Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai'er stood before Fengming Manor, the largest fabric store in Xia Capital.

The fabrics sold here were top-notch across the mainland; even the Empress Dowager and the Empresses from the Xia Palace sometimes needed to purchase fabric here.

Upon seeing the sign at the entrance of the fabric store, Lan Cai'er immediately became excited.

"Ling Yue, they have Beiqing Cloud Silk here, shall we go in and have a look?"

Beiqing Cloud Brocade was a renowned silk fabric on the mainland.

A single piece of Cloud Brocade reportedly required ten of Beiqing's best embroidery ladies, taking three days and nights to make. Even within Beiqing, the annual output was no more than five thousand pieces.

Most of these fabrics were supplied to Beiqing's nobles and the Imperial Family, with only a very small part being sold abroad.

The fact that Fengming Manor had obtained Beiqing Cloud Brocade was already quite rare.

Before Lan Yingwu returned to Xia Capital, Feng Xun had once sent several pieces of Cloud Brocade.

Their texture and color were beyond imagination; Lan Cai'er had loved them very much at that time.

But Lady Lan thought that the Beiqing Cloud Silk was a gift from Feng Xun to Ye Ling Yue, and did not allow Lan Cai'er to use it for making clothes; instead, Lady Lan had all the fabric made into garments and headdresses for Ye Ling Yue, along with a few Alchemist Robes.

Lan Cai'er drooled over them and had always wanted to buy some from the market, but could never find the source. Seeing them today, she immediately pulled Ye Lingyue and dashed towards Fengming Manor like a fish that sees a cat stealing treats.

Ye Lingyue had no choice but to accompany her.

"Ladies, may I ask what you would like to buy?"

In recent days, because of the allure of Beiqing Cloud Brocade, the fabric store saw an endless stream of customers, especially female clients.

When Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai'er entered, the shop was crowded with ladies and madams from the city.

A sharp-witted shop attendant hurriedly came over to greet them.

Lan Cai'er glanced at the fabrics around her, saw nothing appealing, and pursed her lips to ask,

"I heard that Fengming Manor has special Beiqing Cloud Silk available, we'd like to have a look."

Hearing that it was another inquiry about Beiqing Cloud Silk, the young attendant scratched his head.

"I am sorry, ladies, too many people have come to look at the Cloud Brocade. The store policy is that only family members of officials above the Third-grade and those from the palace may view the fabric."

"Ah, how unusual. Since when does buying a piece of fabric require examining one's status?" Lan Cai'er said, putting her hands on her hips, looking like she was ready to argue.

"Young lady, this is simply the order I've been given; please do not make things difficult for me," The attendant implored. Seeing Lan Cai'er raise her voice and put her hands on her hips, her attitude resembled that of a second coming of Lan Yingwu, which frightened the young attendant into shrinking back, fearing Lan Cai'er would strike if they disagreed.

"Sister, let's not trouble him any further. Tell your shopkeeper that we are the family of General Lan Yingwu of the Army; that should qualify us to view the fabrics, right?" Ye Lingyue pulled Lan Cai'er back slightly, calming her face.

The young attendant went inside to make the report, and returned shortly after to escort Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai'er deeper into the fabric store.

After walking down a quiet path lined with peach blossoms, a serene cluster of buildings appeared—a stark contrast to the crowded front of the store. The scenery behind Fengming Manor was indeed much more elegant.

"The Beiqing Cloud Silk is kept in the elegant room ahead. Ladies, once you enter, someone will serve you." The attendant bowed his head politely and withdrew.

As the two women stepped into the elegant room, Ye Lingyue stopped in her tracks.

In the private room, indeed, there were several dozen rolls of top-notch Beiqing Cloud Silk in vibrant colors and superb craftsmanship.

In the private room, aside from the newly arrived Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai'er, there were also a few family members of court officials and nobles.

To Ye Lingyue's surprise, the ones selecting the fabric, standing at the far end, were two women.

One woman had a full figure with a face like a jade plate, while the other was slender and graceful with outstanding beauty, standing in the private room in a way that made her noticeable at a glance.

Following Ye Lingyue's gaze, Lan Cai'er also looked over.

Upon clearly seeing the two women, Lan Cai'er softly exclaimed.

"Hong Mingyue, when did she return?"

Lan Cai'er spoke softly, yet Hong Mingyue, who was already at the Reincarnation Realm, still heard her.

She turned around, her eyes immediately falling on Lan Cai'er and then noticing another woman who came with her.

Lan Cai'er, Hong Mingyue had met a few years ago and still recognized.

But the one beside her... Hong Mingyue, clever as she was, guessed from their intimate demeanor that the woman beside Lan Cai'er must be the infamous one recently in Xia Capital.

The provisional Princess, the first villainess of Xia Capital, Ye Lingyue.

Indeed, the conferment by Emperor Xia was disrupted by the Four Great Noble Marquis and public pressure and had not yet been completed.

But under the pressure from the Empress Dowager and Empress Liu, Emperor Xia merely stated that the title of Princess for Ye Lingyue was provisional for now.

Hong Mingyue's and Ye Lingyue's gazes met.

A hint of surprise flashed in Hong Mingyue's eyes.

With Hong Yuying's recent instigations, Hong Mingyue's impression of Ye Lingyue was mostly that of a haughty and ugly troublemaker.

However, seeing her today, Princess Ye was in a chic pear blossom white dress, her ink-black hair cascading down like a waterfall, and her face plain without a touch of makeup, her lips unpainted, and her eyebrows naturally beautiful. She was indeed a fresh and elegant beauty, which was somewhat different from what Hong Mingyue had anticipated.

"Sister, how do you think I look in this color?" Still selecting fabric, Hong Yuying also turned around, her arms full of several rolls of Beiqing Cloud Silk.

Upon seeing Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai'er, Hong Yuying's face fell, and she spoke in a mocking tone.

"Dear sister, I said, why did I hear crows constantly cawing when I left home today? Turns out it's going to be an unlucky day; of all people to run into, we met two bringers of misfortune."

"Hong Yuying, how can you speak like that, who are you calling bringers of misfortune!" Lan Cai'er was initially hesitant about whether to avoid them, especially with Hong Mingyue present.

Lan Cai'er also noticed that Hong Mingyue seemed to have significantly increased her cultivation upon this return.

It was unclear what the genius of Hong Residence had been consuming to grow so remarkably each time she returned.

Normally, Lan Cai'er would just roll her eyes and ignore it.

But recently, following the incident of Ye Lingyue's princess title, with Hong Residence being the instigator,

Old grudges and new ones combined, Lan Cai'er's fiery temper became unbearable.

"Scolding both of you sisters. Ye Lingyue, now you understand the power of our Hong Residence. Let me tell you, just one petition from my father can strip you of your princess title. If you dare to offend us sisters again, believe it or not, next time it'll be the heads of everyone in the Lan Residence. As she thought about how the princess title that was almost in Ye Lingyue's grasp flew away because of her father, Hong Yuying gloated unabashedly.