Qu Moying didn't know that the carriage coming in from behind belonged to Liu Jingyu. She followed Qu Qiuyan from a distance.
Arriving at a flower hall, Qu Qiuyan stopped and waited for Qu Moying for a while, and then the two of them entered the flower hall together, which was considered to be a respectable achievement for the Qu family.
The design of this flower hall is very unique. One side is close to the water and the other side faces a garden. There are large windows on both sides. When you open them, you can see that they are almost connected.
On the side facing the lake, there was some wind and the windows were closed. On the side facing the garden, there were a few pots of chrysanthemums in bloom. It was not easy to see the chrysanthemums in full bloom at this time. Two young ladies had already come over from the flower hall with joy. There was a door over there that could be bypassed from here.
There were actually not many guests in the flower hall, just three old ladies and a few young ladies.
Seeing the two sisters from the Qu Mansion coming over, the wife of the Duke of Qi was very happy. She politely asked them to sit down, and asked with a smile whether Madam Qu was well. After a few pleasantries, she asked them to go and play with the young lady next to them.
"Miss Qu Si." Qu Moying had just stood up when she saw Qi Xiangyu coming over. She greeted her with a smile. The two of them seemed to have gotten along well.
"Miss Qi!" Qu Moying politely turned sideways and bowed.
"Let's go and take a look over there. That flower was obtained by my grandfather from the palace. It is not a variety from the capital, so it is very rare. It can bloom so big and beautifully at this time." Qi Xiangyu greeted Qu Moying warmly, then looked at Qu Qiuyan and said indifferently, "Miss Qu San should also come with us."
As he said this, he took Qu Moying's hand and led her towards the door.
Qu Qiuyan felt very aggrieved, but had to follow him with a smile. She was so angry that the handkerchief in her hand was crumpled into a ball. She had always been the superior and Qu Moying the inferior, but she didn't expect that she would become Qu Moying's accessory today!
The three people turned out of the door and came to the garden where chrysanthemums were placed. When they got closer, they saw that the flowers were indeed brightly colored. Among several pots of flowers, there was one with bright red flowers, as big as bowls in full bloom. The flowers were slightly curled at the pedicel, which made the flowers more charming, as if a beauty was slightly lowering her head, attracting the admiration of several young ladies who were watching nearby.
Qu Moying walked over and saw the pot of flowers. The colors of the flowers were particularly beautiful.
"What kind of chrysanthemum is this?"
"I don't know. I've never seen it before."
"I heard it was from the palace, or an offering from somewhere else."
"It's so beautiful, so pretty."...
Several young ladies were chattering away. Several old ladies were sitting in the flower hall, a little far away. No one was watching them at the moment, and they were all close and familiar with each other, so there were not so many rules and they were very lively.
Qu Moying's eyes were also attracted by the flower at once. Even in her previous life, she had never seen such gorgeous chrysanthemums blooming at this time. It looked like a chrysanthemum, but upon closer inspection, she felt that it was not quite like one, so she just stood aside and admired it.
Qi Xiangzhu stopped beside her and introduced with a smile: "This is what my aunt got from the palace and sent here."
"Madam Liu? Didn't they say that the Duke went to the palace to ask for it?" Qu Moying asked in surprise.
"This one is not a flower. It was obtained by my aunt from the Empress's palace. But when she brought it, she accidentally knocked over the pot, so she replaced it with a new one and put some soil in it. Fortunately, the new pot is also beautiful, otherwise it would have lost some of its color." Qi Xiangyu sighed.
Qu Moying's gaze fell on the flowerpot. The flowerpot was very beautiful, and looked better than ordinary flowerpots. It didn't look like a flowerpot, but more like a decorative porcelain. It was a pity that there was no soil inside.
There are two small flowers and some grass in the newly cultivated soil.
The tiny stamens are reflected against the grass, adding a bit of wildness, which is pleasing to the eye and makes the bright red chrysanthemums even more outstanding.
These two small flowers were originally very unremarkable, looking very much like wild flowers on the road, small five-petal flowers with slightly pointed tips. If you look closely, they are also furry, with a hint of bright red on the tip of the petals, as if a beauty's face was scratched. This flower is not from the Central Plains, but the kind that Aunt Miao mentioned
Because what Aunt Miao described at the time was very different, I found it very interesting and paid a little attention to it at the time. When I saw it this time, I felt like I had seen it before.
Qu Moying's heart trembled, and her gaze, which had originally casually moved away, turned back again. After examining it carefully for a few times, she took two steps forward and came closer, admiring the flowers like the other ladies.
The faint floral scent is the smell of chrysanthemum, but within the scent of chrysanthemum, there is also a very faint scent that has a calming and soothing meaning.
Qu Moying raised his nose and sniffed it carefully, then looked up. He was sure that the little flower in front of him was the same thing that was mixed into Qu Taifei's fragrance before.
It’s just that the substance in Qu Taifei fragrance was mixed in after the two small flowers were crushed, but now it is the flower itself.
This flower has a special and strange name, called Scratched Beauty's Face.
This flower is not very poisonous, but if used when the body is weak, catches a cold, or is ill, it is most likely to make the person drowsy and increasingly ill. It looks like the disease is coming like a mountain. Even a minor illness may be fatal, and in the end there is no cure. One can only believe that the opportunity was missed, and a minor illness cost a person's life.
