Chapter 24 Taijue Temple

Qiao said, "If Siqin is telling the truth, then we can only say that Su and her daughter are too scheming. We were careless this time. We thought she was just an inexperienced little girl, but who knew that she would fall right into their trap and almost ruin my daughter's reputation."

I will settle this score with the Su family later.

Granny Wu said, "Of course we can't let them off so easily. Since this time it won't work, the matter of the substitute marriage is urgent. Why don't I go to Taijue Temple to see Master Yuankong tomorrow?"

Madam Qiao nodded, and the two, mistress and servant, dismissed the maids and began to whisper among themselves.

In the Wisteria Courtyard, Yu Qingci returned to her room and took a good bath before feeling more comfortable. Tong'er came in from outside and whispered, "Miss, Siqin just went out."

Yu Qingci sneered. She didn't care about Siqin's fate. Today, the Qiao family and others had failed in their attempt to steal a chicken and ended up losing the rice instead. Naturally, they would take their anger out on Siqin, the girl who had done a bad job.

As for her, the Qiao family will definitely not give up and will find another opportunity to make her marry in place of them, so she is not in a hurry and will just wait to be dealt with.

Tong'er was extremely relieved that they had escaped a disaster, and looked at her young mistress with admiration, saying, "Miss is really amazing. How did you know they would frame you? You even prepared a purse and handkerchief just like the Second Miss's beforehand? And you even told me to wait for the right moment to tear up the purse in public so they would have no way to defend themselves?"

Yu Qingci smiled and said, "That purse isn't worth much. Siqin is a second-class maid who came from the Madam's side. Would she be greedy for such a small thing? She could only have had something else in mind if she stole it."

We won't intentionally harm anyone, but we must never let ourselves be harmed easily. As for that handkerchief, it's just a precaution. If they don't intend to harm anyone, we won't need it.

In her past life, she had been sisters with Yu Qingyan for a period of time and knew that Yu Qingyan liked irises and that the small items she wore all had this pattern on them. It wouldn't be difficult for her to make the same one.

As for the character "妍" in the purse, it's meant to confirm that it belongs to Yu Qingyan.

Today's commotion has made her an even bigger thorn in the side of the Qiao mother and daughter. But it doesn't matter. As long as the Qiao family is determined to have her marry in their place, they won't really do anything to her.

Tong'er nodded in deep agreement: "Miss is right. Miss is so smart. That Qiao Yuantao deserved to be beaten so badly by the Earl."

Yu Qingci recalled the miserable state of Qiao Yuantao after he was beaten, and her eyes were filled with undisguised hatred. In her previous life, when the Qiao mother and daughter failed, they used this trick to frame her for having an affair with Qiao Yuantao. Faced with the so-called evidence, she could not prove her innocence and was finally convicted in public and promised to Qiao Yuantao.

This caused the mother to quarrel with the father again, widening the rift between them.

So today's beating is just to collect some interest; in this life, she will ensure that Qiao Yuantao never has a chance to rise again.

The next day, Granny Wu, accompanied by several servants, brought a box of jewelry, six bolts of brocade, and a box of fine bird's nest. She said that she had wronged the Third Miss the day before and had come to calm her nerves.

Yu Qingci readily accepted the gifts and said a few words to appease the situation before Granny Wu left.

As for Madam Zhang, Yu Qingci's visits to pay her respects went much more smoothly in the following two days. At least Madam Zhang stopped criticizing her in her words, and Yu Qingyan treated her with even more enthusiasm as if nothing had happened, and the sisters' affection was on full display every day.

Yu Qingying couldn't control her temper and would occasionally say sarcastic things to her, but she didn't take it to heart at all.

That day at Shouyin Hall, Madam Qiao brought up the matter of the General's Mansion.

"The General's Mansion sent a letter saying that they will be holding a memorial service for the two deceased generals at Taijue Temple in two days, and they want Qingyan to go with them so that the high monks at Taijue Temple can match the birth charts of the two children again."

I thought it would be better to bring Qingying and Qingci along, since Qingyan doesn't have many days left at home, and I'd like the sisters to keep her company.

Zhang replied with little interest: "You can arrange it as you see fit."

Madam Qiao looked at her sisters with loving eyes. Qingyan and Qingying didn't need to say anything, and Yu Qingci nodded readily and said, "I will follow Mother's arrangements."

That was settled.

As dusk fell, Yu Qingci calculated the time it would take for Yu Qingbai to return from the clan school. She wanted to go to the front yard to ask her younger brother about his first day at the clan school, but she knew that the Earl's mansion had many rules, and a young lady could not leave the inner quarters at will. So she asked Tong'er to go to the front yard to ask her brother.

Tong'er left in a hurry after receiving the instructions, and returned quickly. She said that she saw the Seventh Young Master had returned and seemed to be in a good mood. She also said that the teacher had assigned homework and that he would study hard tonight.

Yu Qingci felt a little relieved after hearing this. The bullying in the school that she remembered only gradually appeared after Qingbai had been there for a while. At first, her father kept a close eye on them and they didn't dare to provoke her younger brother easily, so the most important thing right now was for her side.

She has important things to do at Taijue Temple tomorrow.

Thinking of this, she instructed Tong'er, "Go find the chess manual that Mother gave me last time, and bring it with you when you go to Taijue Temple tomorrow."

When they first came to the Earl's Mansion, their mother was afraid that the two siblings would be wronged, so she specially packed dozens of large trunks of luggage, including valuable clothes, jewelry and everyday items. It took her father and mother a long time to persuade her to leave some of the items at the Su residence and only bring some personal items.

However, she had to ask her mother for that chess manual, and her mother found it and gave it to her without hesitation.

"Okay, young lady."

Although she didn't understand why her young lady wanted to bring a chess manual to Taijue Temple, it didn't stop her from resolutely carrying out her lady's instructions.

The next day, Yu Qingci got up early and dressed up. Since she was going to a temple, she specially chose a simple moon-white dress, with a light blue lotus-patterned jacket over it. Her jewelry was also conventional, with only a pair of white jade begonia hairpins, two tortoiseshell hair ornaments, and a pair of light pink pearl earrings.

Today, when Qiao went out, she brought her two daughters, Yu Qingyan and Yu Qingying, along with Yu Qingci, and the rest of them were each person's personal maid and a few old women who accompanied the carriage.

The Earl's Mansion prepared three carriages in total. Madam Qiao and her two daughters sat in the first and most spacious carriage. With Yu Qingci added, it became a bit crowded. Yu Qingci was happy to be separated from them, so she tactfully took Tong'er into the second carriage. The other maids and servants who came along squeezed into the third carriage.

Taijue Temple was built on Jiyun Mountain in the suburbs. Because it was not far from the capital, there was a constant stream of pilgrims from the surrounding area, including many prominent families who came here to burn incense and fulfill their vows. It was famous far and wide and its incense was very prosperous.

The Earl's carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain; further up, the path was made entirely of large stone steps, making it impossible for the carriage to proceed.

Fortunately, Taijue Temple is not built very high, located halfway up the mountain. Several pavilions have been specially built in the middle for worshippers to rest. Most people who come here to offer incense will walk up to the temple to show their sincerity.

The group disembarked from the carriage and, surrounded by guards and servants, walked uphill step by step until the outline of Taijue Temple came into view.