Chapter 186

Chapter 186 – Retreated Due To Fright! A Key Note Thrown Out!

Chapter 186 Retreated Due to Fright! A Key Note Thrown Out!

“Madam, why are you looking for my lady?” Granny Yan stopped the aggressive Madam Duan at the door.

“I am looking for your Fourth Lady. Ask your Fourth Lady to come out.” Madam Duan said bluntly. She was followed by Duan Jinxiang, who was crying with red eyes.

“Madam, if you have something to say, just say it here!” Granny Yan raised her head and looked at Madam Duan up and down. She said disdainfully.

“A mere servant dares to block me like this?” Madam Duan was angry. At this time, she became even angrier and scolded loudly.

“Madam, although I am only a servant, I am a servant from the palace, and my rank is the fourth grade,” Granny Yan said unhurriedly.

Some of the palace maids and eunuchs had ranks, and they, too, received their salaries.

Madam Duan was stunned for a moment. She immediately restrained the anger on her face. Her expression became cautious. To be able to have a high-ranking palace servant guard her, who on earth was this Fourth Lady?

“May I ask which palace are you from?” Madam Duan smiled.

Imperial Banquet Minister’s official rank was the accessary fourth grade. In terms of rank, he was inferior to Granny Yan. Moreover, Granny Yan was someone from the palace, but Madam Duan did not know which palace she was from. How could Madam Duan dare to offend her? In her heart, she already had the intention to retreat. She no longer had the aggressive appearance she had put on when coming to find trouble with Qu Moying just now.

Originally, she wanted to push this matter onto Fourth Lady Qu, who had no backing, to ease her daughter’s worries about her reputation. Madam Duan hoped she could even make Xu Lipeng resent Qu Moying instead of her daughter.

“Madam, does this have anything to do with you? Do you want to pry into the matters in the palace?” Granny Yan said coldly.

This was such a serious charge that Madam Duan couldn’t bear it.

“No, no, it’s a misunderstanding. I… I just came to see Fourth Lady Qu. I wanted to ask Fourth Lady Qu about what happened. Third Lady Qu wholeheartedly protected Concubine Yu and pushed the matter to my daughter. I really had no choice but to beg Fourth Lady Qu,” Second Madam Duan said humbly.

At this time, how could she dare to argue with Granny Yan? Although she was arrogant, she was not stupid.

There was actually someone sent by the palace to protect Fourth Lady Qu. Moreover, she had a rank. This palace servant seemed to be fearless. It could be seen that the strength of the Master behind her was astonishing. Madam Duan, the wife of Imperial Banquet Minister, was way inferior. She didn’t dare to make trouble with this palace servant.

“Fourth Lady is not in good health. Moreover, this kind of thing is not something that Fourth Lady, an unmarried lady, can settle. Madam, please leave.” Granny Yan bluntly ordered the guest to leave.

“Since Fourth Lady is not feeling well, then we will go back first. We will not disturb her rest,” Madam Duan said with a smile. She reached out and grabbed Duan Jinxiang’s hand, who wanted to go forward, and pulled Duan Jinxiang back forcefully.

Granny Yan gave the mother and daughter a cold look and turned back to the yard.

In the main room, Qu Moying held onto the edge of the table and stood in front of the window. Her gaze fell on Madam Duan’s face. Madam Duan looked delicate, but she looked a bit mean. Looking at the way Madam Duan rushed over just now, Qu Moying could tell that she had come with ill intentions. It was obvious that she was here to bully Qu Moying. She wanted to push the blame on Qu Moying.

Qu Moying gently pursed her cherry lips, and a murderous look flashed in her eyes. Sure enough, if she were too weak, she would be bullied. Even Madam Duan, who had never seen her before, wanted to bully her like she was a pushover.

In fact, for today’s matter, Qu Moying was not the only person with whom Duan Jinxiang could find fault. However, Duan Jinxiang did not dare to make things difficult for Qu Qiuyan, so she went to find Qu Moying. Now that she could not cause trouble for Qu Moying, there was one last option. Duan Jinxiang had no choice but to do it regardless of whether she was willing or not.

Even though they hadn’t thought of this option, Qu Moying would lend them a hand.

Granny Yan entered the yard and looked over. She met Qu Moying’s gaze and silently bowed to the side. Then, she walked towards the wing room and did not come over to disturb Qu Moying’s rest.

Granny Yan was really tactful. She did not seem to be as annoying as Qu Moying had imagined. Moreover, she was helpful at the right time. Qu Moying looked thoughtfully at Granny Yan’s back.

She was not afraid of being educated. She just wanted to see if this educator had any malicious intentions.

If it were just a kind offer to educate her speech and etiquette, it would be a good thing for Qu Moying. At least, it could allow others to openly acknowledge her different behavior from the past. After all, she had been educated by a palace servant. There would naturally not be many mistakes in her words and actions now.

But who did Granny Yan work for?

“Mother, why did you stop me? I wanted to go in to argue with Qu Moying. She was the one who provoked me at that time. If she hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have rushed out to hit that bitch Yu Qingmeng. That bitch now lost her child and blamed it on me. Mother, they can’t blame me for this!”

After walking a short distance from Qianyue House, Duan Jinxiang struggled to get rid of Madam Duan’s grip. She stood still and swung her sleeves angrily. “Mother, didn’t you say that you would bring me here and push all the blame onto Qu Moying? After all, aside from Qu Moying, there was only Qu Qiuyan present during the incident. Just now, Qu Qiuyan also said that she would help us. Why did you retreat when you were there?”

