To Be A Virtuous Wife

31

Chapter Thirty One, Of Another's Family

During the noon meal, Qu Qing Ju and He Heng sat on either side of Jing guifei. The palace maids carried trays in like a school of fish and served them as they washed and dried their hands.

Jing guifei might have had the intentions to elevate Wei Ran Shuang but due to Wei Ran Shaung's status, she couldn't sit with the three of them. Qu Qing Ju looked at Wei Ran Shuang as she stood being Jing guifei. This Wei meimei that returned from outside to Jing City had a good appearance, innocent and clean. Her manner as she obediently stood behind Jing guifei was also very attractive. It was just in this kind of ancient era that it was very likely for cousins to get together. Qu Qing Ju stole a look at He Heng and guess as to whether if he had any desire.

Taking the handkerchief that a palace maid handed over, Qu Qing Ju's gaze scanned over He Heng. The other person didn't seem to have any interest in Wei Ran Shuang. She smiled and watched as dish after dish was brought in.

After the noon meal, Wei Ran Shuang accompanied Jing guifei as she returned to the inner rooms for a short rest. Qu Qing Ju and He Heng went to one of the side rooms. There was a full set of furniture and other essentials in the side room. Qu Qing Ju even managed to see that a page of awkwardly written characters hanging on the wall. It looked like the writings of a young child.

He Heng saw Qu Qing Ju was looking at the words and coughed before explaining: "This was the room I lived in when I was young and lived with mufei. Only after I was six did I move to the side hall. When I was ten, I moved to my own palace."

Qu Qing Ju looked at the date under the characters, the seventeenth year of Qing De. At that time, He Heng would have only been five years old. She took her gaze back and smiled: "Wang ye's talents are above others."

"From such a set of characters, Qing Ju can see talent above others, it's your ken that are above others," He Heng smiled and sat down on the bed, "Come rest for a while on the bed. It will be very late tonight before we can return back to our fu."

Qu Qing Ju, under the service of servants, took down the hair ornaments and the decorated outer robe. After everyone had left the room, she crisply sat down on the bed. She stared at him and said: "If my ken aren't good, I wouldn't have fallen for wang ye."

To this kind of response, he couldn't help but laugh. He Heng had to admit he liked hearing this. In the end he could only press the person onto the bed, "You married me because fuhuang decreed married, how was it you fell for me?"

Qu Qing Ju wrapped the blanket around her and muttered: "Fell later, then."

He Heng looked at the person who had buried her head into the blankets. The corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up, his eyes unconsciously becoming softer.

The nap that Jing guifei took at noon wasn't long. It wasn't a bit more than an hour when she woke. She stood from the bed and looked at Wei Ran Shuang who stood to one side, allowing the palace maids to put on the clothing and adornments needed for the evening banquet.

Seeing Wei Ran Shuang come forward to help style her hair, Jing guifei stopped her. Looking at herself in the mirror and the lingering traces of beauty, Jing guifei asked in a cool tone: "Ran Shuang, do you know why ben gong let you enter the palace?"

Wei Ran Shuang had never interacted with Jing guifei for a long length of time so when she heard Jing guifei ask this, she became nervous. She answered with a bit of embarrassment: "Niece doesn't know."

Picking out a peach blossom hairpin made from rubies out of boxes of ornaments, Jing guifei said with a calm expression: "I suppose that before you entered the palace, your mother had already said a lot to you. But some things ben gong has to say clearly to you. Duan Wang is an adult. Ben gong cannot make his decisions for him, and doesn't want to force him into accepting any decisions. Lay rest to your wishes now."