The noble girl is beautiful.

The sky was a deep blue, with an orange and black crab-shaped kite flying overhead, looking quite odd.

Du Juan came to find Shen Yourong and saw her still sitting on a wooden stump under the osmanthus tree. She approached and asked, “What are you looking at, Miss?”

“Looking at the kite in the sky,” Shen Yourong replied, “We have kites made in spring at home too.”

Du Juan smiled, “Once we go back home, we can play with them to our heart’s content.”

Shen Yourong smiled slightly. Du Juan helped her up and said, “Miss Zheng has already gone, let’s head back. This place is quiet; we wouldn’t want anyone to disturb you.”

Shen Yourong looked away and said, “Alright.”
They left the osmanthus grove and walked along the path towards the lake. Suddenly, a loud “splash” was heard from the lake, followed by cries from servants and maids.

“Help! Someone has fallen into the water!”

Shen Yourong stopped, looking towards the commotion. Du Juan quickly shielded her.

In no time, all the servants and guards from the estate were swimming towards the lake, and even the young masters and ladies from the garden gathered to watch.

Shen Yourong approached and saw Ji Zhuo among the crowd. He stood tall and calm, gazing at the noisy lake.

She clenched her handkerchief, feeling a sudden sense of panic.

Shen Qinghan arrived, standing beside Shen Yourong, looking anxious, “Sister.”

Shen Yourong furrowed her brow, “Where is Qingyan?”

Shen Qinghan pointed across the lake, “Over there.”

Shen Qingyan was among the crowd, looking unwell.

Seeing her safe, Shen Yourong felt slightly relieved and asked, “Who fell into the lake?”

Shen Qinghan whispered, “It’s said to be a young lady from the Anguo duke’s family.”

Lu Yanzhi—Shen Yourong’s heart sank.

On the shore, everyone anxiously waited. Suddenly, a man emerged from the lake carrying an unconscious girl. Those waiting on the shore immediately wrapped the girl in a cloak and hurried to call a doctor.

“Fourth Prince saved Miss Lu!”

“He saved her! Quickly, call a doctor!”

Shen Yourong and Shen Qinghan exchanged worried glances.

The banquet ended abruptly. Shen Yourong and her companions sat in the carriage home, discussing the day’s events. Shen Qinghan asked, “How did Miss Lu fall into the water? Was it an accident or something else?”

Shen Qingyan suddenly spoke up, “Miss Zheng and she crossed paths and had a disagreement. I don’t know how it happened, but she fell into the water.”

Shen Yourong looked at Shen Qingyan, “Fortunately, the Fourth Prince was nearby, and she was unharmed.”

“She wasn’t saved by the Fourth Prince,” Shen Qingyan suddenly said.

Shen Yourong and Shen Qinghan exchanged another look and asked, “What do you mean?”

Shen Qingyan pressed her lips together, “After I parted with the Fourth Prince, I heard someone had fallen into the water. I looked over and saw the Fourth Prince also fell in. He knows how to swim, and Miss Lu got closer to him. Eventually, they ended up together in the water. Later, I saw someone else pull Miss Lu out of the lake, but the Fourth Prince was nearby, so someone said the Fourth Prince saved Miss Lu.”

This made things interesting. Shen Yourong pondered, then heard Shen Qingyan ask, “Sister, if the Fourth Prince saved Miss Lu, does that mean he will marry her?”

Shen Yourong pursed her lips, not deceiving her, “Miss Lu lost her reputation because of the incident. Her only option is to marry him.”

Shen Qingyan’s face twisted for a moment, “In my opinion, perhaps Miss Lu set this up from the beginning, just to marry him!”

Shen Yourong’s expression turned serious, “Qingyan, this matter is not yet conclusive. Miss Lu may be the victim; you shouldn’t speak of her like this.”

Shen Qingyan paused, her resentment disappearing, leaving only guilt and worry, “I understand.”

That night, rain fell, the autumn rain stripping the flowers and leaves from the branches, turning the plants to autumn hues overnight. Recently, Lady Yang had fallen ill, and Shen Yourong and Shen Qinghan were handling the household affairs together. They were preparing to distribute the provisions for making clothes. Shen Qinghan, having learned a lot from her mother, was doing a good job for her first attempt.

They had put away the accounts when a red lacquered food box was brought from the small kitchen. Inside were some pastries: a plate of He Huan cakes, a plate of crab meat cakes, a serving of pearl dumplings, and two bowls of rock candy bird’s nest.

