Chapter 404 - A Message from Shao Jie’er
Chapter 404 A Message from Shao Jie’er
Qin Yuru did have a dirty little secret on the way to Prince Cheng’s Mansion so she then left on her own in a hurry.
By the way, since she now came to dislike Di Yan strongly, why not try her best to marry up if possible?
She had thought about it carefully; if she impressed Prince Cheng positively, it was still possible for her to be his vice consort or just a concubine with her background and the support from Duke Xing’s Mansion, even if she could not win the position of Princess Consort. Thus, for Qin Yuru, it would not matter too much even though she had an engagement with others because she had no desire to the title of Prince Cheng’s Consort.
It seemed that her current idea and Ning Caixian’s had at least one thing in common.
It would not affect her too much even if her reputation was ruined. Anyway, she didn’t want the position of Princess Consort. Was she able to marry Prince Cheng and give birth to a boy, it would be possible for her to force the present Princess Consort to abdicate and then win the title!
However, the most indispensable premise was that she had to leave a deep impression on Prince Cheng. About this, Qin Yuru never considered it as a difficulty for she had always known that she was very pretty and her appearance was superior to other ladies of aristocratic families in the capital city.
Nanny Huang once told her that it was of great importance for a woman to be soft and gentle. When she had been in Jiangzhou, she did make it. However, when she had arrived in the capital city, she became more irascible because of Di Yan.
Thus, it would not be difficult for her to redisplay her once gentlewomanly behaviors.
If Qin Yuru were selected by Prince Cheng, as regards her engagement with Di Yan, she would not think it a great matter. Once her status went up, Di Yan would not be out of her league. Moreover, she was favored by her grandmother, which meant that her dear grandma would not force her to marry the useless guy and would even help her cancel the engagement privately by telling the public that they had never engaged to each other and it was just a rumor.
Qin Yuru took it for granted that everything would turn out the way she wanted it to. Thus, she slipped away with her intention and turned in another direction when Qin Wanru was not with her. After walking along a path, she stopped a servant girl of Prince Cheng’s Mansion and inquired about Prince Cheng’s location. Then, she went towards the central garden with Mei Xue directly because she was told that Prince Cheng now was in the garden.
Since a consort selection was held today while it was not appropriate for Prince Cheng, a male, to appear in front of others, it was certain that he would watch them privately somewhere overhead.
Simply put, she only needed to find a higher place.
As Qin Yuru came towards the garden with this plan, she quickly found the pavilion where Prince Cheng was. Although the pavilion was a bit hidden, located on another side of an artificial hill, Qin Yuru still found it with her sharp eyes and felt that someone was there.
Surprised, she quickly checked her dress and was ready to rush there. However, her sleeve was grabbed by someone. She immediately turned around and found it was Shao Jie’er.
“First Miss Qin, where are you going?”
Even though she knew Shao Jie’er was kind to her, Qin Yuru still felt it was improper to tell her the truth. Then she put on a poker face and answered with a smile, “I had a bit chest tightness, so I am walking around to relieve it!”
“Here is the Prince Cheng’s Mansion! Don’t ramble around!” Shao Jie’er warned her. Since she had been to the Flower Hall and greeted Rui’an Great Elder Princess, she then went to look for Qin Yuru and intended to tell her Madam of Duke Xing’s words.
“It is too crowded here and it makes me sick.” Qin Yuru pretended to feel uncomfortable in her chest.
“Come with me!” Shao Jie’er trusted her lie and said with her shining eyes when pointing at a porch at the corner, which was not only remotely located but also quite far away from the pavilion on that hill. Qin Yuru was extremely reluctant to follow her.
However, Shao Jie’er was so passionate that Qin Yuru was pulled by her resignedly.
“First Miss Qin, my mother intends to know what happened to your mansion on earth? How come? What is your mother’s purpose by causing this trouble?” As soon as Qin Yuru took her seat, Shao Jie’er quickly looked serious and retold Madam of Duke Xing’s words verbatim.
Had Madam Di not ceaselessly caused troubles, Qin Yuru would have been in Duke Xing’s Mansion now.
Her words displeased Qin Yuru. However spiteful Madam Di was, she was her biological mother. Thinking of her current situation, Qin Yuru could not help feeling guilty.
Shao Jie’er was only a daughter of a concubine! How could she look down upon her mother! Even though she was here to retell Madam of Duke Xing’s words, she went too far this time!
“I have told everything to the First Miss of your mansion. Why ask again?” Qin Yuru’s face turned dark and replied with a bad attitude.
Qin Yuru’s words displeased Shao Jie’er in turn. “Qin Yuru is just a lady of a normal family. How can she really treat herself as the daughter of Madam of Duke Xing even if grandma likes her!”
“Big sister is very busy and she has no time to care about you,” said Shao Jie’er with a gloomy look.
“She doesn’t tell Madam of Duke Xing these even though she asked me about it?” astounded, Qin Yuru asked astonishedly with her wide-open eyes.
When she was lost in the crowd on New Year’s Eve and unable to find others, she encountered First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion. The moment she met this lady, she was deeply impressed by her beauty. It was also the first time that Qin Yuru had admitted that her appearance was not comparable to that of First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion.
