♂?，，

  Ming Xuan's eyes widened slightly, and then she understood. She smiled with pursed lips, "If Miss Huang is willing to return to the Town Nation Duke's Mansion with us, this New Year will definitely be extremely lively."

  The southern border is humid and hot, making it easy for poisonous insects and weeds to thrive. The Miao people often live in dense forests, so from birth, they have to deal with all sorts of toxic substances. With the arrival of Huang Yi's ancestor at the Town National Duke's mansion, those who only know how to secretly administer poison will probably not be able to hide anymore. People born and raised with poisonous substances are particularly sensitive to these things, perhaps this time...with Huang Yi's help, they may be able to find some other clues.

  Her eyes flickered, and her gaze at Pei Jingchen's eyes added a few more points of pity. Although he didn't say anything else, she was very clear in her heart that asking Huang Yi to go to the Town National Duke's mansion for New Year's had another layer of deep meaning, which was for Pei Xiang.

  Although Huang Yiyi was arrogant and spoiled, she was also straightforward. After two days of contemplation, she had a clearer understanding of her current situation. Gu Yuanshan would probably be too busy to visit her in the short term. Spending the New Year alone in this desolate and cold mansion was far from her original intention when she secretly came to Shengjing with Ming Xuan. It might be better for her to follow Ming Xuan into the city, where she could at least have a chance to see Gu Yuanshan more often.

  So she readily agreed and even promised Ming Xuan that she would try her best to be low-key.

  Nanjiang and the Zhen Guo Gong Fu were separated by dozens of miles, and they had to pass through two city gates. By the time Ming Xuan and his entourage returned to the Pei residence, it was almost noon. Before they could even unload their belongings from the carriage, a servant girl from the Ping Sha Tang came over with a message: "Today, the mansion is hosting a family banquet. An Xian Hou and our lady are here with several young masters and misses. They're all gathered in the Hua Hall of the Longshou Tang, only waiting for Master and Mistress to arrive."

  The old woman's tone was somewhat impatient, with a hint of schadenfreude, but her eyes kept darting back to the yellow-clad young lady, as if trying to guess her identity.

  Ming Xuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of disgust in her eyes. "Alright, I'll go with Master right away."

  She gave a wink to Nurse Jin and Nurse Jin immediately led the woman out.

  Ming Xuan pulled Huang Yi's arm into the house, with a slightly apologetic tone saying "Although this is a first-class national public house, there are many people and no empty courtyards, so you can only stay in Jingyi Courtyard with us."

  "She hesitated for a moment, pointing to the shadow wall behind the crescent moon gate in the southwest corner. "Behind that stone wall in the southwest corner, there is a separate house, far away from the main hall of the backyard. In the past, it was used as a warehouse to store boxes and other things. Later, I had someone clean it up, and it can still be used, but it's not easy for an unmarried woman to live there without causing gossip. Moreover, on the southwest side, there is another door that opens separately, so if you want to enter or exit, you don't need to go through the main courtyard. Although it is still in the Jingyi Courtyard, it can be considered separate."

  Although Huang Yi was a Miao girl and didn't follow the rules of the Central Plains, Ming Xuan couldn't help but consider her reputation for Huang Yi's sake. After all, she was someone who had saved her brother's life, and it wouldn't do to ruin her reputation just because of her own selfish desires by bringing her back to the Duke of Town's estate. This would be a bad thing for everyone involved.

  Although Huang Yi is a naive and innocent person, the setbacks she has encountered in recent days have made her somewhat understand the strictness of the Central Plains towards women. She thinks that Ming Xuan is a bit nagging, but he always considers her feelings and does not put on airs like the noblewomen of the Central Plains, so she feels closer to him.

  She smiled and said "Wherever you let me live, I'll live there. We Miao women won't be as delicate as the women of Central Plains, we can live anywhere."

  She thought for a moment, then leaned in and whispered, "You specifically told me that there's an open door at the southwest corner, are you saying that if I'm really bored, I can also take a stroll around the mansion?"

  Ming Xuan didn't want to deceive her, so she briefly told the story of Pei Jing Chen being poisoned. "Actually, I invited Huang Yi's daughter to come and live here, also with my own private intentions. I wanted to ask her to take a stroll in the garden for a few days, to see if there were any discoveries. My husband's grandfather seemed to have been secretly plotted against as well. If possible, I'd like to invite her to help diagnose and treat him."

  "She continued saying 'Of course, a guest from afar is welcome, if you're unwilling, I absolutely won't force it.'"

  The girl in yellow laughed brightly, with an eager expression on her face. "Who says I won't? Such a fun thing, how could I not want to? I was just worried it would be boring here."

  As she spoke, her expression suddenly fell again. "Brother Jing doesn't come to find me either, and I don't dare to find him to bring trouble to him. If there's nothing fun, I'll be bored to death."

  People with a simple temperament, speaking and acting are always emotionally clear-cut, making it easy for others to see what they think in their hearts. Huang Yi's innocence also made Ming Xuan's vigilance towards her "good babies" decrease slightly. She thought that such a straightforward woman, as long as she was treated sincerely, would not betray her.

  What a pity...

