Chapter 328 – Intimidation, The Weird Past Events
“Madam Dowager, are you okay?” Tu Yuzhen looked back in shock at Madam Dowager’s dramatic reaction.
“I’m fine. The cup slipped out of my hand, that’s all.” Madam Dowager regained her composure, and she even donned a faint smile on her face.
“Ninth Miss Tu, thank you for informing us about Zhaoyi Tu’s intention to pay respects here. Please express our gratitude to her on our behalf. We’ve always felt sorry toward your family, and we will remember your kindness,” Madam Dowager sighed.
“What do you mean…” Tu Yuzhen couldn’t understand what Madam Dowager said.
“Second Miss Tu died of depression because of my eldest son, and we’ve always felt sorry for that. Zhaoyi Tu can rest assured that we, the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, will forever remember this matter,” Madam Dowager asserted with a faint tone, and she made her points clearer.
At this moment, Madam Dowager was clear that Zhaoyi Tu sent Ninth Miss Tu here to remind them about the debt their family owed to the Tu Family in the past. In fact, it was a sacrifice, and the prestigious legitimate daughter of the family died. Back then, the Tu Family’s loss was devastating.
Regarding this matter, the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang had no choice but to agree to Grand Preceptor Tu Mansion’s request.
The Ninth Miss Tu in front of her should be one of the noble ladies that His Majesty had asked Wei Luowen to choose as his new wife. Zhaoyi Tu used this past event as the ultimatum, so Madam Dowager had no choice but to agree.
“Madam Dowager, what happened back then…” Concubine Dong noticed the peculiar atmosphere and faltered anxiously.
She also knew a bit about what happened back then, and she even knew some details that Madam Dowager wasn’t clear about.
“Shut up!” Madam Dowager snapped, annoyed that Concubine Dong was raking up the past.
Since Madam Dowager had already made it so clear, Tu Yuzhen had nothing to say but to stand up and excuse herself. “Madam Dowager, I’ll take my leave now and report to Zhaoyi Tu about our meeting today.”
“Thank you, Ninth Miss Tu!” Madam Dowager said politely, asking Nanny Hong to send her to the gate of the courtyard.
“Madam Dowager, what happened back then has nothing to do with Second Miss Tu. She was weak, to begin with, and it was impossible for her to marry Lord Marquis, but Grand Preceptor Tu Mansion showed her to the public to mislead everyone, and they even put the blame of her death on us,” Concubine Dong felt wronged and lamented after Tu Yuzhen left.
In Concubine Dong’s eyes, what happened back then could not be discussed in this way. Even though the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang owed Second Miss Tu over what happened back then, she, Concubine Dong, had nothing to do with this. Why should she bear the consequences for what Qin Xinrui had done?
At the thought of this, Concubine Dong was indignant and frustrated, but she didn’t dare to mention the deeper secret behind this matter. She knew how ruthless Madam Dowager was.
“Leave!” Madam Dowager sat in front of the table and glowered with a gloomy face.
“Madam Dowager, I…” Concubine Dong still wanted to speak, but Nanny Hong, who had returned, pulled her out of the room.
Concubine Dong was reluctant to leave, but she knew that it was not the right time when she saw Madam Dowager’s gloomy expression, so she exited the room as Nanny Hong pulled her. Once they were outside the courtyard, Concubine Dong grabbed Nanny Hong’s sleeve and asked, “Nanny Hong, what is going on with Ninth Miss Tu? Is she Zhaoyi Tu’s messenger? What did Zhaoyi Tu want her to tell Madam Dowager?”
Although she didn’t hear the entire conversation since she came late, she vaguely felt that something was off. Ninth Miss Tu seemed to be a key person. Otherwise, Zhaoyi Tu would not have sent her over.
“Ninth Miss Tu… I think… His Majesty bestowed her…” Nanny Hong was not in the place to tell her the truth, so she muttered vaguely.
Although she would provide information to Concubine Dong from time to time, she was still wholeheartedly loyal to Madam Dowager.
“His Majesty wants to bestow her to Lord Marquis as Marquise?” Concubine Dong’s eyes suddenly widened as she shrieked anxiously.
“I’m afraid that I can’t help you with anything anymore. Concubine, you’re on your own now. No matter what, Marquise’s courtyard can’t be burned down. Zhaoyi Tu will come here to pay respects to Marquise in the next few days. Ninth Miss Tu is here to convey her message,” Nanny Hong asserted helplessly.
“Zhaoyi Tu wants to come here to pay respects to Marquise?!” Concubine Dong’s expression gloomed. It was so coincidental. Zhaoyi Tu had not come to the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang for years, but she suddenly wanted to come to pay respects when she was about to burn Qin Xinrui’s courtyard. Concubine Dong did not believe that there was such a coincidence.
“Yes, Zhaoyi Tu specially asked Ninth Miss Tu to come over to deliver the message.” Nanny Hong nodded and pulled Concubine Dong’s hand off her sleeve. “Concubine Dong, I can’t stay here with you. Madam Dowager must need me for something. I’ll take my leave first.”
After saying this, she ignored Concubine Dong and hurried into the courtyard. Concubine Dong was so angry that her face turned pale, and she almost went up to pull Nanny Hong back.
However, she was aware that Madam Dowager’s Tranquility Pavilion was not a place where she could be willful, so she could only grit her teeth in dismay and leave in a huff. She was certain that someone must have spread the news in the Palace, and it couldn’t be a mere coincidence.
But who spread the news? Wei Yuewu was not here, and her two maids had always been busy with tasks and orders. Even if they got the news, there was no way for them to inform Wei Yuewu, who was in the Palace.
No way! Concubine Dong was determined to find out who had ruined her plan!
