A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 165

Chapter 165

On the sixth day of the lunar new year, Wen Yu and Old Madam Wen went to the Eastern Palace.

This time, they didn’t bring any other girls, and Wen Jiao and the others were very disappointed.

Yuan Xi Jun, in order to hide her embarrassment, also went out early. At this moment, she regretted competing with Old Madam Wen, but at the same time, the knot in her heart deepened.

Old Madam Wen didn’t have much to instruct Wen Yu about her visit to the Eastern Palace. Last night, she asked Nurse Song to bring another set of eastern pearl jewelry. It was one of the items at the bottom of her treasure chest and much better than what she had given before.

Wen Yu accepted it without hesitation and today only chose to wear a pair of eastern pearl earrings. She also put some flower hairpins that girls loved to wear this season in her hair and changed into spring clothes.

Clothing and jewelry should only be decent and polite, and there was no need to deliberately dress up.

Seeing this, Old Madam Wen’s eyes lit up.

The key is: her good looks are secondary, this calm and collected demeanor… hmm, she does have a bit of me! She thought shamelessly.

On the way, she talked about some trivial things with Wen Yu, her intention to ease the relationship was obvious.

Wen Yu smiled and went along with it. Old Madam Wen still couldn’t figure out what her granddaughter was thinking.

At the gate of the Eastern Palace, there were two layers of guards and female officials. They looked at the two, checked their invitation cards, and without saying much, made a gesture to invite them in, and let them pass.

Wen Yu brought Laba with her. Old Madam Wen was accompanied by a steady servant girl.

After entering the gate, they walked along the wide passage for a while before entering the second gate.

As soon as they entered, it became lively.

Many people were standing by the roadside, in the pavilions, and on the garden paths.

Today, the weather was fine, and the sun was shining warmly.

The garden was filled with winter jasmine flowers planted in large pots, a sea of golden yellow.

The willow trees, and the grass on the sunny ground, were also green.

A scene full of spring.

The scenery here was good, and the atmosphere was relaxed. So everyone was in no hurry to enter the hall and chatted and laughed when they met acquaintances.

Of course, most of them were young people.

Prince Yongqing was also there, surrounded by several friends. Some even brought their sisters. They didn’t know what they were talking about, but it was very lively. He was smiling when he saw a delicate flower-like girl pass by.

He recognized her… the eldest daughter of the Wen family, whom he had met on the boat.

This time he was closer and could see more clearly… Alas, she was so beautiful!

His heart itched. She was almost his… how wonderful would that have been!

She walked unhurriedly, looking at the flowers and the people, with a relaxed expression on her face, not pretending to be dignified.

She was followed by a woman… Why didn’t she bring that girl in the red cloak?

He had been too busy lately, and after checking twice without finding her, he had put it aside.

How could he find out? After finishing the main business, he would find a chance to talk to her…

“Hey hey, who are you looking at?” A person next to him nudged him, his voice greasy.

The speaker was Li Duoxin, the only son of the third generation of the Duke Xingguo’s family, a famous playboy in the capital. Because his life lacked gold, everyone called him Jinzi （Gold）.

Prince Yongqing was annoyed, but this person was also a member of the imperial family, and his grandfather was one of the few close confidants of the Emperor, who cherished Jinzi very much.

So, he had to deal with him…

Jinzi saw Wen Yu, his eyes like hooks. “Such a beautiful young lady, I’ve never seen her before! Ask who she is…” He was about to go over.

Yongqing pulled him back. “Don’t mess around, that’s Qi Yang’s fiancée!”

“Really?! Qi Wu himself is very beautiful, and he still wants to find someone so good-looking?! It’s really too much… If the two of them stand together…” Jinzi touched his chin, his face obscene.

Yongqing snorted coldly in his heart. He had heard that this person was indiscriminate and liked both men and women. He was already twenty-five years old, and with so many people around him, he had not left a single child!

There were always people looking at Wen Yu on the road, and very seriously.

This made Old Madam Wen a little nervous. The Wen family had a humble background and didn’t dare to be too ostentatious. She just hoped to see Madam Qi as soon as possible…

There were already many people in the main hall, and it was very quiet.

Old Madam Wen gently pointed to a relatively secluded place. Wen Yu nodded, smiled faintly at the people around her, and then helped Old Madam Wen to sit down.

She looked around quietly. She didn’t recognize anyone around her and didn’t see Madam Qi. Had she not arrived yet?

She looked around and saw a large door in the hall with people coming in and out. Maybe, she was inside?

✿✿✿

Madam Qi was indeed late.

The Qi family had been in chaos for several days.

After the Cui family returned, Xu Shi cried all night. The next day, Tan Shi called her to comfort her.

Then she called Qi Xiao over too.

This time, Tan Shi was very serious and reprimanded Qi Xiao for a long time.

