Chapter 302 – The So-Called Beauty In The Cold Palace
“W-Who is Fourth Young Lady of Marquis Hua Yang?” the palace maid asked again.
“I am!” Wei Qiufu had no choice but to step forward.
“Our lady wished to see you. This way, please!” After taking a few deep breaths, the palace maid regained her composure and wiped the sweat on her forehead.
“May I ask which palace you are from?” Wei Qiufu was also surprised.
Wei Yuewu’s gaze landed on this palace maid, who looked pretty and ordinary but seemed to be a bit older than the average palace maid.
“Beauty Wang’s. She has something to ask you,” the palace maid explained.
“Beauty Wang?” Wei Yuewu frowned. She didn’t know who she was, but she seemed to be an imperial concubine of a low status in the Palace. Why was she looking for her and Wei Qiufu?
“Beauty Wang wants to see me and my Sixth Younger Sister?” Wei Qiufu obviously knew who Beauty Wang was, but she looked equally confused.
“Yes. Please hurry up. She is waiting not far ahead,” the palace maid answered and pointed in a certain direction.
This time, Wei Yuewu understood the situation. Beauty Wang, who appeared out of nowhere, was probably having a walk around the Palace and happened to be not far away from Chu Xiu Palace. Did she happen to want to meet them when she walked past here, or did she specifically come over to see them?
As for everything in the Palace, Wei Qiufu knew more than Wei Yuewu did, so Wei Yuewu stood aside sensibly and did not reply, giving the initiative to Wei Qiufu.
“Okay. Let’s go then, Yuewu!” Wei Qiufu nodded and turned to Wei Yuewu.
“Alright,” Wei Yuewu answered gently with a smile. She glanced at Miss Qin, who was standing not far away and deep in thought. It seemed that Beauty Wang, who appeared out of nowhere, was not unknown in the Palace.
Therefore, the two of them took their maids and followed the palace maid out.
“Which Beauty Wang?” After they left, someone finally couldn’t bear the curiosity anymore and asked.
“Is there any Beauty Wang in the Palace who is very favored?” Since she sent someone to summon the two young ladies of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, it seemed that Beauty Wang was favored.
“I’ve never heard of Beauty Wang in this palace.” Some had some understanding of the situation in the Palace, and they found it increasingly strange.
“Have you heard of it?” Zhao Ruo’e, who had never heard of Beauty Wang before, nudged Qin Wenyu who was standing next to her, and asked in a low voice. She had entered the Palace to study with the Third Princess for a period of time, but she was unaware of Beauty Wang in the Palace.
Hearing the question, Qin Wenyu frowned. She was Grand Scholar Qin’s eldest daughter, so she had some understanding of the matters in the Palace. At this time, she was also silently making speculations in her heart. Could Beauty Wang be the one she had guessed?
Could it be that Beauty Wang, who once fell in disfavor with the Emperor and was locked in the cold palace, was now released?
However, Qin Wenyu could not speak casually before being definitely sure, so she simply shook her head, indicating that she did not know either, and listened to the people around her making their own assumptions.
If the woman in the cold palace was indeed Beauty Wang, it was no wonder that no one knew her existence. It was said that she was a junior concubine that His Majesty had taken in when he was a prince. Based on her position at that time, the Emperor should have made her a senior concubine when he became the Crown Prince. However, for some reason, everyone had been given higher-ranking titles but she was the only person who had been given the title of Beauty.
After that, she was locked up in the cold palace because she allegedly wanted to harm the imperial son, and later, she had gone crazy. Qin Xinyu did not know the specific reason. She heard about her at an occasional opportunity when her father talked about a junior concubine with the last name Wang who was once doted on by the prince.
At that time, even the current Empress, the former Princess Tu, had retreated to avoid conflict with her.
“Fourth Elder Sister, who is Beauty Wang?” Seeing that the palace maid was getting further and further away, Wei Yuewu stepped forward and walked side by side with Wei Qiufu, asking in a low voice.
“I’m not too sure either. I don’t know if it’s that person. If she is…” Wei Qiufu was very tight-lipped and shook her head. She wanted to say something but hesitated as she glanced at the palace maid who was not far away.
“Misses, we have arrived!” The palace maid suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
Wei Yuewu looked up. There was a bridge in front of her, and under the old willow tree by the bridge, there was a small pavilion. Looking from this side, she could see a slender woman standing in the pavilion from afar, putting one hand on the pavilion pillar, and gazing on the lake on the side.
The woman was standing with her back facing Wei Yuewu, so she couldn’t see her face.
“Please wait a moment. I will go and report this to our lady!” the palace maid said with a smile. Then, she walked quickly towards the pavilion.
After saying a few words to the woman in the pavilion, she slowly turned around and looked at Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu who were slowly walking over.
It was a woman who looked to be in her forties. Her face was slightly pale and yellowish, but they could tell that she was beautiful when she was young. She kept a straight face, making her beautiful eyes sharper and bleaker. There was even a gloomy vibe surrounding her.
Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu approached and bowed to her respectfully. “Greetings, Your Highness!”
