"What did you discover, Second Brother? Why do you think it's impossible? Have you concluded that the jade pendant is in my possession, or is there another reason?" Qu Moying spoke coldly. "Please explain clearly, what is the truth behind this? Why are you so certain that I took the jade pendant?"
Qu Mingcheng panicked; after all, he was still young and hadn't experienced a situation like this before.
Especially the gazes of the people present, including his own father and grandmother, carried a hint of anger.
Feeling flustered, he suddenly felt the weight of the jade pendant in his hand increase tenfold.
"Fourth Sister, perhaps I made a mistake," Qu Mingcheng said, putting down the jade pendant and stammering.
"Second Brother, if you made a mistake, then you falsely accused me of stealing Third Sister's valuable jade pendant. I wonder if you have also made a mistake regarding this matter. Perhaps Third Sister's
"Second brother, is it all in my imagination?" Qu Moying sneered coldly. "There are so many impossibilities, yet you insist that it's me. If you had any doubts, it wouldn't have escalated to this extent. And now you're telling me that I'm the one overthinking?"Qu Mingcheng's expression turned extremely unpleasant. "Fourth sister, do you really think I did it on purpose?"Since he wasn't going to deny it, Qu Mingcheng figured it was better to speak frankly. He increasingly resented Qing Mei for her incompetence in handling matters."How could you not know whether it was intentional or not? Some people, some things, leave traces when they are done. As the saying goes, What man does, the heavens are watching. It's not that there's no retribution, it's just that the time hasn't come."Qu Moying mocked.Qu Mingcheng relied solely on being Qu Zhizhen's only son.Back then, when he was just born, he becam
"Second brother, it must be Qing Mei, that maid, who is not performing her duties well. We just need to get rid of her. However, her background is also dubious, and we don't know who she has connections with. We can't let her cause any trouble. When I go back, I'll beat her until she's half-dead, so she won't be able to reveal anything even if she wants to, or we can just kill her directly."Qu Qiuyan and Qu Mingcheng walked together, discussing as they went.In front of them, Qing Ju held the lantern, desperately trying to control her trembling hands, afraid of attracting the attention of her masters.She had witnessed the third lady get rid of a few maids before, but she had always been distant from such matters. Only the incident with Qing He had made her realize that even as a trusted private maid, she could be disposable, just like Qing He.Qing Ju was now even more aware of the danger she faced.The second
"Eunuch Ji Hai, this is the osmanthus cake I made for His Lordship. Please deliver it to him," Liu Lanxin said softly, accompanied by two maids.Passersby who recognized Lady Liu showed great respect, especially upon hearing that she had been injured while fighting against the enemy. This only increased their admiration for her. Not every lady had the privilege to accompany her father stationed at the border, let alone participate in battles."Lady Liu, I'm always grateful for your effort in bringing these pastries every time," Ji Hai said, his smile widening, as he hurriedly approached her."It's no trouble at all. I simply worry that His Lordship may not be accustomed to other flavors. Although my baking skills are not exceptional, I have prepared them in the style of the capital." Liu Lanxin replied gently.Her veil was narrow and short, serving merely to shield her eyes from the sun, revealing her strikingly beautiful fa
The news of Qing Mei being driven away was brought back by Granny Miao."My lady, as per your instructions, I informed an old Granny about the incident where Third Lady mysteriously injured her foot. Afterwards, the eunuch who overheard our conversation went to report it to Lord Jing. After finishing his lunch, Lord Jing found an excuse to visit Third Lady. Later, at her place, he threw Qing Mei out. I heard that Qing Mei was still lying there, unable to move. Eventually, Second Young Master's men took her to the East Mansion."Granny Miao reported, with a smile on her face.The people would be delighted when something went wrong around Third Lady.They were pleased by anything that caused a rift between Third Lady and Second Young Master. Granny Miao especially enjoyed such situations.After being beaten yesterday, Qing Mei ended up staying with Qu Qiuyan, representing the desires of Qu Mingcheng. It was obviou
The lad servant stepped forward and opened the door, seeing Yu Dong in front and a woman with a drapery hat standing behind, her figure delicate.Yu Dong also noticed the servant and approached him. "This is our Lady." she said."Our master is already waiting inside," the servant smiled and took a step back, making way.In his heart, he couldn't help but think, "Lucky." The young master had no plans to go out originally, knowing that no one from Earl Ling'an's Mansion would come. But coincidentally, the young master had something to attend to, so he decided to stop by here first and then go about his business.Unexpectedly, someone from Earl Ling'an's Mansion actually arrived.Qu Moying followed Yu Dong inside and glanced up at the young master sitting by the window. He was in his twenties, with handsome features and a strong, firm appearance that didn't quite match the delicate aura of a refined scholar, even t
Qu Moying didn't go directly back to the Qu Mansion. When she left, she had already informed Old Lady Qu that she might return later. Since she was already outside, she naturally wanted to take a walk.Granny Miao asked her to go to the herb store to find some herbs. She needed to prepare a few medicines to regulate her body. In previous years, Granny Miao would always prepare them for Qu Moying at this time. Although others like Yu Dong could also go, their ability to pick herbs couldn't compare to Qu Moying's. Granny Miao didn't really trust their skills in selecting herbs.Qu Moying seemed to have an innate sensitivity towards herbs. She had also learned about identifying and distinguishing medicinal herbs from Granny Miao.The carriage stopped in front of a large herb store, and Yu Dong helped Qu Moying down from the carriage. She still wore a veiled hat, which was more convenient than wearing a veil when going out.The
"Dowager Consort Qu is seriously ill?" Qu Moying's eyes, like water, lifted as she looked through the veil at Pei Qingmin and asked."Not extremely severe, but it's Father Emperor's wish, so we must be cautious and prepared. These specific herbs mentioned, of course, the longer the vintage, the better. I have collected those with long vintages found in the capital and brought them to the palace." Pei Qingmin replied without hiding anything."But Dowager Consort Qu can't possibly use such a large quantity alone, right?" Qu Moying was genuinely surprised. The emperor seemed to be highly concerned about Dowager Consort Qu, who was low-key and almost nonexistent.It was said that Dowager Consort Qu had no children and only stayed in the palace due to the Empress Dowager's favor. Otherwise, these childless consorts would usually retire to the Xinning Monastery for spiritual cultivation. She was allowed to remain in the palace instead.
"Grandmother, I understand!" Qu Moying said obediently.It was important to explain this matter clearly to the Old Lady, to prevent any unnecessary trouble caused by others.If the Old Lady knew, it would be equivalent to Qu Zhizhen knowing as well.If someone wanted to interfere in this matter, it would become inconvenient. The shop falling into Qu Moying's hands was beneficial for the Qu Mansion, and Qu Zhizhen would not let go easily.Regardless of how it appeared, the transfer of the shop was willingly accepted by Madam Duan, and even if someone had objections, they couldn't say much. Qu Moying's identity destined her to be a reasonable candidate for the transfer, even if it meant Earl Ling'an's Mansion suffered a loss.After finishing the discussion about this matter, Qu Moying brought up the topic of Dowager Consort Qu's condition to the Old Lady, explaining the incident of her chance encounter with the Lo