[The Orphan's Love Affair with a Beauty's Rivalry] (Volume 3, Chapter 245)

Chapter 245 Bewitched

After setting off again, Zhang Mei couldn't help but complain: "Master, look at this tattered clothes! That

greedy and heartless proprietress charged me twenty copper coins, and a bath for Xiaoxian cost me half a tael of silver—

almost the cost of medicine! People's hearts have changed so much!"

The Marquis frowned and said, "How many times have I told you? Our family doesn't lack that little bit of money. Why

haggle with the small business owners on the street all day? It's not easy for them to make money running their shops."

Zhang Mei said unhappily, "Do you think our money just falls from the sky? I want to save more money so I can

buy that good piece of land in Qingzhou for Nan'er."

She was referring to Yang Nan, the eldest daughter of the Sun family in Qingzhou, who was also a martial arts family. Although they were both martial artists,

she didn't like her eldest son-in-law, Sun Shifang. Nan'er met him while traveling the martial arts world, and the marriage was the result of Nan'er's

persistent efforts . The second daughter, Yang Qi, married into a scholarly family in Laizhou. She was in the same profession as her father, and her son-in-law, Zhang Lian, was a

typical handsome young scholar, whom she quite liked. This marriage was arranged by the couple themselves, but unfortunately,

Qi was not satisfied. Just as the moon has its phases, and people experience joy and sorrow, nothing in this world is perfect!

After visiting the Marquis's old friend, Zhang Mei said, "Xiao Xian, Auntie plans to adopt you and take you back to

Yanzhou. Are you willing?"

She imagined the child would jump up with joy, excitedly hug her, and kiss her face

profusely ; she was mentally prepared to dodge. However, to her surprise, Xiao Xian calmly

shook her head, indicating her refusal.

Zhang Mei exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Xian, don't be fooled by Auntie's habit of haggling with that proprietress. Our

Chengyang Marquis's mansion is incredibly wealthy. Our house is probably bigger than the biggest you've ever seen. You won't have to worry about

food What's wrong with that? Why don't you want to be my adopted daughter?"

Xiao Xian shook her head again and finally said, "I'm used to wandering all over the land. I've never liked being

confined to one place. I'll have to decline Aunt Zhang's kind offer."

Zhang Mei was taken aback. She wondered how Xiao Xian knew her surname was Zhang. When had she ever introduced herself? She couldn't remember.

Did Shi'er and the other maids tell her?

For some reason, Zhang Mei refused to give up. After more than half an hour of

earnest persuasion, Xiao Xian finally reluctantly agreed to go back with her, but still refused to be her adopted daughter. She only wanted to stay at the Marquis's

mansion temporarily. Zhang Mei had no choice but to let it go.

The Marquis, who had been observing coldly, was greatly puzzled by his wife's sudden enthusiasm and eagerness to adopt Xiaoxian.

His wife spent a long time traveling each year, and in this day and age,

there were countless homeless orphans like Xiaoxian on the streets of towns and cities. He had encountered many along his journey, yet he had never seen her adopt anyone.

He was well aware of his wife's eccentric and unrestrained nature, and her unique private preferences. He could understand adopting a dirty but

handsome homeless boy, but Xiaoxian was clearly a clown!

Not only him, but even Zhang Mei couldn't understand why she was suddenly so

bewitched determined to adopt this clown girl who made her feel uncomfortable every time she looked at her. Perhaps it was

influenced by Wuyue's adoption of homeless children in Liyang? Nearly two months had passed since their separation,

but it had become clearer. She often thought of him, and her words and actions seemed to be influenced by him.

Xiao Xian followed Zhang Mei and her husband to the Cheng Yang Marquis's residence in Yanzhou. Upon arriving at the gate, she lifted the carriage curtain and saw a tall and

imposing gate tower, extremely grand. As someone had returned in advance to inform them, the right-hand side gate leading directly to the carriages was already

open. After the two carriages passed through the side gate, they were greeted by an equally tall and exquisite screen wall. The carriages passed the screen wall

to the left and entered the main road of the front courtyard, heading towards a grand hall about twenty zhang away.

The road was lined with lush trees and flowers, with colorful peach blossoms vying for attention and roses in full bloom.

Such a scene did not seem to please the Marquis. He sighed softly and said, "Peach blossoms are too flamboyant, while roses represent

spring fever, which suits Madam's current mood quite well. No wonder you had the servants plant so many in the mansion."

Zhang Mei smiled and said, "Master has never liked romance, yet you understand these things. It seems you don't like them at all? I

'll have someone plant other varieties, like peonies."

The Marquis shook his head: "Never mind, since Madam likes them, let it be."

As they spoke, the carriage stopped in front of the main hall. Zhang Mei called Xiao Xian to get out of the carriage and they went up a few smooth, bright blue

stone steps to enter the main hall. Inside was a very spacious hall with high beams, large enough to accommodate

more than three hundred people. There were several side rooms on the east and west sides of the main hall. According to Zhang Mei, this was where the Marquis received guests and held

various literary discussions and poetry club activities.

