No. 29 Horse Stable

  Sitting next to her, leaning against the side, was Mingyu County's mistress. She wore a large-sleeved Sichuan brocade jacket with embroidered grape patterns in lilac color, and a rose-purple hundred-butterfly eight-fortune Hunan skirt. In her hand, she pinched a peach blossom branch, playing with it, and raised her head to smile at Zhou Ying, "Hmm, I didn't like lotus flowers originally, but you said that, and now I think they're great! That one, I'll snatch it!"

  Zhou Ying's face suddenly turned sour, and she walked over with a look that seemed to be on the verge of tears but not quite crying. "Good sister, I know you're the best, let me do it!"

  Yang Lan burst out laughing, "Are you embarrassed or not? Let sister go first, haha! You're killing me!"

  Ming Yu pulled Yang Lan over, carefully examining her, and smiled warmly: "If I had to say, I like the Xiangyun silk the most, especially the color after the rain on a sunny day. On a summer day, making a jacket with it and wearing it outside looks very elegant! It's hard for you to send us such good things, I won't be polite with you, I really cherish it! This thing can't even be seen in the palace!"

  Yang Lan also smiled brightly, "This was sent over from the Jiangnan side, good things are actually among the people, but they won't offer everything as tribute. They're afraid that if they send it up every year and that year's production isn't enough, wouldn't the whole family be punished? I still have some other fabrics that are for autumn wear, it's a bit early now, another day I'll invite you all to come play at my estate, you must come!"

  Miss Mingyu and several other girls nodded immediately, "Needless to say! When the time comes, you'll invite us, and we'll definitely come. I've heard that the garden in Princess Chang's mansion is very beautiful! I've been wanting to see it for a long time."

  Le An Gongzhu and Ming Yu Xianzhuzhu were among those who gave Yang Lan face, occasionally saying some interesting words, and the scene soon became lively. Yang Lan was a high-ranking noblewoman from birth to death, knowing how to have fun, able to have fun, daring to have fun, with many tricks up her sleeve; one by one, several topics immediately caught the attention of these noblewomen, such as new jewelry designs, new fashion styles, new games in the capital, and popular embroidery patterns in the south. She was able to keep up with these high-ranking noblewomen, speaking fluently and acting elegantly, with a friendly attitude and a hint of playfulness without being arrogant. Soon, she gained the appreciation of Ming Yu and others, and her words also carried more sincerity.

  The girls had a lot to talk about when they were together. Yang Lan brought not only Xiangyun sha but also some homemade rouge and flower water, with the intention of being clever. This didn't count as much of a gift, so it was thought of last.

  "You mentioned cosmetics, and I remembered that I brought some of my own homemade fragrances and face powder today. My wife is an expert at blending scents, and I learned a few tricks from her. The advantage of making them myself is that they're clean. Take a look and see which floral scent you like - there are several flavors here, including osmanthus, jasmine, peach blossom, pear blossom, and plum blossom!"

  "Wow, so many flavors! This color is beautiful and clear too! Give me a box to try at home. I like this jasmine flavor." Le An immediately spotted a ceramic box with a ** shape, opened it, smelled it, and smiled in satisfaction.

  "I want this Osmanthus cake, I like the taste of Osmanthus." Mingyu also smiled and picked up a box.

  Zhou Ying also chose a box of plum blossoms, everyone was laughing and chatting happily, and then said they wanted to go horseback riding for a lap, competing with each other to see who would be the last one to be penalized to drink wine.

  Yang Lan also led her own sweat-blooded horse in the horse field, but she was a bit depressed. The others had already run away, they were all several years older than herself, and had learned to ride for many years. She hated that she was too young, and her mother didn't trust her, telling her second brother to keep an eye on her before leaving, not letting her run off.

  So now Biyun is leading the horse, with Yang Wei sitting behind her, holding onto her waist, and they're riding very slowly, which is really frustrating.

  "Let's go for a walk, Second Brother!" Yang Lan batted her eyelashes and smiled as she pulled on Er Ge's sleeve.

  Yang Mei certainly knew her sister's little thoughts, shaking her head in disapproval. "No way, you've only just learned to ride a horse for two days, this isn't something to be taken lightly! There are people who get thrown off and trampled by the horse when they startle it! You should practice more until you're proficient!" He had no choice but to coax her with gentle words.

  Yang Lan pouted and muttered unhappily, "When can I play by myself then?! What's the point of this?!"

  Why don't I walk with Ma for a stroll?

  Yang Mei smiled and coaxed, "Good sister, don't be angry. Later, I'll take you to Xianlou Tower alone to eat river fresh food. His West Lake vinegar fish is delicious! Besides, your riding skills are not good anyway. Who dares to let you ride alone? If Father finds out that I didn't take care of you and even I will get a beating, Good sister, just pity brother! Father's stick can cripple people."

  Yang Lan suddenly fell silent, pouting her mouth without saying anything, then turned around and smiled on horseback, swaying back and forth, feeling happy, after all it was better than being cooped up in the house.

  The old father and mother were particularly fond of her, and with a little wind blowing and grass moving around her, all the people following her would be beaten. The Jingguo Mansion was a family of military generals, and the guards were all retired soldiers who had been to war. The old father's method of discipline wasn't using a board, but a military stick. One strike could make someone unable to breathe, and within five strikes, the masters could beat someone to death. Therefore, no matter how much commotion was stirred up in the mansion, no one dared to spread rumors outside.

  She remembered that when she was three years old, in the sweltering summer of Guangdong, she had eaten two bowls of ice and got diarrhea at night. In fact, it wasn't serious, and after taking a dose of medicine, she recovered. But because of this, her father, in a fit of rage, beat all the maids in the house with two sticks each, including Nanny Yue, who was bedridden for half a month. From then on, she learned to be obedient and respectful, truly experiencing the majesty of authority, and some things became important to her.

  In her opinion, taking herself as a measure for others, Biyun was her own maid who had made a mistake and should be punished, but what about herself? If she had made a mistake, wouldn't it affect the entire Yang Mansion? Moreover, since she often entered and exited the palace, she had to be even more cautious and careful, with keen ears and eyes.

  "What's on your mind? Why did you suddenly space out?" Yang Wei asked, tilting her head to look at her and breaking the silence.

  Yang Lan smiled slightly, "I remembered when I was three years old, I secretly ate ice cream and got diarrhea, which led to everyone in the courtyard being beaten with a military stick. From then on, I realized that any mistake I made would harm many people. Brother, what about imperial power?" She whispered softly.

  Yang Wei's heart skipped a beat, and she sighed inwardly. No wonder her father often said that if only her sister were not a girl... She was thorough, sensitive, and perceptive in everything she did. Alas! Great wisdom must be accompanied by great sorrow!

  He rolled his eyes and smiled, "Look at you, young and thinking so much, aren't you afraid of getting old quickly! With your parents around, with your big brother and me, we will definitely protect you for a lifetime of peace and happiness!" His tone was extremely serious by the end.

  Yang Lan smiled, her smile radiant like a shining pearl. "Mmm! I know, I'm the luckiest daughter. They're all jealous of me, not because of my status, but because I have the most loving and doting family members. Brother, just now bought eight kinds of pastries from Xiangfu Building and a plum blossom cake for me to wear on my head. I'll take them into the palace to give to the Empress Dowager to taste!"

  Yang Cai's mouth opened slightly, her eyes complex but showing heartache, and finally nodded happily, "Uh-huh! I remember, Nian Yu likes the Ba Bao Shan Yao Gao from his house!"