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Especially someone who seemed so discreet and secretive.

It couldn’t be the Duke Qi or his wife, who had both been present moments ago. Furthermore, considering the servant’s behavior, it seemed highly suspicious. This led Qu Qiuyan to believe that the person behind it all must be a man.

Perhaps First Young Master Qi?

A figure suddenly flashed in her mind. She had heard that Qu Moying had lent him some incomplete music scores before. Among all those who had connections with Qu Moying, he was the most likely candidate.

The thought startled her, causing Qu Qiuyan to turn her head and glance behind her, as if expecting to see First Young Master Qi.

No! She couldn’t allow Qu Moying to marry into the Duke Qi’s Mansion.

Even though Duke Qi was no longer involved in political affairs and had essentially retired, the fact remained that he still held influence. Duke Qi, who had once turned the tides of events, had deep-rooted connections.

If it weren’t for his significant achievements, he wouldn’t have been rewarded anymore, and his granddaughter wouldn’t have become a County Lady. Such an honor was reserved for those with royal blood, and it wouldn’t be right to let Liu Jingyu easily rise to the same status as Ji Hanyue, thus becoming a noblewoman.

In addition to the several princesses and county ladies of the royal family, among those of different surnames, she also held a prominent position.

If Qu Moying were to marry into Duke Qi’s Mansion, it would provide her with a powerful support. Even if Qu Qiuyan were to enter the Lord Jing Mansion herself, she might not surpass Qu Moying.

Qu Qiuyan now understood her situation and no longer dared to entertain futile illusions as she did in the past. She strived to secure a position as a side concubine for herself. However, even if she confronted the Duke Qi’s Mansion, Lord Jing would still let her retreat. How could she then humiliate Qu Moying?

She still hoped for the day when she would enter the Lord Jing Mansion, the day she could see Qu Moying crushed and degraded.

Even if her father and grandmother protect that little wench, what of it? Qu Qiuyan would find a fabricated charge to crush that wretched girl to death. Not only would she take her life, but she would also ensure she dies in disgrace.

At that time, with her status, she wouldn’t even be suppressed by the Old Lady, and no one would care about a lowly wench who was abandoned since childhood.

So, recently, Qu Qiuyan has been relatively calm, trying not to do anything, fearing the occurrence of further unfavorable events. But now, what was happening? When did Qu Moying establish a connection with First Young Master Qi?

No, this was absolutely unacceptable!

Even if Qu Moying was connected to the Duke Qi’s Mansion, she could only be a concubine. Yes, just a concubine. A mere concubine was not worth fearing.

She tightly clenched the handkerchief in her hand, a hint of bloody resentment flickerd in her eyes. She bit down hard on her teeth, struggling to calm herself.

“My lady!” Qing Ju notices her unsettling expression and whisperd softly.

“Let’s go!” Qu Qiuyan regained her composure, already contemplating her next move. She turned around and headed back. She needed to return and verify if it’s true.

Observing Qu Qiuyan’s grim expression, Qing Ju refrained from saying anything and followed her back.

As they make their way back, returning to the entrance of the garden they had left earlier, they find that Qu Moying was no longer there. Looking through one of the window panes, Qu Qiuyan saw Qu Moying and Qi Xiangyu together, returning to the previous flower hall.

From Qu Qiuyan’s position, she ca sight of a plate of fruits on Qu Moying’s table—the same plate she saw earlier, which was brought by that old servant?

Her heart received a heavy blow, and her face immediately turned pale. Their previous speculations had proven to be true. How could this be?

She would not allow Qu Moying to have such a good opportunity…

Her hand clenched tightly within her sleeve, her gaze sweeping over Qu Moying’s surroundings. Qu Moying and Qi Xiangyu were sitting closer to the side, near the entrance. The central position was reserved for the older ladies, including the Duchess Qi and a few others who were engaged in lively conversation, completely oblivious to the others.

Qu Moying and Qi Xiangyu seemed to be in harmony, laughing and talking together. They had become acquainted at some point, and their interaction appeared warm and lively.

Sensing the gaze directed towards them, Yu Dong, who was standing behind Qu Moying, noticed Qu Qiuyan’s ominous presence in the garden near the flower hall. She observed her gloomy expression from a distance and became more alert.

Recently, the third lady had appeared quite stable, with no evidence to implicate her in any misdeeds. The previous incident was also orchestrated by the second young master, making her seem quite innocent.

However, the third lady was far from virtuous. She harbored a malicious heart! When the young lady first entered the mansion, she nearly met her end at the hands of the third lady. The audacity to instruct a maid to set fire openly, underestimating the young lady’s perceptiveness and the lack of useful connections by her side.

The lady’s malicious and malevolent expression was clearly not a good sign. Yu Dong became cautious and alert. Seeing Qu Qiuyan leave the garden, her eyes darted around before whispering something in Qu Moying’s ear. Qu Moying nodded without changing his expression, prompting Yu Dong to walk out of the flower hall.

Once Qu Qiuyan stepped out of the garden gate, she stopped and pondered for a moment. She retrieved a sachet from her sleeve, which bore a striking resemblance to the ones she had previously embroidered.

It featured delicate butterfly and floral motifs, her signature embroidery technique.

