was usually closed daily.
“Miss Lin is back—”
The gatekeeper was not the one, who gave her the cold shoulder, but strangers. That aroused her curiosity.
“Hey, even on such a snowy day, why must you come here?”
After learning about her arrival, Lin Nansheng trotted out to greet her.
Outside the gate, Lin Nansheng, who was handsome and had rosy lips and pretty white teeth, was helping his elder sister to get out of the carriage.
Noticing the luxurious carriage, he silently had a better impression of his brother-in-law.
“I miss you and father. Oh, what are these people doing here?”
Looking at his elder sister wrapped up like a zongzi, Lin Nansheng smiled.
“They are servants from different families. Those families prepared many gifts. After the winter solstice, it will be father’s birthday.”
His words reminded her that their father’s birthday was just round the corner.
She had been really too busy and had forgotten.
While chatting, Lin Mengya and Lin Nansheng went to the warm room in the west. It had always been her favorite paradise in winter.
Looking at the familiar items, all kinds of feelings rose in her mind.
After Shangguan Qing became her stepmother, she was often treated shabbily. Every winter, she would get only low quality charcoal in her room, and this made her room still cold and also pungent.
So she had to hide in the West Warm Room, and waited tearfully for her father and elder brother.
She was now the honorable Princess Yu. So it just goes to show that the affairs of the world are not constant, and there is no certainty about things.
When they sat down, the servants brought out all kinds of fruits and desserts, delicate and tasteful, and they were all Lin Mengya’s favorite from before.
She picked up a green bean cake, that looked like a piece of jade. Then, she found that Shangguan Qing and Lin Mengwu were not there, after she entered the room.
Both of them would usually come up and treat her like a master. But why did they stop doing this?
