Chapter 39: Aunt Lan

“Has the young lady not come out yet?” Yinghe asked Dujian with some concern.

Dujian shook her head and replied, “The young lady has been in her room for four hours now, and it’s getting dark…”

“Dujian, go call the young lady out; it’s time for dinner!”

“I cooked the eight-treasure duck that the young lady loves the most!”

Dujian nodded and went to call Tang Chuyao for dinner.

After knocking on the door and hearing the young lady’s voice, Dujian walked in.

A strong herbal scent wafted through the air; Tang Chuyao was carefully pouring some medicinal powder into a small porcelain bottle.

Behind her was a row of shelves already filled with various small porcelain bottles and boxes.

Each small porcelain bottle had a corresponding label. Although Dujian couldn’t read, she felt that the young lady’s handwriting was very beautiful.

“Miss, it’s time for dinner. My mother has cooked your favorite eight-treasure duck!”

Tang Chuyao had just finished packing the medicinal powder, sealed the bottle, and picked up a pen to write a few characters, which she then stuck onto the small porcelain bottle.

She placed it on the shelf behind her and casually took a few boxes, handing one of them to Dujian. “Dujian, this is the beauty cream I made. Please give it a try.”

“Alright, Miss.” Dujian happily accepted it. The moisturizing cream the young lady had given her a few days ago had worked wonders; her face, which often dried out and peeled, no longer had issues after using it!

Tang Chuyao led Dujian out of the room, locked the door, and then returned to her own room. Yinghe had already prepared dinner, and Senior Sister Xiaoyu had started sipping her soup.

Tang Chuyao glanced at the sky outside and said to Yinghe, “Aunt Yinghe, you don’t need to wait for me for dinner in the future; you can eat first!”

Yinghe hesitated for a moment before Tang Chuyao handed her a few boxes. “These are hand creams. Aren’t your hands often peeling and cracking, Aunt Yinghe? These should help relieve that.”

“Thank you, young lady!” Yinghe smiled as she accepted them.

Tang Chuyao raised her hand and tossed a small porcelain bottle to Senior Sister Xiaoyu. “Sister, this is a whitening cream. Since you are often exposed to the wind and sun, this will not only whiten your skin but also protect you from sunburn!”

Xiaoyu nodded and caught it with a smile.

Yinghe felt both gratified and a bit pained for Tang Chuyao. “Young lady, you shouldn’t work so hard in the future!”

Tang Chuyao sat down, picked up her soup bowl, took a sip, and then bit into a pancake, mumbling, “Aunt, don’t worry. I’m a doctor; I know my own body!”

Yinghe didn’t continue speaking, watching Tang Chuyao eat heartily with a doting expression; she must be hungry since she didn’t eat well at lunch!

After dinner, Tang Chuyao held a book in her hand while Dujian chattered away beside her, sharing the gossip she had heard that day.

“Miss, you should have seen how miserable Aunt Mei was today!”

“That new Aunt Lan who came into the house has apparently been with the master for many years; the young master is already so old!”

Tang Chuyao was not concerned with the affairs of the Tang Youze’s courtyard but was a bit surprised. This meant that Tang Youze had been keeping a mistress for many years!

Was it really so long ago?

Years ago, her grandmother had sent her a message, telling her that if she encountered any problems in the future, she could go to No. 3 Furong Alley on Xuanwu Street to find a woman named Xu Rulan.

Due to a fall that caused her to lose her memory, she had completely forgotten about this!

Hearing Dujian mention it today reminded her.

“Where is Aunt Lan being kept?” Tang Chuyao raised her head and asked.

Dujian thought for a moment and recalled, “It seems it’s No. 3 on Xuanwu Street.”

Tang Chuyao understood; it really was her grandmother’s person!

But so much time had passed, and she hadn’t contacted Aunt Lan at all. She had no idea what Aunt Lan’s situation was now.

“Young lady, Aunt Lan has arrived,” Yinghe said as she walked in.

Tang Chuyao raised her eyebrows, thinking to herself, “Speak of the devil.”

A woman dressed in a peach-colored dress walked in, with delicate orchid patterns embroidered at the hem, adding to her grace.

Her silky black hair was styled up, with a small

She was dressed in a plain white long dress, with delicate floral embroidery at the hem and a light purple ribbon tied around her waist, adding a touch of elegance.

She sat quietly there, holding a book in her hands, resembling a serene painting.

Wearing a veil, her true appearance was obscured, but her eyes, which were visible, were clear and lively!

Xu Rulan’s eyes instantly became a bit moist; she looked too much like her!

Especially around the brows and eyes, she was exactly like the young lady!

“Servant greets the young lady!” Xu Rulan knelt down before Tang Chuyao.

Tang Chuyao looked surprised. “Aunt Lan, why do you address me this way?”

Xu Rulan raised her gaze to Tang Chuyao, her eyes filled with sorrow, as if she were recalling something.

“Young lady, my life was saved by your mother!”

“Back then, there was a famine in my hometown, and it was just when the young lady passed by that she saved me. The young lady did not seek any reward, but I only wanted to repay the young lady’s life-saving grace.”

“A few years later, my family sold me to the Marquis of Wuding’s residence in the capital as a maid. That Marquis of Wuding was not only a corrupt official but also a lecher!”

“I could not endure his harassment, and just when I was about to be caught while escaping, I was saved by the old lady of the General’s residence.”

Xu Rulan paused slightly, wiped away her tears, and continued, “Perhaps it was fate that led me to meet the young lady again!”

“The old lady helped me redeem myself from the Marquis of Wuding’s residence, but the General’s residence was about to head to the northern frontier and could not arrange a place for me…”

“It was the young lady who gave me a sum of silver, allowing me to buy a house in the capital and have a place to stay…”

“I have always kept an eye on the young lady. When the young lady left, I was deeply saddened. How could Tang Youze be a good match for the young lady?”

“I secretly observed Tang Youze and discovered that he often had dealings with a man from the Liao dynasty.”

The Liao dynasty?

The Liao and Qi dynasties were evenly matched; although they had reached a peaceful consensus, an imbalance of power could easily lead to war!

Previously, Tang Chuyao could not remember any connection between the Liao dynasty and Tang Youze…