Chapter 365
“Will County Lady Jingyu attend it?”
After asking this question, Qu Moying couldn’t help but laugh. Since this gathering was a high-level one, how could Liu Jingyu not attend it?
However, Qu Moying thought it was not bad because she could have the chance to see how Liu Jingyu tried to curry favor with Grand Princess Changyu or Prefectural Princess Xiangrong. After all, Liu Jingyu had a clear goal now, and that was to marry the Crown Prince, Pei Luo’an.
Whether she had to face one or two enemies at this gathering didn’t affect Qu Moying in the slightest.
The situation was not bad. At the very least, the gathering was held in Grand Princess Changyu’s Mansion, so even if Liu Jingyu was Duke Qi’s granddaughter and Minister Liu’s daughter, she would not dare to act rashly.
Granny Yan did not know the real meaning of Qu Moying’s question and answered honestly, “County Lady Jingyu will possibly attend it.”
“Then… prepare some clothes and accessories for me. I’ll attend it.” Qu Moying smiled and nodded. She seemed to be full of smiles, but if one looked closely, they would find that there was actually no smile in her eyes.
There was no rootless hatred in this world. Moreover, Liu Jingyu hated her so much that she tried several times to kill her…
Granny Yan nodded. “Lady, please rest assured. I will.”
To attend such a party, one’s makeup couldn’t be too simple and plain, but she couldn’t look so gorgeous as to steal the limelight of the host. It was not easy for ordinary people to strike a balance.
Granny Yan placed the invitation card back in front of Qu Moying and retreated.
Qu Moying took it and read it carefully this time. She saw the date on the top and found that the gathering would be held seven days later, so there was no need to hurry. She nodded.
Two things happened in Qu Mansion in succession, and both things were related to Qu Xuexin. Words got out. There were various comments on Qu Xuexin, some of which were unpleasant to hear. After all, when Qu Xuexin fell into the water, she was saved by a man who held her in his arms.
Many people saw it, and even more people heard about it. It was a lively night, and most of the young men and women went to the streets. Such a romantic thing spread very quickly, and it almost became the most discussed thing at the Qixi Festival this year. Everyone was discussing whether or not Qu Xuexin would marry the man who saved her.
If she didn’t marry him, who else would she want to marry in the future?
There were also some people of aristocratic families who knew that Qu Xuexin had a dispute with Crown Prince’s Mansion’s Side Princess and even started a fight. They heard that it had something to do with the Crown Prince’s Love Lanterns.
The question was, with whom did the Crown Prince hang the Love Lanterns? If he didn’t go with Princess Ji, who was with him?
If it was Princess Ji, she could not have argued with Qu Xuexin.
The Crown Prince had not officially engaged with someone yet, and he had always appeared to be affectionate to the ex-Crown Princess. If he didn’t go with Princess Ji, who was the lady who hung Love Lanterns with him?
Did the Crown Prince completely forget his deep affection for the ex-Crown Princess after such a short time?
Some people vaguely heard that the lady was County Lady Jingyu. As a result, more people came to know that County Lady Jingyu and the Crown Prince were going to marry.
The first rumor was spread by almost everyone in the capital.
The second rumor was only spread secretly among the noble families. Everyone was wondering if County Lady Jingyu was about to enter Eastern Palace.
People had various comments on the matter that County Lady Jingyu hung Love Lanterns with the Crown Prince. Some people felt disdain for her because she hung the lanterns with the Crown Prince before their relationship was officially announced to the public. Was she confident that she would definitely enter Crown Prince’s Mansion?
Was she willing to be a Side Princess as long as she could enter the Crown Prince’s Mansion? If this was the case, it seemed that she was not properly following the rules that an unmarried noble lady should follow.
It made people feel that in order to be the Crown Princess, County Lady Jingyu had disregarded her reputation as an unmarried lady. Maybe the matter got big because of County Lady Jingyu. After all, only in this way could she get engaged with the Crown Prince quickly.
The Crown Prince was not an ordinary person. Even if the rules for women and men were loose during the Qixi Festival, he was still expected to strictly abide by the rules.
He was not an ordinary person but the Crown Prince. Many people were watching his every move. Although they did not dare to discuss him openly, they judged him in their hearts.
The ex-Crown Princess probably died in vain!
Ji Hanyue sacrificed her life to block the sword for the Crown Prince, but she died in vain. Not long after she died, the Crown Prince had already shifted his love to another person. He went out to hang Love Lanterns with County Lady Jingyu together!
People were saying these words in private. But in public, they only dared to talk about Qu Xuexin.
Therefore, news was spread from Qu Mansion that Qu Xuexin was going to spend her life like a nun at home.
When this news came out, many people in the capital were shocked. They all thought that Qu Xuexin would marry the man who saved her or marry someone who was not from the capital. Of course, if someone had taken a fancy to her and pitied her, he could marry her under pressure.
However, they didn’t expect that Qu Xuexin would choose to be a home-based nun.
Many people who knew Qu Xuexin and Luo felt that this matter was strange. They knew Luo was very keen on taking Qu Xuexin on a blind date. But now, Qu Xuexin was going to be a home-based nun. Did she see through the vanity of life?
