Chapter 32 Tolerance as the Best Strategy
Qin Yunzhuang glanced at the arrival of Qin Yunuan. Anger rose from her heart. Thinking of her mother’s warnings last night, telling her that Qin Yunuan was trickier than they thought, she forced herself to swallow her anger. She didn’t manage to stay calm until she pinched a purple crescent on the palm with her nails and said hello to Qin Yunuan. “Third Miss, you also came to see my father?”
Since she could tolerate, Qin Yunuan would not reveal her actual self. She saluted to her gently and said, “Father wasn’t in good health. I think that I should treat him with filial piety. Aren’t you here for the same reason?”
Qin Yunzhuang tried hard to calm down, but she felt sorry for her mother when she saw Qin Yunuan keeping herself out of the affairs. She gritted her teeth and didn’t want to stay any longer, “Just go in and see Father, I should go.”
After finishing her words, she lifted her skirt and disappeared behind the wall. Qin Yunuan stared at her figure, slightly surprised.
“What do you think?” Qin Yunuan asked Maner who stood by her side suddenly.
Maner didn’t expect that her master would ask for her opinion. After thinking for a while, she lowered her head and replied, “Grand Miss showed excellent tolerance.”
“Yes, on the one hand, it’s her tolerance.” Qin Yunuan lowered her eyes, “On the other hand, I’m afraid what the mother and daughter are waiting for. I heard that Dou Qing’e had sent a letter to my eldest brother. He may be back soon.”
Grand Young Master Qin Linfeng was twenty and had been studying outside for three years without returning home. Qin Yunuan’s memory of him stayed in the previous life as an addict for Cold-Food Powder, pale and haggard. Why his temper changed suddenly and how he got addicted remained to be a mystery.
Qin Yunuan never thought about hurting people. But if Qin Linfeng picked on her and Baochuan as he did in the past life, she wouldn’t mind letting Qin Linfeng repeat the same mistakes.
And just before Qin Linfeng returned, another joyful event happened to the Qin Family. Master Qin Zhi was going to marry another concubine. Servant girls of the new concubine said that Concubine Li was as beautiful as a fairy, and her voice was like a silver bell, every song she sang was fascinating enough for people to forget about their work.
“How could it be?” Qin Yunuan was busy cleaning the new house. She laughed as Tong described the new concubine. “I’ve heard about Li Qiqi. People of the streets often say that ‘In the north, there’s Yunzhuang and Qiqi in the south’. So, there would be no surprise that Li Qiqi is a beauty. She was also the most popular courtesan in the regions south of the River. It would be common for her to sing well. I’m just amazed that, how could someone as rigorous as my father decide to marry a famous prostitute?”
Tong shook her head, indicating that she had no idea.
“Okay, I finished my cleaning in this room. Why not follow nurse Liao to the outside?”
Just a few days ago, Qin Zhi decided to move Qin Baochuan and Qin Yunuan out of the shabby yard in the back room and placed them in the Fuxi Courtyard. It was not as luxurious as other yards, but it met the exquisiteness of a Lady’s room and there was also a comfortable study room with all kinds of things needed in the south for Qin Baochuan specifically. The courtyard faced south and had excellent lighting. Qin Zhi put in his heart about this arrangement.
Nurse Liao stood in the yard, instructing servants to move those wooden boxes to the rooms. Qin Yunuan and Baochuan had few things so it didn’t take much effort. After a while, the courtyard was almost ready.
“Third Miss, Master also gave you two more servant girls. Are you seeing them now or…?” Nurse Liao asked Qin Yunuan for her idea but was pulled by Maner behind. After a small talk, their faces took on a ghastly expression. She said to Qin Yunuan, “Third Miss, Maner said that Fusheng is kneeling at the gate of the courtyard and she wants to see you.”
Qin Yunuan frowned, “She knelt in front of everyone without knowing to avoid suspicions. It’s obvious that she wanted to force me out.”
Nurse Liao paused, and her tongue was dry. Then she heard Qin Yunuan commanding, “Okay, you can bring her in.”
After a while, Fusheng was led in by nurse Liao. She was a tiny girl trapped in a large gray outfit. Her cheeks sunk and her eyes seemed to be covered with thick dust. The only moment that her eyes lit up was when she saw Qin Yunuan.
“Third Miss, you are willing to see me. Third Miss.”
“Say, what’s the matter?” Qin Yunuan appeared to be decisive.
Fusheng murmured for a while before saying aloud. “I’m, I’m just concerned about my sister, now that, now….”
“I don’t know her whereabouts.” Qin Yunuan had long expected that Fusheng would question about Lvliu. If the sisters didn’t have deep feelings for each other, they might not be used by Dou Qing’e. “The only thing I know was that she is alive.”
“But I heard from people that my sister is no longer in Wan’an Temple. And then Third Miss, you have said that there had been an assassination in Wan’an Temple.” Fusheng dropped her tone down as she spoke.
