The Zen monastery was blanketed in white after the snowfall, though the ground already bore traces of melting, damp patches. In the slightly chilly air, the faint scent of sandalwood incense wafted gently.
Lu Jinxi was led by a monk through the monastery to a secluded small prayer hall at the back. Before entering, she removed the rabbit fur muff she had been carrying and handed it to Bai Lu, instructing, "Wait outside. I'll come out after offering incense. Don't worry."
Don’t worry…
Bai Lu was momentarily stunned as she took the muff. She wanted to say something, but by the time she opened her mouth, Lu Jinxi had already turned and walked gracefully into the prayer hall. Her figure was slender yet upright.
Watching her, Bai Lu felt the doubts and worries that had been simmering over the past few days resurface.
She had been assigned to serve in Lu Jinxi’s quarters three years ago, along with Qingque. Not long after, the capable maids who had previously served there were sent out of the mansion to be married off. The two of them, young and inexperienced, had somehow been promoted to first-class maids, earning a monthly allowance of one tael of silver.
Everyone said that Second Madam Lu Jinxi was kind-hearted and rarely scolded or punished her servants, even when they made mistakes.
Being her personal maids, shouldn’t life have been relatively easy?
But in reality…
It was quite the opposite.
At this thought, Bai Lu couldn’t help but sigh.
Their mistress’s flaw was that she was too “good-natured.”
In the three years they had served her, they had never seen Lu Jinxi lose her temper in front of anyone. No matter what grievances she suffered, she would return to her room and cry silently, never shedding tears in public.
At first, as servants, they felt sorry for her. Knowing that she was a widow, raising her children alone, they sincerely tried to comfort her and offered advice, hoping she would stand up for herself.
But later, they realized that no amount of persuasion made a difference.
The interests of master and servant were intertwined. Over the years, how many maids must have tried to advise her?
Yet, no matter who came and went, she remained the same.
When her mother-in-law mistreated her, she stayed silent.
When Third Madam Lady Wei came to bully her with sarcastic remarks, she stayed silent.
Even when the maids and servants in the household broke the rules and came to her with fake tears, she would let them off with little more than a gentle reprimand…
Qingque often cried out of frustration, but Lu Jinxi was still their mistress, and they dared not say a word against her.
On paper, Second Madam was the manager of the Xue household, in charge of the family finances. But in reality, her life was one of constant torment.
She felt miserable, and the servants felt hopeless.
Even Bai Lu had secretly considered quitting, finding a more decisive mistress, even if it meant a smaller allowance.
But in the end, she hadn’t left.
Not long ago, Lu Jinxi had fallen seriously ill after another confrontation with Third Madam Lady Wei.
Perhaps having brushed with death, she seemed to have gained some clarity. After waking up, she became more composed, her words and actions more deliberate, and the melancholy that had clouded her features gradually dissipated.
At first, Bai Lu and Qingque thought it might be an illusion, until two days ago…
The weather had been gloomy, just before another snowfall.
Lu Jinxi, having barely recovered from her illness, was able to get out of bed with their help. She sat in her room, wrapped in a robe, drinking her medicine.
Halfway through, someone from the accounting office came to report that Third Madam Lady Wei had taken three of the finest bolts of newly arrived silk without presenting the proper token.
Bai Lu’s face turned pale with anger.
Qingque sighed, her eyes dim, already preparing to fetch the keys and the silver.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
Second Madam would always hesitate, playing the role of the peacemaker, saying that harmony among sisters-in-law was more important, and she would ultimately let it go, using her own savings to cover the loss.
After all, the fine fabric was meant for the old madam.
But this time, things were different.
Upon hearing the report, Lu Jinxi lifted her eyelids and glanced outside the curtain. She slowly set down her medicine bowl and let out a soft laugh.
“If they could take things without a token, what good are you? That fabric is for the old madam. Better be careful.”
Qingque, who had just reached for the keys, nearly dropped them.
All the maids in the room, including Bai Lu, stared at her as if they had seen a ghost, unable to believe these words had come from Lu Jinxi’s mouth.
The accountant standing outside the curtain was even more stunned.
Through the curtain, they could see him frozen in place for a long moment!