First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion was famous for her talent and beauty. However, Qin Yuru had thought that she didn’t deserve this before because Qin Yuru had believed that it just depended on a good rumor, for she had also been known by others for her talents and beauty when in Jiangzhou in this way. But when she met First Miss Shao finally, Qin Yuru had to acknowledge that she was inferior to this lady.
Her manner, her appearance and her mild and benevolent countenance, which seemed that she would never get angry, were incomparable among all ladies Qin Yuru had ever seen before. She seemed to get the power of easing one’s mind and making others express their true feelings willingly.
After introducing herself, Qin Yuru immediately said yes to Shao Yanru’s invitation and hoped to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. Thus, when Shao Yanru asked about this matter, she told Shao Yanru everything and she even disclosed some details of the event which happened in Jiangzhou.
First Miss Shao also said that since her grandma preferred Qin Yuru, she would also favor her and was willing to treat Qin Yuru as her sister.
Shao Yanru even brought her to the way to Qin’s Mansion for fear that Qin Yuru would be doubted by others. She didn’t let Qin Yuru leave on her own until Qin Wanru and the other people came.
It could say that First Miss Shao was perfect in Qin Yuru’s mind!
Qin Yuru had never been impressed so deeply by others, including those ladies of aristocratic families and those of common families in the capital city.
She had considered Shao Yanru as the best lady of the aristocratic family in the capital city.
Even so, Qin Yuru now had to doubt her. First Miss Shao had promised her that she would tell Madam of Duke Xing about what happened in Qin’s Mansion and had asked her not to get worried for she would figure out the best way to help Qin Yuru with her mother and grandma. However, according to Shao Jie’er’s words, it was obvious that Shao Yanru didn’t tell Madam of Duke Xing!
“Big Sister did come once but she didn’t go home, so it is impossible for her to let mother know!” curling her lip, Shao Jie’er suddenly felt Qin Yuru was an idiot.
“Big sister enjoys a high status here and she will never particularly return to Duke Xing’s Mansion and just play a role as a messenger! Well, Qin Yuru must think too highly of herself and must believe that she is the one whom grandma likes most. How stupid!”
“The only granddaughter whom grandma likes most has always been my big sister! There is no exception!”
“First Miss didn’t return to the mansion?” Qin Yuru asked uncertainly, “It was very late then…”
“That night her return was contrived secretly, so it was inappropriate for her to show up! Anyway, there is no need for you to care about my big sister. Madam and Madam Dowager know what to do. Now, the only thing you need to do is tell me everything about the accident in your mansion!” said Shao Jie’er crossly. As she had no way to gather information about Shao Yanru, Qin Yuru’s intense inquiries about her big sister quite annoyed her.
Even if she was a daughter of a concubine, she thought highly of herself because her father was Duke Xing. Had Madam of Duke Xing not ordered her, she would not have expressed her sincerity to Qin Yuru forwardly.
When Qin Yuru had arrived at Duke Xing’s Mansion that day, she only had a very short talk with her out of courtesy. However, Shao Jie’er had always disdained Qin Yuru in her mind for she would never forget the very first time Qin Yuru came to Duke Xing’s Mansion, she was found fainted at the entrance of backyard because she was shocked by her scandal.
“Nothing. My mother is ill, seriously ill!” Qin Yuru slurred.
“Well, your mother has a good sense of timing! Well done! How can your mother just get sick right around this time! Eh? Doesn’t she know she will screw everything up?” Shao Jie’er twitched her mouth and gave Qin Yuru a reply with a sneer.
She sneered at not only Madam Di but also Qin Yuru.
Qin Yuru noticed Shao Jie’er’s disdain for her mother and herself from her words but Qin Yuru didn’t dare to snap at her in that she knew it was no good for her if she messed with Shao Jie’er.
Calming down, Qin Yuru said, “I wonder what Madam of Duke Xing wants me to do.”
“Madam, eh, mother intends to know whether you have a plan. The matter that you fought with your sister in public has a very negative influence. Besides, your mother now is ill and you are unable to leave as you want, which means you can’t meet grandma. So she wants to know if you have any idea. Do you?” Shao Jie’er threw the question back.
Shao Jie’er was just a daughter of a concubine and her status was not very high. Usually, she called Madam of Duke Xing “madam”. However, this time she pretended to be favored by Madam of Duke Xing by calling her “mother”, which did astonish Qin Yuru.
Although Qin Yuru was able to attend this banquet today, it was inappropriate for Madam Dowager of Duke Xing’s Mansion to show up since no senior accompanied these ladies of aristocratic families today.
“Well…” Qin Yuru was hesitant and quickly glanced at Shao Jie’er.
“Just say it. I am here for you today. My aim is to see whether you have plans and to help you as much as possible!” said Shao Jie’er.
Qin Yuru answered, “Well, I, I do have one but I am not sure whether it is available…”
Nanny Huang had figured out one for her and she wanted Qin Yuru to let Madam of Duke Xing know at the right time. As for why she looked hesitant, it was because Nanny Huang told her to do so.
“Fine, just say it. If your sister comes here, it will be inconvenient for us to discuss!” Shao Jie’er replied impatiently.
Then Qin Yuru leaned over Shao Jie’er and began to whisper to her. Shao Jie’er who had looked disdainful just now kept nodding in agreement and her countenance now looked eased.