April 26th was the wedding day of Crown Prince Wei Huaixu and Liu Shushu, the eldest daughter of the Grand General's Mansion.
As the youngest sister, Qingying naturally had to attend the wedding banquet. So she returned to the mansion a day early.
Madam Pan gave her a cold look, saying, "You're quite good at hiding away. You don't care at all about your own sister's wedding. What kind of younger sister are you?"
Qingying was too lazy to argue with her. She bowed without saying a word and turned to leave, completely ignoring what Madam Pan was saying behind her back.
Tong Xia scoffed in a low voice, "She used to put on the act of a virtuous wife and loving mother for more than ten years without getting tired of it, but now her true colors have been revealed."
Qingying casually adjusted her temples and said, "She just doesn't want to keep pretending in front of me. She wants me to understand that I am the lowest-ranking person in the whole mansion, but she forgot that she pampered me all those years ago. That's why I am not like those concubine's daughters who are used to being suppressed, who despise themselves or swallow their anger."
Yu Yue said, "It was right for you to go to Chongfu Temple to escape the world these days. You've been having a lot of bad luck lately, and I'm afraid you'll have a lot of resentment to vent and will come looking for trouble."
"It's alright, she won't be arrogant for long."
When she returned to her quarters, she saw Madam Wang sitting in the hall waiting for her. She greeted her with a smile, "Grandmother, what brings you here? You could have just sent someone to summon me if you needed anything. There was no need for you to make this trip."
"It's alright, I have something to tell you in person." Wang waved to her.
She walked up to her, took Wang's wrinkled hand in hers, and softly called out, "Grandmother."
Wang dismissed everyone around her and suddenly took off two jade bracelets of excellent quality from her wrist and put them on Qingying's wrist.
"Grandma, what are you doing?"
She was shocked and wanted to refuse, but Wang stopped her.
"Take it if you want." Madam Wang looked at her, reached out and gently stroked her face, her eyes filled with misty tears, her voice slightly hoarse: "My Shushu, you've grown up now. Grandmother knows she's getting old and can't protect you as always as she did when you were little. I secretly saved some dowry money for you, and this bracelet is something I brought with me when I married into the Liu family. It's worth a lot of money, so I'm giving it all to you to keep safe."
"Grandmother, what do you mean by saying these things?"
“Although I haven’t been involved in affairs for many years, I’m not senile. The situation is turbulent now, and you’re deeply involved. I’m just worried that you…” She paused, then sighed and continued, “Anyway, it’s always good to have some money on hand, no matter what.”
Qingying knew her grandmother meant well, so she didn't refuse and simply nodded. Holding back the tears that threatened to spill, she knelt down and gently rested her head on her grandmother's lap, just as she had done in her childhood.
Wang could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face as she gently stroked Qingying's long hair.
After all, she was a child she had watched grow up, and she couldn't bear to see her suffer. So she secretly gave her more dowry, even more generous than the dowry given to Liu Shushu, who was the legitimate daughter.
After all, Liu Shushu still had a share from Madam Pan, while her Shushu had no mother.
"Grandmother, to be honest, I've been feeling uneasy these past few days, as if I have a premonition that something big is about to happen."
Wang was stunned for a moment, then comforted her, saying, "Don't overthink it... Even if you don't want to go to the wedding tomorrow, you should still pretend to go and go through the motions, just so that people won't have anything to say about it."
Wang felt that since she had once had a romantic relationship with Wei Huaixu, she was afraid that she might feel uncomfortable.
She smiled and shook her head. "Grandma is overthinking it. I stopped caring a long time ago."
"real?"
"real."
"That's good. I was worried you'd feel uncomfortable. If you ask me, what Shushu did was wrong. It was understandable before she didn't know, but later she knew you were the Crown Prince's fiancée and still got close to you. It's really..." A few vulgar words circled between her lips, but she swallowed them back.
After all, she was her own granddaughter; she couldn't bring herself to say anything defamatory.
"If that's the case, why didn't you stop her when she first interfered between me and the Crown Prince?"
"This..." Wang was speechless for a moment.
Qingying smiled faintly and said softly, "Actually, I understand. Although Grandmother loves me, in your heart, my importance is never as great as the family's reputation. I understand, so I have never blamed you. You don't need to feel guilty."
"Shushu, you're just too sensible..."
"Grandmother, please go back and rest early. Tomorrow we have to send Second Sister off to her wedding." She gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and slowly stood up.
Wang stared blankly at her, opened her mouth, but only sighed, "So be it, children and grandchildren have their own blessings, this old body of mine should have retired long ago."
Qingying helped her out of the courtyard and sent Yuyue to personally escort her back.
She didn't rush back to the house. She stood in the courtyard, staring blankly at the branches that had sprouted new buds. The moon was bright and the stars were few tonight, and the spring breeze was cool. She stood there for a long time until the moon was obscured by dark clouds.
She murmured softly, "Tell me, what is real? What is fake?"
No one answered.
...
The General's mansion was bustling with activity that day, with servants starting their work before dawn.
Due to the emperor's poor health, the wedding was kept simple, but since it was the marriage of the crown prince, the necessary procedures could not be omitted.
Qingying and a group of women stood together, watching from afar as Liu Shushu, dressed in the wedding attire of the Crown Princess, was helped forward by several palace maids. Adorned with a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, she appeared incomparably noble and unapproachable. The red carpet beneath her feet stretched from outside the mansion gate all the way to the door of her bedroom.
"No wonder so many people are desperate to become the Crown Princess. The single pearl from the East Sea embedded in her shoe alone is enough for an ordinary person to live on for half a lifetime," Xie Jiaoying couldn't help but say.
"Leaving aside the wealth and glory, the power that position offers is enough to make many people rush headlong into it," Qingying said.
“These should have been yours…”
"I don't care. Who says she's definitely won right now? The one who laughs last is often the winner."
Watching the procession of several hundred people head towards the palace, Qingying led Xie Jiaoying to avoid the bustling crowd and slip out of the mansion through a side gate.
Where are you taking me?
"Yunfang Courtyard".
"It's not a good time to go to a brothel..." Xie Jiaoying said shyly, blushing.
"What are you thinking about?" Qingying tapped her forehead and said, "There's a private residence behind there. I'll take you there to avoid the trouble."
"What are you trying to avoid?"
"You'll find out soon enough." She paused, then asked, "I reminded you before to have your father feign illness and not attend the wedding banquet today. Did you do as I suggested?"
"Yes, you know, my dad always listens to me."
"That's good. Anyway, your father won't play a big role in this, so it's better not to get involved."
Xie Jiaoying became more and more confused as she listened, still not understanding what she meant.
However, Qingying remained silent, and she wisely refrained from pressing for details.
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