How could such a vicious flower appear in the Duke of Qi's Mansion
Did it really get in by mistake, or was it sent in here on purpose by someone with ulterior motives
How can people who eat a variety of grains be free of illness? Especially the elderly and frail people, like Concubine Qu. Although she was in good health, she could still feel unwell and catch minor illnesses like colds. In the end, she almost lost her life!
"Are these the flowers that Madam Liu asked for from the Queen?" Qu Moying straightened up, took another deep look, and asked Qi Xiangyu.
"Yes, it was sent by my aunt to my grandmother. My grandfather said that after we enjoy the flowers this time, we should put it in my grandmother's room. My grandmother loves flowers, but at this time, the other chrysanthemums are either just budding or not even buds can be seen. There are not many that are blooming so beautifully."
Qi Xiangyu smiled.
"How is Madam Qi, the Duke's wife, in good health recently?" Qu Moying asked after a moment of silence.
"Grandma's health has not been good recently. The seasons have changed too quickly, and she had a cough before." Speaking of the health of the wife of Duke Qi, Qi Xiangyu sighed and frowned. "The doctor said that we should be more careful. Old people are always prone to illness. At this time of year in previous years, if Grandma was not careful, she would catch a cold."
Qu Moying's heart skipped a beat, as if he had grasped something, but at the same time, it seemed as if he had grasped nothing. He always felt that there was a key point that he didn't understand.
"Madam Qi is in poor health?"
"Grandma's health is not that bad, she's just old, and it's most likely that she'll be unwell during the change of seasons." Qi Xiangyu shook her head.
Qu Moying thought for a moment and smiled, "People with poor health can't stand the strong scent of flowers. They should focus on air circulation."
"Is there such a saying?" Qi Xiangyu was surprised.
"Of course there are. Miss Qi, you must have heard of allergies! When some people have severe allergies, they can't even breathe, and serious problems will occur. Spring is the season when most allergies occur. There are many things in spring flowers that can cause allergies. No one knows why this happens."
Qu Moying pointed at the blooming chrysanthemums.
"This chrysanthemum is so big and in full bloom. We are not familiar with its pollen. We don't know if it is harmful to the human body. It is better to be careful. It may be very bad for the body. After all, this flower is not like the chrysanthemum we have here."
After hearing what Qu Moying said, Qi Xiangyu nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Then let's put the flower here. If grandma wants to see it, she can come here. It's not appropriate to put it in the house."
"It's a shame not to put such beautiful flowers in the house." Qu Qiuyan heard this from the side and curled the corners of her lips sarcastically. Although she also felt that what Qu Moying said made sense, no matter how reasonable Qu Moying was, she didn't like it, and she didn't like the way Qu Moying was valued by the Duke of Qi's Mansion even more.
This sounds sour.
"What's a pity? Didn't Third Sister have an allergic reaction before? That feeling must be unpleasant!" Qu Moying said indifferently, "Madam Qi is old, so of course she should rest more. She can't ruin her health just to enjoy the flowers, just like Third Sister did back then. That would be really bad!"
This was also Qu Qiuyan's scandal, and the thing that Qu Qiuyan cared about the most. When she was "allergic", Qu Qiuyan didn't dare to see anyone for several days. Now that Qu Moying had exposed it, her face turned red with anger, and she gritted her teeth in hatred, but she couldn't do anything to Qu Moying.
"Fourth sister, I am just reminding you with good intentions. If you don't want to listen, then forget it. There is no need to bring up such things." Qu Qiuyan suppressed the hatred in her heart and said in a cold voice. After that, she flicked her sleeves and turned away.
Qu Moying raised his eyes to look at Qu Qiuyan, with a faint smile on his lips. He continued to appreciate the flowers with Qi Xiangyu and ignored Qu Qiuyan at all.
Qu Qiuyan originally thought that in front of everyone, Qu Moying would at least say a few polite words to her and ask her to stay, but she didn't expect Qu Moying to not say a word. How could she stay any longer? She stomped her feet in hatred, turned around and left, walking out of this garden.
Never went to the flower hall again.
This is a flower garden. There is a winding path outside the door. Qu Qiuyan was very annoyed, so she walked forward casually with Qingju. After walking for a while, she stopped and found herself in a place she had never been to before. She had just come here and passed several intersections, all while walking casually.
Now I can't recognize the way back.
Looking around, a maid happened to come over. Qingju waved her hand hurriedly, and the maid stopped, walked over and bowed to Qu Qiuyan.
"Where is the flower hall where you entertained guests before?"
"It's in this direction. Go ahead and turn right at the intersection. You will arrive soon." The old woman replied with a smile.
"Miss is today's guest. Have you seen Miss Qu Si?" the old woman asked with a smile.
"I did see her just now. Who in your house is looking for her?" Qu Qiuyan became alert immediately when she heard that it was about Qu Moying. She looked at the old woman carefully and asked. The old woman had a fruit plate in her hand. The fruit plate was filled with the latest fruits, which were washed clean and looked particularly juicy.
"This is for Miss Qu Si. I was just planning to send it to you, but I was afraid that Miss Qu Si was not here, so I asked you specifically." The old woman replied with a smile.
"Who asked you to deliver it?" Qu Qiuyan asked after a change of mind.
The old woman smiled, as if she didn't want to say anything, but finally said vaguely, "It was our master's order to send the fruit plate to Miss Qu Si!"
"Who is your master?" Qu Moying asked.
The old woman was increasingly at a loss for words, as if she didn't know how to answer. She smiled awkwardly, bowed to Qu Qiuyan, and said, "I won't talk to you anymore, young lady. I still have the master's orders to fulfill, so I'll go back first!"