"My lady!" Granny Yan was so shocked that she could barely find words to speak. She thought her previous words had dispelled any such thoughts from the young lady's mind, but now the young lady brought up an even more alarming topic.
"The Crown Princess was my cousin, but she died shortly after the marriage. When she was critically injured, the prince’s side princess entered the mansion. Everything in the Eastern Palace was controlled by this princess. And when the uncle got into trouble, all the benefits went to the second branch, Princess Ji. If it wasn't for the subsequent birth of the Crown Prince, who belongs to the main branch, the position of Crown Prince would have gone to Princess Ji's family. Doesn't Granny Yan find it strange?"
For the first time, Qu Moying openly revealed all the events to Granny Yan in a logical manner. When Granny Yan appeared by her side, she had planned for this day. Granny Yan was the best piece sent by fate, her mo
The lad servant who arrived was from Yue’s Gold Pavilion, and he brought this news from Mr. Zhao. He stated that he was willing to sit down and negotiate for peace.This signified a compromise, which was good news. It allowed for the time needed for the subsequent peace talks. After the lad left, Yu Dong reported to Qu Moying about the discovery of closely monitoring the Earl Ling'an's Mansion for a few days."A manager named Shaw?" Qu Moying raised her eyebrows after hearing this. "A relative of Madam Shaw?"It was also surnamed Shaw, and it left her with no choice but to contemplate further."Yes, I heard he is a distant relative of Madam Shaw, responsible for managing the procurement in the backyard. When you consider it, he is not really a servant of Earl Ling'an's Mansion." Yu Dong nodded. "He is the one who had contact with Young Master Zhao. Although he had some financial constraints in the past due to his responsibil
Qu Moying had no idea that the carriage coming in was Liu Jingyu's. She followed behind Qu Qiuyan as they walked inside.They reached a beautiful flower hall, where Qu Qiuyan stopped and waited for Qu Moying. Together, they entered the hall, adding grace to the Qu Mansion.The design of the flower hall was exquisite. One side was adjacent to the water, while the other faced a garden. Large windows adorned both sides, creating a seamless connection.The windows facing the lake were closed, shielding the gentle breeze. On the side facing the garden, the windows were open, revealing several pots of chrysanthemums. It was a rare sight to behold the blossoming chrysanthemums during this time of year. Two young ladies approached the flower hall with excitement, using a door that bypassed the group.The flower hall had only a few guests, including three elderly ladies and a few young ladies.Upon seeing the arrival of
Qu Qiuyan's eyes watched intently as the servant hurriedly walked away, as if someone were chasing after her. In her haste, she nearly twisted her ankle and almost dropped the fruits in her hand. She instinctively reached out to protect them. Qu Qiuyan grew more suspicious by the moment. Who in this mansion had such a close relationship with Qu Moying to send a granny specifically to deliver food?Especially someone who seemed so discreet and secretive.It couldn't be the Duke Qi or his wife, who had both been present moments ago. Furthermore, considering the servant's behavior, it seemed highly suspicious. This led Qu Qiuyan to believe that the person behind it all must be a man.Perhaps First Young Master Qi?A figure suddenly flashed in her mind. She had heard that Qu Moying had lent him some incomplete music scores before. Among all those who had connections with Qu Moying, he was the most likely candidate.
When Yu Dong returned behind Qu Moying, her expression had calmed down, appearing nonchalant. However, as she positioned herself behind Qu Moying, her restless feet moved twice.Qu Moying smiled and asked Qi Xiangyu, "Lady Qi, may I go outside for a walk?""Of course, that's fine, but I…" Qi Xiangyu hesitated. She had just formed a rapport with Qu Moying and genuinely wanted to befriend her. Glancing at her own grandmother, she found herself in a dilemma. "I might not be able to accompany you."As the hostess of the event and the only young lady of the family, she couldn't simply leave. She had to stay behind and entertain the other young ladies. Talking to Qu Moying on the side had already been quite impolite. If she were to leave with Qu Moying, her grandmother would be angered.Qi Xiangyu knew she wasn't the Duchess's biological descendant, so she wasn't as favored as Liu Jingyu. Any misstep on her part would undoubtedly
When Qu Moying saw Qu Qiuyan, she hesitated for a moment. However, when Xu Lipeng approached her, she confidently walked up to him.In Xu Lipeng's presence, she felt neither ashamed nor fearful!Then, after catching Qu Qiuyan glancing in her direction, Qu Moying turned and walked away as if she hadn't noticed her.She stood still, no longer moving forward, patiently awaiting Xu Lipeng's approach. Observing his determined demeanor, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, as if he was about to interrogate her.Her lips curved slightly, considering Xu Lipeng and Liu Jingyu as potential choices… They were indeed suitable candidates."Forth Lady Qu!" Xu Lipeng strode over and stood in front of Qu Moying, speaking in a cold voice. His gloomy gaze fixed on her face.It had been a while since they last met, and the young lady before him seemed almost like a different person. If it weren't for th
Yu Dong stood in surprise, staring at the young master Qi in disbelief."Just two days ago!" Qu Moying gazed calmly at Qi Xiuran. "On that day, when I returned from the palace, at the doorstep, Granny Yan received it from a servant lad. She said the lad was from your mansion, and the carriage he used belonged to your household. She claimed that the music score was sent by your order."Qu Moying spoke candidly, turning to Yu Dong and nodding.Yu Dong stepped forward and presented the prepared music score. Initially, she thought her young lady's action was inappropriate. After all, it wasn't common to receive a gift and then return it in person.Now she realized that the young lady was indeed clever. She had sensed something was amiss with the music score and had prepared for it beforehand.Qi Xiuran also noticed that something was off. He took a quick glance at the score, then raised his head and said sternly, "L
Qu Moying returned to the garden adorned with flowers. The garden was now mostly empty, with some ladies strolling outside and others still lingering in the flower hall. They had already admired the flowers earlier, so now it was a time for sitting down, conversing, or taking a walk.Qu Moying stood before the pot of chrysanthemum; her gaze fixed on it. However, her true focus was on the two flowers beneath it.After a while, she exchanged a glance with Yu Dong, who understood the signal. Seizing the moment when Qu Moying turned away, Yu Dong obstructed the view of the people in the flower hall. Taking two quick steps forward, she swiftly plucked the small flowers and concealed them in her sleeves. Nonchalantly, she followed Qu Moying as they made their way to the flower hall.Once inside, Yu Dong stayed close behind Qu Moying. Meanwhile, Qi Xiangyu was busy attending to the guests, so Qu Moying didn't disturb her. Finding a secluded spo
"Where's it?" Xu Lipeng calmly asked a young master standing beside him."It's right at your feet, and it's bright red. Master Xu, which fair maiden bestowed this upon you?" the young gentleman joked.As he spoke, he stooped down to pick up the fallen sachet from the ground.The red sachet, contrasting against the dark veil, was quite conspicuous. Xu Lipeng spotted it instantly, along with Xu Lipeng himself standing nearby. There was no doubt that the sachet belonged to Xu Lipeng.Reacting swiftly, Xu Lipeng snatched it and held it in his palm, his smile turning awkward. "It's mine, made by a maid at home. Please excuse the jest.""A maid? The material doesn't seem like something a maid would use." another young gentleman teased."How could it be from a maid? It must be a gift from one of the fair ladies!" another gentleman playfully remarked. Everyone knew that Xu Lipeng was engaged to Second Lady