Xu Shi was so moved… Grandmother was standing up for her!

Tan Shi was very skilled. She was sometimes tough and sometimes soft, sometimes praising and sometimes scolding.

In the end, she even pulled them together and forced them to reconcile.

Qi Xiao and Xu Shi apologized to each other, and the matter was considered over.

✿✿✿

When Bao’er came back, she brought a few cloth dolls and loved them dearly.

She wanted to put them by her pillow when she slept and held them wherever she went…

The more Xu Shi looked at them, the more displeased she became. She found a reason and took them away.

Bao’er didn’t want to give them up and pestered her for them.

When she couldn’t get them, she cried.

When crying didn’t work, she made a fuss.

Xu Shi thought: What else is there to this girl? Making such a fuss over these trivial things!

Her anger flared up again.

In the end, she actually cut up all the cloth dolls with scissors in front of Bao’er.

Bao’er wouldn’t have it. The little girl was actually quite a fiery character. She cried and made a fuss until she vomited and finally fainted.

This scared Xu Shi to death. She pinched her philtrum, patted her back, called for a doctor, and there was chaos.

Qi Xiao was called back. When he saw the shredded cloth dolls on the floor and his fainted daughter, he actually started arguing with Xu Shi again.

Finally, Madam Qi was alerted.

When Madam Qi came, she didn’t say a word and directed people to move Bao’er to her room.

But how could Xu Shi let that happen? She desperately tried to stop them.

Could she stop what Madam Qi wanted to do?

So she fell to the ground, acting like she wanted to die…

The scene was too shocking. Qi Xiao felt sad watching it and actually sided with his wife, accusing Madam Qi of being so cruel as to separate “mother and daughter”!

As a result, Madam Qi sneered. “Qi Xiao, this is the tradition of the Qi family! You experienced it yourself, growing up by your dearest grandmother’s side. Weren’t you always happy? Why, when I want to do the same, am I accused of a bunch of crimes?”

Qi Xiao subconsciously retorted. “I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what? You respect your grandmother, so why don’t you go ask her how she took you away back then? What kind of family affection did she talk about with me?! If you still don’t understand, you can also go ask your father, what kind of reasoning and rules did he use with me? Oh, everyone can do it, but when it comes to me, it’s not okay? How did I become disobedient?! Take her away!”

Despite Xu Shi’s heartbreaking obstruction, Bao’er was taken away.

“Husband…” Xu Shi pointed at Madam Qi’s back. In her agitation, she fainted too.

Madam Qi returned to her room, asked someone to call for a doctor, and sent her servants on horseback to Wen Yu’s courtyard to get two cloth dolls.

After Bao’er woke up, she held the cloth dolls in her arms, very happy.

But after all, she was a child, and after such a commotion, she actually developed a fever.

This time, even Tan Shi was “alarmed” and personally came to Madam Qi’s courtyard.

Madam Qi closed the courtyard gate and wouldn’t let anyone in, saying that Bao’er needed to rest.

Tan Shi was heartbroken.

Finally, Qi Youyi came and was furious. He actually wanted to kick the door down.

Madam Qi coldly said from inside the courtyard. “If you want Bao’er to have an accident during the New Year, just kick again!”

Qi Youyi lifted his foot but couldn’t bring himself to kick it down, feeling extremely embarrassed.

After taking a dose of medicine, Bao’er, who had a good constitution, recovered from her fever.

Holding the cloth dolls, she softly said to Madam Qi: Yuanyuan Auntie’s cloth dolls are small and only have three colors.

The one in her arms: was bigger and better! Grandmother, take Bao’er to Great-Grandfather’s house, I want to show Auntie…

Looking at her soft and delicate granddaughter, Madam Qi also loved her dearly. “You’re so young, why do you have such a temper! You can’t cry and make a fuss anymore. When you’re sick, you have to take medicine, and the medicine is black and bitter, how awful is that?”

“Mmm.” Bao’er obediently agreed.

The child was young and hadn’t grown crooked yet. This couldn’t go on! She hoped that after Wen Yu married in, everything would change.

Tan Shi and Qi Youyi left dejectedly, having failed to achieve their goal.

Qi Xiao and Xu Shi were completely dumbfounded.

In the end, they apologized at the courtyard gate and pleaded…

After Bao’er recovered, she wanted to find her mother.

Madam Qi was getting ready to go out, standing there while a servant girl helped her with her makeup.

She let the couple in and said indifferently. “Qi Xiao, your wife always says that I look down on her. See for yourself, is she worthy of my regard? But then again, it’s like playing the lute to a cow. Xu Shi, this is the last time! If you dare to use Bao’er to achieve your dirty tricks again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

From beginning to end, she didn’t even look at Qi Xiao and his wife directly.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Mmm, good, my little daughter-in-law was waiting for her!

She flicked her sleeves and left…