Chapter 77 – A Thrilling Traffic Accident In Imperial Palace
They were still in the Empress’ palace, with the Third Princess and the Fourth Princess sitting on the Empress’ right. On the Empress’ left was a beauty in a palace dress, who looked past her prime, about over thirty years of age. This lady should be a high-rank imperial concubine in the palace.
Wei Yuewu was kneeling at the back motionlessly, looking down with her head lowered.
“On your feet!” Empress Tu was as dignified as ever, but for some reason, Wei Yuewu felt that this Empress Tu had watched her for a long time. Although she was kneeling at the back, she could still sense the Empress’ intent gaze. She thus became more alarmed.
“You are all decorous noble young ladies. From what I saw today, I also feel that the popular sayings are true. The two princesses also have good opinions of you. I want to ask you to stay and be study companions of the princesses. What do you think?”
Empress Tu said with a smile.
Wei Yuewu’s heart skipped a beat. She kept her head lowered and remained silent and motionless. She felt slight sweats on her palms. Be study companions of the princesses? She had heard from her granny that there was a place in the palace for the princes and princesses to study. However, her granny had also specially told her to try her best to avoid entering the palace too frequently.
If she became a study-mate, she would have to go to the palace every day. This was what Wei Yuewu was unwilling to see.
“I am not forcing you to stay to accompany the princesses. I want to hear your opinions first.” The Empress was still smiling warmly and graciously, an appearance that was equal to the image of the first lady of the place, the Mother of the Nation.
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will do as you wish!” A young lady spoke with some hesitation.
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will do as you wish!” Another one followed.
The next several young ladies all said the same meaning, expressing their willingness to obey the Empress and study with the two princesses.
Wei Yuewu slightly sweated on her fair tender forehead. She was unwilling. Not to mention the unfathomable situation in the palace, both the Third Princess and the Fourth Princess were difficult to deal with. She did not want to be reduced to ashes in the fire exchanges between the two princesses. Moreover, she had a feeling that the Empress sitting up there was looking at her coldly.
This made her feel very uncomfortable, as if she was being watched as a prey.
Moreover, why did the Third Princess and the Fourth Princess need study-mates at this time? They should have chosen study-mates long before if they really had the need. Princesses and princes generally received education from an early age. However, these two princesses should be approaching fifteen. Why was there the need to invite daughters of aristocratic families to accompany them in their study at this age?
Wei Yuewu must think it through!
More coincidentally, the heirs-apparent had all come to the capital. Those words she had heard from Yan Huaijing and the others last time could be interpreted into another meaning…
Wei Yuewu made her decision almost in the blink of an eye. It was her turn now. She raised her head and answered with a shy smile, “Your Majesty, I have been at home for only a short time and I haven’t seen my father yet… I don’t dare to make decisions on such matters. I will ask my father when he returns to the capital.”
Her tone was shy and somewhat uneasy. One could tell with a glance that she was both willing to agree and afraid of her father. Given her situation, she probably hadn’t seen her father yet since she returned to the capital. It was said that Marquis Hua Yang did not care for her first daughter at all.
That was why this Sixth Miss Wei was so afraid that she didn’t dare to make a decision by herself or agree to what was clearly beneficial to her family.
The Empress did not expect to hear such a reply from Wei Yuewu. After a moment of silence, she looked at Wei Yuewu and said softly, “You can come and study with the princesses first. If your father objects to this, it won’t be late to discuss it again.”
To offer company for a period of time and then leave was completely different from refusing directly in the beginning!
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I don’t dare to make decision by myself. I had better wait for my father…” Wei Yuewu answered timidly. She raised her clear, large and watery eyes that carried traces of desolation and poignancy.
Naturally, whoever in her position as a motherless daughter not loved by her father would be sorry for themselves.
“Your Majesty, since Sixth Miss Wei can’t make the decision, let’s wait until Marquis Hua Yang returns to the capital.” Zhaoyi Tu, who was sitting at the side, suggested smilingly.
“Well…alright!” The Empress nodded in agreement.
Next was to distribute the young ladies to the two princesses. The Third Princess generously let the Fourth Princess pick first. The Fourth Princess stood up without pretending modesty and picked three. The Third Princess accepted the rest three.
Since Wei Yuewu wasn’t staying to study with the princesses, Empress Tu didn’t ask her to stay. She called a eunuch and ordered him to take Wei Yuewu out of the palace.
Wei Yuewu didn’t feel relieved until she got on the carriage.
“Miss, what has happened?” Ever since Wei Yuewu entered the Empress’ palace, Jin Ling felt her young mistress was under stresses and strains. She didn’t relax her nerves even after coming out. When Jin Ling had helped her mistress into the carriage, she could still feel the sweat on her hands. Hands wet with sweat in this cold winter! Jin Ling could see that her mistress had been truly shocked.
