Chapter 2, Humanity is impermanent.

As soon as they arrived at the mansion, the butler greeted them at the door with an eager and expectant expression. When they saw Miss Mingyue gracefully stepping out of the car, they couldn't wait any longer and rushed over, saying, "Miss, you finally came back. The master is furious right now."

At the age of thirteen, I read Nalan's poem for the first time. I vaguely remember it was called "Spring in the Painted Hall". I was particularly moved by the sentence "One life, one generation, one pair of lovers, struggling to keep their souls from being parted." In a society where polygamy was prevalent over three hundred years ago, how much emotion and longing did it take for a man to make such a sad yet faithful vow? Later, I became obsessed with his poetry, but I realized that what I truly loved was his deep affection and his unwavering mourning. I still remember when I just graduated from college and joined a forum. There was a poll asking, "If you could travel through time and space, what role would you choose to be in his life?" After reading the choices of other netizens, most of them chose to be his lover or just a passerby, and only a few chose to be his spouse. I kept flipping through the pages, hoping to find someone who made the same choice as me. I wanted to be Lushi, his lover, and even more so, his wife. However, I didn't see anyone who wrote that they wanted to be his wife until the very end.

So Qianyu shut up and hid in the corner of the carriage, drawing circles.

The bright moon suddenly smiled and said, "Father, what if I don't get chosen?"

Not good. She directly ordered Qianyu to serve and wash, then sat bored at the table, writing. Qianyu followed the order and went to find the doctor.

The bright moon needs no more words. She moved her legs and a sudden pain shot through her body. Feeling a bit discouraged, she said, "Later, you go to the clinic and find a doctor."

Introduce oneself? That means asking her to introduce herself as well? After thinking for a moment, she replied, "I am Lu Mingyue, the daughter of Lu Xingzu, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi." Her introduction was not irrelevant, but it was not pretentious either. Yan Luo looked at her with a faint smile on his lips, and the gentle and graceful expression between his eyebrows made him pause for a moment. Then he nodded and said, "I have met Mr. Lu a few times in Guangdong, but I didn't know he had such a beautiful and elegant daughter."

Moonlight poured in, sprinkling the entire boudoir like a milk bath. She lit a lamp, sat under it, and stared blankly. Perhaps her mind was unsettled, as she couldn't even find a focal point to focus on while staring blankly. Her gaze wandered aimlessly and landed on the luggage made of floral fabric. Driven by curiosity, she walked over and opened it. There was no silver or copper coins inside, only a few paintings and a broken jade bracelet. The material of the jade bracelet did not seem to be of high quality, and all the paintings depicted self-portraits of a woman. There was no silver or copper coins inside, only a few paintings and a broken jade bracelet. The material of the jade bracelet did not seem to be of high quality, and all the paintings depicted self-portraits of a woman. However, it seemed to be the same woman.

The bright moon felt quite depressed when she heard him say "clear and refined". Although she was indeed one in a million in terms of appearance, she was aware of her own conduct. Could it be that this young master meant something else by calling her "refined"? It seemed that he was still resentful of her prank just now.

Before the rain, "Miss, what's wrong?"

As soon as I entered the front hall, I saw Lu Xingzu's stern expression with furrowed brows, loudly cursing, "Wild? You dare to come back?"

The bright moon nods, "Then the daughter takes her leave." She bows and limps away. Watching his daughter's figure disappear, Lu Xingzu feels that he cannot control her fate.

The Eight Banners? The bright moon trembled slightly. I don't understand what my father meant by these words.

Lu Xingzu fell silent when he heard Mingyue's response. His previously slightly angry face also gradually brightened because of her words. He shook his head and sighed, seemingly unable to stop his sorrow. "Daughter, your father has joined the Eight Banners."

She ordered Qianyu to go back to the room and tidy up first, while she went to the front hall to face her death.

That night, the moon slept restlessly and was awakened by a nightmare in the middle of the night. She limped over to the coffee table and poured a glass of water.

