Song Tangning had no idea about the affairs in the palace. After moving to Jiyun Alley, there were no elders in the household that required her to pay daily respects, and her quarters were only staffed with her own servants.
Madam Qin had instructed her to rest more in order to recover quickly. Everyone in the residence knew she was injured and dared not disturb her. Hua Wu, guarding the eaves, dismissed the servants who were sweeping the yard and warmed sweet potatoes by the brazier.
Tangning slept until noon, only waking when the smell of roasted sweet potatoes from outside tempted her.
"My lady, you truly have a sharp nose, to be able to smell the fragrance even in your sleep."
A maid brought water for Tangning to wash her face and brush her teeth, then styled her hair into a small bun.
Hua Wu, holding a freshly peeled sweet potato, brought it to Tangning's mouth. "I just roasted this, and you woke up at the perfect time to taste it."
Tangning took a bite from Hua Wu's hand, her eyes lighting up. "It's so sweet."
"Isn't it? I found it in the kitchen last night. It was already sweet when raw, so I thought roasting it would make it even better for you."
The thoughtful young maid peeled off all the skin, placed the sweet potato in a small celadon bowl, and handed Tangning a spoon so she could eat it properly.
With the spoon in hand, Tangning’s eyes curved into a smile as she said to Hua Wu, "Roast a few more later and send them to the neighbor..."
But then she thought of Xiao Yan, with his proud and cold demeanor, so detached from the mundane, and couldn’t imagine him gnawing on a sweet potato. She quickly changed her mind.
"Forget it, my brother probably won't eat it."
"What won't he eat?"
A voice came from outside. Tangning, still holding the spoon in her mouth, looked up to see Princess Cheng entering with Nanny Jiang in tow.
The princess had applied powder to her face, but the thin layer of rouge couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes. Though she maintained a calm expression, Tangning could still see the exhaustion and weariness that she tried to conceal.
"Aunt."
Tangning hurriedly put down the spoon and attempted to stand, but Princess Cheng pressed her back down.
"Rest properly. Why are you moving around? Have you forgotten Madam Qin’s instructions? You need to walk and move less until your leg heals."
Tangning had no choice but to sit back down.
"Has Madam Qin visited today? Are you feeling better?"
Princess Cheng glanced at the table. "Is this your lunch, or just a snack?"
Tangning felt a bit embarrassed. "I just got up."
Hua Wu came over with freshly brewed tea, and the faint fragrance of tea quickly overpowered the scent of the sweet potato.
"My lady had a late night and seemed to be sleeping soundly this morning, so I didn’t wake her up."
"Madam Qin came by earlier, took a look at her complexion, left some medicine, and then departed. I thought she might sleep a bit longer, but she woke up because of the smell of the roasted sweet potato."
Princess Cheng laughed at this. "Still such a little glutton, aren’t you?"
Tangning glared playfully at Hua Wu, her face flushing as she hurried to explain to Princess Cheng. "I wasn’t! I just couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking about something..."
Unable to handle the teasing, Tangning quickly changed the subject.
"Aunt, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Lunch is still being prepared in the kitchen. Why don’t you join me? Hua Wu, go tell the kitchen to add a few more dishes. And make sure to include the braised duck with soy sauce. And don’t add ginger to any of the dishes, Aunt doesn’t like it."
Hua Wu held back her laughter and agreed, stepping out to give the instructions.
Princess Cheng’s eyes softened as she listened to Tangning, touched that she still remembered her preferences. "Look at you, still remembering my tastes."
Nanny Jiang sighed softly. Such a considerate and kind girl—it was no wonder the princess cherished her so deeply.
The sweet potato had grown a bit cold, so Tangning set it aside and stopped eating. After a few more casual words with the princess, she waited until Nanny Jiang stepped into the outer room before moving closer to her aunt.
"Aunt, what happened after you went to Jingzhao Prefecture yesterday? Magistrate Wu sent me Song Shulan’s household register."
Princess Cheng was taken aback. "He sent the register?"
Tangning nodded. "He said the Song family went to Jingzhao Prefecture to request it, and claimed the original was destroyed in a fire. Magistrate Wu sensed something was wrong, so he had a new copy made and sent it to me."
