To Be A Virtuous Wife - Chapter 68
Chapter Sixty Eight
Mu Jin held an invitation in her hands as she walked into zhengyuan. She saw Ming He and Yin Liu were guarding at the door and knew that wang ye and wang fei were still in the room and hadn’t risen out of bed. She looked at the already blinding sun and then at the servants waiting in the corner, holding the tools for washing and cleaning. She didn’t know how many times the water in their copper basins had already been changed.
Yin Liu saw her come and motioned her to be quieter. As she came closer, she saw the flowery invitation in Mu Jin’s hand, and asked in a light voice: “Whose fu sent this invitation that you have to personally deliver it?”
Mu Jin looked at the tightly shut door: “It was Rui Wang Fu that sent it. They are inviting wang fei to their fu to admire the flowers.”
“Didn’t they just admire the plum blossoms last winter?” Yin Liu knew that her wang fei didn’t have much of a relationship with Rui Wang Fei. Originally, it had been alright when Ning Wang Fei was still here, but now that Ning Wang Fei left to accompany Ning Wang in the Bright Moon Tower in the Jing suburbs, there wasn’t even a mediator, “What flower is it this time, peach, or pear?”
“Just stop talking so much,” Mu Jing glared at her, turning her head to look at Ming He who had his head down and didn’t speak, before she continued to instruct her, “Wang fei will make her own decision on the matter. You really need to change your impulsive personality.”
Yin Liu smiled embarrassedly: “Mu Jin jiejie, don’t be angry. I was just muddled for a bit.”
Just then, sounds came from inside the room. Mu Jin and Yin Liu’s expressions disappeared and they stopped talking. Hearing someone call from within, they indicated for the servants, who were holding the jars and basins, to walk in to serve in the morning ablutions.
After Qu Qing Ju washed and rinsed, she rubbed her sore legs and waist. As she picked a long green dress to wear, she gave a yawn and commented: “It seems that wang ye‘s wounds have almost healed.”
He Heng walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He laughed deeply and responded: “Qing Ju is disliking the fact that this husband put in too much effort last night.”
Qu Qing Ju glared at him. Try to at least care about the unmarried yahuan in the room. Even if he was shameless, she wasn’t. She reached out to firmly pinch on his arm, “Wang ye, did your refinement and manners get eaten?”
He Heng buried his face in her neck as he laughed. A while later, he released her as he promised: “Alright, alright, I won’t talk anymore. I’m going outside to wait for you to eat the morning meal together.” He brushed a kiss at her ear and walked out of the inner room in a good mood.
Qu Qing Ju wiped her ear and sat down in front of the copper mirror. Jin Zhan and Yu Zan finally came out of the corner where they had been silently standing and went to her side to make her hair and apply makeup.
Mu Jin walked up behind her, informing in a small voice: “Wang fei, Rui wang fei has just sent over a message. She has invited you to attend a flower-admiration banquet two days later.”
Admiring flowers again? Qu Qing Ju really felt that Qin Bai Lu could change the topic. Last year, it was making her admire plum blossoms while enduring the snow storm. Was she now making her endure a rain storm to admire plum, pear, almond and cherry blossoms?
“Isn’t today Rui wang fei‘s father’s birthday? How does she have the time to have people send out invitations?” Qu Qing Ju felt that Qin Bai Lu had too much energy. Wasn’t she tired after doing so many things everyday? She herself hadn’t thought of putting on any kind of banquet ever.
“It most likely had been prepared in advance,” Mu Jin paused before asking, “Wang fei, should we reply?”
Qu Qing Ju turned her head to look at the feixianji that Yu Zan had constructed for her. She picked out a pair of tassels to hand to Yu Zhan before responding: “Don’t be in a rush. There’s still two more days.”
Did she have to respond instantly to Qin Bai Lu’s invitation. Thinking of the actions of the Rui Wang family, she had the impulse to also commit such actions. If they did so, then everyone should also follow.
Mu Jin understood wang fei‘s meaning, tucked the message away and didn’t mention it again. After Qu Qing Ju dressed, she hurriedly reached out in support, “Nubi heard that after Ban Xia returned to the laundry room a few days ago, she had been laughed at by many people. Right now, she’s the laughingstock of the laundry room.”
“She chose the road,” Qu Qing Ju stood, taking one step at a time as she walked towards the outside, “Becoming a joke, she did it to herself.”
She wasn’t laughing at the other’s misfortunes but she didn’t sympathize. She only felt heartbreak for this body’s original owner. Now that ashes were ashes, dust was dust, hopefully she would have a beautiful future life, and never meet people and events like the ones in this life.
Qu Qing Ju’s morning meals were on the side of light but not bland. When He Heng had started spending more time in zhengyuan, he gradually liked to eat with Qu Qing Ju. After all this time, he felt that even the zhengyuan‘s tea was more tastier than other places.
Seeing Qu Qing Ju come out, he urged: “We got up late today. Come have some porridge to prevent the stomach from being harmed due to hunger.”
Walking to sit down by his side, Qu Qing Ju washed her hands. She drank a small bowl of porridge and ate some vegetables and pastries before putting down her chopsticks to rinse her mouth.
“Wang ye isn’t going out today?” Qu Qing Ju waited for He Heng to wipe his hands before asking, “Just now, I’d received Rui Wang Fu’s invitation to attend a flower-admiration banquet.”
“I also received san di‘s invite,” He Heng threw the cloth at the servant standing at the side, stating blandly: “I’ll go with you when the time comes.”
