On the day of Old Madam Song’s birthday banquet, the sky was clear and the sun bright.
Qu Ling rose early to prepare for the occasion.
“Miss, among the maids and servants bestowed by the Princess, there is one named Huan’er who has recently been in contact with people from the main residence,” Guanqi reported while Tingqin was styling Qu Ling’s hair.
Since returning to the capital, Qu Ling had gained Sushang as an additional attendant.
She usually brought Sushang and Tingqin when going out, leaving Guanqi at Nuanshan Residence to oversee the courtyard.
Qu Ling trusted no one unfamiliar to her.
Even those given by the Princess—aside from Li Momo and Sushang—remained distrusted.
“Find an excuse to dismiss her,” Tingqin suggested bluntly.
A glint flashed in Qu Ling’s eyes. “Today at the banquet, Sister Yuan Rong will surely attend. I’ll speak with her then and have her take Huan’er away. A Princess Manor maid should be dealt with by Princess Manor.”
Tingqin agreed this approach was more appropriate and fell silent, focusing entirely on Qu Ling’s adornment.
When the time came, Qu Ling first went to Yun Song Hall.
Arriving earliest, she received detailed instructions from Old Madam about prominent capital families to avoid missteps at the banquet.
Soon, He Shi arrived with Qu Lianjia.
They waited and waited, but Song Shi never appeared.
“Send someone to inquire,” Old Madam said displeased. “If she hasn’t fully recovered, she shouldn’t attend.”
The messenger returned with a strange expression.
“The Lady left with the two young misses before dawn, claiming she promised to return to her maiden home to assist.”
He Shi grew agitated first. “Mother hasn’t departed yet! Even if she must leave early, she should have sent word. How could she make Mother wait so long?”
Qu Ling asked, “Did the Lady take Fourth Sister too?”
The servant nodded.
“Mother, Sister-in-law truly has no respect! You confined Lianxue, yet she took her without permission. Who exactly rules Hou Manor?” He Shi fanned the flames.
Qu Lianjia tried signaling her mother to stop, to no avail.
Furious, Old Madam scolded He Shi, “What’s the use of saying this here? Who rules Hou Manor isn’t your concern anyway!”
He Shi felt wronged by the reprimand.
“Grandmother, let us depart too,” Qu Ling urged, and Old Madam acquiesced.
Song Manor was decorated with lanterns and streamers, bustling with guests.
Qu Ling entered the manor with the others. After kowtowing to Old Madam Song with Qu Lianjia, she was led to the Drawing Room where young ladies gathered.
“Sister Lianzhi, is it true your sister stabbed your mother again after returning to the capital?” someone inquired.
Another chimed in, “Last time at Guoqing Temple, she spouted nonsense too.”
As for Song Shi poisoning her mother-in-law—such matters naturally went unasked.
Regardless of truth, they were guests today, not enemies.
Even Dingxiang Marquis Manor wasn’t pursuing it.
“Sister Han, don’t say that. What happened back then was actually a misunderstanding,” Qu Lianzhi replied calmly, clearly familiar with the noble young ladies present.
Her vague wording only bred further misunderstanding.
Dropping her domestic ferocity, she smiled sweetly. “My sister is ill—an illness that easily robs one of reason…”
“Who is ill?” Qu Ling entered at that moment.
All eyes turned to her.
“Sister, you’re here!” Qu Lianzhi rushed to link arms with her, avoiding mention of the previous topic. “I’ve waited so long for you.”
She squeezed Qu Ling’s hands. “Why are they so cold? Quick, bring hot tea for my sister!”
Qu Ling remained silent, watching her bustle about.
“We were just speaking of you with the sisters, and there seems to be some misunderstanding. Quick, tell them how well Mother treats you?” Qu Lianzhi began to press.
She wasn’t afraid of Qu Ling telling the truth.
The incident was over—the Old Madam was unharmed, Qu Ling was alive and kicking. Poisoning? Who would believe it?
It would only confirm that Qu Ling had genuinely been ill.