When he finally regained his senses, his legs began to tremble, and he kept wiping sweat from his brow.
From start to finish, Lu Jinxi had not issued a token.
In other words, if she didn’t cover the loss herself, the blame would fall either on Third Madam Lady Wei for taking the fabric without permission or on the accountant for failing to ask for the token.
When the old madam investigated, Lu Jinxi would be completely blameless.
The fault would lie either with Third Madam or the accountant!
Those working in the accounting office were no fools. Coming to report and ask for money had always been the norm. But this time, Lu Jinxi had broken the pattern, and it was utterly terrifying!
What’s more, her tone had been icy, like the snow about to fall outside.
The accountant didn’t dare say another word. He immediately begged for forgiveness and promised to handle the matter properly.
Lu Jinxi gave a noncommittal “Hmm” and waved her hand dismissively.
The man then scurried off like his pants were on fire, heading straight for Third Madam Lady Wei’s courtyard, presumably to retrieve the three bolts of fabric.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Only their “extremely good-natured” mistress remained calm, picking up her medicine bowl again and finishing the remaining half in silence.
Afterward, she asked Qingque to bring some candied fruit. She picked up a piece, pinching it between her fingers, and said lightly, “I’ve already walked through the gates of hell once. Even the King of Hell didn’t dare take my life. From now on, I won’t let anyone trample over me. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry…”
Standing outside the prayer hall, clutching the rabbit fur muff, Bai Lu felt lost.
Over the past three years, how many times had they tried to persuade her?
They had worn their lips thin, yet their mistress had remained unchanged, their efforts seemingly in vain.
Now, after her illness, she had not only reprimanded the opportunistic accountant and turned the tables on Third Madam Lady Wei but also told them, “Don’t worry”?
It felt unreal, like a dream.
How they wished they could believe her!
But they were afraid that if they let themselves hope, the dream would shatter: their mistress would revert to her old self, and life would return to its bleak, hopeless state…
Now, with such a major incident in the household, Lu Jinxi had still come to offer incense as usual, telling Bai Lu she would leave soon after. But Bai Lu couldn’t shake her unease.
In the past, Lu Jinxi would spend one or two hours in the prayer hall, emerging with red-rimmed eyes, clearly having cried.
After returning to the mansion, she would avoid handling affairs for several days, refusing to see anyone.
Now, with Chi’s urgent matter involving the Duke of Ying’s Mansion and the scheming Third Madam Lady Wei…
If she reverted to her old ways…
It would truly be a shattered dream.
Bai Lu looked up at the sky, but it showed no change.
Second Madam had only been inside for a short while, yet it felt like an eternity. Her heart was in turmoil, as if she were being fried in a pan of oil.
With a bitter laugh, Bai Lu could only hope the dream wouldn’t end, that Second Madam would stay clear-headed and come out soon.
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but glance inside.
The prayer hall was dimly lit.
Three prayer mats lay on the floor, facing a small altar adorned with fresh fruit and a bronze lotus incense burner. Above it hung a memorial tablet, its solemn black base inscribed with nine large characters:
“Martial Pacification General, Xue Kuang.”
Everything was simple and austere.
Lu Jinxi looked up at the tablet, feeling a pang of melancholy.
Those nine characters seemed to encapsulate a man’s entire life.
Perhaps a woman’s life as well.
From the fragments she had heard over the past few days, she could piece together the illustrious achievements of this great general.
To the original Lu Jinxi, he might not have been a good husband.
But to the common people, he must have been a hero.
However, she was not Lady Wei, nor was she prone to sentimental melancholy. Apart from lamenting "marrying the wrong person" and sighing "heaven envies talent," all she could do was light a stick of incense.
She was pragmatic, even calculating.
Rather than wasting time in a daze over the dead, it was better to care more for the living.
Lu Jinxi walked to the incense altar, took three sticks of incense, held them to the flame, and lit them slowly. She then stepped back three paces, holding the incense with both hands, raising it high above her head.
"Today, I have taken over your wife's body out of necessity, and I will soon be regarded as a mother by your daughter and son. My heart is filled with trepidation, and I feel unworthy of this honor."
