"Yue'er, I'm sorry. Please don't blame your second sister-in-law. Don't be angry with her. I was just confused earlier!"
Yang Yuqing rushed to Huangfu Yue, reaching out to grab her, apologizing pitifully.
"Second sister-in-law has always been afraid of crows. Coupled with all the bad things that happened before, I suspected that the crows were to blame...
Thinking of the deaths of your father and brother, thinking that I would never see your second brother again, my heart... it was breaking.
Thinking of becoming a widow at such a young age, and Ling'er losing her father when she was so young, I felt so much pain and sadness... I was confused! Please forgive me, okay?"
Yang Yuqing played the victim, tears streaming down her face as she cried again, looking even more pitiable.
But Huangfu Yue's expression was blank, and she continued to stare at her coldly, not saying a word.
Seeing this, Xu Yuqing secretly cursed her for being a heartless little girl, not softening her heart to comfort and appease her! Did she not feel any sympathy for her, a pitiable widow!
"Wuwu... Thinking of your second brother, I'm truly so sad... so heartbroken... Husband ah... Husband, what if your sister doesn't forgive me... Wuwuwu...
Husband... Husband... Please manifest yourself and tell Yue'er to forgive me... I know I was wrong... Wuwuwu... Husband ah... Husband..."
Xu Yuqing cried out for her husband, weeping so helplessly and pitiably that it evoked sympathy and compassion, but Huangfu Yue remained unmoved.
Huangfu Yue saw that Xu Yuqing was acting and felt even more disgusted and repulsed by her.
She wasn't sincerely apologizing to her and seeking her forgiveness through genuine admission of fault, but instead crying out to her husband. What did that mean?
It was clearly an attempt to force her compliance, to force her to forgive her.
If she didn't forgive her, others would surely say she was too petty and unreasonable.
She, a widow, was driven to cry out for her deceased husband, seeking help from him. She was completely at her wit's end, frightened and driven mad. How pitiable she was, and yet she still wouldn't forgive her. Truly narrow-minded and stone-hearted.
"Second sister-in-law, please don't cry, don't call for my second brother. I'm not angry with you, so you don't need to apologize to me... That's why when you apologized, I was a bit stunned and didn't react."
Huangfu Yue walked up to Xu Yuqing, wiped away the tears on her face, and smiled gently.
Who couldn't act!
Xu Yuqing was secretly delighted, relieved, and no longer worried. She even chuckled to herself about how clever she was. After a bout of crying and a few tears, Huangfu Yue was at a loss, personally wiping her tears and showing a gentle smile.
She found that this sister-in-law, despite seeming formidable, was actually very easy to manipulate. In the future, she could easily control this sister-in-law and make her dependent on her.
With that thought, Xu Yuqing looked at the crow on Huangfu Yue's shoulder, "This crow..."
"Yue'er, your second sister-in-law and the others are afraid of crows. You shouldn't let this crow appear before them and scare them. Take the crow upstairs to your room and eat there," ordered Madam Zheng.
Madam Zheng saw that her second granddaughter-in-law wanted to force her granddaughter to get rid of the crow. She interrupted her second granddaughter-in-law and waved to her granddaughter.
Huangfu Yue's gaze immediately shifted to her grandmother. After looking at her, she hesitated for just a moment before agreeing. "Okay."
Huangfu Yue then looked at the innkeeper and asked him to prepare a table of the inn's signature dishes to be sent to her room.
The innkeeper immediately agreed. Huangfu Yue looked at Ying'er, "Let's go."
Ying'er felt very wronged for Huangfu Yue. She glanced at Madam Zheng, wanting to say something about how she could send Huangfu Yue back to her room to eat, when it was because of Huangfu Yue that the royal household and servants could sit there leisurely and eat.
By sending Huangfu Yue back to her room to eat alone, how wronged and heartbroken she would feel!
However, the words of injustice for her mistress were on the tip of her tongue, but Ying'er hesitated. She thought that Madam Zheng was not unreasonable, and that she had always stood by her mistress. If she was sending her mistress upstairs now, she must have her reasons.
After much deliberation, Ying'er swallowed her words, said nothing, and followed Huangfu Yue upstairs.
Xu Yuqing stared at Huangfu Yue's departing back, then looked at Madam Zheng, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.
How could this old hag let Huangfu Yue leave? She must have seen that I wanted to force Huangfu Yue to get rid of the crow... This old hag still favors her granddaughter and sides with her granddaughter.
Damn it!
Unintelligent people would think that she, by asking Huangfu Yue to go upstairs and eat in her room, was afraid of her granddaughters-in-law being afraid of crows and was siding with them, which was why she was sending Huangfu Yue away.
Hmph, this old hag is really good at pretending to be a good person!
