Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 274 Love
As soon as Xie Erniangzi closed the medical book, the head maid immediately came to her senses, fetched water to wash Erniangzi's hands, took the warmed cloak from the maid, helped Erniangzi put it on, and then handed her the hand warmer.

"It's snowing outside again, please change your shoes before you go."

Two maids knelt down and helped Xie Er Niangzi put on her boots.

The boots had a thick layer of fur inside, which had been warmed by charcoal and scented with incense. Stepping into them was warm and soft, and Xie Erniang's face relaxed a bit as she looked at the stewardess: "They fit perfectly."

The head maid smiled and said, "These are furs sent by the Prince's Mansion a few days ago. Princess Qin also mentioned that the Empress Dowager's birthday is coming up soon, and Western Xia and Northern Qi will send envoys to the capital to deliver gifts. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager wants to select some for Second Lady."

The Empress Dowager was very fond of Prince Huai and often summoned him to the palace to talk.

When the Prince was injured, the Empress Dowager was extremely worried. Later, she found out that he had been saved by the Second Lady, so she immediately sent eunuchs and palace servants to bring several boxes of rewards.

Only then did the entire household realize that the Second Mistress had done something extraordinary. If the old Prime Minister hadn't suddenly passed away later, the family would have been overjoyed.

The servants opened umbrellas and escorted Xie Erniang out. Xie Erniang gazed at the plum blossoms filling the courtyard, lost in thought, and couldn't help but slow her pace.

The head housekeeper said, "The plum blossoms in the manor are blooming beautifully this year."

Xie Erniangzi nodded.

The head housekeeper was already used to it; the second young lady didn't like to talk much, especially when she first entered the mansion. Everyone said it was because the countryside was quiet and deserted, which had shaped her personality.

After moving back to the mansion, things were much better.

As the group was strolling in the garden, the steward hurriedly came over to report: "The Prince has arrived and is speaking with the Master in the front courtyard. He will come to the back courtyard to pay his respects to the Madam shortly."

The steward came to inform the second young lady to prepare.

After finding his savior, the Prince of Huai went to the village to see him, but the old prime minister, who had just retired and returned home, turned him away.

After the old prime minister passed away, the second wife returned to Bianjing for the funeral. The Prince of Huai also made various excuses to stay in the mansion. At that time, he was still in grief and no one mentioned these things. After the old prime minister was buried, the master proposed to observe the mourning period, but the emperor deprived him of his gifts and he was reinstated to the Privy Council. Only then did the Princess of Qin come to the mansion and reveal the Prince of Huai's thoughts to the master and his wife.

Of course, the Prince of Qin's mansion would not rush the engagement; the marriage would be bestowed by the Empress Dowager after the mourning period was over.

"I understand."

After sending the people away, Xie Erniangzi personally cut two plum blossoms before heading to Zhou Shi's room.

Zhou was talking to Xie Sanlang when she saw Xie Erniang arrive. She smiled and said, "Why are you so late today? Have you been reading in the pharmacy all this time?"

Xie Erniang replied, "I was looking at the medical book that Father just brought back, and I was late because I wasn't paying attention."

Xie Erniang spoke slowly, but fortunately her pronunciation was clear and accurate. However, upon closer listening, she lacked the accent of Bianjing.

Xie Chenghan also bowed to Xie Erniang, saying, "Second Sister."

Zhou beckoned, "Jing'er, come and sit down."

Xie Erniang noticed that there were many more things in the room, including porcelain, brocade, silverware and tea.

Knowing what her daughter was thinking, Madam Zhou said, "These are all goods sent by the Ministry of Commerce. They are the goods that we plan to send to the border markets this year. When the envoys from the vassal states arrive, we will show them to them. If there are no objections, these will be the main focus of this year's trade."

Next to that pile of things was a small clay stove.

Xie Erniang's gaze fell on it: "A clay stove too?"

“Of course not,” Zhou said. “How can such crude things be shown to the vassal people? This is what your third brother brought back from the teacher.”

Xie Chenghan nodded: "It was obtained by one of the master's disciples. The master doesn't need this. We heard that burning this can make salt, so..."