Shen Yourong took a piece of cake and saw Hua Mei returning with a package wrapped in a handkerchief. She asked, “What’s in the package?”

Hua Mei came in and unwrapped the package to show her, revealing a bundle of maple leaves, brilliantly red.

Shen Qinghan took a leaf and said, “Another autumn has arrived. Last autumn, Third sister painted on maple leaves and strung them with colorful threads; they were very beautiful.”

Shen Yourong asked, “Where is she?”

Hua Mei replied, “she came in looking unhappy and has been staying in the yard, not wanting to come out.”

Shen Yourong and Shen Qinghan exchanged a look and instructed Hua Mei, “Go personally invite her to come and play here.”

“Yes.”

Hua Mei left, and soon Shen Qingyan arrived, dressed in an old, worn silk robe, her face without makeup, looking very plain.

Shen Yourong was displeased, “Look at you, in such a state. The matter isn’t settled yet, and you’ve already made yourself so haggard.”

Shen Qinghan made a space for her and said, “don’t be so gloomy; it’s bad for your health.”

Shen Qingyan forced a smile and sighed, “It’s not just about him; I’ve been feeling unwell these past few days.”

Seeing this, Shen Yourong instructed, “Go ask the kitchen to make a bowl of milk tea. Qingyan likes that, it should be warm and sweet.”

Shen Qingyan smiled at her, “What are you doing?”

“We were just doing the accounts, some mundane matters,” Shen Yourong replied. “I mentioned before that I wanted to make a kite. It only has the paper frame now. If you have time, could you paint a swallow on it?”

“Sure.” Shen Qingyan agreed, and Shen Yourong immediately instructed to prepare the brush and ink. Shen Qinghan went to watch her paint.

The sisters spent an afternoon together, and Shen Qingyan cheered up, proudly presenting her painted swallow to Shen Yourong.

“It’s really beautiful,” Shen Yourong said. “What kind of reward do you want?”

Shen Qingyan smiled, “Elder Sister is so generous. If there’s anything you like, just reward me with two pieces.”

Shen Yourong laughed, opened her jewelry box, and took out a pair of emerald-inlaid beaded tassel hairpins, giving one to her and the other to Shen Qinghan.

“This is a piece of inner court jewelry. I don’t have many, so take good care of them.”

Shen Qingyan immediately performed a proper curtsy, “Thank you, Elder Sister.”

The four of them smiled together.

The autumn wind was bleak. In the palace’s Hall, the Emperor sat at the head, with the Duke of Anguo, the Duke of Qi, several senior scholars, and Inspector Zheng present. The Fourth Prince knelt in the hall, enduring the Emperor’s reprimand.

The Emperor was angry at his reckless actions that harmed a young lady’s reputation. The Duke of Anguo intervened politely, “If it weren’t for the Fourth Prince’s rescue, my daughter might not have survived. I thank the Fourth Prince here.”

Shen Shuo stood beside Inspector Zheng, observing his increasingly pale face. The incident of the fall into the water was originally planned by the Fourth Prince to marry the Zheng family’s daughter, but was interrupted by Lu Yanzhi. With the Fourth Prince’s plans thwarted, Inspector Zheng was naturally displeased.

The Emperor took a sip of tea to calm down. He was truly angry, not just about Ji Chengyao’s schemes, but about the whole situation being mishandled.

The Duke of Anguo stepped forward, kneeling and saying, “Given the current situation, I ask the Emperor to show mercy and grant my daughter a way out.”

His posture was humble, and even the Emperor had to treat him with respect.

“Your Grace, please,” the Emperor said, instructing someone to help him up, “What do the others think of this matter?”

Scholar Zhang, who was in agreement with the Duke of Anguo, immediately spoke, “In my opinion, since Miss Lu and the Fourth Prince are of similar age and she is a legitimate daughter of a Duke, it would be fitting to match them and make a divine union.”

The Duke of Qi’s expression soured immediately, and seeing this, Scholar Qi said, “But the Fourth Prince was previously betrothed to the Duke of Qi’s daughter, so…”

“That doesn’t matter,” Scholar Zhang said, “The Duke of Qi’s daughter was only betrothed as a secondary consort.”

Scholar Zhang smiled, “According to Zhang’s opinion, the Duke of Qi is not as good as the Duke of Anguo, and the Shen family’s daughter is not as good as Miss Lu.”

“I didn’t mean that. Don’t make false accusations, Qi Scholar.”

