叭哒漫画

“Hmph, always this way. At the slightest word, you turn red-eyed as if your tears cost you nothing. There are no men in sight and I wonder whom you are putting on this act for! You are such a bore!

Xiu Yaojun felt bored all of sudden. She let out a cold snort, stood up, and turned away, ignoring Wei Qingwan.

Wei Qingwan dropped her gaze and clenched her sleeves, suppressing her feelings of being wronged.

In her mind, she reminded herself that she shouldn’t spend her energy on such people and matters. There were things and people she needed to cherish.

When the class ended, Wei Qingwan and her personal maid Cuihe left Tongzhi Prefecture together. Once they climbed into the carriage, Cuihe couldn’t help but comfort Wei Qingwan, “Miss, you shouldn’t be upset. Your older sister is just lucky.”

“There’s nothing for me to be upset about. Being able to marry well is a testament to her skills. I did feel a bit uncomfortable when Xiu Yaojun was mocking me, not because Wei Qingruo could marry well, but because what Xiu Yaojun said about the current situation of Wei Residence is true,” Wei Qingwan explained.

The marriage arrangement between Wei Qingruo and Xiu Fengyuan had a much smaller impact on Wei Qingwan than Cuihe and others had imagined.

Cuihe noticed that her Miss’s temperament had indeed changed a lot recently, becoming less sensitive and pessimistic. Cuihe wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Halfway into their ride, when they passed an embroidery shop, the old coachman skillfully drove the carriage into a nearby alley and stopped.

These past few days, Wei Qingwan passed this embroidery shop every time she traveled to and from class. And each time, she would ask the coachman to stop so she could go inside for a while.

These days, Wei Qingwan had been learning Suzhou embroidery from a top-notch embroiderer there, so that she could stitch a better wedding dress for herself in the future. Thus, she would spend roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn in that shop every day.

Because her stays weren’t long, no one in the Wei Residence knew about this.

Cuihe and the old coachman were the only ones who knew, however, since the embroiderer insisted on confidentiality, Cuihe wasn’t allowed in the room, and she had to wait outside with the coachman each time.

Inside the room, the person standing across from Wei Qingwan wasn’t an

embroiderer, but a young man.

The young man had a handsome face and imperial bearing, his thick hair neatly tied back and his clothes spoke of his extraordinary temperament.

Upon seeing the young man, Wei Qingwan’s cheeks flushed, as radiant as the blooming peach blossoms in early spring.

She bashfully lowered her gaze, the young man stepped forward, gently pulling

Wei Qingwan into his arms…

###

Wei Qingruo returned to the Duke Residence and found Qin Madam, who had come to visit her again.

Chu Lan was indeed persistent. Even after a month, he still hadn’t given up.

When Qin Madam saw Wei Qingruo, she was still as respectful as before, “The eldest Miss is back. The Prince has sent something to you through me.”

Wei Qingruo glanced at the items brought by Qin Madam. They were tea and wine. Judging by the packaging, they must be the hot-selling black tea from Yusheng Tea House and thyme from Zuixian Residence.

Behind Qin Madam, two maids were carrying a box of items, all of which were luxurious goods that ordinary families wouldn’t readily afford.

“Madam Qin, is your visit today also about that matter?” Wei Qingruo asked. “Yes. Eldest miss, the refugee situation in the city is becoming more and more serious. If this continues, Taizhou prefecture won’t be able to maintain peace,” Qin Madam said.

When Chu Lan first sent Qin Madam to discuss this matter with Wei Qingruo at the beginning of May, the situation hadn’t been as dire. Now, a month later, the situation had worsened, and the imperial court had sent people to provide disaster relief.

However, the national treasury had been depleted over the past two years, and the scope of the disaster was wide, making it difficult to provide relief.

The Emperor was troubled and had lost his temper several times in court.

It was clear to anyone that whoever could help the Emperor solve this big problem would earn the Emperor’s commendation and favor.

Such a great merit was laid before everyone, there was no reason for Chu Lan

to let it pass.

That’s why he was so unusually patient with this matter, persistently sending people to invite Wei Qingruo even after her repeated rejections.

“Madam, I heard that the sixth prince was sent to provide disaster relief?” Wei Qingruo suddenly asked Qin Madam a seemingly unrelated question.

Although Wei Qingruo was just a commoner, thanks to Madam Yuan s connections, she was still able to hear some news from the court.

“Indeed, that’s the case. Given the timeline, he should already be in Taizhou prefecture, or possibly even there a little earlier. I’m not sure about the details.” Qin Madam replied.

By asking this question, Wei Qingruo had demonstrated her understanding of one of the reasons why Chu Lan was so eager to get her help.

The competition between the sixth and seventh princes was intensifying. The Emperor had sent one to fight the Japanese Army and the other to provide disaster relief, testing them both.

“Madam, I am but a weak woman, insignificant and voiceless,” Wei Qingruo told Qin Madam.

Though she didn’t explicitly state it, Wei Qingruo knew that Qin Madam would understand her meaning.

The Duke Residence was insignificant in the face of the two princes, let alone Wei Qingruo. Wei Qingruo didn’t want to pick sides or get involved in their dispute.

Qin Madam immediately lost her smile, “Miss, your worries are justified. However, the Prince’s patience is also limited. The way you disregard the Prince’s face… you don’t seem to regard my Prince very highly.

Towards the end of this statement, Qin Madam’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.

Having tried diplomacy and failed, Chu Lan was resorting to force.

Qin Madam then reminded Wei Qingruo, “Miss, the Prince can either bring glory to the Wei Residence or ruin it. You may not care much about the glory of the Wei Residence, but surely you must care about its potential ruin.

The threat was now more than clear.

For the seventh prince, destroying an already declining Wei Residence would be no difficult task.

Wei Qingruo looked at Qin Madam’s hardened face, unsurprised.

She had hoped to avoid this trouble with Chu Lan through friendly means, but she always knew that a person like Chu Lan might not accept her refusal.

Therefore, after a few rejections, she would always reflect on what she should do if Chu Lan ever lost his patience and decided to use force.

Thus, seeing Qin Madam’s hardened expression at that moment, she remained calm.

That said, she couldn’t help but curse Chu Lan from head to toe in her heart for being ruthless and ungrateful. The credit that should have been given to her hadn’t been clearly assigned, but now she was being threatened into labor. What a ungrateful brute!

“Madam, you misunderstood me. I am not unwilling to assist the seventh prince,” Wei Qingruo quickly responded in a composed manner, “however, the task that the seventh prince wants to accomplish is not simple. We need to plan carefully.”

“What do you mean by this, Miss?” Qin Madam asked curiously as she looked at Wei Qingruo..