Old Madam Wei was in high spirits, her health having improved considerably. She sat up, half-supported, and ordered the maids and servants to bring out the gold and silver jewelry from her storeroom, insisting on preserving her. Open jewelry boxes covered the bed and coffee table, the room shimmering with jewels that filled the room, a dazzling display. The Duke of Yingguo's mansion truly lived up to its century-old heritage. Every item Old Madam Wei had unearthed was precious.
Mother Song took three or four gold necklaces and placed them in front of her for her to choose, but Yining couldn't even tell the difference between them.
Old Mrs. Wei smiled as she picked out for Yining a pink satin round-necked jacket embroidered with peonies and roses, a pair of gold hairpins with lotus patterns inlaid with emeralds, a pair of gold knots, and cat's eye earrings.
She took out another box of sapphires of varying sizes and beckoned Yining to sit over. "Do you like this box of sapphires?"
Yining grabbed a handful and examined them carefully. Each grain was a flawless, translucent blue, with a shimmering, watery color—the best quality. "Grandma's stuff is truly excellent!" she said with a smile.
"This box is a gift from grandma." Old Mrs. Wei closed the box and pointed to the ones she had just helped her choose. "--All of these are for you."
That box of sapphires alone was priceless, how could Yining dare to accept it? He immediately refused.
Mrs. Wei smiled and sighed, "When Mingzhu was little, I always gave her this and that. She never refused and always moved into her room with a smile on her face."
Yi Ning was silent when she heard this. She understood what Old Lady Wei meant. Wasn't she the same? On the other hand, if it was Old Lady Luo or Lin Hairu who sent her off, would she have refused like this?
"You and I are blood relatives, so there's no need for us to be polite." The old lady waved her hand, suddenly becoming a little generous. "Don't say anything, or else everything in this house will be moved to your place."
Yining also smiled. Saying anything else would really hurt the old man's feelings.
Then move back, don’t miss out!
Zhao Mingzhu held the maid's hand and came to pay her respects to Old Madam Wei. She stood at the door and saw the maid and the old woman carrying the brocade box out.
Mrs. Wei was in the room, and so was Yi Ning. From this angle, she could see her bending over so that Mrs. Wei could help her try on the earrings.
Zhao Mingzhu bit her lip, remembering how Mrs. Wei had happily tried on her earrings when she first came of age. She grabbed Mrs. Wei's hand, looked up at her and smiled.
She suddenly felt a sense of sadness, a sense of being replaced. This was different from the fear that she had made a mistake. She suddenly realized that she was redundant in this British mansion. These things had never belonged to her in the first place, and now they had to be returned to their original owners. Blood is always thicker than water.
Zhao Mingzhu turned and walked out quickly, tears streaming down her face as she walked. Then she squatted on the corridor and cried uncontrollably.
The maid quickly supported her and said, "Miss Cousin, why are you crying? Aren't you here to pay your respects to the old lady?"
Zhao Mingzhu shook her head and said after a long while, "This won't do. I have to find a way out for myself..." She suddenly raised her head and said, "Lu Ping, what do you think of Young Master Tang?"
"You mean Young Master Wei Yitang?" The maid nodded. "I think Young Master Wei Yitang treats you very well... He's a good person, too."
Zhao Mingzhu's greedy thoughts were gone. She had to think about Lu Jiaxue and Cheng Lang, but that would only happen if Old Madam Wei and the Duke of England acknowledged her identity. She was growing increasingly uneasy in the Duke of England's mansion. She suddenly understood Old Madam Wei's words: for her, only marriage and a husband to rely on were real. Everything else was just a passing fancy.
She asked the maid to help her stand up and walked towards her room.
*
The next day, they were going to the palace for a banquet. Afraid that Yining would miss the time, Mother Song came to call Yining personally.
It was still dawn when the roosters crowed twice. The room lit the oil lamps and bustled with activity. They truly treated the prospect of entering the palace as a formidable challenge. Yining was pressed against an embroidered cushion while Daimao applied her makeup, a skill Daimao possessed, a skill no other maid in the room could match. A maid painted her nails with marigold juice, while the daughter-in-law Song Mama had brought in specially for her was combing Yining's hair.
Yining didn't sleep well yesterday and was woken up early today. She was so sleepy that her upper eyelids were drooping, so she just let them toss and turn.
When everything was ready, Mother Song bowed to her and said, "Thank you for getting up so early, young lady. We have to be very careful in this royal family. You can have breakfast on the way. The Duke and the old lady are already waiting for you at the screen wall."
It turns out that there are people who get up earlier than her.
Yining took the tea Songzhi handed over and drank it in one gulp. She immediately sobered up a little. After calming down a little, she took the two older maids, Zhenzhu and Daimao, out.
Old Madam Wei, dressed in the attire of a first-rank imperial edict, was waiting for her in the carriage.
Mother Song also got on the carriage and handed Yining a small steamer with five steaming meat buns and a pot of soy milk in it.
Wei Ling, also dressed in formal court robes, rode in another carriage. He came over and told Yi Ning, "Don't be afraid. Just follow your grandmother's lead. Try not to look around and do anything out of the ordinary." Yi Ning had never been to the palace before, so she was always afraid when she first witnessed the royal majesty.
Old Mrs. Wei smiled and glanced at her son: "I'm watching her. Are you afraid that someone else will eat your daughter?" She felt that her son was worrying too much.
After hearing what his mother said, Wei Ling went back to his carriage embarrassedly.
Yi Ning smiled. She was not nervous at all. She had never been to the palace before, so she was very curious.
The carriage finally started moving. Yining looked out quietly while biting a meat bun.
Yujing Hutong was just outside the Imperial City. Turning two alleyways, she entered a broad road, with no more streets on either side. A grand, black-lacquered, riveted gate appeared before her, guarded by imperial guards. Old Madam Wei told her, "This is the Daming Gate. Beyond that is the Chengtian Gate, where the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Community Altar are located. You have to pass through the Duanmen Gate and then the Wumen Gate to reach the Inner Imperial City. Once you've passed the Wumen Gate—no more peeking."
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