The dragon boat race had been a contest, but it had not caused much of a stir.
For one, the matter had not been openly discussed.
For another, neither Mingxi nor the Eastern Palace wanted to escalate things.
If the issue reached the Emperor’s ears, Mingxi would undoubtedly have the upper hand, but the Emperor’s impression of her might change—overly combative women were rarely favored.
After suffering a major setback, both the Eastern Palace and the Xingan Marquis household temporarily quieted down.
Meanwhile, Mingxi’s businesses unexpectedly flourished. Although many came to cash in their betting slips, Mingxi had her shopkeeper list each claimant’s name on a grand red announcement board at the entrance.
This tactic had an unexpected effect—people, eager to have their names displayed, flocked to her shop even more.
Mingxi was surprised by this outcome. Deep down, commoners yearned for peace and prosperity—who truly wished for war?
The soldiers who marched onto the battlefield were their sons, husbands, and fathers. Of course, they wanted them to return safely.
As a result of this incident, Duan Mingxi’s reputation among the people rose once again—an unexpected boon.
Meanwhile, Liu Yunhua sent an invitation for tea, arranging to meet Mingxi and the others at Yuxian Tower.
Originally, they had planned to go to Peony Terrace, but unexpectedly, it had been booked for a private event. Jinrui Garden, on the other hand, was bustling with people after the Dragon Boat Festival, and there were simply too many acquaintances—meeting them would require exchanging pleasantries, which was too much of a hassle.
So, they decided on Mingxi’s Yuxian Tower, where they could go directly to the third floor through the back courtyard, saving them a lot of trouble.
Since Yuxian Tower was Mingxi’s establishment, she naturally arrived early to welcome her esteemed guests.
The first to arrive was Chu Qingying. The moment she stepped inside and saw Mingxi, she smiled and said, “I just knew you’d be the first one here.”
“And why are you here so early?” Mingxi teased. “I came to arrange the food and wine, but what about you?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course, I came for you,” Chu Qingying replied.
Mingxi laughed. She invited Chu Qingying to sit and said with a smile, “That’s what I like to hear. A beauty coming just for me—what a joy in life!”
“What are you two talking about that’s so amusing?” Xu Nanxi asked as she pushed open the door.
Chu Qingying recounted the conversation with a hint of smugness. “Well, what do you think?”
Xu Nanxi: …
Soon after, Liu Yunhua and Yao Yunyi arrived one after the other, and Chu Qingying took the opportunity to show off again. This time, the others ganged up on her, playfully pinning her down until she had to beg for mercy.
The room was filled with laughter and joy.
Mingxi rested her chin on her hand, watching them. The troubles that had been weighing on her heart these past days suddenly felt much lighter in the midst of this cheerful atmosphere.
Once they had all settled down, wiping the sweat from their foreheads with their handkerchiefs after the playful scuffle, Mingxi had refreshments served. She personally brewed tea and poured it for them as they chatted idly.
Naturally, the conversation touched on the Dragon Boat Festival. The others praised Mingxi for her integrity, saying they should all learn from her.
Mingxi felt a pang of guilt. She had acted out of necessity rather than pure righteousness, but she couldn’t explain the details, so she merely responded vaguely.
Xu Nanxi, knowing some of the truth, noticed that Mingxi had no intention of elaborating and wisely kept her mouth shut, pretending not to know anything.
As the conversation lightened, they finally asked Liu Yunhua why she had invited them out.
“My wedding date has been set. I wanted to share the good news with you all,” Liu Yunhua said softly, her cheeks tinged with a rosy glow.
“Congratulations! Congratulations!” The others congratulated her in unison.
Liu Yunhua blushed and smiled shyly, fidgeting with her handkerchief.
“Huh? That’s rather soon. Normally, since your elder brother just got married, there should be at least a half-year gap before your wedding. Why are you getting married in autumn?” Chu Qingying asked curiously.
