Chapter 277: Lady Lu
Chapter 277: Lady Lu
Compared to Yan's straightforwardness, Lv's words were much more subtle and pleasing to the ear.
Queen Qi still felt uneasy. After all, Princess Shunyang's status was unique, and if something truly happened to her, the capital would once again be plunged into chaos.
It was just that many people had come to look for her, and Lv had been persuading her the whole time. Moreover, Queen Qi had brought several children with her, and in the end, she decided not to join the search.
After bidding farewell to Yan and the others, they walked for a while before Queen Qi finally turned around and said seriously to Feng Xuanrui and Feng Xuanbin, "There will probably be princesses and princes present today, so you two must not cause too much trouble."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xuanrui became quite dissatisfied. His eyes narrowed as he scoffed, "I'm not afraid of Feng Youdan at all. Worst comes to worst, we'll just have a fight."
Queen Qi's heart clenched, and she gritted her teeth as she scolded, "Xiao Liu!"
Feng Xuanrui was not unreasonable. Seeing that his mother was about to get angry, he quickly chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, Mother. I understand."
Whether or not there would be a fight depended on the situation.
If Feng Youdan provoked him, he might not hit a girl, but he could definitely hit her brother.
Hehe, I wonder if the Eighth Prince has gained some weight recently? I wonder if he can take a punch?
Queen Qi wasn't unable to guess Xiao Liu's thoughts. She just felt that she needed to give him a reminder.
In comparison, Feng Xuanbin was exceptionally obedient as he nodded, "Mother, I understand. I will definitely be well-behaved."
Although Feng Xuanbin was young, he knew that he was different from his sixth brother.
His sixth brother could directly fight with a prince, but he couldn't.
There was a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and within the kingdom, this difference wasn't very noticeable.
However, when placed in an external environment, especially when interacting with princes and princesses, this distinction became much more apparent.
Su Su didn't quite understand.
However, since Queen Qi was protecting her, she also feared that she might not be able to pay attention to her during social interactions, so she specifically instructed Sister Xiang, "Make sure to keep an eye on Su Su today and prevent her from getting into conflicts with others."
Seeing Su Su's confused expression, Queen Qi couldn't help but smile and said, "However, don't be too afraid, either."
Sister Xiang quickly agreed.
Soon after, Queen Qi led the group to the back courtyard.
Lady Lu Anyue was the youngest daughter of the Grand Princess.
She was two years older than Queen Qi, and she had taken good care of herself. Her temperament was also gentle.
When she saw Queen Qi approaching, Lady Lu quickly walked over. The two exchanged greetings and politely chatted for a while.
Then, Lady Lu noticed Su Su, who was being held by Sister Xiang, "This must be Mingxi, right? I've been wanting to see her, but I've been busy with Chen Ge's birthday, and I finally have the opportunity now. Such a cute child... Come, let Auntie take a look..."
Lady Lu and Lord Lu were indeed a perfect couple.
They both wanted to emphasize their relationship by choosing titles that sounded closer and more intimate.
While both 'Aunt' and 'Auntie' were acceptable forms of address, for Lady Lu, 'Aunt' seemed more affectionate and closer.
Lady Lu gently extended her hand, her eyes softening with a smile as she looked at Su Su.
Su Su was perplexed. She had even forgotten that her full name was Feng Mingxi.
She anxiously glanced at her mother, then at Lady Lu, before pursing her lips and lowering her head shyly.
This child was not very bold.
Lady Lu sighed inwardly. She didn't want to scare the child and was just about to retract her hand when she heard Queen Qi's soft voice, "Auntie also loves Su Su very much. Su Su, do you want Auntie to hold you?"
The hand that Lady Lu had been about to retract paused in the air before slowly reaching out again.
Su Su obediently extended her hand and smiled sweetly, "Auntie, hold me."
The soft voice of a child can truly warm one's heart.
Lady Lu couldn't help but eagerly take the child from Su Su's arms.
Before Su Su could react, she found herself securely nestled in her aunt's embrace.
Cradled in her aunt's arms, Su Su gently wriggled her little nose, taking in her aunt's delightful fragrance.
Her adorable demeanor completely captivated Lady Lu, reflected in the unwavering smile on her face.
"She truly is a lovely child," she thought. "No wonder everyone in the Qie Wangfu adores her, even His Majesty and the Empress Dowager in the palace."
As she gently hugged Su Su closer, Lady Lu's arm felt the pronounced protrusion of Su Su's slender frame. With a slight furrow of her brow, she murmured to the Qie Wangfei, "We really ought to nourish her more. Her constitution is rather frail."
A frail constitution was indeed a concern, especially for one so young. It could pose challenges for her in the future.
The Qie Wangfei naturally understood and nodded in agreement.
After exchanging pleasantries, Lady Lu handed Su Su back to Xiang Gugu and then led the Qie Wangfei inside.
By then, quite a few esteemed ladies had already arrived.
Among them was a representative from the Song Estate, and the Qie Wangfei took the time to chat with several familiar female relatives before speaking with her younger sister, Zhou Shi.
Upon noticing that her eldest sister was absent, the Qie Wangfei surmised, "I presume her health is acting up again?"
Zhou Shi sighed in confirmation. "It's the same as always. The rain and damp weather we had some time back aggravated her cough, and her voice has been hoarse ever since."
Hearing this, the Qie Wangfei's brow furrowed slightly as she silently sighed. "Perhaps I should request an audience with the Empress Dowager and ask her to send the royal physicians to examine her again?"
Zhou Shi was about to explain that numerous examinations in the past had only attributed her condition to a weak constitution requiring careful tending.
However, she refrained from declining the Qie Wangfei's kind offer and could only nod in acceptance. "Then, I shall trouble you to make the necessary arrangements."
The Qie Wangfei waved away her concerns. "Don't mention it. We're family, after all."
As they spoke, the Qie Wangfei's eyes landed on someone who had just entered. Her grip on her handkerchief tightened imperceptibly.
She felt a twinge of unease and turned her head slightly to the side, asking Zhou Shi in a low voice, "How come she's here?"
The newcomer was none other than Cuishi, the Lady of Jin Yang Hou.
The relationship between the Fuping Gong and Jin Yang Hou was cordial but not particularly close, and their interactions were infrequent.
However, given the grand scale of Chen Ge's coming-of-age ceremony, it wasn't entirely unexpected for Cuishi to be present as well. The Qie Wangfei had even spotted her carriage on the way here.
She hadn't anticipated running into Cuishi so early in the day, and a tinge of anxiety now clouded her thoughts.
Zhou Shi had been about to share some mundane family matters to put the Qie Wangfei's heart at ease, but upon hearing her question, she lifted her gaze to meet Cuishi's eyes for a moment.
She quickly blinked her eyes and gave the Qie Wangfei's arm a gentle nudge. "They came together."
The Qie Wangfei's attention now shifted to the petite figure of Xiao Hushi by Cuishi's side.
To be honest...
Neither of these two women was particularly well-liked by the Qie Wangfei.
Their presence together was indeed a headache-inducing development.
How intricate and complex familial relations could be!
--Su Su's Journal
(End of Chapter)
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