A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Tan Shi had been waiting for news these past two days and hadn’t caused any trouble.

After two days, she sent Old Woman Zhou on another trip, wanting to see how that person had responded.

As a result, there was no news.

“I’ll wait a bit longer. If it doesn’t work, I’ll send another letter!” She forced herself to get through this Lantern Festival.

Madam Qi directly returned to her parents’ home to accompany her father.

Tan Shi had people tidy up the courtyard and light the lamps.

With his wife not at home, Qi Youyi was delighted! He took Concubine Xiu Yun to watch the lanterns and told some jokes that weren’t funny at all.

Xiao Mao wasn’t home because of a friend’s invitation.

Qi Hua’s wife was pregnant, and he claimed to be accompanying his wife in their room but had actually run off to have fun.

After the New Year, the Zhang family would be going to the capital, and not long after, Qi Si would also be getting married. There were many things to do. He was in his courtyard packing and wasn’t there either.

Qi Xiao and his wife had had a couple of arguments recently. Xu Shi felt that on a day like today, he should come and coax her.

As long as he coaxed her, everything would be fine.

But Qi Xiao felt that many things were different now… He couldn’t figure it out and was in no mood to coax his wife.

Only Bao’er was running around the courtyard with a rabbit lantern, muttering, “My rabbit is even cuter than Tuan Tuan!” Recently, she really wanted to be like Yuanyuan! She had to compare everything…

✿✿✿

Qin Lianyue was tightly grabbed…

She screamed in fear and then looked again. “Mother?”

The person who came was Du Liu.

She was staring fiercely at Qin Lianyue and, without a word, pulled her away.

How could Qin Lianyue be willing? She struggled and looked upstairs. As expected, it was him!

He was standing next to that Wen bitch, smiling!

No!

“Mother, I found my cousin, I’ll just go over and say…”

Du Liu pulled her hard again.

“Ah!” It hurt.

Du Liu was extremely angry and dragged her away without any regard.

Qin Lianyue was inherently delicate, and she had walked for most of the day. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from her mother’s grip.

“If you make any more trouble, I’ll drag you!” Du Liu said through gritted teeth.

A Qi was terrified and stepped forward to support her, following Madam as they left.

They stumbled all the way back to their residence and entered the room.

Du Liu slapped her hard. Qin Lianyue was stunned, covering her face. “You hit me?”

Looking at her daughter’s disheveled appearance and tear-stained face,

Du Liu was almost angered to death. “Rather than ruining your future, it’s better to let me beat you to death!”

It turned out that A Qin had been sent back to the room and felt uneasy. So she secretly sneaked back but found that her young mistress and A Qi were not in the room.

She was scared to death and quickly ran to tell Madam.

Du Liu was also almost scared to death and hurriedly took her trusted servant out to chase after her. As a result, when they got to the street, they found people everywhere!

She didn’t dare to alarm others too much, so she ran all the way, bumping into people left and right. They finally found her after much difficulty.

At this moment, she was covered in sweat, tired, scared, angry, and resentful.

Qin Lianyue’s face turned cold, and she pursed her lips without speaking, seemingly still stubborn.

“The Jiang family proposed marriage, and although the family is happy, I asked you: If you were unwilling, I would naturally find a way to refuse. But you agreed! You analyzed the pros and cons yourself! Now you’re pulling this?! ”

Looking at the room, everything was packed, leaving only clothes and jewelry. She just had to wear them tomorrow and get on the sedan chair.

“At this point, even if you don’t marry into the Jiang family, you can’t follow Qi Wu anymore. Your fate with him has long been severed!”

Hearing this, Qin Lianyue burst into tears.

Du Liu became even angrier. Crying like this, how could she get on the sedan chair?

Appearing like this in front of the Jiang family, what would that look like?!

“You want to find Qi Wu, right? You want to enter the Qi family, right? Fine! I’ll send you to the Qi family’s gate right now! From now on, do whatever you want!”

After saying that, she pulled Qin Lianyue out.

Qin Lianyue was shocked!

If Du Liu had tried to coax her, she would probably have continued to make a fuss for a while.

