“After Mei Qing took up residence in the mansion, our prince did practically nothing else but revolve around her all day long. Naturally, the dowager duchess was very displeased. Initially, the mansion’s staff looked down on Mei Qing somewhat, but it wasn’t long before they all grew fond of her.”
“In truth, we felt that disregarding status and background, the prince and Mei Qing made a perfect couple. The prince is quite handsome and possesses excellent bearing. As for Mei Qing, there’s no need to elaborate further. When they walked together, everyone who saw them thought they were well-matched. However, the prince is still a prince. Even if he loved Mei Qing to the point of obsession, he understood it was nearly impossible to marry a girl of unknown origin as his duchess.”
Sixth Master spoke in hushed tones, and Mei Qing also fell silent. As Sixth Master said, for Xian’s Prince, his lawful wife must be formally appointed; it was not something an ordinary woman could attain.
“Then—” Mei Qing hesitated before asking, “As for that Mei girl, what exactly is her background? Didn’t anyone ask her?”
“How could we not ask?” Master Zhong interjected. “But aside from growing up in that Mei Valley since childhood, and then suddenly encountering a villain, being forced to protect herself with magical arts, Mei Qing knows nothing else. I’ve also questioned her two maids, and their accounts match Mei Qing’s.”
“What about the magical arts?” Mei Qing pressed. “How could someone raised from childhood in the valley learn such skills?”
Upon hearing this, Sixth Master shook his head and said, “Among cultivators, we do not usually inquire about such matters. If it’s something that can be shared, people generally introduce their own sects. In fact, many sects strictly adhere to the rules of their traditions and never mention their origins to outsiders.”
Master Zhong nodded and said, “Precisely. Mei Qing simply said her master forbade her from speaking of it. We couldn’t press further.”
“What happened next? How did things proceed?” After a moment of silence, Mei Qing asked, looking up.
“Later—” Sixth Master said with a bitter smile, “The prince became increasingly inseparable from Mei Qing, but we didn’t know whether Mei Qing genuinely had feelings for the prince. After all, she was always so kind and gentle with everyone.”
“I believe the prince must have confessed his feelings to Mei Qing on multiple occasions, but Mei Qing either didn’t focus on romantic matters or didn’t understand the prince’s intentions, and so things dragged on like this. Until more than a month later, around mid-February, perhaps—”
“After Miss Mei settled in the mansion, our prince spent all his time doing nothing but revolving around her. The old princess, of course, was not pleased. Although the people in the mansion initially looked down on Miss Mei, it didn’t take long for everyone to grow fond of her.”
“In fact, we also felt that, disregarding their status and backgrounds, the prince and Miss Mei were indeed a perfect match. The prince was quite handsome and had a good demeanor. Miss Mei, needless to say, was equally charming. When they walked together, everyone who saw them thought they were a perfect pair. However, the prince was still a prince, and even though he was head over heels in love with Miss Mei, he knew that marrying a girl of unknown origin as his princess was almost an impossible task.”
The Sixth Master spoke in a low voice, and Mei Qing also fell silent. As the Sixth Master had said, given the status of Prince Xingxian, his official wife had to be a princess who was formally enshrined, not just any ordinary woman.
“Then—” Mei Qing hesitated before asking, “What about that Miss Mei? What is her background? Haven’t you asked?”
“How could we not have asked?” Uncle Zhong interjected. “But apart from growing up in Plum Valley and then suddenly encountering that villain, forcing her to use magic to protect herself, Miss Mei knew nothing else. I also asked her two maids, and they said the same thing as Miss Mei.”
“What about the magic?” Mei Qing pressed. “How did someone who grew up in a valley learn magic?”
The Sixth Master shook his head and said, “Among cultivators, it’s not appropriate to inquire about such things. If it’s something that can be disclosed, they usually introduce themselves. In fact, many sects strictly adhere to their own rules and never mention their origins to outsiders.”
Uncle Zhong nodded and said, “Exactly. Miss Mei only said that her master forbade her to mention it. We didn’t feel it was right to press further.”
“What happened next? What happened later?” Mei Qing asked after a moment of silence.
“Later—” the Sixth Master said with a bitter smile, “The prince became more and more inseparable from Miss Mei, but we didn’t know if Miss Mei truly had feelings for the prince. After all, she was kind and gentle to almost everyone.”