So this flower-admiration banquet had been put up by lao san and his wife. No wonder Rui Wang Fei had sent the invite on the day of her father’s birthday. Even though Qin Bai Lu might be a proud person, she had never been seen tearing down Rui Wang’s stage.
“Since wang ye has to reply, when the time comes, send someone to deliver my reply as well,” Qu Qing Ju furrowed her brow, and pushed her voice lower to muse, “Even though they are hard to interact with, but in the end, he’s still your brother.”
Hearing his wang fei making such a conclusion about san di, an additional hint of smile appeared on He Heng’s face: “Don’t be afraid. If someone is blind enough to try to harass you, just stand up for yourself. For everything, there is still me.”
Who this “someone” was, Qu Qing Ju knew. She smiled and nodded: “With wang ye‘s words, I won’t worry anymore.”
He Heng saw her manner and couldn’t resist giving another smile: “I know you don’t like this kind of people. In the future, if it isn’t necessary, then we don’t have to interact with them. If you get bored, then you can take a walk to the Princess Royal’s fu. Our fus aren’t too far apart.”
“Based on this, after si shu gets married, then isn’t it closer to go to si shu‘s fu to find si dimei?” She had just found out that Cheng Wang Fu and Duan Wang Fu were separated by one street.
“As long as you like, you can go to anyone’s home,” He Heng reached out to rub her earlobe. He knew inside that, even though Qu Qing Ju’s words seemed like a joke, it was really asking him if it was fine to be close to Cheng Wang Fei in the future, “Si di is a sincere person. The Luo family in the past has given great care to you in the past. We ought to interact more.”
Qu Qing Ju blinked her eyes, her lips curling as she replied: “I understand.”
Just as the two were cozying up, they saw Qian Chang Xin hurry in from the outside, reporting that the Emperor’s decree had arrived.
Qu Qing Ju was slightly surprised, but seeing He Heng didn’t seem to be surprised at all, she followed him out. After the messenger taijianfinished reading the decree, Qu Qing Ju understood. This was Qing De Emperor reminding He Heng to go back to work. While most of the Imperial Decree was worries about his son’s wounds, but the conclusion was He Heng should return to work, and he also bestowed down a heap of stuff.
If Qing De Emperor’s four children had to be ranked, then He Yuan had been carried by Qing De Emperor as he grew up, He Heng had been watched by Qing De Emperor as he grew up, He Qi was raised free-range by Qing De Emperor, and as to Little Student He Ming … … he was most likely the freebie that Qing De Emperor had gotten whilst purchasing something incognito.
Since the Emperor had personally sent down the decree, He Heng returned a message that was sent into the palace on a fast horse. The gist of it was that this son’s wounds were almost healed and that it was unfilial of this son to cause fuhuang to be worried. In two days, san di was holding a flower-admiration banquet. After attending this banquet, this son will concentrate on work, fuhuangwan sui, wan sui, wan wan sui.[i]
The Half Pagoda Mountain in the northern suburbs of Jing City was famous due to the half-constructed pagoda located halfway. And Bright Moon Tower was constructed at the top of this mountain. Bright Moon Tower’s name also had a special origin. Half Pagoda Mountain was very tall, and since the wooden tower was constructed at the top of the mountain, it seemed as though it was very close to the moon, thus it was named Bright Moon Tower.
He Qi sat by the window looking at the moon hanging in the sky. A long time later, he sighed and mused, “Time and life, lao san was vicious this time.” Purposefully using the timber from his own mountain to make arrows to attack lao er, and make people feel that he wouldn’t do such an idiotic thing, and then using the thoughts of others to frame him. He just didn’t know which of the subordinates gave him the idea.
Wei Qing E heard his sigh. She hesitated before opening: “Hasn’t wang ye ever thought that this matter could be related to er shu or si shu?”
“Lao si doesn’t have that kind of manpower, he can’t do it even if he wanted,” He Qi sat down by her side, “Even though I’m not entirely clear about lao er‘s personality, but if there really was a good opportunity such as this, I’m afraid he would scheme against both me and lao san. Why would he leave lao san alone, the one fuhuang favors the most? I’s not worth it.” If he was lao er, he couldn’t bear to let go of such a good chance of two birds with an arrow. So why would lao er when he had the ability to do so?
Wei Qing E listened to the entire speech and knew she had thought too much. She exclaimed: “Rui Wang is too hateful.”
“I just regret that my actions have affected you and our son, and now you and Zhong’er have to endure such difficulties with me,” He Qi’s expression was slightly bitter. He was much calmer than he had appeared right after being imprisoned, but even so, he had become slightly deflated, “I’m the useless one.”
“Wang ye cannot say such things. We are one family so we cannot say words of two families.” Wei Qing E grasped He Qi’s hand, “Also, except that there is less people at Bright Moon Tower, there isn’t anything else lacking.”
He Qi gave another sigh and continued to look at the moon in the sky: “In the future, when the new Emperor ascends the throne, as long it isn’t He Yuan, we will be able to leave.” He was clear inside. He had failed. The only ones left that could succeed the throne were lao er or lao san. Both for himself or for the country, he hoped lao er would succeed.
Lao san‘s personality wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t the type to be an Emperor. If he became Emperor, it would be ruin for the common people.
It was a pity that fuhuang was too partial. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been fighting with lao san for so many years. If fuhuang was even slightly more just, lao san would have been out of luck a long time ago.
Thinking about this, He Qi ordered: “Come, serve me brush and ink.”
Since he wanted to get something out of the new Emperor in the future, then he had to pay the price.
[i] ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years.