But her mother was truly anxious. If she was sent to the Qi family gate, wouldn’t she just smash her head against it and die!?

“Mother, I was wrong! Mother…”

✿✿✿

She collapsed and knelt on the ground.

Du Liu couldn’t pull her anymore and pointed at her, looking utterly disappointed. “You! Whether it’s Second Young Master Jiang or Qi Wu, both are good marriages! But I can’t split you in half!? You are destined to choose only one!

Moreover, you have already chosen. Even if you regret it, it’s useless. You can only move forward! Besides, the Jiang family! Young Master Jiang Chuan! Do you know how many people are envious?”

“Mother, I understand.”

“If you understand, go to bed and sleep! Look at you now! Entering the Jiang family like this, how will you be able to stand your ground?”

Qin Lianyue quickly wiped her tears, not daring to make a fuss anymore.

✿✿✿

After the fireworks display was over, everyone left one after another.

Wen Yu’s mind had already wandered. It seemed that Wen Huan was determined to enter Prince Wu’s Residence.

With her mother’s “guidance,” she might just succeed!

“Wulang, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Originally, she hadn’t planned to say it now, but if she didn’t prepare early, it might be too late.

“What is it?”

“It’s like this… Wen Huan is the daughter of my father’s second wife. This mother and daughter have always been hostile towards my deceased mother and me. They originally had a marriage proposal under discussion. But after seeing your and my marriage… they didn’t continue. Do you think she might have developed a desire to cling to Prince Yongqing in order to surpass me?”

Qi Wu nodded. “Although I don’t know what’s on her mind, her entering Prince Wu’s Residence is definitely not something I want to see!”

Wen Yu thought for a long time, trying to persuade him, but unexpectedly, their interests were surprisingly aligned!

“However, even if she has the intention to cling to him, it shouldn’t be the way she did it today. It’s useless!”

“What do you mean?”

“Prince Yongqing is getting married on the eighteenth of the first lunar month. There are quite a few people eyeing the position of Consort. Prince Wu’s Residence also has its own considerations. Your second sister probably doesn’t meet the requirements in all aspects. Don’t be angry that I’m saying this.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Prince Wu is deep, and Princess Wu is shrewd. Every position is carefully considered. If she follows him like this, she might end up as a concubine, which would bring shame to Lord Wen’s face.”

Wen Yu nodded. “But she has high aspirations. Or, even if she’s a concubine, what if she thinks she can gamble on the future?!”

“If she’s that foolish, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Do you have any people I can use?”

“I have a lot of people, but those who are loyal and capable are still not enough! I’ll go back and make arrangements!”

“Okay.”

✿✿✿

Wen Ruoqing walked out of the tavern.

Wen Yu and her two companions were passing by him.

These young people these days still wear masks! They really know how to have fun.

Although he couldn’t see their faces, their figures and postures gave off a beautiful feeling!

Especially the young lady next to him, only someone with a light heart could walk with such a gait…

It was as if…

As he watched, the woman before him seemed to be merging with the person in his mind.

It was as if she had turned her head back and said to him with a smile, “Hurry up and go!”

A smile appeared on Wen Ruoqing’s face. He quickened his pace and followed them, even though it wasn’t the direction of his home…

After taking a few steps, someone suddenly pulled him aside. “Brother Wen, you seem to be in a good mood! Are you strolling under the lanterns alone?”

It was like being woken up from a beautiful dream, he was dazed.

That person laughed. “You’ve been drinking?! Why didn’t you call me?!”

Wen Ruoqing didn’t speak and turned to look at the group of people from before…

They had already walked far away, disappearing into the sea of lanterns.

✿✿✿

It was very late when the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince’s Consort returned from Empress’s palace.

The Crown Princess was tired and angry, her face gloomy.

As soon as the Crown Prince’s Consort returned to her residence, someone told her about the Crown Prince and Consort Jiang. She was furious.

The tiger wasn’t at home! So someone came out to make trouble?

This Consort Jiang, why had she been hearing about her so often recently? She sent a female official to reprimand her.

Unexpectedly, Consort Jiang, who was plain-looking and so low-key that she was almost invisible, directly took out a book of palace rules and asked the female official to show her which rule she had violated…