“I believe the prince must have confessed his feelings to Miss Mei multiple times, but Miss Mei either didn’t care about romantic matters or didn’t understand the prince’s intentions. So things dragged on like this until about a month later, around mid-February—”
“Although Miss Mei was kind to everyone, she herself always seemed a bit downcast. You know, she never hid her feelings; they were always written on her face. But no one understood why she was unhappy. In the prince’s mansion, everyone treated her well, and the prince was especially indulgent, trying to get her anything she wanted. But Miss Mei was naturally indifferent and didn’t seem to care much about anything. Even the things girls usually love, like clothes and food, she never showed any preference for. When asked why she was unhappy, she would just smile and say nothing.”
“Later, it was a remark from a maid named Wu’er that made the prince understand. A plum tree in the mansion suddenly bloomed, and the prince thought Miss Mei would surely like it, so he invited her to see it. But after seeing it, Miss Mei’s melancholy expression became even more apparent, and even the servants felt heartbroken. Wu’er then said, ‘These plum blossoms aren’t as beautiful as the ones back home…'”
“Only then did the prince realize that Miss Mei’s daily unhappiness wasn’t due to anything else but homesickness. The ‘home’ they referred to was naturally the valley full of plum blossoms. So the prince went to Miss Mei and said he would take her back to the valley for a short stay.”
“When Miss Mei heard the prince’s words, she was overjoyed. I still remember how her eyes suddenly lit up and how radiant her smile was. In fact, the entire mansion seemed to lighten up because of her smile. The guards began preparing tents and carriages, and the maids packed their belongings. The next day, Lu Zhong and the others set off for Plum Valley—a name that Miss Mei and her maids called it, and it was quite fitting.”
“Since I had to stay behind in the mansion, I didn’t know much about what happened in the valley. But three days later, they returned. When they came back, Miss Mei hid in the carriage and refused to see anyone. When she finally emerged, she was blushing with shyness, while the prince looked elated.”
“I congratulated the prince, and he was happy but sighed, saying that Miss Mei still hadn’t agreed to marry him. In my opinion, it was no longer a question of if but when. The real concern was what status Miss Mei would be given once she married into the family.”
“Just then, Master Maoyang suddenly arrived, saying that an old friend had sent a message and he wanted to go visit them. The prince, of course, tried hard to persuade him to stay, but Master Maoyang was determined to leave. Finally, he spent a long time alone with the prince before departing. But after he left, the prince seemed very unhappy.”
At this point, the Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “In fact, I’ve always felt that since Miss Mei came to the mansion, Master Maoyang had become somewhat strange.”
“Strange?” Mei Qing asked. “What do you mean?”
The Sixth Master thought for a while before saying, “I don’t know how to explain it clearly. In fact, when we entered Plum Valley, Master Maoyang’s behavior outside the cottage was already different from usual. That guy always acted like a detached sage, calm and composed, with long sleeves fluttering, holding a wine cup when there was nothing to do, and occasionally reciting a few lines of poetry. But in Plum Valley, I saw him restless several times, and once I even saw him standing alone at the valley entrance at night, staring blankly at the moon.”
“Especially noticeable was his aura. As fellow cultivators, we are most sensitive to such things. Several times when I saw the prince and Miss Mei together, I could feel his true essence becoming unstable. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but after it happened several times in a row, I began to recall his previous behavior and felt a sense of caution.”
“After the prince and Miss Mei returned from staying in Plum Valley, it was obvious to everyone that something had happened between them. But Master Maoyang’s behavior was very abnormal.”
“What? Did he do something unusual?” Mei Qing asked, thinking that Master Maoyang might have been acting strangely because he was attracted to Miss Mei’s beauty.
“On the contrary, he was unnaturally calm,” the Sixth Master shook his head. “Not only were his expressions and movements completely normal, but his true essence was also as calm as a stagnant pool. That kind of calm wasn’t the usual tranquility of a cultivator but carried a sense of lifelessness that made me very uncomfortable.”
“When he said he was leaving to visit friends, I felt relieved, but at the same time, I felt that his reason for leaving wasn’t to visit friends but was related to Miss Mei. In fact, anyone who had seen Miss Mei would inevitably admire and like her, and there was nothing shameful about that. But Master Maoyang’s strange behavior still made people worry.”
“So I was concerned that he might have said something slanderous about Miss Mei before leaving, and I specifically asked the prince about it. The prince remained silent, and when I pressed him, he became very angry.”
