The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

In the east wing of Songhe Garden, the room of Granny Li was warmly lit by an underfloor heating system.

When Jiang Guo'er entered, Granny Li was sitting at the kang table drinking tea, with a brocade bundle next to her.

"You're here? Have a seat."

Jiang Guo'er sat down as instructed, placing her hands neatly on her knees and keeping her back straight.

Granny Li untied the bundle, revealing a soft, pale yellow pillow.

The pillow is embroidered with a lotus scroll pattern, and the gold thread is fine and dense, which makes it clear at a glance that it is a top-notch work.

There were two charred holes the size of copper coins at the corner of the pillow, with blackened and curled edges, and several of the gold threads around it were broken.

"This is the dowry of the old lady, and it has been with her for more than 20 years."

Granny Li handed the pillow to her.

"The candle fell over a few days ago, leaving such a big hole! The old lady was so upset that she couldn't sleep all night."

Jiang Guo'er took it with both hands and looked at it twice, turning it over and over.

He gently ran his fingertips along the edge of the burn hole and then twirled the weave pattern on the pillow.

This item is over twenty years old, and the satin surface has been worn smooth and lustrous, like a patina.

This texture is so poor that ordinary needlework techniques will immediately reveal its weakness.

"Granny, the hole is burned deep, and the bottom fabric is charred. With ordinary stitching, the stitches will stick out, and there's no way to hide it."

She paused, then continued, "If you patch it with satin of the same color, it could cover it up, but..."

"Just what?"

"It will leave a scar."

Granny Li sighed and fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist.

She had thought of this method long ago.

The old lady has a very sharp eye; seeing a patch would probably be more disheartening than seeing a hole.

Just as she was about to tell her to leave, Jiang Guo'er suddenly looked up.

"Granny, I have another way."

Granny Li raised an eyebrow.

"You can use the Hu's needlework technique to stitch on both sides of the hole at the same time, following the direction of the lotus leaves and flowers, to embroider a small cluster of new patterns to cover the scorch marks."

She touched the lotus leaf next to the scorched hole with her fingertip.

"There was originally going to be a leaf extending over here, so it doesn't look out of place when it's added. It's a little thicker than the surrounding area, but from the surface, it blends in perfectly with the original embroidery."

Granny Li paused, her hand holding the teacup still.

"Are you referring to... the needlework techniques of Hu Meiniang, the embroiderer from the previous dynasty?"

"Exactly."

Granny Li put down her teacup, and her eyes suddenly changed.

The Hu family's needlework technique has been lost for a long time. At most, the masters in the embroidery workshops in the capital have heard of its name, but those who can actually master it can be counted on one hand.

"Where did you learn that?"

A hint of nostalgia appeared on Jiang Guo'er's face.

"My mother was an embroiderer who worked for wealthy families in the countryside of Lianzhou. Her master was an old woman surnamed Hu, who had a very eccentric temper and only accepted apprentices based on her first impression."

She smiled and said, "When I was little, I learned from my mother for a few months, and my mother-in-law would occasionally give me some pointers. It was fine for patching a hole, but it wasn't enough for embroidering a whole picture."

Granny Li stared at her for a moment.

"Lianzhou?"

"Yes, it's Lianzhou in Lingnan. It has many mountains and rivers, and families who grow mulberry trees and raise silkworms are everywhere."

"I heard the silk from those silkworms is very fine and strong?"

"The nanny is knowledgeable," Jiang Guo'er nodded.

"Lianzhou silk is three-tenths finer than Suzhou and Hangzhou silk, making it ideal for embroidery thread. However, its production is limited, with most of it going to the capital as tribute, making it unaffordable for ordinary families."

Granny Li picked up the teacup and took a sip.

This girl speaks logically and coherently, with all the details matching up; it doesn't sound like she made it up on the spot.

"In that case, give it a try." She wrapped the soft pillow up again and handed it to Jiang Guo'er. "Repair it within three days and bring it to me."

Jiang Guo'er took the pillow, her face showing difficulty: "Granny, I don't have any silk thread or gold thread on hand, you see..."

"There's an embroidery room in the small building of Songhe Garden, with all sorts of materials inside," said Granny Li, waving her hand. "I'll put in a word with them, and you can go in and take what you need these next few days."

Jiang Guo'er suppressed her joy, stood up and bowed: "Thank you, Granny."

Stepping out of the east wing, a cold wind hit my face.

Jiang Guo'er hugged the bundle tightly and walked briskly towards the small building in Songhe Garden.

