The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

"When that couple stuffed the Frost Grass into my little Buddhist shrine, did they ever consider that I was their mother?" The old lady sneered. "There are no fools in the world like that, who, after discovering they've been murdered, would still wash the knife and hand it to the killer. Don't you think so?"

Xu Qianhui kept her head down: "Ahui is of lowly status and dares not speak ill of my aunt and uncle."

"Don't try to fool this old lady." The old lady leaned back on the cushion. "If a person wants something for nothing, it depends on fate and destiny. Someone like you, how can you get what you want without working hard?"

After the old lady finished speaking, Xu Qianhui suddenly looked up, her face visibly paler.

She was slightly out of breath, and after a long while, she finally bowed her head in reverence.

"Ah Hui is willing to obey the old lady's orders."

Only after hearing this did Granny Fang breathe a sigh of relief.

The old lady looked at her and finally a slight smile appeared on her face.

Get up.

When Xu Qianhui stood up, her knees felt a little numb.

A breeze swept past outside the curtain.

Outside the carved window, the flowers in the courtyard are in full bloom.

In autumn, when all flowers should be withering, the Ci'an Hall is filled with lush greenery.

Xu Qianhui looked out the window and said softly, "The old lady's garden is so well-maintained; even in autumn, it retains the beauty of late spring."

The old lady's smile deepened: "No one has ever properly taught you these skills before. Well then, you can stay and serve today, and learn some tricks."

......

When Madam Fu learned that Xu Qianhui was at Ci'an Hall, it was already afternoon.

When she arrived at Ci'an Hall with her maids and servants, the sun was shining brightly in the courtyard.

The old lady sat in a rattan chair, while Xu Qianhui half-squatted in front of the flower stand, pressing a sprig of jade tea with silver scissors in her hand.

An old man and a young boy are talking through the shadows of flowers, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

Fu paused by the door for a moment before stepping inside.

"The daughter-in-law greets her mother."

Xu Qianhui then stood up and bowed to Madam Fu.

"Ah Hui has met her aunt."

Madam Fu laughed and said, "You silly girl, you've come all the way to the manor but you don't even come to see your aunt. Your aunt has been worrying about you for nothing."

Before Xu Qianhui could speak, the old lady slammed the scissors on the table.

"You're all busy people, and this old woman is just calling a maid to keep me company. Do I have to inform you, the Duchess, first?"

Fu was stunned.

Why is the old woman so angry today? Did she take the wrong medicine?

She suppressed her dissatisfaction and quickly stepped forward with a smile.

"Mother, you flatter me. The entire Duke's mansion depends on you! I was just worried that this girl might be clumsy and offend you, so I thought I'd teach her a lesson first so she could serve you better."

"Hui'er isn't a purchased servant, so why are you talking about serving her or not?"

"Mother is right."

Fu thought that her respectful attitude would make the old woman spare her.

Unexpectedly, the next sentence was even more cutting.

"Back when you first entered this household, did I ever allow you to establish any rules for even a single day?" The old lady looked at Madam Fu. "Now that you're getting old, you even bully the younger generation. You're really getting more and more backward as you get older."

Madam Fu rested her fingertips on her sleeve for a long while before saying, "Mother has misunderstood her daughter-in-law..."

The old lady ignored her and turned to look at Xu Qianhui.

"Why are you being so honest? You're her cousin, and she forgot to tell you to get up, are you really not going to get up?"

"Ah Hui wouldn't dare to be impolite." Xu Qianhui smiled obediently, "It's Ah Hui's blessing that the old lady cherishes her. But since Aunt manages such a large Duke's mansion, there are bound to be times when she can't take care of everyone. Ah Hui should understand the hard work of her elders."

Seeing Xu Qianhui speak up for her, Madam Fu quickly added, "You're such a thoughtful child. Your aunt was indeed very busy today, and just now I was taking care of Mother..."

"People always need to improve." The old lady picked up her teacup and interrupted, "Alright, if you're busy, go ahead and do your thing. I'll have Hui'er to keep me company here."

