They spent some more time studying the box. Thereafter, Lin Mengya followed Qinghu back to the prince"s mansion.
By the time they arrived, Baisu had been waiting at the back gate, for some time already.
Lin Mengya returned to her room secretly, under Baisu"s cover.
At this moment, Baiji was tossing and turning on the bed, unable to fall asleep.
She was restless and anxious, fearing that her mistress had been found out, since she was taking so long to come back.
Suddenly, a dark, shadowy figure appeared by her bed.
Baizhi suppressed her urge to scream. She reached out a trembling to lift up the netting.
She spotted a pair of shoes embroidered with peony flowers, and her heart was finally at ease.
"Master, you almost scared me to death by making fun of me!"
When she lifted the bednet, a smiling Lin Mengya, clad in a dark cape, appeared.
"I was just playing a joke. I promise I won"t do it again, Elder Sister Baiji!"
Baiji stared at Lin Mengya accusingly, yet at the next moment, she burst out laughing.
Over time, the relationship between them had progressed beyond that of a master and her servant.
"Get into the bed quickly. It"s a cold night and the bed will keep you warm."
Baiji quickly helped Lin Mengya get changed, and the master-servant pair got onto the bed and started chatting, under the blanket.
"Master, why is your body feel so cold? Winter is not even here yet."
Baiji rubbed her feet against Lin Mengya"s feet, to keep her warm, as it pained her to know that she was cold. Baiji was especially attentive to the needs of the people in the courtyard. It was because she used to mother her younger siblings, back home.
"I suppose it"s my body"s disposition. Oh yes, Baiji, who else do you have back home?"
While she needed someone to manage the pharmacy, it had to be someone faithful and trustworthy enough, because of her special ident.i.ty.
Even since Baiji joined them in the courtyard, she had contributed much to the work, with her hardworking and steadfast character.
Lin Mengya had long considered her as one of her family, and she believed that the family who raised such a wonderful daughter, must be remarkable too.
"I have my father, mother, a younger sister and two younger brothers, at home."
Her family background had been clearly stated in the contract, when she was sold to Prince Yu"s Mansion.
If not for the prolonged famine over a period of a few years, she would not have been sold into slavery.
Fortunately, she had been sold into a kind family to serve a master, who treated her like a sister.
"What do your parents do?"
Without thinking too much into Lin Mengya"s questions, Baiji answered them, honestly.
"When my father was young, he used to work as a steward for a large family. My mother was the head seamstress in an embroidery shop. However, as she aged and became less capable, she was dismissed from her job."
From this piece of information, it seemed that the relationship between an employer and his employee was not a secure one, unlike in the olden days.
There was not much job security, and once people grew old, their lives became rather pathetic.
"I"ve acquired a piece of land outside, to do some business. Firstly, it can provide us with some allowance, and secondly, we can use the profit as your dowry. I don"t feel comfortable letting other people manage the shop. Can you ask your parents to come and meet me in a few days" time? I"ll see whether they are suitable to manage the shop for me. What do you think?"
Baiji was stunned when she heard Lin Mengya"s words.
Staring at her master in shock, Baiji was at a loss for words.
"But Master, my parents are getting old and my siblings are still immature and not that sensible yet. What if---"
"Don"t worry, I know I can trust you, and in turn trust your family. I can"t expect much from Baisu and Baizhi. As for Baishao, ask her tomorrow, on my behalf, if she has any family members who need work. Get them to come to me, so I can make a decision."
Lin Mengya"s voice trailed off, as she spoke.
Before Baiji could respond, she realized that her master had dozed off.
Baiji smiled and shook her head.
Her master appeared to be an extremely shrewd woman.
However, sometimes, she also behaved like a little child.
As she carefully covered her master with the blanket, she was filled with inexpressible grat.i.tude for Lin Mengya"s kindness towards her.
She must have offered up the best incense to the G.o.ds in her previous life, to have such a kind master in this life.
It was late autumn, and the weather was turning colder each day.
However, for some unknown reason, the chrysanthemum flowers in Lin Mengya"s garden were still in full bloom.
Every day, Concubine De would visit their courtyard, to enjoy the sight of the beautiful flowers.
"Greetings of peace to Concubine De."
The moment Concubine De arrived at the courtyard, Lin Mengya"s four maidservants quickly came up to her to welcome her, and to pay their respects to her.
"Sigh, the Liuxin Courtyard is filled with beautiful flowers, as well as beautiful girls. Behold these four maids, Jinyue. Don"t they look like us when we were young?"
The more Concubine De grew fond of Lin Mengya, the more the people in the Liuxin Courtyard, gained favor from her.
"You are generous with your praises. These four maids are indeed pretty, but they are nowhere close to how you were in the past!"
In fact, Jinyue was secretly glad, when she looked at these four maidservants.
They had turned out to be fine ladies, under Lin Mengya"s guidance and nurturing.
Their dressing and the mannerisms by which they conducted themselves, were even more elegant than the daughters of some reputable families.
Jinyue looked around, but the master of the courtyard was nowhere to be seen.
"Baiji, where"s your master? Why do I not see her? She is always the first to rush out to welcome Concubine De!"
Concubine De glanced up and found that Lin Mengya was indeed, nowhere in sight.
"In response to your question, it"s because it will be the chrysanthemum flower festival tomorrow. Princess Yu thinks that just looking at the flowers would be too uninteresting and would disappoint your good intentions. She is preparing something more interesting, and she wants it to be a surprise for you."
Baiji replied politely.
Concubine De and Jinyue exchanged looks, as they wondered what the princess had up her sleeves.
"Oh? What"s new? Tell it to us."
Concubine De"s curiosity was aroused immediately. However, Lin Mengya had instructed her four maidservants to keep it a secret, so they refused to reveal it, but said that Concubine De had to find out personally.
"Alright, I"m coming to have a look. This la.s.s is getting cheekier each day."
Although the relationship between them was that of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Concubine De was more intimate with Lin Mengya, than with her own son, Long Tianhao.
Just as she entered the inner court of the Liuxin Courtyard, they saw Long Tianhao holding Lin Mengya in his arms. Everyone was shocked by this scene.
"What are you doing, just standing there?"
An embarra.s.sed looked flashed across Jinyue"s eyes.
To her, it was not appropriate for the prince and his princess to behave so intimately before the eyes of so many people.
This was scandalous, breaching decorum.
"Mother! Please ask him to put me down!"
Lin Mengya tried to struggle free from Long Tianhao. What happened was, as she was trying to hang something, while climbing up, she lost her balance and fell.
Unexpectedly, Long Tianhao rushed up on time to catch her and thereafter, kept her in his arms.
What was even more unexpected was that he had caught her at exactly the right angle.
At that moment, their lips came into contact.
It was only at this moment that they were surrounded by their servants, but things had happened too quickly for them to react.
At this instant, she was blushing deeply.
"Be careful not to injure yourself."
Although it was only a light peck on the lips, Long Tianhao"s heart was pounding away crazily.
Lin Mengya"s breath had been so deliciously sweet.
It was as if an electrical current had run through him.
"I"m alright."
The two of them faced each other, both awkward and silent.
Nevertheless, the eyes of the spectators softened at this sight.
"Sigh, the two of you are like kids!" commented Concubine, as she walked up to them.
Having been through this herself, she understood this sweet, romantic feeling between a boy and a girl.
Yet being part of the royal family, marriages were usually just bargaining chips, as well as fetters.
Life would be worth living if there happened to be true feelings at all.
She was undoubtedly very fond of Ya"er, but she was surprised that Yu"er shared her sentiments.
"Greetings of peace to Mother. Just now... just now I fell down from the ladder, and the prince saved me."
A deeply, blushing Lin Mengya was trying to explain herself, but was in fact making matters worse.
"So he saved you, erm, that"s good. I heard that you"ve come out with some creative ideas. What is this little brain of yours thinking about?"
Concubine De quickly changed the topic to help them out of this situation, as she shot a glance at Long Tianhao.
Long Tianhao quickly stepped aside, so as to direct his wife to his mother.
"I thought a regular banquet would be rather uninteresting. I was thinking of holding a guessing game, while wearing masks."
"A guessing game wearing masks? " A puzzled look appeared on both Concubine De and Long Tianhao"s face.
"Where on earth did she get the idea from?"
Concubine De and Long Tianhao finally understood what Lin Mengya meant, after she explained it to them.
Every guest attending the banquet had to put on a mask, made by Lin Mengya.
In this way, no one would know each other"s ident.i.ty.
If no one knew the ident.i.ty of the other, everyone would able to enjoy the fun better.
As for the guessing game, it was more to align with the usual practices during the Mid-autumn Festival.
During that time, Lin Mengya would set various kinds of questions, regarding the chrysanthemum flowers of the Mid-autumn Festival.
Whoever was able to answer the most questions, would get a prize.
The reason for holding such a banquet was because Lin Mengya felt that Concubine De was under so much constraint, during normal days.
Being a concubine to the emperor, she would only hear people talking to her in a respectful way.
She would never be able to have this sort of fun.
"This... I fear would not be appropriate. What if someone offends Concubine De?" Jinyue said, looking worried.
Concubine De was respected by virtue of her status, and no one should treat her rudely.
"Rest a.s.sured, Aunt Jinyue. During that time, the male and female guests would be segregated. Even if everyone is wearing a mask, there would not be any problem telling a male guest from a female guest. I will stay by Concubine De"s side to accompany her, so that there"s no chance of anyone being rude to her."
Lin Mengya merely wanted to be a spectator to watch the event. She had planned to hide in a corner with Concubine De, and watch the people entertaining themselves.
This was meant to first, to tell people apart from one another.
All the people from her courtyard, would not be wearing any masks.
However, all the guests together with their servants, would be required to put on the clothes she had specially prepared.
It would only take one look for her to tell if someone was from her courtyard, or from the outside, so no one would be able to pa.s.s off as someone else.
In addition, all the partic.i.p.ants had to have a motif, designed by her, stamped on their hands.
There would be no room for confusion.
"Hm, sounds like an amazing idea. What do you think, Yu"er?"
All of a sudden, Concubine De directed her question at Long Tianhao.
Normally, Long Tianhao would reply Concubine De"s question, no matter how detached he was.
However, she waited for a long time, to no avail. Long Tianhao remained silent.
"Yu"er, Yu"er? Mother is asking you a question!"
Concubine De turned around and realized that her son was in a daze, while his eyes were fixed on her daughter-in-law!