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Chapter 98: Incense Offering (II)

Yin Qianhua, dressed in a purple gown, looked gentle and graceful, standing outside the grand hall with an air of elegance. She seemed to be waiting for the arrival of the Xiao family. Beside her stood a very imposing young boy. If Xiao Yao were to describe him, she would say he looked arrogant, rebellious, and full of swagger—none other than the young Yun Yichen.

“Your servant respectfully greets the Princess of Jing,” Qin Shi said, leading her daughters-in-law in a bow.

“Greetings to the Young Master.”

“There’s no need for such formality, we’re family. Please, rise,” Yin Qianhua said kindly with a smile.

Xiao Yao secretly rolled her eyes when no one was looking. What absurd customs! If they were just greeting the Princess of Jing, she could almost accept it. But for the whole family, young and old, to bow to a little child, it was suffocating. Her grandmother was in her fifties, and her mother and second aunt—why should they be so respectful to a child? This was outrageous! Totally unreasonable!

“Little girl, don’t you remember me?” Yin Qianhua asked, unable to help herself when she saw Xiao Yao not greeting her.

The Xiao family, not understanding the situation, were confused as to which of their girls the Princess of Jing was speaking to. Based on Tong Mingyu’s understanding, the Princess was likely referring to Xiao Yuan, as the little niece was somehow connected to the Princess. However, Xiao Yuan vigorously shook her head, signaling that she was innocent.

Could it be the daughter? How could she know the Princess of Jing?

Reality quickly interrupted Tong Mingyu’s rambling thoughts. She hurriedly reminded her daughter to respond to the Princess’s question—it was the proper thing to do.

Yun Yichen turned and glanced at his mother helplessly, only to find her eyes sparkling, much like a cat that hadn’t seen fish for a few days, suddenly spotting a fresh one. She was staring at the little girl.

“The Princess is speaking to you!” Tong Mingyu whispered in her daughter’s ear.

“Huh? What?” Xiao Yao, who had been lamenting the unfairness of fate, asked in confusion after her thoughts were interrupted. Her large eyes were filled with bewilderment, her head tilted, and her small face lifted slightly in the cutest, most innocent way.

“Hehe, hehe,” Yin Qianhua couldn’t help but laugh at Xiao Yao’s adorable expression.

Yun Yichen thought to himself, this girl seems clever and quirky, but turns out she’s a bit silly. Just look at her expression. Although she looked more agreeable now than when he first met her.

“Can you tell me your name now?” Yin Qianhua asked.

“In reply to the Princess, my name is Xiao Yao. My family calls me Ping An,” Xiao Yao replied.

“Then may I call you Ping An from now on?” Yin Qianhua asked.

“Huh?” You are the noble Princess, and for you, I’m just a random child. Is it really necessary to make our relationship so close?

“What’s wrong, you don’t want me to?” Yin Qianhua loved seeing Xiao Yao’s flustered expression. She puckered her small mouth and furrowed her brows, which was very amusing.

“How could I not want to? A name is meant to be called, right? I was just surprised. I thought you would have forgotten about me after all these days!”

“How could I forget? We share a secret together,” Yin Qianhua raised an eyebrow, her expression saying everything without a word.

A secret? Having a shared secret with the Princess must mean their relationship is very special! So, everyone’s curious and inquisitive eyes turned to Xiao Yao, except Yun Yichen, who snorted coldly and turned his head away.

“Hehe, the weather is really nice today, with the wind and sunshine, and the scenery at Bi Yun Temple is pleasant, the view is beautiful. Don’t you agree, Your Highness?” Xiao Yao tried to divert attention. She thought, “Why are you still holding onto this trivial thing? If my mother or brother finds out about my behavior that day, who knows what will happen. At the very least, I will be made to transcribe the ‘Female Precepts’ a few times as punishment.”

So, while trying to make small talk, she winked at the Princess of Jing. “You must help me keep this secret!”

“Madam Xiao, you should go ahead and offer incense. We will sit down and chat after,” Yin Qianhua winked back.

After receiving the signal, Xiao Yao silently muttered “thank you” and flashed a bright smile.

Qin Shi and the others went into the grand hall and respectfully offered their respects to the Buddha, lit incense oil, and prayed for peace charms. By the time they finished, nearly half an hour had passed. Just as Qin Shi was about to go to the back hall to have a look, her maid, Yu Ma, hurriedly approached and said, “The Princess of Jing has been waiting in the side hall for a while. Should we…?”

