The Dowager Duchess leaned forward and asked, "You said that only me, your Eldest Aunt, and Sister Yi will be coming?" Her tone was full of nervousness.
"Yes." Qin Yu said, "Eldest Uncle is currently receiving the eunuch from the palace. He said that he will be back soon and asked you, Eldest Aunt, and Sister Yi to prepare yourselves."
The Dowager Duchess frowned and nodded.
Qin Yu left after passing the message. When he reached the outer room, he said to his wife, the Yao Clan, "Sister Yi hasn't entered the palace before. As her sister-in-law, you should give her some advice."
The eldest mistress smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, I understand." After watching Qin Yu leave, she pulled the second mistress, the Meng Clan, and said, "Let's go. Madam will serve the Dowager Duchess while we go help Sister Yi."
The second mistress put down the embroidery she had just taught Ji Xiang and entered the room with the eldest mistress.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was calm. The old madam's brows were furrowed into a knot. She stroked her chest and said, "I keep feeling that something bad is going on today. Putting aside the fact that the Cao Family sent us the Laba Congee out of the blue, I don't know how that Empress Cao managed to persuade the Emperor to let us three women enter the palace."
The Sun Clan was also nervous. Although she was a first-rank titled madam and had seen the world, she still felt her hands and feet go cold in front of the Emperor and Empress. She reckoned that she wouldn't be able to speak properly in front of them.
"Dowager Duchess, why don't we let Master accompany us?"
The Dowager Duchess shook her head, "Didn't you see that I specifically asked? The Emperor and Empress only let the three of us go. Brother Meng isn't included, so how can we go without being summoned? Forget it, we'll know whether it's good or bad when we see it. "
Seeing that the Dowager Duchess and the Sun Clan looked as if they were facing a great enemy, Qin Yining smiled and explained.
"Grandmother, mother, don't worry. My father's status is different now, so entering the palace shouldn't be a big problem. But if there's a sudden summons, there will only be two things: reward or punishment. We didn't do anything wrong, so naturally, we won't be punished. "
Everyone in the room had no idea what to do, but when they heard Qin Yining's logical analysis, they felt as if they had seen light in their hearts.
Only the members of the Sun Clan said worriedly, "But we still have a grudge with the Cao Clan."
"Your Majesty is wise and mighty. As long as the small disagreements between the officials do not involve the foundation of the country, how could they be used as arguments? Besides, Her Majesty the Empress is the motherly model of the world, so she definitely won't complicate matters for her own personal grudges. "
When Qin Yining said that he was singing praises, he actually meant one thing: Even if the Demon Empress had given pillow talk to the incapable emperor, if she went to make things difficult for a loyal official's womenfolk without any evidence, it would only be a slap in the face and be laughed at by the world. The Emperor and the Empress still cared about their reputation!
"Sister Yi is right," Qin Huaiyuan just happened to come back at this time. When he entered the room, he didn't take off his cloak and comforted the Old Madam.
"You don't have to worry. At present, there are no changes in the imperial court, and our family's position is stable. You just have to be cautious and act according to the situation. If there are any changes, don't accept the Emperor and Empress's orders in front of them. Just say that you want to go home and think about it. You are the old emperor, and the Emperor advocates ruling the world with filial piety, so he won't make things difficult for you."
With her son's words, the Old Madam had a backbone, so she nodded repeatedly.
Qin Huaiyuan then turned to the members of the Sun Clan and said, "When you enter the palace, just follow your mother." His meaning was to say less, make less mistakes, and don't act on your own.
The members of the Sun Clan nodded.
Looking at his daughter, Qin Huaiyuan's eyes were overflowing with love. "Sister Yi, when you enter the palace, be smart and serve your grandmother and mother well."
"Yes." Qin Yining nodded with a smile.
Among these three people, the Old Madam was experienced, and Qin Yining was intelligent and sharp. Only the members of the Sun Clan were restless. However, the Sun Clan probably wouldn't dare to act rashly in front of the Emperor and Empress, so Qin Huaiyuan was very relieved.
After giving a few instructions, Qin Huaiyuan busily went out again.
From beginning to end, he didn't look at Qin Huining.
When Qin Huaiyuan entered the room, Qin Huining deliberately walked to a conspicuous spot. At this time, her head was lowered and her teeth were tightly clenched. Jealousy and anger were about to incinerate her.
The Old Madam relaxed and ordered Mammy Qin to prepare the clothes.
"Sister Yi has never entered the palace before. Have you prepared the oversized clothes that need to be made?"
Mammy Qin frowned and said, "Not yet. I ordered the people in the sewing room to rush the work, but the embroidery is complicated and will take some effort. Originally, this servant only wanted to wear it when entering the palace on New Year's Eve, so this servant ordered them to make it more carefully and not be anxious. Who knew that it would be brought forward by so many days. "
The Young Mistress looked at Qin Huining, who had her head lowered and didn't say anything, and said with a smile, "What's so difficult about this? I see that Sister Yi and Sister Hui are about the same size. Why don't we use Sister Hui's oversized clothes first and let Sister Yi use them?"
The Young Mistress's words were actually meant to disgust Qin Huining.
She had long disliked Qin Huining's pitiful appearance, but her heart was full of schemes. She was just like the concubine-born daughters of her maternal family.
Qin Huining, who didn't have much of a presence, was called out. Everyone's gaze fell on her.
Qin Huining wore a light green plain satin robe today and didn't have any jewelry on her head. Although her plain and quiet appearance didn't make her look like she was wearing mourning clothes, it still made people feel unhappy on a day like the Laba festival.
