Yi Qing sneered disdainfully inside the carriage upon hearing those words. Even if this woman had no ulterior motives, she was still a problem in herself. Did she really think others were idiots?
Lady Di glanced at the lowered carriage curtain. "You go ahead. Qing'er can't sleep well in the carriage. I need to watch over her." After saying that, she got into the carriage.
She would be kind to Bai Yutang, but Yi Qing was her own daughter. Naturally, she had to look after her first.
Yi Qing felt somewhat relieved upon hearing her mother's words. It was worth changing her address.
Bai Yutang didn't stay any longer this time and went straight to the carriage in front.
When Lady Di got into the carriage, she saw Yi Qing reclining against the cushion. "This way your clothes will get wrinkled."
"How else can I sleep?" Yi Qing looked troubled.
"Go to sleep then, go to sleep." Lady Di didn't know what else to say.
Yi Qing didn't know what to say to Lady Di either, so she simply pretended to sleep. Who would have thought that the swaying of the carriage was so comfortable that she actually fell asleep.
Lady Di just quietly watched Yi Qing, finding her more and more endearing. This was the first time she had watched her daughter so closely and quietly.
Thinking of this, Lady Di's hatred for Yi Changxing and Lady Wen deepened. They had forcefully taken away so many years of their mother - daughter bond and made her treat her own daughter so badly.
Her attitude towards Yi Qing was influenced by Yi Changxing. Even if Yi Qing wasn't her daughter but Yi Changxing's, how could he be so heartless and treat his own daughter so harshly?
The Princess Dowager's mansion was in the west of the city, a grand estate with connected gardens and courtyards.
Since the Princess Dowager was known for her eccentric behavior and keeping male lovers, she rarely interacted with other noble ladies on normal days. No one knew why she was hosting such a grand banquet this time.
Yi Qing woke up in a daze. They had already arrived. When Lady Di helped her tidy up her clothes, her hand brushed against Yi Qing's chin. Yi Qing subconsciously dodged, which made Lady Di a bit embarrassed.
"My chin is itchy," Yi Qing said as she scratched it twice.
Only then did Lady Di smile. "I'll have someone send some mosquito - repellent cream later. It's hot and there are a lot of mosquitoes."
Who could make better mosquito - repellent cream or toilet water than she could? She was just making up an excuse.
When they got off the carriage, Bai Yutang was already waiting below. She was wearing a white cross - collared ruqun today, looking like a pure and innocent flower, with a bit of playfulness and great vitality.
Older people liked such well - behaved and lively girls, and men liked those who seemed weak yet a bit playful. She was simply irresistible.
"Auntie," Bai Yutang said sweetly with a smile.
Lady Di immediately remembered today's important task. Then she looked at Yi Qing. "You should also pay attention later. Let's pick a good match for Yutang together."
Yi Qing nodded and suddenly laughed.
Bai Yutang thought Yi Qing's laughter was rather strange. She turned her head and looked around, but there was nothing funny.
They entered through the garden gate. There were already quite a few people in the garden. Those who were on good terms sat together chatting.
During the years when Lady Di was married to Yi Changxing, although she had interactions with the noble ladies in the capital, their relationships gradually faded. After the divorce, she completely cut off contact with others. The reason she attended this banquet was mainly due to the prestige of the Duke Di's Mansion. This was also one of the reasons why she immediately agreed when the Princess Dowager said she wanted to hold it.
"Mother will introduce you to some people..." Lady Di pulled Yi Qing.
"I'm a bit tired. I want to go and rest for a while," Yi Qing said, feeling lazy at the sight of so many people.
"Then go ahead," Lady Di said indulgently. "Remember to pay your respects when the Princess Dowager arrives."
"Okay," Yi Qing said and walked towards a pavilion on one side.
Lady Di took Bai Yutang to meet the noble ladies. Although everyone knew that Lady Di had lived a rather submissive life, the Duke Di's Mansion was of high status and power, so they were very polite to Lady Di.
"Isn't this a matchmaking banquet? Shouldn't there be men? Why are there only women?" Yi Qing thought she would see some young and handsome men, but there were hardly any young and beautiful girls either. Most of them were middle - aged women.
"Madam, you may not know. In matters of marriage, it is up to the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. In this kind of matchmaking banquet, generally a lady will take a fancy to a girl and then ask a matchmaker to inquire. If it's suitable, they can start discussing the matter," Sang Sang explained.
Yi Qing felt annoyed. After all this talk, it was still like buying a cat in a sack. What was there to see or learn from here?
"Do you know all these people here?" Yi Qing looked at the ladies.
Sang Sang shook her head.
It was even less interesting. Yi Qing was about to leave when a pebble rolled to her feet. She looked up and saw a man waving at her.
A handsome man!
Yi Qing's eyes lit up. Why did this handsome man seem a bit familiar?
"Gao Yu?" Yi Qing was surprised. She didn't expect to meet Gao Yu here. She walked over. "What are you doing here?"
Gao Yu looked a bit awkward. "Doctor Yi, you should be careful. I heard them discussing how to deal with you."
"Them?" Yi Qing was confused. "Who?"
"The Princess Dowager's two daughters and Yi Weiwei," Gao Yu said and then ran away.
Yi Qing stood there stunned. The Princess Dowager's two daughters?
She didn't know them at all.
But since it was related to Yi Weiwei, it should be something bad for her.
How did Yi Weiwei get in with the Princess Dowager's two daughters?
As for Yi Weiwei, in the past, her arrogance relied not on the Marquis Huaien but on the Duke Di. After Lady Di divorced the Marquis Huaien, Yi Weiwei lost her backing. As a mere daughter of a marquis's family with only an empty title, she was nothing special in the capital.
Moreover, Yi Weiwei had been spoiled and was extremely arrogant. She looked down on ordinary people. In the end, she even set her sights on Deng Xiao, but was rejected by him.
Later, she gave Gao Yu to the Princess Dowager and won the Princess Dowager's favor. Then she curried favor with the Princess Dowager's two daughters, and the three of them started causing trouble.
Yi Qing didn't expect that the medicine she had prescribed for Lady Di would be given to the Princess Dowager by Yi Weiwei. She was really good at resource integration.
Sang Sang became nervous. "Madam, what should we do?"
"What can we do?" Yi Qing thought no wonder her right eye had been twitching since morning. There really was no good news.
Just as she was thinking this, the Princess Dowager had already come over. Everyone gathered around the Princess Dowager. Yi Qing took Sang Sang and walked over.
The Princess Dowager was followed by her two daughters, both looking as beautiful as flowers. The smiles of the noble ladies below looked a bit awkward. No one knew whose children the Princess Dowager's two daughters were, but they were born to the Princess Dowager.
When the Princess Dowager was studying, she took a fancy to a teacher in the imperial academy. The teacher had to resign from his position in the academy because of her pursuit.
Later, the Princess Dowager took a fancy to a number one scholar. The previous emperor arranged the marriage with a single word. But not long after the marriage, the Princess Dowager got bored and started having affairs, even bringing her lovers to the mansion.
The princess's husband was so angry that he spat out blood. Finally, he knelt in front of the Zhonghe Hall for a long time, and the previous emperor allowed him to be transferred to a distant place. He never came back after that.
Since then, the Princess Dowager has become even more outrageous. She kept male lovers in the princess's mansion, claiming that there were as many handsome men as clouds in the mansion.
"I heard that General Xiao's wife is also here," the Princess Dowager didn't even bother with an opening speech and directly asked about Yi Qing.