When Que'er returned to the front yard by herself, Zhao Quan saw a maid-like figure enter and called out to her.
Que'er lowered her head, showing only her back to him, and said, "I didn't know where I could relieve myself, so I wandered out carelessly. Please let me go, brother."
Zhao Quan stared at Que'er's retreating figure and remembered that she was clearly the "Qingping" who had gone out with Geng Shi before. Why was she suddenly referring to herself as "this humble servant" now?
"You're not Qingping?" Zhao Quan became suspicious and stared at Que'er's profile.
"I am from the art academy, and I came to your residence today to perform. I'm off." Que'er did not want to say more to him, and walked inside with her head down.
"I think I recognize you. Aren't you the same Que'er from before?" Zhao Quan finally remembered what Que'er looked like. She looked exactly like the woman in front of him.
The sparrow ignored her and quickened her pace toward the room.
Zhao Quan naturally didn't dare to chase after them rashly. If he went up and pulled them, and someone saw it, saying that he was harassing a female relative, he would have no way to explain himself.
Meanwhile, the coming-of-age ceremony in the main courtyard had already concluded. Prince Zhi, accompanied by his primary wife, took his leave first, as did some ministers who bowed to the Fourth Prince and bid him farewell, each escorted out by servants. This goes without saying. Even the Eighth and Ninth Princes took their leave, which reassured Yan Yu.
The princes and their wives who remained followed the Fourth Prince and his wife to the front courtyard. The other princesses and concubines were sent back to their respective homes, as the princes did not bring any princesses with them, so they were not required to accompany them to entertain the guests.
A feast had already been set out in Xiaoyin Pavilion in the front yard, and the women invited by the art school all began to play their instruments.
The princess consort and the other princess consorts from various households sat at the tables on the left, while the Fourth Prince and the men sat on the right. The melodious strains of the zither played on the stage, while the clinking of wine cups filled the air below. These brothers and sisters-in-law of the imperial family rarely gathered together, and now, unlike in the palace where they had to consider Kangxi's feelings, they gradually relaxed and began to drink and enjoy the music.
The princess was entertaining her sisters-in-law with wine, occasionally glancing at the courtesans on the stage.
When the princess saw Que'er's face, she almost spilled the wine from the cloisonné wine cup she was holding.
"Fourth sister-in-law, your wine almost spilled all over my sleeve," the Third Princess said with slight displeasure.
"Oh, are you alright? A moth just flew into my eye, and my hand slipped a little. Is Third Princess Consort alright?" Fourth Princess Consort asked.
"It's alright, just be careful." The Third Princess took out a handkerchief from her chest and wiped the water off her sleeves.
At this moment, Que'er on the stage also saw that the Fujin was looking at her, so she quickly lowered her head and continued to play the pipa in her hand.
Halfway through the banquet, some people got up to relieve themselves, while others rested and chatted. The geishas on stage were also free to go down and relieve themselves as well.
Because she didn't want to stay on the stage and be seen by the Fourth Prince or his wife, Que'er put down her pipa and pretended to need to relieve herself before leaving the stage.
When she served Lady Li, she had been to this place many times, so she was naturally much more familiar with it than other geishas.
Que'er walked down Xiaoyin Terrace. She had already told the nanny who brought them here that the others should go up first, as she needed to use the restroom.
Following her memory, she walked towards the back door, unaware that a pair of eyes had already appeared behind her.
Que'er hurried towards the west courtyard, choosing secluded spots along the way to avoid the people in the mansion.
When she arrived at the West Courtyard, the old woman at the gate didn't recognize her very well, so Que'er said, "She was sent by the Fujin (princess's wife) to report something to Wu Gege."
The old woman dared not delay the lady's business, so she let her in.
"Miss Lülan, why are you back? Where is your princess?" The old woman guarding the gate was about to go back to the house when she saw Lülan, Geng's personal maid, walking back.
"Oh. Princess is embroidering in Princess Niu's courtyard. She asked me to come back and get her an embroidery piece," said Green Orchid as usual.
The gatekeeper let her in, but something seemed off; how come Green Orchid had returned so soon after the Princess's maid had come in?
Meanwhile, as Que'er walked towards Wu's house, she didn't notice a pair of dark eyes watching her from Yin's house across the street. Lülan walked in, glancing sideways as she headed towards Geng's house, watching Que'er enter Wu's room.
"Which room are you from? How did you get in?" Hong Qian was standing in the courtyard sprinkling water on the ground when she caught sight of a strange woman walking in. She hurriedly asked, but after seeing her face clearly, she was so surprised that she couldn't speak.
"Sister Sparrow!!"
"Hongxi, is Princess Wu here?" Que'er glanced at her and then peered into the inner room.
"The princess is inside, you, how come?" Hongxi still looked incredulous, because after Consort Li fell from power, not a single maid who served her was spared; they were all sent away by the head nanny.
"Hongxi, where is my black hairpin? Where did you put it?" Madam Wu came out from the inner room, her hair draped over her chest, as if she had just let it down.
"This servant greets Lady Wu." Que'er curtsied to Lady Wu.
When Wu saw Que'er standing in the courtyard, her heart clenched painfully.
"Why are you here?" Wu murmured. "Come in. Hongqian, stand guard outside and don't let anyone in."
After the two entered the inner room, Madam Wu suddenly turned around, stared at Que'er, and said, "Why are you here? I thought..."
"Your Highness thought that Sparrow would never step into this house again. Sparrow came only to tell Your Highness that the one in the South Courtyard might already know something, but she doesn't know that Your Highness, Wu, also knows."
"How exactly did you get in?" Madam Wu thought about the outsiders who had entered the mansion today, and the only ones who could be the geishas from the entertainment hall were the outsiders.
"Of course I came from the art gallery. I didn't expect to be in a place like that, did I? The princess is living a very peaceful life." Que'er said with a hint of sarcasm.
On the day the Fujin (Prince Consort) found the witchcraft doll in Consort Li's room, Lady Wu asked the old women outside who had been to Consort Li's room that day. The answer was naturally Lady Wang. Although Que'er wasn't in the room at the time, she noticed something amiss in the doll's stitching. She remembered the embroidery style resembling someone else's, even though she tried her best to conceal her own style. Que'er recognized it as Lady Wang's unique technique. Unfortunately, Consort Li never paid attention to such things and thus couldn't see the flaw. Even if the Fujin could see it, she wouldn't expose it.
As for why neither Que'er nor Wu Shi voiced their suspicions, that's what makes Li Shi so pathetic. Even her trusted confidantes and maids wouldn't help her, so how could she possibly escape the clutches of the Fujin (the wife of the emperor)?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
