Chapter 25: The Concubine’s Smile 

After sending off Chang Sile, Xia Qingfeng became busy. She knew that going to Chongfu Temple meant that she and Xiaoxiao would soon return to the West Ping Marquis’s residence, so she needed to make thorough preparations.

In this feudal ancient society, even if a woman had a child with her, being away from home for more than half a year would be considered a disgrace. Therefore, in order to return to the Marquis’s residence without being criticized, she needed to lie and say she had been praying at Chongfu Temple all along, with the old madam of the Marquis’s residence as a witness. Even if Xu Jingchen didn’t believe it, with the old madam’s high rank as a first-class marquis’s wife, the West Ping Marquis’s residence wouldn’t dare to challenge it. The attitude of the West Ping Marquis’s residence wasn’t important; what mattered was that Xia Qingfeng could return to the Marquis’s residence without leaving any stains on her reputation.

The first step in preparation was to choose the right clothing. Since she had been praying at Chongfu Temple, her outfit had to be simple and modest. “To appear elegant, one must be filial.” Therefore, she had to prepare a pure white robe, as spotless and unblemished as possible. Xia Qingfeng decided to follow the classic look of a certain dragon princess and made herself an outfit, tying a white ribbon in her hair.

**Fairy-like!**

Xu Xiaoxiao’s outfit was a miniature version of her own.

The two of them, one large and one small, were going to play the role of mourning for the West Ping Marquis’s residence.

Mourning clothes—oh no, I mean, the white robes—were ready, but now Xia Qingfeng picked up her needle and thread again.

This time, what she was making was something called “sitting comfortably.” People at this time weren’t used to sitting in chairs; they sat on the floor. For common folk, that wasn’t too bad, but for those in distinguished households, they had to kneel straight and tall. The original owner had suffered from this greatly in the past, with aching shins, sore feet, and a painful waist if she tried to sit too long. If she sat properly, her legs would go numb—it was simply uncomfortable.

Xia Qingfeng knew she couldn’t change the way people sat. Even if it was the right thing to do, for common folk, it was considered rebellious, so until she was strong enough, she would have to conform to the customs of the time. Moreover, she would be staying in the temple for a few days, and would have to kneel in prayer every day. This “comfortable seat” was essential.

This “comfortable seat” was made by Xia Qingfeng on a regular cushion. She created a small arch in the middle, where the legs would rest, and added a flat platform at the back where she could sit. She stuffed it with cloth pieces, and on top of that, she added a layer of cotton. The part for her feet also had a gentle slope, so that her feet could rest comfortably. After sitting for a long time, it wouldn’t be so painful.

This cushion was easy for Xia Qingfeng, who had the original owner’s embroidery skills. It was quickly done. She tried sitting on it herself, and it was indeed very comfortable.

**”Pfft~~”**

“Stupid space, what are you laughing at?” Xia Qingfeng asked angrily.

“No, no, it’s just that you’re too clever, Feng’er,” the spatial spirit replied, trying to hold back its laughter.

*Sigh!* “If I could make a chair, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble,” Xia Qingfeng said as she got up from the cushion and began embroidering chrysanthemums on the flat platform.

“You will, in the future, anything you want to do, you’ll be able to achieve,” the spatial spirit said seriously.

“I don’t believe you!” Xia Qingfeng said with a playful tone, continuing to embroider the flowers.

The next morning, as soon as Xia Qingfeng got up, Yin Xing came running over, shouting loudly.

“Madam, Madam! The ewe is about to give birth! Come quickly and have a look!”

Xia Qingfeng immediately grabbed Xiaoxiao and rushed to the backyard.

By the time they arrived, a crowd had already gathered in front of the stable. Xiao An and Xiao Xi were crouching down, nervously watching.

Xia Qingfeng quickly moved forward to check on the ewe. The amniotic sac had already broken, and the birth was imminent.

Within about a quarter of an hour, the ewe gave birth to a lamb.

The newborn lamb was still covered with a thin, transparent membrane and was covered in mucus. It lay on the ground, shivering. The ewe lowered her head, stretching her neck to lick the lamb. She licked from its head down its body, and then from its body to its legs. Gradually, a layer of white fur began to show on the lamb’s body.