"He’s quite sharp."
Princess Cheng quickly understood Wu Huai’s intentions, realizing he was likely trying to pass the document to Xiao Yan through Tangning.
She hadn’t planned on discussing Prince Cheng’s affairs with Tangning this soon, but after a moment of reflection, she decided there was no need to hide certain matters.
"The register wasn’t destroyed—it was taken by Xie Tianyu."
Tangning’s eyes widened. "He took it?"
Princess Cheng smirked. "Surprising, isn’t it? He went to Jingzhao Prefecture days ago, already aware that Song Shulan’s identity was suspicious. He secretly took her register but never mentioned it to me. He even pretended to send people to Anzhou while helping the Song family deceive me."
"We’ve been married for nearly twenty years, and only now do I realize that the man I thought I knew is someone completely different. It feels like I’ve never truly known him at all."
"Aunt..." Tangning looked worried.
Princess Cheng gently stroked Tangning's hair. "I’ve asked someone else to investigate the Song family and Song Shulan. For now, keep that register hidden and don’t let anyone know about it. Once I have more information, I want to see how far your uncle will go to conceal things from me."
Tangning urged, "Aunt, please be careful."
"Careful of what?" Princess Cheng chuckled. "At most, Xie Tianyu is reluctant to sever ties with the Song family and is trying to cover for them. Do you think he’d actually harm me?"
Tangning hesitated, her lips moving as if to say something, but before she could, her aunt tugged her hair lightly.
"Enough. Stop worrying. I know what I’m doing. You just focus on getting better."
The Princess of Cheng clearly didn’t want to talk about the Prince of Cheng and quickly changed the topic to something else. Seeing this, Tang Ning had no choice but to quietly follow her lead.
While they waited for the meal to be prepared, Hua Wu led the servants to bring the food to the table. The Princess of Cheng seemed to have completely forgotten about the Prince, happily joining Tang Ning for the meal. She even invited Hua Wu and Nanny Jiang to sit at the table, trying to ease the atmosphere, and soon all four of them were enjoying the meal in good spirits.
After the meal, Uncle He came in with a smile and said, "My lady, a few days ago you mentioned wanting to buy some servants. This morning, the Duke ordered people to bring some over from the market. Would you like to select them personally?"
Tang Ning was surprised. "Wasn’t my brother supposed to attend court?"
Uncle He replied, "He gave the instructions before heading to court. Guard Jin took care of it, and the people are in the front yard now."
Sitting to the side, sipping freshly brewed tea to aid digestion, the Princess of Cheng smiled and said, "Your brother is quite considerate. I was thinking that since you only have Hua Wu by your side, you should add a few more people. Since he's already arranged for them to be sent over, why don’t we have a look and pick a few that would be useful?"
Tang Ning agreed. "Uncle He, bring them over."
The servants sent from the market for the Duke's household were the best available—attractive but not too conspicuous, and all literate. It was said that half of them were former noblewomen enslaved due to their families’ crimes. Even Tang Ning and the Princess of Cheng were surprised.
Jin Yun had each of the women introduce themselves. After some discussion, the Princess of Cheng and Tang Ning selected four of them, naming them after the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. They were to assist Hua Wu as third-class maids for the time being. Additionally, nearly twenty laborers were chosen to fill positions throughout the household. Uncle He took away those selected, and the remaining servants were sent back with the brokers.
Once the selections were complete, Jin Yun introduced a woman wearing a simple blue dress with a cold, distant expression.
“This is Ling Yin,” she said, “greetings to Lady Song.”
Tang Ning looked at the woman, puzzled. “Who is she?”
Jin Yun explained, “Ling Yin is one of the Duke’s eight elite shadow guards, highly skilled in combat and well-versed in the affairs of the capital. The Duke has assigned her to protect you.”
Tang Ning was momentarily stunned, staring at the kneeling woman. Although she didn’t know exactly how powerful Ling Yin was, anyone entrusted by Xiao Yan to be a shadow guard was surely no ordinary person. She quickly waved her hand and said, “This won’t do. My brother has trained her with great effort for important tasks. How could I let her stay by my side and waste her talents?”
She shook her head vigorously, like a drum, and said, “I already have Hua Wu, plus I now have Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. That’s enough. Let Sister Ling Yin return.”