At this time, the carriage started to move slowly. They could see the scenery of the palace moving backward through the curtains. Wei Yuewu wiped her hands with a handkerchief and revealed a bitter smile.
“I almost couldn’t get out just now.”
“Why? Isn’t it just to accompany the two princesses in their study? It’s nothing. It’s not like you can’t go back to the mansion.” Jin Ling asked curiously. In her opinion, that really wasn’t a big deal.
“I haven’t been in the capital for long. I haven’t established myself yet in the mansion. It’s really not a good choice to accompany the princesses in the palace at this time. Second Lady and Second Young Lady will not let me off the hook. Furthermore, I do not want to accompany the two princesses.” Wei Yuewu shook her head and didn’t explain thoroughly. “The two princesses should be at the age for marriage!”
Jin Ling was smart. She immediately thought of something and widened her eyes. “Right, considering the ages of the two princesses, will the study-mates be a part of the dowries of the princesses?”
“Whether this is true or not, it has nothing to do with us. Jin Ling, we’ll go to the Madam Dowager first when we are back in the mansion. I’ve told this to Shufei and Huamo.” Wei Yuewu thought for a moment. Now such a thing had happened to Wei Yan, Lady Li would definitely be unacceptable and perhaps even go desperate. Thus the first person she should see at this time was the Madam Dowager.
She could sense that the Madam Dowager had scruples about her.
Wei Yuewu was also puzzled by the Empress’ attitude today. Logically speaking, when she pushed the matter to her father, Marquis Hua Yang, the Empress could ask her to seek the opinion of the Madam Dowager. After all, as long as the Madam Dowager said yes, her irresponsible father couldn’t say no.
She didn’t know if the Empress had forgotten it or if there was something else, but the Empress hadn’t even mentioned the Madam Dowager. Could it be that the Madam Dowager was unable to make the decision?
But then, how did the Empress know that?
She was inexplicably stricken with that lost memory. It seemed that the place of her memory was the palace. And no one other than Empress Tu ruled the Inner Palace…
She was trying her best to connect these unrelated things together with an eye to discover some clues that had escaped her before. She wasn’t on guard when the carriage suffered a violent jolt and moved sideways, as if something had crashed into it. Consequently, Wei Yuewu’s body fell to the side involuntarily.
Jin Ling reached out to grab Wei Yuewu, but the carriage kept falling to one side. Her hand happened to miss Wei Yuewu, who was about to fall out of the carriage…
The carriage suffered a violent collision. Jin Ling extended her hand, but failed to catch Wei Yuewu.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Yuewu reached out her hand and grabbed Jin Ling’s sleeve. Jin Ling reacted quickly. She turned her hand over, grabbed Wei Yuewu’s sleeve and pulled her in with all her strength. Only then did Wei Yuewu’s body stop falling forward. However, at this time, the carriage was overturned and the two of them fell out in spite of themselves.
Jin Ling carefully protected Wei Yuewu and after a few rolls they finally stopped.
There were high walls on both sides, which meant that if Wei Yuewu had fallen out at the previous speed, her head would definitely hit the blue stones of the high wall and she would die on the spot…
There was a galloping horse that had already run far away, leaving only a visible back. It was impossible to see who had hit her carriage.
This road did not look like a main road but more like a lane between two mansions. The width only allowed one carriage and a few pedestrians at most. At such a place, a running horse would absolutely turn a carriage upside down. And now, her carriage had indeed been capsized here.
“Sixth Young Lady, are you… alright?” The coachman fell too, but didn’t seem to hurt much. He limped over. Not far away, a few passers-by were stunned blank by the scene in front of them. This beautiful lady in the carriage was almost knocked to death here.
Such a dangerous scene naturally scared the passers-by out of wits.
“Why did you take this path?” Wei Yuewu raised her head, her clear eyes shining with coldness that was incompatible with her age.
“This… this route, I felt it was shorter.” The coachman froze for a while. He then hurriedly lowered his head and replied.
“You chose a small road instead of a main road. And a galloping horse came out of nowhere and knocked over Miss’s carriage. Miss almost died here. What a good route you picked!” Jin Ling harshly scolded him. “So I see, the servants of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang can actually choose whichever route they want without asking their mistresses.”
“No… I thought this way would allow us to return to the mansion faster.” The coachman was already sweating on the forehead. If something really had happened to Wei Yuewu, the current situation wouldn’t have occurred. He could evade responsibility by saying it was Wei Yuewu’s idea. However, now, Wei Yuewu was well alive and so calm.
She didn’t seem like a girl who had narrowly escaped death. She stood there with composure. Her watery eyes under her long eyelids were clear and cold, but they looked very calm, as if she didn’t realize that she had just escaped from the gate of hell.
Mo Huating was not far away. He silently stared at this girl who looked like a porcelain doll, and a trace of darkness flashed in his eyes.
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