The Devious First-Daughter

Bought an island? An island in the capital city? A famous young master in the regions south of the Yangtze River? After thinking for a while, Ning Xueyan was moved and took a look at Heng Yuqing's invitation card. As expected, beside her name, there was a line with words written in small print, "I heard that Childe Yueming of the regions south of the Yangtze River bought a Peach Blossom Island, which has beautiful scenery."

After reading it twice, Ning Xueyan smiled in surprise. It seemed that this island was not a real island, but a place in a courtyard. It was known as the Peach Blossom Island, and as the name suggested, peach blossoms flourished well in the location. Since she came to the capital, she had become Heng Yuqing's confidante. Although their characters differed, they were sincerely on friendly terms with each other.

She found that it was still some hours before the appointed time. So, she put down the invitation card and said with a smile, "Tell the messenger that I will be there."

"Yes, I'll go and tell him right away." Mother Han smiled and left after she received her reply.

The garden was not in the capital city, and it was close to the city wall. Seen from afar, it was indeed a large area. Even from outside the manor, one could already smell the peach blossoms. When one was outside the courtyard walls, one could also catch sight of a few blooming peach blossoms.

It was said that the master was not here, so the front door of the courtyard was not open. Only a few people, who had been granted permission by the master, were able to go in and appreciate the flowers. Heng Yuqing and Ning Xueyan had arranged to meet at a side door. Lanning got off first and went to the side door to ask. Someone told her that First Miss Heng had already been waiting for some time inside for her young lady.

After hearing that it was the Fifth Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor, the older female servant who guarded the door, invited her in.

The carriage stopped at the side door. Many carriages were already parked there. It seemed that she was not the only one who was here for a visit. So, she got off the carriage and entered the manor with Lanning.

The moment they entered the garden, they saw peach blossoms all over the courtyard. They were brightly hued peach blossoms. Occasionally, they would be mixed with a few snow-white pear blossoms. The pink and snow-white flowers contrasted finely with each other. When the wind blew, fallen petals lay in profusion under the peach trees. A light shower of petals on the path made the place look beautiful.

Knowing that she was going to walk today, Ning Xueyan wore a pair of soft-soled shoes. When she saw the beautiful scenery in front of her, she stepped forward. When she was in the regions south of the Yangtze River, she liked the peach blossoms. Therefore, she planted a lot of peach trees in the manor, especially in her garden, which was almost full of peach trees.

Every spring, the peach trees were in full bloom. Her father had set up a swing for her under the two trees, so she could swing under the peach trees. At that time, she never thought that one day she would die so miserably! What's more, she did not expect that she was a princess from the former dynasty. Thinking of this, she felt a pain in her heart.

She had almost encountered all kinds of disasters, including a conquered country, a fallen family, and even a dead body. The peach blossoms in her memory had lost their original colors. They were no longer gorgeous and beautiful, but black and white. Looking at the peach blossoms in front of her, she felt as if a whole generation had passed. But these were all true facts.

"Young Lady, Young Lady Heng is inside. We'll see her once we walk inside." Noticing that Ning Xueyan was a bit morose, Lanning looked at her anxiously and pointed to the path. The older female servant had just led her into the courtyard.

"Let's go!" After calming herself down, she looked up with a gentle smile on her face. Now, she was Ning Xueyan again.

After saying that, she went inside. On a path covered with pink petals, a shower of peach blossoms fell from the sky from time to time. The scenery here was as beautiful as a fairyland. Ning Xueyan put aside her sadness and focused on the beautiful view in front of her. At the end of the path, she saw a pavilion. Heng Yuqing was enjoying the view of the flowers, with her maid. When she saw her coming, she stood up and waved to her excitedly.

Without anyone else around them, they felt free and relaxed at this time. Moreover, they had just gone through a strict Beauty Contest in the palace. Now, they felt happy and comfortable when they were with each other.

"Xueyan, come over. Hurry up. There's Peach Blossom Wine here." Heng Yuqing looked very excited. When Ning Xueyan went closer, she could not help shouting out loudly to her. She had abandoned her usual manners. Fortunately, there were no outsiders here. She looked neat and refreshing.

"Where did the wine come from?" Ning Xueyan walked over, sniffed at it and her eyes widened. She looked at the small jar of wine on the table and asked with a smile, "Don't get drunk."

Heng Yuqing's maid came over and bowed to her, and then she retreated with Lanning.

"Don't worry. We won't get drunk. The wine is sweet, and its effects are minimal and suitable for women. I specially asked for such a small jar from my cousin. Today, we'll appreciate these beautiful flowers, drink wine, and enjoy a moment of leisure in our busy lives." Heng Yuqing smiled and asked Ning Xueyan to sit down, and poured a small glass of wine for her.

