Chapter 51 Concubine Des Birthday Party
The most important thing was that Long Tianhao disappeared in the past few days. No one could help her handle some things.
"Master. Concubine De asked you to come to the Art Courtyard."
Baizhi was not around Lin Mengya these days. So Baiji took over her job and kept her informed of the progress made.
In the past few days, Aunt Jinyue had given her advice and taught her in person. Finally, Baiji looked like a maid in royal families and became more polite and could behave properly. Now, no one could make fun of her gesture and behavior.
"OK. The Jinxiu Workshop has already sent us the birthday clothes with Magic Lotus on it. Take it and follow me. Concubine De can try it on."
"Yes."
The work in the past few days had made Lin Mengya mentally and physically exhausted.
Long Tianhao disappeared and Concubine De claimed that she was sick and stayed in her room. She must manage all the affairs in this big mansion by herself.
Fortunately, she had a girlfriend who worked as a corporate executive. She always talked about resource integration and manpower planning.
As a result, Lin Mengya knew some knowledge and skills for enterprise management, otherwise, she might have already collapsed.
The hustle and bustle outside did not affect the Art Courtyard at all.
The servant girls and women assigned to this place were still doing their jobs.
Lin Mengya found that this was the only quiet place in Prince Yu’s Mansion now.
"Pay respect to Concubine De. Are you feeling better these days?"
Concubine De sat in the inner room and she looked greater than before.
"Come to me. I know that you’ve worked hard to prepare for my birthday party these days." Concubine De said with a smile on her face.
"I’m not tired. You’re healthy and happy now and this is the blessing for all of us."
Lin Mengya watched her carefully. Concubine De was impatient several days ago, but she was kind and loving to her today.
Illness would afflict the spirit of the human being, but few patients would change so considerably.
"You’re really a honey-lipped girl. By the way, I ask you to come over here because I want to know if you’ve decided the guest list."
Lin Mengya asked Baiji to hand it in. Without the help of Aunt Jinyue, she couldn’t have completed it.
"I’ve finished it. I know that you don’t want to be extravagant, so I only invite some family members, including the great uncle, second uncle, aunts, and their children. As for other guests, I’m young and can’t decide. Mother, please give me some advice."
Concubine De looked at the list and was quite satisfied.
"You’re young but considerate. You’ve done a great job and I have nothing worry about. Follow me and help me to try on the dress."
Concubine De turned and went into the inner room. Lin Mengya immediately realized that she had something private to tell her.
So she held the dress with both hands and followed Concubine De to the inner room.
"I’ve heard that you accepted a statuette of Songzi Guanyin, is that so?"
Lin Mengya nodded. Concubine De might have already known everything about the statuette.
Concubine De sighed and looked at Lin Mengya with disappointment.
"I’ve told you before. We can’t confront the Empress if we’re not absolutely sure that we can win. What have you done? You’ve brought big trouble for us!"
Lin Mengya raised her eyebrows and wondered why Concubine De started to complain about her today.
But it was hard to deal with problems between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. There was no use explaining to her. So Lin Mengya just admitted that she had done wrong.
"I made a mistake. Mother, don’t worry about it. I’ll think of a way to solve this problem."
"You’d better do what you say. If you get Yu’er into trouble, I’ll not spare you."
Concubine De said coldly. She was completely different from before.
Lin Mengya left this room obediently. She still pretended to be gentle and humble.
"Prince, what happened?"
She went back to her courtyard and only Baiji, who had followed her all the way, noticed that Lin Mengya was worried.
"Nothing. I’m just tired. By the way, please ask Baizhi to come over. I have something to ask her."
Concubine De was weird. Maybe members of the imperial family tended to turn against others without warning. But Concubine De was always chopping and changing, which was strange.
Baizhi told Lin Mengya that Concubine De’s diet was as usual and there was nothing wrong with her food and drink. Did she worry too much?
"The day after tomorrow is Concubine De’s birthday. Please gather your strength for this party. We can’t make any mistakes. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master."
Long Tianhao hurried back on the day of Concubine De’s birthday.
He claimed that he had gone out to collect gifts for Concubine De, but Lin Mengya didn’t believe him.
On the day of the birthday, Prince Yu’s Mansion was filled with friends and guests. Lin Mengya and all the servants became extremely busy.
As the wife of Prince Yu, Lin Mengya was wearing the bright red gold silk clothes with flowers on it. She looked gorgeous and charming.
There was a piece of peony-shaped jewelry in her hair, which made her look even more beautiful and charming.
Many young nobles suddenly regretted it.
If they had known that the silly daughter of the Marquis Zhennan was so beautiful, they would have tried their best to marry her.
It was said that she had more than forty boxes of dowry.
