"Grandmother, then I'll go buy a carriage. I'll take my leave now," Huangfu Yue said, preparing to bow to Grand Consort Zheng. However, she heard an unexpected statement.
"I'll go with you," Grand Consort Zheng said.
"I see the weather is especially fine today, and I want to go for a walk… my old bones need some movement and exercise," Grand Consort Zheng said, discreetly giving her granddaughter a meaningful glance.
Huangfu Yue immediately understood that her grandmother wasn't really going for a walk. She suddenly remembered her grandmother mentioning yesterday that she would buy the ingredients for making "Cui Yi Piao Xi" today.
In an instant, she knew that going for a walk was an excuse, and buying the ingredients was the real intention.
Huangfu Yue smiled and nodded, "Alright, we'll go together. Grandmother, I'll help you."
She reached out to help Grand Consort Zheng up. The maidservant standing beside Grand Consort Zheng also reached out to help her, but Grand Consort Zheng waved her away. "Yue'er, just help me."
"You all don't need to accompany us on this trip," Grand Consort Zheng said to the servants attending her in the room.
Granny Fang, Yun Niang, and the other servants all showed expressions of concern. They clearly felt uneasy about Grand Consort Zheng going out without any attendants, thinking it wouldn't do without them to serve and care for her, especially given her noble status. She probably hadn't been to the streets much before, and she was already advanced in years.
"With Yue'er accompanying me, it's fine. Yue'er alone is better than all of you… no, stronger than all of you combined," Grand Consort Zheng said to the servants.
Granny Fang, Yun Niang, and the others looked at Huangfu Yue, and then they all showed relieved expressions.
As the Grand Consort said, the County Princess was stronger than all of them combined. With the County Princess accompanying the Grand Consort, there was no need for worry.
"Don't worry, I will take good care of Grandmother," Huangfu Yue gave Granny Fang and the others a faint smile, which made them even more at ease.
Grandmother wasn't really going for a walk, but to buy ingredients for making "Cui Yi Piao Xi." It would naturally be inconvenient to bring a crowd of servants, but she hadn't expected her grandmother to bring no servants at all.
Seeing that her grandmother hadn't brought any servants indicated not only that her grandmother was very cautious and careful, fearing complications, but also that she didn't fully trust these servants, believing none of them could be safely entrusted with knowledge of "Cui Yi Piao Xi."
It seemed that none of these servants were her grandmother's confidantes…
This was a bit strange. Logically, someone of her grandmother's status would have one or two confidantes among her personal attendants, whom she could rely on and trust with any matter.
If her grandmother had a reliable confidante whom she could trust, she might have had them learn about the "Cui Yi Piao Xi" incense earlier and know what ingredients were needed to make it.
Now that her grandmother needed "Cui Yi Piao Xi," she could have simply instructed a confidante to buy the necessary ingredients instead of going herself.
Thinking that her grandmother, at her age and with her status, still needed to personally go out and buy ingredients for making "Cui Yi Piao Xi" made her feel a pang of sympathy.
It was a pity that she knew so little about incense, let alone how to make it or what ingredients were needed. Otherwise, she could have helped her grandmother buy the ingredients for "Cui Yi Piao Xi" and saved her grandmother the trip.
As she thought about it, Huangfu Yue subtly and carefully observed the servants attending her grandmother, such as Granny Fang.
Granny Fang was the head among the servants attending her grandmother. Judging by her appearance, she was a little over fifty, looking rather stern.
The other elder servant attending her grandmother was Yun Niang. Yun Niang was in her thirties, not yet forty, with a beautiful face and a kind demeanor.
The remaining servants were two maids, Zhu'er and Qian'er. Zhu'er was about eighteen and plump, perhaps that's why she was named Zhu'er.
Qian'er was a year or two younger than Zhu'er, very slender and graceful, which also suited her name.
Among these four, only Granny Fang appeared to be shrewd and capable, with a bit of experience. The others didn't seem to be. These individuals really didn't seem to be from the palace…
She remembered that these servants, including Granny Fang, were not the old retainers who had served her grandmother. They were not the ones who had served her grandmother in the palace. They had all started serving her grandmother only after she moved into the Prince Dai's mansion.
Recalling this, it seemed a bit odd.
She wondered why her grandmother, after leaving the palace and moving into the Prince Dai's mansion, hadn't kept her old attendants from the palace but had replaced them with new ones.
