“Right, you only have a few maids in your courtyard, which is ultimately not enough. I’ll send some people over from Mother’s side,” Madam Yan brought up the matter again. The general would be back soon, and if Xiao Man’s courtyard still had so few servants, it might make the general unhappy, thinking his wife had mistreated Xiao Man. That wouldn’t be good.
“Daughter was just about to mention this to Mother,” Xiao Man said with a smile. “My courtyard is large, and there are too few people to serve. So, I wanted to go out and buy some maids.”
“There are plenty of maids in the mansion, why go out and buy? Those bought from outside need to be taught rules. How can they be as useful as those born and raised in the household?” Madam Yan advised.
“Let’s discuss this later. Daughter will go pay respects to Grandmother first.”
Madam Yan moved aside, watching Xiao Man enter the main courtyard, a smile forming on her lips. “The eldest young lady is proactively asking for maids. I must go back and prepare well, choosing a few clever girls to send over.”
Madam Yan’s wet nurse heard this and smiled, “Madam, in my opinion, it would be better to call the maids from the mansion and let the eldest young lady choose herself. That would also prevent the Old Madam from saying anything.”
Madam Yan nodded, “Indeed, Mother is more thoughtful.”
After Xiao Man left the main courtyard, she changed her clothes and went out alone.
Because Xiao Man possessed martial arts skills, she often went out without maids. People in the mansion were already used to it. After all, given Xiao Man’s reputation outside, there was no need to worry about her safety. The concern would be her causing trouble for others.
Madam Yan was in the process of drafting a list of maids. When she heard Xiao Man had gone out, and alone at that, her face was filled with confusion. “Why is she going out at this hour?”
“The eldest young lady has always been accustomed to her freedom. As the legitimate eldest daughter, she used to go out alone frequently. It’s likely she’s been confined to the mansion for too long this past month and is eager to roam freely again.”
“It’s good that she’s gone out. If she stayed in the mansion, with the Old Madam watching, she wouldn’t dare to cause trouble. It’s different when she’s outside. If she doesn’t look for trouble, trouble will find her,” Madam Yan said with a cold laugh. “At that time, I’d like to see if the general will still protect her if she causes a colossal disaster!”
After leaving the mansion, Xiao Man first went to a clothing store, bought several bolts of fabric, and then bought some jewelry. After sending them to the General’s Mansion, she headed towards the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
The small building of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was exquisite, and its patrons were all wealthy and noble.
Xiao Man, without a carriage or maids, walked straight in.
The young woman at the counter saw Xiao Man was alone but carried herself with an extraordinary demeanor. She didn’t dare to be negligent and quickly stepped forward. “What would Madam like to see?”
“In Julu Continent, there is a place called Ren Niao Mountain. The mountain is covered with trees, resembling maple trees, their fragrance drifting for miles. If one cuts their roots and wood, places them in a jade cauldron, and cooks them over a low flame, a substance called the Soul Returning Incense is obtained. Do you have this incense here?” Xiao Man’s voice was soft and gentle, like a gentle breeze, making one feel very comfortable.
“What Soul Returning Incense? Such a thing doesn’t exist in this world!”
Someone immediately spoke up. Xiao Man followed the sound and saw Zuo Yunfei, the son of the Minister of Revenue.
Zuo Yunfei strode towards Xiao Man with a smile on his face. “Eldest young lady, there is no such thing as Soul Returning Incense. Don’t be deceived.”
“Young Master Zuo.”
Xiao Man took two steps back, increasing the distance between them.
Seeing this, a flicker of disappointment flashed in Zuo Yunfei’s eyes, but he quickly put on a smile again. “A few days ago, my mother sent a matchmaker to propose marriage…”
“I am grateful for Young Master Zuo’s affection, but Xiao Man is undeserving. I wish Young Master Zuo a swift finding of a kindred spirit and a happy union,” Xiao Man replied with grace and dignity. After speaking, she looked at the attendant. “Miss, does your pavilion have Soul Returning Incense?”
“There is naturally no Soul Returning Incense,” a figure descended the stairs from the second floor. Dressed in white, she was as ethereal as a fairy, with a graceful and captivating figure. Everyone in the pavilion turned to look at the woman descending.
“It’s Madam Qin Xue. She’s so beautiful.”
“Although the Hundred Flowers Pavilion doesn’t have Soul Returning Incense, it has something that closely resembles it,” Qin Xue stood before Xiao Man.
Xiao Man was well-known in the capital of Yusheng. However, after ten years, this was the first time someone had inquired about Soul Returning Incense at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and it happened to be someone she knew.
“Eldest Young Lady Xiao, please come upstairs.”
Xiao Man looked at Qin Xue, her smile growing warmer. Ten years had passed, and Qin Xue had grown into a young woman. When she had left her side, Qin Xue was a mere fourteen-year-old girl, about her current age.
Xiao Man followed Qin Xue to a private room on the second floor. Qin Xue personally brewed tea. “May I ask, Eldest Young Lady Xiao, what is the purpose of your search for Soul Returning Incense?”
“Naturally, with Soul Returning Incense as a guide, to find the scattered souls.”
The teacup in Qin Xue’s hand trembled. She looked at Xiao Man in disbelief, her eyes instantly reddening. Yet, she dared not acknowledge her, for the person before her could never be her mistress!
“Qin Xue, ten years have passed since we last met. You’ve grown up.”
Xiao Man took out the Golden Feather Token and placed it on the table, watching Qin Xue with a smile, just as gentle and serene as she had been when she left ten years ago.
“Mistress? What… what is happening?” Qin Xue asked, her voice choked. Her delicate face was filled with disbelief.
The person before her was clearly the eldest young lady of the Protector General’s Mansion in the Yusheng Dynasty. Why did she know their secret signal? And why did she possess the Golden Feather Token?
Xiao Man raised her hand, looking at her slightly immature hand. “I’m not entirely sure either. When Shou Kang Palace caught fire, I thought I was doomed. I can still remember the pain of the flames licking my skin. When I woke up, I was alive, but living as someone else.”
Qin Xue was somewhat distraught, utterly unable to believe that Empress Dowager Dugu Man, who had perished in the fire, had become Xiao Man, the eldest young lady of the Protector General’s Mansion in the Yusheng Dynasty!
“Are you truly my mistress?” Qin Xue still couldn’t believe it. The concept of a body-snatching transmigration was simply too ethereal.
“Fourteen years ago, I found you on the street. You had just escaped from a brothel, covered in wounds. You said, ‘Miss, I can do anything and I don’t eat much.’”
Qin Xue’s eyes reddened. These were things only Dugu Man herself would know.
At that time, Dugu Man had also secretly sneaked out of her home to play and encountered Qin Xue, who was escaping from a brothel. From then on, her life had changed.
“Qin Xue pays respects to Mistress.” Her voice was trembling, the end of her sentence sounding like a sob.
“Get up quickly.” Xiao Man helped her up. “This matter is indeed hard to believe. Even I took a long time to accept the reality.”
“Mistress, the Dugu family, the Dugu family…”
“Except for Mingyu who is on the run, everyone else in the Dugu family was executed by Murong Sheng Rui. Send someone to search for Mingyu’s whereabouts and ensure his safety. He is the only one left of the Dugu lineage.”
Seeing an old acquaintance, Xiao Man’s eyes welled up with tears.
Ultimately, it was her fault that the Dugu family met such a fate. If she hadn’t been so headstrong, they wouldn’t have ended up this way.