Chapter 299 – An Encounter With Lord Wei
Chapter 299 An Encounter with Lord Wei
Qu Moying leaned against the carriage window with her eyes closed. The long eye veil covered her eyes, revealing only her pink cherry lips. She looked extremely young and fragile.
She looked so thin as if she would be broken if someone touched her, causing people to refrain from exerting strength even if they had to touch her.
Granny Yan didn’t say anything else. She just quietly observed Qu Moying. The eye veil was very useful and covered most of her face. People could only vaguely tell that she was beautiful, but they didn’t know how gorgeous she was without the eye veil.
Granny Yan couldn’t see through Qu Moying although she had secretly observed her for so long.
Qu Moying looked so clean and innocent, but it was hard to see through her.
Granny Yan had been in the palace for many years. She was pretty good at judging others, but Qu Moying was an exception. She could not tell what Qu Moying wanted.
Yu Dong didn’t say anything. He just watched Granny Yan vigilantly from the corner of his eyes and quietly played the role of a maid.
The carriage finally stopped at the palace gate. Granny Yan got off the carriage and saw another carriage parked outside the palace gate. A middle-aged woman on that carriage was wiping her tears with a handkerchief and waiting to be summoned inside. She should have already asked for an audience but had not been summoned yet.
Granny Yan walked up to the guard at the gate and said something to him. Then, she took out the token. After taking a look at the token and Qu Moying, who came down from the carriage behind, the guard nodded and made way.
Seeing that they could actually enter, the madam waiting at the side hurriedly took two steps forward and reached out to pull Qu Moying, but Yu Dong hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.
“Excuse me, which family are you from?” The madam’s eyes were red and swollen. She must have cried desperately.
Qu Moying took another step back and pursed her lips slightly. She knew this madam. This madam was Third Young Master He’s mother and Noble Consort He’s sister-in-law. From her look, Qu Moying knew that she was here to ask Noble Consort He for help.
“Madam, our lady is in a hurry to enter the palace.” Yu Dong sensibly replied, and he did not tell the madam who Qu Moying was.
Mrs. He said anxiously, “Can you bring me in with you? I will go and see Her Grace after entering the palace. Her Grace will definitely thank you.”
She had been waiting at the palace gate anxiously for quite a while. Seeing that Qu Moying was allowed to enter the palace, she decided to enter the palace with her. She was afraid that her son would be killed at any moment.
Granny Yan turned around and looked at Mrs. He. She also recognized Mrs. He, and she said to her, “Mrs. He, I’m afraid I can’t bring you in. Dowager Consort is anxiously waiting for our lady.”
Mrs. He said anxiously, “I just need to enter the palace gate, please. Her Grace’s people should be on their way here.”
Granny Yan tactfully refused, “Since Her Grace’s people are on their way here, you don’t need to worry. Someone should come to pick you up soon. We can’t keep Dowager Consort waiting.”
Granny Yan had been staying in Qu Mansion, and she knew the thing between Qu Mansion and He Mansion, so she knew the reason why Third Young Master He was almost engaged with Qu Moying. But Granny Yan had expected that the engagement would fail. However, Third Young Master He’s scandals surprised her.
Third Young Master He looked like a handsome gentleman, but it turned out that he was such a monster.
As a woman, Granny Yan also looked down on him.
She took a step back and bowed slightly to Mrs. He. Then, she led Qu Moying forward, leaving Mrs. He behind. Mrs. He was so angry that her face turned livid.
Mrs. He had entered the palace many times. Every time the palace maids and eunuchs saw her, they were very respectful to her. She had never been rejected like this.
She wondered which Dowager Consort they were going to meet that they dared to be so arrogant to ignore her, a close relative of Noble Consort He.
If not for the fact that she was still worried, she would not have let go of that palace maid and the lady behind her.
Suddenly, her expression changed as she saw the eye veil on Qu Moying’s face was blown up by the wind.
Mrs. He took two steps forward and asked the guard at the gate, “Is that Fourth Lady Qu who was neither talented nor beautiful?”
“Yes. She is Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion’s Fourth Lady. Dowager Consort Qu summoned her into the palace.” Not daring to offend Mrs. He, the guard nodded and answered. Just now, Granny Yan told him that Dowager Consort Qu summoned them in, and that was why he directly let them in.
The guard recognized Granny Yan and examined her palace token, so there was no need to report her visit.
“It’s actually her! How presumptuous!”
Mrs. He snapped. At this time, Qu Moying had walked through the palace gate behind Granny Yan and was heading towards the middle passageway. She didn’t know if Qu Moying had heard her words.
Mrs. He was anxious and annoyed. She regretted having believed her son’s words and thought it was good to have Qu Moying as her daughter-in-law. She thought Qu Moying would at least respect her. After all, Qu Moying was blind. She had to obey her if she wanted to live in He Mansion.
Mrs. He didn’t expect to be ignored by a blind person.
She decided to tell Noble Consort He about it after she entered the palace. Since the two families had the intention to let the two young people be engaged, she would not let Qu Moying get away with it easily. Even if her son was sentenced to death, she would have Qu Moying live in widowhood for her son.