Pushing open the door, I saw three embroiderers, each busy at their own embroidery frames.

The woman in the lead was in her forties. She glanced at her.

Jiang Guo'er smiled and explained her purpose, repeating what Granny Li had said.

The three exchanged glances.

The woman curled her lip and gestured with her chin toward the stairwell.

"The silk and gold threads are all on top; go and find them yourself."

The younger embroiderer next to her, without even looking up, added:

"There's a lot of stuff up there, don't mess it up! If you mess it up and something gets lost, you won't be able to afford to pay for it."

Jiang Guo'er smiled and replied "Okay," then turned and went upstairs.

A hushed whisper came from behind—

"Where did she come from? We've never even met her before, how dare Granny Li let her into the embroidery room?"

"Who knows what connections they used, tsk..."

"Keep your voice down. With such beauty, what if you lose face in front of the Prime Minister?"

Jiang Guo'er did not stop walking.

Whether you hate her or ignore her, all she wants is the right to pass through this embroidery room.

The second floor was cramped and crowded, with shelves against the wall piled high with various silk threads, fabrics, and scraps, covered with a thin layer of dust.

Jiang Guo'er deftly picked out the gold and pale yellow silk threads and put them into her small basket.

Then, I walked to the window facing north.

I opened the window, and a cold draft rushed in.

A low brick wall separates the window from Pei Yan's study.

After a month in the manor, besides doing her daily chores, she tried her best to learn about the Pei family.

They already knew the layout of each room in the Pei residence by heart.

The reason I approached Granny Li was so that I could freely enter and leave the embroidery room.

At this hour, Pei Yan was still on duty in the cabinet.

The study's doors and windows were half-open, and two servants were standing guard under the eaves, stamping their feet to keep warm out of boredom.

Jiang Guo'er peered through the half-open hinged window of the study, discreetly observing the furnishings inside.

The pen holder on the desk was neatly arranged, and a stack of official documents was placed next to the inkstone.

The display shelves weren't filled with antiques, but rather with rows of ancient books.

Several calligraphy and paintings hung on the wall—her gaze suddenly froze.

One of them is a lotus picking scene.

In the painting, a small boat floats on a lotus pond, with lotus leaves stretching to the sky, creating a lush green scene. The brushstrokes are delicate and elegant.

Jiang Guo'er frowned slightly.

This painting... she felt like she'd seen it somewhere before.

But where exactly is it?

She couldn't remember it for a moment.

Jiang Guo'er quickly looked away and was about to close the window when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the door of the study.

lotus.

She was talking to the gatekeeper, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

He then pulled something out of his sleeve, deftly stuffed it into the servant's palm, and glanced into the study.

A cold smile crept across Jiang Guo'er's lips.

They say nice things like, "I'm already twenty, I have no hope," but then they turn around and try to get close to the little things in the study.

It doesn't matter.

It's impossible for Prime Minister Pei to favor only one concubine. If Lianhua can truly rise in rank, it will also benefit her.

Jiang Guo'er quietly closed the window and turned back to the shelf to continue searching for silk threads.

My elbow accidentally knocked a piece of sheepskin scrap off the edge of the table.

It's palm-sized, soft and delicate, and feels wonderful to the touch.

Jiang Guo'er bent down to pick it up, and subconsciously took out the doll from her bosom and gestured to its feet.

The size is just right to make a pair of little boots.

She pinched the doll's smooth feet, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Since you've followed me and helped me keep warm, I certainly won't treat you badly. I'll make sure you're dressed up as a respectable and handsome young man."

I casually rummaged through the pile of scraps.

A small piece of thick black brocade can be used to top an official's hat; a narrow strip of dark green brocade is more than enough to make a small cloak.

She stuffed the odds and ends into her shoes, then tucked the doll back into her bosom and patted it gently through her clothes.

"Look how good I am to you! When I have time, I'll embroider facial features onto you, then you'll look even more human."

He chuckled after saying that.

I don't know if it's because life has been too hard, but talking to a rag doll makes me so happy.

Picking up the basket filled with silk thread, Jiang Guo'er slowly went downstairs and nodded to the three embroiderers.

The three men checked what she had taken, touched her sleeve, and confirmed that she hadn't smuggled anything, before letting her go.

Jiang Guo'er returned to the servants' quarters.

As soon as I pushed open the door, I stopped in my tracks.

Her bedding was folded neatly, but the corners of the blanket were facing the wrong way.

The coarse cloth under the pillow was also half an inch off-center.

Someone has been in her house.