Lin was silent for a moment, then said to Mu Qing: "Auntie must love the Emperor very much."

  Mu Qing's hands paused for a moment before continuing, "Yu Hou told me that if she had the choice, she wouldn't want to be the empress. She'd rather live a peaceful life with her family in the Wang Fu and just be a Tai Ping Wang Fei. But she also said she knows the emperor has ambitions to govern the country and bring peace, as well as the heart and strategy of a wise ruler. As his wife, she cannot stand in his way."

  Lin was silent for a moment, then said to Mu Qing: "Auntie must love the Emperor very much."

  Mu Qing's hands paused for a moment before continuing, "Yu Hou told me that if she had the choice, she wouldn't want to be the empress. She'd rather live a peaceful life with her family in the Wang Mansion as the Princess of Peace. However, she also said that she knows the Emperor has ambitions to govern the country and bring peace, and as his wife, she cannot stand in his way."

  So at that time, she clearly knew that the Lin family was taking a middle-of-the-road approach and had no intention of participating in the struggle for the throne, but she still sought the support of the Lin family for the emperor. That's why she overworked herself to death at a young age.

  Lin Xiao didn't speak again, and after a while, she asked Mu Qing: "By the way, Aunt Mu, how did you end up serving by my aunt's side?"

  Mu Qing said: "The slave was originally a palace maid serving in the palace of the former emperor's virtuous concubine. Because she made a mistake, her auntie punished her. Yuan Hou entered the palace to pay respects to Virtuous Concubine, and just as they were about to meet, Virtuous Concubine rewarded the slave to Yuan Hou."

  Lin Dai nodded and didn't say anything else.

  In the imperial palace on the other side.

  Mr. Wan walked into the inner quarters. A young eunuch came forward to take the Buddhist duster from his hand and escorted him in.

  Inside the house, two green-clad eunuchs were pressing down a blue-clad eunuch who was hung on a wooden frame, beating him with a board. The blue-clad eunuch had his mouth stuffed with cloth, tears streaming down his face, and when he saw Manager Wan enter, he lifted his head and shook it desperately, trying to speak.

  If you look carefully, that little eunuch is the one who led Lin Daiyu into the palace.

  The eunuch didn't even glance at him, but instead walked past him and entered the inner chamber to change his clothes. After slowly coming out, he sat down on a chair and said to the two young eunuchs in green attire who were flogging: "Stop."

  The little eunuch in blue finally spat out the rag from his mouth, and with tears and snot flowing together, he said: "Your Excellency, it's really the Emperor's order for me to invite Miss Lin Si..."

  "Old Master Wan said 'oh' and then asked: "Then tell me, when did the Emperor instruct you, where did he instruct you, was it in your left ear or your right ear?"

  The little eunuch in blue clothes did not answer his words, but kept crying and begging: "It was really the emperor's order to me, please spare my life, sir..."

  "Look at this, it's grown a mouth but doesn't use it to listen to the master's orders. Instead, it uses it to spout nonsense and heresy. I think there's no need to keep him around. Go, bring a pot of oil."

  The little eunuch in blue beside him said yes and went out.

  The little eunuch in blue clothes was so frightened that his face lost color, and he begged for mercy again and again: "Master, spare my life, Master, spare my life......"

  "This is the kind of thing that slaves do, always thinking they can just apologize and beg for mercy after making a mistake. A clever person wouldn't let themselves make mistakes in the first place." As he spoke, his eyes darted to the side, where the small eunuchs were standing, causing them to all bow their heads in fear.

  A young eunuch in a green robe has already brought in a scalding hot oil lamp.

  "Pour it down for me," said Wan Gong Gong.

  The blue-clad eunuch was scared and struggled to get up from the stool, wanting to run out, but was caught by two other green-clad eunuchs who pinned him to the ground, prying open his mouth with their hands. Then, the eunuch holding the oil pot poured boiling oil into his mouth.

  It seemed that the sound of scalding hot oil could still be heard in the air, and the little eunuchs in the house were so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat, as if they themselves had been scalded.

  The young eunuch in blue clothes rolled on the ground with his hands covering his mouth, making ear-piercing and heart-wrenching sounds.

  Wan Gong stood up, swept a glance at the small eunuchs in the house, and said: "I know what you're thinking, but I'm telling you, whoever it is, as long as he's not this..." He raised his finger and pointed to the sky, continuing: "isn't worth your loyalty. Don't forget that you are the emperor's slaves. Next time someone doesn't keep their mouth shut," he pointed at the blue-clad small eunuch on the ground: "this will be your fate."

  Today, someone may forge an imperial edict to curry favor with the crown prince, and tomorrow, someone will dare to reveal the emperor's whereabouts to other palace consorts or help outsiders harm the emperor. The Imperial Study and the Palace of Heavenly Purity cannot be turned into sieves in his hands.

  "Stop taking advantage of the fact that I've spoiled you all these days and dare to be reckless. When I get angry, you can't bear it. This palace is not a place for you to behave wildly..."

  *****

  The Wu Guo Gong Mansion.

  Lin Xiao walked out of the bathroom after taking a bath and saw Mu Lan waiting outside.

  Lin Xiao called her over and asked: "Have you heard what happened at Nai Nang's home?"

