Er sao, I heard that the Duchess of Chang De fell sick in the past few days. She couldn’t even manage to attend today’s banquet. How is she now?” Qin Bai Lu looked at Qu Qing Ju who seemed to be always smiling with the corners of her eyes and suddenly asked, “The third young lady of the fu even seemed to have fallen ill due to caring for her mother?”
Qu Qing Ju’s eyebrows moved slightly, the mirth at the corner of her eyes not diminishing: “Really?”
“Er sao didn’t know?” Qin Bai Lu asked with a hint of shock, “It seems like I asked the wrong person.”
Putting down the teacup in her hand, Qu Qing Ju pushed the teacup to one side, “Dimei’s eyes and ears are as intelligent as expected. Er sao thanks you for your notice.” Finishing, she stood, “It seems that this snow has stopped already. Dimei is so hospitable that I shouldn’t leave but there is much to do at the fu so er sao will leave first.” Finishing, she didn’t care to see what expression Qin Bai Lu revealed and bowed slightly to Wei Qing E. She turned and left, supporting herself on Mu Jin’s hand.
Everybody present stopped in shock and quickly stood to bid farewell to find that Duan Wang Fei had already passed the door.
Qin Bai Lu hadn’t thought that Qu Qing Ju would just stand up and leave. She had been smiling just a second ago. Her expression had instantaneously changed. Her own face was frozen in irritation that somebody had insulted her and it took her a while to suppress the rage.
Wei Qing E smiled and stood. She also unhesitatingly bid her farewells. She clearly didn’t desire to remain at this place to give honor to Qin Bai Lu. Ning Wang might not be close to He Heng, but it was better than with He Yuan. Why would she side with Qin Bai Lu and offend Qu Qing Ju?
When the two wang fei left, half of the crowd of noblewomen continuously left, leaving behind only the members of the families that had sided with He Yuan.
“Wang fei, this Duan Wang Fei is too straightforward,” The yahuan that supported Wei Qing E exclaimed in a quiet voice, “Nubi saw that Rui Wang Fei’s expression even changed.”
“Change is good. She keeps doing her act of the talented woman, it’s so distasteful,” When Wei Qing E came out of the pavilion, she mocked, “This entire city, who doesn’t know that the second Duchess of Chang De[4] treated Duan Wang Fei badly. Qin Bai Lu was clearly accusing Qu Qing Ju of being unfilial. She was purposefully embarrassing Qu Qing Ju.”