The wine was amber-colored, translucent and fragrant with the aroma of peach blossoms. It was Peach Blossom Wine. Ning Xueyan, a person who never drank wine, could not help taking a sip. As expected, the wine was sweet, fragrant, and cool, which was tempting to one's palate.

She could not help taking another sip.

"Hey, you can't drink too much. You can drink all of it later." Seeing that she had taken two sips, Heng Yuqing was a little anxious. She moved the jar to her side, and it seemed that she was reluctant to let her drink too much. There was not much wine left in the jar.

Seeing Heng Yuqing act so miserly, Ning Xueyan burst out laughing. She took a deep breath and looked into the distance, only to find that there was a small river there. Across the river, she could see a peach forest, which was even lusher than the one in their current location. From afar, the lake and mountains seemed shrouded by a red cloud, which was extremely beautiful.

"Look, that is Peach Blossom Island. There are more peach blossoms over there than here. Should we go over there and have a look?" Heng Yuqing was very excited now. She stood up and looked over when she saw Ning Xueyan turning around and made this suggestion. This was also her first time to visit this place. She had been interested in the flowers since she saw them from a distance. Now that Ning Xueyan was here, she wanted to have a look.

"Can we go over there?" Ning Xueyan pointed to the distance and asked.

"I heard that it's fascinating there. One of the places is close to our current location, so we can go there directly. Let's go now." Heng Yuqing took the lead and walked out of the pavilion first. Ning Xueyan smiled and followed her. The two maids hurriedly cleared away the wine sets on the table and followed them. It was rare for them to have such a relaxing day. The two maids laughed together and followed them from a distance.

"Yuqing, how did you find this place? And how did you get permission from the owner of the courtyard to let us enter the manor?" Ning Xueyan suddenly asked, while walking.

"It was my cousin's idea. I heard that he has a classmate who was on good terms with Childe Yueming. Have you ever heard of him? It is said that he has been a prodigy since he was young. My cousin also said that he was famous in the regions south of the Yangtze River. Not only is he handsome, but he is also very talented. It's rare for my cousin to admire a person so much. He also said that this garden is gorgeous. So, I asked my cousin to think of a way to let me come in and have a look."

Heng Yuqing smiled proudly. The reason why she joined the Beauty Contest this time was because she did not want Heng Yuwan to have a chance. There was no other way. If Heng Yuwan was selected, Concubine Yun would be promoted. Then, she would push her mother to the extreme. From her father's behavior, it was likely that he would spoil his concubine and sacrifice his wife.

This was also the main reason why Heng Yuqing insisted on taking part in the selection.

As for whether she would be chosen or not, she thought it would be better not to be selected. Therefore, she gave only an average performance. She was neither outstanding nor did she under-perform. Since her mother was ill, she wanted to take care of her. She would feel worried if she had to leave her mother alone in the manor.

This time, she failed to be selected, and Heng Yuwan did not have a chance either, so she could finally relax. Now, she was satisfied and happy. She felt pleased, no matter what she looked at. Initially, she was straightforward, but now she was even more relaxed. She lifted the hem of her skirt and deliberately jumped on the grass.

Ning Xueyan could not help showing a sweet and relaxed smile on her face. She had never been as relaxed as she was today, since her rebirth.

"You have the nerve to say that," Ning Xueyan said.

"Why not? Men can go to the garden or go shopping. Why can't we women do that? We are just enjoying the scenery in the garden. My cousin and the others will be writing about it. Why don't we take a peek then?" Heng Yuqing said indifferently. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, as she made this suggestion.

This was what she heard from her cousin yesterday. When she heard this news, she wanted to visit immediately. However, her cousin said that all the men would get together because of their love of literature. He did not allow her to join him, so she felt dissatisfied for a while. But if Ning Xueyan agreed, they could disguise themselves as men and go over.

"Don't even think about it!" Looking at her eager face, Ning Xueyan suddenly understood what she meant and said with a smile, her nose wrinkling slightly.

Speaking of this, they suddenly heard a voice coming from the side. They stopped immediately. The sound came from one side, but because the flowering trees were too dense, they could only hear the voices, but could not see the person.

"Will the Young Master come and live here?" A woman's pleasantly surprised voice rang out.

"Yes. Now, the peach trees are in full bloom, and he likes peach blossoms the most. How can he not come and live here now, rather than staying in someone else's room all the time?" The other woman replied with a gentle smile.

"But, is it because of… that person? Does he like peach blossoms because of that person?" The woman in front deliberately lowered her voice.

"Shut up. Do you want to die? You dare talk about that person!" The gentle voice turned ferocious as if filled with an evil spirit, which made Heng Yuqing confused. This girl sounded very fierce.

Ning Xueyan stood still, with her eyes shimmering. She did not move, as a faint smile appeared on her lips. But when one took a closer look, her smile was gone.