Until night dominated the Flowing Wind Residence, the Defense Minister Wei Xuan was unable to comprehend the actions of his fourth daughter.
Objectively speaking, she was the laziest human being present within the entire Wei manor.
Not even the Second Madam, who was known for her pleasure in relaxation and rest, would dare to sleep for more than sixteen hours a day.
The young girl simply returned back to the study’s depths whenever possible, only to drowsily emerge twenty hours later.
When the minister departed for the Imperial Court, all that graced his vision was the delicate form of a sleeping girl.
When he returned, it was almost a certainty that she wouldn’t have moved from her spot on the bed, raising concerns towards her well-being.
Wei Xuan certainly regretted having assigned Wei Chang Feng to stand over his fourth daughter.
The Eldest Young Master was someone who dared to abandon all sentimental attachment to achieve his objectives, and thus had resulted in the circumstance of causing both himself and An Fei to starve for the day without food.
One was fearful of the dreadful consequences of a chanceful encounter with the now-depraved Taiyi Sect, and the other was unable to wander throughout the streets of Jiang’an.
Furthermore, even if the young girl’s physique had improved significantly compared to that when she first awoke, Wei Xuan would never permit it.
“This girl…” the minister chuckled with a wry smile, shaking the rolled stack of stationary paper clenched in his hands.
“With that much time spent sleeping, how is she capable of practicing her calligraphy to such an extent? Even Yan’er or Yue’er would only complete this amount after numerous weeks only if Miaolan forced them to.”
The Treatise on the Healthy Mindfulness and Spirit that An Fei had brazenly misunderstood as calligraphy practice from Wei Xuan, was in actuality a gamble between the minister’s circle of officials and scholars.
The individual works of Great Scholar Tie had been determined as the bet, and various amounts of silver taels in exorbitant quantities constituted each scholar’s wager. Wei Xuan himself had pitched in three hundred thousand taels, confident about his victory.
The task was, of course, to transcribe every known work of the Great Scholar within a month. The person who presented the most completely copied collection, obtained every drop of silver deposited by the thirty participants.
Fanning the sheets of paper before his countenance, Wei Xuan furrowed his brow, before a sheepish expression leered within the study. The sea of characters was compact and neatly organized, as well as conducted within a timely manner.
Simply put, An Fei’s ‘calligraphy practice’ was perfect for obtaining victory regarding the bet.
“Lass, you should do a favor for me, hm?” the minister carefully stacked the sheets onto a corner of the drawing table, before waving his sleeve and departing from the study.
As Wei Xuan’s footsteps parted with the Flowing Wind Residence, the grasses and budding plants shivered as his gleeful voice.
“A child must perform filial piety towards their parents! Fei’er, you woke up at such a great time, ah. Don’t worry, Father will give you half of the profits for your hard work!”
Since the rules of the bet did not include that the calligraphy had to retain the original intention of the Great Scholar’s strokes, the Fourth Young Miss of Wei and her astonishingly quick calligraphy was an absolute cheat the minister would abuse over the next few days.
All in all, Wei Xuan felt that it was much better than wasting oneself in bed all day long.
–
Whilst a minister of Great Yong hummed to himself as he pranced towards the Slumbering Dawn Residence to instill a period of ‘nightly torments’ to the First Madam, a less tranquil scene occurred at the side courts of the Imperial Palace.
To be precise, it was within the courtyards of the Imperial Physicians of Great Yong.
As physicians commissioned to provide medical service solely at the Imperial Family’s bidding, they were stationed within the golden Imperial Court.
The row of courtyards allotted to them did not skimp on the grandeur and imposing might of the royals, the walls having been constructed of the highest quality polished marble.
Each courtyard was a masterpiece of elegance and artistic appeal, the arrangement of the pathways, natural scenery, and the residential buildings inside completed a masterful atmosphere of peace.
A deep breath of air once stepping into the courtyard was more than sufficient to calm a person’s nerves and grant a few nights of comfortable, dreamless sleep. A nibble of carefully prescribed medicines from ingredients obtained from the Imperial Physicians’ personal gardens, and they could easily gain a few years of longevity.
