Chapter 13: Release Them!

Chapter 13: Release Them!

Princess Minglan, preoccupied with her thoughts, quickly sketched the outline of a mountain villa before losing interest.

From time to time, she would rest her chin on her hand and glance at Cheng Yian. Indeed, she was a graceful young lady, with a straight waistline and an elegant sitting posture. Her skirt flared like petals, clustering her into a delicate, vibrant flower, quite pleasing to the eye. What was even more remarkable was her bright, clear eyes gazing up at her without a trace of fear.

This was rare.

"Young lady, you are quite bold, daring to look at me like this," Princess Minglan remarked.

Cheng Yian chuckled softly, "Your Highness's skin is as smooth as jade, and I couldn't help but be captivated."

"Flattery," Princess Minglan snorted lightly, though she was inwardly pleased. Regardless of age, women care most about their appearance, especially Princess Minglan, who was still fervently seeking a partner.

Princess Minglan was already in her forties, her hair styled in a high "Lingyun" bun, her black eyebrows sharply defined, extending deep into her temples. Her phoenix eyes were narrow and deep, exuding a sharp, commanding aura. Her skin was naturally fair, but age had begun to show, with wrinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes.

"However," she said, tired of hearing too much flattery, she pointed her brush towards Cheng Yian's forehead, "No matter how beautiful my skin is, it cannot compare to a young girl like you."

Fresh and tender, like a peeled hard-boiled egg.

Princess Minglan had also been young once. Remembering her most beautiful years, which she had not spent with the man she loved, a wave of desolation filled her eyes.

Such a comment would have made others nervous, unsure how to respond, but Cheng Yian saw it as an opportunity.

"Really?" she smiled, touching her own cheek as if in disbelief, "That's because I often use a rose dew called 'Five Whites Powder.'"

Cheng Yian had a reason for saying this.

Every year, the royal family held a grand sacrificial ceremony at year-end, presided over by Cheng Mingyu, the highest official in the court. This was the only time Princess Minglan could legitimately see Cheng Mingyu each year. Watching the nearly fifty-year-old man stand tall in his crimson robes, still as dashing as ever, Princess Minglan would murmur in a daze, "Cheng's charm remains, but I have aged."

Since then, Princess Minglan had ordered people to seek out methods to preserve her beauty, almost to the point of obsession.

For a woman with no children, solely pursuing the man she loves, her appearance was her lifeline.

In her previous life, Cheng Yian had run a fragrance shop in Yizhou, specializing in this very business. She had skilled artisans who developed many formulas, which sold very well locally.

The Five Whites Powder rose dew was one of them.

Sure enough, Princess Minglan's interest was piqued.

"Rose dew?"

Princess Minglan thought for a moment, "I have many such items, but none seem to have such miraculous effects."

"That depends on the formula. My formula is different from others. If Your Highness is interested, I can prepare it for you right now."

Since they were just sitting around, Princess Minglan waved her hand indifferently, "Go ahead."

Cheng Yian then requested the steward to prepare writing materials for her. She wrote down a list of floral ingredients on the spot and had people gather them. The servants of Princess Minglan's residence were constantly busy with such tasks, and the ingredients were readily available, the best in the entire Great Jin Dynasty. Most of the floral ingredients were already in the residence, and those that weren't were quickly purchased from outside shops. Within half an hour, everything was prepared.

Cheng Yian took the opportunity to request the assistance of her maids, Ru Lan and Ru Hui. The steward understood and ordered their release.

Ru Hui and Ru Lan were clearly intimidated by Princess Minglan's presence. They entered with tears in the corners of their eyes, tiptoeing and trembling. Cheng Yian quickly signaled them with her eyes to stay calm and not to upset Princess Minglan.

At this point, Ru Lan and Ru Hui didn't really know how to make the dew. Cheng Yian was merely using this as an excuse to free them. This bottle of fragrance had to succeed; there was no room for failure. Cheng Yian dared not be careless and, using the excuse that it was getting late and they shouldn't delay, borrowed some help from the steward.

The maids in Princess Minglan's fragrance chamber were clever and skilled, allowing Cheng Yian to avoid lifting a finger herself. She personally measured and prepared each floral ingredient, then handed them to the maids for pounding and straining.

