Qingge suddenly felt an illusion of being cared for and protected. Ye Min had fed her an unknown pill, which she now strongly suspected contained the extremely precious Duzhong Royal male flower. Even Baizhi had also given her decades-old high-quality ginseng.
For a fleeting moment, she felt the warmth of being cared for. But she quickly reminded herself that it was nothing more than an illusion. Ye Min’s intentions were purely pragmatic—he wanted her to recover her strength to better protect Ning Wangfei. As for Baizhi, his actions merely signaled a lack of hostility and an attempt to extend goodwill. Yet, this was not something she could accept lightly. Sweet honey, after all, could easily hide a sharp blade.
Perhaps she had been too preoccupied with her worries, for later that evening, as Luo Momo served her dinner, the older woman suddenly remarked, “Your Highness seems uneasy.”
Qingge was slightly stunned. She slowly raised her eyes to look at Luo Momo, surprised by her perceptiveness.
The momo smiled knowingly. “It’s obvious. Did you think you could hide your thoughts from me?”
“…” Qingge sighed softly. “Luo Momo is indeed Luo Momo—you see through me at a glance.”
Luo Momo chuckled. “Experience comes with age.”
At this, Qingge nodded in agreement.
Luo Momo continued, “I suppose Your Highness is worrying about tomorrow, aren’t you?”
‘Tomorrow?’ Qingge immediately understood—tomorrow, the third master of the Xiahou clan was due to visit. Instead of refuting, Qingge deliberately let out a deep sigh, sounding a little weary. “Exactly. I’ve been worrying about it constantly, giving me a headache.”
‘Ning Wang, Ye Min, Baizhi, and all this fake identity business… What a tangled mass of frustration!’
“Actually, you don’t need to overthink it,” Luo Momo calmly stated.
‘Not overthink it?’ Qingge thought to herself. ‘The consequence of not thinking things through would be dying without a burial place.’
Luo Momo continued, “Really; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out. Just meet the situation as it comes tomorrow.”
Qingge blinked, considering this. “That… does make some sense.”
Luo Momo shook her head. “It’s not just ‘some’ sense—it’s entirely logical!”
Qingge nodded in agreement. “Yes, entirely logical.”
“I’ll tell you this,” the momo said again. “There’s no need for you to say too much tomorrow. Just respond as necessary, and if anything goes awry, I’ll be there for you.”
Qingge glanced at the momo, showing a flicker of gratitude. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
Luo Momo chuckled. “Just don’t say what shouldn’t be said.”
Qingge remained silent for a moment, then replied, “Understood.”
Luo Momo declared confidently, “Just follow my lead—”
But Qingge suddenly interrupted, “So, the Third Master Xiahou doesn’t know I’m a fake, does he?”
Luo Momo’s smile froze instantly.
Qingge continued, “I can’t help but wonder—how many people in the Xiahou clan are actually involved in this?”
Luo Momo’s gaze turned sharp and icy. “Is that a question you should be asking?”
Qingge smirked mockingly. “Why so defensive? What do you think would happen if I exposed the truth to your third master tomorrow?”
“You—!”
Watching her flustered reaction, Qingge knew her guess was correct—it seemed that most of the Xiahou clan were unaware of the deception. The real question was whether this scheme was the handiwork of Xiahou Jianxue alone, or whether it was part of a plot orchestrated by a select few within the Xiahou clan’s leadership. The two possibilities were vastly different—one was a grand conspiracy, while the other was simply the act of a young woman resisting an unwanted marriage.
“Did you forget what you are getting paid for?” Luo Momo stared at Qingge with a dark expression. “If you make any moves out of line, the Xiahou clan has plenty of ways to deal with you. Do you really think that when that happens, Ning Wang will still have any pity for you?”
Qingge glanced at her with a faint, icy smile. “He won’t.”
