Chapter 176
In Qingyu Garden, Yu was lying on the bed. Her face was pale, and her body was weak. She really could not get up. Ever since she returned to the mansion that day, she got really sick and could not get up from the bed at all.
She had taken a lot of medication prescribed to her. The Imperial Doctor had been here before, but after using so many medications, it was still ineffective. Her health did not seem to improve at all.
Hearing a sound coming from the door, Yu turned to Hai Lan. Hai Lan understood and put down the medicine bowl in her hand. She was about to go out and ask, but she saw Qu Qiuyan rushing in angrily. Therefore, Hai Lan could only retreat to the side and say, “Greetings, Third Lady.”
Qu Qiuyan swung her sleeve and almost hit Hai Lan’s face. Qu Qiuyan walked over with a cold face and looked at Yu on the bed. Her eyes were filled with anger.
“Yan, what… happened?” Yu raised her head and looked at her daughter’s bright face with difficulty.
Her daughter was very beautiful—even more beautiful than when she was young. As long as her daughter grew up to be promising, everything could be turned around in the future.
“Mother, how great it is, huh. Didn’t you say that Father disliked that blind girl very much? But why did he send brocades to her but not me now? In the end, it was that cheap girl who shared half of Father’s brocades with me!” Qu Qiuyan said coldly to the weak Yu on the bed.
Whenever she thought of Qu Moying’s maid bringing the brocades over, her heart would burn with hatred. She did not care about the brocades. For so many years, she was the only lady in West Mansion, and she was the only one who got to have anything good. Other people, sometimes even Yu, could not have their share.
One day, not only did Qu Moying appear, but her father also regarded Qu Moying as his daughter for real. This time, he only sent gifts to Qu Moying but not her. How could Qu Qiuyan endure this? She wanted to vent her anger on her father. But halfway, she came to her senses and then turned to find Yu.
She didn’t dare to get angry at Qu Zhizhen, but she dared to come to Yu and vent her anger on Yu.
“Mother, you said before many times that you wanted to deal with this bitch. You said that it was very simple. You said that even if this bitch were to stay alive for the time being, when you wanted her life, it would be only a matter of an order. But now, is it just a matter of an order? Why does Father like her the most now? Did you actually lose when you fought for favor with Qu Moying’s mother?”
“Yan… Don’t be angry… I… I will deal with that bitch…” Yu didn’t know what had happened, but she still comforted her beloved daughter.
“Mother, please stop saying that.” She interrupted Yu directly, “Everything was fine, but you ruined them one by one. For so many years, you said that you wanted this bitch’s life, but you didn’t really kill her. She is still alive. This is where you fail, Mother.”
“I have my own way…” Yu tried to argue.
“What else can you do? Even the plan of recognizing her as another couple’s daughter ended up a failure. I heard that the fake couple caused a big ruckus. And after that, many people said that you were involved.” When Qu Qiuyan mentioned this matter, she was even angrier. After that incident, she was even reprimanded by her father.
The couple who claimed to be Qu Moying’s biological parents were pretending to be powerful outside, but later, the matter failed. Many people who saw that scene began to talk about it. They felt that there was someone in Qu Mansion who wanted to harm Fourth Lady Qu and deliberately sought for a couple to be her parents. Who else in the mansion was so ruthless? It went without saying that it was Yu again.
“This bitch is so lucky that she was spared,” Yu said helplessly.
“Lucky? Mother, you still believe that this is just luck? Well then, Lady Luck is really on her side. She is spared time and time again,” Qu Qiuyan mocked.
Yu’s face turned red from the ridicule.
“I have a backup plan.”
“Mother, stop saying the backup plan. After all these years, you still haven’t gotten rid of her, yet you still want me to listen to you in the future. Look at these things you are doing now. Which one of them can really make me listen to you? If I had listened to you at that time, wouldn’t I have been the same as you now?”
Qu Qiuyan said mercilessly.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I am just ill.” Hearing her daughter say this, Yu was utterly embarrassed.
“Just ill? This illness came at the right time, didn’t it!” Qu Qiuyan only felt ridiculous.
“You…” Yu wanted to say something, but she suppressed it. She didn’t look good, and she started coughing hard. Hai Lan rushed forward and patted her a few times. Only then did Yu gradually recover. Her face was covered with sweat from coughing.
Qu Qiuyan just stood coldly in front of the bed as she looked at Yu’s miserable appearance. Qu Qiuyan’s eyes were still.
If Yu had been more capable, there would have been no Qu Moying now. And if Qu Moying had not returned to the mansion, Yu would not have gotten into such a mess.
Although it was Yu who got into trouble outside, it was not only Yu who was being talked about. Many people also recalled the past of Qu Mansion. In the past, Yu was just a concubine, while Qu Qiuyan was just a daughter of a favored concubine. As concubine-born daughters, it was normal for them to be ridiculed by wife-born noble ladies.
Although Qu Qiuyan had not gone out for the past few days, the mockery of “The concubine-born daughter who suddenly became a wife-born daughter” had reached her ears.