“I knew that in the prince’s heart at that time, Master Maoyang was more trustworthy than me. After all, I couldn’t teach him the ways of cultivation, but Master Maoyang had imparted much to him. Although now—” the Sixth Master shook his head, “it was actually just some methods of refining external elixirs to assist in the union of dragon and tiger.”
“Fortunately, Master Maoyang left. During that time, I also had some personal matters to attend to. My cultivation partner suddenly wanted to have a child. For cultivators, having a child is quite difficult, not only because it depletes one’s true essence but also because there are many preparations to be made. Since she wanted it, I didn’t oppose it and took leave from the prince for about ten days.”
“When I returned, it was already the end of March. I went to see the prince and told him I was going to be a father. The prince’s expression suddenly became very strange. I repeatedly asked what was wrong, and he finally told me that Miss Mei was also pregnant.”
“In my opinion, since that was the case, they should quickly prepare for the wedding. After all, they couldn’t let the girl be ridiculed for being pregnant. But the prince hemmed and hawed, always saying to wait a few more days. I could see that the prince was in great pain but didn’t understand what he was worried about.”
“Finally, one day, the prince called me to see him. He looked very haggard but said he had decided that no matter what, he would marry Miss Mei as his wife, even if it meant losing everything. I was very happy, thinking they would finally have a good outcome.”
“But I didn’t expect that at noon that day, a secret envoy from the capital suddenly arrived in a hurry. The prince took the man into a private room and talked for a long time. When he came out, he looked very excited, his eyes shining with fervor. At first, I didn’t know what was going on, but I soon learned that the late emperor had passed away without an heir, and the Grand Secretary Yang and others had discussed with the empress dowager and decided to invite Prince Xingxian to the capital to become the emperor!”
“Everyone was naturally very happy that the prince was going to be emperor. At first, the news couldn’t be spread, but a few of us close confidants knew about it. But when I asked about Miss Mei, the prince’s eyes dimmed again.”
“Later, I found out that the old princess had already made arrangements for this matter. If the prince became emperor, Miss Mei naturally couldn’t be the empress. Even if they hurriedly married Miss Mei now, it would still be against etiquette. The old princess called the prince to her and talked with him for half the night. When the prince came out, he looked at me with a helpless expression and said, ‘Mother’s orders are hard to defy.'”
“Later, it was a maid named Wu’er who finally made the prince realize the truth. At that time, a plum tree in the mansion bloomed unexpectedly, and the prince thought Mei Qing would surely like it, so he invited her to come and see. Who knew that after Mei Qing saw it, the gloom on her face only deepened, and even the servants nearby felt heartache watching her. Wu’er, standing beside, said, ‘This plum blossom isn’t as beautiful as the ones back home…'”
“The prince finally realized that Mei Qing’s unhappiness wasn’t due to anything else—it was simply homesickness. The ‘home’ they spoke of was naturally that valley filled with blooming plum trees. So the prince went to find Mei Qing and said he would take her back to the valley for a short stay.”
“When Mei Qing heard the prince’s words, she was overjoyed. I still remember clearly how her eyes suddenly became unusually bright and how brightly she smiled. In fact, the entire mansion seemed to become livelier because of her smile. The guards began preparing tents and carriages, and the maids packed their belongings. The next day, Lu Zhong and the others set off toward Mei Valley—this name came from Mei Qing and her companions, and it turned out to be quite fitting.”
“Because I had to stay at the mansion, I wasn’t very clear about what happened in the valley. However, three days later, they returned. When they came back, Mei Qing stayed hidden inside the carriage, unwilling to see anyone. When she finally emerged, her face was flushed with shyness, while the prince wore an expression of joy.”
“I congratulated the prince, who was very happy but also sighed, saying that Mei Qing still hadn’t agreed to marry him. In my opinion, however, this was no longer a significant issue—it was only a matter of time. The real concern was what status should be given to Mei Qing once she became his wife.”
“At that time, Master Maoyang suddenly came and said that an old friend had sent word and that he wanted to leave to visit a friend. Naturally, the prince tried hard to persuade him to stay, but he was determined to go. Finally, he spent a long time alone with the prince before departing. However, I felt that after he left, the prince seemed quite unhappy.”
Pausing for a moment, Sixth Master then said slowly, “In fact, I’ve always felt that since Mei Qing came to the mansion, Master Maoyang has acted somewhat strangely.”
