Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Yun Wei sat obediently in front of the dressing table, as Fucha carefully placed a jade flower hairpin into her daughter’s neatly styled hair. Looking at Yun Wei’s sweet face in the mirror, Fucha gently reminded her, “Although you’re going with your brother, you still need to be careful.”

“Mm, mm, mm.” Yun Wei nodded repeatedly, then stood up and accepted the bright red cloak that Lu Yi handed her. She put it on, and the red embroidered riding outfit made her look even more spirited.

Lu Yi had taken over the position of the former maid, Qing Lu, who had married the only son of the family’s second steward a year ago. After the marriage, she followed her husband to their estate in Langfang, where he had been promoted to the overseer of the outer estate, and Qing Lu had become the mistress of the estate. The couple had a loving relationship, and at the time, the young man had worked very hard to marry Qing Lu.

As Yun Wei grew, the servants around her had also changed. Fucha paid great attention to her daughter’s upbringing, and Yun Wei herself chose her maids, with Fucha offering only gentle advice. Fucha was quite pleased with Yun Wei’s performance—she balanced both favor and authority, so Yun Wei’s maids rarely behaved inappropriately.

This was in contrast to Yun Lan, who was somewhat stricter. As a woman from the Qing Dynasty, Yun Lan might not openly preach equality or sisterhood to her maids, but she was less strict about disciplining them. As a result, the maids around her appeared bolder in Fucha’s eyes, as she was much more concerned with proper conduct.

The third madam of the family, Guo Luoluo, had once advised Yun Lan that changing one’s mindset was not an easy task. However, when Yun Lan became angry, she did not hesitate to act. She despised maids who betrayed their masters or attempted to seduce their way into their masters’ beds. Sometimes, without waiting for Guo Luoluo’s action, Yun Lan would dismiss the maids who had earned the favor of her father, Rongzhi, using countless excuses, which left others in awe.

“Hasn’t Sixth Sister finished dressing yet?” Yun Lan, who had been waiting outside, drank two cups of tea but still hadn’t seen Yun Wei come out. She seemed a little anxious. She couldn’t afford to be late for her meeting with Yinzhen.

“Go ahead, your Fourth Sister is already urging you,” Fucha said.

“Mother, I will bring back a wild rabbit for dinner,” Yun Wei said playfully, raising an eyebrow at Fucha. She turned and began walking out the door. Fucha, feeling a bit uneasy, called after her, “Yun Wei, remember to keep your composure. Let your beauty only be shown to those who deserve to see it.”

Yun Wei turned back with a light smile, “Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t reveal anything now.”

Fucha nodded with a smile. Yun Wei was still a candidate for the imperial selection of young women. Having the clever and beautiful Yun Lan ahead of her worked in her favor. As long as her daughter kept her appearance reserved for now, after marriage… Fucha’s lips curled up as she thought of the future—how elegant and charming Yun Wei would become, and she would be proud beyond words.

“Madam, the men in my family have gathered the information. That land is barren, and it’s very cheap. The third madam listened to Fourth Miss’s suggestion and bought a small plot, not much. The first madam also bought some, but only the second madam hasn’t made a move.”

Qi Mama was reporting on Yun Lan’s suggestion to purchase the barren land, which was said to have hot springs that could be developed into a hot spring estate. Obviously, there were doubts in the household. Though the cost wasn’t high, given the current strength of the Tong family, caution was still needed. The third madam, Guo Luoluo, bought the land to fulfill her daughter’s wish, so the amount was modest.

Fucha pondered for a moment before Qi Mama asked, “Madam, should we buy less?”

“No, we should buy more,” Fucha decisively replied, adding, “Opportunities like this are rare. If this project is successful, it could bring in a large sum of money.”

“But… but I think Fourth Miss’s suggestion may not be reliable.”

“I don’t trust her, but I trust my daughter.” Fucha took out a banknote for 5,000 taels of silver from a box and handed it to Qi Mama, giving her careful instructions. Qi Mama, holding the heavy banknote, finally reminded her, “Madam, the place with the spring… Fourth Miss doesn’t really know where it is.”

“Yun Wei knows.” Fucha’s confidence grew, and she picked up a piece of paper from the kang table. After unfolding it and glancing at it, she instructed, “Buy all the land shown on this map.”

“Is all of it near a spring?”

“Yun Wei has read many books. A few days ago, I had Cheng Wu accompany her to inspect the land in person. It won’t be wrong.”

Qi Mama carefully put away the paper and banknote, praising, “Our young miss truly has talent.”

“Don’t get too proud,” Fucha warned. “If Yun Lan hadn’t reminded her, Yun Wei wouldn’t have known. If this succeeds, Yun Lan will deserve the most credit.”