Ten qian (a traditional Chinese unit of weight) of calamus flower dew, half a cup of rainwater collected before the Qingming Festival, and ten qian of dew collected on the day of Liqiu—these were items that ordinary households might not have, but Princess Minglan's residence had dedicated personnel collecting flower dew daily, so these were readily available. Additionally, twelve liang of rose petals, five liang of white chrysanthemum (the finest kind, with petals as large as parasols and stems bursting with vitality), as well as five qian each of white atractylodes, white peony root, white poria, bletilla rhizome, and angelica root, plus an extremely precious ten grams of white silkworm, completed the recipe.

Of course, Cheng Yian had more refined recipes, but given the urgency, she had to make do with what was at hand.

The ingredients were placed in a set of small celadon dishes from Changsha kilns. Some were boiled, some were pounded, some were strained, and finally, everything was brought before Cheng Yian.

The recipe for the Five Whites Powder was not unfamiliar to Princess Minglan, and the scene of pounding herbs was something she had seen countless times. However, the sight of a beautiful woman rolling up her sleeves, revealing a fair arm and delicate, nimble fingers, was still a delight.

The recipe for the Five Whites Powder had been passed down from ancient times, and Cheng Yian knew that it wouldn't particularly impress Princess Minglan. She quietly called Ru Hui over and instructed her to fetch something from the Lu residence.

About half an hour later, all the floral dew and medicinal juices had been prepared, and Ru Hui returned with the treasure—a green olive oil. Thanks to her recent leisure time, she had purchased some green olives and made a bottle of oil at her own residence. The pulp and oil were mixed together and stored in a small brown glass bottle. After several days of settling, only a small amount of golden oil remained at the bottom.

This was Cheng Yian's ace in the hole.

She mixed the rose dew and Five Whites medicinal water into a transparent glass bottle, then added the golden oil. When she stirred it with a spoon, it cascaded like liquid gold, a truly mesmerizing sight.

Once the rose oil dew was prepared, it wasn't immediately tested on Princess Minglan's face. The steward called over a female official, and Cheng Yian had the maids apply a thick layer of the oil dew to the official's face. After the time it took to burn an incense stick, they washed her face, and the official's skin felt cool and noticeably fairer. Moreover, her hands felt like freshly peeled lychees, so dewy and exquisite that it was astonishing.

Without hesitation, the servants brought a reclining chair and laid out a cozy fur blanket. Princess Minglan lay down, and this time Cheng Yian personally attended to her, applying the facial treatment. Another incense stick's worth of time passed.

Everyone helped Princess Minglan clean up, and when she touched her face, it felt as tender as dew-kissed petals. Seeing the awe in everyone's eyes, Princess Minglan knew the results were extraordinary.

"Young lady, you do have some skill," Princess Minglan remarked.

Cheng Yian smiled gently, "If Your Highness is pleased, it is my fortune." She then presented the recipe she had just written with both hands.

"Your Highness, the recipe for the Five Whites Rose Essential Oil Dew is here. You can follow this to prepare it daily. Apply it once a day, and within a month, you will surely retain a youthful appearance."

The promise of eternal youth was an exaggeration, but rejuvenation within a month was not impossible.

Princess Minglan, pleased with Cheng Yian's tact, was satisfied.

She liked clever and perceptive young women.

She glanced at the steward, signaling him to accept the recipe, then asked Cheng Yian, "Child, what is your name?"

Cheng Yian replied, "I am of the Yi generation, and my given name is 'An.'"

"An An," Princess Minglan repeated, praising the name. She thought it wouldn't be fair to leave her unrewarded and, pressing her fingertips to her brow, pondered, "I own dozens of shops in the markets of the capital. Consider this recipe as your share. When the profits come in, I will share them with you."

This was an unexpected bonus.

Running shops was exhausting and time-consuming, with the need to manage inventory, sales, and wages. In her past life, she had worked herself to the bone managing her family's business, turning herself into a haggard woman. Now, with Princess Minglan as her backer, she could sit back and collect profits. How wonderful!

This is how people are—when you give a little, I give a little, and the path becomes wider.

Cheng Yian shyly expressed her gratitude.

Princess Minglan nodded calmly.

In truth, the matter was now satisfactorily resolved. By offering her a share in the business, Princess Minglan could no longer trouble this young woman. As for that man, Princess Minglan held no expectations. She knew all too well that he would not come. In the thirty years she had known him, the number of times he had spoken to her could be counted on one hand. He was a man of noble character, offering a distant bow before leaving.