Liu Yunhua met the expectant gazes of her close friends and hesitated for a moment before explaining, “The Zhong family has sent matchmakers to our house several times. My mother felt it would be impolite to keep delaying, so she carefully chose a date in autumn. The Zhong family originally wanted to have the wedding in the summer.”
“Looks like Young Master Zhong is really eager to marry you,” Yao Yunyi teased, nudging Liu Yunhua’s arm, making everyone envious.
Zhong Yuqing, the imperial censor, was known for being stern and unyielding in court, yet his son, Zhong Sheng, was a mild-mannered scholar working in the Hanlin Academy. Recently, he had been promoted to an editor.
Zhong Yuqing had offended quite a few people over the issue at the Imperial Stables. The emperor had been involved behind the scenes, but since this couldn’t be made public, Zhong Yuqing himself couldn’t be openly rewarded. Instead, the favor was passed down to his son, Zhong Sheng, in the form of a promotion.
Mingxi had overheard a few details from Third Master Duan, though she hadn’t given it much thought at the time. It was only after Zhong Sheng’s promotion that she realized—the Zhong family was now closely aligned with the emperor.
Chu Qingying looked at Liu Yunhua and said, “Young Master Zhong has a great reputation in the capital. With an upright father like Zhong Yuqing, and his own good conduct, your married life will surely be blissful.”
She was truly envious.
She also wanted to marry into a respectable household and find a husband she could rely on. But given her family’s current situation, who would willingly wade into such troubled waters?
Liu Yunhua knew of Chu Qingying’s worries. She reassured her, “You will find a good match too.”
Chu Qingying let out a soft laugh. “Who knows? I’ll take things as they come.”
After Yu Wang’s exile, Chu Qingying’s sister focused on her pregnancy and resting, while their stepmother, now emboldened by their father’s alliance with the Crown Prince through Xingan Marquis, stirred up trouble within the household daily.
Unfortunately, she put on a perfect act in front of their father, straining his relationships with both his daughter and son. Thankfully, Chu Qingying’s younger brother had secured the title of shizi, so she now pinned her hopes on securing a good marriage that would allow her to support her brother and look after her sister.
But it was proving difficult.
No prominent noble family in the capital was willing to get involved in their household’s mess.
Yao Yunyi reassured her, “Don’t worry, things will work out.”
If it weren’t for the complexities of the Jingyuan Marquis household’s internal affairs, she would have asked her mother to help arrange a match. But now, with Xingan Marquis firmly siding with the Eastern Palace, even her own family dared not meddle lightly.
Chu Qingying had already come to terms with her situation. She smiled at the others and said, “Don’t worry about me. There’s always a way forward. Today, we’re here to celebrate Yunhua’s wedding—let’s keep the mood light.”
Following her lead, the conversation shifted to cheerful topics, and the room once again filled with laughter.
Mingxi couldn’t help but think of Xie Jingyang—the man Chu Qingying had married in her past life.
She didn’t know the specifics, only that Xie Jingyang was a widower with a young son. It seemed that Chu Qingying had been manipulated into marrying him, and at first, their relationship had been rocky.
But later, Mingxi had heard that their marriage turned out to be quite good.
She wasn’t sure of the details, but one thing was clear—although Xie Jingyang was a widower, he was also a proper Commander of the Capital Garrison.
If their marriage had not been the result of scheming, perhaps things would have gone more smoothly for them.
With his official position, Xie Jingyang could have protected Chu Qingying.
Unfortunately, Mingxi didn’t know enough about the situation, and since she wasn’t married herself, she had no place playing matchmaker.
Women had it hard enough—who would willingly step into a household as a stepmother?
In her past life, Xingan Marquis Madam had deliberately tormented Chu Qingying. Knowing that Chu Qingying despised her stepmother, she had arranged for her to become one herself.
Truly ruthless.
Mingxi thought about this casually today, never expecting that just a few days later, trouble would actually arise.
