Chapter 294 - 294 Cousin Is Not Obedient
294 Cousin Is Not Obedient
The atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed.
Old Madam Cao and Old Madam Yu chatted casually. Madam Yao, Yang Shuwan, and the Marquis of Changxing’s wife joined in on the fun, while a few young misses listened in.
After chatting for about an hour, Old Madam Cao looked tired. “I’m old and my body is useless. I’ve lost half my life already.”
Old Madam Yu agreed deeply. “Isn’t that so? I really have to admit that I’m old.”
Old Madam Cao naturally bade farewell. Old Madam Yu only said a few polite words and did not stay. She sent Madam Yao, Madam Yang, and a few younger ones out of the house.
The group got into the carriage and it drove out of the Yu Residence.
The Marquis of Changxing’s wife lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked up at the red-painted door of the Yu Residence. She smiled and her expression immediately turned cold.
Due to the Empress Dowager’s authority and the Old Madam’s authority, she had also lost her face today and swallowed her words. Without even asking for face, she brought her daughter to the Yu Residence to apologize to Yu Youyao.
She really hated them!
The Flower Festival had turned into a joke. The one who had lost all face was the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence. The one who had ruined their reputation and their future was also her daughter. After being punished by the Empress Dowager, even the dignity and pride of the residence had been lost. It was still the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence that was affected!
What did she, Yu Youyao, suffer?
Why did she have to swallow her pride and bring her daughter to apologize to her?
At the thought of her daughter, she remembered that she was about to be sent back to the Cao Clan. She had been pregnant for ten months and had risked her life to give birth to her. She had carefully raised her for many years before she had such a grown daughter!
Yu Youyao had not only gained fame, but also praise and rewards. She was very glorious.
However, this glory had stepped on the dignity of the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence, her daughter’s reputation and future, and her face.
After the carriage left the residence, the people from the Yu Residence returned to An Shou Hall.
Madam Yao and Yang Shuwan chatted with Old Madam for a while before leaving with their children.
Yu Youyao helped her grandmother into the house and helped her into her chambers. “Grandmother, you’re tired. Rest well. I’ll go back first.”
Old Madam Yu nodded. “Go back quickly!”
When Yu Youyao returned to the Jade Courtyard, her cousin was sitting in the reception pavilion drinking tea.
Yu Youyao glared at him and walked over aggressively. “Cousin, you stayed up all night yesterday. Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why are you still running around? You’re not obedient at all!”
Zhou Linghuai put down his teacup and chuckled. “After breakfast, I heard that someone from the palace had come, so I came over to take a look.” As he spoke, he looked at the palace token on the little girl’s waist and rubbed the blue jade beads on his hand. “The residence is shaking. How can I sleep?”
Yu Youyao pouted. “Cousin, you have so many excuses.”
Zhou Linghuai untied the beads one by one and played with them in his hand. The newly made incense beads had to be played with often to be useful. “The palace token is very beautiful and suits you.”
With the palace token rewarded by the Empress Dowager, in the future, when the little girl went out, there would no longer be any ignorant people rushing to find trouble and make her suffer. Others would have to respect her when they saw her, and it would save a lot of trouble.
In this way, his goal was achieved.
Yu Youyao untied the palace token at her waist and played with it in her hand. “Cousin, why did the Empress Dowager receive the news so quickly?”
Zhou Linghuai smiled but said nothing.
Yu Youyao was a little puzzled. “Since the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence was holding a flower festival, the palace will naturally pay some attention to it. However, outside the palace, there’s a strict palace wall and countless palace doors. If a piece of news wants to reach the ears of the higher-ups, it has to pa.s.s through countless people’s mouths. Therefore, a lot of the news will be gradually changed. More than half of the ten pieces of news would have disappeared. It’s already not bad to leave three to four points.”
At this point, she frowned and emphasized, “Not to mention that now, Imperial Consort Lu is in charge of the Phoenix Seal in the palace and is in charge of the harem. The Empress Dowager is deeply residing in the Longevity Palace and is no longer involved. When the news is sent to the palace, how can she surpa.s.s Imperial Consort Lu?”
It was also because the Empress Dowager had taken action before Imperial Consort Lu had received the news that the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence was caught off guard.
Otherwise, if the news got through Imperial Consort Lu, the Empress Dowager would have nothing to do with it.
Yu Youyao looked at her cousin.
Zhou Linghuai tapped his fingers on the armrest and said nothing.
Yu Youyao continued, “The Marquis of Changxing’s Residence isn’t stupid. After such a thing happened at the Flower Festival, their first reaction wasn’t to deal with it, but to cover up this matter first before thinking of a way to deal with it and resolve it. Every big family in the capital has to deal with it like this.”
However, the Empress Dowager had announced the Marquis of Changxing’s wife and Seventh Miss Cao’s actions after entering the palace. It was obvious that what had happened at the Flower Festival had not escaped the Empress Dowager’s notice at all.
This was ridiculous.
She knew just by looking at Old Madam Cao’s swift and decisive methods today.
Even if the Flower Festival had happened a few hours later, Old Madam Cao would have made a move and gotten in touch with Imperial Consort Lu. Today, it would probably have been a different situation.
The Empress Dowager would notice her and perhaps have praises for her, but she would not specially send Aunt Shen to give her a palace token.
An apology from the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence would still come, but the extent of the apology would be greatly reduced.
Wasn’t this too strange?
He did not expect the little girl to be so sharp and think so deeply. Zhou Linghuai smiled. “I ordered someone to send the news to the palace.”
Yu Youyao’s eyes widened in shock. “Cousin, you, you…”
Zhou Linghuai did not say much and stroked her hair. “Remember, in the future, you’ll be the one bullying others. There’s no reason for you to be bullied, okay?”
Yu Youyao was in a daze. She only knew how to nod quickly.
After nodding, she had a complicated expression. Her cousin had sent the news to the palace for her, so she could obtain the Empress Dowager’s praise and reward.
However, the methods that her cousin had revealed were definitely extraordinary.
The Yu Residence had also planted someone in the palace, but it was only an ordinary informant. Those who were more secretive might not be able to find out. The Zhou family was much inferior to the Yu Residence. The Zhou family was far away in Youzhou, so how could they have interfered in the Empress Dowager’s palace?
Also, as soon as the matter at the Flower Festival blew up, Cousin knew about it. This also reflected that Cousin’s spies had also infiltrated the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence.
Her cousin seemed to be playing a very big game of chess.
Yu Youyao’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but tremble in fear. She looked at her cousin with a complicated expression and opened her mouth to ask, but before she could say anything, she said, “Thank you, Cousin!”
There were some things she shouldn’t say, let alone ask.