I thought the holidays would be more relaxed, not busier than normal,” Qu Qing Ju held a thick stack of gift lists from each fu. She rubbed at her forehead and put the lists to one side, “After we finish with these, this year’s festivities will pretty much be over.”
“Celebrating the New Year is to indulge in the celebration so naturally there will be more gifts.” Mu Jin kneaded at her shoulders as she persuaded, “It has been tiring these past days going to the other wang fu. After you go to Xiang Qing Hou Fu tomorrow, it would be relaxing.”
Qu Qing Ju was very satisfied with Mu Jing’s skill. At this time, her eyes were at half-mast, “It’s not that simple. Tomorrow, at Xiang Qing Hou Fu, it wouldn’t just be me. Womenfolk from the other fu will also be there. It will still be busy.”
At year’s end, the tradition of visiting each other still hasn’t changed much in this place. Qu Qing Ju was sick of hearing plays, nauseous when she saw meat. Thankfully, due to her high status, she didn’t have to run around.
“Wang fei,” Yu Zan walked in. She saw Qu Qing Ju’s relaxed state and informed: “wang fei, Bao Rong Hou Fu sent you an invitation.”
“Bao Rong Hou Fu?” Qu Qing Ju remembered that this Marchioness of Bao Rong was at odds with Liang shi and was one of He Yuan’s so she waved her hands, “Put it down. Send somebody with a reply that I don’t have the time.” The type of house that was Bao Rong Hou Fu, they were shameless enough to send her an invitation. Did they think that because she didn’t like Liang shi, she would give them the honor, such a joke.
Yu Zan put away the invitation. She gossiped: “Nubi heard, this year, they had picked many beautiful women to enter the place from all the places. It’s unknown if some will enter our fu.”
Qu Qing Ju moved her neck to relieve the soreness there before replying faintly: “It hasn’t happened yet. There’s no need to worry. But get Huang Yang to look inside the fu. If somebody starts something, tell me straightaway.”
Yu Zan heard that wang fei’s tone with calm and assumed that wang fei had a plan so she stopped. She reported: “These last days, there wasn’t anything, but a few days ago, Han shiqie and Feng shiqie argued for a bit in the garden.”
Qu Qing Ju smiled, “Don’t stop them. Let’s wait a few day.” Han Qing He was a good hand at moving with the current. When Feng Zi Jin was favoured, she followed Feng Zi Jin like she was her alpha. Now that she, as wang fei, had the power, she naturally had to show her side.
There wasn’t anything interesting in this type of person. Qu Qing Ju was too lazy to see her act and sighed: “Get somebody to go without to inventory the gifts from outside and put them into stores with Qian Chang Xin and the others.”
Hearing this, Yu Zan bowed and retreated.
Mu Jin said hesitantly: “Wang fei, Han shiqie’s personality shifts constantly. Nubi is worried that she will have ideas in the future.”
“It’s still nothing no matter how many ideas she has,” Qu Qing Ju laughed lightly, “She is the oldest woman at wang ye’s side. Wang ye doesn’t like her anymore. She naturally has to find somebody to rely on. I don’t need to always keep an eye on such a person.”
Mu Jin understood what wang fei had meant. No matter how this flea was strong, it was still a flea, it can’t become a tiger. Spending too much focus on a flea, that was throwing away a watermelon to get a sesame seed.
In the afternoon, He Heng returned from a banquet. After he drank half a cup of tea, he finally controlled his drunkenness. He ordered the servants to prepare a bath and when he saw a few yahuan follow in, he waved his hand: “Retreat, ben wang doesn’t need your service.”
The people inside the room all retreated. He took off his clothes and relaxed in the bathtub for a while before he started to wash. After he put on his inner robe he then called for servants. He ordered: “In the future, ben wang doesn’t need any servants for a bath.” Just now at the banquet, he had heard a joke. A certain nobleman had been touching a servant girl during his bath. Who knew that he had been caught by his powerful wife. During the resulting argument, his manhood had been wounded. The rumor was that it was crippled now.
This incident had caused the male guests that heard it to feel their lower half hurt. And He Heng didn’t have any more interest in letting servant girls serve him during his bath. At least, he didn’t have any interest in the short term. Reminiscing back to the endless pleasure of that “mandarin ducks” bath with Qu Qing Ju, He Heng felt that his throat was itchy.
After he was attired, He Heng adjusted the deep blue pouch at his waist: “To wang fei’s place.”
Ming He, who had been serving at the side, was used to it by now. He took up wang ye’s cape and followed. He mentioned for the young taijian at the back to follow as well. Qian Chang Xin was sorting the gifts for stores right now so he had to focus for the time being.
It wasn’t early in the day when He Heng returned. After a