Her sisters and sisters-in-law all knew that Qin Huining loved to dress like this. It wasn't like they didn't give her any jewelry or rouge, but she insisted on acting like she was treated poorly.
At this time, she raised her head, and her eyes were glistening. She held the handkerchief in one hand and looked apologetically at the Old Madam, "Grandmother, my clothes just happened to be starched. I didn't know that I would need it today. Moreover, Sister Yi is taller than me, so I'm afraid that she won't be able to wear it."
The Emperor had specifically asked her to enter the palace, but only she was excluded from the womenfolk of the eldest branch. This already made her lose face. When her father came back, he didn't even look at her!
What, he didn't let her go and even wanted her to take out clothes for Qin Yining to wear? It was simply a dream!
The Old Madam frowned unhappily, "I think Sister Yi doesn't need to be so troublesome. Didn't I just get a light pink Sichuan brocade with small peach blossoms on it and gave it to Sister Yi? That one should be done, right?"
Qin Yining nodded and said, "It's already done and sent over."
"Then wear that one. A little girl should wear pink and tender. Only this way will she be likable."
After the Old Madam made the final decision, the eldest and second young mistresses pulled Qin Yining back to Shuo Ren Zhai to help her change her clothes.
Qin Huining was already on the verge of tears. Her palms were scratched by her fingernails and traces of blood stained the handkerchief.
The Old Madam's words just now, wasn't she disdaining her for wearing too plain clothes?!
She had fallen out of favor so quickly!
How much did the Old Madam dote on her in the past? She even hugged her and said something like, "No matter what happens in the future, grandmother will cherish you."
But now?
Sure enough, she wasn't her biological daughter. These people began to humiliate her one by one! Even the Old Madam's heart was biased to the point of no return!
Qin Huining lowered her head and two drops of tears fell on her lapel.
The Old Madam frowned as she watched.
When Qin Yining was actively studying, Qin Huining only knew to eat snacks and read novels.
Qin Yining and the sisters were harmonious and never stirred up trouble. Qin Huining was only close to Sixth Young Miss and didn't get along well with others.
In the past, Qin Yining didn't complain at all when she lived in Snow Pear Courtyard. She also didn't do anything to show off when she moved to Shuo Ren Zhai.
However, when Qin Huining lived in Ci Xiao Garden, she often used this to show off and provoke the other sisters. Now that she lived in Snow Pear Courtyard, she still complained and was dissatisfied.
She deliberately gave her the cold shoulder for a few days to see her reaction. She made this appearance now, as if the Family Qin treated her harshly …
In any case, her every move was sowing discord.
The Old Madam was a wily old fox who had mingled in the inner residence. Once she put aside the emotions of doting and cherishing, she could see more clearly than anyone else.
Now, she didn't care much about Qin Huining.
She ordered everyone to disperse. The Old Madam and the Sun Clan also went to prepare.
Not long after, the three of them were ready. They rode the oil wall carriage out of the Second Gate and boarded the spacious and warm Zhu Lun Hua Carriage.
The carriage traveled quickly and steadily. Soon, they arrived in front of the palace gates. The imperial bodyguards inspected the carriage and then the eunuchs led the three of them to change carriages. They went all the way to the Empress' Soaring Phoenix Palace.
Qin Yining had studied with Zhan momo for many days. She had also learned the rules of the palace. Therefore, when she got off the carriage, she obediently lowered her head and didn't dare to look around.
The palace wasn't the fu. The slightest misstep could be used against her. If she made a mistake, she would implicate the entire family. Qin Yining didn't dare to overstep her boundaries.
Passing through the spacious courtyard paved with limestone, they walked up a red staircase and arrived in front of Soaring Phoenix Palace. A eunuch went in to report.
Not long after, a eunuch came out with a smile: "Old Madam, Madam Qin, Miss Qin, please enter. The Emperor and Empress are both here."
The three of them straightened their appearance and bowed as they entered the hall. They followed the eunuch's footsteps to the side hall.
As soon as they entered, the sweet scent of lilies entered their nostrils. It made Qin Yining frown slightly. The floor was covered with a thick and luxurious peony carpet. The three of them knelt in the distance and paid their respects.
The Old Madam loudly sang: "This old one, Qin Gu, brings her daughter-in-law from the Sun Clan and her granddaughter from the Qin Clan to greet the Emperor and Empress. We wish the Emperor ten thousand years and ten thousand blessings, and the Empress a healthy phoenix body!"
"Rise." The one who spoke was a sweet and lazy female voice.
Qin Yining was very familiar with this voice. It was the voice of the person she saw at Xian Gu Temple that day.
She couldn't help but rejoice. Fortunately, the gongzi had quick reflexes and pulled her back that day. Otherwise, it would be even more troublesome to meet today.
The Emperor's voice had the hoarseness of an elderly person: "Today, in private, there is no need to stand on ceremony. The Empress's words are my words. You are all Qin Meng's family members, so you are one of us. There is no need to be overly courteous."
"Many thanks to the Emperor and Empress!" The Old Madam brought the Sun Clan and Qin Yining to pay their respects.
After the proper etiquette, the three of them stood up.
Because their heads were lowered, they didn't dare to raise their heads to look directly at the Emperor's face. Therefore, they could only see from the corners of their eyes that there were not only the Emperor, Empress, and palace servants in the hall. There were also a few outsiders, and there seemed to be a man!
The Empress smiled: "Miss Qin, come to ben gong and let ben gong take a good look."
The Old Madam and the Sun Clan's hearts skipped a beat.
Qin Yining was a bit nervous, but since she was already here, she could only accept it and slowly walked forward with lowered eyes.
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