  Ming Xuan's eyes were slightly closed, and she whispered to herself, "Forget it, emotional matters are the hardest to clarify. No matter what Gu Yuanjing chooses in the end, as his sister, she only needs to take care of her own heart and stand firmly behind him in support. As for Huang Yi, if she is willing, Ming Xuan would also be willing to put aside her relationship with Gu Yuanjing and become friends with her.

  Since the words have been spoken, Ming Xuan also didn't put on airs with the yellow-clad guest. She smiled and invited the yellow-clad man to go to the flower hall with her husband and wife to have lunch together.

  This surprised Huang Yi, who asked in confusion, "I thought Brother Jing meant that I'm not supposed to reveal my identity in front of people. I'm grateful for bringing me here and I think the proposal is interesting, but I don't want to bring unnecessary trouble. As for this luncheon, I think it's better if I don't go..."

  She wasn't afraid that her identity would be exposed. The Miao people lived in the deep mountains and old forests of Lin Nan, although they were also subjects of the Zhou Dynasty, but they had their own distinct culture. The imperial court was very cautious and polite towards them. If something happened to her under the feet of the Son of Heaven in Shengjing City, she dared to confirm that her father and brothers would not let it go easily. These people from the Central Plains must also be very clear about this, so she was very certain that even if she exposed her identity, no one would dare to harm her.

  But in her interactions with Gu Yu Jing, Huang Yi has gradually transformed from an ignorant and fearless Miao girl to someone who understands the importance of considering worldly opinions and others' feelings. Especially since she has a good impression of Ming Xuan, deep down inside, she really doesn't want to cause trouble for her.

  But Ming Xuan smiled and said, "My husband and I have a complicated situation in this mansion, and it's likely to be very troublesome for a while. Even if we don't go to the Hua Hall, there will definitely be people who want to make things difficult for us. Rather than that, why not take this opportunity to introduce ourselves? Otherwise, how can we wander around the garden of the Pei family in the future?"

  Her eyes flickered and a smile spread across her face. "Besides, taking you along might even be helpful to me!"

  The yellow clothes are unclear, but since Ming Xuan insisted, what is she afraid of?

  It was just a moment after noon, and the four tables in the hall were seated according to their ranks. The dishes had all been served, and it was a time of clinking cups and plates. Therefore, when Mr. and Mrs. Pei Jing entered, the people inside who were eating and drinking did not pay much attention to them. Amidst the din and noise, the sharp voice of Yang Shi, the wife of the young master, rang out, and everyone stopped with their cups in mid-air, only then noticing the newcomers.

  Yang stood up and came out from his seat, "Brother Chen, Sister-in-law Chen, I had sent Old Lady Gu to our estate in the southern suburbs yesterday to spread the word that today Uncle and Aunt would be coming over. Let's head back early. Today, we've been waiting for stars and moons, but they still haven't arrived. So I had them start serving first. Come, quickly take your seats!"

  These words are sarcastic and mocking, every sentence is full of ridicule and provocation.

  Madam An's face suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant, but since Commander Pei didn't say anything, she could only hold back and not scold him. She just said lightly, "A family reunion is a happy occasion, it's good that you're back, let's eat quickly before the food gets cold."

  It was all polite conversation, but anyone familiar with Madame An would understand that she was somewhat displeased.

  Ming Xuan and Pei Jingchen exchanged a glance, finding that each other's eyes had a helpless expression. Yang Shi was so determined to make things difficult for them, but since they were well-prepared, she couldn't shake them at all.

  She held an impeccable smile as she gazed at the seat where she used to sit during family banquets, now occupied by a stranger. She wondered if that person was one of the favored young madams from the An Xiang Hou Mansion, perhaps even the wife of the young master. Looking around, she saw that the table was already full, but there were still two empty seats at the misses' table. Unfazed, she smiled and led Huang Yi over to take their seats.

  "Old Mrs. Gui blocked her way 'Big breasts, who is this?'"

  Yang realized that Ming Xuan had brought in another beautiful woman, and she seemed to have discovered a new continent, saying with great interest "Isn't this the one that Brother Chen brought back from outside?"

  The words were ambiguous, and in an instant, several gazes fell on Huang Yi's body.

  Ming Xuan furrowed her brow, "It's my fault for not reporting back to the young master and his wife in time. This Miss Huang is the daughter of Mother's good friend, and since she knows some medical skills, it just so happens that she was in Shengjing recently, so I invited her to come to the mansion to treat the illness."

  She had barely finished speaking when she was interrupted by Madame An Xianhou: "Nonsense!"

  Yang said with ill intent, "Are you saying that among the many famous doctors in Shengjing City, none of them are as skilled as this little girl? Moreover, men and women should not be too familiar with each other. Looking at Miss Huang's attire, she is still an unmarried young woman. Treating her leg disease will inevitably require physical contact. If we don't give a proper explanation, won't people say that the Town National Public House of the Pei family is irresponsible?"

  She saw Pei Jingchen and Ming Xuan's strange expressions, so she was even more certain of her conjecture. Just as she wanted to continue speaking with a self-satisfied tone, she suddenly heard Miss Huang burst out laughing: "Indeed, the heart is like a mirror, whatever you see is reflected in your heart, this saying is truly not deceiving me."

  Huang Yi ignored Yang Shi's annoyance and walked straight to Pei Xiang, looking at him seriously for two eyes, then said loudly: "He has been poisoned, the poison has entered the five organs, if he is not rescued in time, I'm afraid there are only a few days left!"

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