Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C026

Because Jianjia had been bought off, naturally no one delivered a message to Mei Wuxia.

Therefore, the next day, when everyone gathered at the west corner gate, intending to leave the mansion by carriage, Mei Wuxia saw the transformed Wushuang, and her expression changed drastically on the spot.

The others who had arrived earlier were also somewhat stunned, especially Cao shi, who looked at Wushuang with a bit of disbelief. It was Aunt He, who had seen Mei Zong off, who said with a smile, "Oh my, where did this fairy come from? Is this our Third Miss?! It's been so many days, I almost didn't recognize her."

Aunt He was in her thirties and was exceptionally beautiful. Perhaps she had been particularly refreshed these past two days, as she looked quite spirited, with rosy skin and bright eyes.

On the other hand, Cao shi, who had argued with Mei Zong the night before last and had been sulking all day yesterday, not only looked listless but also had a poor complexion, relying entirely on her full set of headdresses and luxurious clothing to maintain appearances.

Mei Zong, being a man, naturally did not travel with the women; he would depart first. Perhaps men were ultimately more carefree, as he did not seem to notice the subtle undercurrents in the scene. He even remarked, seeing that Wushuang had changed her usual timid demeanor today and looked much more radiant than usual, "A daughter should dress like this. Learn more from your Second Sister; don't dress like a nun all day long."

Upon hearing these words, Mei Wuxia's eyes darkened, and a vein throbbed on Cao shi's forehead.

At this moment, a steward arrived, saying that everything was ready and requesting that the Marquis proceed. Mei Zong then took his leave.

"Don't keep Father waiting; let's get in the carriages quickly," Mei Chang said, breaking the silence.

Cao shi did not speak and was the first to board a carriage.

Mei Wuxia walked up to Wushuang, forcing a smile, "I didn't expect Third Sister to be so beautifully dressed today. Father is right; you should wear more brightly colored clothes. I used to advise you, but you never listened. Isn't it quite lovely like this?"

Mei Chang curled her lip to the side, while Mei E lowered her head and covered her nose with a handkerchief.

Wushuang smiled and said, "Eldest Sister, you're right. I was confused before. Master Qin dresses like that because Master Qin is a widow. I'm not a widow, so why should I imitate her?"

Her smile was like a hibiscus in full bloom, her eyes sparkling, a sight of magnificent beauty. Several maids and servants nearby were stunned, not expecting that the usually unremarkable Third Miss would be so beautiful with just a bit of dressing up.

In private, the servants of the Marquis's mansion had often ranked the young ladies according to their beauty, and generally, Third Miss was always at the bottom. To many servants who were not familiar with Wushuang, Third Miss was just like a second Master Qin, and they did not know why she dressed so maturely at such a young age.

Some of the older ones also wondered, the Eldest Master and Eldest Madam were not ugly either; the man was handsome and imposing, and the woman was delicate and beautiful. Especially the Eldest Madam, who, despite her merchant background, had a stunning beauty that caused quite a stir in the capital back then. They never expected that the two would have a daughter like this.

Only now did they realize that it was not that she was ugly, but that she did not reveal it.

Mei Wuxia was extremely perceptive and naturally did not miss the various expressions around her, even the sneer on Mei Chang's face. She had noticed them all. She wanted to appear calm and collected, but she was truly too surprised and shocked.

It was not until someone in the carriage called out to her, "Wuxia."

That she came back to her senses and said, "Mother is calling me. I was originally planning to ride in the same carriage as Third Sister, but now it seems that won't be possible."

Wushuang said, "Eldest Sister, you don't need to worry about me. I'll be with Second Sister and the others."

Mei Wuxia entered the first carriage, while Wushuang rode in the second carriage with Mei Chang and Mei E. As for the accompanying maids and grannies, they were all in the third carriage.

The three carriages slowly drove out, joining up with Mei Zong's group.

In addition to the female members of the family, Mei Zong also brought Mei Ying and Mei Xiong along on this trip.

This was also a time when various families socialized, and bringing two younger members along would allow them to see the world and get to know some of the younger generation from other families.

***

After Mei Wuxia got into the carriage, she called out, "Mother!"

"Don't panic!" Cao shi said, holding her hand. "You always tell me not to panic. This is nothing, not worth panicking over."

