The Grand Finale (Part One)

"Your Crown Prince Consort, Lady Guo has been living in seclusion since you left the Capital many years ago. She has only recently reappeared."

The mountain road was rugged.

A Fu followed beside the carriage, helping Lin Yunwan down from it.

Lin Yunwan asked, "Has Lady Guo been living here all along?"

She looked at the simple thatched hut in front of her, quite surprised.

The teacher was a refined person; although his clothing, food, housing, and transportation were simple, they were also very elegant.

A Fu said, "No, I heard that Lady Guo has moved several times in the past few years."

Lin Yunwan paused in front of the thatched hut for a while before knocking on the door.

A young maidservant came to open the door; she was a complete stranger.

Lin Yunwan said, "I've come to see Lady Guo."

The maid was mute and couldn't speak, but she gestured for Lin Yunwan to wait. Lin Yunwan nodded, and before she even went in, she smelled a fragrance.

"The teacher still prefers to use fragrance."

The Mute Maid came out from inside, followed by Lady Guo.

Her hair has turned completely white!

But her eyes shone brightly, and she happily strode out, extremely excited. "... Yun Wan?! It's you!"

Lin Yunwan curtsied. "Teacher, I'm late."

Lady Guo glanced at the people behind her and saw A Fu dressed as Eunuch, and she knew what was going on.

"Yun Wan, come in and talk to me."

After Lin Yunwan went inside, Lady Guo said to the maid, "Mute Lady, go and pour a cup of water."

The Mute Maid nodded.

Lin Yunwan couldn't help but ask about Lady Guo's life over the years, "Where are the maids who serve you?"

Lady Guo laughed and said, "They've all been sent out to marry when they're old enough. Women always have to get married." At least that's what the law stipulates; female servants must be sent out to marry when they reach a certain age.

Just because she spent money doesn't mean she can buy someone's entire life.

She said, "You know, I don't like maids with families to support. I simply dismissed them all. Later, as the people around me gradually left, I wanted to travel around. I bid farewell to the Empress, sold my family's wealth, and went to see the world."

Lin Yunwan glanced at Lady Guo's clothes and thought they were too simple.

Lady Guo herself didn't think so. She said quite frankly, "When people get old, they become less particular about what they eat and wear."

The Mute Lady served tea, Lin Yunwan took a sip.

Seeing that Lin Yunwan didn't seem to mind, Lady Guo smiled and said, "Even if it's coarse tea, it's still old tea. Your Crown Prince Consort, please don't force yourself."

Lin Yunwan didn't seem to care, and instead asked, "Teacher, you already know?"

Lady Guo laughed, "The operas outside are all about the Marquis of Wuding Marquis Residence, and they say there's a Prince Huan Consort who looks a lot like you. I've heard about it in the countryside too."

She didn't want to ask about the details, nor did she want to talk about them anymore.

Lin Yunwan sniffed the air and said with a smile, "You have so many kinds of incense in your room. Are you still making incense?"

Lady Guo showed Lin Yunwan fanned the incense herself, waiting for the fragrance to spread, and said, "We still have to make a living."

Lin Yunwan smelled several kinds and said, "... Why are they all ordinary spices? There's not even borneol."

Lady Guo said, "They are indeed things that can be found in the forests and mountains; they are easy to find and easy to sell."

Lin Yunwan couldn't understand what her teacher was doing.

Lady Guo smiled and said, "I'll take you to the place where I'm looking for spices."

Lin Yunwan, wearing a veiled hat, followed them.

"A Daoist temple? Teacher, you've never believed in these things!"

What on earth caused such a drastic change in Lady Guo?

Lady Guo said, "It was the women from the Daoist temple who went up the mountain to collect materials and sold them to me. When they saw that this business was profitable, they asked me how to make incense. I taught a few people, and later all the women in the Daoist temple went to sell incense powder."

Lin Yunwan listened silently.

Lady Guo asked, "Does the Crown Prince Consort know what the women in this Daoist temple used to do?"

Lin Yunwan didn't shake her head immediately. She said, "Could it be...?"

She didn't actually know, but the teacher specifically asked, so it must be unusual.

"The youngest person to start a sex trade was nine years old."

Lady Guo's expression remained calm, Lin Yunwan's nails dug into her palms.

"Let's go back."

"Good."

Lady Guo took Lin Yunwan back to her thatched hut.

Lin Yunwan said, "Teacher, you found your belief, so you abandoned worldly life?"

Lady Guo laughed at herself, "I'm not that noble. I'm just getting old and a bit soft-hearted."

She paused for a moment, then said, "As you get older, you see things more clearly. I've spent my whole life making face powder, and it smells good, but face powder can only perfume people and houses, not your bones."

Lin Yunwan paused for a moment, then said, "This student has learned much."

Lady Guo smiled kindly, "Now that you are the Crown Prince Consort, you will have the opportunity to rule the world in the future. I've heard that the Crown Prince respects you the most. Please allow me to say a few words."

Those in high positions should have compassion for the lowly.

Lin Yunwan nodded. "Of course."

The teacher and student chatted and laughed for two whole hours, enjoying simple food and drinks until the sun set.

A Fu came to remind her, "Your Crown Prince Consort, it's time to go back."

Lin Yunwan expressed.

Lady Guo said, "The Crown Prince Consort should go."

Before leaving, Lin Yunwan instructed, "Teacher, you have too few people serving you. I'd like to leave one for you."

Lady Guo didn't want it, saying, "Having the Mute Lady to serve me is more than enough."

Lin Yunwan didn't want to force the issue, so she said, "If you don't find it troublesome, I'll often send someone over to secretly check on you."

"Good."

After returning home, Lin Yunwan pondered for several days.

Qi Lingheng noticed she seemed preoccupied and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Yunwan told him that she Lady Guo.

Qi Lingheng smiled and said, "What my wife says makes sense."

"Hmm? What do you mean, Your Crown Prince?"

Qi Lingheng sat down and said, "Lady Guo's compassion for her daughter is very reasonable. What if I have another Princess in the future, and she..."

If a woman suffers the same fate as Lin Yunwan, her father will be heartbroken.

However, he is currently only in charge of state affairs as the Crown Prince, and his actions are limited.