Qiu Yelan was calm, "I can't go. First, I'm still in the mourning period for my mother. How can I go out and be a guest, let alone in the first lunar month? It would be trouble for you. Second, my grandfather is still in bed. How can I enjoy the festival myself and forget my grandfather's need of being looked after?"
"No wonder Her Majesty says Your Grace is filial and reasonable," Nijin said smiling. She implied that Gu Yan and Mrs. Gu were so silly as to invite her to their home and be unaware that she was still in the mourning period and she had a seriously ill grandfather to look after.
As they were chatting, they went out of the gate of the Palace. Nijin helped Qiu Yelan get off the sedan with Su He.
Gu Yan had been jeered at for several times. His face under the veil hat was as cold as frost but he still showed no intent to leave. He clasped his hands behind his back and staring at Qiu Yelan with a deep look behind the veil.
They walked into the Prince's Mansion of Xihe. They found it was not a chaos like they thought it would be.Things were organized. Servants were doing their jobs. It seemed to be in perfect order. If it were not for the terror and hatred in the servants' eyes when they looked at Qiu Yelan which proved the impact of Empress’s proclamation, Qiu Yelan would think nothing had happened.However, when they arrived at the drawing-room and saw Qiu Mengmin’s gloomy face, Qiu Yelan's mood was lightened at once.Qiu Mengmin asked Ruan Qingyan to avoid and wait outside bluntly. After the door was closed, he didn't even have time for formality. He asked without preamble, "Are you insane? How dare you instigate Empress Jiang to ruin us!""Are you hearing yourself? Empress is such a brilliant lady. How could she listen to a kid like me?" Qiu Yelan smiled immediately, "How could you believe this kind of rumor? If the words get out, people will ass
"... Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me!"Side hall, Fu Ning Palace.There was a fierce atmosphere in the hall, but the emperor sitting on the throne was looking bored.On the right of the throne was kneeling Commandery Princess Ningyi Qiu Yelan and scholar Ruan Qingyan. Now Qiu Yelan was crying sorrowfully. As for the person she was crying to, or at least apparently so, the emperor's sight occasionally swift to a yellowish bottle of GuiGuZi descending from a mountain. He found it quite new for him and wondered if this has been recently changed.But not necessarily... he hasn't been to Fu Ning Palace for a long time, maybe he's wrong.He should have been in charge of the royal court since he was married at the age of sixteen.However, Empress Dowager Gu continued to control the court from behind on the pretext of his lack of experience. Later, the senior officials had too much discontent against it, espec
"You bastard!" Who would know that Empress Dowager Gu was so hard to cheat? She pounded the table and reproached them angrily, "The engagement is so important to a person that you should not trifle with it! Who allows you to talk about rescission so easily!"Empress Jiang said, "Mother, why do you turn to another topic? The matter of Qiu Mengmin is waiting for your imperial decree to unduke him!"Qiu Yelan sighed in her heart. Empress Dowager Gu didn't simply push the boat with the current and easily broke off her engagement with Deng Yi in a temper. After she lost this hope, there was nothing noteworthy in two empresses' quarrel. It's merely something usual.Sure enough, after Empress Dowager Gu and Empress Jiang's fierce quarreling, the result was still to hold court to discuss whether Qiu Mengmin was obedient or not after the Lantern Festival, saying that it should not disturb innocent ministers celebrating the Spring Festival only for Princ
Deng Yi wore a crust green ribbing robe with folded datura in a dark embroidery pattern. He also wore a brocade belt, covered with a purplish-blue wide-sleeved double-breasted open-fronted robe. A suet jade hairpin was twined around his bun. The colors of his clothes were dull, the accessories were simple, and his expression was indifferent. But he was as beautiful as spring flowers. A potted peony urged by the greenhouse on the high desk behind him were blooming. The flowers were red, and the leaves were green. But it looked like the flowers were not as beautiful as him.The little attendant who came with him was handsome, but he was gloomy behind him.Qiu Yelan came in. Because she didn't know where this attendant belonged, she bickered with Deng Yi coldly in a few words before leading him to greet General Ruan.General Ruan cannot even respond to his granddaughter. And of course, he couldn't respond to her future husband too.Al
The next day. After Qiu Yelan washed and dressed up, she visited General Ruan as usual. She saw that Ruan Qingyan and Deng Yi stood at the left and right side of General Ruan's couch when she just entered. One beat his shoulders and another kneaded legs. They were attentive to General Ruan.She was stunned for a while. Deng Yi turned his head and stared at her fiercely while kneading General Ruan's legs. She suddenly realized—Ruan Qingyan must guard him as a thief. So, he had no chance to see her. And he stayed here because she had to come here to greet General Ruan.Sure enough, Ruan Qingyan, who was beating General Ruan's shoulders on the other side, said with a fake smile when she hadn't spoken yet, "You came, cousin? Come to talk with grandfather. I will accompany young master Deng to the study room—You are really toilsome this morning, young master Deng!"Deng Yi said with a grimace, "I have something to say to Commandery Princess Ningyi a
"Your Grace!" Seeing Qiu Yelan coming out, Qu Shan and his family were all excited.Qu Shan's mother, Mrs. Li was about sixty. She was born in Prince's Mansion of Xihe and had a talent for cooking. When she was only over 20, she took charge of the old Princess' diet.When the old Princess of Xihe passed away, Qiu Mengmin was in charge. He didn't trust the servants of his official mother, so he sold most of them. Qu Shan's family was supposed to be sold as well, but Princess Ruan kept them and some other servants, so they started serving Princess Ruan and her daughter.It could be said that his family watched Qiu Yelan grow up, so they had a unique feeling for her.Now when the master and the servants saw each other again after a long time, Mrs. Li couldn't help bursting into tears. Sobbing and bowing down on her knees, she said, "I couldn't imagine that I would see Your Grace again!""Mrs. Li, please stand up!" Qiu Yel
When Qiu Yelan rushed to Renqing Pharmacy the entire store, including the two-story small building which was used as accommodation place and storeroom behind the store, had been smashed beyond recognition. Fortunately, because it is the first lunar month and almost all shops on the street were close for the New Year, there were few people surrounded and watched. There were just so few onlookers, and they even dispersed after seeing her.This relieved Qiu Yelan, who was ready to face thousands of people's judgements in a jampacked place.But when she just got out of the carriage, she heard He Zifu's sigh, and he looked distressed, seeing the place not very far and saying, "Your Grace! Look there!"It was a plaque that was made by famous artists who were hired by Renqing Pharmacy when it started business dozens of years ago.This shiny plaque which had always been rubbed to almost like a mirror, was now smashed to few parts, and it w
Hearing what Chu Weizhou said, she could tell that he had fallen for Jiang Yashuang’s trick before. And it happened yesterday. Qiu Yelan smiled. She didn’t try to cover up her gloating look.Chu Weizhou looked her angrily and said to Chu Weize, "Weize, why are you with him?" His discontent with Jiang Yashuang showed between the lines."We met on the road," Chu Weize was one year older than Chu Weizhou. He was 18. But he was way calmer than his brother. People couldn’t tell his attitude towards Jiang Yashuang and Qiu Yelan from his expression at all. He was pleasant and graceful, "Weizhou, why are you here?""I was passing by. I saw someone seeking justice. So, I stopped to take a look," Chu Weizhou’s look was gloomy, "I didn’t think Commandery Princess Ningyi was so glib that she was able to pass the buck completely with a few words. Instead, she accused this poor couple for something they didn’t do. She even wanted to blame me."Q