"Ah? Young Master Yanluo, I haven't seen him." Her voice was clear and calm. There was a moment of silence outside the carriage, then Young Master Yanluo's slightly surprised voice was heard, "That's alright, Miss Mingyue, please return to the mansion quickly. I still have some matters to attend to."

The bright moon immediately called for a stop. She became even more frustrated. The man's face was cold, but he could see through everything in his heart. The carriage stopped, and Mingyue asked Qianyu to help her down.

The bright moon pretends to be clever, but it speaks pitifully: "My daughter twisted her foot and will return home late. Please forgive her, Father."

Why is this, miss?" The man, sitting on a horse, asked curiously.

Whenever someone enters the Eight Banners, they must participate in the three-year selection of beauties in the palace. As long as there are girls who reach the age of thirteen, they must participate.

The raindrops nodded slightly and asked, "How are your feet, Miss?"

The bright moon suddenly became cloudy, and the palace was selecting beauties? She definitely didn't want to participate. The person she wanted was not in the palace. However... This was an essential and unavoidable process.

The bright moon smiled, "It's quite audacious of you to bring me to your home. My family has strict rules, and I'm afraid of being disciplined by my father."

Before the rain nodded, "Yes."

Lú Xīngzǔ was taken aback, looking at the ankle of the bright moon. His voice softened slightly and said, "Why do you go out to buy clothes every day?" The bright moon had long guessed that her father would ask this sooner or later, so she prepared her answer and said, "Daughter has grown up."

"Hmm!" she responded simply. She thought, there must be a lot of "rent" in this package. Don't blame her, who made this "unemployed, uneducated, and unskilled" gentleman just lose his manners?

The bright moon was so upset that her breathing became irregular, but she forced herself to appear calm and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, sir." After speaking, without looking much, she directly signaled the rain in front to help her into the carriage. She got into the carriage, sat down sullenly, and casually glanced at the luggage wrapped in bright red floral fabric. She looked disdainful, this man had such peculiar tastes. Suddenly, a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Well, since he is a "three-no" gentleman, there's no need to maintain the ancient women's "reserve." She stuffed the luggage into the hidden compartment under the cushion and sat up dignifiedly.

Luxingzu looked at his beloved daughter's face with a hint of sorrow, and couldn't help but empathize, saying, "As a father, I can understand the pain of a daughter's marriage. I am just a former lord."

Thinking back, the awakened bright moon unexpectedly smiled. She had actually crossed over to this place and unfortunately became a member of the Lu family. Previously, she had been waiting for Nalan to marry her into his family one day. However, the words her father said yesterday made her inexplicably nervous. It was true that she was the daughter of Lu Xingzu. However, the Lu family now had two young ladies, one being her and the other being her younger sister by one year. Previously, she thought she was the eldest daughter, so naturally she should have priority. But now that she was going to participate in the selection, the result might not be as calm as she had expected.

The sudden weight made Mingyue sink, and she woke up from a light sleep. Looking up, she saw Mingyue and said, "You are really restless."

Is she going against her own destiny?

The man was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood. He dismounted from his horse and bowed, saying, "I am Yan Luo, a businessman from Hangzhou, who occasionally comes to Beijing."

Couldn't help but sigh. Absolutely no accidents allowed. She took a deep breath, Mingyue, you must do whatever it takes to make Rongruo fall in love with you.

Lying on the desk, the bright moon pondered for a moment and then thought of Nalan. Memories followed and surged like a raging river, recalling things from that world.

The carriage arrived at the newly built mansion. Speaking of the Governor's Mansion where Mingyue currently resides, it was only recently established. This mansion was bestowed upon her father by the emperor just a month ago when he took office. In fact, it was just a show of power. In a short while, her father will be going to Guangdong for a new position, and this grand mansion will be left deserted and useless. However, Mingyue has no intention of leaving. If she leaves, how can she pursue her own aspirations? But that's a story for later. Right now, she is facing the imminent reproach from her strict father. However, Mingyue has no intention of leaving. If she leaves, how can she pursue her own aspirations? But that's a story for later. Right now, she is facing the imminent reproach from her strict father.

