Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 269 The Country Bumpkin

Seeing that her master was in a good mood, Jiang Wan immediately followed behind.

The group of five entered the private room.

The private room was designed to be very cozy. On the large dressing table was a large oval mirror. Although it was a bronze mirror, it was obviously of superior quality and reflected people very clearly. Except for the skin tone being a little yellow, everything else was clearly visible.

Gu Qingyue stared at the bronze mirror for a long time, while Cui Jiaojiao stared at Gu Qingyue with even more curiosity.

"Haven't you ever seen a mirror like this before?" Cui Jiaojiao asked curiously.

"Just out of curiosity. I was wondering how this was done?"

Gu Qingyue sat down next to Cui Jiaojiao and said nonchalantly.

She was genuinely curious about how the bronze mirror was made; was it really just polished?

"Heh, there are actually people who haven't even seen a bronze mirror before. Even people from the countryside have seen them!"

Suddenly, a sharp, mocking female voice came from outside the door, and the curtain was lifted the next moment.

A richly dressed young woman stood at the door. She had fair skin, large eyes, but a narrow, long face and thin lips, which made her look somewhat mean.

Wearing a necklace adorned with various gemstones, her hair styled in a snake bun, and adorned with a golden hairpin inlaid with colorful phoenixes, the dangling tassels almost blinded Gu Qingyue; she was radiant with pearls and jewels.

Two girls, around fourteen or fifteen years old, followed behind her. They were pretty and their eyes showed contempt and mockery as the girl spoke harshly, which amused Gu Qingyue.

"So what if I don't know? So what if I do know?"

Gu Qingyue said with amusement.

Although she didn't recognize the three women in front of her, she wasn't afraid of them.

Ahem, what's that saying again? We're all precious people, we should at least be reasonable, right?

If she's unreasonable, then she can be even more unreasonable.

"Oh, who do we have here? It's Miss Cui. And who is this gentleman beside you?"

The woman did not answer Gu Qingyue's question. Instead, she changed her tune and started talking to Cui Jiaojiao.

"Yes, this is Qingyue, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."

Cui Jiaojiao's round face showed a hint of displeasure as she looked at Gu Qingyue with a questioning gaze. Only after Gu Qingyue nodded slightly did she speak.

Isn't Zhao Lingyun just relying on the fact that her elder sister is the Third Prince's wife?

She's always making a fuss, bossing everyone around, as if she's afraid people won't know she has powerful connections.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lingyun's expression immediately changed, and a bright smile instantly appeared on her usually harsh face, making her even more irritating to others.

She sat down opposite Gu Qingyue as if they were old friends.

The two girls behind him followed in, their earlier disdain replaced by embarrassment and fear.

Alright, no need to say anything more, Gu Qingyue understands!

In ancient times, whether you had confidence when you went out depended entirely on how powerful your family was.

Even though her three older brothers only reached the fifth rank in officialdom, the weight of the Zhenguo Duke's family in the emperor's eyes could not be ignored, given that she came from the Zhenguo Duke's family.

Especially now, at this crucial moment in the struggle for the throne!

It was precisely the time when the major aristocratic families and powerful clans in the capital were choosing sides and eliminating dissidents.

In a sense, as the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, a mansion of the highest rank, she could be considered the most noble lady in the capital outside of the royal family!

Even if you come from the countryside and may not be able to read or write a single character.

But they will also become objects of courting and flattery.

Although there's a high chance they'll belittle you behind your back.

Seeing that the group had all sat down as if they were old friends, Cui Jiaojiao and Gu Qingyue exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Sister Gu, are you the legitimate daughter that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion found? You are truly as beautiful as a fairy. I heard my brother-in-law mention you the day before yesterday. I've always wanted to meet you. I'm really lucky today."

She forced a bright, familiar smile at the group of people, which sounded very fake.

"I've invited my girlfriends to Qinglian Mountain tomorrow to compose poems, enjoy the scenery, and have fun. Why don't you come along too, little sister? I'll introduce you to my girlfriends."

If Gu Qingyue hadn't just witnessed it with her own eyes, she would have thought the woman in front of her was warm-hearted and kind.

"Well... my mother isn't feeling well, you guys go have fun," Gu Qingyue said indifferently, clearly showing no interest.

"Oh, oh, that's alright. I'll introduce you to two younger sisters today."

He turned his head to the side and said, "This is Lin Qinwei, the second daughter of the Minister of Works, and this is Mu Wanqing, the youngest daughter of the Minister of Rites."

After the introduction, she said to Cui Jiaojiao in a coquettish tone, "Sister Cui, you really are something. You invited Sister Gu to go shopping by yourself without inviting everyone else."

Cui Jiaojiao pouted, "Qingyue and I met by chance."

After saying that, she stopped talking. The little girl's displeasure was written on her face. After all, she was young and naive.

Zhao Lingyun's expression froze upon seeing this.

Seeing that Gu Qingyue and Cui Jiaojiao were unwilling to speak to her, she stood up and said, "Then Sister Cui and Sister Gu can go ahead and explore. We won't disturb you any longer. We hope you two will come tomorrow."

After saying that, he forced a stiff smile and left quickly, completely unlike the arrogant person he had been when he lifted the curtain.

Once the three had walked away, Gu Qingyue and Cui Jiaojiao exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.

"Waiter, bring over all your latest headdresses and jewelry, let us choose."

Cui Jiaojiao, in a good mood, called out to the waiter waiting outside the door.

Gu Qingyue lowered her eyes. Originally, the petty squabbles and backstabbing between these young girls were not worth taking too seriously.

But the fact that Zhao Lingyun is with the daughters of the Minister of Works and the Minister of Rites is quite meaningful. Are they all supporting the Third Prince's faction?

She thought for a moment, then instantly released her mental energy and caught up with the three people.

As expected, the three of them had dark faces after leaving the private room.

"She's just a country bumpkin who's never even seen a bronze mirror. What's with all the arrogance? I'll find a chance to expose her hypocrisy. Humph!" Zhao Lingyun, clutching her handkerchief, slowly walked downstairs.

Mu Wanqing's eyes were full of contempt. "What are you pretending to be so noble for? If you weren't born into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, you wouldn't even be worthy of carrying my shoes. How dare you act so high and mighty?"

Lin Qinwei, who was following behind, frowned slightly and looked at the two people in front of her with displeasure, but did not say anything.

The sarcasm in her eyes flashed by, it was hard to tell whether it was directed at the person in front of her or at Gu Qingyue.

Gu Qingyue withdrew her spiritual power, snorted coldly, and turned her face back to smiling as she began selecting jewelry with Cui Jiaojiao.

Jiang Wan was a little uneasy at this moment. She had never served her mistress when she went out shopping before, and it was Sister Cui who carried the money bag all the way.

She was in a hurry this time and forgot to bring any money. What should she do if the girl needs to pay for the things she has chosen later?

After thinking for a moment, she immediately had an idea. She bent down and said a few words to Gu Qingyue, then left the private room and ran downstairs.