by Ning er
Qu Fei Qing personally took out some of her best clothes from her wardrobe and brought them over. Some of the more sensible servant girls also quickly pulled down all of the curtains to prevent Yun Qian Meng from catching a cold while her clothes were changed.
Ji Shu Yu watched as Gu laotaijun wait patiently beside Yun Qian Meng with tender eyes. Worried about Gu laotaijun’s health, she said with concern, “Mother, you’re not so young anymore. Please go back to rest! With erxi here, nothing will happen to Meng’er!”
But laotaijun was not going to listen to her advice. She stubbornly shook her head and walked away from the carved wooden bed. Letting the other servants lower the drapes, she waited for Yun Qian Meng’s personal maid, Mu Chun to help Yun Qian Meng change by herself.
“Fei’er, just what happened? Why did Meng’er become like this?” While waiting Yun Qian Meng’s clothes to be changed, Ji Shu Yu pulled Qu Fei Qing over and asked with a frown.
Qu Fei Qing swept her eyes across the room to look at the servants. Leaving behind only four of her personal maids, she rubbed her eyes as she recounted everything that had happened at Hai wangfu from start to finish. “laotaijun, Meng’er already backed down many times today, but Hai Tian was just too aggressive. In the end, she even wanted to frame Meng’er! Meng’er didn’t have a choice. When she saw that Hai Tian wouldn’t stop tangling with her, she was forced to fall into the water!”
Even after five minutes, Gu laotaijun and Ji Shu Yu were still unable to recover from Qu Fei Qing’s story. The dancing flames of the candles flickered across Gu laotaijun’s face, illuminating it to reveal her cold, unmoving expression. Ji Shu Yu’s heart immediately jumped as she looked nervously at the taciturn Gu laotaijun.
Bang!
The sound of a walking stick slamming into the floor suddenly resounded in the quiet room. Qu Fei Qing and Ji Shu Yu exchanged a glance and turned to look at Gu laotaijun simultaneously. Seeing her stormy eyes, gloomy expression, tightly pursed lips, and the dreadful aura she was releasing from her body, they immediately saw that laotaijun was really, really angry about this matter.
“Mother, please quell your anger! You must not get angry just because of a youngster like that Hai Tian junzhu!” Noticing that laotaijun’s chest was moving up and down erratically, Ji Shu Yu immediately reached out and carefully helped her steady her breath, gently comforting her at the same time.
However, Ji Shu Yu was actually just as angry on the inside. Their Fu Guo gongfu’s young misses were also the top of the nobility. How could they just let some random princess walk all over them?
Even though Hai Wang was a strong ally of the previous Emperor, Fu Guo gongfu was also responsible for assisting the state at that time. For Hai Tian junzhu to act so ruthlessly towards Yun Qian Meng, it was clear that she wasn’t acting on merely a young girl’s impulse!
“What about Zhang Qing? What is he doing as the elder brother? How could he leave two girls like you all by yourself? If Meng’er hadn’t let go of your hand quickly, perhaps not just one, but both of you would have fallen into the lake!” Gu laotaijun lifted a hand to stop Ji Shu Yu from comforting her. Then, her eyes filled with criticism, she shot a sharp, piercing glare at Qu Fei Qing.
Of course, Qu Fei Qing was also feeling full of self-blame. At laotaijun’s questioning, she immediately fell to her knees and earnestly said, “zumu, please quell your anger! It was sunnü who pulled Meng’er aside to talk about intimate matters and accidentally drew the attention of that wild wolf! zumu, please blame sunnü! When it happened, dage was also extremely anxious, and almost followed Chu Xiang and the others to jump in to save her. Please, zumu, don’t blame dage!”
Hearing Qu Fei Qing say this, even Ji Shu Yu couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. She felt even more distressed for Yun Qian Meng as she slightly scolded her own daughter, “How can you be so silly? Don’t you remember what mom usually teaches you? You are a well-bred lady from a big family and must pay attention to your identity at all times! How can you forget to bring servants along with you? Otherwise, if anything happened on that ship, how do you expect us to explain things to the xiangfu?”
Qu Fei Qing quickly remembered how Yun Qian Meng had looked alarmed when she was about to fall into the lake. If Yun Qian Meng hadn’t let go of her then, perhaps Hai Tian would have gotten rid of both of them!
As she thought about this, Qu Fei Qing also started to get angry. However, the situation wasn’t something a mere young girl like her could resolve. She could only wait for laotaijun to make a decision.