“Strange?” Mei Qing asked. “What do you mean?”
Sixth Master thought for a while before saying, “I’m not sure how to explain it clearly. In fact, when we entered Mei Valley, outside the thatched hut, Master Maoyang’s behavior was somewhat different from usual. That fellow usually put on an air of a transcendent hermit, maintaining an aloof demeanor, with flowing sleeves, and even when idle, he would hold a wine cup, occasionally reciting a couplet or two. Yet in Mei Valley, I saw him appear restless several times, and once I even saw him standing alone at the valley entrance at night, gazing blankly at the moon.”
“More notably, there was his aura. As fellow cultivators, we are particularly sensitive to such things. On several occasions when I saw the prince and Mei Qing together, I could feel his true essence becoming unstable. At first, I thought it might be a coincidence, but when it happened repeatedly, I recalled his behavior during that period and became cautiously aware.”
“After the prince and Mei Qing stayed together in Mei Valley and returned, anyone with discerning eyes could tell something had happened between them. However, Master Maoyang’s behavior was extremely abnormal.”
“What do you mean? Did he show any unusual behavior?” Mei Qing asked, beginning to suspect that Master Maoyang might have been infatuated with Mei Qing, causing his strange behavior.
“On the contrary,” Sixth Master shook his head, “he was excessively calm. Not only were his expressions and gestures completely normal, but even his true essence was as still as a stagnant pond. That kind of calmness wasn’t like the usual peacefulness of cultivators, but rather carried an air of deathly stillness, which made me feel very uncomfortable.”
“When he said he was leaving to visit a friend, I felt relieved but also suspected that his real reason for leaving wasn’t just to visit friends, but because of Mei Qing. In fact, for a woman like Mei Qing, anyone who met her would inevitably be captivated and fond of her. It’s not shameful to like her. But Master Maoyang’s eerie behavior always made one worry.”
“Therefore, I was worried that he might have said something to defame Mei Qing before leaving, so I specifically asked the prince about it. The prince refused to speak, and later, when I kept asking, he even flew into a rage.”
“I knew that at that time, the prince trusted Master Maoyang more than me. After all, I couldn’t teach him the path of cultivation, while Master Maoyang had imparted much to him. Although in hindsight—” Sixth Master shook his head as he spoke, “It turned out to be nothing more than techniques for external alchemy to enhance vitality and vigor.”
“Fortunately, in any case, Master Maoyang left. During that time, I also had some personal matters. My cultivation partner suddenly wanted to have a child. For cultivators, having children is actually quite difficult—not only does it deplete true essence, but there are also many preparations to be made. Since she wanted it, I couldn’t easily refuse, so I asked the prince for leave and was away for about ten days or so.”
“When I returned, it was already the end of March. I went to see the prince and told him I was going to be a father. The prince’s expression suddenly became very strange. I repeatedly asked what was wrong, and finally, he said that Mei Qing was also pregnant.”
“In my mind, if that was the case, preparations for the wedding should have been made quickly. After all, we couldn’t let the girl be ridiculed for being pregnant. But the prince kept hesitating, always saying to wait a few more days. I could see that the prince was also in great pain, but I couldn’t figure out what he was really worried about.”
“Finally, one day the prince summoned me. He looked very haggard but said that he had made up his mind—no matter what, he would marry Mei Qing, even if it meant losing everything. I was very happy, thinking that they would finally have a good outcome.”
“But unexpectedly, that very noon, a secret messenger from the capital arrived, covered in dust. The prince invited the man into a private chamber, where they discussed matters for a long time. When he came out, his face had changed dramatically, his eyes shining with an intense light. At first, I didn’t know what had happened, but soon I found out that the late emperor had passed away without an heir, and Chancellor Yang and others, along with the Empress Dowager, had decided to invite Prince Xian to ascend the throne in the capital!”
“When the prince was to become emperor, everyone naturally felt very happy. At first, the news was not widely spread, but we close confidants naturally knew about it. However, when I asked what would happen regarding Mei Qing, the emperor’s eyes dimmed.”
“Later, I found out that the dowager duchess had already made arrangements regarding this matter. If the prince were to become emperor, Mei Qing naturally could not become empress. Even if they hurried to marry her now, it would be inappropriate according to protocol. The dowager summoned the prince and talked with him the entire night. Finally, when the prince came out, he looked helpless and said to me, ‘A mother’s command is hard to defy.'”
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