That night, Qu Moying first asked Qu Zhizhen for instructions, and then went to report the matter to the lady.
After such a thing happened, even the Qu family was investigated. Qu Zhizhen was very angry. But when he heard his daughter say that she was frightened and unwell and wanted to live in the manor for a while, he thought about it and agreed.
In fact, at this time, the best way to resolve the problem is for the Qu family and the Liu family to be on good terms, and for the two to interact with each other without caring about anything. This is a way of getting along that is good for both of us.
But Qu Zhizhen could not swallow this anger. Such a thing happened inexplicably at his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. The Huasheng in question was sent by the Duke of Qi's Mansion. Later, County Lady Jingyu bluntly said that her own family had harmed her. The Qu family could not bear this crime.
It was clearly just a coming-of-age ceremony at home, and it was the one that Qu Zhizhen cared about the most.
It’s not that Qu Zhizhen cares about Qu Moying, he just wants to use his daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony to send a signal to all the powerful people that the daughter of the Qu family is also valued by the King of England, which is of great benefit to Qu Zhizhen.
Unexpectedly, such a thing was ruined by the Qiguo Mansion and the Liu Mansion. Qu Zhizhen was really upset, but when he heard that his daughter wanted to go back to the manor, he agreed.
The lady did try to persuade her, but seeing that it was no use, she could only sigh helplessly, and asked Qu Moying to pay attention to her safety, reminded her of her daily clothes, and asked her to come back early, as this was not the time to go to the farm, as it was the coldest time of winter.
Early the next morning, Qu Moying got up and took a few people with him to the farm outside the city.
As she left, some rumors gradually spread in the capital, including that day when the Lady Dowager of the Duke of Qi gave a Huasheng to Qu Moying, but it was accidentally broken by County Lord Jingyu. At that time, County Lord Jingyu pulled out a Huasheng from his head and said that he wanted to give it to Qu Moying.
In the case that day, the matter of Huasheng was handled vaguely, and everyone's attention was on the phoenix robe.
At this time, the Huasheng incident happened again, and it was related to Liu Jingyu. The Queen Mother was so angry that she called Liu Jingyu into the Pepper Palace again.
Madam Liu originally wanted to accompany her daughter, but this time the Queen only hinted that she wanted to see Liu Jingyu alone. Madam Liu had no choice but to give her daughter a few more instructions.
In the Pepper Palace, the Queen Mother did not see Liu Jingyu and left her alone waiting in the side hall.
Liu Jingyu had been waiting for an hour and was feeling very annoyed, but she did not dare to show any impatience on her face, even though the tea on top of her had long gone cold and no one came to replace it for her.
It took a long time before footsteps were heard at the door, followed by the voices of palace maids and eunuchs.
"Greetings, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Liu Jingyu stood up hurriedly and looked towards the door with a bit of grievance.
Pei Luoan walked in from the door of the side hall and waved his hand. All the eunuchs and palace maids following him stopped outside the door, except for one confidant who followed him in.
"Greetings, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Liu Jingyu hurriedly turned sideways to salute.
Pei Luoan sat down on the chair in the middle and motioned for her to sit down without formalities.
"Does County Lord Jingyu really dislike the fourth young lady of the Qu family?" Pei Luoan didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.
"Your Highness... Your Highness didn't do that. I was really careless." Liu Jingyu wiped her tears with a handkerchief and knelt down gracefully. "That Huasheng might have been tampered with by someone.
If I had known that Huasheng would have such a thing happen, I would never have sent her to Miss Qu Si."
"Has Huasheng been tampered with like your clothes?" Pei Luoan asked coldly.
"Yes, Your Highness." Liu Jingyu felt extremely aggrieved.
"Why are there people from Northern Frontier in your house?" Pei Luoan looked at Liu Jingyu for a long time before asking coldly, "Could it be that there is something important in your house that the people from Northern Frontier are snooping on?"
Liu Jingyu hurriedly lowered her head: "Your Highness, I don't know. I don't know why they are in our house."
Liu Jingyu really felt wronged. Why would his family find someone from Northern Frontier? Not only one person, but there were several. Two of them were even his mother's confidants. They were very useful to his mother in the past. Others were also very capable people in the family.
"Your family doesn't have any connection with Northern Xinjiang, does it?" Pei Luoan suddenly said solemnly. There was no one else around at the moment, so he didn't need to go around in circles and ask.
Liu Jingyu was so frightened that his face turned pale. His legs softened and he knelt on the ground, and he was very excited: "Your Highness... Your Highness, how could such a thing happen in your house?"
"No way?" Pei Luoan sneered, with a hint of threat in his words, "Liu Jingyu, I don't care what little tricks you play, but you'd better be clear. If I find out that your mansion has any connection with Northern Frontier, I will be the first to not spare you. There is no need to wait for the emperor to search your mansion. I will directly destroy you."