"But…"

Cao shi's complexion was not good either, but she had boarded the carriage earlier and had done her mental preparation earlier than Mei Wuxia.

"Which girl doesn't love beauty? It's not easy for Third Girl to have suppressed herself for so many years. I just don't know what her intentions are this time. Is it that she was hiding it deeply before, and now she's been blinded by her success and revealed her true colors, or is she being instigated by someone to do this on purpose?"

Mei Wuxia calmed herself, saying, "That dress she's wearing, I remember Fifth Miss had one. At the time, Fifth Miss chose the fabric, and Aunt Chen made it herself."

"Then how did it end up in Third Girl's hands? When did those two become so close? And Jianjia? Didn't she send you a message?"

Mei Wuxia bit her lip, shaking her head. "Jianjia is always loyal and thorough, unlike Bailu. If she didn't send a message, there must be a reason. I suspect that after that day, the two had further interactions."

Cao shi said, "I did hear that the other day, that wretched girl Mei Chang and Fifth Miss, taking the fabric your father gave them, went to Third Miss's place. Perhaps the dress was given then."

At the time, Cao shi, upon receiving the news, was only concerned with her anger and scolded Mei Zong thoroughly. She didn't bother to think about the intricacies. Now, thinking about it, it all fits.

"Then, according to you, Mother, this dress was given to Third Miss by Fifth Miss as a deliberate attempt to curry favor?"

"I don't think so. Fifth Girl has always been timid. It's likely Second Girl deliberately went against us, and thus incited Fifth Girl , and pulled Third Girl into the mess, wanting to muddy the waters. She and her mother have always been cunning." Cao shi, as expected of aunt He's mortal enemy, never forgot to bring up aunt He.

Mei Wuxia exhaled. "So, it's not that something changed with Third Sister, but rather that Mei Chang is causing trouble?"

Speaking of this, Mei Wuxia also became somewhat angry. "That aunt He never rests, constantly provoking and currying favor with Father. That aunt Zhao is truly useless."

This time, Cao shi was quite calm, saying, "Don't underestimate Third Girl. If you ask me, Great Aunt's things are probably still with her..."

Mei Wuxia interrupted her, "Mother, let's not talk about that now. The important thing is the marriage."

"How can we not talk about it? If this matter hadn't gone awry, why would I have set my sights on Second Girl?" If, at the beginning, Cao shi had sought this marriage for Mei Chang with the intention of dealing with He aunt, now it was truly for the money. Without the income from Great Aunt, the household simply couldn't function.

How much silver did such a large marquis's mansion spend every day and every month? The servants' monthly wages had been delayed for several months, and complaints were everywhere. Silver was in short supply everywhere. After selling several of her own pieces of jewelry, Cao shi went to Old Madam to cry poverty, and finally received two thousand taels from Old Madam, which temporarily eased the tension.

"Now that wretched girl Mei Chang has won over Fifth Girl and Third Girl, who knows what trouble they'll cause. Ultimately, the two matters are still related."

It was like solving one problem and then another immediately popped up!

Mei Wuxia said, "Regardless, the urgent matter is the marriage. Once the marriage is secured, it won't be too late to deal with them."

Cao shi sighed, "What you say is true."

The carriage traveled for about two quarters of an hour before arriving at the Marquis Xuanping's mansion.

Today, the Marquis Xuanping's mansion was exceptionally lively. The main gates were wide open, and several masters of the Chen family, along with their stewards and a group of servants, stood in formation before the gates. On the street in front of the gates, carriages and sedan chairs arrived from time to time. Several male guests of honor alighted from them. The masters exchanged greetings with the honored guests, while the female family members and carriages were led in through the side gate.

The carriage arrived at the second gate, where someone was there to arrange for them to disembark. After getting out of the carriage, they were led by servants further inside, and soon reached a ceremonial gate. At this time, it was probably when there were the most guests. Pan shi, the Marquis Xuanping's wife, stood before the ceremonial gate, smiling and exchanging greetings with the arriving ladies and madams, and had servants lead them inside.

The people from the Marquis Changyang's mansion waited at a distance for a while before it was their turn.

However, by this time, Pan shi was no longer there. It seemed she had gone inside to greet some madam. Zhou shi, the wife of the fourth branch, greeted everyone. Zhou shi exchanged a few pleasantries with Cao shi, and then had the maids lead everyone inside.