“Of course Mother treats me well,” Qu Ling chuckled lightly. “Not only did she have my sister move out of Nuanshan Residence for me to live in, but she also gave me half of her dowry. Ask anyone in the capital—which stepmother is as kind-hearted as Mother?”
In her previous life, Qu Ling had been slowly worn down by Qu Lianzhi’s subtle attacks like these.
Targeted at home, yet showered with concern in public.
With her straightforward nature, she had desperately wanted to expose Qu Lianzhi’s hypocrisy in front of others, but it only backfired.
So much so that later, Liu Xuan said, “Your sister treats you so well. How could you bear to make her cry? Even if you were a concubine and she the main wife, she wouldn’t mistreat you.”
Qu Ling raised a bright smile and clasped Qu Lianzhi’s hand in return. “It’s just a pity for my sister, having to move out of Nuanshan Residence. I’ve long told Father it wasn’t necessary. Although Nuanshan Residence was prepared for me by my mother before her passing, you’ve grown accustomed to living there.”
Acting? She could do it too.
Qu Lianzhi nearly lost her composure.
The noble ladies present were all sharp-minded and caught Qu Ling’s indirect jab at Qu Lianzhi for usurping her place.
Though they were friends with Qu Lianzhi and didn’t mind mocking Qu Ling a little, seeing that Qu Ling wasn’t an easy target, they dropped the idea and shifted to discussing the latest popular cosmetics in the capital.
Qu Ling, however, noticed that Qu Lianxue and Song Yujin were absent. She signaled to Sushang with a glance, and Sushang quietly slipped away, leaving only Tingqin to attend.
Several noble ladies were seated around the rosewood carved table, chatting and laughing as they sampled the new tea. Qu Ling also held a cup, the tea’s aroma misting around her, when suddenly the jingling of ornaments sounded from outside the door.
“Jiaping Commandery Princess has arrived—”
Qu Ling’s fingers trembled, nearly dropping her teacup.
She abruptly looked up to see a familiar figure step into the drawing room.
Zhao Yuanrong wore a goose-yellow jacket embroidered with crabapple flowers, her features as exquisite as a painting, just as bright and vibrant as Qu Ling remembered.
Qu Ling’s chest tightened sharply.
In her previous life, Zhao Yuanrong had always treated her well.
Before leaving for Jiangzhou, she had spent many days at the Princess Manor, practically growing up alongside Zhao Yuanrong.
After moving to Jiangzhou, Mama Zhou said, “If it weren’t for her, your mother wouldn’t have died.”
“You’re trapped here, and she never visits or thinks of bringing you back.”
Poisoned by these words, Qu Ling had treated Zhao Yuanrong coldly.
Even so, Zhao Yuanrong never blamed her and always protected her, no matter where they were.
When Liu Xuan betrayed her, Zhao Yuanrong fumed, “A man like that isn’t worth keeping. I’ll go beat him up to vent your anger.”
Later, when she was schemed into marrying a merchant family, Zhao Yuanrong declared, “Don’t marry. I refuse to believe they can force you to death.”
By then, her reputation had been ruined by the Hou Manor, and everyone thought she had willingly degraded herself with a merchant.
Zhao Yuanrong scoffed, “What does reputation matter? It’s just a cage to bind people. As long as you don’t care, no one can use that shackle to confine you.”
Unfortunately, it was a lesson Qu Ling only understood after dying once.
In the end, she was imprisoned in the Court of Revision. Li Momo mentioned that Zhao Yuanrong had gone to see the Crown Prince again, likely causing another major confrontation with him on her behalf.
Qu Ling once overheard Song Shi exclaim in frustration, “The Crown Prince is utterly bewitched by Zhao Yuanrong, even risking eternal infamy by letting her carry his child without any official status—it’s as if he doesn’t care about Yu Zhen at all…”
She didn’t know what became of that child in the end.
But the sorrow hidden beneath Zhao Yuanrong’s radiant vitality was surely no less than her own.
Despite such hardship, Yuan Rong still pleaded with the Crown Prince for her sake.
An indescribable emotion welled up in Qu Ling’s heart.