Yu Mingyue's palms were slick with cold sweat. She breathed a sigh of relief only after leaving the tent and returned to her own tent, where it took her a long while to calm her emotions.
Was the Sage summoning her for an interrogation?
That was a close call; she had dodged a bullet.
However, the benefits were indeed as Yu Mingyue had predicted.
First, the broken engagement, then her father's demotion. The Duke of Dingguo's mansion had been marginalized. Although most families didn't openly mock them, their attitudes were subtly altered.
But after the Feng family's incident, everyone's attitude changed overnight.
This was reality.
As Yu Mingyue entered the main gate, her eyes welled up as she looked at the four large, black and gold characters "Duke of Dingguo's Mansion" on the plaque.
She didn't blame these people for being opportunistic; however, the prestige of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion could not be trampled upon by just anyone.
Despite the unprecedented harmony and cordiality within the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, Yu Mingyue wasn't particularly happy.
She had already received a reply from her fifth uncle. As expected, her fifth uncle was a man of deep loyalty and righteousness, yet he still refused to return home.
She wondered where he was now and if he was doing well.
Yu Mingyue propped her chin on her hand, a look of vexation on her face.
"What are you thinking about?"
Yu Mingyue turned her head to see Cui Shi entering from outside.
"Mother."
Yu Mingyue instantly put on a smiling face, not wanting Cui Shi to discover her mood.
"What is it? Yue'er is all grown up now and doesn't tell Mother her worries anymore?" Cui Shi stroked her daughter's hair.
"Not at all. Uncle wrote a few days ago saying he would arrive in the capital for my birthday, but my birthday is still ten days away, and he's gone back on his word," Yu Mingyue pouted.
"Perhaps something delayed him. Don't worry, your uncle will definitely make it this year," Cui Shi comforted her with a smile.
In reality, Qinghe sending people to the capital every year to deliver gifts was more than just a simple exchange of presents.
Moreover, this was a time of great upheaval.
Especially since the Sage had canceled the engagement between the Seventh Prince and Yue'er last year, how could the Five Great Clans remain idle?
To them, this was the Sage breaking the covenant of peaceful coexistence with the aristocratic families once again.
She had heard that the Third Master of the Wang family and the Seventh Master of the Zheng family had already arrived in the capital.
The Cui family, as part of the Five Great Clans alliance, would certainly send someone to the capital as well.
It was too grand for the clan leader to travel to the capital, but given the importance of the matter, each family would send a descendant of comparable status.
Combined with the letter from her ninth brother, it was highly likely to be him.
Cui Shi thought of the one confined in the Chian Mountain Temple. As a daughter of the Cui family, one of the Five Great Clans, she should be strategizing for the family. However, as a mother, she did not want her daughter to be involved.
Furthermore, she did not want her daughter to be entangled with the royal family; the engagement had only just been broken.
Thinking of Empress Wang, who had been imprisoned for eighteen years, her worry intensified.
"Will he really make it in time?" Yu Mingyue's face was full of anticipation.
"Of course, your uncle dotes on you the most. By the way, you were looking for the calligraphy and paintings of Longqiu Jushi a few days ago. I found some." Cui Shi always doted on her daughter, and there was nothing she wouldn't do for her.
"Didn't Mother say that his surviving works are extremely rare?" Yu Mingyue asked with surprise.
Yu Mingyue also studied the works of master artists with her teacher. While the most unlearned of noble daughters might not be proficient in calligraphy and painting, they generally possessed basic appraisal skills.
Yet, she had never heard of Longqiu Jushi, which was embarrassing. Fortunately, her mother knew.
"Extremely rare, but not non-existent. He has some connections with the Cui family," Cui Shi said with a smile, but she didn't intend to elaborate to her daughter.
Compared to those renowned masters whose works had survived, Longqiu Jushi's reputation was not good, hence he was rarely mentioned.
Longqiu Jushi was from an aristocratic family, a direct descendant of the Xingyang Zheng clan. It was rumored that he harbored feelings for his stepmother and was consequently expelled from his home by his father.
Later, he traveled extensively. Although he gained some recognition for his talent, his personality was arrogant and unrestrained, making him quite unsociable.
He had a peculiar habit of painting when drunk and destroying his work when sober, which is why very few of his works survived.