Chapter 296 – Two Extremely Similar Rooms
By the time the two of them returned to Chu Xiu Palace, the rooms had already been selected for them!
There were a row of rooms facing the sun, and the two rooms for Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu were in the center of the others, which allowed them the best sunlight and fresh air. Behind the two rooms, there was a small courtyard where a few purple bamboos were planted, making the two rooms look extremely elegant.
Jin Ling and Ming Yan followed the palace maid back to the original rooms to pack up things. Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu each went to their own room, and Wei Fengyao left.
After a while, Jin Ling returned to the room with the luggage they had brought into the Palace. While placing the things in the room for Wei Yuewu, she said, “Miss, I noticed that this place is extremely far from the previous room for you. Those young ladies were still living in the original place. Only you and the Fourth Young Lady were arranged to live here because of the Eldest Young Lady.”
“Did you meet maidservants of the other young ladies?” Wei Yuewu smiled and removed the hairpin from her head.
“Yes. However, there were palace maids present, so those maidservants didn’t dare to say anything. But I could see that those maidservants looked quite indignant.” When Jin Ling left for the original room, Wei Yuewu asked her to pay special attention to the maidservants of the other young ladies.
They looked indignant? Wei Yuewu smiled slightly. In the Palace, one might easily become a target for all. Now that she and Wei Qiufu had moved to such a good place, they were suddenly more eye-catching than others and would definitely be envied by others.
It was actually very dangerous for people to become eye-catching and be envied by others when they did not have the strength to protect themselves!
Wei Yuewu already had an idea when Wei Fengyao asked them to change rooms. She smiled faintly and asked Jin Ling, “Did you say those words as I told you? What happened later?”
“I followed your instructions and pretended to fall when passing by a maidservant. As expected, the palace maid leading the way came to help me up politely. I asked her in a low voice whether you could live in the original room. I said you didn’t care about the room conditions.”
“That palace maid said in embarrassment that she couldn’t interfere in this matter. She said this was ordered by her supervisor. She also said that since the Heiress-apparent of Prince Nan’an had asked her supervisor to change the room for you, there was no need for you to care about what the others thought!”
Naturally, all those words were overheard by the other young ladies’ maidservants!
Wei Yuewu casually picked up a hairpin and put it on. Then, she handed the hairpin she had worn to Jin Ling. “Send this hairpin to the Fourth Young Lady. Since she likes my hairpin and Eldest Sister has said those words, if I don’t lend this hairpin to her, then I will be too mean and heartless to be their sister!”
Although the so-called sisterhood did not really matter to anyone, since Wei Qiufu and Wei Fengyao acted like sisters on the surface, Wei Yuewu naturally would put on a similar show.
“Yes, Miss!” Jin Ling nodded, took the hairpin, and was about to turn around, but she was stopped by Wei Yuewu.
“Take a closer look at what the Fourth Young Lady is doing.”
Wei Qiufu’s purpose was very clear, but after returning to her room, she hadn’t come out. Wei Yuewu did not believe that she was really resting. She knew Wei Qiufu wasn’t a person who would rest when there was nothing to do!
“Yes!” Jin Ling understood what Wei Yuewu meant. She took the hairpin and walked out.
Wei Yuewu got up and walked to the window. She looked at the purple bamboos outside the window and was lost in thought. Even in the winter, these purple bamboos looked extraordinary. Although there were only a few of them, their existence, along with a small rock on the side, made the entire environment much more elegant.
Looking out of the window, she found the small courtyard was very clean. There were only a few fallen leaves on the ground. This meant that there were people cleaning the small courtyard every day.
However, it could be seen that this house had been empty for a long time. It was really strange that even the small courtyard was so clean and tidy!
This must be a place that was valued by someone, and since this place was also in Chu Xiu Palace, it was quite likely that this person was now powerful in the Palace and she must have lived here as a candidate before entering the Palace.
This should be the place where she used to live or the place she cherished so much that although she rarely visited this place, the nurse-in-charge dared not neglect this place for fear that she would occasionally come!
A royal consort with real power? This was something that Wei Yuewu could guess!
Moreover, this royal consort with real power must have a high status before she entered the Palace. Being able to be assigned such a good room meant her identity was different from the other candidates!
Wei Yuewu had a faint conclusion in her heart!
Since Wei Fengyao arranged this room for her, how could she have any good intention? Then, was Wei Fengyao going to do something to make others believe that she herself had asked to move in here?
Wei Yuewu sneered in her heart. Wei Fengyao had been busy helping Wei Qiufu gain a higher status so that she would have a stronger ally against her in the future. At the same time, Wei Fengyao couldn’t help but personally make a move against her. Apparently, Wei Fengyao was sure that she was just an ignorant and blind person in the imperial palace…
“Miss, the layout of the room over there is very similar to this room. I almost thought that I entered the wrong room if you were not here!” Jin Ling pushed open the door and came in. “The Fourth Young Lady was selecting clothes in her room. Many clothes were spread on the table. She took much more clothes than you!”
When she entered Wei Qiufu’s room just now, she saw the table was full of clothes. With a quick glance, she estimated that there were about twenty sets of clothes. By comparison, Wei Yuewu had brought too few clothes with her.