Gu laotaijun made a deep sigh. With a mocking look in her eyes, she said, “Does Hai Wang really think that other people won’t figure out his evil intentions just because he hides deep in the mountains and the woods? He really knows how to teach his daughter, being able to raise such a vile and vicious girl! Okay, no need to kneel, just let Meng’er rest properly at your place for the next few days. You better not forget what your mother just said to you. This time, consider it a wake-up call; danger lurks in every corner of the capital. You must never lower your guard!”
Qu Fei Qing calmed down after she listened to Gu laotaijun’s advice. She quietly said yes then stood up in silence, obediently standing beside Ji Shu Yu.
“laotaijun, Nie yuanshou is here!” At this moment, An mama slipped past the curtains and announced. Seeing Gu laotaijun nod, she then bent her body and led a white-haired, white-bearded old man into the room.
“laochen greets laotaijun, greets Hou ye furen!” Noticing that Gu laotaijun was still sitting in the room, Nie yuanshou immediately bowed in greeting.
Seeing that the imperial physician she trusted arrive, laotaijun’s expression warmed slightly. She smiled and politely said, “yuanshou is too polite! I’m really apologetic for sending for you at such a late hour!”
Yet when Nie yuanshou heard her, he only smiled calmly, “It’s laotaijun who is too polite. laochen has already retired now, laotaijun should probably stop referring to laochen as yuanshou!”
laotaijun didn’t seem to feel angry or embarrassed at his response. She only smiled slightly and motioned to the wooden bed on her left, saying, “Then please help examine my wai sunnü!”
Hearing this, Nie taiyi bowed with his hands clasped and replied, “Of course!” before walking to the side of the bed. Mu Chun having already pulled Yun Qian Meng’s hand out from under the drapes, covered her wrist with a silk handkerchief. Then, she moved backwards and stood to a side, quietly waiting for the imperial physician to make his diagnosis.
“How is it?” Gu laotaijun, still somewhat anxious, actually stood up and, with Ji Shu Yu and Qu Fei Qing’s support, walked over to the bed to ask.
Nie taiyi continued to carefully take Yun Qian Meng’s pulse with a serious expression on his face. Pausing for a while after laotaijun’s question, he stood up and answered, “xiaojie was shocked by her fall into the lake. Add on the cold temperature of the water as well as the cold weather seeping into her body, that’s why she has such a high fever! laochen will prescribe some medicine afterwards, xiaojie should recover if she takes it. Still, even though the weather is gradually getting warmer, it’s not quite summer yet. laotaijun should advise xiaojie not to play in the water just because she wants to cool off! Girls’ bodies have always been closer to yin energy, it really isn’t good if they come in contact with too much cold yin! After xiaojie’s fever recedes, she will still need to rest properly in order to fully recover!”
Gu laotaijun finally felt relieved at his words. For the first time tonight, her face showed a heartfelt smile. She personally sent Nie taiyi out of the room, then waved for An mama to follow him to prepare the medicine.
After sending him off, Gu laotaijun wanted to go back and take another look at Yun Qian Meng. But Ji Shu Yu brought Qu Fei Qing over and gently said, “Mother, it’s already late. You should return and rest early. All of us will be keeping watch here, we won’t let anything happen to Meng’er!” As she spoke, she glanced at Qu Fei Qing beside he
r from the corner of her eyes.
Qu Fei Qing received the message and immediately stepped up to pull at Gu laotaijun’s arms, saying coquettishly, “zumu, sunnü will stay and protect Meng’er, you can go back earlier! If you exhaust yourself because of her, even if Meng’er recovers, she won’t be happy at all!”
Gu laotaijun knew that the two of them were teaming up to send her back to rest. Looking at the room, she noticed that most of the servants were wary and nervous at her presence. Hence, she only nodded and told Ji Shu Yu a few things before she allowed herself to be sent off by Qu Fei Qing.
Ji Shu Yu sighed in relief after finally succeeding in getting Gu laotaijun to leave. Returning to the bedside, she looked at Yun Qian Meng whose eyebrows were tightly furrowed in pain, feeling extremely sorry for her……
Five days later.
“Meng’er, stop reading, quickly drink the medicine!” On this day, just ten minutes after breakfast, Qu Fei Qing had her servants bring the medicine into the bed room. As she saw Yun Qian Meng lean against the couch with a book in her hands, she spoke with a smile.
