Chapter 353 – The Flawed Beginning
“M-My mother?” Wei Yuewu’s eyes flickered as she spoke slowly.
“Yes, Eldest Aunt!” Wei Qiufu looked sincere, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. She looked at Wei Yuewu but did not say anything. She waited for Wei Yuewu to ask her out of her own curiosity.
She was absolutely sure that Wei Yuewu would be interested in this.
“Do you know why?” Wei Yuewu raised her eyebrows and asked indifferently.
The nonchalance was different from Wei Qiufu’s expectation. Wasn’t Wei Yuewu supposed to eagerly ask her about this? Although she did ask Wei Qiufu about it, she sounded so indifferent as if she was asking about the weather.
It was too different from what she expected, so Wei Qiufu was in a daze and couldn’t register Wei Yuewu’s question.
Fortunately, Wei Qiufu quickly came to her senses and donned a mysterious smile. “Actually, I’m not so sure. I bumped into a nurse in the Palace today and heard something from her.”
“What did you hear?” Wei Yuewu’s long eyelashes fluttered twice, hiding the coldness in her eyes.
“She is an old nurse of the Palace. I heard that she owed Eldest Aunt a fovour when Eldest Aunt once entered the Palace, so she had always been concerned about Eldest Aunt. When she heard that I was from the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, she talked to me for a bit,” Wei Qiufu asserted while waving to Ming Yan, who was standing beside her.
Ming Yan carefully retreated and stood guard at the door, as if to prevent others from eavesdropping.
“What did she say?” Wei Yuewu asked leisurely.
“She didn’t say it clearly. She just said that Eldest Aunt was childless after being married into the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang for years because someone harmed her. T-That person seems to be from the mansion too.” Even though Wei Yuewu was not very interested, Wei Qiufu needed to finish her sentence.
“She didn’t want to tell you who that person was?” Wei Yuewu asked.
“She said that she needed to meet Eldest Aunt’s biological daughter before she could tell who the person was. After all, this matter is of great importance. If she said it, it might bring out some dark secrets, and the implications are too great. She doesn’t dare to speak carelessly,” Wei Qiufu said in a low voice.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe old nurse didn’t dare to speak carelessly due to the great implication, but for some reason, she told Wei Qiufu this? It was said that Mother rarely entered the Palace because the Empress didn’t like her, and she only entered the Palace a few times.
Moreover, there were some things that Mother didn’t tell anyone, but she would tell the nurse who was not even her trusted aide in the Palace?
Wei Yuewu didn’t believe that Wei Qiufu didn’t notice such an obvious flaw, but Wei Qiufu seemed to be encouraging Wei Yuewu to go over now that she said it very seriously.
“Which palace is the nurse from?” Wei Yuewu already had a plan in her heart, but she did not show it on her face.
“I don’t know which palace she is from, but she is waiting for us not far from Chu Xiu Palace! I asked her, but she refused to tell me. I can only tell her that I will bring you there later,” Wei Qiufu explained.
So, someone was already waiting for her, and Wei Qiufu was saying this just to let her follow her?
“Fourth Elder Sister, I am choosing dresses right now, so it’s inconvenient for me to leave. I have to alter the dress that Grandmother gave me,” Wei Yuewu firmly shook her head and refused. She knew that Wei Qiufu was setting up a trap, and she refused to fall right into it. This was the imperial palace. She had no one to help her, and she did not know what exactly was waiting for her out there.
Last time, she almost had an accident because she didn’t know some things about the Palace.
“Sixth Younger Sister, do you need to alter Grandmother’s dress? Why don’t you pick one from mine? Come with me to see that nurse first!” Wei Qiufu urged while casually pointing to the dresses on her bed.
It was almost flawless as if she was considering everything according to Wei Yuewu’s needs.
“I-I don’t think it’s a good idea. These dresses are a gift from the Crown Prince to you. If I take one, it’s…” Wei Yuewu shook her head and refused. However, her gaze could not help but fall on the several sets of dresses on the bed. Compared to the set that Madam Dowager had prepared, these were indeed more suitable for young girls.
“What’s wrong with that? We are sisters. Also, we have to see the nurse and ask her about Eldest Aunt.” Wei Qiufu stood up and walked to the bed to take a look. She picked out two of the most outstanding blue and purple dresses and handed them over to Wei Yuewu. However, she was still insisting on seeing the nurse in the Palace.
“Fourth Elder Sister, I can’t take your dresses.” Wei Yuewu shook her head again and stood up, looking like she was going to go back to her room. “Thank you for your generosity, but I don’t dare to take the dresses. Also, I don’t dare to go and see the nurse either. We’re in the Palace, after all, so we must be careful.”
Wei Yuewu put on a cautious look that she didn’t want to see the nurse in the Palace, so she didn’t want Wei Qiufu’s dresses.
Her words made Wei Qiufu’s face darken. Wei Qiufu thought about it and agreed. “Sixth Younger Sister, you’re right. Who knows if we can believe some random nurse in the Palace? Anyway, please accept the dresses. Take them as an apology from me to you.”
Therefore, the main point was still these few sets of dresses!
“Uh…” There was a hint of hesitation in Wei Yuewu’s eyes.
“Sixth Younger Sister, I really thought that you were trying to frame me for what happened that day. But now that you are proven to be the victim too, I’ll tell Grandmother everything when we return home and ask her to investigate Concubine Dong properly. I find that Concubine Dong is not as good to you as she appears to be!”
