The wisteria of late spring hung over the side gate of the Marquis's Mansion like a curtain of purple. Standing beneath the flowers with a round fan in hand, Jiang Wan listened to the footsteps echoing from outside the wall. Her fingertips lightly toyed with the jade bead on the fan’s tassel—a gift from the Crown Prince, glowing with a soft, warm luster in the sunlight. Qiaoyun poked her head out from the side gate, her expression visibly tense. "Miss, the person has arrived."
"Let her in through the side gate," Jiang Wan said, turning around as her skirt brushed against a few fallen petals. "Remember to check her for any concealed weapons."
A moment later, a stooped figure followed Qiaoyun through the gate. The visitor wore a grey cloth tunic and a coarse headscarf. As she looked up, she revealed half a face covered in wrinkles—it was none other than Mother Wang from the doll shop in West City.
Chapter 70