Yun Qian Meng heard her footsteps and lowered the book from her line of sight. Seeing the bowl of medicine behind Qu Fei Qing, the interested expression she had while reading immediately vanished. Suddenly lying down on the couch, she shamelessly said, “biaojie, my body is already fine! Can I stop taking the medicine from today on?”
Qu Fei Qing immediately smiled when she saw Yun Qian Meng act like this. Letting the servants put the medicine on the table, she walked over to the couch and pulled at Yun Qian Meng’s hands, begging her, “Do you know how you looked when you got back that day? It really made everyone worried! laotaijun actually lost her temper because of this, and even sent for Nie taiyi who rarely accepts patients to take your pulse! Not just anyone can enjoy that kind of fortune! But just because your fever has slightly receded, you shamelessly want to skip taking the medicine? Even if you are serious, I won’t let you get away with it! I will keep my eye on you at all times until you have completely recovered!”
Yun Qian Meng helplessly allowed Qu Fei Qing to pull her up. Then, wagging her head playfully as she listened to Qu Fei Qing’s speech, she mouthed the exact same words back at her.
Qu Fei Qing couldn’t maintain her serious expression, breaking out into a smile as she saw how playful Yun Qian Meng was being. She lightly poked at Yun Qian Meng’s forehead, smilingly saying, “I really don’t know what to do with you! Looking at you know, it’s impossible to imagine that you’re the same person who was calm and cool in front of Hai Tian back then!”
Yun Qian Meng snatched the opportunity to embrace Qu Fei Qing’s waist and continued to plead, “Great biaojie, please spare me today! The medicine is too bitter, and I don’t like the honey sweets. Every time I finish the medicine, my mouth stays bitter for such a long time!”
As she said this, Yun Qian Meng scrunched up her pretty face, sending a foreboding look at the medicine on the table. She even shrunk backwards with a slight shudder.
But Qu Fei Qing couldn’t let her do as she pleased. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to report back to laotaijun, and it also wouldn’t be good for Yun Qian Meng’s recovery.
She only pretended not to see Yun Qian Meng’s scrunched-up, smiling face and let Mu Chun carry the medicine over and feed it to her lips. Her bright and clear eyes stared unblinkingly at Yun Qian Meng, maintaining a firm expression.
Yun Qian Meng didn’t expect that her gentle cousin would actually be so firm and resolute about this matter. She knew that if she didn’t drink it, the bowl might even be forced to her lips. She only sighed and took the bowl of medicine, closing her eyes to gulp it down in a single breath!
Mu Chun quickly prepared a bowl of rinsing water to wait for Yun Qian Meng to rinse her mouth after she put the medicine bowl down.
Just as Yun Qian Meng finished taking the medicine, Ji Shu Yu’s personal maid, An mama walked in. She bowed to the two young misses and smilingly said, “da xiaojie, biaoxiaojie! Hai wangfei and Hai Tian junzhu just came to our fu. laotaijun is asking for both of you!”
Hearing this, Yun Qian Meng and Qu Fei Qing exchanged a glance. Qu Fei Qing then asked, “Why is laotaijun asking for us?”
An mama had already received Ji Shu Yu’s instructions before coming. She didn’t dare to conceal anything and immediately answered, “It’s naturally about the matter of biaoxiaojie falling into the lake! shaoye is currently entertaining Hai wangfu’s Wu gongzi at the main courtyard!”
The news was outside Yun Qian Meng and Qu Fei Qing’s expectations. They knew that Hai Chen Xi and Hai Tian didn’t get along well with each other. There must be an interesting reason if he came along with her to Fu Guo gongfu!
“If that’s the case, biaojie, we should get moving quickly. We shouldn’t keep laotaijun waiting!” Yun Qian Meng received a handkerchief from Mu Chun and wiped her mouth with it before standing up and saying.
Qu Fei Qing also noticed that in her words, she only mentioned laotaijun, brushing over Hai wangfu’s people completely. Smiling as well, she helped Yun Qian Meng tidy up her appearance and then followed An mama to go to Rui Lin Yuan.
This time, Gu laotaijun didn’t invite Hai wangfei into her room. Instead, she kept them in the guest room and only quietly drank some tea while waiting. When Yun Qian Meng and Qu Fei Qing entered, laotaijun smiled and beckoned Yun Qian Meng to come closer. After carefully examining her complexion, she finally said with relief, “Your body has caught a cold, so you must take the medicine every day and take care of it properly! You mustn’t leave behind any hidden ills!”
