"This... How is this counterproductive?" Xiao Haitang was stunned for a moment, the peach blossom cake in his hand stiff in front of his mouth.
"I don't know if it's true or not. I heard from others that some exotic peach blossoms are not edible, especially some..." Qu Moying hesitated when he said this.
"Especially what?" Xiao Haitang asked anxiously.
"Especially some exotic species, which may have been transplanted from overseas. They are different from our Middle Earth. The petals must be carefully processed before being put into cakes, otherwise it will cause other complications, such as excessive fever. However, if the peach tree in your house is not an exotic species, it will be fine."
The flower cake in Xiao Haitang's hand fell down. A different kind of peach blossom? I heard it was from overseas. Qu Moying couldn't possibly know about this, so what he said must be true!
Xiao Haitang has always liked this peach blossom cake ever since he got the recipe. Compared with the peach blossoms in Beijing, these overseas peach blossoms are more fragrant and have a strong peach blossom flavor. They are top quality when eaten, and there are not many of them. If he doesn't take advantage of the current opportunity to pick more, there will be none left in the future.
So every time Xiao Haitang came to Ji's house, she would eat some.
Recently, she often felt that some small bumps had grown on her body and hands. Although there were not too many, there were always a few. Even after taking medicine, it didn't get better. But it didn't seem like a large-scale allergy, so she didn't think about it in that direction, thinking that her skin condition was not very good recently.
But now, I suddenly realized that this must be because of these strange peach blossoms.
Wiping his hands awkwardly with a handkerchief, Xiao Haitang laughed dryly a few times before coming to his senses and covering up, "I don't know if this is overseas peach blossom, but to be safe, it's better not to use it, lest Miss Qu Si uses it and feels uncomfortable, which is not good!"
After saying that, he glanced at the maid standing aside, and the maid hurried forward to take down the plate of peach blossom cakes.
"Ms. Xiao, how many times have you seen my uncle since he fell ill?" Qu Moying suppressed the smile on his face and suddenly said to Xiao Haitang who was wiping her hands carefully.
She guessed that Xiao Haitang didn't know the truth. Even if Xiao Shi and Xiao Haitang were close, they would never tell her about this. It would be a reminder at most. Otherwise, the Ji family would not have come to propose marriage to her.
Xiao Haitang wanted to privately hint that her relationship with Ji Yuanxing was not simple, and even said that there was an agreement between the two governments a long time ago. She just happened to want to get some information from Xiao Haitang.
Things that she dared not do in the Prince's Mansion might not be impossible to do in Ling Anbo's Mansion. As long as she planned properly, she could first arouse the suspicion of the world and then uncover the truth step by step.
"Ling Anbo is seriously ill and doesn't show up in public. It might be because of the incident between the Crown Princess and the third sister. All of a sudden... he can't get up." Xiao Haitang replied, raising her eyes to look at Qu Moying, and suddenly remembered what Qu Qiuyan said. Her fourth sister is not so easy to deal with, and her heart inexplicably moved.
"What is Miss Qu Si doubting?"
"I don't have any suspicions. I just feel it's a pity that my cousin and I didn't see my uncle before he passed away. I wonder if we can go to the coffin today to see my uncle for the last time?" Qu Moying said calmly.
Xiao Haitang looked unhappy: "Miss Qu Si, although you are Ling Anbo's junior, Ling Anbo doesn't want people to see that he is no longer mighty.
The appearance of the mansion is also true. If Miss Qu Si says so again, it seems that we don’t allow you to see it.”
"Is this what my uncle meant?" Qu Moying asked with her watery eyes slightly raised.
"Of course it's what Mr. Ling Anbo meant." Xiao Haitang's face turned cold.
"Did you talk about this in the past few days?" Qu Moying asked again, his face darkening.
"Miss Qu Si, is there anything wrong with this?" Xiao Haitang asked back. She came here to show Qu Moying her relationship with Ji Yuanxing, but on the other hand, it was also her aunt Xiao's intention that she must keep a close eye on Miss Qu Si and not let her cause any trouble in the mourning hall.
The most important point is that she must not be allowed to see Ling Anbo's remains.
The coffin has been nailed shut and no one is allowed to look at it.
Xiao Haitang originally thought that this was not difficult. Young ladies from aristocratic families were all raised in seclusion, petite and weak. Who would go to see the remains of a deceased person for no reason? Wouldn't they be scared after seeing it
What she didn't expect was that Miss Qu Si actually thought so, which made her feel that Qu Moying was deliberately provoking her.
"I heard that my uncle couldn't speak a few days ago. Could it be that my uncle told us not to see it early on? There has always been a rule in Beijing that relatives and friends can go up and take a look on the first day." Qu Moying asked.
There is indeed such a rule in the capital, but unless you are a close relative, basically no one would go up to see it.
On the one hand, others have already buried their bodies, and it would be a bit uncomfortable to push them away, unless they are very close relatives and you didn’t have the chance to see them for the last time, so you open them and take a look.
But it will definitely be nailed down after the first day.