After muttering a few more curses in her heart, Xu Yuqing resentfully said to Madam Zheng, "Grandmother, I think we still need to have Yue'er get rid of that crow, otherwise I fear it will bring bad luck..."
"Let's not talk about these things while eating," Madam Zheng interrupted her again with a wave of her hand.
"We haven't eaten yet, and the dishes haven't been served," Xu Yuqing grumbled.
"Why haven't the dishes been served yet! This is too slow." Madam Fang, who served Madam Zheng, immediately glared at the innkeeper with shrewdness and said displeasedly.
"They'll be served soon, soon. I'm truly sorry... I'll go and urge the kitchen to serve the dishes quickly!" The innkeeper smiled apologetically and then scurried off to the kitchen.
He thought to himself that he hadn't expected these guests to have so much drama, allowing them to witness so much gossip.
As expected, three women make a scene, and with so many women, there's bound to be a lot of drama!
"Alright, no one stand around anymore. Sit back in your seats and wait for the dishes to be served," Madam Zheng called out to the people from the royal household and the constables like Feng Maoyuan who were standing.
Feng Maoyuan and the others had also gotten up to stop Xu Yuqing from trying to kill herself.
Everyone immediately sat back in their respective seats. Xu Yuqing was still unwilling to let it go. As soon as she sat down, she called out again, "Grandmother, you must make Yue'er get rid of the crow, otherwise we will not be able to eat or sleep..."
"I've already said not to talk about these things during meals," Madam Zheng frowned and interrupted her again.
Xu Yuqing also frowned, her brows knitted tightly. "But..."
"Didn't you really want my 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' before? If you're good, stop talking. As long as you're good, I'll give you that 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress'." Madam Zheng said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuqing's expression was one of shock at first, then it turned into one of delight. She nodded vigorously, "Thank you, Grandmother. I'll be good."
Hehe, she didn't expect this old hag to give her the 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' just to shut her up and stop her from forcing Huangfu Yue to get rid of the crow, using such a treasure to buy her off.
The 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' was a treasure presented as tribute from the Western Regions back then. It was priceless and had been bestowed upon this old hag by the late emperor.
She had seen the 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' once in this old woman's dressing box. It was indescribably opulent and beautiful, dazzling to the eye.
She had wanted it very much back then and had begged this old hag to bestow it upon her, but no matter how she begged, the stingy old hag refused.
Unexpectedly, she was now offering it to her herself, just to get her to stop pestering her about forcing Huangfu Yue, she really doted on Huangfu Yue, but that was no longer important.
What was important was that she could obtain the 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress'!
As for the crow, in order to get the precious treasure, she would stop forcing her to force Huangfu Yue to get rid of that beast for now. She would find an opportunity to kill that beast later.
Hmph, Huangfu Yue was unwilling to get rid of that damned crow and cherished it dearly. She would make her wait to see the carcass of that damned crow.
She would surely be very sad and upset when she saw her pet die, serving her right!
Who told her not to get rid of that damned crow and insist on keeping it!
It was her own doing that harmed her pet, so she couldn't blame herself...
While Xu Yuqing was ecstatic about obtaining the treasure and fantasizing about how sad and upset Huangfu Yue would be when she saw her pet die, making her even happier, she did not notice that the faces of the three sisters-in-law had changed when they heard Madam Zheng was going to give her the 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress', their expressions were not very pleasant.
Zhu Jiayi, Zhong Liangshu, and Yang Wanqian all knew of and had seen the 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress'. They all wanted it too. Now that Madam Zheng was giving it to Xu Yuqing, their feelings could be imagined.
Zhong Liangshu gritted her teeth, "Hmph, as expected, the child who cries and makes a fuss gets the candy and is doted on. Xu Yuqing made such a scene earlier, and not only did this old hag not punish her, she's giving her a treasure."
Zhong Liangshu secretly glared at Madam Zheng, cursing her for being senile and biased, and secretly spoke a lot of unpleasant words.
Although Zhu Jiayi and Yang Wanqian dared not curse Madam Zheng in their hearts, they were filled with frustration.
Madam Zheng saw the dissatisfaction of her eldest, third, and fourth granddaughters-in-law.
"Grandmother, when will you give that 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' to your granddaughter-in-law?"
Xu Yuqing looked at Madam Zheng with expectant eyes, her gaze flashing with greed. She could not wait to get her hands on the priceless treasure.
"Don't be anxious, I'll give it to you soon." Madam Zheng looked at Xu Yuqing with a kind smile.
This fool was too eager to reach her end!
If she knew that the late emperor had sent her that 'Gold-Inlaid Jade with Embedded Jewels of the Hundred Immortals Celebrating the Birthday Headdress' back then with the intention of granting her death and sending her on her way, would she still dare to ask for it!