Upon receiving the pardon, Madam Fu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed to take her leave.

Only after Madam Fu and her entourage left the courtyard did the old lady put down her teacup and sneer, "She doesn't come to pay her respects for three or five days, but she came as soon as she heard you were here after you'd only been here for a short while."

Xu Qianhui picked up the silver scissors and cut off the side branches of the jade tea tree.

"Madam, what do you think? Does it look good?"

The old lady looked her over carefully.

With one branch missing, the main stem of the tea tree becomes visible.

A few branches nearby are still flourishing, but they can no longer cover the roots.

She smiled and said, "You clever girl, it seems I haven't wasted my time teaching you all this time."

"I've heard that the Lady of Wu'an Marquis holds a polo tournament every autumn, and she'll inevitably send an invitation to the Duke's mansion then." Xu Qianhui lowered her eyes and smiled, "The old lady will await good news."

Before evening, when Xu Qianhui left the Duke's mansion, he specifically asked the gatekeeper, Lin Zuo'an, if he was in the mansion.

The gatekeeper bowed and said, "Miss Xu, the second young master left the manor early this morning and has not yet returned."

Xu Qianhui nodded and was driven back to the small courtyard in the west of the city by the coachman.

After getting off the carriage, Xu Qianhui saw that the courtyard gate was open and thought Lin Zuoan had returned.

Unexpectedly, when Lin Zuo'an entered the courtyard, he didn't see a large black dog tied under the eaves.

The dog had glossy fur, pointed ears, and two white spots between its eyebrows.

When she entered the yard, the big black dog not only didn't bark, but also wagged its tail and came over.

Xu Qianhui took two steps back and shouted, "Qingyi! Qingyi!"

A young woman in green ran out carrying a large wooden basin: "Miss, you're back!"

Xu Qianhui pointed at the big black dog: "Where did this dog come from?"

"Miss told me to guard the gate before she left, which means she meant for me to bring back a big dog, right?"

A hint of disappointment flashed in Xu Qianhui's eyes; she had thought the dog was a gift from Lin Zuo'an.

She stayed at the Duke's mansion today specifically to try and catch a glimpse of him, but unexpectedly, she couldn't find a single person at either of their homes.

She walked around the big black dog and sat on the railing under the porch, a little irritated.

"It didn't bark the first time I saw it. How can it be a guard dog?"

The woman in green immediately said, "Miss, you're innocent! That big black dog is very clever. I let it smell your clothes, and it remembered your scent, which is why it didn't bark at you."

Is this really true?

Xu Qianhui looked down at the dog.

The big black dog looked up, its black nose twitched, and then it obediently shrank back.

like......

She's quite clever.

"Miss, you wouldn't believe it, I searched for so long before finding such a clever dog." The woman in green squatted down and stroked the dog's head. "The original owner said it ate too much and they couldn't afford to keep it, so they were willing to sell it. If it weren't for that reason, they wouldn't have agreed."

Xu Qianhui hummed in agreement: "That really is quite a coincidence."

She reached out and touched the white spot between the big black dog's eyebrows.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says that there is a beast called Bai Ze on Mount Dongwang. It can speak and is said to be present when a virtuous ruler can see into the most remote places.

"Let's name this big black dog Bai Ze."

"We hope it can bring us good fortune and ward off evil."

The woman in green clapped her hands and said, "Miss, you really know how to name things. Those two white dots above those big black eyebrows are a perfect match for the name Bai Ze."

Bai Ze seemed to understand, and wagged its tail even more enthusiastically.

Xu Qianhui teased it for a while.

As dusk fell, a woman in green brought in the food.

The two people and the dog ate their meal.

Xu Qianhui felt extremely tired, so she went directly to the side room to take a bath.

Hot water washed over her shoulders as Xu Qianhui leaned against the tub.

"Qingyi, accompany me to the South City Alley again tomorrow."

The woman in green paused in her hand, which was adding water: "Why would Miss go to a place like that?"

"The last repair wasn't done well, so it needs to be fixed again."