Yun Qian Meng knew that laotaijun was purposely saying this in front of Hai wangfei and Hai Tian for them to hear it. So, she faked a few coughs and feebly said, “Meng’er will remember wai zumu’s words. I won’t treat my body as a joke!”
As she said this, Hai wangfei’s body paused as she was drinking her tea while Hai Tian just quietly sat beside her, making it hard to see her current thoughts.
laotaijun was extremely satisfied with Yun Qian Meng’s response. She smiled and told them, “Both of you, quickly greet Hai wangfei and junzhu! They both came here today just to visit you two!”
Yun Qian Meng and Qu Fei Qing immediately followed to bow, “Greetings to Hai wangfei! Greetings to junzhu!”
When they finally ’noticed’ her presence, Hai wangfei forced down the anger boiling in her heart. She smiled and slightly pulled them up, saying, “Just stand up! We are not exactly outsiders, no need to be so polite!”
As Hai wangfei said this, laotaijun frowned slightly and immediately brushed off her words, strictly berating Yun Qian Meng and Qu Fei Qing, “wangfei is too kind-hearted! Meng’er and Fei’er are subjects to royalty, so they must naturally maintain the proper manners required of their status as subjects! Manners cannot be disposed of! Do you two understand?!”
“sunnü understands, we will remember laotaijun’s teachings!” Both of them lowered their heads and answered simultaneously.
Knowing that laotaijun was actually drawing a clear line between them and Hai wangfu when she scolded her granddaughters, Hai wangfei couldn’t help but feel her anger rise.
However, Gu laotaijun was definitely difficult to deal with. Her words never strayed from the duties of a subject to royalty. In the end, as a wangfei, she could not discard the importance of etiquette. There was no way she could refute what Gu laotaijun said, she could only listen and swallow her anger!
laotaijun watched as Hai wangfei was forced to swallow the nail. She even continued to play up her obedience after gaining the advantage, smiling as she respectfully told Hai wangfei, “Sorry for showing such an unsightly thing to wangfei! It just won’t do if we don’t properly teach our children; if the Heavens punished us with misfortune, it would already be too late for regrets!”
Hai wangfei knew that Gu laotaijun was pointing at the mulberry tree to scold the locust. She only showed an embarrassed smile and turned to look at Qu Fei Qing. Seeing
her gentle beauty and sweet temperament, as well as her personality that was fitting for a well-bred young lady from a wealthy family, she showed a pleased expression as she praised, “At Hai wangfu, because there were so many xiaojie around, I didn’t manage to take a good look at da xiaojie! Looking at you now, you really are worthy to be raised by laotaijun! It was definitely my loss!”
Qu Fei Qing knew why Hai wangfei was sizing her up so intently. Even though she felt uncomfortable, she didn’t let her unwillingness show on her face. Not arrogant or impatient, she bowed to Hai wangfei and said modestly, “wangfei niangniang overpraised. chennü is not worthy!”
“That’s right, wangfei really thinks too highly of this kid! She’s usually quite naughty at home! I personally think that junzhu is the one that really has the demeanor of royalty, her every move and posture is worthy for Meng’er and Fei’er to take as an example!” laotaijun naturally didn’t let Hai wangfei prop Qu Fei Qing up too highly. Otherwise, if the previous matter was brought up, it would have been difficult for her to retort. Hence, she pulled out Hai Tian who had remained silent for a comparison, preventing Qu Fei Qing from being left under the spotlight.
Even though Hai wangfei knew exactly why Gu laotaijun was praising her daughter, she still really felt that her daughter was her pride and joy. Even though she never really loved Hai Wang, she still treated him with due respect all for Hai Tian!
However, the reason they had come today was not for Hai Tian to show off. After everyone had left that day, Hai Wang had called her, Hai Tian and Hai Chen Xi to his study to find out just why Yun Qian Meng had fallen into the lake. In the end, he fiercely scolded Hai Tian for a quite a while. She had to finally think up a compromise and bring Hai Tian to Fu Guo gongfu on this day!
Hai wangfei therefore retrieved her gaze from Qu Fei Qing, turning it towards Yun Qian Meng instead. Seeing her pale complexion, she said emotionally to Gu laotaijun, “laotaijun, you are speaking too highly of Tian’er! That day, if Tian’er hadn’t been too naughty and played around on the deck of the ship, Yun xiaojie wouldn’t have gotten involved and fallen into the lake!” Tian’er, quickly come and thank Yun xiaojie for saving you! If she hadn’t managed to hold on to you back then, the one that fell into the lake might have been you!