Thinking of how people might talk about her this way at the banquet, Qu Qiuyan hated Yu for being so shameless back then. Yu was clearly a wife-born daughter of a governor’s family, but why was she willing to enter Qu Mansion with the identity of a concubine?
“In a few days, I will invite Second Lady Duan and your cousin sister over to the mansion.” Yu’s coughing finally stopped, and she said in a hoarse voice.
“Mother, don’t make any more mistakes.” Qu Qiuyan was not very interested in this matter. Her purpose in coming here was to urge Yu. Now that her goal had been achieved, she would let Yu play the next part. This way, even if something happened, Yu would be her shield.
After saying that, Qu Qiuyan turned and left.
“Yan, Yan…” Seeing that her daughter was about to leave, Yu said anxiously.
Although Qu Qiuyan’s attitude was not good, she had not visited her mother for a long time. Yu missed her and wanted to keep her to talk for a while.
“Mother, I am in charge of the internal affairs of the mansion. I have to ask Aunt Luo about some internal affairs later, so I won’t accompany you,” said Qu Qiuyan impatiently.
“Why didn’t your brother come?” Yu said helplessly.
“Brother has always been studying in East Mansion. It’s Father and Grandmother’s idea. They do not want you to have much interaction with him,” Qu Qiuyan said coldly.
After saying that, she no longer cared about Yu and turned to leave.
After leaving the door, she raised her eyes to look in the direction of Qu Moying’s Qianyue House. A trace of jealousy and hatred flashed in her eyes, but then she frowned again. She seemed to be worried about Yu’s health. She called the two maids in the corridor over to ask them about Yu’s health and told them to take good care of Yu before leaving.
“What? Concubine Xiang went to the governor’s office to make a complaint?” In Earl Ling’an’s Mansion, when Xiao received the news, her expression changed drastically. She pressed her hands on the table and almost stood up.
Ji Yong’an, who was sitting with Xiao to discuss the countermeasures, heard the news too, and even his lips were trembling, his face devoid of any color.
“That’s what they say outside. It’s said that it’s Concubine Xiang from our mansion.” The one who reported this was a manager.
“Impossible. Concubine Xiang went to Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion. How could she be at the governor’s office?” Xiao stood up, walked in circle two times, and ordered the manager, “Go to Qu Mansion again and ask if Concubine Xiang is there.”
The servant sent to Qu Mansion had not returned, and Xiao was really worried.
“Second Madam, the person sent to Qu Mansion is back,” an old maid reported from the corridor.
“Let her in, now.” Xiao was overjoyed and said repeatedly.
An old maid hurriedly came in. She was the servant who was sent to Qu Mansion to complain to Qu Zhizhen. After coming in, the servant reported to Xiao, “Madam, Fourth Lady Qu said that Concubine Xiang left halfway to come back to Earl Ling’an’s Mansion, so she should have returned by now. Please send someone to check this out.”
She left halfway and said that she wanted to go back to Earl Ling’an’s Mansion?
Xiao’s face turned green before turning pale. What was there to be unclear about at this time? Who else could it be other than Concubine Xiang who went to the governor’s office to make a complaint?
“Madam, Madam!” Seeing that the room suddenly became quiet and that both Xiao and Ji Yong’an looked like they had seen a ghost with their ghastly expressions, the old maid was taken aback.
“Useless servant!” Xiao picked up the teacup at hand and smashed it hard on the old maid’s body.
Caught off guard, the old maid was hit in the chest. The hot tea seeped into her chest. It hurt so much that she screamed sharply. She covered her chest and took two steps back. Then, she fell heavily to the ground, and painful screams were heard.
“Get her out.” Xiao shouted angrily.
Two old maids came from the door and immediately carried the screaming old maid away. For a moment, all the servants trembled with fear, fearing that they would be the punching bag for no reason.
“All of you get out first.” Ji Yong’an came back to his senses and waved his hand impatiently.
The maids and old maids exited one by one and stood ten steps away from the door. They lowered their heads and stood quietly on both sides.
Inside the room, Ji Yong’an picked up the tea on the table and took a big sip. Almost immediately, he spat it out. The hot tea almost scalded his tongue and lips.
“What should we do now? Concubine Xiang actually went to file a complaint. The letter from before said that Eldest Brother wanted to have an heir. Concubine Xiang might be complaining about this matter. How about this? Appoint Yuanhai as Eldest Brother’s heir and put this matter to an end.” Ji Yong’an spat two mouthfuls of saliva. After calming down, he said to the gloomy Xiao.
“No!” Xiao’s face was as dark as ink. She glared fiercely at Ji Yong’an. “Don’t think that you can ask for this title on behalf of your concubine-born son. Don’t you know how much Youran and I have done for this title? Now, a little bastard is to enjoy the benefits? How can there be such a thing in this world?”
This little bastard was nothing to Xiao, but to Ji Yong’an, Ji Yuanhai was still his son. Although he usually didn’t like Ji Yuanhai too much, he was still very unhappy when he heard Xiao say this. “Xiao, don’t forget that he is also my son. How can you, the first wife, say that about him!”