"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
"Grandmother!" Liu Jingyu entered and gracefully bowed to Duchess Qi."Is everything alright with your mother?" Although the expression on the Duchess Qi's face was not pleasant, she managed to calm herself down. It was impossible for her granddaughter to be involved in this matter. Considering Liu Jingyu's identity, how could she have encountered someone like Young Master Yongning? The Duchess's heart gradually eased."My mother is fine. She asked me to inquire about your health. The weather has been unfavorable lately, and she wants you to take care and avoid falling ill. She mentioned visiting you in a few days." Liu Jingyu spoke softly, taking a seat beside the Duchess Qi. Her gaze instinctively fell on Qu Moying, even though Qu Moying was sitting in the corner. Their eyes met, piercing through the crowd.Liu Jingyu smiled lightly, displaying a composed and graceful demeanor.She deliberately chose this time to come, in
Qu Qiuyan hurriedly followed the maid as they left. Qu Moying glanced at her retreating figure and signaled for Yu Dong to come closer. She whispered a few words in Yu Dong's ear.Yu Dong promptly went to the nearby tables to find Qi Xiangyu.Qu Qiuyan continued along with the maid, taking several turns until they reached a small courtyard. The courtyard gate was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, they discovered a graceful lady standing in the middle. The wind gently lifted the hem of her skirt, adorned with delicate golden orchid embroidery, giving her an air of elegance and nobility.It was none other than Liu Jinyu, who had left the table earlier on a pretext.Her head was tilted slightly upward, exuding an air of arrogance. Her gaze fell upon Qu Qiuyan, faintly tinged with mockery.Qu Qiuyan's heart skipped a beat, but she composed herself and approached slowly. She bowed to Liu Jinyu and said, "County Lady Ji
"Jingyu, what on earth is going on?" Although Duchess Qi expression had softened somewhat, her voice still carried a hint of coldness.When she arrived, she initially didn't believe it, but upon hearing her own granddaughter silencing the third Lady Qu of the Qu Mansion, rendering her speechless, she faintly grasped the implications. Was her granddaughter truly innocent in this matter?Why did she know about this incident but failed to report it or have it removed? Why did she allow the sachet to remain there?Even if she wasn't the one responsible for this matter, it seemed inevitable that she had some involvement.Even though Duchess Qi wanted to protect her granddaughter, she couldn't confidently assert Liu Jingyu's complete innocence."Grandmother, when I first learned about this matter, I didn't think much of it. But now that the events have unfolded and I've connected all the clues, I began to suspect Thir
"Father!" Qu Moying bowed to Qu Zhizhen and spoke softly.They had already returned to the Qu Mansion. Qu Qiuyan was carried back, but Qu Moying walked back. Alongside them was Granny Zhu, who was sent by the Duchess Qi. She was the Duchess' trusted steward, always standing by her side. Even Qi Xiangyu and Liu Jingyu treated her with respect, indicating her close relationship with Duchess Qi.Granny Zhu was efficient and explained the situation in a few words. However, she shifted the blame entirely onto Qu Qiuyan. Then she expressed her sympathy towards Qu Moying, saying that as long as Qu Zhizhen knew the truth, Duchess Qi and even County Lady Jingyu could testify in Qu Moying's favor.After Granny Zhu left, Qu Zhizhen took Qu Qiuyan to Furong House. Considering the time it took for them to arrive, Qu Qiuyan should have already awakened.The situation was handled in such a way that all the blame fell on the members of the
"What? Blaming everything on the Qu Mansion?" Duke Qi angrily kicked the table in front of him, his face turning pale.Duchess Qi was taken aback, her eyes welling up with tears. In all these years, Duke Qi had never shouted at her like this. Although he had a volatile temper, it was always directed at others. Duchess Qi had been living a good life all these years, except for the early days when there was another concubine, there were no other concubines in the mansion.She never expected Duke Qi to yell at her like this now."I... What can I do? Jingyu is about to marry into the Eastern Palace. We can't afford any flaws at this time. Besides, she brought up this matter to me herself. She truly dislikes that Third Lady Qu, so she wanted to see what kind of tricks she's up to. She never expected her to be so malicious. It's all because of Third Lady Qu's bad character. Others shouldn't be blamed."Duchess Qi said, wiping away
Liu Jingyu entered with a maid by her side, clearly displaying her excitement.Her entire body trembled with anxiety, her beautiful complexion turned pale, and her eyes were slightly reddened with faint tear streaks.It evoked a sense of pity in those who witnessed it."Grandfather, I disagree!" After entering, she faced Duke Qi and bit her lip forcefully, suppressing the anguish in her eyes. She paid her respects to Pei Yusheng and then to Duke Qi, "Grandfather, why must it be like this? This matter clearly concerns Third Lady Qu, why should it be pushed onto me?"Qu Qiuyan was escorted out, and many people witnessed it, sparking discussions. The previous events hadn't been fully explained, and now new incidents arose. If, at this moment, Liu Jingyu went to show any hint of remorse, everyone would link her to all the unfavorable incidents, reinforcing some of the rumors about her.Qu Qiuyan went out safely and
"Forth Lady, the Second Master requests your presence outside. County Lady Jingyu has arrived and wishes for you to accompany her to visit Third Lady." Yu Chun reported as she entered the room."Already here?" Qu Moying asked, unsurprised by the news.Considering how Qu Zhizhen instigated Lord Jing's intervention and made Qu Qiuyan a concubine, it was inevitable that Liu Jingyu would be involved.Pei Yusheng could take action because Qu Qiuyan was already his concubine, but Pei Luo’an couldn't intervene yet, as their relationship wasn't clearly defined.Selecting the crown prince's consort wasn't a decision to be made lightly. Even choosing Lord Jing's second wife required careful consideration. Only the position of a concubine allowed for fewer discussions, enabling Lord Jing to have more authority and issue an immediate decree."They have already arrived, with Minister Liu." Yu Chun responded.Min
"Lady Qu, may I join you there?" Liu Jingyu stood firmly at the door, not in a rush to leave, and pointed to the stone table under the tree in the courtyard.Qu Moying glanced behind her and didn't see her maid following closely. She nodded thoughtfully.The two of them approached and settled on the stone bench in front of the stone table. Yu Dong called the Granny from Furong House, and asked her to prepare tea and snacks.The Granny was recently promoted, so she was eager to please and quickly sent the maid to prepare the refreshments."Lady Qu, may I ask if anything like this has happened to Third Lady Qu in the past?" Liu Jingyu asked as soon as she sat down."I am not certain. You should know that I don’t live here before." Qu Moying calmly replied, watching Yu Dong busily attending to the maidservants and hastening the tea service. She subtly curved her lips.Liu Jingyu fell silent for a momen