There was no use in discussing it. They started to admire Prince Yu’s fortune.
Why was he so lucky? Why could he marry this beautiful lady?
"Princess. Mrs. Lin and Miss Lin arrived."
The woman who welcomed visitors and saw them off gave Lin Mengya the visit card of the Lin family.
Lin Mengya gave a brittle laugh. The shameless mother and her daughter finally arrived.
"Let them in since they arrived. Follow the arrangement of the female guest to receive them. You don’t need to go back and report to me."
Lin Mengya threw the visit card aside without looking at it.
This old woman forced a smile. She had intended to please Lin Mengya, but now she realized that this daughter of the formal wife didn’t get along very well with her stepmother.
"You guys need to keep an eye on the guests and make sure that everything is under control. I need to ask the Prince to come over here."
Several capable women nodded and did their own jobs.
Lin Mengya took Baizhi and went to the Qinwu Courtyard of Long Tianhao.
But Lin Mengya heard a sweet voice before coming to the door, which made her surprised.
"Cousin Prince Yu, you haven’t come to see me for a long time. I miss you so much!"
Cousin? Lin Mengya stopped immediately. She hoped that this girl was not like Lin Daiyu in The story of the Stone.
If they were playmates in childhood and fell in love with each other, she would become a detestable third party.
"Ruqin, you shouldn’t come to this place." Although she did not see his expression, Lin Mengya could notice impatience from the tone of Long Tianhao.
What? Maybe the Prince didn’t love this girl at all.
If it was an unrequited love, she’d better come forward to help the Prince off the hook.
After thinking for a while, Lin Mengya slowly walked into the Qinwu Courtyard.
"Princess, all the guests have arrived. It’s time for you to go to the front hall."
Lin Mengya smiled and said. She just ignored the woman who clung to Long Tianhao.
This was a bold move for this pretty and delicate girl. She must want to seduce the Prince.
"You must be my sister-in-law. You’re so beautiful. Nice to meet you, you can call me Ruqin."
Lin Mengya sneered in her heart, but she still pretended to be polite. It was obvious that Ruqin wanted to seduce the Prince, but she still kept on calling her sister-in-law. Sure enough, this girl didn’t show any respect to her.
"Ruqin, you’re too polite. This is my first time to see you. Well, the Prince is too forgetful. He has never mentioned this beautiful and gentle cousin to me. I even thought that you worshipped and loved the Prince when I came in."
Lin Mengya looked Ruqin standing in front of her generously. To be honest, this girl was beautiful and impressive. She looked a bit like Concubine De.
But they were different. This girl was not as dignified and graceful as Concubine De.
She was beautiful. But she didn’t seem to be smart.
"You’re kidding. I’ve always been close to my cousin since we were still kids. Are you jealous?"
Jiang Ruqin laughed behind her hands, but she looked down on Lin Mengya deep in her heart.
She looked Lin Mengya up and down and had to admit that she was beautiful and attractive. But her elder brother had told her that this was a cruel and sinister woman.
She couldn’t let this woman hurt her cousin.
"No, absolutely not. We’re a family and I’m not so mean. By the way, I have something to discuss with the Prince. Miss Ruqin, please leave and take your seat at the banquet."
Lin Mengya naturally took Long Tianhao’s arm and smiled softly at him.
Long Tianhao looked a little strained. But he was very patient and was different from before when he was talking to Ruqin.
"Ruqin, you can leave now. I have something to discuss with Ya’er."
Jiang Ruqin stamped her foot. She could do nothing but leave.
She walked out of the Qinwu Courtyard with her servant girls.
"It seems that the beautiful girl is difficult to deal with." Lin Mengya immediately let go of his arm and laughed cleverly.
Long Tianhao cast a glance at her but he seemed to be relieved.
"Ruqin is the daughter of my great uncle and the sister of Jiang Sheng. Since she was a child, she has always entered the imperial palace to chat with my mother and amuse her. Please don’t mind her offence."
Long Tianhao only treated Ruqin as his little sister.
The great uncle wanted to marry Ruqin to him, but he was unwilling to accept this.
"Well, I see. By the way, I have something to tell you."
Lin Mengya simply told him everything about the statuette and the imperial edict.
"Where’s the corpse of the old woman?" Long Tianhao frowned and clenched his fists. He didn’t expect that such things would happen over and over again in his mansion.
Those people were just courting death!
"I’ve already asked someone to preserve her corpse in an abandoned icehouse."
Lin Mengya stepped forward, gently put her fingers in the eyebrows of Long Tianhao and smoothed his wrinkled brow.
"I will remove all obstacles for you, so please don’t worry anymore."
They were very close to each other and he could even hear her breathing.