Ling Yin was taken aback and glanced at Jin Yun for guidance.
Jin Yun was equally surprised. “Lady Song doesn’t want Ling Yin?”
Tang Ning quickly explained, “It’s not that I don’t want her. It’s just that it would be such a waste to have her here with me. I already have the Guards to protect me, and now I have so many servants. I really have no place for Sister Ling Yin. Please tell my brother to have her return.”
“You’re sure you don’t want her?”
“Absolutely.”
Jin Yun, seeing that Tang Ning genuinely didn’t want to keep Ling Yin and hearing the sincerity in her words—her clear, ungreedy almond eyes filled with pure honesty—suddenly understood why the Duke, who was usually so indifferent, treated Lady Song so specially.
Jin Yun’s expression softened. “Since you don’t wish to keep her, I’ll send Ling Yin back.”
Tang Ning nodded quickly. “Thank you for the trouble.”
As Jin Yun and Ling Yin left, they overheard a faint conversation behind them, from the Princess of Cheng.
“That Ling Yin seemed quite capable. Having her around would be good for you...”
“I know, but my brother’s situation is difficult. Many people in the capital want to cause him trouble. That sister clearly has great skills, and leaving her with me would be a waste. She can continue working for my brother, which would be more helpful. Besides, I’ve already taken so much from him—I can’t be too greedy. Once Spring, Summer, and the others are trained, I won’t be lacking in staff.”
“You, my dear...”
The Princess of Cheng sighed with exasperation as Tang Ning playfully pouted.
Their voices were soft, but Jin Yun and Ling Yin could hear them clearly. Ling Yin’s expression softened. “Lady Song seems to be quite a good person.”
Jin Yun nodded. “I was worried the Governor cared too much for her, but now I see she’s thoughtful. I was mistaken.”
The Governor’s background must remain hidden, and every step he takes is like walking on the edge of a cliff. One mistake could lead to complete ruin. It wasn’t in vain that the Governor had shown such care for Lady Song.
The palace was bustling, and Xiao Yan didn’t return from court until twilight. When Jin Yun told him about Tang Ning’s reason for not keeping Ling Yin, Xiao Yan simply replied, “If she doesn’t want her, then let her go.”
After all, in the capital, he could protect her completely.
“Did the Governor face any difficulties at court today?” Jin Yun asked as he took Xiao Yan’s cloak.
Xiao Yan chuckled. “When haven’t I faced difficulties?”
Cang Lang, who was following behind, burst out laughing. “Our Governor was unstoppable at court today, arguing fiercely and silencing a quarrelsome censor. He nearly made that old man from the Lu family spit blood.”
Jin Yun was silent for a moment, recalling how the Governor’s reputation in the capital was so fearsome that even children cried at the mention of his name. He realized his earlier question had indeed been pointless.
“Governor,” Xiao Yan had just reached the study when someone came to report, “Lady Song has sent something over.”
“Bring it here.”
The servant handed over a food box, and Xiao Yan curiously opened it to find several steaming dishes inside.
The dishes were simple, with a strong, spicy aroma. Next to the pristine white rice were two golden roasted sweet potatoes.
“Huh, sweet potatoes?” Cang Lang reached out to grab one.
Xiao Yan smacked his hand away and quickly closed the lid, switching hands to carry the box. “The Song family was disgraced today. They might be planning something. Keep an eye on them, and make sure He Zongran doesn’t die just yet.”
Cang Lang winced in pain, watching as the Governor carried the food box into his study and closed the door behind him. Grumbling, he muttered, “So stingy.”
Inside, Xiao Yan pretended not to hear as he set the box on the desk. The study was filled with the faint scent of ink and books. When he lifted the lacquered red lid, the rich aroma of the food instantly filled the air.
Xiao Yan picked up one of the still-warm sweet potatoes, imagining the little lady playfully calling him “Brother” with her bright eyes. A soft smile touched his lips, the candlelight casting a warm glow on his usually stern and handsome face.
His slender, pale fingers peeled away the charred skin, and he took a bite of the golden-yellow flesh.
His throat moved slightly as he swallowed. Hmm... it was quite sweet.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 100 here
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