Wei Qiufu had a sincere look on her face, as if she was sincerely standing on Wei Yuewu’s side. Moreover, she secretly expressed that he would help Wei Yuewu and testify for her when they went home.
“Thank you very much, Fourth Elder Sister!” Wei Yuewu took the dresses in Wei Qiufu’s hands, and a slight smile appeared on her face.
“You’re welcome, sister. In the past, I’ve thought wrongly. These few days, the Crown Prince also hinted to me that even if I enter the Crown Prince Mansion in the future, I’m actually a nobody without the support of Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle,” Wei Qiufu laughed self-deprecatingly, as if she was repenting of some of her actions.
Wei Qiufu showed kindness to Wei Yuewu and acted as if she would let bygones be bygones because she wanted Wei Yuewu to put in a few good words for her in front of Wei Luowen so that Wei Luowen would always stand behind her and support her.
Everyone knew that the third branch of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang was weak and insignificant. Her biological father wasn’t of much use, so she could only rely on her two powerful uncles. Thus, she didn’t dare to offend her cousins.
On one hand, she tried to curry favor with Wei Yuewu, and on the other hand, she was helpless about Wei Fengyao’s actions against Wei Yuewu the other day. After all, she didn’t dare to offend Wei Fengyao too.
Wei Yuewu sneered in her heart. Wei Qiufu would never forget to push all the blames to others. She looked helpless as if she was the biggest victim in everything she had done.
Wei Yuewu’s long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes turned cold. Since Wei Qiufu insisted on giving these two dresses to her, she would accept them!
“Thank you, Fourth Elder Sister!” Wei Yuewu bowed.
Jin Ling was standing beside her. Receiving the signal, Jin Ling quickly reached out to take the dresses and stood to the side.
“Choose some suitable accessories to match the dresses after you return to your room. Since we can’t trust the nurse in the Palace, it’s better for us not to meet her. I really thought that I’d found out something, but I forgot that we were in the Palace. It’s not the place where we can do whatever we want.” Wei Qiufu lamented apologetically.
She looked ashamed at the moment.
After that, Wei Yuewu returned to her room with Wei Qiufu’s dresses.
When she returned to the room, Jin Ling put down the dresses and asked, “Miss, is there really an old nurse in the Palace who knows about Madam’s past?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmJin Ling knew that Wei Yuewu had been investigating some things about Marquise Hua Yang, so she was very interested in the old nurse that Wei Qiufu had mentioned. But of course, she would not rashly let Wei Yuewu follow Wei Qiufu directly to see the old nurse. However, she still had some suspicions in her heart.
“Forget about the nurse.” Wei Yuewu’s gaze fell on the dresses that Jin Ling had casually tossed aside. What a coincidence today. Both ladies came to her because of dresses. “Check the dresses.”
“Miss, are you saying that there’s something wrong with these dresses?” Jin Ling’s attention had been completely attracted by the old nurse. Now that she was reminded by Wei Yuewu, she looked back at the dresses and asked with wide eyes.
“Take a look at these dresses.” Wei Yuewu was noncommittal. She walked to the window and slowly pushed it open. The cold air outside the window immediately surged in. The wind blew at the coat that was hanging at the side with a set of dresses. It flew out and hung on a corner of the screen.
The sky suddenly darkened, and a cold wind was blowing. Looking at the weather, Wei Yuewu reckoned that it was going to be a bad day again!
“Miss, the wind is strong. Be careful, don’t catch a cold!” Jin Ling could not be bothered to pick up the clothes that had flown out. She quickly walked over and closed the window for Wei Yuewu. Wei Yuewu had always been weak. It would be troublesome if she caught a cold.
Wei Yuewu nodded and sat down on a chair to the side, allowing Jin Ling to close the window.
Tomorrow was the day they left the imperial palace. It seemed that someone could not help but want to make a move.
There was another knock on the door. She could tell that it was Ming Yan’s voice. Jin Ling turned around and opened the door. Sure enough, she saw Ming Yan standing there with a very friendly smile outside the door.
“Sixth Young Lady, Fourth Young Lady asked me to send you some jewelry. They are all gifts from the Crown Prince. Our Miss said that the Empress will also come to the banquet tomorrow. Maybe she will ask a few young ladies to perform. The Crown Prince once bestowed guqins and qin scores to some ladies, so he should ask the ladies to play a song.”
Ming Yan handed the jewelry box in her hand to Jin Ling but did not come in. She just reminded Wei Yuewu with concern at the door.
“The ladies have to play a song tomorrow?”
“Why didn’t the Third Princess say anything?” Jin Ling asked in surprise.
“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s because there were only a few young ladies who got the qin at that time, so it’s inconvenient for the Third Princess to announce it directly. Our Miss knew it from the Crown Prince’s eunuch. Just now, our Miss was immersed in the conversation with Sixth Young Lady and forgot to tell her about it,”
Ming Yan explained cleverly.
“Please thank Fourth Young Lady on our Miss’ behalf!” Jin Ling took the jewelry from Ming Yan and said.
“You’re welcome. Fourth Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady are sisters. Blood is thicker than water. I will go back first!” Ming Yan said politely and turned to leave.
After Ming Yan left, Jin Ling came in with the jewelry box. When she walked past the screen, she took off the coat. However, her expression changed drastically when she picked up the coat…