  Mu Lan nodded and said, "Gu Mama's brother is seriously ill and needs a hundred-year-old ginseng as a medicine guide. That day Gu Mama came to the mansion was probably to ask for medicine. However, the hundred-year-old ginseng is precious and not easily available. Although there is one in Miss's warehouse, I dare not take it privately, please let Miss decide."

  Guimei's brother, she remembered that it was he who had redeemed Guimei and her family back then. Although they were poor at the time and sold Guimei into the mansion as a maid, later on, he thought of redeeming his own sister and her family, showing that this person's nature wasn't bad after all, no wonder Guimei cared about this brother so much.

  Lin Xiao said to Mu Lan: "Send her over, after all, Gui mother has nursed me for a lifetime."

  Mulan responded with a sound, then took the key and went to the warehouse to find the ginseng. She immediately sent it over to Gu's mother. After returning, she reported back to Lin Xiang: "According to the doctor's meaning, as long as we have this ginseng, Gu Lao Da's illness will be basically cured. Moreover, Gu Lao Da himself is a medicinal herb collector and seller, so he can also prepare other medicines by himself. I also sent 50 taels of silver to Gu's mother."

  Lin Dai nodded.

  Then on the second day, Madame Gui came into the mansion again, accompanied by a 14 or 15-year-old delicate girl.

  "Miss, I'm deeply grateful for your kindness. I have nothing to repay you with, so let my daughter serve by your side and repay your kindness on my behalf."

  Lin Dai blew on the tea in her bowl, took a sip, and then said: "Nanny, I'm helping you not for your gratitude, I don't lack people serving me by my side."

  Guī māma knelt down and said to Lín Xiǎo: "Please accept her, miss. Although I am not a great virtuous person, I also know how to repay kindness. My daughter may not have any other skills, but she has followed the doctor for several years learning medical skills, and she has read some medical books herself, so she has some accomplishments in medicine. I know that the family you are marrying into is extraordinary, with her by your side watching over you, she can ward off some evil spirits."

  Lin Xiao thought for a moment, then looked at the girl beside Gu's mother and asked her: "Are you willing to follow me?"

  She looked at Lin Xiao and said, "Miss saved my uncle, which means she saved our whole family. I am willing to follow Miss and repay her great kindness." She thought for a moment and continued, "I will be forever loyal to Miss, devoted to Miss, if Miss lives, I live, and even in death, I will make sure Miss lives."

  Lin Xiao smiled and thought this girl was quite interesting.

  Lin Daiyu asked Gu's mother again: "Are you really willing to let her serve me? It's very likely that you won't see each other again in the future."

  Guī māma bowed her head to the ground and said: "Please, miss, accept her."

  Lin Dai nodded and said to them: "You can get up first."

  When she woke up, Lin Xiao asked her again: "What's your name."

  The girl said: "Cloud."

  Yun'er, she remembered that Wu Guifei's maiden name in the palace was Wu Yun. If she were to follow her into the palace, then she would no longer be able to use this name.

  Lin Daodao said, "A name is given by one's parents and should not be changed lightly. However, this name will clash with that of a noble person. If you want to serve by my side, you cannot continue to use this name. Let me change it for you." After thinking for a moment, he pointed at Mu Lan and Mu Zhi, saying, "You can follow Mu Zhi and Mu Lan, and be called Mu Ye."

  Mu Ye knelt down and said: "Mu Ye thanks Miss for giving him a name."

  She nodded and said, "You don't have to rush into the mansion to serve me. First go back to your own home, spend quality time with your mother and uncle, cherish this moment, and after the New Year, you can come to my side again."

  Mu Ye nodded in agreement.

  After Winter Solstice, it's Laba Festival. After Laba Festival, then comes Spring Festival.

  Before the end of the year, Lin He and the Emperor's wedding had finally completed the three rituals of Najie, Nazheng, and Qingqi. The Ministry of Rites set the date for the grand wedding between the Emperor and Empress in March next year.

  Lin He's birthday is in February. That is, after Lin He finishes her hairpinning ceremony next year, the emperor and empress will get married immediately afterwards.

  This can be considered a happy event, but before New Year's Day, something unpleasant happened in the Lin family.

  The incident began with Madame Jiang, the wife of Marquis Zhongshan, taking a hairpin and a handkerchief to the door, where she had a half-day conversation with Mrs. Li in Foning Hall, after which Madame Jiang left behind the hairpin and handkerchief and departed.

  Li came out of the house and was furious. He ordered the maid: "Get Lin Sao over here for me."

  After Dai Lin came, she threw the hairpin with her name on it and the handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers at her, scolding: "Look at the good thing you've done, do you still know shame as a girl?"

  Lin Ge however, had a look of not knowing what was happening, knelt down in grievance and tearfully said: "Mother, before you punish me, shouldn't you let me know what happened? I really don't know what I did to make you so angry."

  "Pointing at her with anger, 'You're still pretending to be innocent here. I'm asking you, what good deed did you do in Qingliang Temple? I don't expect you to take responsibility for the Lin family like Yuanyuan, but you shouldn't frame them either. Can you justify your actions to your father?"

  Lin Ge cried, "What did my daughter do at the Qingliang Temple? My daughter has always been well-behaved and accompanied her aunt to recite scriptures and pray for blessings, seeking superlatives for her father and elder brother, and praying for good fortune for her mother and second and third brothers. There was never a single place where she was not well-behaved. How could you question my daughter's innocence because of someone else's casual words?"