Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu held the booklet, flipping through it page by page, then smiled and handed it to Grace Wan, saying, "I trust you with this. Let's do it your way."
"Alright!" Grace Wan replied. "I'll start preparing, then. Tomorrow, everyone will receive mourning clothes..."
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu listened with a gentle smile, nodding from time to time.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Zhu was also listening on the side, but he seemed lost in thought, his mind wandering somewhere far away.
Grace Lawrence looked at the scene, feeling that something just didn’t seem right.
Grace Lawrence’s memories of her grandfather were already quite blurry.
Still, some moments, even after more than twenty years, remained crystal clear.
For example, during New Year’s, her grandfather and grandmother would sit together, happily handing out red envelopes to the younger generation.
Sometimes in the garden, she’d run into her grandparents strolling together...
Her grandfather, throughout his life, had only Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu as his wife—he never took a concubine.
They were truly devoted to each other.
In the past, no one dared mention the late General in front of Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu.
Because whenever someone did, her grandmother would be somber and melancholy for days.
But now, could she really smile while listening to Grace Wan discuss how to arrange the memorial hall?
And her father—he used to look so heavy-hearted whenever grandfather was mentioned, but now... he seemed completely spaced out?
And her eldest brother, Jason Zhuo—he’d never failed to place in the top three during clan trials. Surely, he shouldn’t have trouble passing the Imperial Guard selection, right?
Something just feels off...
......
On her way out from Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu’s residence, Xichun stopped her for a bit of polite small talk.
After returning, Grace Lawrence found a slip of paper in her hand.
She opened it and saw: The Third Miss (Cindy Zhu) and Second Young Master (Kevin Zhuo) are plotting together to harm you during the old General’s memorial. Didn’t catch all the details, but they mentioned ‘Yinhong’.
Yinhong is a maid from Serenity Pavilion, one of Grace Wan’s people.
Ever since Mama Hu left the estate, Yinhong had been sidelined; the nursemaid wouldn’t let her near the main house.
To avoid arousing Grace Wan’s suspicion, Grace Lawrence hadn’t touched her, and Yinhong hadn’t made any moves either.
Now, what was she about to do?
Grace, a bit excited, burned the slip of paper.
Here we go.
Grace Lawrence knew Cindy Zhu well—she was definitely not someone who could swallow a loss.
Grace Lawrence had made her suffer repeatedly lately, so she’d surely want to get her revenge, and with interest.
And she’d definitely scheme and plot to keep Grace out of the palace.
So really, Grace Lawrence didn’t have to do anything—she just had to wait.
What worried her most lately was if Cindy Zhu did nothing at all.
Now, finally, something was happening.
......
On her grandfather’s memorial day, Grace Lawrence went to the decorated hall early in the morning, knelt to one side, and waited for people to come pay their respects.
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu had three sons and three daughters. Except for her youngest aunt, Maya Summers, the others were all married with children, so both sides of the hall were packed with people kneeling.
Among them was Grace Lawrence’s nemesis, Queenie Zhu, kneeling with her father directly across from Grace Lawrence.
Even more people came to pay respects.
Just the Zhu clan and its branches alone numbered over a thousand.
And nearly all the court officials had come too.
As the eldest legitimate daughter, Grace Lawrence, along with her eldest brother Jason Zhuo, followed Prime Minister Zhu, constantly bowing and thanking guests until her back ached.
When there was finally a lull, she knelt and rested for a moment, only to hear a soft, gentle voice call out, "Grace."
Grace Lawrence looked up—it was Miss Lawrence.