“Yes, someone was stabbed, but General Leng’s people were in charge of Lvliu. Not to mention how many of them are of great capability, if she died, they would have announced it with other excuses. Like Hui An, they said that he died of illness. Wan’an Temple would explain if anyone died in it. There could be only one reason for Lvliu’s disappearance. General Leng’s people hid her away for a purpose that I don’t know. ”
Even though Qin Yunuan said so, she had doubts in her heart. At the Great Buddhist’s Hall, Hui An shut Jie Chen up and made him look miserable with just two slaps in the face. The constant moaning of Jie Chen lying on the ground made Qin Yunuan wondered that his chin might have been broken by Hui An.
It’s strange that people with such skills stayed in a temple to serve the buddha.
“Okay, if there’re no other things, you can go back now. I heard that my mother had arranged a marriage for you. Since you are about to marry, take care.” Qin Yunuan knew that the marriage Dou Qing’e arranged would be a torture for Fusheng.
Since Dou Qing’e was grounded, she started worshipping the Buddha, chanting the Heart Sutra with a wooden clapper in the Cui Xuan courtyard every day. Moreover, she cleared his schedule for family affairs that she should handle in the name of worshipping Buddha.
Qin Zhi thought what his wife did was in a fit of pique. Therefore, he handed the affairs over to Concubine Liu and Chang. Qin Yunuan knew that Dou Qing’e was trying to prove that only she could handle the family affairs easily.
The mess in the family these days showed that Dou Qing’e had succeeded.
Qin Yunuan led Baochuan to greet Qin Zhi at a quarter to eighteen. While passing by the back garden, they heard quarrels coming from the front of the arched door at the end of the corridor.
The one with the loudest voice was undoubtedly Concubine Liu, who was in charge of most things these days.
“Yesan, what did you do? I asked you to go and fetch the wedding dress ordered the day before at the Yuman Embroidery Shop, and you brought me a red one. Don’t you know that a concubine can only wear pink? Did you do it on purpose or you are just that stupid?”
Tomorrow would be the wedding ceremony of the new concubine, but the wedding dress was wrong. That was something big.
Qin Yunuan frowned slightly and then heard Yesan replied unhurriedly, “Concubine, I did it what you had ordered. You told me to ask for a customized wedding dress at the Yuman Embroidery Shop, but you didn’t tell me whether it was red or pink. The embroiders must have thought it was red.”
Yesan was working for Dou Qing’e, what happened was clearly idleness under the direction of Dou Qing’e. Qin Yunuan had heard a lot of similar incidents. Dou was well-connected after taking charge of the Qin Family for so many years.
“You ….” Concubine Liu was almost suffocated by anger, “Yesan, you dare to comply in appearance. Master has granted me and Sister Chang to manage the family affairs. I will tell Master, believe it or not.”
Yesan replied frankly, “You could go and tell him. I will say the same thing even if I am in front of the Master.”
If Qin Zhi knew about it, Concubine Liu would most likely take the blame. Also, the problem with the red wedding dress couldn’t be solved.
“Forget it, Sister Liu. This is not the way to go. Let’s just think about how to fix it.” Chang began her persuasion softly. Lifting her head, she noticed Qin Yunuan, who was standing aside for a long time. She went up quickly to greet them, “Third Miss and Baochuan are here.”
They were here to see the jokes. Concubine Liu rolled her eyes.
“Concubine Liu and Chang, nice to see you.” Qin Baochuan saluted the two concubines, following Qin Yunuan.
“So lovely!” Qin Baochuan had a cute and pleasing appearance, making most of the anxiety on Concubine Chang’s face disappeared. She stroked his small face and asked Qin Yunuan, “Where are you going, Third Miss?”
“Where else could she go,” Concubine Liu sharpened her tone, “She was here to see the jokes.”
Qin Yunuan bowed gently, “I was going to my father’s place.” After finishing her words, she glanced again at Yesan, who was standing there shapeless and acting innocent. “Concubine Liu and Chang, what was the problem?”
She didn’t intend to ask, especially when Concubine Liu was involved. However, Concubine Chang knelt and begged for her in her previous life. She also took care of Qin Baochuan and her these days. She had to return the favor.
“Don’t mention it,” a layer of sorrow covered Chang’s beautiful eyebrows, “Ever since sister Liu and I started housekeeping, we haven’t met one issue that wasn’t tricky. Nannies responsible for purchasing fell ill one after another, the favorite chef of our Master returned home to visit his mother suddenly, even the porter who lit the candles stopped working. Now to make it even worse, we made mistakes on the tailor-made wedding dress for the new Concubine Li tomorrow.
“Enough,” Concubine Liu was ashamed to reveal all her scandals in front of Qin Yunuan, “We shouldn’t complain in front of the juniors, these little issues just added their troubles. What more can they do, anyway?”