Chapter 349 – The Hairpin And The Empress’ Scolding

“Jin Ling, go and find out what’s going on,” Wei Yuewu instructed as she sat up.

“Yes!” Jin Ling put down the lamp in her hand and walked out. When she opened the door, she saw a frightened Ming Yan.

“Ming Yan, what’s going on?”

“I-Is Sixth Young Lady asleep? Our miss… our miss… has something to say to her!” Ming Yan’s face was pale. At first glance, Jin Ling could tell that something was off.

Jin Ling looked outside and saw Wei Qiufu standing in the corridor. Under the dim light, she looked horrid with her ghastly gloomy expression mixed with a hint of ferociousness.

“Jin Ling, let Fourth Elder Sister in!” Wei Yuewu casually put on a robe and sat up.

“Yes. Fourth Young Lady, our Miss invites you in.” Jin Ling retreated to the side and made way.

Wei Qiufu walked in with a cold expression with Ming Yan in tow. Looking behind them, Jin Ling made sure that there was no one else. She closed the door and walked to stand behind the screen.

Behind the screen, Wei Yuewu had already put on her robe. Her long hair draped over her shoulders like a waterfall. Under the light, she looked very gentle, completely different from the fierce Wei Qiufu.

“Wei Yuewu, are you trying to frame me again?” Wei Qiufu, contrary to her usual gentleness, rushed in and shouted at Wei Yuewu as she glared at her.

“Fourth Elder Sister, what do you mean?” Wei Yuewu smiled and looked at Wei Qiufu’s hair bun.

It was different from the Wei Qiufu she saw before. When they went out for the festival, Wei Qiufu’s hair was combed perfectly with the wooden hairpin stuck in her hair bun. But now, her hair was disheveled, and there was even a strand hanging down. It was as if it had been forcefully pulled off, and the hairpin was gone.

Judging from this, Wei Yuewu knew that something had happened because of the hairpin!

“What do I mean? How dare you ask me what I mean! You framed me again and again, and you have the nerve to ask me what I mean! Wei Yuewu, I really underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to be so vicious that you harmed me again and again!” Wei Qiufu barked aggressively.

“What do you want to say, Fourth Elder Sister? If there’s nothing else, I’m going to sleep. I have to accompany the Third Princess to pray tomorrow!” Wei Yuewu looked indifferent. She calmly raised her watery eyes and looked straight at Wei Qiufu without fear.

Jin Ling quietly stood next to Wei Yuewu. If Wei Qiufu did anything extreme, Jin Ling could directly grab her hand.

“Where did you get that hairpin? Come with me and explain to Her Majesty now! Had it not been because of you, I wouldn’t have gotten the hairpin and pissed Her Majesty off!” As long as Wei Qiufu thought of the scene just now, she wished she could die right there and then. She glared at Wei Yuewu and wanted to tear her into pieces.

Just now, she was proudly admiring the lanterns with the Crown Prince. Along the way, Wei Qiufu felt a kind of fluttering excitement as she sensed the glances mixed with jealousy and envy.

Thinking about how she would be able to rely on the Crown Prince’s favor to climb up all the way to the high position as the future Empress, Wei Qiufu felt so excited that she couldn’t control herself.

Later, when the Crown Prince wanted to send her back, they bumped into the Empress.

Wei Qiufu had seen the Empress before, so she went up to greet her, thinking that the Empress would look up to her because of the Crown Prince. Unexpectedly, the Empress spotted the hairpin and immediately asked where it came from.

Wei Qiufu replied that it was hers. After that, she was mercilessly reprimanded by the Empress, who scolded her for having no sense of shame and taking possession of other people’s items. She even ordered the palace maid to remove the hairpin from her head in front of the Crown Prince. No matter how desperate and sorrowful she wailed, everyone ignored her.

Then, the Empress directly led the Crown Prince away.

The entire incident happened in a short period of time, but there were a lot of bystanders who saw the scene. Even the Crown Prince gave her a cold glare before leaving with the Empress. Everything that Wei Qiufu had done and achieved so far had been in vain.

The passersby were judging her with their glances and gestures. The ashamed and enraged Wei Qiufu stumbled back to Chu Xiu Palace. The minute she came back, she ordered Ming Yan to knock on Wei Yuewu’s door.

There was only one thought in Wei Qiufu’s mind right now. The humiliation she suffered today was all because of Wei Yuewu. It was Wei Yuewu who had framed her.

“Fourth Elder Sister, you’re so funny. I remember that I didn’t give you the hairpin, but you borrowed it. I didn’t want to lend it to you at that time, but you insisted. Also, I’ve told you that Concubine Dong gave me the hairpin. Don’t you remember? If you forget, you can ask Eldest Sister about it. She was present too.”

Wei Yuewu’s smile was light and aloof. She wasn’t flustered because of Wei Qiufu’s exasperation. Instead, she spoke in an orderly manner.

“A-Are you saying that it has nothing to do with you?” Wei Qiufu refused to believe her.

Wei Yuewu raised her eyebrows and looked at Wei Qiufu calmly. “Fourth Elder Sister, do you intend to blame me for this? If you don’t believe me, you can ask someone to investigate whether this hairpin was given to me by Concubine Dong. I heard that Concubine Dong also gave Third Elder Sister the same hairpin.”

Wei Yuewu was not intimidated. On the contrary, she wished that Wei Qiufu would make this a bigger deal than it was, because it would prove that she was innocent. Moreover, she hoped that it would become a big deal because she wanted to expose Concubine Dong and her ulterior motives, as well as knowing why the Empress cared so much about these things.

