Chapter 84: Longevity Gift?

  After seeing Qingjin and Gu Ningxuan take their seats, the old lady scanned the crowd in the room and said: "I called you all over because there's a big matter I want to discuss with you. The palace sent over an invitation, the Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching, and the Emperor will be hosting a birthday banquet for her. This time, our Anji Marquis Manor has also been invited to attend. Eldest sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, Jin'er and Yao'er, all of you must go..."

  "Grandma, is that true? Are my second sister and I also going to attend the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet?" Qingyao heard Grandma Shen's words and immediately asked with a delighted face.

  Shen Shi smiled and nodded: "It's true, you and Jin'er will both go. By the way, after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, she may summon you two separately. Yao'er, you and Jin'er should prepare another gift for the Empress Dowager." Shen Shi's latter words were mainly directed at Qingyao. If things went as expected, after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, the Emperor would announce their engagement, and then the Anji Hou Mansion could produce a crown prince and princess, what an honorable thing that would be.

  Qing Yao heard Shen's words, and without batting an eye, glanced at Qing Jin beside her. She nodded solemnly to Grandmother Shen: "Grandmother, rest assured, I will prepare seriously and definitely won't lose face for our Anji Marquis Manor."

  Shen heard Qingyao's words and nodded comfortingly: "Mmm, you must prepare with care, but don't be too deliberate, just do your best."

  "Yao'er knows." Qingyao nodded towards her grandmother, Shen Shi.

  Upon hearing Qing Yao's words, Shen Shi shifted her gaze to Qing Jin's body, "Jin'er, you must also prepare with care." However, her tone lacked the previous emphasis and reminders.

  "Yes, grandmother, Qingjin knows." Qingjin responded faintly to her grandmother Shen's words, after all, she was not the main character at that time, and at most, she was just a supporting role.

  "Alright then. You kids go back first! I'll have a word with your mother."

  "Qing Jin, Qing Yao, you may withdraw!" Upon hearing Madam Shen's words, Qing Jin and Qing Yao bowed to her and withdrew.

  Qing Jin and Qing Yao walked out of the Shen family's courtyard together, and Qing Yao asked Qing Jin as they walked: "Second sister, what grandmother just said about the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, we need to prepare gifts. Second sister, have you thought of what gift to give?"

  "Not yet, isn't it just a few more days? How is that. Fourth sister, have you thought about what preparations to make?" Qing Jin asked back to Gu Qing Yao.

  Upon hearing Qing Jin's words, Qing Yao immediately looked disappointed and disheartened, opening her mouth to say: "Yao'er hasn't thought of what to give yet either. Originally thought that Second Sister would have an idea, just in time for Yao'er to take a look, didn't think that Second Sister also hadn't thought of it, Second Sister, do you think the other noble ladies will give the Empress Dowager what kind of birthday gift?"

  "I don't know either. If Fourth Sister wants to know, it's not a bad idea to send someone over in two days to ask the sisters she gets along with outside." Qing Jin smiled and suggested to Gu Qing Yao.

  Looking at Qing Jin's evasive answer, Qing Yao didn't hear anything that satisfied her and pouted, speaking to Qing Jin: "Then second sister, can you ask for me? Is it okay? I think you have a good relationship with Yang sister, so can you ask if she'll prepare any gifts?" Her eyes stared straight at Qing Jin.

  Qing Jin heard Qing Yao's words with a spoiled tone, but her smile remained unchanged. She said, "If possible, I'd like to ask, but I've only met Yang Niang twice, so we can't be considered close friends. Even if I asked, she might not tell me, and it would also damage the reputation of our An Ji Hou Fu. So, Fourth Sister, this task, I'm afraid I won't be able to help with."

  Upon hearing Qing Jin say this, the smile on Qing Yao's face immediately faded a bit.

  Qing Jin saw Qing Yao's faint smile and continued to speak slowly: "The Empress Dowager is of noble status, what precious things hasn't she seen? Fourth sister just needs to do her best." Qing Jin reminded Qing Yao in a light tone, but of course, she wasn't being kind-hearted. This matter might be something Qing Yao can't think of for now, but after thinking about it for two days, she would definitely come up with it too.

  It was just because it came suddenly that she didn't think of it at the first time, but now she reminded her, which can avoid Gu Qingyao from taking many detours. It's like buying a good deed for Gu Qingyao. After all, after Gu Qingyao becomes the legitimate wife of the prince, the Anji Houfu will rely on Gu Qingyao, and her brother will also receive Gu Qingyao's favor when he inherits the title in the future.

  Upon hearing Qing Jin's obvious reminder, a glimmer of light flashed in Qing Yao's eyes. "Thank you, Second Sister, for reminding me! Have you already thought of what gift to give to the Empress Dowager?"

  "Not yet."

  "Second sister, if you've prepared a gift, be sure to tell Yaoke."

  "When I have made up my mind, I will definitely let Fourth Sister know." Qing Jin said faintly to Qing Yao.

  "Thank you, Second Sister," said Qing Yao with a smile to Qing Yan.