However, this particular sachet wasn’t embroidered by Qu Moying; it had been obtained from Qu Xuexin. When Qu Xuexin accompanied Qu Moying in her embroidery endeavors, some of the patterns were given to her by Qu Moying. This created the appearance that this was embroidered by Qu Moying herself. Furthermore, there was an embroidered character “ying” beneath the design. It almost sealed the deal, making it seem like Qu Moying had embroidered the sachet herself.

“Besides the guests in the flower hall, are there any other visitors today?” Qing Ju called out to a passing maid and inquired.

“All the ladies are here, but there are other guests outside in the outer courtyard.” the maid replied.

That meant there were also men visiting the Duke Qi’s Mansion.

“Our second young master said he would come too. I wonder how to reach the outer courtyard. I need to find our second young master.” Qing Ju said with a smile, following Qu Qiuyan’s instructions.

“The young masters’ whereabouts are unknown to me, but there is a resting area for them. It’s not far from the floral-pendant gate. The number of people is not significant. When the banquet starts, the Duchess ordered to open the flower hall across from here. It will be more convenient for flower appreciation. These guests are from close mansions, so there’s no need for excessive formalities.”

The maid explained, pointing towards the opposite side of the garden. Qu Qiuyan, only now, noticed another door on the other side. When she entered the garden, she had only focused on the flower hall on this side and hadn’t noticed that there were actually two flower halls, with the garden nestled between them.

The layout of the flower hall over there should be similar to this one. The windows on this side facing the garden were large and could be opened to directly view the flowers and plants inside the garden. One could also easily turn around to see this side.

“The banquet will be arranged here?” Qing Ju asked once again.

“Yes, it will be set up soon. However, the young masters haven’t arrived yet. They might only come when the banquet is about to begin,” the maid replied. She then bowed to Qu Qiuyan and extended the key at her waist. “I’m going to open the door and prepare to find someone to set up the banquet.”

Qu Qiuyan waved her hand, and the maid headed towards the flower hall on the other side.

She entered and opened the door before quickly coming back out, seeming to search for something.

Observing her departure, Qu Qiuyan handed the sachet to Qing Ju and said, “Find a corner and discard it there!”

“Lady…” Qing Ju received the sachet, feeling uneasy. “There’s no guarantee that someone will find it.”

It wasn’t easy to find a corner that was both inconspicuous and eye-catching.

“That’s why we need to find a place that appears like a corner but is still noticeable. With so many people around, it’s uncertain who will pick it up. Even if First Young Master Qi finds it, Qu Moying, who doesn’t abide by the rules of the women’s quarters, at most, she’ll be regarded as a concubine at most.”

Qu Qiuyan coldly remarked.

Regardless of who found it, the fact remained that it was a man. Just based on that, Qu Moying’s reputation couldn’t possibly remain intact.

“My lady…”

“What are you waiting for? Go quickly!” Qu Qiuyan scolded her sternly, taking advantage of the opportune moment. The maid departed.

Qu Xuexin had given her this sachet, and Qu Qiuyan had been carrying it all this time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to frame Qu Moying. Now, the timing was just right.

Not daring to hesitate any longer, Qing Ju took the sachet and hurriedly entered the flower hall on the other side. After a brief look around, she placed it in a partially concealed corner behind a sheer curtain. The bright red satin fabric stood out against the light and ethereal drapes, making it easily noticeable.

Once she finished, Qing Ju hastily emerged from the room, her face turning pale.

“Go!” Qu Qiuyan said decisively. She couldn’t stay here any longer. If something happened later, it would be easy for people to suspect her involvement.

Moreover, this plan was not enough. She had another trick up her sleeve. She would make someone willingly take responsibility for this matter. But even if she didn’t, it didn’t matter. All she needed to do was to claim that the sachet belonged to Qu Moying.

Qu Qiuyan hurriedly left with Qing Ju, still wandering aimlessly as if nothing had happened. As long as someone found the sachet, she would make sure that person admitted it was a gift from the owner of the sachet, not something they found.

Yu Dong stood far away, unable to see clearly. She could only vaguely make out Qing Ju entering the opposite flower hall with an item. That flower hall had just opened its doors, and the maid who opened it left. At this moment, Qing Ju sneaked inside. Yu Dong was too far to hear the conversation between Qu Qiuyan and Qing Ju, but he could tell from their hurried departure that something was not right!

Seeing the two of them move away, Yu Dong planned to take advantage of the absence of the Qi Gong Mansion’s maids and check what Qing Ju had left inside. However, another maid arrived from outside. After glancing around, she also stealthily entered the flower hall.

Yu Dong immediately halted her steps. She recognized this maid; she had seen her before. Her gaze followed her path, hidden behind a large tree. Qu Qiuyan had left with Qing Ju just before she appeared. It indicated that she had been hiding there, patiently waiting for any commotion in this area.

So, there was someone else involved in this matter?

Yu Dong wanted to find out who was behind all this. Even though the third young lady had questionable intentions, this was still Duke Qi’s Mansion. It wouldn’t be so easy for her to succeed without external assistance. Besides, this didn’t seem like something the third young lady would do.

What gave her the audacity to act like this at such a time…