Of course, Crown Princess Ji Hanyue is different. Her identity means that she cannot be looked at casually by others, even by her elders!
"Does Fourth Miss Qu mean that she is very close to her uncle? Then why didn't Fourth Miss Qu come to see him when his uncle was here? Why does she insist on coming to see him now? What's her intention?" Xiao Haitang's face turned unfriendly, and he inexplicably felt angry in his heart.
I originally thought it was not a big deal, but I didn't expect Qu Moying to fight back against it.
She looked down on Qu Moying in her heart, or perhaps she was not the only one who felt this way. Everyone in the capital who knew about the affairs of the Qu family looked down on the Fourth Miss Qu.
She has no talent or looks, and was abandoned in a farm. She has no upbringing at all, so how can she be considered a lady from an aristocratic family? Only someone with such poor upbringing would bring up such an impolite thing. Even if she could see it, it was not her turn as a niece to see it.
"Ms. Xiao, I heard that people can see it. If I can't see it, at least my cousin can see it. Why can't Ling'anbo's mansion allow us to see it? Is there something shameful?" Qu Moying showed a surprised expression on his face and looked at Xiao Haitang in astonishment.
"Miss Qu Si, you've gone too far!" Xiao Haitang was so angry that she suddenly stood up and glared at Qu Moying.
"Ms. Xiao, I just want to see my uncle for the last time. Why don't you agree? Is there some other mystery about my uncle's death?" Qu Moying continued to tease Xiao Haitang calmly, with the surprise on his face becoming more and more intense.
In the East Palace, she didn't dare to say such words. After all, the identity of the Crown Princess was there, and she couldn't afford to kiss it. But it was different here. This was the Ling Anbo Mansion. Even if she said something aggressive, at most she was just a person who didn't know how to behave.
The meaning is there, but it is not a collision.
The fact that Pei Luoan tried so hard to cover up was ignored in the East Palace, but it was different here.
"You... you are really going too far!" Xiao Haitang was very angry.
"Am I going too far, or is it the Ling'an Marquis' Mansion that is going too far? The Marquis' Mansion now only has the second branch, and the people from the first branch are gone. Now we don't even have a chance to see our uncle?" Qu Moying said coldly.
"It's totally unreasonable!" Xiao Haitang was so angry that he couldn't listen any longer and turned away with a flick of his sleeves.
Even if her aunt asked her to keep an eye on Qu Moying, she couldn't stay any longer. She originally thought that even if she didn't have a good upbringing, she must be polite. Now it seems that not only does she not know manners, but she is also extremely annoying. Her aunt actually wants her cousin to marry such a woman, which will surely cause unrest in the family.
I must tell my aunt about Qu Moying's condition when I get back, and she will definitely put her mind at ease.
Xiao Haitang left decisively, but Qu Moying stood up nonchalantly and looked at her departing back. She was going to find the Xiao family. The Ji Mansion was where she grew up, so how could she not be familiar with it
Although they had only a few quarrels, she had basically found out some of the things she wanted to find out. As for having angered Xiao Haitang and driven her away, no one would be staring at her anymore.
"Let's go!" Qu Moying said to the two maids following behind him, and turned to walk towards a path. This was the path leading to Madam Ji's courtyard, but at this time Madam Ji was still entertaining guests in the flower hall.
The path curved forward. Qu Moying walked forward in a familiar manner. When she arrived in front of a large courtyard, she turned in another direction. This was Madam Ji's courtyard, but she was going to the back of Madam Ji's courtyard.
Madam Ji was like other madams in other mansions. As she was old, she liked to live in a quiet place and even set up a small Buddhist temple behind the yard.
This small Buddhist temple is often used as a family temple.
The same is true in the Qu Mansion. There is also a small Buddhist temple behind Madam Qu's yard. Most of the older people who believe in Buddhism will come here from time to time to light incense and chant scriptures. In this respect, Madam Qu and Madam Ji are similar. In fact, it's not just them, many mansions in the capital are like this.
Sure enough, there was a small courtyard behind the yard with the door ajar. Qu Moying stood outside, calmed herself down, and her eyes fell on the ajar door. This was what Nanny Zhou had mentioned to her yesterday, and now was a good opportunity for her to come over while Madam Ji was away.
"You two wait for me outside, I'll go take a look." Qu Moying instructed the two maids.
"Yes, I know." Yuchun and Yudong responded. After looking at each other, they stepped aside together.
The people in the Ji Mansion seemed very busy today. When they came over just now, they didn't see many servants. They all went to the front to help, so no one noticed them at this time.
Qu Moying nodded and walked inside. His heart beat violently twice and then slowly calmed down.
Pushing open the half-open door, there were three rooms in a row. As soon as he entered, he could smell the strong aroma of incense and candles. Qu Moying took a deep breath and calmed down the excitement in his heart again. The larger room in the middle was the Buddhist temple, and there were two side halls on the side.
"Who is it?" As soon as I arrived at the door of the main hall, I heard a woman's voice coming from inside.