Chapter 162 Men are merely accessories [4]
Life in the Qu family was like a revolving lantern.
One group of people left, and another group came.
Qian Yuexia looked up.
Shouting.
Qu Bai has quite a few women.
Although Qian Yuexia already knew about it before she married into the family.
But seeing such a group of women still gave me a fright.
My dislike for Qu Bai has grown even stronger!
She would never fall for a man like Qu Bai.
A group of brightly dressed women, adorned with jewels and pearls, entered silently, like a flock of colorful sparrows.
They were all slender and beautiful, but beneath their overly elaborate makeup, their eyes held a hint of cautious probing.
Perhaps they were testing the weight of Qian Yuexia, the matriarch of the household.
Or perhaps it's about comparing her beauty and her status in Qu Bai's heart.
But regardless of what they think in private?
On the surface, when they saw Qian Yuexia, they bowed their heads and said in unison, "Greetings to the young mistress."
Qian Yuexia's gaze calmly swept slowly across the faces of the group of concubines, who were adorned with beautiful flowers.
Their faces varied in their beauty; some were radiant, some were delicate and pretty, some still retained a touch of innocence in their eyes, while others were stained with the marks of worldly experience and scheming.
These faces, like vivid paintings, silently tell the story of her husband Qu Bai's absurd past before marrying her.
Qian Yuexia sat upright, looking at the group of women below who were holding their breath.
Their gazes seemed more cautious and inquisitive than before.
Qian Yuexia slowly picked up the celadon covered bowl from the small table next to her, gently stirring the tea leaves floating on the surface with the lid, without rushing to speak.
She is waiting.
This silence allowed the lingering sense of hope or unease in their hearts to slowly amplify.
Or perhaps it's a way of setting rules for these concubines!
a long time.
This "long time" was long enough to make the concubines, whose legs were aching, startle, and long enough for those who had initially held a degree of contempt or were just watching the spectacle to begin to reassess the significance of this new mistress.
The air seemed to freeze.
Qian Yuexia thought so.
This matriarch, in establishing the rules for the new head of the household, has certainly made a good impression.
A silent show of force is more effective at intimidating people than any harsh words.
She needs them to understand.
From now on, who will be in charge of the inner quarters of the Qu family?
Qian Yuexia subtly adjusted her posture, a movement that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone secretly watching her.
Her voice was not loud, even carrying a hint of girlish gentleness, yet it strangely pierced through the empty main courtyard, clearly reaching everyone's ears, each word distinct and striking their hearts: "Get up, all of you."
A faint rustling sound of clothes came from below.
The group slowly straightened up as instructed, but still dared not raise their heads completely to look straight ahead.
Qian Yuexia's voice continued to flow steadily, devoid of any emotion, as if she were reading a notice unrelated to herself: "Now that you have entered the Qu family, you are a member of the Qu family. From now on, abide by your duties, stay true to yourself, be careful in your words and deeds, and do not cause trouble. If you do anything wrong, the family rules will not tolerate it, and I will not condone it."
Among the concubines.
The reactions of the two women standing at the front were particularly noteworthy.
A woman dressed in light purple, with gentle features, was Aunt Li, a distant niece of Madam Qu.
Although she is favored, she is not worth much effort.
After all, Qu Bai was only putting on an act for his stepmother; he treated her more as a plaything.
One wore a bright red silk dress embroidered with butterflies and flowers, the vibrant color perfectly complementing her stunningly beautiful face.
With willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, and red lips, her eyes exude charm with every glance.
This is Hua, who came from a brothel and was taken into Qu Bai's household because of her good looks and clever mind.
She was one of Qu Bai's most cherished concubines, and his affection for her was genuine.
The moment she heard Qian Yuexia speak, Aunt Hua's meticulously drawn eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Although she maintained the posture after bowing, she raised her beautiful face even higher, tilted her chin slightly, and even dared to glance at Qian Yuexia in the main seat as if by accident.
Although he didn't say anything, his posture clearly conveyed a sense of provocation!
Her meaning seemed to be: "So what if she is the mistress? The master's favor is the only thing that matters."
Qian Yuexia was not greatly disturbed by the overt or covert actions of Aunt Li and Aunt Hua, and was not particularly angry.
No matter how arrogant and spoiled Aunt Hua is, she still has to stand here obediently and bow her head to her mistress today.
No matter how smug they are, deep down they are still afraid of the title and power of the legal wife.
Their provocations were like scratching an itch through a boot; they couldn't hurt her in the slightest.
What truly chilled Qian Yuexia to the bone and made her decide to unleash her fury at this moment was that absent figure.
That actress, born into humble circumstances yet possessing both beauty and talent, is now being kept as a mistress by Qu Bai, a woman hidden deep within the Qu mansion.
It was also Qu Bai, her newlywed husband, who truly held the person in his heart.
How dare she not come?
Is he truly too ill to get out of bed, or is he simply taking advantage of her favor and not respecting his new wife at all?
Qian Yuexia sat upright, her fingertips lightly touching the cool sandalwood armrest.
very good.
She was worried that she didn't have a sufficiently significant target to establish her authority and intimidate all the women in the courtyard.
To make an example of someone, the most favored and special "chicken" should naturally be chosen.
Aunt Xin was undoubtedly the best choice.
Taking advantage of the present moment, Qu Bai, being newly married and influenced by the Qian family's power, still felt a sense of novelty and superficial respect for his legal wife.
Of course, she wanted to seize the opportunity to severely punish his favorite concubine.
This was not only to establish her authority, but also to test Qu Bai's bottom line, and also to... vent the pent-up pain that she had been suppressing deep in her heart, a pain that she herself was unwilling to admit!
It has to be said.
Qu Bai truly loved this Aunt Xin.
To love so deeply that one is cautious and goes to great lengths to conceal it.
He was afraid that if others knew she was his weakness, it would cause her harm, or become a handle for others to use against him.
Therefore, in front of outsiders.
He was the coldest to Aunt Xin, giving her the fewest gifts and visiting her infrequently.
Even the shrewd Madam Qu and her jealous concubines were mostly kept in the dark.
They only regarded Aunt Xin as an unfavored, sickly woman with a hollow reputation, and did not really see her as a threat.
But Qian Yuexia was different.
She had information about her cousin, the Crown Princess, so naturally she could investigate it.
Who didn't come today?
One of the concubines stepped forward, flattering her, "Young Madam, the sisters are worried about Auntie Xin. She's sickly... always ill. Madam and Young Master have both allowed her not to come to pay her respects..."
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