She has always known that before Lu Shi, Nalan had a childhood sweetheart whom he loved very much. And most scholars also analyze that "one life, one generation, one pair of people, competing to make two places soul-stirring" was not written for his wife. But she has a natural kind of obsession, and when she is convinced of something, she will never change it.

The bright moon had a somewhat melancholy expression, leaning on its hand, dragging its head, as if talking to itself, and also as if speaking to the rain ahead: "I would rather die than enter the palace."

In late autumn, a layer of white frost forms on the branches. Several sparrows hop onto the branches, chirping incessantly as if calling out, "Wake up, wake up."

The bright moon sways its hips, sits in a proper posture, and waits for Yan Luo to search for luggage.

Yan Luo suddenly realized, "Miss, why don't you sublet this carriage? I can ride a horse instead. This carriage is also rented by myself." His demeanor was as light as a feather, indifferent. But when Mingyue heard the words "sublet," she felt like tearing his skin off. This Yan Luo had no trace of a gentleman's demeanor, no trace of integrity, and no trace of a handsome appearance. He was a "triple zero" man, truly a major flaw in ancient men.

Is this possibly Yanluo's wife? Or perhaps a beauty? However, this painting seems to be quite old. Could it be a self-portrait of his mother? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, forgetting about her own affairs and thinking about others'. However, her retaliatory act of claiming this luggage as her own was really thoughtless. If it was something important to him, he would be at a loss.

Sure enough, outside the carriage, the voice of Yanluo sounded, "Miss Mingyue, I wonder if you can see the luggage made of floral fabric?"

Luxingzu said, "Daughter, there are still more than five months left before the selection. Take care of yourself."

The bright moon trembled slightly, causing a shiver in her heart. Her father, known for being strict, had always taught her and her younger sister the principles of "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" since they were young. But now, when she came back a little later, she was already filled with regret.

Before the rain, I saw the bright moon and woke up, looking very aggrieved, "Before the rain didn't mean to do it."

She has always been afraid to learn how to paint self-portraits in ancient style. Not to mention the fact that most of them are poorly drawn, there are only a few that can truly capture the essence. However, these paintings are particularly outstanding, not only portraying the characters realistically, but also showcasing the lady's refined and gentle nature.

Just as the bright moon returned to her own chamber, she saw Qianyu preparing the bed for her. Qianyu hurriedly helped her to sit down when he saw the moon's gloomy face, and asked, "Miss, what's the matter with you?"

Miss?'' Qianyu curiously looked at Mingyue. However, Mingyue smiled gently and said, "Hmm?" From her eyes, Qianyu knew it was best to keep quiet.

The young master's argument is absurd," she said with a gentle smile. The dimples at the corners of her mouth were charming and graceful, yet dignified. She softly asked, "Young master, it's getting late. The bright moon wants to..." She pretended to be a shy daughter, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

Yes, she has just turned fourteen. In this precocious Qing Dynasty, some girls have already married. So the meaning contained in the phrase "growing up" is not just as simple as growing up. It includes the idea of "a woman's beauty is for her own sake" and "everyone has the desire to be beautiful, especially women."

The bright moon glanced at the previous rain, hesitated to speak, and finally gave up saying: "Bright moon, go fetch some water, clean up, and want to go to sleep."

"Not selected?" Lu Xingzu looked at his daughter with great confidence in his heart. His eldest daughter, who is both talented and beautiful, how could she not be selected? However, when he noticed the determination in his daughter's eyes, he was momentarily stunned, silently gazing at her resolute gaze.

Before the rain, according to the usual schedule of Mingyue, went to fetch water to Mingyue's boudoir. Upon pushing the door open, she unexpectedly saw Mingyue lying asleep on the coffee table. She was only wearing pajamas? Before the rain let out a mournful cry, which annoyed Mingyue, causing her to furrow her brows and turn to the right to continue sleeping. How could Before the rain just leave? After putting down the basin, she directly covered Mingyue with the quilt from the bed.