Furthermore, she definitely would not allow Ninth Miss Tu to enter the mansion and marry Lord Marquis. As Concubine Dong walked to the corridor, she pondered for a moment and went directly to the study in the outer courtyard.
She was going to see Lord Marquis and tell him about Ninth Miss Tu’s arrogant attitude. She clearly remembered that Lord Marquis did not have a good impression of daughters of the Tu Family.
“Concubine, are we going to see Lord Marquis now?” Nanny Dong hurriedly asked as she kept up with her.
“Hmph, she wants to marry him as Marquise? Dream on! Back then, the legitimate daughter of her family had to annul the marriage, and someone even died. Does she think she, daughter of a side branch, can marry Lord Marquis?” Concubine Dong hissed indignantly. She had prepared this plot for so long. When she was about to succeed, someone came out of nowhere and wanted to snatch her opportunity.
She couldn’t endure such frustration.
“Concubine, you shouldn’t meet Lord Marquis at this time. I heard that something happened in the Palace,” Nanny Dong looked around and whispered in a low voice. She didn’t enter the room just now. She was at the courtyard, chatting with an old maidservant, who was close to Madam Dowager, when she heard the big news and was eager to tell Concubine Dong about it.
“What is it?” Concubine Dong asked leisurely while walking.
She didn’t think that what happened in the Palace had anything to do with her.
“Something happened to Eldest Young Lady. I heard that she was accidentally shot and her arm was injured,” Nanny Dong kept up with her and informed. “Lord Marquis and Second Master are discussing something in the study right now. It is indeed inappropriate for you to go over.”
“What? Heiress-apparent was injured?” Concubine Dong suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around in shock.
“Yes. I haven’t asked for the details, but I heard that someone accidentally injured her, and her injuries are very serious. Also, this matter concerns the Fourth Young Lady. I heard that it was quite a big deal. At this time, Lord Marquis definitely isn’t in the mood to talk to you,” Nanny Dong advised.
“Is Wei Yuewu alright?” Concubine Dong turned around and asked. She hoped that Wei Yuewu was among the people who were injured.
“I don’t know. I don’t seem to have heard about Sixth Young Lady.” Nanny Dong shook her head and then advised, “Concubine, this is not the right time.”
“What about the geomancer?” At this time, Concubine Dong also calmed down. She realized that she lost her composure after learning that Ninth Miss Tu would marry Wei Luowen.
Something happened in the Palace, and it was related to Wei Fengyao and Wei Qiufu. It was indeed inconvenient for her to go over to the study now.
“He stayed outside the mansion. I originally wanted to wait for Marquise’s courtyard to be burned away before dealing with him, but now…”
“Just deal with him directly!” Concubine Dong barked coldly. Since she couldn’t burn down the courtyard, the geomancer would be nothing but her disaster.
“Concubine, the geomancer is very famous,” Nanny Dong hesitated.
“So what? It’s not like there will be a need for him in the future…” Concubine Dong paused for a moment, and her eyes lit up as if she had thought of something.
“What did you think of?” Nanny Dong asked in confusion.
“Let’s go back.” Concubine Dong grinned proudly and turned around to her own courtyard. If one thing failed, she could come up with something else.
So what if the Tu woman was noble and dignified? With her around, she would not allow her to become Marquise Hua Yang.
Marquise Hua Yang’s position could only be hers. When she secretly got rid of Qin Xinrui back then, she was the only one in this world who could become Marquise Hua Yang.
Zhaoyi Tu? So what? Even the Empress herself couldn’t become Marquise Hua Yang back then.
“Miss, let’s go back!” Jin Ling accompanied Wei Yuewu for a casual stroll in the imperial garden and looked at the sky.
The two of them had been out for a period of time. Originally, they had invited Wei Qiufu to come out with them, but Wei Qiufu had said that she wanted to have a good rest and only went out at night. Therefore, only Wei Yuewu and Jin Ling came out.
“Wait a bit longer!” Wei Yuewu sat in a corridor and casually waved her hand in the air, feeling a gust of wind blow past her palm.
“Miss, are we waiting for someone?” They had actually been around this place for quite a while.
“Guess, who am I waiting for?” Wei Yuewu withdrew her hand with a smile. She had no intention to keep Jin Ling in the dark.
“It should be related to Zhaoyi Tu. Previously, you asked the palace maid about Zhaoyi Tu’s residence. Along the way, it should lead to the place where Zhaoyi Tu lived,” Jin Ling thought for a moment and answered. “But, why did you ask how to go to the Palace gate from here?”
“Could it be that your real intention was not to know where Zhaoyi Tu’s residence was, but to know which way leads to the Palace gate?” Jin Ling was still confused.
Wei Yuewu smiled, and her long eyelashes fluttered. She had already inquired about Zhaoyi Tu’s palace and the path to the Palace gate. If someone went out of Zhaoyi Tu’s palace and headed for the Palace gate, they must pass here…
“Hurry up. We are almost there. I want to tell Zhaoyi Tu about the matters in the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang!” Suddenly, a woman’s voice and footsteps came from the corridor. Judging from the sound of the footsteps, she was not alone.
“Miss, slow down. I can’t catch up with you. Zhaoyi Tu is not in a hurry to hear your report. Relax,” a maid teased.
It was rare to hear such a crisp and refreshing voice in the Palace.
Unexpectedly, it was not a palace maid but a Young Lady. Although Wei Yuewu was taken aback, she stood up when she heard the voice. Without turning her head, she winked at Jin Ling and made a falling down gesture. Jin Ling nodded stealthily, stood behind Wei Yuewu, and hooked Wei Yuewu’s sleeve imperceptibly with her fingers…
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