Jiang Wei found a dress for Yang Zijin to put on. Yang Zijin checked her reflections in the mirror, turning from left to right. This dress covered the wound on her neck perfectly.

Yang Zijin carried the card and the scroll with her. She could tell from last night's accident that the veiled man was longing for this card, but she still didn't know the use of it.

At this time, Jiang Wei knelt to Yang Zijin, "I am really grateful for your interceding last night, Your Highness."

"What are you doing? Get up!" Yang Zijin was hurried to pull Jiang Wei up.

She added, "It was not your fault. I can see that the veiled man is an expert in Kongfu."

"Anyhow, Your Highness, I failed in my duty. I have no complaints if My Lord asked me to undergo retraining!" Jiang Wei stood up, looking at Yang Zijin.

Yang Ziji asked, "Marquis Shuo mentioned about retraining. What is the retraining?"

Jiang Wei paused.

Yang Zijin knew it might be their secret, so she smiled and moved on, "If it's not convenient for you to say, it's alright!"

"With a dagger, we'll stay in the training room for three days and nights with three wolves." Jiang Wei lifted her head and told Yang Zijin about this after a moment of thought.

She had spent a long time with Yang Zijin. Although nominally Yang Zijin was her lady, Yang Zijin treated her well as if she was Yang Zijin's sister. This was a wonderful feeling that she had never experienced before.

Yang Zijin was terrified by Jiang Wei's words, "What? Spend three days with wolves?"

Jiang Wei nodded.

"How could you survive this? Marquis Shuo is too cruel to you!" Yang Zijin looked at Jiang Wei, shocked. She was wet with cold sweat. Fortunately, she interceded for Jiang Wei.

"Please don't blame His Lordship, Your Highness. This training aims at quickening our reaction and improving our strength. Therefore, we'll be more alert to the enemies and more agile in the fight with them." Jiang Wei explained to Yang Zijin to appease her.

However, Yang Zijin still looked angry, "Improve your strength? This is toying with human life! No wonder others give a wide berth to Shuo Ling, he is cruel to his men as well!"

Jiang Wei burst out a laugh as she heard Yang Zijin's comment.

"What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?" Yang Zijin rolled her eyes to Jiang Wei.

Jiang Wei ceased to laugh and went on explaining, "You are mistaken, Your Highness. Although we are ordered to stay with wolves, we can fight with them with the dagger. Meanwhile, people outside the training room will watch the situation inside the room. They will break in to save us when we met fatal danger."

"I see, but I still think it's brutal!" Yang Zijin nodded and made a remark.

She asked again, "Have you taken any training like this?"

Jiang Wei nodded.

This was the training that every guard should take. Only those who stuck to the end could come out to take tasks.

Otherwise, they had to be retrained.

Each guard came out was covered with blood like a drowned rat. They couldn't even tell whether the blood was from the wolves or themselves.

Watching Jiang Wei nodding her head, Yang Zijin could imagine the scene when Jiang Wei fighting with the ferocious wolves inside a room!

She got chilled from this scene and stopped asking. She moved on, "You have a nice smile."

This compliment came from the bottom of her heart. She hardly ever saw Jiang Wei's smile. Jiang Wei would complete every task without fail. Though she didn't treat Jiang Wei as a servant, Jiang Wei remained courtesy as a maid.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness." Jiang Wei was surprised at Yang Zijin's compliment. No one had ever said she looked beautiful, and she had never paid attention to her look because she didn't appear in public before.

After this matter, Jiang Wei knew Yang Zijin better, and she also understood why did Marquis Shuo, who had never let a woman approach him before, fall in love with her!

"Let's go. Have a look at how they're doing." Then Yang Zijin walked out of her room.

Just as she stepped out of the door, she saw Mu Yunong came into her yard with a box.

Mu Yunong also saw Yang Zijin. She trotted to her, "Sister, are you going out?"

"What are you coming for this time?" Yang Zijin stopped to ask Mu Yunong with a poker face.

Mu Yunong explained hurriedly, "I know you are sullen with me, but I have known that I'm wrong. I won't be manipulated by Qiao Shu again and I've told her about this!"

"It's between you and her. You don't have to tell me." Yang Zijin replied.

Mu Yunong lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Please forgive me for what I've done, sister. The day after tomorrow is your wedding day. I don't know what you prefer, so I bought a set of jewelry. I hope you'll like it!"

Then Mu Yunong looked up and lifted the box to Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin gave her a faint smile, "I accept your gift. Thank you for your effort. I hope you have really changed."

"Jiang Wei, take it for me." She said to Jiang Wei behind her.

Jiang Wei answered, "Yes."

Jiang Wei came to Mu Yunong and took over the box, "Miss Mu, please hand it to me."

Mu Yunong put the box in Jiang Wei's hand and excused herself to Yang Zijin, "Take your time, sister. I'll take my leave."

Then she walked out of Yang Zijin's yard.

After Mu Yunong left, Jiang Wei went up to Yang Zijin, "Your Highness, this..."

She opened the box that Mu Yunong presented to Yang Zijin.

"That's all right. Put it away." Yang Zijin said as she glanced at it.

