Chapter 179

Chapter 179 Delivering a Message Secretly

“Granny Wu, what kind of material are these brocades made of? They are so strange.” Qu Moying walked over and gently touched the brocades that Granny Wu mentioned. In a place without sunlight, the brocades had no reflection. The dark silver color revealed a light gray shade, but under the sunlight, it would flash with a bright and beautiful color.

There were dark lines in the silver-gray color, which was not the same color as it had shown before.

This color made it feel like the material would be harder, but in fact, it still felt very soft.

Those were tribute brocades, not the type of material found in the capital. It was said that there were not many tribute brocades imported each time. When Ji Hanyue was here, she would receive it as a reward from the palace every year, just like what Qu Moying had received in front of her right now.

However, at that time, Ji Hanyue was the future Crown Princess, so she had a bunch of tribute brocade for herself. Dowager Consort Qu clearly only had a title but no real power, but she was able to send out so many brocades.

“I am not sure. I heard that it is a tribute to the royal family. I have never seen such material before,” Granny Wu said with a smile. There were not many gifts sent from the palace to Qu Mansion, so if even the Old Lady had never seen it before, Granny Wu would certainly not know it. Moreover, these bolts of brocades were specially given to the Fourth Lady.

No one knew why this Dowager Consort Qu, who had never contacted Qu Mansion, would suddenly send her gifts.

“Thank you, Granny Wu. Please invite that Granny in!” Qu Moying said softly and returned to the chair.

Granny Wu nodded and left. A short while later, she brought in a woman in her fifties. After entering and bowing to Qu Moying, her gaze fell on Qu Moying. She carefully sized Qu Moying up. There was not much respect in her gaze.

“Granny, are you sent here by Dowager Consort Qu?” Qu Moying asked with a smile.

“I am Dowager Consort Qu’s private servant. My surname is Yan. Dowager Consort Qu sent me to educate you, Fourth Lady Qu.” Granny Yan looked up and her eyes fell on Qu Moying’s face, as if she was still evaluating Qu Moying.

The long eye veil covered Qu Moying’s face, but from the appearance of the exposed face, she should be outstanding-looking and not as regular as she was rumored to be unless Fourth Lady really had a pair of unsightly eyes, which would really ruin her very outstanding face.

This possibility should not be ruled out. After all, this lady did have an eye problem, and no one knew what her eyes under the eye veil looked like. If they really were not good-looking, it would be useless.

“Granny Yan, Dowager Consort Qu sent you to educate me?” Qu Moying frowned. All of this was a bit strange. Up until now, she still hadn’t figured out the ins and outs of the matter.

“Yes, Dowager Consort Qu likes you very much, Fourth Lady. In the future, she will also invite you into the palace from time to time. If you don’t learn some of the palace etiquettes, it will be troublesome when you offend the noble people in the palace.” Granny Yan said with a cold face. Her cold gaze fell on Qu Moying’s face, still examining the latter.

“Fourth Lady, just now, the Old Lady has agreed. She asked Granny Yan to educate you well.” Granny Wu nodded repeatedly. This matter brought only benefits for the Fourth Lady, and the Old Lady felt that Dowager Consort Qu’s idea was great.

Fourth Lady had been living in the village since she was a child. Although she had been educated in the past, she did not have such formal education. Originally, for the sake of the Fourth Lady’s marriage, the Old Lady wanted to invite a Granny from the palace to educate her. Now that Dowager Consort Qu had sent someone over, it was just right. This matter was something excellent. Just now, the Old Lady had expressed her gratitude over and over again.

Unlike the Old Lady, Qu Moying did not have a good impression of Granny Yan, who had appeared in the mansion with an unknown identity. Moreover, her gaze was obviously like examination. Her sizing Qu Moying up made Qu Moying rather displeased.

However, she knew that since the Old Lady had agreed, she had no reason to refuse. Immediately, she smiled at Granny Yan. “Thank you, Granny Yan. Yu Dong, take Granny Yan to rest first. I want to talk to Granny Wu.”

Yu Dong knowingly took two steps forward and made a “please” gesture to Granny Yan. Granny Yan nodded to Granny Wu and turned to leave.

“Granny Wu, does Grandmother know that Granny Yan is Dowager Consort Qu’s servant? Has Grandmother always known about it?” After Granny Yan left far away, Qu Moying asked calmly.

“Granny Yan said that after she got here. She came here together with the gifts from the palace. The other eunuchs and palace maids who came along with her have all gone back. Fourth Lady, you can rest assured.” Granny Wu thought that Qu Moying was doubting Granny Yan’s identity, so she explained with a smile.

“Granny Wu, Granny Yan’s attitude is very proud. She doesn’t seem like someone close to Dowager Consort Qu, don’t you think so? Dowager Consort Qu has not appeared in public for so many years. The people around her will definitely keep a low profile too, right?” Qu Moying reminded her with a subtle hint.

Dowager Consort Qu was such a low-key person that Qu Moying never knew in her previous life that there was such a Dowager Consort in the palace. Thus, the people around her should also be more low-key. However, this Granny Yan obviously did not seem to be a low-key person. The way she looked at Qu Moying was with a bit of pride.

“Well… is it likely that she is sent by other Consort?” Granny Wu hesitated for a moment and was a little flustered.

“Granny Wu, go back and report to Grandmother that I have agreed on Granny Yan’s stay. However, I am afraid that she is not Dowager Consort Qu’s servant,” Qu Moying said.

