Autumn Lotus listened to Spring Apricot’s words, clutching her handkerchief, “I know.” She then lifted her head and walked towards Leisure Pavilion. Autumn Lotus was now twenty years old, a year older than Cheng Yunshuo. She was a servant born into the Houfu, and had been taking care of Cheng Yunshuo since they were children. Her parents served the Old Houye and the deceased Old Lady, respectively. When the Old Lady was alive, their family had a lot of influence within the mansion. Even Lady Qin had to show them some respect. As an old servant of the house, Autumn Lotus used to be the top-ranked maid in Leisure Pavilion. She had grown up alongside Cheng Yunshuo, and they were childhood sweethearts. Cheng Yunshuo always called her “Autumn Lotus Sister,” and Autumn Lotus had sewn his undergarments and shoes. When Cheng Yunshuo received something new and interesting, he always thought of her first. When they grew up, it naturally led to Autumn Lotus becoming Cheng Yunshuo’s only concubine. Autumn Lotus knew that her status was ultimately low, but even if a new mistress entered the house, she could at least become a concubine. Thanks to her past relationship with Cheng Yunshuo, no new mistress would dare touch her easily. But who was this Xing Dai Rong?
On the first day Xing Dai Rong entered Leisure Pavilion, she had chased Autumn Lotus out and refused to let her return to the Lady. She forced Cheng Yunshuo to put her in the Buddhist temple, with all the Old Houye’s concubines who were praying for blessings. She said that’s where someone like Autumn Lotus belonged. Autumn Lotus had been fuming with anger, but both the Old Houye and the Lady were powerless against Cheng Yunshuo and Xing Dai Rong. She had no choice but to endure in the Buddhist temple. She never thought she’d be released, let alone elevated to the position of a concubine. Now that the clouds had parted and the moon was shining, she didn’t need Spring Apricot’s advice. She had long been waiting for revenge!
When Lu Lingyun told her to choose a courtyard, she immediately picked the one closest to Leisure Pavilion. Just to deal with Xing Dai Rong! “Let’s go!”
It was the middle of the afternoon in early autumn, and the sun was shining brightly. The Houfu garden had shimmering water. A couple of colorful mandarin ducks swam on the lake, and the weeping willows reflected their images in the clear water. A young woman in a pink dress, accompanied by two maids, was enjoying the view by the lake. As they strolled, they bumped into a woman dressed in a crimson outfit.
Red was a significant color in this era. Women only wore it on special occasions, like weddings, important festivals, or their children’s weddings. Furthermore, only the main wife could wear bright red. Concubines and mistresses could only wear a darker shade of red. From afar, Xing Dai Rong immediately noticed the woman in the crimson outfit. She had a silver hairpin and a gold hairpin on her head. Xing Dai Rong, who had been in this era for a few months, could instantly tell that this wasn’t a maid. She was wondering who it was when Autumn Lotus walked up to her, with a fierce expression. Xing Dai Rong recognized her but couldn’t remember where she’d seen her. However, the two maids behind Autumn Lotus exclaimed in surprise.
“Autumn Lotus!”
“Autumn Lotus?” Xing Dai Rong repeated the name, her expression suddenly changing. She finally remembered. “Who let you out?”
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