Qu Mansion was the residence of the Minister of Works. The gate of the mansion underwent a period of renovation and is now much more magnificent than before.
The old woman led Xiao Haitang out of the carriage and led the way in front. Two other maids followed behind, and there was an unusual familiarity between their steps.
Sweat began to form on Xiao Haitang's forehead.
She raised her eyes to look at the old woman before her, then turned back to look at the maid behind her. For a moment, she almost thought that she was going to meet the former Miss Ji.
The one who was appointed as the Crown Princess very early on, had people around her sent by the palace. The requirements for people around the Queen were extremely strict. Not only Ji Hanyue, but also other people in Ling Anbo's Mansion were required to abide by this rule. For example, when going to see Ji Hanyue, there would be one person leading the way, followed by two maids.
Xiao Haitang was once reprimanded by people sent by the Queen for not following the rules. She knelt in front of Ji Hanyue's pavilion under the scorching sun. Even if Ji Youran and Ji Hanyue pleaded for her, it was useless. She was punished by the nanny beside the Queen and fainted from kneeling.
From then on, she was always very careful when going to Ji Hanyue's yard, for fear of breaking the rules in the slightest.
The people around the Queen finally left Ling'anbo's Mansion, but this rule remained. The high-profile practice made Xiao Haitang mock Ji Hanyue in her heart more than once. She hasn't even married into the Eastern Palace yet, but she already has the style of the Eastern Palace's Crown Princess. Does she really think of herself as the Crown Princess
But no matter how she cursed in her heart, on the surface, she didn't dare to break this rule again.
But now, seeing such a set of rules in Qu's house, how could he not be panicked? The handkerchief in his hand had been crumpled into a ball. He was also very aggressive when he came here before, but for some reason he felt a little guilty and his steps hesitated.
But even if there was any hesitation, the basic speed was still there. The one in front led the way, and the one behind followed, and the speed was determined. This made Xiao Haitang feel a sense of fear of being controlled, as if it was the place in her memory that made her most powerless.
No matter how hard you try, the end result is still the same, it's just a powerless struggle...
At the entrance of Qianyue Residence, Nanny Zhou was already waiting there. Seeing Xiao Haitang, she considered her an old acquaintance and said, "Hello, Miss Xiao."
"Madame Zhou." Xiao Haitang hurriedly returned the greeting. Seeing a familiar person made her feel relieved and she couldn't help but stop.
"Ms. Xiao, please be careful with your words when you go in." Nanny Zhou said in a low voice.
"What's the matter?" Xiao Haitang was startled and her heart was in her throat again.
"There is a maid sent by the palace." Nanny Zhou said in a low voice, looking behind her. "The maids in the palace have very strict rules. If you don't answer well, I'm afraid you will be punished."
"This... How come there is a maid from the palace here?" Xiao Haitang stuttered and shuddered involuntarily.
"Our young lady is going to marry His Royal Highness the King of England, who is the Crown Prince's uncle, so the palace cannot be careless, and naturally the young lady must be taught the rules." Madam Zhou sighed, looking at her helplessly and muttering to herself, "Even the second young lady back then... the rules might not be this strict."
These words were spoken in a very low voice, but Xiao Haitang heard them clearly and his face turned panicked.
The rules are stricter than those at Ji Hanyue's place. Is it because this is the future Princess of England? Even if her status is slightly inferior, her seniority is still there.
This rule is probably
It’s really higher than Ji Hanyue’s.
She had been punished before, but she had never been punished so severely since she was a child. The nanny from the palace at that time was so ruthless that no matter who came to intercede, it was useless. This feeling of familiarity has been deeply engraved in Xiao Haitang's mind. This journey has made this familiar feeling clearer and clearer, which has doubled Xiao Haitang's pressure.
"Miss Xiao, please!" Nanny Zhou said, then stepped aside to make way for the door.
Xiao Haitang forced a smile, nodded stiffly to Nanny Zhou, and followed the old woman who led the way into the yard.
In the corridor, Nanny Yan stood at the door of the wing room, watching Xiao Haitang coldly as she entered the main house. From the aura and appearance, Xiao Haitang knew at a glance that the person was really from the palace.
All the way here, Xiao Haitang almost walked into the main house in a very polite manner, despite Nanny Yan's gaze.
As soon as she entered the door, she sensed that the gaze behind her had disappeared, and she staggered and almost fell. Yu Dong reached out and helped her up.
Xiao Haitang stood firm, with faint sweat stains on her vest. She raised her eyes to look at Qu Moying who was sitting in the middle. For a moment, she seemed to see Ji Hanyue, who was calm and dignified.
His face suddenly turned pale, and when he opened his eyes, he clearly saw that the person sitting there was Qu Moying. Her appearance did not have any heroic air, but rather a kind of alluring charm, yet also a bit cold.
How could someone with such a look be the Crown Princess? She didn't look like the Crown Princess at all. It was only because she always thought of some old things about the Crown Princess before that she thought the person in front of her was the Crown Princess when all the memories came together.
"Qu... Fourth... Fourth Miss." After calming herself down, Xiao Haitang forced a smile and tried hard to appear calm, but her trembling expression showed that she was guilty and flustered.
Qu Moying didn't answer. He raised his head and his clear eyes fell on Xiao Haitang, which made Xiao Haitang feel uncomfortable.
She lost her momentum now and called out softly, "Miss Qu Si1"
"I heard that Miss Xiao rejected Madam Duan's proposal?" Qu Moying didn't let her sit down. He said with a cold look in his eyes. His eyes, which originally contained charm, now had a hint of gloom. Just this one sentence made Xiao Haitang frightened.
"I... I didn't, I... I just said slowly..." Xiao Haitang stuttered.
"Slowly? How long? Wait until Miss Xiao marries into the Ji family? I wonder if Master Ji, knowing that what happened back then was mainly caused by Miss Xiao, would still agree to this marriage." Qu Moying reminded coldly.
"No...it's not me..." Xiao Haitang said anxiously, shaking his hands in fear.
"It's not you, but it's mainly you. If it weren't for you, that girl wouldn't have died so tragically." Qu Moying interrupted Xiao Haitang's self-defense, "Miss Xiao, you don't want to defend yourself anymore, do you?"
"I..." Xiao Haitang began to sweat on her forehead, but she still gritted her teeth and persisted. She didn't believe that Qu Moying really knew anything. This incident happened several years ago, and at that time her aunt suppressed it in the mansion and did not allow anyone to mention it again. It was impossible for Qu Moying to know.
At that time, Madam Duan was in the small Buddhist temple praying for Ji Hanyue's biological mother and had no idea about this matter.
"Miss Xiao, what else do you want to say? Are you saying that the maid is pregnant with Master Ji's child, or that the child might be the eldest son of a concubine
Feeling jealous... I went to the second house and said something to Mrs. Xiao. Miss Xiao, do you still remember the tragic death of that maid? Aren't you afraid that at night... this maid will come to find you, with her baby in her belly, wearing a red dress, to look for you?"
Qu Moying said calmly.
Every word hit Xiao Haitang hard. Her legs went weak and she fell heavily to the ground, looking at Qu Moying in horror.
Regarding this matter, she originally thought that Qu Moying was just bluffing and that he only heard it from others and didn't really know anything.
"I heard that at that time, the concubine was still in the mansion. Because she didn't know the truth, she helped you unexpectedly. Do you think she would blame you for betraying her? If Master Ji knew about this, would he still think you were a lovely and gentle little cousin? Would he still be willing to marry you?"
Almost every question Qu Moying asked hit Xiao Haitang's soft spot. Not to mention whether Ji Yuanxing would accept her, just the fact that she dared to lie to Ji Youran, Ji Youran would never let her go. Ji Youran's personality seemed gentle and kind on the surface, but in fact, Xiao Haitang had suffered a lot from Ji Youran.
Ji Youran is a gentle and amiable elder sister in front of Ji Hanyue, but a ruthless cousin in front of her.
"Qu... Fourth Miss Qu..." Xiao Haitang's foot hurt from the fall and she started to cry. Even though she had taken every precaution on the way here, now that Qu Moying had revealed the truth one by one, she lost her mind and panicked. All the things she thought she relied on before no longer existed.
"Ms. Xiao, please take a seat. Why did you fall?" Qu Moying said indifferently, even with a hint of smile, as if those words just now were not said by her.
Yudong came over and helped Xiao Haitang up, and helped her sit on a chair beside her. The servants brought tea. Everyone was respectful and quiet, except Qu Moying, who looked at her with a smile. There was gentleness in her expression. Her soft eyes did not look too threatening.
It was as if all the previous feelings were her own imagination.
"Miss Qu Si... I will go to Liu Mansion, but I don't have a post." Gritting her teeth, Xiao Haitang showed weakness, lowered her head, and tried hard to express her helplessness, and made excuses.
"You had some good friends with young ladies before. Is it possible that you don't have one? I heard from Nanny Zhou that not just one, but several have a good relationship with Miss Xiao. When my cousin was around, there were quite a few young ladies around Miss Xiao." Qu Moying said lightly.
At that time, the Ling'an Marquis' Mansion was at its most prosperous. Not only did Ji Youran have people serving him, but Xiao Haitang also had many young ladies around her. Even if Xiao Haitang herself had nothing to please people, there would still be no lack of topics to talk about or offerings. Those little young ladies from aristocratic families, who could not curry favor with Ji Youran, would curry favor with Xiao Haitang.
"I... I'll give it a try." Looking at Qu Moying who understood everything, Ji Haitang was defeated again.
"It's not just a try, it's a must!" Qu Moying said with a half-smile, "Otherwise, Master Ji and Concubine Ji might want to find another marriage partner."
Xiao Haitang shuddered at these words. Even though the Ling Anbo Mansion was in decline, this was her best choice.
Ji Yanyue’s matter was not a big deal. She left on her own and it had nothing to do with her family, even if she said those words.
"Don't worry, Miss Qu Si, I... I will definitely go." The words came out of her mouth in such a shameful way...