Back then, even though the cancellation of the engagement had caused some harm to the Empress, Wei Yuewu was sure that the other Tu Family’s woman was the one who had taken the consequences of the cancellation of the engagement.

The outstanding women of the Tu Family were eligible to be listed as direct descendants.

This meant that the lady’s guild in the family would shift. From the clues from before, Wei Yuewu had already sorted out some things.

When she was engaged to her father, the Empress was supposed to be Second Miss Tu. However, her father insisted on breaking off the engagement. For some unknown reason, Madam Dowager agreed to it. Grand Preceptor Tu Mansion did not make a fuss about it. The engagement was withdrawn silently, as if nothing had happened.

Then, Grand Preceptor Tu arranged another woman in. The ranking of the Tu Family’s women then changed. The Empress’ ranking should have been lowered, so that the new woman became Second Miss Tu.

Second Miss Tu, who was destined to be sacrificed, was not in good health. In the end, she did not get married and died of depression!

Her death indicated that this marriage was over. Even if someone were to unravel the matter again, they would think that it was Second Miss Tu who was engaged to her father.

However, no one would expect that this so-called Second Miss Tu was not the original Second Miss Tu. Then, the original Second Miss Tu and current Empress Tu, entered the Palace and was favored by the Emperor. She became Empress and gave birth to a prince and a princess. It could be said that the insignificant engagement back then did not hinder her at all. Even if someone investigated it, they could not find anything that was related to her.

Therefore, Wei Yuewu did not understand what the Empress was upset about. Her indignation was shown in Zhao Ruo’e’s matter and Wei Qiufu’s hairpin. Strangely, both the incidents happened in the direction that Concubine Dong had anticipated. There must be something that Wei Yuewu didn’t know about. She hoped to see this hairpin incident escalating into a big deal so that she could inquire about it.

However, Wei Yuewu was also sure that this matter could not be stirred up, so Wei Qiufu was bound to suffer in silence.

It was just like if Empress Tu saw the hairpin on Wei Yuewu, Wei Yuewu would surely be the one to be scolded and disgusted by the Empress.

“Concubine Dong wanted to harm you. What does the hairpin have to do with me?” Wei Qiufu was not foolish. Previously, she was so angry that she was flustered. Now, she calmed down and looked at Wei Yuewu gloomily. She did not believe that Wei Yuewu did not know anything about it.

“But it was you who insisted on borrowing the hairpin from me!” Wei Yuewu looked back at her calmly and pointed out the most crucial point.

“But… but if you hadn’t worn it… I… I wouldn’t have borrowed it from you!” Wei Qiufu was extremely angry.

“Are you saying that when you are around, I have to inform you what I want to wear first?” Wei Yuewu replied sarcastically.

Glaring at Wei Yuewu’s cold and delicate face, Wei Qiufu felt a sense of hatred arise. She swung her palm toward Wei Yuewu’s face in resentment.

The keen Jin Ling grabbed Wei Qiufu’s hand and coldly warned, “Fourth Young Lady, please behave yourself!”

“Wei Yuewu, you… you…” Being grabbed by Jin Ling, Wei Qiufu could no longer move her hand. She flew into a rage. “How dare you! You are just a lowly maid. How dare you be so rude to me!”

“Fourth Elder Sister, I am the legitimate daughter with the highest status in the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang! I don’t think you have the right to slap me!” Wei Yuewu glared at Wei Qiufu coldly, and her intense glare was horrifying under the dim light. “Fourth Elder Sister, it has nothing to do with me if you want to enter the Crown Prince Mansion, but don’t even think about stepping on me to achieve that. You know what you have done. If you think that making this a big deal is good for you, go ahead, I don’t mind. But I wonder whom Father will believe. You or me?”

“You…” Wei Qiufu was suffocated by Wei Yuewu’s words and almost gasped.

“Fourth Elder Sister, it’s getting late. It’s better to rest early. We still have to accompany the Third Princess to pray for blessings tomorrow!” Wei Yuewu turned to the side coldly, ignoring Wei Qiufu who was still in the room.

Jin Ling took the opportunity to put down Wei Qiufu’s hand and stopped her. “Fourth Young Lady, our miss is going to sleep. Please go back!”

“You… you…” Wei Qiufu was furious and pointed at Wei Yuewu and Jin Ling indignantly.

“Fourth Elder Sister, you should go back. Think about how to answer the other young ladies’ questions tomorrow when they ask you about tonight. Her Majesty did not pursue the matter. Aren’t you afraid that she will be angry if you want to pursue the matter?” Wei Yuewu sat down on the bed and asserted indifferently.

It was a wise reminder for Wei Qiufu. She immediately shut her mouth, glared hatefully at Wei Yuewu, and huffed angrily at Ming Yan, “Let’s go!”

Then, they turned around angrily and left.

Jin Ling followed them to the door and closed it. Then she turned back inside. Wei Yuewu had already got on the bed and laid down. It was really late now. After walking for so long, she was exhausted and did not have the energy to fight with Wei Qiufu. That was why she reminded Wei Qiufu.

When Jin Ling came in, Wei Yuewu had already closed her eyes.

Jin Ling walked to the table. She turned off the lamp, looked back at Wei Yuewu on the bed, and asked worriedly, “Miss, will something happen tomorrow?”

How could the Empress’ anger be ignored so easily? At this point, many people in the Palace already knew about this matter. After that…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep