***Ming Mansion***
(The ancestral hall)
Xuanling approached the entrance of the ancestral hall, her steps light despite the basket weighing on her arm. She reached for the heavy wooden door, but two guards immediately stepped forward, blocking her path with crossed spears.
"Stop there! No one is permitted to enter the ancestral hall," the first guard declared, his voice firm and authoritative.
"Wait…" The second guard narrowed his eyes, studying her servant attire and the handkerchief still covering the lower half of her face. "Have you not been here earlier? What business do you have now?"
Xuanling lowered her gaze meekly, playing the role of a humble maid. "Yes, I was here earlier to clean the hall. The kitchen has run out of supplies, so I went to the market to fetch these for the altar." She lifted the basket Yu'er had prepared, revealing fresh incense sticks, ripe fruits, and delicate offerings — steamed buns, small cakes, and other treats meant to honor the ancestors. "I have only come to replace the incense and offerings at the altar."
The guards peered into the basket, their expressions shifting with suspicion.
"No way!" the first guard objected sharply. "You are not allowed near the altar."
"That is correct," the second added, folding his arms. "The Left Chancellor has ordered that no one approach the Fourth Miss. Going near the altar would defy his command. Besides, the Fourth Miss is being starved as punishment. If you place these offerings there, she might be tempted to eat them, breaking his orders further."
"There is no chance we are letting you inside. Leave now."
Xuanling's heart sank. Dusk was still two hours away, and she could not continue impersonating A'bao for that long without risking exposure. She stood frozen for a moment, mind racing. Then resolve hardened in her chest. These guards had already defied her father's orders once by allowing A'bao inside earlier. One more breach would make little difference. She would simply add weight to her words and hope they yielded.
"This is a sacred ritual for the ancestors of House Ming, and you dare interfere?" Her voice rose with feigned indignation, though she kept it low enough not to draw distant ears. "Do you hold no respect for the great ancestors? If you prevent me from performing my duty, I will go straight to Ziran Hall and inform the Left Chancellor that you two have halted the proper rites honoring his beloved forebears!"
Without waiting for a reply, she snatched up the basket and turned on her heel, walking away with deliberate, measured steps. Inside, her pulse thundered. Please call me back… please, please, please… If this bluff failed, she would have to hide somewhere until dusk and then switch identities with A'bao in secret.
"Hey! Come back!"
The first guard's voice rang out behind her.
Xuanling released a silent breath of relief, her shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. She took a steadying inhale and turned back toward the entrance, walking with the same meek posture.
"You don't have to report us to the Left Chancellor," the guard said with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "We were simply overstepping."
"Yes, we were speaking nonsense," the second guard added quickly. "Of course the ancestors' needs must come first. Forgive our ignorance. Please, go ahead and replace the offerings and incense."
Together, they pulled the heavy doors open, ushering her inside with forced welcoming smiles. Their eyes pleaded silently that she would not hold a grudge or mention the incident later.
The door creaked shut behind her with a low, resonant groan. Only then did Xuanling lower the handkerchief from her face, the cool air of the hall brushing against her skin. The scent of old incense and polished wood filled her lungs, the dim light filtering through high windows casting long shadows across the ancestral tablets.
"A'bao?" she called softly, moving toward the corner where she had instructed her maid to wait. She knelt beside the sleeping figure and gave her a gentle shake. "A'bao?"
The maid stirred with a groan, stretching her limbs before her eyes fluttered open. "Fourth Miss? Fourth Miss! You are here… and safe." Relief flooded A'bao's face, her voice bright with excitement that her mistress had returned without incident.
"Yes, A'bao." Xuanling smiled, a spark of pride warming her chest. "Not only did I return safely — I filled my belly and returned the horse as well." She spoke with quiet triumph, chin lifted.
"You did? That is wonderful!"
"Yes, A'bao. Very wonderful indeed."
A'bao sat up fully, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "And you encountered no troubles at all?"
"Ehm…" Xuanling hesitated, a faint flush creeping up her neck. She weighed whether to share every embarrassing detail — how she had not realized people paid for food in taverns, how she now owed a debt of two taels of silver to that man called Lei. In the end, she chose brevity. She had already decided to repay him double, anonymously, just as she had returned the horse.
After the meal, she had asked the same waiter who once dragged her out to deliver a simple note to Lei before he left the tavern: "Thank you for the horse. Find it at the tavern's stable." The waiter, guilty over his earlier rudeness, had readily agreed. She had kept her face partially covered the entire time, and the night had been dark when they first met. Even if he had caught her scent that evening, today she carried A'bao's fragrance from wearing her clothes. There was little chance he would connect the dots. As "A'xi," she had promised to repay twice the cost, and she would honor that — discreetly.
"I was fortunate enough to manage it all without trouble, A'bao," she said lightly.
"Before I marry into the imperial house, I would like to take you and Yu'er to that tavern. Their food is truly excellent. What do you say?"
"Of course, Fourth Miss!" A'bao nodded with delight. "Thank you so much."
"Don't thank me yet," Xuanling replied with a sweet smile. "Wait until you taste it for yourself. Now, quickly — let us switch back into our own clothes. Concubine Yun and her spies must have noticed your long absence. I have only two more hours until the sun sets and I must leave this place."
"As you wish, Fourth Miss."
They worked swiftly in the dim light of the ancestral hall, exchanging garments with practiced movements. The coarse servant robes gave way once more to finer layers, though Xuanling kept her motions careful to avoid any sound that might carry beyond the thick doors.
"When you leave, find Yu'er and stay close to her until I emerge," Xuanling instructed, her tone turning serious — perhaps too serious, for A'bao felt a small chill run down her spine.
"The two of you can busy yourselves selecting the most dazzling hanfu and finest jewelry for the grand celebration at the palace tonight. I intend to settle scores with Su Ninghe while looking my most radiant. Do you understand?"
A'bao swallowed, sensing the steel beneath her mistress's words. She had no idea what scheme brewed in the Fourth Miss's mind for the evening's event, but she prayed it would not invite more trouble.
"As you wish, Fourth Miss…"