Chapter 168: Because She Wants Face

Chapter 168: Because She Wants Face

Lu Lingyun and Liu Qingping sat in the small courtyard, waiting for their guests.

"Why haven’t they shown up yet?"

Just as she finished speaking, a clear and refined voice sounded.

"Sister-in-law, I’ve arrived."

Qin Shaojing led a group of people in first, followed by Qiu Ling, Ling Long, and Du Ruo, the three concubines.

Du Ruo lowered her head slightly, her delicate face showing a hint of defiance.

It was obvious she had just been upset.

"Shaojing, you're here." Lu Lingyun smiled at Qin Shaojing.

"Since you invited me, Sister-in-law, I naturally had to come." Qin Shaojing greeted her briefly and then sat down. "And who is this young lady beside you?"

She noticed Liu Qingping.

"This is my maternal cousin, Qingping," Lu Lingyun introduced them. "Qingping, this is Shaojing, Yunshuo's cousin and the eldest daughter of the estate of the Duke of Qin."

Liu Qingping, curious about the richly dressed and imposing Qin Shaojing, took the initiative to greet her. "Miss Qin, I’m Liu Qingping."

"Another young lady joining us in the mansion?" Qin Shaojing's tone rose, clearly carrying a different meaning.

Lu Lingyun quickly explained, "My cousin is already betrothed and is here to learn proper etiquette at the marquis’s mansion before her wedding next month."

Her words were meant to tell Qin Shaojing that Liu Qingping was different from Du Ruo.

Her cousin was from a respectable family and was already engaged.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Qin Shaojing immediately dropped her playful tone. "So Miss Liu is already betrothed. Which family did she become betrothed to?"

"The only son of the Director of the Guanglu Temple, Mr. Zhang Shuzheng," Lu Lingyun said with a smile.

Upon learning he was a sixth-rank official in the capital, Qin Shaojing’s beautiful eyes widened, and she forced a slightly perfunctory smile. "Congratulations, Miss Liu."

"Thank you, Miss Qin," Liu Qingping frowned slightly, sensing the perfunctory nature of Qin Shaojing's words.

Qin Shaojing continued, "By the way, sister-in-law, you informed me about the temple fair on the fifth day of the fifth month today. I have plans with Tong Hua to attend the temple fair, so I won’t be able to join you."

"Alright," Lu Lingyun nodded with a smile. "But this is a minor matter. You could have simply sent a messenger. No need to come in person."

"Sister-in-law kindly invited me to the temple fair, so if I had only sent a servant to convey the message, people might think I was being disrespectful," Qin Shaojing said, her eyes shifting to the three concubines standing nearby. "Today, returning to the marquis's mansion, I encountered something fresh. There’s a new addition to the household. I wouldn’t have known about the new concubine if I hadn’t returned."

She emphasized the words "new concubine," which made Du Ruo feel extremely uncomfortable.

Recalling their first meeting, Du Ruo had called Qin Shaojing a concubine. Now, she herself had become a concubine.

Being referred to as a 'concubine' was indeed humiliating for her.

"Taking a concubine isn’t a big deal," Lu Lingyun said casually.

"How can this not be a big deal? If it were just any concubine, it would be fine, but Concubine Du is far from ordinary," Qin Shaojing said sarcastically. "Just now, outside, I saw Concubine Du had quite the air of authority, lecturing the two concubines who entered the household before her. From a distance, I mistook her for you, Sister-in-law!"

Her words were highly provocative.

Du Ruo heard it all and hurriedly explained, “I, I didn’t.”

“What’s going on?” Lu Lingyun looked at them.

Du Ruo clenched her fists, “I just saw the two concubines and greeted them...”

Qiu Ling and Ling Long heard this and turned their faces away, clearly not wanting to bother with Du Ruo.

Lu Lingyun looked at Du Ruo’s indignant and wronged expression, mixed with a bit of fear of being punished, “Concubine Du, you will stay behind separately.”

“Yes.”

This is bad, I’m definitely going to be punished.

Du Ruo reluctantly said.

Seeing Du Ruo about to be punished, Qin Shaojing’s eyes gleamed with mischief, “Sister-in-law, since you're busy, I won’t sit for long. Today, besides discussing the temple fair, I wanted to mention that the east courtyard where I live is quite large, and the few people you assigned to me aren’t enough. I’d like to request more help.”

“Alright.” Lu Lingyun nodded.

“With more people, will the expenses also increase?” Qin Shaojing thoughtfully added.

Lu Lingyun smiled, “It’s alright.”

So, she came to request more funds and staff.

Seeing Lu Lingyun agree so readily, Qin Shaojing had a maid present a small box, “I eat and live off Sister-in-law, and since you take such good care of me, I can’t just take without giving. This Jian ware is a black glazed porcelain from the Han kiln, there’s no other like it in the world. I’m giving it to Sister-in-law for tea.”

Qin Shaojing’s implication was that she wasn’t taking things for free.

As the young miss of the estate of the Duke of Qin, she needed to maintain her dignity wherever she went.

That Jian ware could fetch five hundred taels of silver at a pawn shop.

Lu Lingyun looked at the aged black glazed porcelain Jian ware, knowing it was valuable and likely brought from the Duke’s estate.

She smiled, “It’s not that I provide for you; we are family. My mother-in-law asked me to take good care of you. This is your home.”

“Then Sister-in-law must accept it, as a symbol of our sister-in-law bond!”

Lu Lingyun, hearing this, didn’t say more and smilingly accepted the small Jian ware, telling Qin Shaojing to just send someone next time instead of coming in person.

Satisfied, Qin Shaojing left with her entourage.

As she left, she glanced at Du Ruo with a haughty look.

After Qin Shaojing left, Qiu Ling and Ling Long also withdrew. Lu Lingyun had called them to discuss the Dragon Boat Festival fair, nothing more.

The last one left, Du Ruo, was thoroughly questioned about the cause of today’s trouble and, in front of Liu Qingping, was scolded and ordered to copy the household rules before being dismissed.

After all the women dispersed, Liu Qingping, sitting beside her, seemed lost in thought.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’m thinking about those people and what just transpired,” Liu Qingping said seriously, “I understand Du Ruo. She’s someone who likes to stir up trouble and always feels wronged, believing everyone should indulge her. Even as a concubine, she wants to be seen as special and superior to others, which is why she incites conflicts.”

Lu Lingyun nodded in agreement.

“I also understand the two concubines. They were here first and don’t want to be overshadowed, which is why they often quarrel with her.”

Lu Lingyun was even more pleased. It hadn’t been a waste having her around during this time. She had become better at reading people and situations.

"But I don’t understand Miss Qin."

"What do you mean you don’t understand?"

"I find her odd." Liu Qingping furrowed her brows, feeling uneasy as she recalled Qin Shaojing’s haughty tone and bearing. "She is the head daughter of the Qin family, with such a noble status, and also your mother-in-law’s niece. Presumably, if she needed money or people, she could just ask. Why did she bother to give a teacup as a gift? It’s not even particularly valuable!"

Lu Lingyun listened and smiled gently. "It’s because she values her dignity."