Yang Zijin thought that Mu Yunong should have become honest since the case last time. Mu Yunong was not a vicious girl, but she was easy to be incited.

Now that she wanted to be good, Yang Zijin was happy to have fewer enemies.

Yang Zijin walked outwards as she contemplated.

When she reached the front yard, her field of view were cramped full of red decorations that looked jubilant. However, Yang Zijin wasn't happy as she ought to be. She felt that something unpleasant was going to happen.

She had had a bad presentiment since the veiled man broke into the mansion of the Duke Mu last night,

She had picked up the card recently, but the veiled man still knew its existence in a short period of time. It appeared that she had to keep it well.

She fingered the card in her dress.

Yang Zijin was deep in thought while someone in the doorway spoke loudly, "Empress Dowager is here!"

Yang Zijin's eyes followed the voice. She saw Empress Dowager walked into the mansion of the Duke Mu with the help of Eunuch Liu.

They were followed by several eunuchs carrying boxes.

Yang Zijin came up to greet Empress Dowager, "Grandmother, what brings you here?"

"I'm coming to see to progress of the preparations in the mansion of Duke Mu." Empress Dowager held Yang Zijin's hand, smiling.

Duke of Mu and Li Mingzi reached the front yard as they heard that Empress Dowager had arrived.

"Please forgive my solecism, Your Highness. If I had known you were coming, I would have come out earlier to meet you." Duke of Mu saluted Empress Dowager.

Li Mingzi saluted, too.

Empress Dowager smiled, "It doesn't matter. I brought presents to Qingcheng as part of her dowry. His Majesty also awarded her something in these boxes."

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Highness and His Majesty!" Looking at the two large boxes behind Empress Dowager, Duke of Mu bowed to Empress Dowager again.

Li Mingzi had seen the two boxes when she arrived in the front yard, but she had never thought that these were awarded by the Emperor and Empress Dowager. She was full of envy.

Empress Dowager held Yang Zijin's hand and spoke to Duke of Mu, "No more courtesy, Duke of Mu. I'd like to talk with Qingcheng, please excuse us."

"You're being too modest." Duke of Mu said.

He turned his head to Yang Zijin, "Qingcheng, take care of Her Highness."

"I know, father." Yang Zijin answered.

Empress Dowager smiled and nodded. She said to Yang Zijin, "Haven't seen you for days. I have a lot to say to you."

"Yes, grandmother. Let's go this way." Yang Zijin led Empress Dowager to her residence.

Yang Zijin's being so intimate with Empress Dowager and calling her "grandmother" made Li Mingzi jealous.

Princess Royal was her eyesore when she was alive, now so did Yang Zijin.

What was more, she didn't know what Yang Zijin did to Mu Yunong to let her daughter take Yang Zijin's side.

Empress Dowager and Yang Zijin headed to Yang Zijin's residence, chatting and laughing.

Jiang Wei opened the door for them when they reached the yard.

Empress Dowager walked into the room. She looked at the arrangement of the room and nodded her head at the cloth painting on the wall. Considering it something of novelty, she asked Yang Zijin, "Qingcheng, where does this picture come from? I've never seen anything like this!"

"This painting? Grandmother, this kind of picture is sold in my shop. If you like it, I will have them make another one for you someday." Yang Zijin went over to Empress Dowager and laughed.

Empress Dowager had a little suspicion. "It is sold in your shop?"

"Yes, this is my idea. Embroidery works are exquisite, but they cost too much time to make. Therefore, I thought of making pictures with the cloth. Cloth pictures are not as exquisite as embroideries, but they are life-like as well, and it takes less time to make cloth pictures." Yang Zijin explained.

Empress Dowager kept nodding, "Fine, that's a good idea!"

"Please don't laugh at my ignorance, grandmother. I did this on the spur of the moment, but it came out to be a good work then." Yang Zijin said humbly.

Empress Dowager clicked Yang Zijin's forehead and smiled, "You've got so many fancy things in your cunning little brain, just like your mother!"

Her smile froze on her face as she referred to Princess Royal.

Empress Dowager let out a deep sigh. She turned around and walked to the window, looking at the sky, "Suhan, your daughter will be married the day after tomorrow, but you can't see the wedding. Nonetheless, I'm with her. I won't let Qingcheng suffer the slightest bit of pain."

As she was expressing her feelings, tears came to her eyes.

Yang Zijin came to the Empress Dowager.

"Don't be so grieved, grandmother. I have never seen my mother, but I know she must be a gentle and kind woman." Yang Zijin consoled Empress Dowager. She could see that the relationship between her mother and Empress Dowager must be very good. One could not fake sorrow.

Empress Dowager turned back and wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief, "Alright, alright. I won't mention it again."

"The face mask you gave me last time worked well, so I'm asking you for more." Empress Dowager changed the topic.

Yang Zijin said quickly, "As long as you like it, I'll send it to you regularly."

Empress Dowager was comforted. She nodded and thought, "Suhan's daughter is so considerate."

It was a consolation to her to see Qingcheng getting married and having a family.

After that, Empress Dowager asked Yang Zijin about her business. What Yang Zijin said was new to Empress Dowager.

In this way, they chatted for a long time.