Chapter 1299 - 1305 Rumours Arise (7)
After lunch, Cai Wei left with Liu Xi. It wasn’t yet the time she had arranged to meet with Xiang Yun, so she went back to the house that she used as a storage and brought out a set of sourwood furniture from her boudoir’s space. She also moved the matching set of Golden Silk Nanwood and sandalwood furniture, which was part of her bridal gifts stored at the mansion, inside.
This set of sourwood furniture was nominally a gift for Cai Lian’s dowry, but in reality, it was to support the reputation of Third Aunt Mu and Third Uncle Mu. The two of them made a living through snack trading and couldn’t afford decent furniture. Mother had given them brocade clothes, bed hangings, Ding kiln vases, and decorative objects; however, if they paired these gifts with their own crude furniture, it would make them appear incongruent and shabby. Therefore, by placing this set of furniture, it would not be as conspicuous as displaying yellow pear wood or sandalwood, nor as shabby as their own crude pieces—it was just perfect!
After arranging the furniture, she went to the storage and took fifty pieces of glass, twenty sheets of fine leather, a box of various pearls, twelve pieces of jade of different sizes, several boxes of expensive rouge and powder from Mi Fangzhai, several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and sealed one hundred taels of gold as a congratulatory gift. She packed up a large pile of items and then called for Liu Xi, instructing him to go back to the palace to fetch a few carriages to deliver these things to Third Uncle Mu and Third Aunt Mu.
By the time she finished her tasks, the hour to meet Xiang Yun had arrived. When she arrived at Zhenbao Pavilion, she did not see the horse carriage from Duke Li Guo’s Mansion or Xiang Yun’s horse carriage at the entrance, which puzzled her. She donned her hood and went down to inquire inside the shop.
Upon seeing the empress’s boss arrive, the shopkeeper hurriedly came out to greet her, attentively inviting her to rest in the elegant room upstairs with some tea and snacks. Cai Wei declined and inquired about Xiang Yun’s whereabouts.
The shopkeeper said, "Boss, I’m afraid Madam Mo Shao won’t be able to make it today. I just heard one lady gossiping with another that this morning, Madam Mo Shao’s horse carriage got spooked on Sishui Street and hit quite a few people. I’m not sure how the young madam herself is doing."
Upon hearing this, Cai Wei hurriedly contacted Chang Mei with her thoughts. Before, she had sent Chang Mei to protect Xiang Yun’s safety, and she never expected such a big accident to happen without the monkey informing her.
Receiving the master’s message, Chang Mei said guiltily, "Master, I’m to blame. This morning, while I secretly followed the young madam into the city, I saw a wild pear tree on the roadside and stopped to eat a few pears, not realizing that such a big incident would occur in just the time it took to eat a few pears. But rest assured, the young madam is safe, unharmed, and she is now at Yishan Hall taking care of those who were injured by the horse carriage."
Relieved to hear that Xiang Yun was safe, Cai Wei ordered Chang Mei to continue watching over her and to report back immediately if anything else happened.