The Duke of Qi was silent for a long time before speaking, “Your Majesty, I know my daughter’s behavior is unruly and stubborn. Since there is a good match available, I request the Emperor to annul the betrothal between my daughter and the Fourth Prince.”

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince immediately objected, “No! Your Majesty, this is unacceptable!”

The Emperor, hoping to stabilize the Duke of Qi who held military power, and the Fourth Prince, hoping to win the Duke of Qi’s favor, did not want to give the Duke too much face. Thus, the Shen family’s daughter had to be the secondary consort.

After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor smiled, “You speak well. Your third daughter and my son are deeply in love. Don’t make us break them up.”

The Duke of Qi’s face turned ashen. The news that Shen Qingyan and Ji Chengyao had a private relationship was not something to be proud of.

Shen Shuo suddenly spoke up, “Since my sister and the Fourth Prince have a deep bond, why bring in a third party to cause discord between them? This matter is both unjust and unreasonable. Please, Your Majesty, make a fair judgment.”

The Duke of Anguo immediately added, “Your Highness, your daughter is only a secondary consort; how can the Fourth Prince not marry a principal consort?”

Scholar Zhang in the corner stoked the flames, “There’s nothing difficult about it. Since the Shen family’s daughter and the Fourth Prince are in love, and she is also the daughter of a Duke, why shouldn’t she be the principal consort?”

The hall erupted into heated arguments among the senior officials, each side fiercely debating.

In the end, the Emperor decreed that the daughter of the Duke of Anguo would be made the principal consort, while the daughter of the Duke of Qi would be a secondary consort, enjoying the rank of principal consort.

Everyone thanked him. As the Emperor left, the officials slowly departed, ignoring each other.

The Duke of Anguo stayed close to the Fourth Prince, his demeanor less than warm but still polite. Ji Chengyao bowed, “Don’t worry, Duke Anguo. Since Miss Lu will be my principal consort, I will treat and respect her well.”

He finally showed a smile, “My daughter’s birthday is in a few days. If the Fourth Prince is free, you may visit.”

The Fourth Prince quickly replied, “I will certainly come.”

On the other side, a eunuch approached the Duke of Qi, saying that the Emperor had granted him a chance to see the Empress, and asked him to wait.

“I’ll take my uncle there,” Ji Chengyao said to the eunuch, “I’m also going to visit my mother.”

The eunuch soon left, and Ji Chengyao stood by the Duke of Qi’s side, sighing, “By chance, this is an unexpected turn of events.”

The Duke of Qi’s expression softened a bit, “It’s not just that; Third Miss will be heartbroken when she hears this.”

Ji Chengyao fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “I will treat her well and not let her suffer.”

The outside world’s upheavals were unknown to the girls in the estate. That night, Shen Qingyan wanted to sleep with Shen Yourong, feeling troubled and looking for someone to talk to.

Hua Mei was busy preparing the bed in the inner room. Shen Yourong and Shen Qingyan were sitting on the bed, removing their makeup. The mirror revealed Shen Qingyan’s bright face, and Shen Yourong sat behind her, combing her hair.

“You look like a lovesick maiden now, quite unlike the spirited Third Miss,” Shen Yourong said slowly, “Emotions can be deeply harmful.”

Shen Qingyan smiled faintly, then sighed, “I don’t even like myself in this state.”

She took Shen Yourong’s hand and asked, “Sister, do you think the Fourth Prince is a good match?”

Shen Yourong hesitated, “Do you have doubts about him now?”

She sighed, “I know I shouldn’t doubt him so easily, but some past events make me feel differently.”

She was not foolish; in fact, she was quite perceptive, and some things, when contemplated, can’t stand up to scrutiny.

Shen Yourong was silent, unsure of how to respond.

Suddenly, Hua Mei burst in, “The Emperor has decided the Fourth Prince will be betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Anguo.”

Shen Qingyan was stunned, feeling as if a string in her heart snapped.

Hua Mei had been informed by Shen Shuo. She knew about the Fourth Prince’s plans, the Zheng family’s involvement, and how the Duke of Anguo had intervened.

“Is there a misunderstanding?” Shen Qingyan’s voice was strained as she looked at Shen Yourong.

Shen Yourong remained silent, just looking at her.

From Ji Chengyao’s perspective, Shen Qingyan quickly understood the reasons behind his actions.

Shen Yourong watched as her disbelief turned into silence, then to reddened eyes. She looked at Shen Yourong with tears in her eyes, “So, he really was deceiving me.”