“Please sit!” A smile appeared on Beauty Wang’s face, but it seemed a little stiff. She turned around and sat down on a stone bench.
Wei Yuewu and Wei Qiufu sat opposite her.
“Are you Marquise Hua Yang’s daughter?” Beauty Wang’s gaze shifted between the two of them and finally landed on Wei Yuewu as she asked.
“Yes, I am!” Wei Yuewu replies with a smile. “Do you know my mother?”
“Yes, but we don’t know each other personally,” Beauty Wang blinked and said softly. “I’ve seen her several times from afar.”
“You are the legitimate daughter of the third branch of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang?” Beauty Wang turned to Wei Qiufu and looked her up and down.
The third branch of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang was the least powerful among the three branches, but Wei Qiufu gave off a natural and unrestrained appearance. Sitting beside the slightly childish Wei Yuewu, Wei Qiufu looked more elegant and dignified. Compared to Wei Yuewu who had a delicate and beautiful little face, she was more convincing.
“Yes, Your Highness!” Wei Qiufu answered respectfully. She didn’t look down on Beauty Wang because of her current unknown identity.
“Do you know who I am?” Beauty Wang’s gaze shifted from Wei Qiufu to Wei Yuewu, as if she was weighing something.
“No.” Wei Yuewu shook her head with a blank look on her face.
“I-I seem to have heard of your name.” Wei Qiufu thought of something and said tentatively.
“What did you hear? Tell me!” Beauty Wang asked curiously.
“Nothing much. I heard that you were unlucky and someone framed you. Otherwise, with your status, you will not be like this today,” Wei Qiufu carefully asserted while watching Beauty Wang’s reaction. If she showed the slightest displeasure, she would immediately stop.
Wei Yuewu listened quietly. As she analyzed the meaning of Wei Qiufu’s words, she made some assumptions herself.
“Someone framed me?” Beauty Wang laughed coldly, and the expression on her face suddenly turned stern. “Even all of you know that I was wrongly accused at that time, but… no one believed me. They were so good at this! They killed many birds with one stone, and many lives had perished.”
Her remarks were vague and ambiguous, but from the fierce and resentful look on Beauty Wang’s face, they could tell that it should be related to her being locked up.
However, this matter was related to the secrets of the royal family, so both Wei Qiufu and Wei Yuewu did not pursue the matter any further and lowered their heads silently, listening to Beauty Wang’s wrathful grunt.
“What are you doing in the Palace this time?” Beauty Wang sneered and pondered for a while before looking at them.
“We’re here to accompany the Third Princess to pray for the prosperity of the country,” Wei Qiufu quickly replied respectfully. Compared to her, Wei Yuewu, who was still looking down, looked much more reserved.
“I heard that the Palace is holding a nation-wide selection to select the Crown Princess. Are you not involved in this now that you stay in Chu Xiu Palace?” Beauty Wang frowned deeply. The deep wrinkles on her forehead indicated that she had been frowning a lot.
Must there be something else other than accompanying the Third Princess for prayers when they lived in Chu Xiu Palace? Wei Yuewu didn’t say anything, but there was a doubt in her heart. Did she overlook something?
“H-His Highness has already taken my tag,” Wei Qiufu answered shyly, covering her blushing face with a handkerchief.
“The Crown Prince took your tag?” Beauty Wang’s eyes suddenly widened, and there was excitement in those lifeless eyes.
The minute Wei Yuewu raised her head, she bumped into the sight, and her gaze became darker. Her eyes fluttered slightly before she lowered her head again as if she did not know how to deal with the current situation.
“What about Sixth Young Lady?” Beauty Wang turned to Wei Yuewu.
“I… I…” Wei Yuewu seemed to not know how to answer, and her face turned red, stammering nervously.
“My Sixth Younger Sister wasn’t…” Wei Qiufu helped her out at the right time. However, her answer sounded quite ambiguous. Whether Wei Yuewu wasn’t a candidate in the nation-wide selection or she was not selected, it was really hard to tell.
However, this was what Wei Yuewu needed. She felt that she could not see through Beauty Wang’s mind, and she did not want to be involved in those old matters of the imperial palace. It was very obvious that Beauty Wang’s purpose was not just to meet them.
She seemed to be choosing and examining…
No matter what reason it was, Wei Yuewu did not want to be a part of it at all.
“Oh, I see.” Beauty Wang looked disappointed. She looked at Wei Yuewu and then at Wei Qiufu and seemed to be very reluctant to part with them.
“Your Highness, may I know why you want to see us? If there is nothing else, I would like to go back with my Fourth Elder Sister to take a rest,” Wei Yuewu lifted her head and blurted with a confused expression. It seemed as if she couldn’t see the situation clearly and she didn’t realize how inappropriate she sounded right now.
Wei Yuewu’s behavior rendered Beauty Wang speechless, and her face sank. She was so pretty, but she was quite a dimwit. Such a person was hard to survive in the Palace.
“That’s all I want to say. You’re excused!” Beauty Wang waved her hand unhappily, indicating that they could leave now.
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