After passing through the main hall, a back door leads to the front garden. Walking along the garden avenue for several feet, Zhang Mei and

her husband led her eastward, following a flower-lined path to the study courtyard, the residence of the Marquis.

After entering the courtyard, he went to his room to rest, while his wife led Xiaoxian on a tour of the mansion.

Based on Zhang Mei's explanation, Xiaoxian gained a general understanding of the layout. The entire mansion

was distributed , one of which was the avenue they had just entered, leading through the main hall and the front garden to the central gate of the rear courtyard.

The western side of the rear courtyard was Zhang Mei's inner quarters, divided into her inner chambers and a west wing courtyard. The inner chambers were located on the east side,

in the center of the rear courtyard; the west wing courtyard faced west, adjacent to the west wall of the rear courtyard. From north to south, three small courtyards were arranged in a row:

the North Courtyard, the Central Courtyard, and the South Courtyard. She enjoyed making friends, and these were the guest rooms for her female companions when they visited.

Located in the secluded northeast corner of the backyard, the Yinxiang Pavilion was the boudoir of the two young ladies before their marriages. Though not large,

its elegant furnishings befitted their status. The inner courtyard and the Yinxiang Pavilion were separated by a distance of five or six zhang (approximately 15-16 meters), planted with flowers and trees.

A winding bluestone path led to the forbidden rear garden, where unauthorized personnel were forbidden without the permission of the Marquis and his wife

. The Musi Garden, located in the most secluded part of the western section, was where the eldest princess and her husband, along with their young daughter,

had stayed when they visited. Apart from the three times the sisters-in-law had stayed there, it remained empty. The Queping Pavilion in the east

was where the lady of the house enjoyed tea and admired flowers.

In addition, there was a main gate in the southeast corner of the mansion, and a north-south main road leading directly to

the Marquis's study courtyard. Two long rows of single-story houses lined both sides of the road, serving as the quarters for maids, servants, and other lowly people

.

Zhang Mei ultimately arranged for Xiaoxian to reside in the central courtyard of the western wing of the inner courtyard, assigning two maids to serve her.

She treated her like a young lady.

To the maids and servants, Xiao Xian was nothing more than a beggar, and such treatment was truly remarkable.

Little did they know that the lady had her own plans. When she met Wu Yue in Liyang Town, he had taken in a wandering child.

Now, by chance, she too had adopted a little beggar. When they met again, they would have more in common

to talk about , and she could certainly win his favor by discussing her experiences with adopting homeless children.

Meanwhile

, on the official road south of Changshan County, the spring chill lingered. A series of light wheels and the resounding

clatter of hooves broke the silence of the plains. Nearly a thousand imposing black-clad knights, riding tall

horses a long, orderly procession, escorted a luxurious carriage, raising clouds of

dust along the way.

A conspicuous purple phoenix flag adorned the roof of the luxurious carriage, the unique emblem of the Princess's carriage.

In the land, offending the occupants of this carriage was treason and deceiving the Emperor. The carriage was spacious, decorated

primarily in pale purple and yellow, elegantly and comfortably furnished. A glowing fireplace sat in one corner, warm and cozy inside

despite the chill outside.

A middle-aged beauty, nearing forty, with rosy cheeks, reclined languidly on an embroidered couch that covered half the carriage.

Her hair was disheveled, her bosom partially concealed. Her hair was styled in a palace updo, and she possessed unparalleled beauty and elegance. Her tall, full-figured, mature, and fair-skinned

physique was incredibly alluring. Dimples appeared at the corners of her lips, hinting at a faint smile. The years had left few marks on her

face , but rather added a touch of wisdom, maturity, and experience. One could tell at a glance that she was a shrewd and capable

woman, far superior to a mere pretty face.

Her beautiful eyes, brimming with care and affection, were gazing tenderly at

the adorable face of the sleeping boy beside her.

The boy appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fair complexion like jade. He wore a high-crowned crown, a pink jacket, and white

cotton trousers, with a longevity lock around his neck. His lips were red, his teeth white, and his features delicate . He was as if sculpted from jade, possessing a beauty that even the ancient sages Pan An and Song Yu could not surpass. Strangely, the middle-aged woman 's almond-shaped eyes were filled with spring-like allure, exuding a captivating charm. Besides the maternal love she should have had, her eyes were also filled with a tender, soul-stirring affection, as if she were looking at her long-lost, dream lover. 　　The middle-aged woman was Zhu Ruowen, and the boy was naturally Wuyue. They were traveling from Fengyin Palace to the Zishan main altar at the Earth Gate. Zhu Ruowen possessed a palace-preserving beauty secret, and after four or five days of dual cultivation with Wuyue, aided by the Dragon and Phoenix True Technique, she appeared even more delicate and youthful, like a spring flower, making her seem to be in her late thirties or early forties. 　　She leaned close to Wuyue, closed the window, and before reaching the Earth Gate headquarters, she suddenly felt an urge to be intimate with him! 　　She reached out to wake Wuyue, and said in a seductive voice, "Wuyue, you haven't . Do you think it's a loss for you to be with an old, faded woman like me?" After speaking, she half-closed her starry eyes, lowered her head slightly, and slowly parted her crimson lips, as if waiting for something.

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