Madam Qiao gently tapped Bai Qingqing’s nose with affection. “Mother loves you too, but I wouldn’t want to keep you in the manor forever. It is precisely because I cherish you that I hope you find a good match. Right now, only Princess Huaifu remains unmarried. Ciming deep sibling affection can serve as an excuse for now, but if she deys her marriage for too long, a woman’s best years are fleeting.”

  Bai Qingqing was puzzled, so Madam Qiao expined, “I heard about this from others when I was younger. Back when Princess Huaifu was born, she came into the world around the same time as you. It was said that when she was born, purple clouds filled the eastern sky, and auspicious birds circled the city. I didn’t witness it myself, but people spoke of it as if it were a divine sign.”

  “I also heard whispers that the te emperor had a divination cast for the infant princess. The hexagram revealed a prophecy: ‘He who gains Huaifu shall gain the world.’ Though the rumors were quickly suppressed, many had already heard them.”

  “You’re still young and uninterested in court affairs, so you may not know that the most likely heir to the throne back then wasn’t the current emperor. However, he was the one closest to Princess Huaifu, and in the end, it was indeed he who ascended the throne. It’s hard not to wonder if the prophecy held some truth.”

  Bai Qingqing was stunned. She had never heard any of this before. “But if that’s the case, shouldn’t the emperor cherish Princess Huaifu even more?”

  “The higher one stands, the more they choose to believe in such things,” Madam Qiao sighed. “If that prophecy truly helped the emperor secure his throne, then once Huaifu is married, she will belong to another family. And if, by any chance…”

  Bai Qingqing fell silent. That was a possibility she hadn’t considered—it sounded almost absurd.

  “These are just things I’m telling you in private,” Madam Qiao reminded her. “They hold no real weight. Just keep them in mind, but don’t take them as absolute truth. Once you step outside this door, forget you ever heard them. The fact that Princess Huaifu favors you is a great fortune. Earning her affection will only bring you benefits.”

  Madam Qiao felt relieved. When she first learned that Princess Huaifu would be visiting Qinghan Temple, she had briefly considered trying to build a connection. She wasn’t the only one—many noble families had sent their young dies to pray this year, hoping for the same opportunity.

  However, Madam Qiao never held high expectations. She knew Bai Qingqing’s temperament well—she was not the type to endure social pleasantries or go out of her way to curry favor. Yet, among all the noble dies present, Princess Huaifu had chosen to befriend her.

  “Don’t worry, Mother,” Bai Qingqing reassured her. “The princess is warm, kind, and sincere. She truly enjoys the incense I craft, and we get along very well. She even said that once she returns to the pace, she will summon me for a visit.”

  Madam Qiao was overjoyed. If things were truly as Bai Qingqing said, the status of the Duke’s Manor in Xuancheng would surely rise even further.

  …

  After several days of prayer, the noble dies began their journey home.

  The most talked-about event of this trip was none other than the budding friendship between the young dy of the Duke’s Manor and Princess Huaifu.

  The princess had shown Bai Qingqing an undisguised fondness and admiration, even inviting her to share her vish carriage for a private conversation.

  Such an honor was unheard of in the Xuan Dynasty. Not even Princess Huaifu’s own sisters had received such treatment.

  This became the hottest topic in Xuancheng, and since many noblewomen had witnessed it firsthand, there was no room for doubt. The Duke’s Manor quickly rose in prestige, and no matter where its members went, they were met with greater respect than before.

  When the news reached the ears of the Princess Consort of Prince Ping, she merely sighed, though she was not surprised.