After a while, the lamb trembled, its hind legs stood up, and it tried to raise its front legs. However, its hind legs gave out, and with a soft *thud*, it collapsed back onto the ground. Everyone, seeing a ewe give birth for the first time, gasped when the lamb fell. The loud noise startled the lamb, and with a jolt, it scrambled to its feet, which made the children clap their hands with joy.

Seeing that the lamb was fine, Xia Qingfeng immediately moved to treat the ewe to prevent any postpartum inflammation, which could affect the quality of the milk.

After finishing her work and having breakfast, Yin Xing happily came to report that the stable boy had informed her that the ewe had started to produce milk.

Xia Qingfeng ordered for the milk to be extracted, and she told the kitchen maids to cook it with ginger, sugar, and honey to remove the strong odor.

Just as the milk was ready, the doorman came to announce that Chang Sile had arrived.

Xia Qingfeng couldn’t help but think, *How does he always show up at just the right time?*

This time, Chang Sile brought a lot of fresh fruit. However, he was too embarrassed to mention that he wanted to try the fruit ice that Cang Ji had talked about. He simply wanted to send the fruit, as it was unbearably hot outside. He kept fanning himself with a hand fan, constantly muttering how hot it was.

Xia Qingfeng saw the look in his eyes and immediately understood. Since she had just made the milk, pouring it over ice would make the fruit ice even more delicious.

She instructed the kitchen to serve the milk to everyone first, reminding Cui Liu and the younger servants that they must drink some. The rest could decide for themselves. In the end, those who enjoyed the milk the most were Yin Xing, Cang Ji, and Chang Sile.

Chang Sile had brought peaches, grapes, apricots, pineapples, and unexpectedly, lychees. Xia Qingfeng, upon seeing them, was taken aback. “‘A single ride leaves dust behind, the concubine’s smile is unknown, but it’s the lychees that come,’” she thought to herself. 

The lychees were known as “Concubine’s Smile” because of a famous saying from the Tang Dynasty. It was recorded that the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Xi’an, was about a thousand miles away from the nearest lychee-growing regions. Due to the difficulty of preserving fresh lychees, they would change color, scent, and taste very quickly after being picked. The Emperor Xuanzong, however, had fast horses that would ride day and night to bring the fruit to Yang Guifei, his favorite concubine, and the fruit would often arrive still fresh.

Xia Qingfeng reflected on the Emperor’s lavishness to please his concubine and wondered if the current ruler was also similarly indulgent in pleasures. The city’s terrain resembled that of Xi’an, making her wonder if the current emperor might also be one to spoil his favorites.

Seeing her gaze linger on the lychees, Chang Sile asked, “Madam, do you recognize this fruit?”

Xia Qingfeng nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve read about them in books. They’re called lychees and are grown in the southern regions. I never thought I’d see such a rare fruit here in the Wu Ting Hou Mansion.”

“They are a gift from His Majesty,” Chang Sile explained. “I heard they were given to the Emperor by the Second Prince.”

Xia Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that lychees are difficult to preserve, and to have them arrive this fresh in the capital, the governor of Yizhou must have gone to great lengths to ensure this.”

Chang Sile’s face froze for a moment before his expression shifted. “Thank you for the reminder,” he said, suddenly standing up and hastily preparing to leave.

Xia Qingfeng smiled. “Second Young Master, please don’t rush off. Since the fruit has already been delivered, why not stay and enjoy it with us?”

Chang Sile’s gaze lingered on her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “Thank you, Madam. I was too hasty.”

Xia Qingfeng’s thoughts were racing. The Second Prince’s men had been involved in the assassination attempt on Cang Qiyuan when he had just left Yizhou, and coincidentally, their men had shown up when the Third Prince’s assassination attempt had failed. It seemed far too coincidental. Clearly, the people of Yizhou had some connection to the Second and Third Princes, though they were unsure where to begin their investigation. And now, the Second Prince had unwittingly gifted the Emperor lychees, which arrived perfectly intact. Who else could have such resources to ensure their transport to the capital, other than the governor of Yizhou?

With this new lead, Chang Sile felt he no longer needed to hurry. The direction of his investigation had become clear.