He looked gentle in the past, but when he said this at this moment, he inexplicably had a bit of Pei Yuanjun's aura. Liu Jingyu's hands and feet were sore, his heart was filled with fear, and his lips turned pale.
She could tell that these were not just words, but true.
As long as his family had the slightest connection with the Northern Frontier, the prince in front of him would definitely not forgive him. Sweat began to appear on his fair forehead, and his lips trembled twice, but he could not utter a word.
The atmosphere in the side hall grew colder and tense. Sensing that the Crown Prince was looking at her solemnly, Liu Jingyu did not dare to react. She just knelt stiffly on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She looked extremely pitiful.
She didn't even know how to react at this moment. Her mother's advice was completely useless at this moment.
It took a long while before Pei Luoan's gentle voice was heard: "Get up!"
His hand reached out, and Liu Jingyu subconsciously put his hand in his and was pulled up.
"Sit down first!" Pei Luoan pulled her to sit aside. His expression was no longer sinister, and a slight smile appeared on his face. He held Liu Jingyu's cold hand and did not let go. He even gently pinched her stiff fingers, and then spoke.
"Those people from Northern Frontier are all in your house. Although I have found one or two in the past, they were not so frequent. I naturally believe in Minister Liu, but I don't understand whether those people from Northern Frontier were really accidental or deliberately came into your house. If they came into your house, was it to plot against you or me?"
"Your Highness..." Liu Jingyu shuddered and was about to speak, but Pei Luoan pinched his hand lightly, and he quickly shut up.
Pei Luoan continued, "I may have to trouble you for this matter. After all, that is your house. Think about it, if these people don't find out this time, when you marry me in the future, you will naturally have to bring a few dowry people with you. Will those people sneak into my house?"
The Prince's Mansion?"
Pei Luoan analyzed.
The result of this analysis made Liu Jingyu's face even paler. Tears fell silently and he couldn't utter a word.
This possibility really exists. Liu Jingyu did not dare to tell Pei Luoan that there was indeed a companion room prepared for her. It was specially prepared for her by her mother. She was unwilling to accept those people at first, but her mother said that they were loyal and capable, so she felt that she could accept them.
At this moment, her mind was in a mess.
She was not completely ignorant. Besides, she had always believed that Qu Moying was the one who did this. But now she couldn't help but feel a little panicked. What if it really happened in her own house
What do those people want to do? Are they going to harm His Royal Highness the Crown Prince through me
"The county lady will marry into the Eastern Palace in the future, and become my Crown Princess. She will be in charge of all the affairs of the Eastern Palace. In the future... you should... I heard a long time ago that the county lady is smart and will have no problem in managing the internal affairs. You should be more careful at this time. There may be someone from the Northern Frontier in your mansion. You must investigate carefully. If something like this happens again, I can't protect you."
Pei Luoan sighed.
His hand fell from Liu Jingyu's and he looked at her with an inexplicable expression.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. I will investigate carefully and this kind of thing will never happen again." Liu Jingyu hurriedly expressed her loyalty.
"That's the best! I still have things to do, so you should go back. My mother is still angry, and I won't go to persuade her." Pei Luoan stood up and said.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Liu Jingyu hurriedly bowed. After seeing Pei Luoan leave, she wiped her tears and left with her maid.
He returned to the Liu Mansion and went straight to his own courtyard without paying his respects to Madam Liu.
Mrs. Liu was worried about her, so when she didn't come after waiting for a while, she came to see her.
The mother and daughter did not ask anyone else to serve them, and only left one confidant behind to talk with the door closed.
When she learned that the Queen had not seen Liu Jingyu at all and only His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had reprimanded Liu Jingyu, Madam Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, it's okay. Now all you have to do is get along better with the one in the Qu Mansion."
"Mother, I don't want to!" Liu Jingyu lowered his head and rubbed the handkerchief in his hand and refused.
"You kid, it's been so long since the incident happened, even your mother has let it go, why haven't you let it go? Besides, she can't recognize us as a member of the Liu Mansion, and she is just using the name of the Qu Mansion, which doesn't have much to do with us. As for your father, I dare not say anything to her, and her current identity is not simple either."
Madam Liu advised again.
If it was in the past, Liu Jingyu would have scolded angrily, but today she was particularly silent. After listening to Madam Liu, she raised her eyes and looked at Madam Liu: "Mother, could you have made a mistake?"
"Mistress?" Mrs. Liu was stunned.
"It's just... Xiaoyue has nothing to do with my father, and Qu Moying is not my father's..." Liu Jingyu said with difficulty. There were some things that were really inconvenient for her, an unmarried girl, to say, but there were no outsiders around at the moment.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. It doesn't matter. You have to remember that you are the eldest daughter of the Liu family and the only daughter of Minister Liu. Whether your father admits it or not, you are the only fact." Madam Liu's face darkened and she said impatiently, skipping the topic directly. "What you need to think about now is how to get along well with her."