This wasn't the first time she had troubled the Cheng family. Had he ever shown up?

Never.

She merely submitted a petition to the emperor's desk, asking the emperor to order her to release the person, without stirring any emotions.

Knowing it was futile, why did she still do it?

Maybe because if she was miserable, she wanted him to be miserable too.

A cold wind blew, gently lifting a corner of the curtain. The large front courtyard stood empty and silent, the last traces of sunset had vanished, and the sky was about to darken. It was time to send the girl back home... The princess slowly straightened up from her seat, her eyes shadowed with deep loneliness.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the steps,

"Your Highness!"

It was the voice of the head guard of the princess's residence, urgent and excited.

The princess frowned, displeased by his abruptness as she raised her eyes.

The guard carefully presented something,

"Your... Your Highness, a letter from Cheng Mingyu, the head of the Censorate."

The princess was stunned for a moment, "Which Cheng Mingyu!"

Was she confused? Who else could it possibly be?

The guard quickly said, "Of course, it's Cheng Mingyu, the head of the Censorate!"

A plain envelope was handed to the princess, who stood there in a daze, not yet reacting. The letter was not sealed, and a snow-white letter slipped out. The princess hurriedly took it, spread it before her eyes, and two words suddenly came into view.

An extremely familiar handwriting, strong and vigorous.

It was Cheng Mingyu's own handwriting.

He had actually written to her.

For the first time in her life, he responded to her mischievous actions.

The princess's heart suddenly raced like a drumbeat, her emotions tangled in her chest, unable to be expressed. She leaned on the table with her arms, her shoulders trembling for a moment, tears falling like a broken string.

Fearing the tears would wet the letter, she quickly wiped them away and held up the letter, calling Cheng Yian,

"An An, come and see your uncle's calligraphy..."

Cheng Yian, seeing her sudden emotional outburst, was extremely surprised. She slowly moved over and took a glance.

Two words were written straightly:

"Release."

Cheng Yian held her forehead.

How could the princess ignore the meaning of these two words and purely appreciate her uncle's calligraphy?

She secretly clicked her tongue.

But upon closer inspection, it was indeed good calligraphy.

"These two characters have the robustness of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy style, written in one stroke, flowing smoothly, completed in one go."

The last stroke ended abruptly, leaving a sharp tail, expressing full anger on the paper.

In Cheng Yian's memory, her uncle had always been a man who rarely showed his emotions, and she had never seen him so angry before.

But Princess Minglan didn't seem to mind. She wiped her tears and smiled at Cheng Yian, saying,

"An An, you are a blessed child."

Princess Minglan was truly extraordinary, unfazed by any offense, treating those two words like treasure.

Cheng Yian thought to herself with a sigh. If she were in Princess Minglan's position, living a life of luxury, spending her days riding horses and traveling, enjoying a carefree existence, why would she get so hung up on a man?

Those two words from her uncle, "let him go," might very well have been meant to tell Princess Minglan to "release him." Unfortunately, Princess Minglan's stubbornness had reached such a level that it was hard to keep up with her train of thought.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Princess Minglan held Cheng Mingyu's calligraphy, unable to tear her eyes away, and happily ordered the Steward, "Go to my treasury and fetch the pair of jade bracelets I wore when I was young."

"Your servant obeys."

Soon, the Steward returned with two brocade boxes, opening them and placing them before Cheng Yian.

Inside were a pair of exquisite jade bracelets. Though not entirely green, the section of green was incredibly vibrant and beautiful. The entire bracelet was as clear and transparent as glass, a treasure beyond compare. What was even more remarkable was that the two bracelets were almost identical.

Cheng Yian took a quiet breath and bowed slightly to Princess Minglan,

"Your Highness, these items are priceless..."

"Indeed, so I am giving them to you," Princess Minglan waved her hand, cutting her off with great ease. "I wore them when I was young, but I can't wear them now. They're best given to you."

Cheng Yian hesitated, nervously glancing at the Steward, who subtly shook his head, indicating she should not refuse.

Cheng Yi'an had no choice but to kneel,

"Your servant thanks the Highness for the gift." She instructed Ruhui to take it.

The Eldest Princess's eyes no longer saw her, enthusiastically handing the scroll to the chief secretary, "Have it framed and hung in my study."

Afterward, no one paid any attention to Cheng Yi'an as they all accompanied the Eldest Princess and the scroll to the back courtyard.

