"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
She seemed to be about to stand up, but helplessly weak, and fell heavily. Hai Lan hurriedly assisted her, saying, "Madam, be careful!"Qu Qiuyan glanced at Yu, lying on the bed, and took a step back with disgust. "What's going on?""Madam can't walk!" Hai Lan helped Yu up and wiped away a tear."What do you mean she can't walk?" Qu Qiuyan asked casually."I don't know. Her lower body feels weak, she can only manage a few steps with support. Right now, she can only lie down like this. I informed the second master, who said he would call a doctor, but we haven't seen the doctor yet. It's fortunate that you are here. You can talk to the second master. If things continue like this, what will happen to Madam's legs!"Tears welled up in Hai Lan's eyes. She reached out to wipe her reddened eyes and wanted to say something, but Qu Qiuyan interrupted her directly. "I will discuss this with Father. Mother, I came here to
"Lady, it appears that Madam Yu has obtained some evidence. She intentionally hit the wall and went to find the Second Master." Yu Dong entered and reported, but she arrived late, so the information she received was not detailed.A lamp illuminated the room where Qu Moying was reading a book, still awake. Upon hearing Yu Dong's arrival, her watery eyes lifted, exuding an elegance and tranquility that matched the ambiance of the room. Yet, there was a hint of inscrutable depth in her gaze."Do you know what evidence it is?""I do not know, but when the Second Master arrives, we may find out. Madam Yu intends to show it to him. She mentioned... she mentioned you, Lady..." Yu Dong paused for a moment, glancing at Qu Moying, hesitant to continue.The authenticity of Madam Yu's words had shaken her, and she wasn't sure if this matter could be true."What about me?" Qu Moying responded, picking up a pair of small scis
"He... How could he... How could he..." Yu pushed Hai Lan away, bursting into tears and uncontrollably scratching her face with her hands. The delicate brocade on the quilt was torn in the process, and threads hung chaotically from Yu's nails, giving her a crazed appearance."Madam... Please, calm down. Second Master hasn't gone far... He might hear you..." Hai Lan pleaded in a trembling voice."You know what I'm going to say, don't you? About that woman, right? I thought I had his heart, but it turns out, neither I nor Yue are the ones in his heart... We are just substitutes for that woman..." Yu screamed uncontrollably.Once again, Hai Lan covered Yu's mouth, her face pale with fear. "Madam, even if not for your sake, please think of Second Young Master and Third Lady. They shouldn't be dragged into this mess."This remark calmed Yu down. Her face turned ashen, and she tightly grasped Hai Lan's hand. The room fell eerily s
"Lady, this is the item, please take a look." Yu Dong handed over the object in her hand.To her surprise, it was a small box wrapped in a handkerchief. Qu Moying took it and carefully unraveled the handkerchief, revealing inscriptions that read, "Returning the pearls with tears!"Upon opening the box, she discovered a genuine pair of precious pearls, exquisite and lustrous.At first glance, their size and quality indicated their exceptional value. Qu Moying had seen many pearls before, but it was evident that this pair was of extraordinary worth."Lady, allow me to share what I've heard. It seems that the second master has other women, and this particular woman is not someone Yu can easily handle. It's as if... as if the madam and Yu pale in comparison to her..." Yu Dong had already reported everything she had heard to Qu Moying, and now, while observing her attentively examine the pearls, she continued.A form