Chapter 220 Provocation at the Door
Granny Pei: "Even if we take a step back and say that the General has feelings for Miss Luo, it doesn't mean that the General doesn't have feelings for Madam. Today at the Earl's residence, in front of the Earl, the General stood up for Madam, which proves that the General values Madam."
Furthermore, the general is young and promising, and his position in the court is now at its zenith. Military families generally value having many sons, so it would be quite common for the general's mansion to welcome several new people into the inner quarters in the future.
Rather than letting those girls with powerful maternal families marry into the family, it's better to have this Miss Luo. She comes from the countryside and is just an orphan; she has no relatives and connections and will never be able to rise above the lady of the house.
Despite Pei Mama's earnest attempts to persuade her, Yu Qingci remained sullen. Pei Mama sighed and said nothing more. Some things should be left for the lady to figure out herself; some things cannot be rushed.
Yu Qingci sat there in a daze for a while, then called Lianqiao in.
"What is the general doing right now?"
Lian Qiao: "The general has entered the study in the outer courtyard."
Yu Qingci: "I'm tired today. Everyone, please get some rest."
Forsythia: ...
Yu Qingci glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes: "What, my words no longer carry weight?"
Seeing her master's fierce expression, Lian Qiao naturally dared not say anything more and turned to go out to deliver the message.
When Lu Yunqi returned from his study that evening, he was met with the tightly closed courtyard gate.
He stood blankly at the courtyard gate for a while before raising his hand to knock.
But after knocking for a long time, there was no response from inside. It was only a little past Chenshi (7-9 AM). Were all the servants in Guanlan Courtyard asleep so early?
He reluctantly lowered his hand, took a step back, a slight smile appearing on his lips. He glanced at the flower wall beside him, walked over, and with a swift movement, flipped himself inside.
The main room in front was dark, indicating that the people inside were indeed asleep. The side rooms were also dark.
Lu Yunqi stood there for a while, but ultimately didn't go in. He sighed inwardly and returned the way he came.
The following day, Guanlan Pavilion received an uninvited guest.
As Luo Yi sipped her tea, she glanced around at the furnishings of Guanlan Pavilion, secretly marveling at how grand and elegant the room was, befitting the residence of the matriarch.
The furniture, all made of huanghuali wood, gleamed with a warm luster. The jade and porcelain ornaments displayed on the curio cabinet were all valuable items, even to her, despite her limited knowledge.
There are also calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, lush orchids growing on the benches, and an exquisite white jade incense burner on the table, from which a light and delicate fragrance rises, filling the room with a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere, reflecting the owner's refined taste.
Luo Yi felt a pang of bittersweet jealousy well up inside her, but her expression betrayed just the right amount of envy as she softly said:
"Sister, your place is so beautifully decorated. The room is full of treasures, which shows the elegance of a well-bred lady. Unlike my place, which is small and shabby."
Granny Pei: "Miss Luo is joking. You live in the same courtyard as our old lady. Although it's just a side room, Songbai Hall is the largest and most spacious courtyard in our General's Mansion. Even a side room here is much more spacious than a full main room in an ordinary household."
Besides, everyone knows that the old lady dotes on the young lady. Ever since the young lady moved in, countless fine things have been sent to her room, yet the young lady still calls it stingy. If the old lady heard that, she would be heartbroken.
Luo Yi's smile froze instantly, and she quickly tried to make amends, saying, "The old lady is indeed very kind to me. I mean, I'm quite uncouth. Even if I have a room full of treasures, I don't know how to tidy it up. Compared to my sister's place, I find it incredibly vulgar."
Yu Qingci, holding a cup of tea, merely raised her eyelids upon hearing this, without responding to her words, and only asked:
"Sister, is there something you need today?"
Luo Yi put down her teacup, a sweeter smile spreading across her face, and took out a delicate purse from her sleeve:
“It’s nothing. The old lady hasn’t seemed to have a good appetite lately. I was worried about her, so I specially made some almond preserves to whet her appetite. The old lady tasted some and liked them very much. I was thinking of sending some to my sister to try as well.”
As she spoke, she placed the purse on the table and opened it, revealing a few orange-yellow candied fruits inside.
"My sister is so thoughtful."
Yu Qingci's tone was unreadable: "It's just that I've never been a fan of sweet things. Not to mention the ones my sister makes herself, I rarely eat even the ones made by the chefs in the manor who specialize in making pastries. I can only disappoint my sister's kindness."
Luo Yi's smile froze for a moment. This woman actually compared her to the cook in the manor—how infuriating! But she quickly regained her composure and was about to say something when Lian Qiao chimed in with a grin:
"Madam doesn't like these sweet things, so it's a good opportunity to give them to us servants so we can taste Miss Luo's cooking."
After saying that, he tilted his head and looked at Luo Yi: "Miss Luo, you won't be reluctant to part with it, will you?"
Luo Yi's smile was somewhat forced: "Sister Lianqiao is joking. I'm glad you like it."
Lianqiao accepted the purse without ceremony, turned around, and went out to distribute dried fruit to the young maids.
Luo Yi's smile finally faltered. She quickly lowered her eyes, and when she looked up again, her voice was choked with a hint of grievance:
"Is my sister angry with me? Yesterday at the old lady's, I was so happy to see the general return that I was so focused on serving him the rock sugar lotus seed porridge I made that I forgot to consider my sister's feelings... I didn't mean to upset my sister, so please don't be angry with me."
Standing behind Yu Qingci, Pei Mama subtly curled her lips downwards. If an uninformed person saw this, they might think that their mistress had done something to her.
Yu Qingci looked at her calmly, then suddenly smiled gently:
"How could that be? Miss Luo, there's no need to worry."
Luo Yi seemed relieved: "I'm relieved that you're not angry with me, sister. Oh, right, there's something else I came here for. The bath soaps used in the general's study are all gone. The general is coming back soon, and he usually only uses the kind with a mint scent, but unfortunately we don't have any today. I wonder if you could lend me some?"
Luo Yi stared at Yu Qingci's expression and smiled sincerely.
Granny Pei chuckled a few times: "Oh! Why does the General need Miss Luo to borrow anything he needs? What is that servant who cleans the study for? Doesn't he know the General has run out of bath powder? I need to talk to the steward in the outer courtyard about this."
By the way, I heard that maids are never allowed to serve in the general's study. Miss Luo, please don't tell me you're an exception?
Granny Pei's words were so sarcastic that Luo Yi almost lost face, but she still forced a smile and said:
"The cleaning servant naturally noticed that the bath beans were gone. I just happened to be coming to my sister's place, so I asked about it. If my sister is unhappy, then I won't lend them to her."
"And Granny Pei has misunderstood me. I have no idea who can enter the General's study. I just happened to pass by today and chatted with that servant a bit too much. I was just too concerned about the General. Please don't misunderstand, Sister."
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