The Wang family was filled with sighs and laments. Even the servants felt that Bai Junya was not worthy of their eldest young master.
Madam Bai held a ball of fire in her heart, always feeling that something was amiss with this matter.
She remembered that when Bai Junya said she woke up under a tree, Bai Junchen's eyes flickered, and his expression was a little strange.
Clinging to this point, she summoned all the maids on duty in the garden that day and those who had passed by to question them carefully.
This questioning did indeed reveal something.
A maid said she had seen Zhi Zi in the garden during that time. Of course, it was dark and windy, so she wasn't entirely sure, just that it looked like her.
But Zhi Zi was Wang Qingyao's trusted head maid. While the maid was unsure, Madam Bai was already certain.
The long-simmering fire in her heart finally had a place to vent.
"Bitch!" she gritted her teeth, her expression ferocious. "She just can't stand to see our eldest branch doing well!"
Wang Qinglin added fuel to the fire: "Whether Wang Qingyao was stirring up trouble or not, this matter is inseparable from her. Cousin Chun was also scolded by Uncle and Aunt for her pet eagle snatching the jade spider last time, which led her to develop a vengeful mindset. If Wang Qingyao hadn't lost her jade spider back then, she wouldn't have held a grudge, and she wouldn't have committed this mistake."
At first glance, it seemed quite reasonable.
In her rage, Madam Bai lost her reason and was about to go confront Wang Qingyao.
Wang Qinglin stopped her and whispered, "What's done is done. She's about to become a princess. Even if it's true, Father and Grandmother won't punish her severely. Rather than her acting arrogantly with the support of the Prince of Ding'an's mansion, it's better for us to cut off her retreat first. Then, when we want to deal with her, no one will stop us."
Wang Qinglin had mentioned this matter to Madam Bai before. Although Madam Bai had agreed, she was hesitant and had been thinking of delaying, waiting until Tian Yu became the top scholar, perhaps Wang Qinglin would change her mind.
Who knew that this useless Tian Yu only ranked in the third class!
Now that Wang Qinglin brought up the old matter, Madam Bai agreed without hesitation.
Wang Zijin was her sore spot. How dare Wang Qingyao plot against him? Even if it meant sacrificing family interests, she wouldn't let Wang Qingyao have an easy time!
While Madam Bai's teeth itched with hatred, Wang Qingyao felt nothing.
Oh, not entirely nothing.
Bai Junya and Wang Zijin were cousins, related within three generations of collateral bloodline. Their marriage would be consanguineous.
Close-kin marriage was not conducive to eugenics.
But this was ancient times.
Many cousins married each other, and no one found it abnormal.
Wang Qingyao sighed and put the matter out of her mind.
She took out a bound blank notebook and began to grind ink to silently write down Tang and Song poems.
Although Wang Zijin had asked her to recite them and he would write, Wang Qingyao got goosebumps just thinking about that scene.
Besides, the timing might not match.
It would be faster for her to just write them down.
It had been more than ten or twenty years since her school days. Wang Qingyao's memory was not bad, but it wasn't photographic. She could only recall about fifty poems completely, which wouldn't take much time.
As she was writing into the afternoon, the entrance to Lengxiang Courtyard suddenly became lively.
The synchronized footsteps were mixed with chaotic ones. Someone was giving orders, and someone else was speaking and laughing cautiously.
Yinzhu and Zhi Zi, who were doing needlework by the main room door, exchanged confused glances and walked out together to investigate.
Wang Qingyao looked up. Through the half-open window, she saw two men in green carrying a large object. The object was covered with a brown rainproof cloth. She used her clairvoyance to peek and found it was all furniture!
After the two men in green came another two. As the first pair gently placed the items in the courtyard, the others followed in a continuous stream. There were no less than twenty people, and soon, the small Lengxiang Courtyard was filled with things.
The last to enter was Prince Ding'an, Xiao Yun.
Old Madam Wang, Madam Bai, and the three sisters Wang Qinglin were all gathered around him.
Wang Qingyao walked out.
Xiao Yun smiled at her. She stood under the corridor, looking at him, and said with a smile, "What are you up to again?"
Old Madam Wang reprimanded, "How can you speak to His Highness like that? Have you forgotten how to pay your respects?"
Wang Qingyao bent her knees slightly. Xiao Yun immediately waved his hand, "You and I don't need to be so formal." He waved his hand again and told people to remove the brown rainproof cloths.
The furniture was all made of phoenix-patterned huanghuali wood, extremely exquisite and refined.
Everything was there, from canopy beds, wardrobes, and display shelves to desks, coffee tables, chairs, and screens.
There were also two large wooden chests filled with tea sets, lamps, vases, incense burners, and the Four Treasures of the Study.
Wang Qingyao clicked her tongue. "Is this the betrothal gift?"
Xiao Yun smiled broadly. "How could a betrothal gift be so shabby? I saw the furniture in your courtyard the other day was old and broken, completely uninhabitable, so I had a new set made for you. Have your maids tidy up, and I'll have the useless things thrown away."
Old Madam Wang and Madam Bai's expressions changed instantly.
They had been smiling fawningly just moments ago, but now they couldn't smile anymore. Their faces turned red, and they were very embarrassed.
Old Madam Wang said awkwardly, "Your Highness misunderstands. The furniture in this courtyard was originally left by the second girl's parents. This child cherishes her parents' kindness and refuses to change it... it's not that we don't want to change it for her..."
Wang Qingyao sneered at the corner of her mouth.
Xiao Yun joked, "Is that so? I thought you were deliberately mistreating her!"
Old Madam Wang broke out in a cold sweat.
Madam Bai bowed slightly. "Your Highness is joking. We dote on her the most in the family..." Her voice grew quieter under Wang Qingyao's mocking gaze.
Wang Qingyao truly admired these people, who could lie without batting an eye!
She scanned the room and stood still. "I won't be living here in a few months, why go through all this trouble?" There was one thing she didn't say: when she married into the Prince of Ding'an's mansion, she couldn't take all these things with her, wouldn't that be benefiting the Wang family?
Xiao Yun seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled, "It doesn't matter, as long as you are comfortable. If you get used to them, you can move them to the Prince of Ding'an's mansion when you get married."
He then turned to look at Old Madam Wang. "Old Madam, you don't mind, do you?"
Old Madam Wang dared not mind and hurriedly shook her head. "I don't mind, I don't mind."
Xiao Yun winked at Wang Qingyao. Wang Qingyao suppressed a smile and instructed Yinzhu, Zhi Zi, and Nian Momo to pack the useful items. She didn't have many things, besides clothes, she only had a box for books and writing materials.
Old Madam Wang's expression soured again.
Xiao Yun then ordered people to replace all the furniture. As for the replaced furniture, Old Madam Wang said that since it was furniture used by Wang Qingyao's parents, it could not be casually discarded.
He looked at Old Madam Wang.
Old Madam Wang gritted her teeth and could only order people to lock all this broken furniture in the storeroom as a memento.