Chapter 139: Chapter 139

Having no mind to dwell on her future in-laws' petty thoughts, Chen Daya returned to her room and gazed at the familiar handwriting in her hands. Only then did the anxiety she had been carrying these past days finally settle completely.

She had no objections whatsoever to her younger sister's message about being temporarily occupied and instructing her to depart for the capital in a few days with old physician Liang.

After all, in Chen Daya's view, she and her sister were truly family. Moreover, Daya wasn't foolish—she knew perfectly well why a girl like her with no backing could receive the Lin family's favor, study alongside an official's daughter, and even marry into a wealthy household.

The fact that the sisters had once been maids wasn't exactly a secret. Even if Madam Huang and others had put on their best pretense, the subtle disdain in their mannerisms had never been entirely concealed.

Recalling Madam Huang's almost fawning expression earlier, Chen Daya couldn't help but press her lips together.

Even when she had the Lin family's support before, even when she frequently accompanied Madam Lin, such an expression had never been directed at her.

At this moment, Daya finally understood the truth of her sister's words—no matter how much others might possess, nothing compared to having one's own power and status...

In the following days, as news spread completely, the small Liang residence suddenly became bustling. Visitors came in an endless stream, and the Huang family—being relatives by marriage—were especially enthusiastic, sending so many gifts that their servants nearly wore their legs thin from running back and forth.

Far from objecting to his future daughter-in-law's family going to the capital, he actively contributed both manpower and resources, even instructing his son to personally escort them all the way. Before departure, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of making a good impression on the commandery princess.

This made the second young master Huang so nervous that he attended to everyone with utmost care throughout the journey, terrified that his impending marriage might fall through.

Watching this scene through the system, An Ning merely glanced briefly, unsurprised.

Even among merchant families, the Huang patriarch was clearly no fool to have established himself firmly in Yangzhou City.

Truth be told, this Huang family marriage had been Daya's own choice. During the years since Daya's coming-of-age ceremony, there had been no shortage of impoverished scholars seeking her hand. But because of the Chen family's past incidents, An Ning knew that despite her sister's silence on the matter, she harbored some reservations about scholarly farming families.

Having experienced poverty firsthand since childhood, Daya was even more unwilling to return to a life of scarcity.

As for Madam Huang's previous subtle disdain, Daya saw it clearly—truthfully, which family wouldn't look down slightly on an orphan girl?

At least this family now knew how to read the times.

Spring passed and autumn came. Several months went by in the blink of an eye. With the emperor's arrival, the previously desolate temporary palace had regained its liveliness. An Ning herself, however, spent most of her time in the commandery princess mansion these days, using her dislike of constraints as an excuse.

Between occasionally playing the zither, blending fragrances, and examining the constant stream of rare medicinal herbs delivered to her—aside from the frequent visiting cards placed before her—her days passed quite leisurely.

On the day Daya's group arrived, An Ning happened to be attending the emperor at the temporary palace. Since that life-threatening incident when he had been unable to move, the Grand Emperor had become extraordinarily attentive to his health.

Not only did he keep regular hours, voluntarily declining visits from most high-ranking officials, he also unfailingly practiced two sets of Five Animal Frolics and Tai Chi every morning without fail, supplemented by medicinal meals and herbal teas daily.

In short, he had become a model patient who followed medical advice to the letter.

In less than half a year, everyone witnessed how the previously feeble Emperor Qianlong had regained such vigor that he could now go out for strolls in high spirits, even galloping several rounds on horseback when the mood struck him, occasionally leading his guards on hunting trips to the capital's outskirts.

His energetic state even made the new emperor—who visited occasionally—green with envy. Especially one day at the archery range, when he realized his shooting accuracy was nearly surpassed by his septuagenarian father.

The belatedly enlightened new emperor: "..."

Well...it must be due to my recent sleepless nights handling state affairs.

That day, after completing the routine pulse diagnosis, An Ning was about to leave when Emperor Ming Tai suddenly spoke up wistfully:

"Speaking of which, Zhaohui, that medicinal tea you prepared last time was quite to my liking. Pity my father guards it so jealously—I barely managed to get half a jar..."

As he spoke, the expression of regret on this thirty-something emperor's face was almost palpable.

An Ning, thinking she understood his meaning: "..."

Well...she hadn't expected the new emperor to be so thick-skinned! Truly befitting someone who seized the opportunity to whittle away most of his father's power—what a ruthless man!

Glancing up at the Grand Emperor, she saw equal speechlessness written on his face—clearly also astonished that within days, his unlucky son could stoop to shamelessly snatching things from his seventy-year-old father.

An Ning similarly couldn't help twitching her lips:

"Your Majesty, it's not that your subject is stingy, but some medicinal ingredients are truly hard to come by..."

"Zhaohui needn't worry—do I seem like such an unreasonable person?" With a grand wave, he immediately had attendants bring forth several premium snow lotuses from the Heavenly Mountains...

Along with a pile of other rewards.

So he had come fully prepared. Since these gifts were practically being handed to her, and seeing no objection from the Grand Emperor, An Ning was happy to accept them graciously...

After some polite conversation, by the time An Ning returned to her mansion, dusk had already fallen. A commandery princess's procession was naturally impressive—just the eunuchs carrying various awards behind her numbered over ten.

This spectacle left Daya's group and all their companions utterly dumbfounded. But what truly surprised An Ning was glimpsing through the palanquin's curtain a young girl smiling faintly in a nearby sedan chair—even she couldn't help a moment of astonishment: