Chapter 278 – One After Another, The Monk In The Side Hall
Wei Yuewu was very surprised upon hearing the instruction for them to go to the side hall at this time. If the Empress Dowager, the Empress, or even the Crown Prince Wen Tianyao summoned them, they could all choose the main hall. Why would they have to go to the side hall?
What surprised Wei Yuewu even more was that there was actually a monk in the side hall.
“Benefactresses, the Empress Dowager asked me to take a look at your palms!” The monk had a kind and amiable smile on his face. He looked at the young ladies who had just entered. The kasaya he wore was sparkling and dazzling.
Master Fenghe? Wei Yuewu frowned. That day, she went with Yan Huaijing to see this highly respected Master Fenghe. Later, she also knew that this Master Fenghe was the former heir-apparent of Prefectural Prince Huai and was of the royal bloodline. But since he kept a low profile and hid in the Plum Blossom Nunnery, why did he appear in the imperial palace this time?
Moreover, it was impossible for him to do such a thing as palm reading for the sake of the few of them for no reason!
However, Master Fenghe was sitting right in front of her, preparing to take a look at the hands of the young ladies of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang.
Wei Yuewu was surprised when she saw another eunuch coming in with a few other ladies, who stood right behind her in a queue. Apparently, Master Fenghe was also going to read their palms.
Palm reading was actually very simple. The person just needed to walk to the front of Master Fenghe, reach out her right hand, and quietly put it in front of him. Master Fenghe would occasionally ask a few questions.
After Wei Yuewu placed her hand in front of Master Fenghe, Master Fenghe quietly cast a look at it. Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at Wei Yuewu thoughtfully. “Benefactress, have you seen me before?”
Wei Yuewu’s heart skipped a beat, but she did not show any sign of shock on her face. Instead, she looked a little confused. “Who are you, master? I have only just arrived in the capital and have never met you before!”
Master Fenghe looked up at the young girl in front of him. Human words were simply hard to describe her beauty. If he had really seen such a young girl, he would definitely not forget her. However, he just felt that her palm print was somewhat familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen such an outstanding young girl.
“Benefactress, which mansion are you from?” A smile appeared on Master Fenghe’s slightly plump face as he looked at Wei Yuewu kindly.
“The mansion of Marquis Hua Yang.” Wei Yuewu said with clear eyes.
She looked at Master Fenghe without avoiding his gaze. She only appeared a little curious, just like a thirteen-year-old girl who still had a bit of childishness.
“I heard that the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang has a Sixth Young Lady who just entered the capital. Could it be that you are the Sixth Young Lady of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang?” Master Fenghe pondered for a moment and looked at Wei Yuewu. After quite a while, he said, “The only daughter of Marquis Hua Yang, the true legitimate daughter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang!”
These words were uttered very slowly, almost word by word. For some reason, Wei Yuewu felt a sense of familiarity from Master Fenghe’s words. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this Master Fenghe knew her mother?
Hearing Master Fenghe said that Wei Yuewu was the true legitimate daughter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuejiao’s expressions changed slightly, and they looked at Wei Yuewu with a bit of jealousy.
If Wei Yuewu was the true legitimate daughter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, then what were the two of them?
“Master, have you seen my mother?” Wei Yuewu asked very naturally, looking at Master Fenghe with her bright and watery eyes.
Master Fenghe’s expression suddenly changed as he observed the expression on Wei Yuewu’s face in shock.
“Master, master!” The eunuch who was standing beside Master Fenghe also saw his surprise and called out in a low voice.
“You were born by Marquise Hua Yang?” Master Fenghe came back to his senses and asked Wei Yuewu again, despite the fact that he himself had given an affirmative comment on Wei Yuewu before.
“Yes, master. Do you know my mother?” Wei Yuewu asked in surprise.
“I don’t know her!” Master Fenghe shook his head. He lowered his head and looked at Wei Yuewu’s palm print again. Then, he shook his hand.
“Next one!” The eunuch received Master Fenghe’s signal and announced.
Wei Yuewu obediently stood to the side and made room for the next young lady. Another young lady walked over. She followed the eunuch’s instruction and placed her right hand palm up for Master Fenghe to have a look.
“Sixth Younger Sister, what does this master want to do?” Wei Qiufu suddenly squeezed to Wei Yuewu’s side and asked.
She couldn’t help but be puzzled. This master’s behavior was too strange. No matter what, it was unimaginable to invite a monk to the imperial palace to take read the palms of aristocratic young ladies.
Wei Yuewu shook her head. “I don’t know either!”
In her heart, she also felt that this mysterious Master Fenghe’s behavior was quite strange. She did not understand why this mysterious Master Fenghe kept asking her the same question. After personally saying that she was the true legitimate daughter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, he asked her again whether she was Marquis Hua Yang’s legitimate daughter. From whichever perspective, people would feel that there was something wrong.
“Could it be that palm reading is one of the criteria for selecting the Crown Princess?” Wei Qiufu asked.
Palm reading was one of the criteria for selecting the Crown Princess? Wei Yuewu also had the same doubt. Judging from the current situation, it seemed to be a reasonable guess, but she couldn’t tell how exactly it was strange. She simply remained silent and stood there watching.