How could Qu Xuexin really devote herself to religious cultivation?
Or could it be that there was no suitable person to marry her temporarily, so the news was deliberately spread out?
However, some people thought that the measure of Qu Mansion was not bad. Based on Qu Xuexin’s situation, there would not be any young master who wanted to marry her. Moreover, the previous matter related to Third Young Master He had ruined Qu Xuexin’s reputation, and the present matters exposed her to the focus of public criticism.
Whenever Qixi Festival was mentioned, she would be discussed. Whenever people thought of the Crown Prince’s improper behavior, she would be immediately related as well.
It could be said that Qu Xuexin had somewhat taken the blame for the Crown Prince.
Many things related to Crown Prince’s Mansion’s Princess Ji were dug out as well.
Qu Moying heard that Qu Xuexin had caused a lot of trouble in East Mansion, and she even wanted to look for Xiao Hanyuan. But before Qu Xuexin was able to make trouble, Xiao Hanyuan had moved out to a quieter and more suitable place for his study in the capital. It seemed that he had completely given up on Qu Xuexin.
In this regard, Qu Moying felt that Xiao Hanyuan was not that stupid. At least he could figure out some things. At present, Qu Mansion was not a suitable place for him to study. It was best to move out. Otherwise, something might land him in trouble even if he did nothing, so how could he study?
Qu Xuexin did not stir up too much trouble. She was not locked up in East Mansion but in West Mansion. She lived in an unused yard behind the Old Lady’s yard. When she moved to this yard, Luo cried all the way behind her and was then sent away by the Old Lady.
Therefore, Qu Xuexin started cultivating in this place. As for how long she would cultivate, the people in the mansion did not know. However, the servants in the mansion said that the Old Lady was soft-hearted and would not necessarily let Qu Xuexin cultivate for a lifetime. She had to cultivate now because no one was willing to marry her.
Even Xiao Hanyuan moved out to avoid her.
Qu Xuexin stopped making a fuss these few days and gradually calmed down. It was said that she seemed to have accepted her fate. Qu Moying once saw her in her yard in very simple clothes. Qu Moying could not see her expression clearly from afar, but she seemed to have changed into a different person, looking quite obedient.
However, Qu Moying knew very well that Qu Xuexin was never an obedient person, and she was just waiting for an opportunity.
Qu Mingcheng also behaved well. Recently, he moved back to East Mansion to recuperate and also study. The restless ones were locked up in West Mansion, including Yu and Qu Xuexin. As for East Mansion, nobody caused trouble recently.
Qu Xuexin’s matter gradually died down. Since she had already started cultivating, what else was there to say against her?
People thought it was pathetic for a noble lady like her to fall into such a state. She was like the abbot of Qingyun Temple. Therefore, people in the capital began to feel pity for Qu Xuexin.
They thought Qu Xuexin was innocent in the incident of Third Young Master He. The marriage was not arranged for her at the beginning, and it was the elders in her family who failed to see through Third Young Master He’s evil nature.
They began to say that Qu Xuexin did not fall into the water on purpose but because she wanted to protect Qu Moying from falling into the water.
As for the thing spread around the aristocratic families that she bumped into Princess Ji, it was also an accident, but who would have expected that Princess Ji was so ruthless…
These rumors were spread among the common people and also among the aristocratic families. They were spread so widely that they also reached Crown Prince’s Mansion. Hearing these rumors, Ji Youran was so angry that she smashed several antiques, but she still felt angry…
“How are things going in the capital?” Pei Yuanjun narrowed his long and narrow eyes, and his thin lips curled up slightly, making him look rather casual.
Ji Hai hurriedly said with a smile, “Fourth Lady Qu is doing well. I heard that she is going to attend the gathering of noble ladies held by Grand Princess Changyu’s mansion! I have already told Granny Yan to do according to your instructions!”
“It’s not bad to attend it… As for the Crown Prince…” Pei Yuanjun smiled languidly with a trace of wickedness in his eyes, but it made him look even more handsome.
The sunlight fell on his face through the gauze curtain. He looked gloomy and handsome. The red iris flower embroidered on the collar of his purple brocade robe gave off a strange color that looked like flowing blood.
The carriage was moving forward. The guards lined up in two rows and walked forward in an orderly manner. Only the sound of uniform footsteps could be heard.
Ji Hai did not dare to say anything. As a servant, he did not dare to talk about the Crown Prince outside.
Pei Yuanjun gently tapped on the table in the carriage and gracefully tilted his head to the side, which made his handsome face look more wicked. He looked unreal.
“Is anyone coming from the North?”
Ji Hai squinted his eyes and answered with a smile, “They should be coming. Your Highness, since you have already come out of the capital, there must be people coming from the North. They will not let go of this opportunity.”
When Pei Yuanjun was at the border, he could predict what had happened in the capital. Things were the same when he was in the capital. Even if he was in the capital, nothing in the North could get out of his control.
The Crown Prince thought that he could control everything. He feared Pei Yuanjun, but he also appeared to be respectful and showed weakness. In fact, he was just trying to confuse people!