"In the future, I will do my utmost to protect them and repay the debt I owe to your wife for this body."
After saying these words, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow in her heart.
Now that she was in Lady Wei's body, who could say whether Lady Wei was not in hers?
Lady Wei had four children to raise, and she too had elderly parents still alive.
Putting herself in Lady Wei's shoes, she was willing to treat her children well, hoping that if Lady Wei were still around, she would also take good care of her parents.
Lowering her gaze slightly, Lu Jinxi bowed deeply and devoutly three times, murmuring softly, "If the Great General has a spirit in heaven, I beg for your forgiveness and your blessings."
After bowing, she stood up and personally placed the incense into the burner.
Thin wisps of smoke curled upward, forming three delicate lines that rose high before dispersing, making the characters on the memorial tablet appear somewhat blurred.
Lu Jinxi looked at it, reflecting on her bizarre circumstances, feeling a mix of emotions.
But she had done what needed to be done and said what needed to be said.
There were still matters awaiting her attention back at the mansion. Although she had instructed Pan Quan'er, she didn't fully trust him, as she didn't know him well. It was better to return and oversee things herself.
Taking one last look at the memorial tablet, Lu Jinxi turned and walked out of the prayer hall. To the maids and servants waiting outside, she said, "It's getting late. Let's head back to the mansion."
Bai Lu, who had been waiting outside the door, was still muttering to herself, hoping that if her mistress didn't come out within half an hour, an hour would be fine too.
Unexpectedly, she suddenly heard this voice.
It sounded familiar...
Like her mistress's voice.
Bai Lu immediately looked up and saw Lu Jinxi standing right in front of her, gazing at her.
Though her makeup was simple, it was clear that it hadn't smudged, her eyelashes weren't wet, and her eyes weren't red!
She hadn't cried!
And she had truly just lit incense and come out!
At that moment, Bai Lu couldn't quite describe what she was feeling.
If her mistress hadn't cried before the Great General's memorial tablet, what could possibly make her falter?
The dream she had been holding onto these past few days hadn't shattered—it had actually come true...
She couldn't quite believe it, feeling moved, and even on the verge of tears.
Bai Lu blinked, taking a moment to compose herself before hurriedly presenting the hand warmer she had been holding to Lu Jinxi. She then took the mink cloak handed over by a young maid and draped it over her mistress's shoulders, saying, "It's my fault. I was so lost in thought waiting for you to come out that I didn't notice the time."
"I haven't cried yet, but your eyes are already red. Aren't you embarrassed?"
Lu Jinxi knew this maid was sincere, sometimes even adorably naive, so she didn't scold her. Instead, she teased her lightly. Once the cloak was securely fastened, she took the lead and stepped onto the path they had come from.
"Was the incense money added?"
"Yes, as per your instructions, we added the usual amount," Bai Lu replied, quickening her pace to walk beside Lu Jinxi.
Lu Jinxi nodded and didn't ask further.
The entourage followed her, quickly making their way through most of Dazhao Temple and exiting through the mountain gate.
The sedan bearers were still there, but the two figures at the mountain path's bend had disappeared.
Lu Jinxi glanced briefly before retracting her gaze and stepping directly into the sedan chair. She was carried down the mountain, where she then boarded the General's Mansion carriage and returned home.
The General's Mansion was located in the eastern part of the city, close to the imperial palace for convenience in attending court. As a result, it had become a neighborhood populated by high-ranking officials and nobility.
However, unlike other grand mansions, the General's Mansion was one of the rare military residences in the area.
The Xue family valued martial prowess, and to prepare for emergencies, the eastern side gate had no steps or threshold—just a flat path designed for carriages and horses.
Lu Jinxi's carriage entered directly through this gate, traveling about ten zhang into the mansion before coming to a stop.
The mansion was in chaos due to recent events, like a pot of boiling porridge.
The maidservants who attended to her rooms had received word and were already waiting there. As soon as the carriage stopped, they quickly brought over a footstool and placed it beside the carriage.
"Madam, please be careful."
Bai Lu stepped out first, standing below to receive the hand extended from the carriage and carefully assisting her mistress.
Lu Jinxi stepped down without hesitation, asking immediately, "Where is Chi?"
