Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 276: She Also Discovered Something Even More Interesting

Chapter 276: Chapter 276: She Also Discovered Something Even More Interesting

Qi Yu and Song Yuerou arrived at the Liu Family residence at the same time. After dismounting from their carriages, they greeted each other and, following the lead of the maid, slowly made their way inside.

Since it was Madam Liu’s birthday banquet and only ladies were invited, the venue was in a garden in the Liu Family’s backyard, where spring was radiant and the scenery delightful.

Qi Yu glanced around and recognized many familiar faces, whom she had often seen in the harem, including those invited to the Empress’s birthday feast last time—all were ladies from prominent families.

And there were the wives of high-ranking officials, clustering warmly around Madam Liu, engaging her in conversation.

After listening for a while, Qi Yu found their words to be mostly meaningless compliments, in a word, nonsense.

She simply joined Song Yuerou to one side; the two sipped tea, ate pastries, and engaged in idle chatter.

This was Song Yuerou’s first time attending the Liu Family’s banquet. She glanced at the smiling Madam Liu and at Liu Sisi, who kept looking over in their direction. In a lowered voice, she said, "This year is strange indeed. The Liu Family, they never used to send invitations to the General Residence."

Qi Yu nodded slightly, as what she had heard from Chunlan was more or less the same idea.

With a slight smile, she said, "No smoke without fire."

Song Yuerou didn’t understand what Qi Yu’s cryptic message meant, but she was always adept at reading situations.

After scanning the garden, she noticed the looks directed at Qi Yu were all amiss, whether mocking or taking pleasure in her misfortune; she already had a measure of the situation in her mind.

It seemed that today’s banquet was turning out to be a setup.

Qi Yu, however, wasn’t much bothered by those stares. At every banquet like this, people would wait to see her put on a ’good show.’

Unfortunately, they had never managed to see that show.

As they were talking, Qi Yu’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of Song Yuting; her expression paused, and she signaled to Song Yuerou with her eyes, whispering, "What is she doing here?"

Song Yuerou turned her head and saw Song Yuting striding over confidently, followed by Axi, who was drooping her head like a quail. Her beautiful eyes narrowed "Last night, when I went back, I heard from grandfather that she had been grounded."

Qi Yu nodded and added, "I even asked for two nannies from the palace to teach her manners."

Song Yuerou bent her lips slightly, knowing from what she had learned from Song Feng that those two nannies had been particularly harsh on Song Yuting, ready to scold or beat her for any slight mistake. Knowing how severe they were, she knew whose hand was behind it.

She then had Axi brought over to recount everything that had happened during this period.

Axi was originally reluctant to speak, but once the name of the Princess of Qi was mentioned, she shook like she had seen a ghost, trembling for a while, and stammered out the whole story.

After listening to Axi’s account, which matched what Song Ting had said, Song Yuerou had a clear understanding.

As the eldest sister, she had always been both stern and gentle with Song Ting, but towards Song Yuting, she was merely indifferent.

It wasn’t that she played favorites, it was that Song Yuting’s bad habits were hard to break, and reprimands wouldn’t be appreciated; on the contrary, she would resent you for interfering too much.

When they were younger, Song Yuerou had seen Song Yuting treating the servants rudely and had told her off, "Everyone is raised by their parents; if there is a mistake, correct it. If it’s really not working out, you can send them away; why hit or scold them?"

Song Yuting, hands on her hips and with a defiant face, rebutted, "As a daughter of the General Residence, am I not entitled to correct a few servants? I am the mistress; they are the slaves. Even if I kill them by mistake, the fault doesn’t lie with me!"

From that point on, Song Yuerou knew that Song Yuting was the kind of person who didn’t reason; no matter what you said, she wouldn’t understand it.

When she got married, her greatest worry was for Song Ting, fearing he would be bullied by Song Yuting back at the residence.

Although Song Ting had been trained in martial arts since he was young, and probably could handle Song Yuting, once you start using your hands, you are at fault in the eyes of others.

Song Yuting had a way of twisting the truth. With her crying and fussing, Song Ting could have ten mouths and still couldn’t clear his name.

Left with no other choice, she could only ask her grandfather to take Song Ting with him to the border post when he went.

The border post was a harsh place, but it was still better than staying in the residence where one could be bullied by others.

Although there was Prince Qi in the capital city to rely on, it wasn’t appropriate to blatantly send Song Ting to the General Residence. What kind of arrangement was that?

Moreover, Prince Qi had reached the age for marriage, and even as his cousin, she needed to keep her distance.

Before her marriage, Song Yuerou pondered for several days before coming up with such a plan.

And in the future, it was inevitable that Song Ting would take over Song Feng’s mantle, so getting accustomed to the border post earlier was not a bad thing.

It turned out her idea was correct.

After a year of experiencing life at the border post, Song Ting had become tanned, but he had begun to show some of his grandfather’s mannerisms, and from time to time, his face expressed a firm determination, showing he had not grown crooked.

During his return to the capital, she subtly enquired several times, and Song Ting showed no aversion to staying at the border post.

Still, he was just a child at heart; at that moment, Song Ting looked at her eagerly, his voice somewhat muffled as he said, "It would be great if cousin and cousin-in-law could go too."

Song Yuerou chuckled for a while before sending him off to sleep.

While Song Yuerou was lost in thought, Madam Liu and Liu Sisi, seated in the main seat, both glanced at Qi Yu with venom flashing in their eyes.

Liu Sisi clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh, and thought to herself that she must make that wretched woman pay today!

Seeing her expression grow fierce, Madam Liu quickly coughed to remind her, "Is everything ready?"

Liu Sisi’s expression softened as she nodded and said, "It’s all set."

Their plan was not very complex, but not too simple either.

In short, they wanted to slip something into Qi Yu’s drink and then, when she was off guard, throw her into the rockery in the back courtyard.

And in the rockery, someone had been waiting for a long time.

Thinking of that scene, the corners of Liu Sisi’s lips slightly lifted, and a sharp gleam flashed through her eyes.

She was unable to take any action in the Imperial Palace before, but now, on her home turf, how could she not best Qi Yu, a newcomer?

Madam Liu gave Xiang Lan, who was beside her, a meaningful look and saw her nod slightly. Then she turned to the guests below and smiled, "Having you all here today brings great honor to the Marquis Residence. Let me drink first as a gesture of respect."

With that, she raised her glass and drank the fruit wine in one go.

The people below echoed her and raised their glasses, drinking all the wine in their cups.

Madam Liu and Liu Sisi, with smiles on their faces, watched the scene, yet their gazes were constantly fixed on Qi Yu. Seeing her drink the wine, they finally relaxed.

Liu Murou, seated on the right side of Madam Liu, also smiled faintly.

She was not as foolish as Liu Sisi, who had come up with such an obvious scheme. Did they really think that Prince Qi’s wife was easy to fool?

She had clearly seen that when the cup had been brought to Prince Qi’s wife, she had quietly poured it aside while Madam Liu was raising her glass.

What she drank was not the drugged wine prepared by the Liu mother and daughter but the cup of tea that had been in front of her all along.

However, Liu Murou’s lips curled into a smile, a cunning glint in her eye, and she had discovered something even more interesting.