"Throw away all those cheap perfumes and beauty creams you have on you," Qiao Mu said, pouting slightly. "They smell awful; it's a wonder you can stand wearing them all day."
Madam Bu Er turned her head pitifully and glanced at Qiao Mu. "Can I get a discount, Crown Princess? Your eighteen thousand is too expensive!"
Master Qiao Qiao rolled her eyes. "Good products don't get discounts!"
"Pfft." The two maids beside them couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
Madam Bu Er suddenly felt that statement sounded very familiar—wasn't that what she often said?
Truly, what goes around comes around, boohoohoo...
At the same time.
The Mu family一行, anxiously waiting outside the palace, stood by their carriage, occasionally looking up towards the palace gate.
After the vermilion side gate opened inward, a small eunuch with delicate features quickly walked out.
"Little Eunuch, may I ask if there's any reply from the Eastern Palace?" Mu Qingya quickly stepped forward and asked.
The little eunuch nodded faintly at her. "Please return, Madam. The one in the Eastern Palace is very busy today."
Mu Qingya froze, then quickly grabbed the little eunuch's sleeve. "Little Eunuch, could you please convey a message for me again? Tell the Crown Princess that there's an important family matter, and I wish to see her."
As she spoke, she slipped a bulging pouch into the eunuch's hand.
The little eunuch weighed the pouch of spirit coins in his hand, feeling a bit more satisfied, and the expression on his face softened considerably. "It's not that I won't convey your message, Madam, but you should also be aware of her temper. She's a person of her word."
The little eunuch secretly pointed towards the Eastern Palace and whispered, "Seeing that it's not easy for you, Madam, I'll give you a hint. Those two just returned this morning. People from the Rainbow Garment Atelier came once in the morning and once in the afternoon; they must be busy with the wedding dress tailoring."
"Madam, it's best if you come back tomorrow at noon. His Royal Highness will return to the palace for lunch then, and if nothing's wrong and she's in a good mood, she might see you."
Mu Qingya sighed, thinking the little eunuch's words were practical. She nodded, thanked him repeatedly, then boarded her carriage and headed back to the estate.
Granny Qiu and Cong Lu respectfully accompanied her in the carriage. Seeing the Madam's slightly fatigued expression, Cong Lu couldn't help but say, "Madam, the Crown Princess completely disregards the Mu family."
Mu Qingya merely glanced at her. "She is the Crown Princess, the wife of the Divine Continent's heir. While the Mu family is a great noble family, with her status, she can choose to regard us or not; that's naturally her prerogative."
Cong Lu sensed the helplessness in the Madam's words and felt even more indignant. "But she's still a daughter of the Mu family. How can she be so ignorant of human relations and customs?"
"Madam, you are, after all, the First Branch's Madam of the Mu family. How can she treat you so coldly?" All her words implied that her Madam's temper was too good; otherwise, how could that little poker face be so arrogant?
Granny Qiu glared at her. "What nonsense are you spouting? Are you trying to instigate the Madam to fight with the Crown Princess? That's enough, let the Madam rest well."
From the sudden return of the Eldest Young Lady yesterday, causing a commotion, to waiting all afternoon today for the little Crown Princess's summons, the Madam had been tirelessly busy like a spinning top for these two days, truly suffering and exhausted, getting no rest at all.
Mu Qingya was indeed very tired.