“That’s exactly right,” Luo Momo snapped. “The imperial court of Great Sheng, the Four Great Clans, Xiyuan, Beidi—these tangled relationships are far more complex than you can imagine. Now that you’re in the game, you’re in the same boat as us. If you want to escape unscathed, your only option—the best and only way—is to follow my lead. If things fall apart, neither the Xiahou clan nor Ning Wang will spare you.”
Qingge’s eyes held a cold glint, as chilling as a mountain stream in late autumn. But she still replied calmly, “You’re right.”
And indeed, the momo was right.
…
The next day, the third master of the Xiahou clan came to visit. Officially, this was a visit from the Xiahou clan to check on their daughter who had married into Ning Wang Manor. Along with the formal gift exchange between the two families, there were also items sent specifically for Xiahou Jianxue, sent directly to the Wangfei’s courtyard.
Early that morning, after Qingge finished dressing, she saw chests and boxes being delivered to her courtyard. Luo Momo, putting on an impeccable performance, handed Qingge the gift list for her to review.
Qingge skimmed through the list. It included the usual ceremonial gifts, such as bolts of green and purple brocade, colorful satin, gold and jade stationery, as well as regional specialties from Ganliang. These included Ganliang’s renowned tea, specialty papers, embroidered five-bone fans, snacks, and even preserved plum candy made exclusively by the Xiahou craftsmen.
After scanning the list, Qingge’s eyes fell on the plum candy. “Bring that over. I’d like to try it.”
The other items were regional specialties, but the plum candy was a simple treat. Qingge guessed it must be Xiahou Jianxue’s favorite, likely prepared by a close relative—her mother, perhaps.
Luo Momo frowned in displeasure at Qingge’s request.
This only confirmed Qingge’s suspicions—it was indeed something special from her supposed ‘family.’
Reluctantly, Luo Momo brought over the candy. It was neatly wrapped in kraft paper, folded into a perfect square, with a red paper label indicating the date it had been preserved. A red silk string tied the package securely in a cross pattern with a small knot on top.
Without hesitation, Qingge unwrapped a package and casually popped a piece into her mouth. The candy wasn’t overly sweet and carried a slight tartness with a subtle aroma of plums. After tasting one, she smiled contentedly, “Quite delicious. Keep the rest; I want to enjoy them slowly.”
Luo Momo was clearly fuming inside. She prided herself on protecting ‘her young miss,’ and seeing the plum candy prepared meticulously by Madam Xiahou now in Qingge’s hands was evidently hard for her to swallow. Still, she said nothing, instead stiffly instructing the servants to store the remaining gifts in a side room, ordering them to “handle them carefully.”
Qingge could see her intention at a glance. Luo Momo intended to stash the items away for the real ‘Xiahou Jianxue,’ lest Qingge tried to benefit from anything meant for her young miss. Yet Luo Momo didn’t seem to consider that the husband of her precious young miss had already been thoroughly used by Qingge. Ning Wang, who had never touched another woman, had given his first to her. She had already taken what mattered most.
Savoring the plum candy, Qingge relished the irony of Luo Momo’s frustration. The candy, lovingly prepared by Madam Xiahou for her beloved daughter, had fallen into her hands, just like that!
By this time, the third master of the Xiahou clan had already arrived at Ning Wang Manor. As was appropriate for in-laws, the manor had formally welcomed him with a banquet, along with generous return gifts.
After eating two pieces of plum candy, Qingge rinsed her mouth. She didn’t want to risk damaging her teeth—if a tooth broke, it would be impossible to disguise. If someone noticed both the secret guard and Ning Wangfei had the same dental issue, it would surely raise difficult questions.
Having rinsed her mouth, Qingge feigned fatigue and lay down on the bed, but in truth, she began circulating her internal aura, practicing her martial arts. She had barely completed one cycle when a servant came to report that the third master was now in the front hall speaking with Ning Wang. They would soon move to the drawing hall, and His Highness had invited the Wangfei to join them.
It was clearly an opportunity for the Wangfei to converse with her family and ease her homesickness.
Luo Momo dismissed the servants and looked Qingge over carefully before solemnly saying, “Your Highness, you must be cautious.”
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