Wei Qiufu did not ask any more question. She only frowned as she watched the scene in front of her. Compared to Wei Yuewu, she was more concerned about what was happening. Was palm reading really related to the selection of the Crown Princess?
Fortunately, the next few young ladies were all waved away after their palms were read. In other words, no one was different from others. Wei Qiufu heaved a sigh of relief.
After reading the palms of all the young ladies, Master Fenghe left, and Wei Yuewu and the others were brought out of the side hall. Not long after, several old ladies came out and boarded their sedans that had been placed on the side. Then, the sedans headed straight out of the palace.
At the palace gate, the carriages of various families had also been waiting. When they saw their masters coming out, the coachmen hurriedly drove the carriages over.
The mansion of Marquis Hua Yang’s carriages drove straight back to the mansion.
After the Madam Dowager took a few steps in the front, she turned to Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu and said, “Qiufu and Yuewu, come with me to Tranquility Courtyard.”
“Yes, grandmother!” Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu answered in unison. Wei Yuejiao, who was standing at the side, rubbed her handkerchief in jealousy.
Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu were chosen to enter the palace to accompany the Third Princess to pray for the prosperity of the country. How could she be willing to accept the result? She, Wei Yuejiao, was clearly the most favored daughter of this mansion. Why were Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu selected in the end?
By comparison, Wei Qiuju was very calm. She had figured it out now, knowing that she was no match for any of the other sisters. Now, she did not dare to have any improper thought of confronting with any of them, especially Wei Yuewu, a towering and insurmountable existence in her heart.
Wei Yuejiao was truly unwilling to be eliminated just like this. She couldn’t help but ask, “Grandmother… I… I also want to go to your courtyard!”
“Grandmother, I…” Wei Qiuju had something on her mind. When she heard Wei Yuejiao speak, she also quickly followed suit. Wei Fengyao had spread rumors about her. Who knew what would happen next? At this time, she also wanted to ask the Madam Dowager for help.
“You two go back to your own courtyards first. I have something important to talk about with Qiufu and Yuewu. If you have anything important, come to see me tomorrow!” The Madam Dowager frowned and said impatiently.
The Madam Dowager did have some things to tell Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu, so she had no time for Wei Yuejiao and Wei Qiuju.
“Yes, grandmother!” Upon hearing the Madam Dowager’s rebuke, Wei Qiuju did not dare to say anything and quickly lowered her head.
Although Wei Yuejiao was unwilling, she could only grit her teeth and watch as Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu followed the Madam Dowager. Then, she snorted angrily. With a flash of her sleeve, she headed straight for Concubine Dong’s courtyard.
In the courtyard, Concubine Dong was looking at the accounting books. Ever since she entered the mansion, a part of the matters in the mansion had been handled by her. She had always done a better job than Lady Zhang. In the past, she and Lady Li were on par with each other. Now that she was facing Lady Zhang, she was naturally even more at ease. On the surface, everything in the mansion seemed to be handled by Lady Zhang, but in reality, more than half of the decisions were made by her.
Wei Yuejiao walked in angrily. She threw the handkerchief in her hand on the table and said angrily, “Concubine, grandmother actually only let two people enter the palace to accompany the Third Princess. This is too much. I am clearly father’s only daughter!”
Concubine Dong carefully looked at Wei Yuejiao’s expression and smiled, “Yuejiao, don’t worry. Isn’t the Fourth Princess also going to hold a praying ceremony? Compared with the Fourth Princess, what is the Third Princess?”
These words reminded Wei Yuejiao. Her face lit up. She reached out to pull Concubine Dong’s sleeve and asked anxiously, “Concubine, are you saying that when the Fourth Princess reaches the marriageable age, the Empress will also invite our mansion’s young ladies? The two of them have been invited this time, so it is impossible for them to go there again?”
The Fourth Princess was the legitimate daughter of the Empress. By comparison, the Third Princess was a lot more inferior in terms of status.
Of course, accompanying the Fourth Princess to pray was a much greater honor!
“That might not be the case. Yuejiao, your status is destined to be a bit low!” The meaning of Concubine Dong’s words was very profound, and Wei Yuejiao almost jumped up uncontrollably.
“Concubine, before we entered the capital, you promised me that you would immediately become the Marquise and I would become a legitimate daughter. But how come Wei Yuewu is still the only legitimate daughter now? She has the upper hand against me in all aspects.”
Wei Yuejiao was really anxious now.
“Yuejiao, don’t worry. In a few days, your uncle will come to visit us!” Concubine Dong’s smile became more and more meaningful.
“Uncle? Where did I get such an uncle? Didn’t you say that you were the only one who ran out of your mansion at that time? You said you had no other brothers or sisters. When did I have an uncle?”
Wei Yuejiao had heard Concubine Dong talk about this before. She could not help but ask in shock. She had never known that she had an uncle.
“Well, you will have one soon, and he is also your biological uncle!” A trace of pride appeared on the corners of Concubine Dong’s lips. She wasn’t completely without a backer. If this ‘elder brother’ accepted her as his sister, she would definitely become Marquise Hua Yang.
A powerful brother? That was actually something she could make for herself. When she put her cards on the table, her status would not be inferior to that of Lady Li. It was just a matter of time before she became Marquise Hua Yang.
“Yuejiao, let Jinzhu go to the back door later to receive something. Someone will send it over!” Concubine Dong slowly said. With this thing, what she said would be more convincing…
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