After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Yunxiu Villa is located at the foot of Beishan Mountain. With its green tiles and white walls, and a row of old locust trees planted in front of the gate, it looks quiet and elegant from a distance.

When they arrived at the gate and got out of the car, Afu looked up and saw a plaque hanging above the gate with the four characters "Yunxiu Villa" written on it.

Upon entering, a long queue had already formed in the courtyard.

Afu looked closely and saw that there were quite a few little girls dressed in silk dresses, and a few of them were accompanied by maids.

She overheard a woman in a light purple dress whispering to her daughter, "Ning Su Niangzi here is a retired embroiderer from the palace. Not many people can catch her eye, so you'd better do your best in the test later."

Afu understood immediately; Yunxiu Manor indeed had an extremely high reputation, even attracting the daughter of a minor official to come and learn martial arts.

She led A-Zhen to the registration desk, registered, and paid a registration fee of two taels of silver.

The woman in charge took the purse from her hand, glanced at it, and looked up at Afu: "Introduced by Lady Ningsu?"

Afu nodded.

The woman in charge pointed to the right: "Go line up over there."

Afu glanced at the two lines on the left and right. The left line was for regular registration, while the right line had fewer people, perhaps for referrals.

Without asking any further questions, she led A-Zhen over and stood there.

After standing still, she looked down at Ah-Zhen and said, "Relax, it doesn't matter whether you pass the exam or not, Ah-Zhen is here."

A-Zhen nervously tugged at her sleeve and nodded.

After waiting for about an hour, people came and went, some happy and some looking dejected.

When it was A-Zhen's turn to go in, A-Fu let go of her hand and straightened her collar: "Go ahead."

A-Zhen glanced back at her, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

About half an hour later, the door was pushed open from the inside, and A-Zhen ran out, her face flushed, clutching a piece of paper in her hand.

"Sister!" She ran over, holding the note high. "I passed! The teacher said my embroidery was good and let me stay!"

Afu took the note and glanced at it. It had the word "take" written on it, with a small cinnabar mark on it.

She knelt down and hugged A-Zhen: "Our A-Zhen is amazing."

Ah Zhen smiled, her eyes crinkling, revealing a tooth that was missing.

Afu led her to the stewardess from before and asked about the tuition fees and accommodation arrangements.

The stewardess said the tuition was ten taels of silver a year, including room and board, but the student had to bring their own bedding and toiletries, and could visit once a month.

Afu nodded and immediately paid ten taels of silver, receiving a bamboo plaque engraved with the words "Azhen".

When we left the village, the sun was already setting.

Afu led Azhen to the general store in town, where they bought a quilt, towels, a comb, two small bowls, a pair of new shoes, and a small bag of osmanthus sugar, which they stuffed into her bundle.

She had twenty-seven taels of silver left, which she had broken into silver pieces and stuffed into A-Zhen's hand. "Put it in the pocket of your inner garment. Take it out and use it if you need to."

A-Zhen nodded, carrying the new bedding, and walked beside her, her steps light as if she were walking on clouds.

Afu looked at the top of her head, which was swaying slightly, and swallowed the rest of her words.

Staying at Yunxiu Mountain Villa is the best arrangement. Staying here means I won't have to put up with my aunt's attitude, I'll have food to eat, someone to teach me, and a group of girls my age to live with.

Although it can't compare to a proper school, you can learn a skill and also learn principles.

This is the best she can give Azhen right now.

Upon reaching the entrance of the manor, Afu knelt down and straightened Azhen's collar: "Go inside. Your older sister will come to see you next month when you have your vacation."

A-Zhen nodded, without crying, but reached out and hugged her tightly, like a small tree clinging to another tree.

Then she let go, turned around, and ran into the doorway with its green tiles and white walls.

Afu stood at the doorway, watching the small figure disappear into the depths of the porch. After a long while, she turned and walked towards the carriage.

After taking only two steps, I saw Ning Su Niangzi come out from the side door, carrying a small bamboo basket in her hand, as if she was about to go out.

Upon seeing Afu, she paused slightly, then smiled and walked over: "Congratulations, Miss Afu."

"I just heard from my junior sister Ning Zhen that your younger sister is extremely talented. She can hold the thread steady after just a few stitches, and she has agreed to personally train her."

Afu stopped and turned around, her gaze lingering on Ning Su Niangzi's face for a moment.

Ning Su Niangzi was also looking at her, her smile unchanged, but with an indescribable quality that was more pronounced than before.

Afu felt a slight chill; this Lady Ning Su was taking her affairs far too seriously.

They had only met once, and she had already done a favor by giving him the sachet as an introduction. Now, she had specifically told him that "my junior sister would bring it herself," which was going too far.

Afu stopped beating around the bush and gave a slight curtsy: "Thank you for your trouble, Madam. If there is anything I can do to help you, please just ask."

Ning Su Niangzi smiled, a smile that was more genuine than before: "Miss Afu is straightforward."

She paused, then lowered her voice slightly: "I do have something that I might need your help with in the future."

"But don't worry, young lady, I won't make things difficult for you. The time isn't right yet. I'll talk to you in detail when the time is right."

Afu looked at her, didn't ask any further questions, and simply nodded: "Then we'll wait for you to speak, my lady."

Ning Su Niangzi smiled, picked up her small bamboo basket, and headed up the mountain path.

Afu stood for a while, then bent down and sat in the car. When the curtain fell, she leaned against the car wall and closed her eyes.

There are no free lunches in this world, but Ning Su Niangzi's willingness to openly state that she has something to ask for actually puts people at ease.

The carriage headed into the city. When it passed the Jiang family's house, Afu got off and went inside to tell Jiang Caifeng and Azhen that they would be learning embroidery at Yunxiu Villa from now on and would not be living there anymore.

Jiang Caifeng's expression changed upon hearing this, and she grumbled in dissatisfaction, "I have already found a good future for Azhen, to be a companion in the Prime Minister's mansion. Why do you have to make her suffer like that?"

Afu frowned.

The daughter of a prime minister should at least be the daughter of a minor official. How could a girl from an ordinary family have such connections? I hope she's not some kind of con artist or swindler.

Realizing she was in the wrong, she said directly, "Auntie, you'd better not have any ulterior motives. I have my own plans for my sister's future."

After saying that, he returned to the Marquis's residence.

As Afu returned to Seian-in, dusk was just beginning to fall.

She passed through the moon gate and saw Yunxi coming from the direction of Luoqi Garden in the distance. Her steps were faster than usual, her head was down, and her sleeves were bulging as if she were carrying something.

She didn't frown or look away; she just stood there, as if she happened to be standing there to get some fresh air.

Yunxi only saw her when she got closer. She paused for a moment, then resumed her normal pace and called out "Sister" when she got to her.

Afu's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, without looking at her sleeve, her tone casual: "Coming from Luo Qiyuan?"

Yunxi paused, her fingers unconsciously clenching her sleeves, and said in a low voice, "Miss Taoyao asked me to ask a few questions... about the young master's well-being these past few days. I told her the truth, and she wasn't happy and scolded me a couple of times."