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Dowager Consort Qu had already fallen asleep, and after taking the medicine, the drowsiness started to overcome her, making her feel extremely weak.

A palace maid carefully covered Dowager Consort Qu with a blanket and walked to the window, partially closing the curtains, obscuring the light in the palace. Then she went to where the incense burner was previously placed and noticed its absence, furrowing her brow. She approached the door and called over another palace maid, lowering her voice as she asked, “Where did the incense burner go?”

“Just now, Dowager Consort Qu ordered it to be removed, stating that the air inside was not circulating,” the young palace maid replied softly.

“Air not circulating? That can’t be right. It was perfectly fine before. Dowager Consort Qu’s health is not good, and she can’t arbitrarily change things in the room. Go bring the incense burner back and light it again.” the displeased palace maid retorted. She was Dowager Consort Qu’s personal attendant and was not present when Qu Moying and the others entered as she had gone to fetch something.

“But it was the Dowager Consort’s order…” the small palace maid hesitated.

The palace maid furrowed her brow and looked around. “But did the two young ladies from the Qu Mansion come in?”

Being Dowager Consort Qu’s confidante, she naturally knew that the Qu Mansion had sent two young ladies to visit her.

“What did they say that made the Dowager Consort remove all her favorite incense?” the palace maid asked, her displeasure evident.

“They didn’t say much. I couldn’t hear clearly from outside, but it seemed like they mentioned something about poor air quality. So, Dowager Consort Qu had someone remove the incense.” the young palace maid explained.

“Go and bring the incense burner back. If Dowager Consort Qu is well, we won’t use it for now. Let her decide when she wakes up. If her sleep is disturbed, then light it up. It’s rare for Dowager Consort Qu to sleep so peacefully, so let her rest.”

The palace maid suggested after contemplating.

“Yes!” The young palace maid nodded. It was indeed the best solution.

The incense burner was brought back in, and a stick of incense was inserted, but it remained unlit, placed in its original position. The palace maid examined Dowager Consort Qu’s complexion and saw that she was sleeping peacefully, so she decided against lighting the incense.

During this period, Dowager Consort Qu’s condition had been worsening. She couldn’t eat during the day and had trouble sleeping at night, causing great discomfort. Dowager Consort Qu even felt as if her time was running out and had lost her appetite for medicine. Those by her side were extremely worried. Now, being able to sleep well was the best outcome.

Qu Qiuyan walked outside and took the main road, walking for a while before turning a corner. There was another road adjacent to it, similar in size, so she casually turned onto it. The scenery seemed even better there, and she enjoyed the view as she strolled.

However, Qu Qiuyan’s mind wasn’t focused on the scenery. She walked slowly, frequently glancing around. Surprisingly, she hadn’t encountered anyone on the entire journey, which puzzled her.

Could it be that no one was surprised that a person like Dowager Consort Qu suddenly appeared in the palace? Hearing that her father had sent someone to say that the emperor had issued an edict to prepare medicine for Dowager Consort, it could be seen how much importance he attached to her. Why didn’t anyone pay attention to this matter?

Wasn’t it said that the slightest movement in the wind would make many people feel uneasy?

Suddenly, a court eunuch appeared on the road and stopped Qu Qiuyan, saying politely but with a touch of arrogance, “Please stop, our master is ahead.”

Qu Qiuyan’s heart leaped with joy. Finally, someone was here!

“Who is your master? Our lady is an esteemed guest invited by Dowager Consort Qu!” Qing Ju stepped forward and intercepted, answering first.

“Our master is Beauty Li, and who is your young lady?” The eunuch looked Qu Qiuyan up and down with confidence and a hint of disdain.

Qu Qiuyan had heard from Crown Prince, Pei Yusheng, that this Beauty Li seemed to have a good relationship with Noble Consort He and was favored in the palace. However, she wasn’t sure if this Beauty Li was the same person she had heard about.

“Our young lady is the third daughter of the Vice Minister’s Household. Today, she has been ordered to visit Dowager Consort Qu’s illness in the palace,” Qing Ju replied, trying to overcome her nervousness. The recent life-threatening experience had made her realize her own worth. If she had no value, her young lady wouldn’t have protected her.

Now was the time to prove her worth!

“Third Lady Qu?” The eunuch squinted his eyes, as if he had heard of this name before. His gaze shifted towards Qu Qiuyan, who stood there with a dignified smile.

Being accompanied by a eunuch beside a Beauty wasn’t enough to make her flustered.

“Yes, I am the third daughter of Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion,” Qu Qiuyan confirmed.

“Wait here.” the eunuch turned around and went back. Qu Qiuyan noticed a nearby pavilion where there seemed to be figures. Although the view was partially obstructed by trees, it appeared that there were several people present.

As expected, the eunuch entered the pavilion and had a brief conversation before returning. This time, his demeanor was completely different. The arrogant expression from earlier had transformed into a flattering smile. It only took a moment for him to change completely.

“Lady Qu, our Lady requests your presence for a conversation.” the eunuch said, making way and extending his hand.

Qu Qiuyan nodded, maintaining her composure, and led Qing Ju forward.

Passing a few trees that obstructed their view, they indeed saw four or five people in the pavilion. Among them, one was likely the mentioned Beauty Li—a remarkably beautiful woman who appeared delicate but carried a hint of arrogance. She was surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs.

Judging by her appearance and demeanor, she seemed to be highly favored.

Qu Qiuyan composed herself, took a couple of steps toward Beauty Li in the pavilion, and gracefully bowed, her sleeves gathered to the side. “Your Ladyship.”

