A Hidden Agenda

That afternoon, Li Minfeng personally went to visit Li Weiyang.

After dismissing the nanny at the gate, Li Minfeng had barely reached the entrance when he saw a girl in a teal silk vest and a moon-white skirt sitting by the west room’s door, chatting with a younger maid.

“What are you embroidering, Big Sister Ziyan?” the little maid asked curiously.

Ziyan smiled and showed her the embroidery in her hands. Li Minfeng had keen eyesight; even from afar, he could make out a pair of colorful mandarin ducks embroidered on the handkerchief, playing in a lotus pond filled with blooming lotuses. The scene was vivid and lively.

“Big Sister Ziyan must be thinking about getting married!” The little maid’s eyes spun as she grinned. “Why don’t you ask Third Miss to find you a good match soon?”

Ziyan’s face flushed scarlet. She put away the handkerchief, tapped the little maid on the shoulder, and clicked her tongue. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ziyan was only fifteen. She had an oval face and fair skin, and when she smiled, she was like a lotus touched by a rosy glow. She was rather eye-catching. Li Minfeng glanced at her, and a strange feeling flickered through his heart.

The little maid laughed. “Don’t be shy. Third Miss will surely find you a good husband!”

Ziyan’s smile faded. She said softly, “Third Miss herself has little say over her own fate. How could she possibly concern herself with a servant like me—”

The little maid froze, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself. It was true that Third Miss was a concubine-born young lady. Though she had won the Old Madam’s favor, she had not earned First Madam’s affection. Her marriage would likely be difficult to arrange. If the mistress of the household lacked favor, what prospects could her maid possibly have...