The two quickly agreed and sent one of Duan Huirou’s maids along with one of Duan Qingyin’s to go check together.
While they waited, Duan Qingyin helped Duan Huirou with her knot-tying. Duan Huirou was clumsy at it—undoing and retying the same bit over and over.
Seeing this, Duan Qingyin reached out and said, “Let me do it—you help me pick out the threads.”
Duan Huirou handed it to her. Watching her nimble fingers work, the thread seemed to fly like it had wings.
She thought of Yang Yiniang’s excellent needlework—Duan Qingyin clearly inherited that skill. Duan Huirou sighed, “I’m just not cut out for this—I have no patience.”
“Second Sister is great at her studies. Why would you need to do this kind of handiwork? Unlike me—I’m no good with books, so I use this to pass the time,” Duan Qingyin replied with a smile.
Duan Huirou looked at her. In the past, she had looked down on her, mocked her, and took every opportunity to provoke her. Because Yang Yiniang and her own mother didn’t get along, she also disliked Duan Qingyin and Duan Ning by association.
Looking back now, it all felt like a distant memory.
Ever since Duan Mingxi returned to the manor, she had been the one getting bullied—there was no time left to worry about Duan Qingyin and her brother.
Thinking of this, she felt a bit awkward.
She turned and took a small embroidered box from the hidden compartment of the couch. Opening it, she picked out a pearl hairpin with a ruby at its center the size of a thumbnail.
“This is for you,” Duan Huirou said, shoving it into Duan Qingyin’s hand.
“What is this?” Duan Qingyin opened her hand to see and quickly protested, “This is far too valuable—I can’t accept it, Second Sister.”
“What’s so valuable about it?” Duan Huirou started to say, then paused, remembering how their branch of the family no longer held the same status. She changed her tone, “Just take it—unless you think the gifts from her are so much better that mine don’t compare.”
They both knew who she referred to — Duan Mingxi.
Duan Qingyin laughed helplessly. “What are you saying? You’re both my older sisters. I’m already beyond grateful that you even think of me.”
Duan Huirou didn’t want to talk about Duan Mingxi, so she changed the subject. “I wonder where those two maids went.”
“They should be back soon.”
Elsewhere, Duan Mingxi was playing games with a few of her cousins. After several rounds of backgammon, they started playing leaf cards to pass the time.
Qiancao lifted the curtain slightly and peeked inside, then gave her young lady a discreet signal.
Duan Mingxi waited a bit longer before standing up casually. “You all keep playing. I’m going to change and will be right back.”
“Go ahead, big sister,” Duan Min said cheerfully. “We’ll keep playing. Just call for a maid to join us.”
Duan Rong nodded. “Let me call my maid over. She loves this game.”
The maid beside Duan Rong, Luyi, immediately said, “Then I won’t hold back.”
Everyone laughed and pulled Luyi to sit down. Mingxi smiled, “If you win, the credit’s yours. If you lose, I’ll take the blame.”
“Thank you, young lady. Then I won’t be shy.”
Still smiling, Mingxi stepped out, and Qiancao quickly followed.
Once in a side room, Mingxi asked, “What’s going on?”
“My lady, we just received word. Her Majesty the Empress has chosen Jiang Sujie to be a liangdi in the Eastern Palace,” Qiancao reported.
Mingxi raised her brows slightly. “So they really picked her?”
“Yes, just as you expected.” Qiancao grinned, clearly satisfied.
Mingxi let out a quiet laugh. She knew Jiang Sujie would take the bait.
Ever since the incident with Qiao Wan, Mingxi had known that their plan had only half-succeeded. The Empress wouldn’t give up that easily — she’d surely have more tricks up her sleeve.
And when it came to women, there were only a few ways they could be used.
Later, when she noticed Duchess Cao discreetly inquiring about Duan Huirou, Mingxi grew suspicious.
Even though she didn’t get along with Duan Huirou, outsiders still saw them as sisters — part of the same family.
If the Empress somehow managed to get Duan Huirou into the Eastern Palace, it would spell trouble — for herself, for Huirou, for the Marquis Household, and for Duan Wang’s household as well.
Everyone in the Marquis Household would support her, but Madam Jiang would definitely protect Duan Huirou. That would mean the Empress had succeeded in dividing the family.
Besides, Duan Huirou didn’t have much sense. If the Empress and the Crown Prince tricked her, who knew what foolish thing she might do?
Rather than guard against her every day, it was better to nip the problem in the bud.
So she thought of Jiang Sujie.
She had someone secretly deliver word to Jiang Sujie: the Empress was choosing a liangdi for the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess was already pregnant, so selecting another liangdi was logical.
Then she let it slip that the Empress had her eye on Duan Huirou. With Jiang Sujie’s temperament, there was no way she’d let Huirou one-up her again.
Especially considering Jiang Sujie had wanted to become a side consort in Duan Wang’s household, and Huirou hadn’t lifted a finger to help — a rift had already formed between them.
As expected, Jiang Sujie didn’t disappoint. She quickly connected with Duchess Cao and pushed Duan Huirou aside.
“What’s our next move, miss?” Qiancao asked.
Duan Mingxi replied calmly, “We can’t let Duan Huirou be misled again. Let her know the truth and see Jiang Sujie for who she really is.”
“That’s easy. I suspect Yao Ying by her side has already been bought off by Jiang Sujie. These past two days, she’s been sending messages nonstop.” Qiancao frowned. Disloyal servants were the worst.
“No matter. Just let Third Young Master know. He’ll handle it.” Mingxi didn’t seem concerned — without Yao Ying, Jiang Sujie wouldn’t have fallen for it so easily.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll take care of it.” Qiancao left to handle the task.
Mingxi didn’t return right away. She sighed quietly. She’d long disliked the Jiang family — it was just that there hadn’t been a good opportunity until now.
Even though she’d dug this trap for them, if the Jiang family hadn’t been greedy, none of this would’ve worked.
Now that things had reached this point, perhaps Madam Jiang, Duan Huirou, and the Jiang family could finally sever ties.
The Crown Prince trying to use Jiang Sujie to interfere in the Marquis Household again? What a joke. She’d cut off that claw completely.
As for Jiang Sujie — now that she was no longer useful, what did entering the Eastern Palace as a liangdi matter?
With a man like the Crown Prince, how much affection could he spare for someone of no value?
She’d like to see what kind of spectacle Jiang Sujie could make out of herself, now that she was so eager to be someone’s lesser wife.
After organizing her thoughts, Mingxi hadn’t yet returned to the main hall when Xiangxiang came running breathlessly toward her. “Young Lady, Second Madam asks if you have any century-old ginseng!”
Mingxi tried to recall. “Go ask Li Mama.”
Xiangxiang ran off. Li Mama grabbed the keys and headed to the storage room. As she walked, she said, “I remember there was one. I’ll have to look. If I can’t find it right away, there’s another one around sixty or seventy years old — we can use that first.”
They searched the storage room thoroughly. Not only was the hundred-year-old ginseng missing, but the other one wasn’t sixty or seventy years old either — it was just barely fifty. But there was no time to hesitate. They had to send it over.
Mingxi had returned to the Marquis residence after her rebirth, and her storage room hadn’t been reorganized since. Although Li Mama was elderly, her memory was still sharp.
If she said there was a century-old ginseng, then there was one.
But now, it was missing.
That meant someone had tampered with her storage room before this.