Renowned Imperial Physicians amongst this stream of courtyards had the title of ‘Saint’ displayed as a signboard above the entrance towards their courtyard, and each medicinal ingredient grown in their garden possessed the highest purity, quality, and vitality the empire could obtain.
Imperial Physician Feng was no exception to this benefit, and his garden was the most stunning of them all.
As the man who was reputed to have cured the emperor’s recently concealed bout of insanity, the young physician was worshipped amongst them all and received countless precious gifts.
Medicinal herbs and plants grew in neatly ordered rows, each emanating a fresh fragrance and powerful vitality and spiritual qi. To those who cultivated, Feng Tian Mu’s garden could be considered the ultimate panacea without exception.
A young male dressed in silk robes squatted alongside one of the carefully tiled rows, watering a growing sprout of milk thistle. His fingers carefully stroked the underside of each leaf, murmuring an inaudible mnemonic whilst tending to the herb.
Feng Tian Mu revealed a dazzling smile as he observed the leaves of the milk thistle tremble upon receiving the curated water.
However, his smile quickly evaporated as the physician paused, his cold voice ringing throughout the beautiful courtyard.
“Who is there? Why are you sneaking in this physician’s backyard?”
A graceful peal of laughter resounded in response, and a figure carefully covered within a violet robe emerged from the side of the courtyard.
Stopping before the Imperial Physician’s narrowed gaze, the figure performed a customary bow, a pair of delicate hands reaching forth to push back the hood to reveal the person underneath.
Surprisingly, the previously cloaked person was an absolutely beautiful young woman.
Lustrous black hair cascading down her back to rest at her waist, and a pair of hazel irises revealing a delicious innocence.
Combined with the young woman’s fair, smooth skin and the tantalizing lips, what stood before Feng Tian Mu was a figure capable of ruining a person’s sense of morals and self-restraint.
The Imperial Physician pointed towards the direction of the entrance of the courtyard, his countenance reflecting little change despite the beauty mere meters from his grasp.
The young physician’s voice was tinged with a shade of annoyance, the pair of eyes narrowed with a threatening glare.
“This Imperial Physician is tending to his herbs. Please leave.”
“Oh my,” the beauty chuckled, a fair-skinned hand covering her quivering lips.
“Using the Imperial Address so quickly, Brother Feng is so cold, ah.”
“The Third Young Miss of Wei is beyond the grasp of a mere imperial physician. Tian Mu does not dare engage in such suicidal behavior, please depart from this one’s residence.”
“What will you do?”
The young woman dashed forward, her lips breathing into the Imperial Physician’s ear. When Feng Tian Mu raised his head to direct an admonishing glare, the Third Young Miss of Wei had already retreated to her original position.
“Brother Feng’s ears had turned red,” the young woman teased with a mirthful smile.
“Does Brother Feng still retain the desire to continue tending to his medicinal herbs?”
Feng Tian Mu paused, an eyebrow raised in bemusement.
The Imperial Physician stared at the young woman for a long time with a narrowed gaze as he attempted to determine exactly what this reputable ‘cold’ beauty of Jiang’an was thinking.
Nevertheless, the physician carefully set down the watering container onto the ground besides the budding milk thistle, before crossing his arms.
“This physician does not understand the Third Young Miss’ intentions. Visiting this one at such a late time in night, without any maidservants or appropriate entourage, what will the minister say in response to such behavior?”
“My father?” Wei Rou Yan giggled, her charming voice causing Feng Tian Mu’s heart to twitch.
“Father wouldn’t notice anything, he’s too occupied with Fourth Little Sister, ah.”
“The Fourth Young Miss?”
Her crafty gaze instantly noticing the physician’s instant reaction upon hearing An Fei’s name, the young woman smiled, before leaning forward to whisper into Feng Tian Mu’s ear.
“Didn’t you want to interact with my Fourth Little Sister? Then, this Young Miss shall request for a little favor…”