Cheng Yi'an stood there with clasped hands, staring blankly, finding that everyone in this princess’s mansion defied common sense.

Being able to leave the Elarest Princess’s residence unscathed and with a reward,

Cheng Yi'an felt quite pleased, leading two maids out the door.

A carriage was already waiting at the entrance.

It was Cheng Yiyan who had come to pick her up.

Seeing Cheng Yi'an emerge, he hurried over, examining her from head to toe,

"Little Sister An, were you hurt or mistreated in any way? Did the Eldest Princess make things difficult for you?"

Cheng Yi'an showed him the gift, "No, I'm fine. I caused trouble for Second Brother."

She smiled sweetly.

Among the male grandchildren of the Yi generation, Cheng Yiyan was the second eldest, and his younger sisters and cousins all affectionately called him Second Brother.

Hearing these words, Cheng Yiyan frowned, "What are you saying? It was we who put you in this situation. Come, get in the carriage quickly; I'll take you home."

Cheng Yian truly admired Cheng Yiyan.

Regardless of which branch of the Cheng family, whether it was the unmarried daughters or the married ones, if any of the sisters faced grievances outside, it was always Cheng Yiyan who stood up for them. With such an heir, the Cheng family was destined to prosper endlessly.

Cheng Yiyan personally lifted the carriage curtain for her, shaking his head at her naive demeanor.

If it were someone else, they might have been scared out of their wits by today's events, but she remained innocent and unaware of the dangers.

Seeing that she was unharmed, Cheng Yiyan also breathed a sigh of relief.

The carriage slowly returned to Lu Duke's mansion, with Cheng Yiyan personally escorting her, leaving the mansion with nothing to say.

That night, Lu Xusheng received a message by carrier pigeon and rushed to the capital, arriving the following afternoon. He first reported to the emperor and then blocked Princess Minglan's carriage outside Donghua Gate.

Princess Minglan had an entourage of roughly a hundred people, while Lu Xusheng stood alone on the bridge.

The fiery red horse leaped into the air, and the man on its back stood tall, his expression stern, radiating a martial aura.

The chief steward, seeing this scene, covered his face and glanced sideways at Princess Minglan in her carriage.

Princess Minglan, however, remained calm, lazily resting her head on her hand and replying indifferently,

"I have already returned her unharmed. Considering the circumstances, I will not punish you for your offense."

Lu Xusheng clearly wasn't buying it. He held the reins and flicked something from his palm—a thin calling card that flew straight toward Princess Minglan's carriage. The princess's guards were no pushovers; they leaped into the air and intercepted it halfway, then handed it to Princess Minglan.

Princess Minglan leaned forward to look. It was a calling card made of apricot-yellow hard paper, with a four-season auspicious knot printed in the center and the name Cheng Mingyu written on it. However, the calling card had been cut in half by a sharp object and exploded into pieces as Princess Minglan looked at it a second time.

Princess Minglan's face changed, "What do you mean by this? How dare you disrespect me?"

Lu Xusheng sat calmly on his horse, smiling leisurely, "I certainly wouldn't dare disrespect Princess Minglan. But if there's a next time, I might accidentally cut off one of Cheng Mingyu's fingers to accompany your wine..."

To kill a snake, strike its head; to control a person, target their weakness.

How Princess Minglan dealt with Cheng Mingyu, he would deal with her in the same way.

This was using magic to defeat magic.

Princess Minglan stood up, trembling with anger, "How dare you!"

Lu Xusheng's expression remained indifferent, "There's nothing I wouldn't dare. What you dare to do, I dare to do. What you don't dare to do, I still dare to do. Take care, Your Highness." With that, he turned his horse and galloped down the other side of the bridge.

Princess Minglan was so furious that her entire body seemed to be smoking. She pointed at his retreating figure and cursed, "Arrogant scoundrel!"

Even as she returned to her mansion, the anger on her face had not subsided.

If someone else had said those words, Princess Minglan might have dismissed it as venting, but not Lu Xusheng.

A man who endured humiliation and bided his time for three months to avenge his father's death—there was nothing he wouldn't do.

The taste of being threatened was unbearable. Princess Minglan thought long and hard and came up with a plan,

"What kind of life can An An expect with such a man? Someone, go to the Pear Garden (a place known for training performers) and select three to five handsome and well-mannered young men. Take good care of them, and later, they can help An An relax."