Although they were both marquis's mansions, marquis's mansions were not all the same. Ever since Mei Chang and Mei E could remember, their home had never seen such a lively scene. Looking at the Marquis Xuanping's mansion, with its carved beams and painted rafters, and its layered towers and pavilions, the Marquis Changyang's mansion was also large, with many buildings, but perhaps because it had not been renovated for a long time, it did not look as bright and new as the Marquis Xuanping's mansion.

No matter how bold Mei Chang usually was, in this kind of situation, with so many people, she only dared to hold Wushuang's hand, and walk inside with her head lowered, secretly warning herself not to look around, lest she lose face.

The hem of Wushuang's dress was grasped by Mei E. Although Wushuang also did not often go out, Mei Wuxia liked to take her along when she went out to socialize, so she was not so unfamiliar with the Marquis Xuanping's mansion.

As for Chen shi and Mei Wuxia, they naturally walked in front.

Outside, especially in this kind of setting, etiquette was particularly important, and the distinction between the legitimate and  illegitimate and the order of precedence were especially clear.

When they reached a hanging flower gate, Chen Yueyi arrived.

She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a beautiful and lively appearance. As soon as she saw Mei Wuxia, she went forward and took her hand, and the two began to chat. At this time, the elders and the younger generation should also separate. Cao shi was led to the east, while Wushuang, Mei Chang, and Mei E followed Mei Wuxia.

"Why did you bring so many people today? Are they also your sisters?"

Mei Wuxia revealed an expression as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. Chen Yueyi, born as a daughter of a marquis's family, was naturally perceptive. Seeing Mei Wuxia's expression, she knew what was going on.

"Could it be those few concubine-born daughters of your family, pestering to come out and see the world?" Chen Yueyi revealed a hint of sarcasm. Throughout history, the legitimate and the illegitimate were enemies. The Marquis Xuanping's mansion also had those tactless concubine-born children, who were born lowly, yet still hoped to climb high branches, coveting things that did not belong to them. Having suffered hardships herself, she naturally loathed such people.

Mei Wuxia smiled helplessly.

"You are just too good-natured…"

The two of them were originally standing to the side, speaking at a distance from Wushuang and the others. As they spoke, they walked towards them. Although Chen Yueyi lowered her voice, a few words still carried over on the wind.

Something about concubine-born daughters, pestering, and the like.

Mei Chang had a bad temper, and immediately her willow brows shot up. Wushuang tugged at her, and at this moment, Mei Wuxia and Chen Yueyi had already walked over.

Mei Wuxia, with a smile, introduced Chen Yueyi's identity to the three of them, "This is the legitimate second daughter of Marquis Xuanping, Sixth Miss Chen. Yueyi, these are my three younger sisters."

Chen Yueyi thought, Wuxia has a good nature, always suffering in silence and not holding grudges. She could take this opportunity to give these three a show of power, letting them recognize their place.

However, noble ladies acted with restraint, and the higher their status, the more restrained they were. Therefore, Chen Yueyi did not say anything vulgar, but rather, with a smile playing on her lips, she raised her chin and swept her gaze over the three of them one by one.

When her gaze landed on Wushuang, her heart skipped a beat, thinking what a beauty she was.

Chen Yueyi was not someone who had never seen the world. She had seen most of the noble ladies in the capital. There were not a few with outstanding appearances, but there was not a single one who had ever stunned her into temporary silence.

She saw that her skin was fair, her figure graceful, her features delicate, and her charm alluring. The most striking feature was her eyes.

What kind of eyes were those!

Her eyes were long and alluring, somewhat large almond-shaped eyes, yet the corners of her eyes were long and upturned. Her gaze was like water, shimmering and radiant, as if a smile would cause the lake's light and color to overflow.

When did the Mei family have such an outstanding young lady, yet she had never been shown to the public?

In fact, Mei Chang and Mei E were not bad looking either, one tall and bright, the other delicate and petite, but in Chen Yueyi's eyes, neither of them could compare to the one in the middle.

At this moment, Chen Yueyi had already forgotten about showing off her power, and subconsciously said, "Wuxia, this one is..."

Wushuang chuckled and said, "Sister Yueyi, how can you not recognize me? I am Wushuang."