“Don’t worry, Fourth Lady. I will report this to Old Lady.” Granny Wu nodded repeatedly. She also sensed that this matter was not simple. As she spoke, she was about to leave. But when she walked to the door, she deliberately said, “Fourth Lady, the embroidery workshop’s people will come over later to make a few sets of clothes for you. It’s an order from the Old Lady.”

“I know. Thank Grandmother for me,” Qu Moying said.

Granny Wu turned around and left.

“My lady, I’ll put these away!” Yu Chun stepped forward to pack up all the brocades in front of her.

“There’s no rush. Just leave them there.” Qu Moying shook her head to stop Yu Chun.

“My lady, it is a little messy here. It wouldn’t be good if Granny Yan saw it, right?” Yu Chun said as she gazed at the pile of brocades.

This Granny Yan was obviously very strict. Just now, she was looking at Fourth Lady Qu with arrogance and rudeness.

“It’s fine. Let her see it.” Qu Moying curled her lips indifferently and said, “I was originally raised in the village. How much of the world have I seen? Seeing such a large pile of gifts, of course I like them a lot, and I have to spend some time appreciating them.”

“Alright then!” Yu Chun said as if she understood.

The embroidery workshop’s people came quite soon later. Three people came. One of them was a manager, and the other two were old maids.

The manager was a lady who was about thirty years old. She looked very clever. Previously, when something happened to the embroidery workshop, the original manager was replaced with the current one.

After going forward to greet Qu Moying, the manager personally went forward to take Qu Moying’s measurements. While she did that, the other two old maids recorded the numbers down.

After measuring, the manager smiled and flattered Qu Moying with a few words before leaving with her assistants.

Halfway on the road, an old maid left the manager because she had something else to do. She found another path and left. After walking around a few circles on the path, she entered Qu Qiuyan’s Furong House.

In the main room, Qu Qiuyan picked up the brocades in front of her with a smile on her face and appreciated them. They were very good brocades. The most important thing was that they were gifts from the palace. They were much more prestigious than the ones she herself bought outside.

She did not expect that there was a Dowager Consort from her family. She had never heard Grandmother or Father talk about it.

The messenger from the palace said that Dowager Consort Qu would invite them into the palace in a few days. This was something that had never happened before. The royal palace was not a place that Qu Qiuyan could go to as she wished. Now that she had the chance, her heart throbbed with excitement. She was in a very good mood.

After her maid, Qing Ju, came in and whispered a few words to her, Qu Qiuyan put down the brocades in her hand and nodded at Qing Ju. Then, she returned to her chair and sat down.

The embroidery workshop’s old maid was brought in. She first bowed to Qu Qiuyan. Qu Qiuyan nodded in a good mood and asked gently, “What is the matter?”

The embroidery workshop’s old maid looked up at the table in the middle. There were four bolts of brocades on the table. The first bolt was of high quality, but it couldn’t be compared with the silver gray brocades that the Fourth Lady had. Moreover, there was a huge difference in quantity. The Fourth Lady’s place was full of these brocades, while the Third Lady only had four bolts.

Without comparison, no one would get to know that the Old Lady was so partial towards the Fourth Lady.

“Third Lady, I just came from the Fourth Lady’s place. The Old Lady told me and the others to measure the Fourth Lady’s body, saying that she wanted to make a few sets of clothes for the Fourth Lady. The materials used were all rewarded by the palace…” The old maid paused here and looked at the four bolts of brocades on the table. She wanted to say something but hesitated. Then, she saw that Qu Qiuyan’s face had become cold, so she hurriedly said, “Fourth Lady’s table was carpeted with brocades.”

The old maid did not count exactly how many brocades there were, but she knew that it seemed to be way more than how much the Third Lady had.

“What do you mean?” Qu Qiuyan originally wanted to drink tea, but now she placed the teacup heavily on the table, and the tea inside spilled out.

“I feel that the Old Lady is too partial towards the Fourth Lady.” The old maid flattered as she acted as if she felt indignant for Qu Qiuyan. “Although I am just a servant, I know that the Old Lady should not be like this. Third Lady, you are also the Old Lady’s biological granddaughter. How can she be so partial?”

“Did Qu Moying get a lot of gifts?” Qu Qiuyan’s happiness disappeared without a trace.

“Yes, the Old Lady gave the Fourth Lady a lot of brocades and also some jewelry. She asked the embroidery workshop to make six sets of clothes for the Fourth Lady all at once with brocades bestowed by the palace. I can tell with just one glance that a few bolts are tributes to the royal family. I doubt if Fourth Lady has the fortune to enjoy it.”

The old maid said vaguely.

Previously, Third Lady had instructed the old maid to report to her if anything happened to Fourth Lady. That was why this old maid secretly came over to report to Qu Qiuyan.

“Tributes to the royal family?” Qu Qiuyan’s face was gloomy, but she was not angry. She only asked coldly.

“Yes, they are all tributes to the royal family. And she will get so many clothes at once, but not even a set for you.” The old maid nodded.

Qu Qiuyan fell silent. She was not ignorant. She knew that it was impossible for the Old Lady to give all the gifts from the palace to Qu Moying. Even if the Old Lady was partial towards Qu Moying, it was impossible for the Old Lady to do such a thing.

Her mind suddenly buzzed. It seemed that someone in the palace wanted to reward Qu Moying. Who could it be?