She couldn't figure it out, and it didn't seem appropriate to ask her grandmother. Well, forget it… she wouldn't dwell on it.
Let's go buy carriages and the ingredients for making incense.
Huangfu Yue helped Grand Consort Zheng out of the guest room, escorted by Granny Fang and the others.
"Yue'er, have you decided how many carriages to buy?" Grand Consort Zheng asked as she walked with Huangfu Yue towards the stairs.
"I want to buy six large carriages. Combined with our existing ones, we'll have seven. This way, Grandmother can take a carriage with her attendants, Elder Sister-in-law can take one with Xuan'er and Jing'er, along with her attendants from the main branch, squeezing in…
Second Sister-in-law can take one with Ying'er and her attendants. Third Sister-in-law and her daughter can take one with their attendants.
Fourth Sister-in-law and her household attendants can take one separately, and the remaining two carriages will be for the rest of the servants. What do you think, Grandmother?" Huangfu Yue replied. She had already thought it through.
"Very good. You've thought of everything meticulously… I am very reassured by how you handle things, my dear. You think of everything, and you're always thorough…
I heard Qian'er say earlier that you asked Ying'er to instruct the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Feng Maoyuan and the others, as well as the servants, and to have the servants eat their breakfast." Grand Consort Zheng smiled at her granddaughter, her face full of admiration.
"Grandmother, you praise me too much; I'm becoming embarrassed," Huangfu Yue showed a humble smile and glanced at the hall downstairs.
Many people were seated in the hall, including Feng Maoyuan and his subordinates, as well as most of the servants. Some had finished breakfast and were wiping their mouths, while others were still eating.
Ying'er seemed to have just finished and was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief…
"Miss." Huangfu Yue was looking at Ying'er, and Ying'er quickly noticed her and immediately hurried to the front of the stairs to bow to her and Grand Consort Zheng…
"Greetings to the Old Madam and Miss."
Knowing that Grand Consort Zheng and Huangfu Yue had arrived, the others in the hall also quickly rose to bow to the grandmother and granddaughter at the front of the stairs, but Huangfu Yue stopped them.
"Don't mind us, everyone. No need for formalities. Please continue with your breakfast."
Hearing this, everyone in the hall thanked her in unison, returned to their seats, and continued eating breakfast or helped clear the dishes.
"I'm planning to go out and buy a few carriages, so that everyone will have a carriage to ride in when we travel, so you won't have to walk so hard like yesterday," Huangfu Yue said loudly to the people in the hall after descending the stairs with Grand Consort Zheng and arriving on the first floor.
Upon hearing this, the servants of the Prince Dai's mansion were greatly surprised and delighted. They had never imagined that Huangfu Yue would want to buy carriages for all of them to ride in.
The servants quickly thanked Huangfu Yue, praising her benevolence, kindness, and consideration for the staff, calling her the best mistress in the world.
"She really knows how to win people's hearts!" Xu Yujing, standing on the upper floor, pouted disdainfully and called out, "Yue'er, if the servants have carriages to ride in, shouldn't I, the mistress, also have a carriage to ride in?"
Her voice was as unpleasant as her words, clearly implying sarcasm.
Although she had apologized to Huangfu Yue yesterday, she still felt aggrieved. After sleeping on it, she felt increasingly unhappy and full of resentment towards Huangfu Yue.
Seeing Huangfu Yue now, her resentment immediately erupted. If she hadn't remembered who she had to rely on now, she would have wanted to curse Huangfu Yue.
Huangfu Yue heard Xu Yujing's voice, immediately turned around, looked up at Xu Yujing on the upper floor, her eyes flickering slightly, and said, "Second Sister-in-law, why are you asking that? Since we're providing carriages for the servants, how could we not provide one for you, the mistress… Second Sister-in-law, you're really joking!"
Huangfu Yue curved her lips, showing her a gentle and beautiful smile.
Grand Consort Zheng looked at her granddaughter, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. "Yue'er is truly a dignified person! She has the demeanor and grace of a County Princess!"
Then she looked at Xu Yujing…
Grand Consort Zheng looked up at her second granddaughter-in-law on the upper floor, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
"To think that Xu Yujing is a legitimate daughter of the Marquis's estate. Look at her behavior… she truly embarrasses the Marquis's estate!
I shouldn't have let my second grandson marry her just because she was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's estate and had a noble upbringing.
Someone like her is not worthy of the Prince Dai's mansion, nor is she worthy of being a woman of the imperial family!"