Zhou gave Xie Chenghan a reproachful look.

Xie Chenghan dared not continue speaking.

Zhou scolded, "Don't play with these things. If your father finds out, he will definitely punish you."

“I dare not,” Xie Chenghan said. “At most, I will instruct the servants to do it.”

The sons of noble families are always pampered, and from birth to adulthood, countless amounts of money are spent on their upbringing. If they get injured while learning to ride and shoot, that's one thing, but if they make a mistake using something from the common people, it would truly be a betrayal of their elders' efforts. Not only would Xie Chenghan be punished, but his servant would also be beaten to death. Xie Erniang said, "It seems that many people say this clay stove is very useful."

Madam Zhou frowned: "Don't mention these things, and don't say them in front of your father. The recent events in Daming Prefecture have been troubling your father. This clay stove also came from Daming Prefecture."

The siblings nodded.

Madam Zhou instructed her servants, "Throw those things out of here, don't let them get in the way."

The manager hurriedly ordered someone to take it away.

Logically, such a thing should be smashed before being thrown away. The servants took it out of the yard and threw it on the ground several times, but the clay stove remained unharmed. The servants had no choice but to go find a hammer.

When the Prince of Huai went to pay his respects to Lady Zhou, he passed by and saw this scene. The servants of the Xie family quickly blocked the clay stove.

"What's going on here?"

To the servants' surprise, Prince Huai stopped and asked, "It looks like a clay stove."

The servant hurriedly replied, "It's burnt; we were just about to throw it out."

Prince Huai glanced thoughtfully at the ground again. The clay furnace from Daming Prefecture was very sturdy, with an extra layer of fireproof clay inside. The whole furnace was heavy, yet it could still be burned.

The Prince of Huai said nothing more and continued walking forward. As always, upon seeing Lady Zhou, he glanced behind the screen.

Xie Erniang sat there doing needlework.

The Prince and Lady Zhou were chatting casually when a gust of wind suddenly blew open the window, revealing the one behind the screen. The Prince of Huai jumped up in alarm.

Fortunately, the head maid was quick-witted and closed the window, preventing Prince Huai from going over there himself.

"Are you okay?"

Everyone knew that the Prince's words were out of concern for the Second Lady.

The supervising mother quickly chimed in, "It's alright, it's alright, it was just an oversight, it wasn't fastened properly."

The Prince of Huai looks very much like the current emperor, with a handsome face. At the age of nineteen, he has already been working in the court and is currently serving as the Right Palace Attendant. The emperor often summons him to his side to personally instruct him.

Now, seeing how much this grandson, whom the official favored, cared for his second mother, Zhou couldn't help but feel happy.

The figure behind the screen moved, and only then did Prince Huai come to his senses.

Seeing this, Lady Zhou was afraid that the Prince of Huai would feel uncomfortable, so she took the initiative to ask, "Have you been very busy with your duties lately?"

The Prince of Huai said, "Some people from the Palace Guard have been transferred to Daming Prefecture, so I have taken on more duties."

Women were not allowed to discuss politics, especially in front of a prince.

Zhou Shi didn't say much, but the Prince of Huai said, "It shouldn't take long, after all, the person who went to Daming Prefecture was He Chun."

Zhou nodded.

Prince Huai looked at Xie Chenghan and said, "When the weather gets warmer, I'll take you for a spring outing."

Xie Chenghan's face lit up with joy, and he happily agreed, "Okay."

The Prince of Huai rose to take his leave.

As Zhou saw the Prince of Huai out, the figure behind the screen stirred.

The Prince of Huai left the Xie residence directly, mounted his horse, and rode away from the Xie family. As he did so, he reached out and rubbed his chest, where there was a scar left from the Xie family's rural residence.

A scene flashed through his mind: in the darkness, a blade pierced his chest without hesitation; had he not been wearing soft armor, he would have been pierced through and killed instantly.

The Prince of Huai narrowed his long, narrow eyes and a smile appeared on his lips. He would definitely find the person who hurt him.