Wei Yuewu’s focus was not on the clothes. After pondering for a moment, she turned around and asked, “The two rooms look similar?”
“Yes, the two rooms are almost exactly the same. Even the embroidery patterns on the two screens are similar. Without looking carefully, people really can’t see any difference between the screens!”
Jin Ling smiled and walked to the big screen in the room. She pointed at the embroidery pattern that featured the Goddess Chang E’s fly to the moon and said, “Miss, look, there is a Chang E flying to the moon on the screen. There is also one on the screen in that room. The only difference is that the two Chang Es wear different hair ornaments. One wears an osmanthus hairpin, and the other wears a pearl hairband!”
So, it was really hard to tell the difference!
The difference was so subtle that Wei Yuewu believed if Jin Ling did not tell her, she might not be able to find the difference either. Neither would anyone else be able to find the difference!
But what was so particular about the two rooms? Somehow, Wei Yuewu felt a little puzzled and was unsure about her previous guesses…
“Miss, when the Fourth Young Lady saw me, she asked me if I had prepared the dress for you. She said that you would be going to the Third Princess’ place in a while and asked if you needed a hairpin!”
Wei Qiufu always acted like she was thinking for the sake of others, whereas in fact, she was always scheming against others!
“What did you say?” Wei Yuewu said indifferently as she took her chair again.
“I said you brought several hairpins with you. They were all given to you by the Madam Dowager. I asked her not to be worried about this because you have enough hairpins!”
Thinking about Wei Yuewu’s current accessories, Jin Ling realized there really wasn’t any particular hairpin except the one borrowed by Wei Qiufu. Jin Ling couldn’t help but complain, “Miss, this is the most outstanding hairpin you brought into the Palace. Now that the Fourth Young Lady has borrowed it, you don’t have any other outstanding hairpin!”
“It doesn’t matter. This is the imperial palace. I don’t have to be eye-catching here!” Wei Yuewu smiled. She did not want to enter the Crown Prince Mansion. She was only here to accompany the Third Princess to pray.
While they were talking, a eunuch came over with two palace maids and brought lunch for Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu. Jin Ling went out and took Wei Yuewu’s lunch inside.
The lunch was not bad, six dishes and a soup.
Wei Yuewu ate a little, leaving the rest to Jin Ling. The two palace maids waited outside the room. After Wei Yuewu finished eating, they left with the food box.
Wei Qiufu also finished her launch very quickly. Knowing that the Third Princess’ people would soon come over, the two of them returned to their rooms and freshened up again.
After Wei Yuewu was done and rested for a while, she heard someone asking outside the room, “Are Fourth Miss Wei and Sixth Miss Wei living here?”
Jin Ling answered and went out to open the door. She saw a eunuch with several palace maids standing not far away from the door. She hurriedly went out with a smile on her face. Ming Yan also went out of the other room.
“Are the two young ladies from the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang living here?” The eunuch sent by the Third Princess looked at the rooms in confusion and asked with a smile.
“Yes!” Jin Ling and Ming Yan replied respectfully.
“The soft sedans have been prepared outside. We are here to take the two young ladies and the other young ladies to see the Third Princess!” The eunuch became more and more polite.
The place where Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu lived now was a little further away from Chu Xiu Palace’s gate. When they arrived at the gate, the other young ladies were already waiting there. When they saw Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu coming over, their expressions were no longer as friendly as before.
Zhao Ruo’e, who had been close to Wei Yuewu because of that piece of cloth, also looked much colder now.
The Eunuch stepped forward and said with a smile, “Young ladies, please board the sedan. The Third Princess is waiting for you!”
Everyone boarded the sedan one after another. Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu came the latest, so they naturally took the last two sedans. Wei Yuewu also deliberately slowed down by a few steps.
Wei Qiufu also slowed down and turned to look at Wei Yuewu with a warm and generous smile. “Sixth Younger Sister, take the sedan in the front!”
She acted in a really modest manner. Besides, she didn’t wear the hairpin she had borrowed from Wei Yuewu. Instead, she just wore an ordinary gold hairpin. Although the gold hairpin wasn’t eye-catching, it looked beautiful and matched her temperament well.
Wei Yuewu smiled faintly. “Fourth Elder Sister, you are my elder sister. Naturally, you should take the sedan chair in the front. I will take the sedan chair in the back!”
Well, since Wei Qiufu wanted to show their sisterhood, she would like to cooperate!
“Then… alright! If you are feeling unwell, just let me know.” Wei Qiufu smiled even more warmly.
“Yes!” Wei Yuewu lowered her head and answered respectfully, as if she was completely obedient to Wei Qiufu.
The two of them got into their respective sedan and went all the way to Third Princess’ palace.
The Third Princess lived quite a distance away from Chu Xiu Palace. It took them quite a bit of time on the way. Because she felt stuffy, Wei Yuewu gently pulled the curtain. Jin Ling, who was outside the sedan, immediately sensed it and helped her pull up the curtain.
Outside the window, one palace after another unfolded in front of Wei Yuewu like a grand painting.
Wei Yuewu watched carefully as the sedan moved on. When she saw a palace from afar, her expression suddenly changed…
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