Chapter 66 Eavesdropping

Jing Hu and Qingrou had just made up, and as she was preparing to return to her estate, Qingrou accompanied her all the way out of the Xihe Garden.

Looking at the Xihe Garden now, it seemed far more breathtaking than when she had first arrived. To call the Xihe Garden of the State Duke's Estate the finest garden in Yanjing was no exaggeration; with its four seasons and eight scenic views, each season possessed its own unique beauty.

Chatting and admiring the scenery along the way, Jing Hu felt all her worries dissipate, leaving her as happy as a little bird. Exiting the garden from the southern side, they happened to pass by the Souchun Pavilion.

As November drew near, the camellias planted within the Souchun Pavilion were gradually blooming. Although they were not yet as splendid as they would be in a dozen days or so, even just a few blossoms were enough to evoke a sense of tender affection.

Jing Hu and Qingrou sat down beside a massive camellia tree in the courtyard.

"My mother loves camellias the most. Have you ever been to the camellia grove on the back mountain of Ganci Temple? My mother says the camellias there bloom the best. She used to go there often with my eldest maternal aunt to enjoy the flowers."

"Another year has come around to the blooming season, but unfortunately, my eldest maternal aunt has been bedridden for a long time, and my mother has ended up in this state. This year, they probably won't be able to see the camellias on the back mountain of Ganci Temple."

Jing Hu was reluctant to hear Qingrou speak with such sorrow, so she comforted her, "Even if we cannot see the camellias at Ganci Temple, the ones at the Souchun Pavilion are blooming quite well."

"Flowers bloom and fall; it is only the natural order of things. If you cannot see them this year, there is always next year. Your mother and First Young Master Ke's mother will not remain ill forever, nor will they be confined to a small courtyard indefinitely."

"Perhaps you won't even have to wait until next year. Before the camellias on the back mountain of Ganci Temple fade away, there might just be a turning point regarding your mother's situation."

Qingrou smiled faintly. "Since my fifth elder sister said she would wait until I reach the age for hosting spring banquets before telling me what wrongdoing my mother committed, I presume there will be no turning point in these past few years."

"If there were, why would everyone in the family seal their lips, and not a single person is willing to tell me?"

Jing Hu realized her words sounded a bit exaggerated and nearly impossible, but when looking at matters, one should always try their best to hope for a good outcome.

"When the camellias here are in full bloom, if the Grand Duchess is unwilling to come out and admire them, you can simply snap off a few branches and send them to her for her appreciation."

"Perhaps the camellias here truly do not bloom as magnificently as those on the back mountain of Ganci Temple, but camellias snapped by her own daughter's hands, laden with heartfelt affection, I believe they can certainly compare to the ones she loves."

Jing Hu teased her again, "In a dozen days, when the camellias here are at their absolute best, you must send me an invitation to come and view the flowers, and you must prepare pastries and tea for me, so as not to waste the effort I made today to comfort you."

Qingrou chuckled. "Rest assured, I won't forget the little Princess. She blinked mischievously at her. When I snap the flowers then, you can also accompany me to visit my mother."

"My mother holds a great deal of weight when speaking before my eldest maternal aunt."

The implication behind those words went without saying. Jing Hu was not someone who blushed easily, but hearing Qingrou speak thusly, she surprisingly felt a twinge of guilt.

Though her birth was illustrious and she held the title of a Princess, she was not the only young woman of comparable status; perhaps there were others whose age matched Ke Mingxu's even better.

Ke Mingxu's grandfather, Grand Tutor Ke, was a figure whom even her own father the Prince held in high respect, so she could not afford to act rashly. If she wished to be with Ke Mingxu in the future, she would truly need to exert the persistent effort of water dripping through stone.

Perhaps the heavens allowed them to meet so early, at a rather unsuitable age, precisely to leave her time to work hard.

The little Princess generously responded with a "Very well." "Come to think of it, ever since the Grand Duchess fell ill, I truly have not been to pay my respects. That was indeed my lapse in etiquette."

Qingrou merely smiled as she looked at her.

Jing Hu could not help herself and asked again, "Then... what kind of women does First Young Master Ke's mother like?"

From childhood until now, she had rarely lacked self-confidence, but regarding this matter, she truly could not feel confident at all.

She knew that Ke Mingxu's mother came from the Xie family of Huai'an, a prestigious lineage renowned for generations of scholarship. A woman born of such a family background would naturally be well-read, gentle, and virtuous.

Yet, tracing her own family back a few generations, there were emperors, but simply no such proper, scholarly intellectuals.

Qingrou thought about it very earnestly and then told her, "My mother and my female cousin are both young women she raised. Roughly speaking, she probably just likes women like them."

"Shouldn't you and your sister-in-law be spending every day together? Just emulate her conduct. No matter how fastidious my eldest maternal aunt is, she could never dislike a woman who is like her own daughter."

Ke Mingbi? Then she was truly far too different from her, nor did she wish to become a woman like that.

Perhaps she should just figure out a way to become the woman Young Master Ke liked best. He was so resolute; he would surely be able to persuade his mother. Jing Hu could not help the corners of her lips curling upward.

Just as they were about to stand up and leave, they saw a woman wearing a celestial-turquoise *beizi* enter the courtyard, accompanied by her maid.

It was Xu Murou.

"... Then what does the Sixth Young Miss plan to do? The marriage proposal from the Li family has already been declined. If the Old Dowager finds you another match, will you accept it or not?"

She looked somewhat annoyed. "You ask questions you already know the answer to. Was the Third Young Master of the Li family not good? If not for First Young Master Ke, I would not have declined."

Hearing this, Qingrou already felt somewhat uneasy. It is improper to listen to things one should not hear; she prepared to stand up and greet her sixth elder sister to avoid hearing anything more she shouldn't.

However, she was stopped by Jing Hu. Throughout Yanjing, the only person addressed as "First Young Master Ke" by the daughters of the State Duke's Estate was likely Ke Mingxu alone.

She had not expected that she rejected such a fine marriage proposal simply because she harbored deep romantic feelings for Ke Mingxu. Yet another rival in love had appeared.

Sitting behind the shaded camellia tree, they were invisible from the entrance where Xu Murou had walked in.

Xu Murou sat down by the stone table nearby and began to lament the passing of spring, "Ever since the spring banquet of the fourteenth year of Zhaoyong, when he commented on my paintings and spoke with such warmth and gentleness, I have never been able to forget him."

"No matter how wonderful that Third Young Master Li may be, he is merely a martial official. How could he possibly understand even a fraction of the artistic sentiment within my paintings? To spend a lifetime accompanying such a person—even with a lifetime of wealth and glory—what fun would there be in that?"

If Li Yi were to hear such words, he would likely die of anger. Her older brother was clearly wonderful as well, and well-versed in literature and history; he simply happened to come from a family of military generals and was more proficient in martial arts.

Furthermore, when seeking to rise to prominence, military generals always had an easier time than civil officials.

"Although Lord Ke is exceptional, he has had no real acquaintance with the Sixth Young Miss after all, and he was once betrothed to the Fifth Young Miss. You and the Fifth Young Miss..."

The maid stopped mid-sentence, leaving Jing Hu feeling extremely anxious as she listened.

Instead of finishing her thought, Xu Murou fell into deep contemplation. "The matters of that year—the Ke family wronged her. Perhaps... perhaps I can use what I know to trade for her help with this favor."

Jing Hu could not help turning her head to give Qingrou a look.