DTBCF Chapter 14

Long Heng was asked by the old lady to take a look at the gift from his fiancée. He wasn’t particularly fond of painting, and after a glance, he didn’t think much of it. He didn’t know what kind of person his fiancée was, but from the painting, he could tell she was a talented woman.

Song Jiaoyue, on the other hand, exclaimed in approval and then smiled as he stepped aside. While the painting was good, it wasn’t as striking as the recently admired carving.

Hmm, it seems the storyline has changed here.

It looks like her arrival had indeed altered quite a few things, though it’s unclear whether these changes are for better or worse.

Unbeknownst to her, after presenting the gift, she had caught the old lady’s attention.

If she were someone who acted recklessly with a bit of cleverness, she might need to have her sharp edges tempered.

However, she turned out to be very well-behaved, not trying to monopolize the conversation in front of the ladies and not fawning over the prince when he appeared. She seemed to be quite reserved.

The old lady, who had been feeling quite tired of managing the inner court lately, thought about supporting an assistant to help her in the future once her daughter-in-law entered the household. However, if the assistant were troublemaking, the inner court would never be peaceful.

Among the four concubines, the one who seemed the most pleasant today was her.

Long Heng followed his mother’s gaze and glanced at the woman who had just made a fuss over the gift. Um…

She sat far away, in the shadow of a pillar, drinking tea and observing everyone’s behavior without showing any interest in participating.

The important thing was her eyes, which were as calm as still water, devoid of any desire. He couldn’t help but wonder at how rare it was to find such a desireless woman.

After all the ladies had given their gifts, it was time to start the meal. Bai Xiangxiu grew more upset as the moment approached.

She had grown up beside her grandmother and grandfather, who were Buddhists, so they ate vegetarian on the 1st and 15th of each month. She had gotten used to this over the years, so she maintained the habit even here. And today happened to be the 15th.

Xiao Shi, aware of her master’s habit, quietly asked, “Madam Xiu, should I mention this to the staff in charge of preparing the meal?”

Bai Xiangxiu shook her head and said, “Don’t bother. It’s not appropriate to draw attention now. I’ll just pick some vegetarian dishes.”

In this dynasty, meals were served not on large tables but on small square tables. Each guest had a small table in front of them, big enough for four or five dishes at a time. When the dishes arrived, one could pick the ones they liked and put them on a small plate, then remove the plate when the next dishes came.

This is known as a “flowing banquet,” which, while wasteful, paid great attention to dining hygiene.

The concubines, unlike the distinguished guests, shared tables with two people per table.

Bai Xiangxiu sat with the master of Qiuyuan. She was a beautiful woman, but compared to her, Bai Xiangxiu’s looks were far superior. So, her attitude towards her wasn’t friendly.

Soon, the dishes were served. Without Xiao Shi’s help, she picked some small cabbage and tofu and placed them on her plate.

Not long after, Long Heng came back. He was to dine with the old lady, being her only son.

Naturally, the old lady was pleased, and the mother and son sat at the same table, though they didn’t talk much.

However, Long Heng glanced at the woman from Dongyuan and noticed she had already been pushed to one side of the table, her body mostly blocked by the other women at the table. It seemed she was being excluded.

Yet, despite the dishes being served, she had already wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, as if she was full. Looking at her plate, half of the food was still left. Was she eating like a cat?

The banquet continued, but Bai Xiangxiu found herself squeezed out and unable to sit comfortably.

Feeling that her gift had been given and she was being squeezed out by the other three, she thought it unnecessary to stay and asked a maid to consult with the old lady, saying she felt unwell and wanted to leave.

The old lady, noticing the exclusion, nodded to let her leave.

The other three were also asked to leave. Their behavior, running around among the distinguished ladies, had truly embarrassed the prince’s residence. They would be strictly disciplined in the future.

As Bai Xiangxiu and Xiao Shi left at an appropriate time, they walked slowly but soon spotted a suspicious servant. He was a small-statured man, hiding in the bushes and seemingly peeking at something.

Ahead, a group was walking slowly, with Long Heng leading the way. It was surprising that he had started wandering the back courtyard right after leaving the old lady, appearing quite idle.

But those were distinguished guests, including a few young and handsome gentlemen besides Song Jiaoyue.

Although Long Heng was cold, he had a wide circle of friends and was well-regarded in the court.

Not wanting to be seen by them, Bai Xiangxiu moved towards the suspicious servant, as there was a rockery that could block their view.

The servant, hearing someone behind him, turned around and was momentarily stunned upon seeing a stunning beauty approaching. He blankly said, “So beautiful, like an immortal.”

After that, both the servant and the beauty were stunned.

One was amazed at how this person could be so beautiful, not only in appearance but also in a graceful, unpretentious manner that made a good impression.

The other was surprised that the servant’s voice was that of a female. Upon closer inspection, Bai Xiangxiu quickly guessed that the servant was a woman.

“Who are you…” Before she could finish her question, her mouth was covered by her maid. The servant also placed a finger over her lips and said, “Be quiet.”

Then she grinned and said, “I… I’m a servant who lost something while helping the ladies and was afraid of being found out.”

This was an excuse. Bai Xiangxiu looked at the suspicious young girl, who appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, delicate and cute, with especially beautiful, tear-shaped eyes that seemed on the verge of tears.

Such cuteness and such bold behavior were not things any proper lady would dare to do.

“What were you spying on? I won’t tell anyone,” Bai Xiangxiu asked out of curiosity, her mind needing confirmation.

Xiao Shi, seeing her mistress lower her head, crouched down as well, wondering why her mistress asked such a question. No, it was a question.

“I… I just heard that King Li is very terrifying and wanted to see if he is as fearsome as the rumors say,” the girl said, surprisingly honest under the gaze of such a beauty.

Bai Xiangxiu’s mouth twitched. She had begun to confirm her suspicion. Such looks and behavior could only belong to one person in the story—the legendary heroine.

It was unexpected that she had come early to observe her fiancé. The book didn’t mention this part. It only said that she had escaped after realizing how violent the male lead was.

Could it be that this was evidence of her spying?

Though King Li was a powerful figure who could easily kill someone, he was generally considered to be decent towards women. At least, there were no reports of him randomly hitting any women.