“The third daughter of Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion, Lady Qu?” Beauty Li raised an eyebrow, examining Qu Qiuyan.

Qu Qiuyan was aware of her bad reputation, and Beauty Li seemed to share that sentiment. However, upon seeing Qu Qiuyan in person, Beauty Li couldn’t help but admire her. Indeed, she was an exceptional beauty. Even with her tarnished reputation, her looks alone were outstanding. It was no wonder that Crown Prince, His Highness, was so reluctant to let her go. Despite her poor reputation, she possessed such allure.

But it wasn’t just her reputation that was lacking; she truly had an unpleasant disposition, just like her birth mother Yu.

If a woman like her entered Lord Jing Mansion, it would undoubtedly cause chaos. She couldn’t even tolerate her own sister, let alone others.

“That is correct.” Qu Qiuyan replied, lowering her head and speaking softly. She appeared to be a gentle and charming beauty, easily arousing favorable impressions. However, Beauty Li wasn’t a man and wouldn’t be swayed by appearances. The palace was filled with such treacherous beauties.

Beauty Li had seen and encountered many of them, even engaging in similar behavior herself.

“Did Lady Qu come to the palace for Dowager Consort Qu’s illness?” Beauty Li raised her eyebrows, still not allowing Qu Qiuyan to sit down, casually inquiring.

“Yes, it is for the sake of Dowager Consort’s health,” Qu Qiuyan honestly replied.

“How is her health? Despite the numerous visits from physicians, have they not found any effective remedies?” Leaning against the fence behind her, Beauty Li asked indifferently.

She appeared completely nonchalant in her inquiry.

“Dowager Consort Qu’s health is very poor. As for the specifics… it depends on the diagnosis and treatment of the physicians.” Qu Qiuyan hesitated for a moment, realizing that she had almost revealed too much before continuing, “We will have to wait for the physicians’ assessment.”

“And how is her complexion?” Beauty Li asked in a different manner.

“The Dowager Consort’s complexion was very unpleasant as she leaned there to speak. Two out of three sentences she responded weakly. When my fourth sister spoke to the Dowager Consort, the latter also rarely replied. She has taken medicine and is currently resting.” Qu Qiuyan said softly, as if unaware that certain matters in the palace were not meant to be casually revealed to others.

“Fourth Lady Qu? Is she the young lady with the eye condition?” Beauty Li asked with little interest.

“Our fourth sister has had poor eyesight since childhood, but it has been mostly cured now. It should be fine soon.” Qu Qiuyan, the loving elder sister who solely protected her sister, replied.

However, a significant portion of her bad reputation was due to Qu Moying, making it challenging for people to believe that she genuinely cared for her sister.

“Why aren’t you together?” Beauty Li asked, smoothly changing the topic without exposing her knowledge.

All the topics seemed casual, flowing naturally from Qu Qiuyan’s remarks.

“She left the palace first, and I waited at the entrance of the main palace for a while. When I came out, she was nowhere to be found. I have no idea where she went.” Qu Qiuyan responded.

If Beauty Li hadn’t previously gathered information about the sisters’ situation, even she would have been fooled by Qu Qiuyan.

Although Beauty Li resided deep within the palace and was generally unaware of external events, she had specifically inquired about the third Lady Qu of the Qu Mansion due to her sister’s desire to enter the Crown Prince’s Mansion. Thus, she had some knowledge of the Qu family’s affairs.

Given the confinement of the second madam, it was absurd that the third Lady Qu was still affectionate toward the fourth Lady Qu.

However, whether it was ridiculous or not had little relevance to her; she was currently seeking information.

“This palace is vast, accommodating all kinds of esteemed individuals. If she were to encounter any of them, it wouldn’t bode well!”

Beauty Li slowly uttered, her eyes filled with a trace of mockery.

“Yes, of course. I’ll go find her soon to prevent her from accidentally offending any noble figures.” Qu Qiuyan nodded and replied gently.

“Did the physicians say when Dowager Consort Qu will recover?” Beauty Li changed the subject again.

“No, they didn’t. I met the Medical Officer earlier, but he didn’t say anything either.” Qu Qiuyan furrowed her brows. “Just now, my fourth sister cleaned the inner chamber of the Dowager Consort because she felt the air wasn’t circulating well. She even helped the Dowager Consort get out of bed and took a few steps.”

“The Dowager Consort listens to your fourth sister?” Beauty Li asked in astonishment.

“Not entirely, but when the fourth sister makes sense, the Dowager Consort listens. Her words have always been reasonable.” Qu Qiuyan replied, pulling the handkerchief in her hand and lowering her head.

“Fourth Lady Qu’s words have always been reasonable?” Beauty Li raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, both our grandmother and father have always praised her for being reasonable. Now that she’s in the palace, even the Dowager Consort acknowledges her wisdom.” Qu Qiuyan explained.

“Given Fourth Lady Qu’s remarkable wisdom, I can’t help but be curious. Did you say that she left Consort Dowager Qu’s palace and went out for a stroll?” Beauty Li asked, giving Qu Qiuyan a sidelong glance.

“That’s right. I asked a palace maid at the gate, but I came out later and didn’t see Fourth Sister,” Qu Qiuyan replied. “Fourth Sister’s health hasn’t been great, but it has improved considerably. Just now, she personally checked Consort Dowager’s pulse and must be more aware of the situation than I am.”

To gather information about Consort Dowager Qu, it would be more suitable to approach Qu Moying than Qu Qiuyan. Qu Qiuyan’s words consistently hinted at this fact, emphasizing that even Consort Dowager Qu listened to Qu Moying’s words…