She thought it was already lucky for Qu Moying, a blind girl of a mere Vice Minister’s Mansion, to marry into her family.
Mrs. He was angry and anxious. Finally, she saw a eunuch coming from afar. It was Noble Consort He’s eunuch.
After saying a few words to the guard at the gate, the eunuch came out of the palace and walked to Mrs. He. He respectfully bowed to her, “Greetings, Mrs. He. Her Grace invites you in.”
“Alright, we’ll go in now.” At this time, Mrs. He had no time to think about anything else and quickly nodded. Her son had been put into West Prison, and she must ask Noble Consort He to help her. Otherwise, the situation would be even trickier. Her son had been chatting with her happily not long ago, but he was now jailed in West Prison, where prisoners would be severely tortured. Thinking of this, Mrs. He could not help but cry again.
But she was in the palace, so she couldn’t cry out loud. She could only cover her mouth with a handkerchief and choke as she followed the eunuch onto the palace sedan at the inner door. Then, the sedan headed to Noble Consort He’s place…
No doubt, Qu Moying heard Mrs. He’s vicious words. However, this matter had nothing to do with her. Since Third Young Master He had been cast into West Prison, she believed that Third Young Master He would be punished for his evil deeds. However, Mrs. He was still so arrogant until now. It could be seen that she had always been arrogant and domineering.
Only such a mother could have such a ruthless son!
Besides, what he had done was horrible!
She also got on a palace sedan at the inner door. The sedan followed behind Granny Yan and headed towards Dowager Consort Qu’s place.
Dowager Consort Qu lived far away, and it took a long time to get there. Qu Moying sat on the sedan chair and closed her eyes to rest. This time, she did not enter the palace really to ask Dowager Consort Qu for help.
Since Dowager Consort Qu did not have a child, she probably didn’t have an important position in the palace. Otherwise, why hadn’t Qu Moying heard of such a Dowager Consort?
Moreover, when it came to West Prison, even the empress had to think twice.
The harem was not allowed to interfere with politics, and this case could already be considered a political affair. Moreover, this matter had been taken over by Pei Yuanjun. Even if He Dayu did not die, he would suffer greatly. As for Qu Mingcheng, he would be alright.
However, Pei Yuanjun had the final say on when to release him.
Pei Yuanjun was a tough nut to crack. It was hard to say what would happen next. Qu Moying would wait and see what her father would do.
Previously, when Yu Dong went to inquire about the news, he received a message from Lord Yun, which was to let Qu Moying go to the palace under the pretext of meeting Dowager Consort Qu.
At this moment, Qu Zhizhen would readily agree to let her enter the palace to ask Dowager Consort Qu for help.
As for whether Qu Moying could make it or not, Qu Zhizhen could only give it a try.
Qu Moying knew that Qu Zhizhen would think of Dowager Consort Qu at the sight of her, so she went to Qu Zhizhen. Qu Mingcheng had just been arrested, and Qu Zhizhen was thinking of a way to get him out. That was why she went to Qu Zhizhen to let him “utilize” her so that she could enter the palace justifiably.
The sedan suddenly stopped.
Qu Moying was stunned and thought that she had arrived. Just as she was about to get out of the sedan, she suddenly heard Granny Yan’s voice from outside, “Greetings, Lord Wei!”
Pei Qingmin? Why was he here?
Thinking of this, she stood up, got off the sedan and bowed sideways, “Greetings, Lord Wei!”
“Fourth Lady Qu, please stand up!” Seeing Qu Moying’s iconic eye veil, Pei Qingmin smiled slightly. He was sitting in a large palace sedan. It must be his private sedan. It was very luxurious. The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing his face.
Qu Moying stood up respectfully and took a few steps back to make way for Lord Wei. She lowered her head, waiting for him to pass.
She behaved according to the royal etiquette perfectly.
Her manners were even better than that of Granny Yan.
Pei Qingmin originally wanted to leave, but after taking a few glances at Qu Moying, he asked, “Who summoned Fourth Lady Qu into the palace?”
Qu Moying was surprised by Lord Wei’s question. He didn’t care about anything before. Why did he bother to ask today?
She pursed her lips slightly. She didn’t need to answer this question.
Sure enough, Granny Yan answered, “Dowager Consort Qu hasn’t seen Fourth Lady for a long time. She missed her, so she ordered me to take Fourth Lady into the palace to have a chat.”
“So, it is Dowager Consort Qu?” Pei Qingmin looked at Qu Moying’s slightly pursed lips. Her pink lips made her fair face look softer. The eye veil was tied behind her hair and drooped down, making her look like a delicate fairy in a painting.
She looked pitiful, but she did not know it herself.
However, such a woman was also greedy for vanity, which made it hard for him to like her!
She was quite scheming and good at observing the etiquette!
Why did such a beauty choose to be a snob?
Granny Yan had answered before. Hearing Lord Wei ask again, Qu Moying knew that he was asking her, so she nodded gently. “Yes, Your Highness!”
Pei Qingmin smiled. With a low cough, he asked casually, “It’s rare for you to enter the palace. Do you need me to show you around in the imperial garden?”
His words stunned not only Qu Moying but also Granny Yan. They couldn’t believe that Lord Wei actually said that.