“Oh, I can’t believe I forgot something so important! Stop looking around, go see the Princess of Jing right away!”

“Finally, I don’t have to stay here anymore,” Xiao Yuan sighed in relief. The grand hall had a heavy, oppressive feeling, and the incense smoke was too strong. Xiao Yuan suspected that if they didn’t leave soon, she wouldn’t even have the appetite for lunch. That would be a real loss.

“Shh,” Xiao Yao quickly gestured for her sister to be quiet. “Don’t let grandmother hear that.”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Highness,” Qin Shi apologized when she saw Yin Qianhua. “I was too focused on praying and forgot about the Princess. I hope I didn’t offend Your Highness. If I did, I wonder if it will affect my sons’ future prospects.”

“I was just enjoying tea and resting. There’s no such thing as waiting,” Yin Qianhua said casually.

“Shall we go to the side room to chat?” Tong Mingyu suggested, gently bowing as she arranged things.

So, everyone walked out of the side hall and headed towards the side room.

“Your Highness, Grandmother, may I go out to the garden with my sister?” Xiao Yuan asked as she had enough of walking in and out of rooms. She took the opportunity to make a small request.

“From now on, you should call me ‘Aunt,’ understand?” Yin Qianhua, though not familiar with this child, found her very likable, and it was easy to feel affectionate toward her. That’s why she said this.

“Princess Aunt?” Xiao Yuan asked.

“Not ‘Princess Aunt,’ just ‘Aunt.’ Ping An can call me that too.”

“This is not proper.” Qin Shi refused, but secretly, she was overjoyed. If she could be related to the Princess, who would worry about her children’s future?

Yin Qianhua said this not only because of her connection to Xiao Yuan, but also as a way to repay General Xiao for teaching her son martial arts. Additionally, she had grown fond of Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yuan, a little confused, nodded. Xiao Yao just smiled and didn’t respond.

“Princess Aunt, may my sister and I go now?”

After walking out of the room, Xiao Yuan felt a little confused about her relationship with the noblewoman in front of her, but judging by her grandmother’s expression, it didn’t seem like a bad thing, so she decided to let it go for now.

“Go, but don’t go too far. We’ll have a vegetarian meal together soon,” Yin Qianhua reminded her.

“Okay!” Xiao Yuan agreed cheerfully and, without forgetting, pulled her sister along toward the garden. But after walking a few steps, it seemed like she remembered something. She stopped and sweetly asked, “Could you prepare some snacks for us? My sister and I haven’t eaten anything since this morning!”

Tong Mingyu, Li Jiaoying, and Xiao Yao all wanted to ask her, “Who ate the snacks in the carriage?”

“Qiuying, go bring the snacks we brought to the two young ladies,” Yin Qianhua instructed.

Qin Shi awkwardly tugged at her mouth, saying, “We brought our own snacks, so there’s no need to trouble the Princess.”

“Sometimes it’s nice to change the flavor. Today, let’s try the snacks from the Prince’s residence,” Yin Qianhua said with a smile.

Xiao Yuan quickly nodded in agreement. She thought, “The Princess is really considerate and knows what we like. It’s rare to find someone who understands me.”

After the two girls left, it didn’t take long for Yin Qianhua and the others to arrive at the side room.

After not seeing her son for a while, Yin Qianhua couldn’t help but ask the person beside her, “The Young Master has been gone for a while. Do you know where he went?”

“Mother, did you call me?” Yun Yichen, who had been wandering around the temple, had just returned when he heard his mother’s voice.

“I just wondered why you’ve been gone for a while. I wanted to ask if you knew where they went.”

“I just walked around. I didn’t go far.”

“Do you want to find a side room to rest?”

“You go and talk to the Xiao family. I want to stay in the garden and enjoy the view,” Yun Yichen thought, “It’s rare for mother to have someone she likes, so let her enjoy herself today. I don’t want to bother her.”

“Since you’re in the garden, please keep an eye on your two cousins,” Yin Qianhua said, matter-of-factly.

Wait, how did I suddenly get two cousins? Yun Yichen hadn’t expected that after just a short walk, he would have two new relatives.