  Qing Jin nodded at Qing Yao, and the two sisters bid each other farewell before parting ways at the entrance of Chao Xia Yuan, heading in the direction of their respective courtyards.

  After Qingjin took the swan and left the Chaoxia courtyard far away, the swan finally couldn't help but speak: "Miss, Fourth Miss is too much, although Fourth Miss may be appointed as the crown prince's wife, it's too much. Miss is the legitimate daughter of the Anji Hou Mansion, if not for Miss having arranged a marriage with her cousin earlier, would the position of the crown prince's consort have been available to her? She actually dared to openly order Miss around like that."

  "It was Third Uncle who had a favor to repay the Emperor and saved two princes, it was also Third Uncle's credit that Fourth Sister could be betrothed. Once Fourth Sister becomes the Crown Prince's consort, our Anji Marquis Manor will have to rely on Fourth Sister for support. Besides, Fourth Sister just mentioned it casually, I refused afterwards, but Fourth Sister didn't say anything else!" Qing Jin said soothingly to Yuanyang.

  "The young lady is right, but Yuanyang is worried about the young lady's troubles. Although just now the young lady refused the fourth young lady, the fourth young lady didn't show any obvious expression on her face, but who knows what she thinks in her heart? And also, young lady, if you think that the fourth young lady will make some excessive demands again, I always feel that this kind of thing will definitely happen again."

  "Haha, when did you also learn to worry about nothing, girl? I'm not some kind of big shot, and even if something happens in the future, there's still Grandmother and Third Uncle and Third Aunt ahead of me. Who needs me, a mere elder cousin from the main branch of the family? Besides, even if Fourth Sister has something for me to do in the future, as her sister from the same clan and family, I'll help out if I can. After all, if Fourth Sister really becomes the Crown Prince's consort, our entire Anji Marquis Manor will be relying on her. Who knows how many people would beg for the chance to do things for the Crown Prince's consort?" Qing Jin said with a playful smile.

  "It's like this, I'm unhappy for Miss, it's not that I'm petty-minded. Let me take the jewelry Old Madam gave to Miss and Fourth Miss last time as an example. Although the two sets of jewelry look similar, the blue jade jewelry is better than the red gold one. What I care about is the meaning behind it. Old Madam obviously favors Fourth Miss a bit more than Miss. In the past, she wouldn't have done this, and in the past, she loved Miss the most. It's all because Fourth Miss might become the future imperial princess, so now everything good is reserved for Fourth Miss. Even Fourth Miss has started to order Miss around as if it's only natural." Yuanyang poured out her grievances all at once.

  "You, this little girl, you also know that Fourth Sister is going to be the crown prince's consort, and our Anji Houfu will become even more honorable in the future because of Qingyao. Grandmother is being strict with Qingyao for a reason, and it's true that Grandmother was good to me from childhood to adulthood, always giving me a share of the good things she had. Although Qingyao has been accompanying Third Uncle and Third Aunt outside all these years, without the advantage of growing up by Grandmother's side like I did, Qingyao is also Grandmother's own granddaughter and will be our Anji Houfu's reliance in the future. So it's only right that Grandmother does this. Besides, those gold and silver accessories, Grandmother has given me many precious ones before, do you see me wearing them every day? Since these things aren't important to us, I wasn't upset when I didn't have them before, so why now, suddenly someone comes out and snatches them away, and you can't bear it?"

  Upon hearing Qingyao's words, Yuanyang came back to her senses, feeling a bit ashamed. When encountering such things, she should be the one comforting her mistress, but instead, her mistress had come over to comfort her. Reflecting on herself, as her mistress's personal maid, she had lost control of her emotions before her mistress and said those words that stirred up her mistress's feelings. This personal maid was really a bit unqualified, so she spoke to Qingyao: "Mistress, I..."

  "Alright, don't be apologetic. You're thinking of me and feeling indignant on my behalf, but it's enough that you've vented your discontent to me. Don't ever show this to outsiders, or they'll think you're jealous!"

  "Yuan Yang isn't jealous, miss. Don't take Yuan Yang's words to heart earlier. I was just confused. Even if Fourth Miss is betrothed to the prince, what's the big deal? In my heart, Master Shao is no worse than the prince except for his status. And didn't you say that day, Master Shao will only marry one wife, which is you? But Fourth Miss marrying the prince, who knows how many concubines and consorts she'll have to tolerate?"

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin nodded and said, "You know that's good..." But in her heart, she didn't think so. She thought about her past life when the Sixth Prince only had one official wife, Qingyao. Some things were truly enviable. However, it was fortunate that this lifetime, she wouldn't be foolish again or willingly become someone's concubine. Thinking of what her older cousin said to her, although he still didn't approve of her marrying well, this was her own choice, and that was good enough.

  Because she knew that this time she was just an accompaniment, Qing Jin didn't bother to think about what gift to prepare. As the day of Empress Dowager's birthday approached, Qing Yao came to Qing Jin's courtyard and said: "Second sister, Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching, has second sister prepared a gift for Empress Dowager's birthday?"