A Match Made In Heaven (Jiuyue Liuhuo)

hind her, Zhaocai was still nagging about calling for someone to sweep the snow.
Ming Huashang exhaled and said softly, “No need.”

Zhaocai didn’t hear clearly, so she leaned in closer and asked, “What?”

“There’s no need to call someone here.
It’s quite a waste of their time.” Ming Huashang turned around, lifted her cloak, and staggered towards the Shou’an hall, “It’s getting late.
Let’s hurry up and go greet grandmother.”

Zhaocai hurriedly went over to support Ming Huashang, and pulled her fur collar tight, “Miss, don’t worry.
You are the Imperial Duke’s only daughter and the pearl in the palm of the Ming family.
What problem can there be regardless of whether your greeting is early or late? Miss, please walk slowly so that you don’t catch a cold.
If you like that sweet-scented osmanthus tree, this servant will get someone to transplant it into our courtyard.”

“Don’t do that.” Ming Huashang hurriedly stopped Zhaocai from speaking further, and said indistinctly, “Zhaocai, you should exercise restraint in the future.
Don’t talk about bullying people all day long.”

’

Zhaocai was taken aback by these words, “Bullying people? It’s just a common matter, how can it be considered bullying?”

Ming Huashang shook her head lightly and didn’t say much.
She was still one of the precious dragon and phoenix1 twins of Duke Zhen, so giving her greetings later or speaking domineeringly now, no one will care.
But once she is exposed as a fake, that common matter will become a life-threatening mark.

Ming Huashang still didn’t know how she died, when, where, by what, or who was behind it, she had absolutely no clue.
What kind of immortal did she offend to make the other party want to kill her in such haste?

Oh, right, she remembered that in the dream Su Yuji returned when she turned the age of seventeen.
She was the same age as Su Yuji, and she was sixteen this year.
In other words, there was at most one more year before she would die.

Ming Huashang rubbed her face in distress.
She was just a mediocre good-for-nothing who decidedly lived a life of indolence.
During these sixteen years of her life, she would lie down when she could, nor would she ever compete with others.
The only people she offended were probably the ones who taught her the four arts and her needlework and feminine arts teacher.
If there was any grievance, couldn’t they discuss it, why would they want to kill her?

Dwelling on these depressing thoughts, Ming Huashang walked into the Shou’an hall with a dispirited expression.
The maid from the main courtyard saw Ming Huashang arrive, so she rushed out to welcome her.
She enthusiastically helped her open the curtain, “Second Miss, you are finally here.
The Old Madam has mentioned you several times.
Oh, why are Miss’s hands cold and red? Please, quickly come inside.”

’

In the room, Ming Yu knelt beside the couch and helped massage the Old Madam’s legs.
Ming Shuo snuggled in the arms of the third madam and acted spoiled.
When she saw Ming Huashang come inside, she snorted coldly and stood up reluctantly.

Ming Huashang took off her snow-covered cloak.
After fixing her stance, she bowed to everyone in the room one by one, “I’ve arrived late.
Huashang pays respects to grandmother, second aunt, and third aunt.
Eldest sister and third sister, hope you are well.”

The Zhen Duke Manor’s Old Madam glanced at Ming Huashang indifferently, then withdrew her eyes, and said calmly, “You may sit down.
How are the people below serving you? Why are the second miss’s hands red from the cold?”

Footnotes

i.e.
fraternal