Fucha was proud of her daughter’s brilliance and would not look down on Yun Lan. Qi Mama, after a moment of careful thought, widened her eyes and whispered, “If this… Madam, this is a profit ten times, a hundred times greater.”

“You only see the silver, but you haven’t grasped the deeper meaning. The princes and dukes of the capital cannot leave without an imperial edict. Having a hot spring estate, wouldn’t that be very comfortable? Hot spring land is the best gift for future ceremonies.”

Qi Mama suddenly understood and smacked her head, saying, “I was foolish and forgot about that.”

“I didn’t think of it either, it was actually Yun Wei who mentioned it when she was helping me prepare the gift list. It seems those books weren’t read in vain.”

“Madam, should we quietly…”

“No, we can’t hide this from the eldest sister-in-law and the third sister-in-law. We must do everything openly and honestly. Even if we make money in the future, they will have nothing to say. We gave them the opportunity; they just didn’t know how to seize it.”

Fucha stood up and went to pay her respects to the old lady. At this time, the eldest sister-in-law, Jueluo, and the third sister-in-law, Guo Luoluo, were in the old lady’s room. It was most appropriate to explain things clearly in front of the old lady.

Yun Wei, Yun Lan, Jing Yi, and Cheng Wu, along with Yun Lan’s elder brother, Cheng Bin, all rode horses to the outskirts of the capital to the racetrack. The place was spacious, with scattered forests, rough terrain, and streams. It had originally been a racetrack set up by Prince Regent Dorgon. After Dorgon’s death, it fell into the hands of Shunzhi and became a royal hunting ground for the imperial family and nobility. Although it couldn’t compare to Mulan Hunting Ground, it was much closer to the capital, making it convenient.

Yun Wei pulled the reins of her red date horse, taking a deep breath. She felt very relaxed and comfortable. The beautiful scenery in front of her was very much to her liking, and not far off, there were little rabbits hopping around the nearby forest.

“Fourth sister, thank you.”

If it weren’t for Yun Lan’s invitation, she wouldn’t have been able to enter the hunting grounds. Yun Lan scanned the area and, seeing a familiar figure in the distance, smiled sweetly before saying to Yun Wei, “Sixth sister, there will be royal family members and nobility here hunting, so be careful. Don’t offend any important people…”

“I’m not worried about Sixth Sister’s temper.” Yun Lan glanced at Jing Yi, who seemed eager to jump into action, and smiled coldly in her heart. She said lightly, “Jing Yi, take care of yourself. Important people are not easy to please, and offending them for no reason will make it hard for you to say anything.”

The whip cracked across the white colt, and Yun Lan, skilled in horsemanship, caused the wind to swirl around her as it rustled the lotus-colored, embroidered cape she wore with begonia flowers. She seemed like an extraordinary begonia flower, with her eyes only focused on one person—Aisin Gioro Yinzhen.

Yun Wei watched as the two horses, one white and one red, stood close together in a tender display, as if sharing the longing of a separation. Yun Lan’s dazzling and deep gaze was visible from afar, and Yun Wei could feel the intensity in her eyes. However, Yinzhen’s face remained unclear, only his focused expression, which the sensitive Yun Wei immediately noticed.

The two of them rode side by side into the distance, as if they were the only two people in the world. Yun Lan glanced back and waved to Yun Wei, who nodded slightly. Before Yinzhen could turn his gaze towards her, Yun Wei turned her horse and he was left with nothing but her retreating figure.

“Fourth sister, I envy you for having someone you love deeply. I also wish you the fulfillment of your wishes,” Yun Wei thought, tightening the reins. “Even if the title of Fuca Jin (honorable title) is honorable, it’s not what I want.” With a click of her tongue, Yun Wei urged her horse in the opposite direction. Her horsemanship was not lacking, and as she shed her sweet and delicate demeanor, she revealed the graceful and valiant style of a noblewoman from a family of officials.

Yinzhen asked softly, “She is…?”

Yun Lan smiled proudly. “My closest sister, Tongjia Yun Wei.”

Yinzhen’s gaze returned to Yun Lan, her outstanding beauty and remarkable talent captivating him. The fact that the pure and warm-hearted Yun Lan liked him without concern for status filled Yinzhen’s heart with pride.

Yun Lan playfully blinked and softly asked, “Do you want me to introduce her? Tongjia Yun Wei is… a bit different from me…”

Yinzhen extended his hand and gently touched Yun Lan’s lips. The soft sensation made his gaze deepen, and in a low, mellow voice, he said, “That deserves a punishment.”

Yun Lan flicked the whip, urging the horse to trot forward. With a proud and confident smile at the still-dazed Yinzhen, she said, “You won’t fall for her. I am the one and only in this world.”

Yinzhen chased after Yun Lan, a smile clearly forming on his lips. Even the coldest, most indifferent person has moments of youthful infatuation.