In the wing room just now, the meaning of Qu Qiuyan’s words was that she didn’t get along well with Qu Moying. The two ladies of Qu Mansion were born by two different mothers. Recently, rumor had it that Third Lady Qu’s mother, Yu, had framed Qu Moying. In the end, even the Emperor heard about this news, and Yu was almost divorced.

If not for the timely arrival of Yu’s illness, even if she were not divorced at this time, she would have been demoted to a concubine.

With such a thing in the bag, Qu Mansion’s two ladies must be on bad terms with each other. If the incident were blamed on Qu Moying, Qu Qiuyan would not say anything and could even prove that Duan Jinxiang’s words were right. Then, everything would turn out as Qu Moying’s scheme.

And it had nothing to do with Duan Jinxiang at all.

Marquis Yongning’s Mansion could not blame Duan Jinxiang. When Young Master Yongning saw Duan Jinxiang, although he did not say anything, his face was full of anger, and there was even some disgust in his eyes.

Just because of this, Duan Jinxiang panicked. She really did not want Xu Lipeng to be angry whenever he saw her. When Madam Duan mentioned it, she immediately felt that it was a good idea.

“Not now.” Madam Duan stepped forward and waved her hand, her expression calming down.

“Why not, Mother? Don’t tell me that for the sake of Qu Moying, you would rather let your own daughter suffer. Mother, the way Young Master Yongning looked at me just now was like looking at an enemy. What should I do if I marry him in the future? That bitch Yu Qingmeng will definitely push all the blame onto me.”

Duan Jinxiang’s voice unconsciously rose high, and she screamed.

Madam Duan hurriedly stepped forward to cover her daughter’s mouth and pleaded in a low voice, “My dear, this is Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion, not our own mansion. Speak softly.”

“What’s the use of speaking softly? Young Master Xu has already seen me like this. Mother, I don’t want to live anymore. I would rather die. I don’t want that bitch to take advantage of this and fight against me in the future. I am the wife. Why do you all make it seem like I am just a concubine? The wife has not yet married into the family, but the concubine is already pregnant. This is totally wrong.”

Duan Jinxiang fiercely pulled away Madam Duan’s hand, struggling while crying.

“Alright, alright, my dear. I am trying to think of a way for you!” Madam Duan was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat. Not only was Qu Mansion not their own mansion, but there was also Young Master Yongning and even someone from the palace by Fourth Lady Qu’s side. Madam Duan did not dare to be impudent.

“Mother, what do you think we should do? If we don’t let Qu Moying take the blame for me, then who should take the blame? What should I do?” Duan Jinxiang burst into tears.

“There is one more person. There is another person who can take the blame.” Afraid that her daughter would make a scene, Madam Duan came up with an idea. “Yes, there is another person. That Yu Qingmeng can take the blame.”

“Mother, what are you talking about? Yu Qingmeng lost her child. Now, everyone blames it on me. I was really annoyed by Fourth Lady Qu at that time, so I rushed down. I only touched Yu Qingmeng lightly. Who would have thought that she couldn’t stand still and would fall? Am I to blame for this?”

Duan Jinxiang was so angry that she wanted to tear Yu Qingmeng apart.

“Mother, why can a concubine be pregnant before the wife marries into the family? This is totally against the rule. Didn’t you say in the past that there would be no such thing? Even though this bitch married into Marquis Yongning’s Mansion first, she shouldn’t have a son earlier than me.”

“Yes, that’s it!” Madam Duan gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice.

Duan Jinxiang was just throwing a tantrum. Seeing that her mother was actually deep in thought, she immediately stopped and wiped her tears. “Mother, if this bitch can take the blame herself, that would be the best. Qu Moying taking the blame is indeed relieving, but having that bitch Yu Qingmeng take the blame is even better.”

Duan Jinxiang had originally come to find Qu Moying to condemn her, but the person Duan Jinxiang hated the most now was not Qu Moying but Yu Qingmeng.

If Yu Qingmeng had not gotten into this incident and had really given birth to a son, then the title of the eldest son would be snatched by this bitch.

If she had known that Yu Qingmeng was pregnant, she would have made a move. However, she would not have made a move like this time. She had to think about it clearly and set up a trap to push the matter onto someone else before making a move. Of course, it would be best for Qu Moying to take the blame. In this case, she would be fine and could even pretend to be ignorant and kind.

“Wait, let me think about it!” Madam Duan shook her hand and motioned for her daughter not to make a fuss. She pulled Duan Jinxiang slowly forward and pondered. If they were to take this matter seriously, even Marquis Yongning’s Mansion had to give them an explanation. Before this, Marchioness Yongning only said that the concubine had been engaged with Xu Lipeng long ago, but she did not say that the concubine was pregnant.

In this regard, Marquis Yongning’s Mansion was in the wrong.

Or was this bitch surnamed Yu deliberately hiding it? Thinking about it, she felt it was really possible. Marchioness Yongning should not have let this bitch get pregnant as soon as she married into their mansion, right?

At the corner, a piece of scrunched paper was silently thrown over. It happened to be thrown in front of the mother and daughter. Madam Duan was stunned for a moment, and she winked at the old maid beside her.

The old maid took two steps forward and walked through the Yuedong Gate after the turn. She did not see anyone. Then, she turned back and shook her head at Madam Duan.

The other old maid picked up the scrunched paper on the ground and opened it up in front of Madam Duan. Madam Duan looked at it, and her eyes widened…