Chapter 185 - 184: Consensus
Yunluo glanced at the Liao Family without a word.
She understood Liao Family’s mindset; now that Liao Family was simmering with anger and had nowhere to vent, the triumph of Miao Family ignited her fury.
But in front of Old Mrs. Xia, aside from making a few sarcastic remarks to Miao Family, Liao Family had no other means.
Finding an opportunity to speak to Yunluo now was just a way to vent a bit of her frustration.
Yunluo did not want to bother with her at all.
Liao Family’s anger was not directed at her; she wouldn’t gladly accept the provocation and draw Liao Family’s temper onto herself. Even Miao Family didn’t want to engage with Liao Family, and she wouldn’t be the one to act foolishly.
One sentence came out without eliciting a single word from Yunluo, and the anger in Liao Family could only be suppressed, making her face look even more unpleasant.
Old Mrs. Xia clearly saw through all this and secretly thought that Yunluo indeed had matured a lot. She patted her hand and said, "You’ve had a long day, quickly go wash up, it’s almost time for dinner."
Yunluo agreed.
Back at Anhua Courtyard, Jin Ling hastily directed the maidservants to fetch and deliver water, attending to Yunluo’s washing up.
Yunluo had an injury on her hand, so Jin Ling was extra cautious, only relaxing when everything was settled.
Jin Ling meticulously dried Yunluo’s long hair. Yunluo lay on the couch for a short rest, and Jin Ling quietly withdrew.
Seeing the side room door still closed, Jin Ling went over to knock: "Jin Rui, hurry up if you’re ready, go do the young lady’s hair."
No one responded from inside.
Jin Ling raised her hand to knock again when she saw the door open a crack from inside, revealing Jin Rui’s face who looked at her without expression.
"It’s getting late, don’t delay going to Qinghui Garden," Jin Ling urged.
Jin Rui peeked out, looked around cautiously, and gestured for Jin Ling to come in: "Come in, I have something to ask you."
Unsure of her intentions, Jin Ling saw that Jin Rui had already turned back inside and had to follow.
Jin Rui sat in front of the dressing table, applying some fragrant ointment on her face, and said, "The last few times you went out with the young lady, did you see the Princely Heir?"
Jin Ling raised an eyebrow: "Why? Did you see him today?"
"Be honest with me, how do the young lady and the Princely Heir speak to each other?" Jin Rui pressed softly, "Today I noticed, it seemed..."
Jin Rui didn’t continue, turning her eyes to Jin Ling, giving her a "you know" look.
Jin Ling felt her scalp tingle, remembering what happened when Mu Lianxiao sent Yunluo back to the mansion.
It wasn’t yet Shangyuan at that time, actually just over two months ago. The two talked without reservations, faces so close, Jin Ling sat in the carriage, wishing for a crack in the ground to let her slip away.
Back then, she promised Yunluo to keep everything a secret, seeing Jin Rui ask, Jin Ling had to say: "It seemed fine to me then, why? Did you find it odd today?"
Jin Rui rolled her eyes at Jin Ling: "If you won’t speak the truth, just forget it."
Jin Ling pressed her lips and said nothing.
Jin Rui snorted lightly: "Are you afraid I will report it to the madam? Do you think I’m that short-sighted? We are to serve the young lady at the Marquis Mansion in the future. If I reveal it to the madam and the young lady and young master find out, how would I continue to work? If you’re not worried about this, go ahead and speak then."
"I..." Jin Ling was caught speechless by her words, and after a while said, "I didn’t overthink, anyway, if the young lady and the Princely Heir get along well after getting married, it would only make us who serve them happier, wouldn’t it?"
That was indeed the truth; who would want their masters to quarrel day and night?
Encountering Liao Family with such a temper, today for the sister-in-law conflicts, tomorrow for the wife concubine disputes, they’ve been vexed for years, those serving them were unlucky souls.
Jin Rui, familiar with Xiuyu, who served by Liao Family’s side, though the words were unspoken, the sighs and grievances Jin Rui heard made her anxious.
The two maids reached a consensus and thus did not linger in the room.
Jin Rui swayed her hips toward the main house, Jin Ling was a step behind, closed the room door, then went over.
Nanny Shui, sitting on a stool in the veranda mending shoe pads, had Nanny Hua stick her head out from the window beside her and whisper, "That waist, huh! Keep twisting like that and she’ll really become half a mistress."
Nanny Shui picked up a shoe pad to cover Nanny Hua’s mouth, "Lower your voice! Jin Rui doesn’t have that disposition, you shouldn’t say such things casually, she’s got a fiery nature."
"Regardless, she already sees herself as half a mistress." Nanny Hua dismissed it.
Nanny Shui didn’t want to continue this topic with Nanny Hua, misfortunes are born from words, and gossiping behind backs is one thing, but now remarking on Jin Rui’s posturing suggests she’s aiming to usurp, with Jin Rui’s fiery nature, it wouldn’t be surprising if she retaliated harshly.
The talk between the nannies naturally didn’t reach Jin Rui and Jin Ling’s ears.
Jin Rui styled Yunluo’s hair and reapplied the ointment before supporting her to Qinghui Garden.
Mrs. Zhen, attentive and loving her daughter dearly, noticed the small injury on Yunluo’s palm that couldn’t be hidden from her, and her eyes turned red, but she still said, "Mother knows learning to ride is difficult, no rush, no fear, we’ll take it slowly. Even if you can’t gallop now, you’ll surely learn well after marrying within a year or two."
Yunluo felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this.
Mrs. Zhen was gentle in nature and not fond of conflict, but fundamentally she was not weak. Since Yunluo expressed her intent to learn well, she as a mother wouldn’t hold her back.
The matter of Mu Lianxiao sending a horse tomorrow was not kept from Mrs. Zhen; she used the same reasons she told her in Lianfu Garden.
Mrs. Zhen nodded repeatedly upon hearing: "The Princely Heir’s reasoning is sound; he often frequents the palace and knows protocol better than you. Just listen to him."
Yunluo was a bit surprised, expecting Mrs. Zhen might inquire about the details of Mu Lianxiao’s horseback teaching, but she didn’t mention a word about it, instead, she told her to follow Mu Lianxiao’s lead.
It was indeed somewhat odd.
Actually, Mrs. Zhen’s thoughts were quite simple.
Yunluo’s heart was already set on Mu Lianxiao; how could she stop her with just a few words?
Besides, they were at the palace’s riding arena, with the Crown Prince and them watching polo games. Yunluo following Mu Lianxiao to learn horseback riding, what could be improper about that?
No matter how bold Yunluo was, she wouldn’t dare act rashly in front of the Crown Prince, Prince Rui, and Prince Cheng, and Mu Lianxiao did not seem to be someone who doesn’t know his limits.
Since there was no fear of any overstepping, Mrs. Zhen did not dwell on it.
The following morning, Miao Family sent word to Anhua Courtyard, saying that the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had sent the horse over.
The stable was in the front courtyard; Yunluo needed to get the horse, she couldn’t avoid stepping into the front courtyard. Moreover, since it was sent by the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, Miao Family had Du Yunlang accompany Yunluo along with four nannies.
From afar, Yunluo saw the white horse, a person holding its reins, waiting and greeted them promptly as they arrived.
Yunluo recognized him; he was Mu Lianxiao’s attendant, Yun Qi, who had carried the severely injured Mu Lianxiao home from the battlefield even though he couldn’t save him in the end.
The young man who cried like a child back then was now a handsome youth.
He bowed and said, "Miss, I am Yun Qi from the Princely Heir’s service, here to deliver a horse for you."