Major Trouble Ahead
Mrs. Penny maintained her alluring expression, eyeing Mia Qian up and down. Observing the girl's graceful and practiced movements, she could tell Mia had been well-trained since childhood.
"And you are?" Mrs. Penny had already heard about the Qians' arrival and guessed that this unfamiliar yet freely roaming girl in the palace must be one of Quentin Qian's three granddaughters.
"I am Mia Qian, daughter of the Qians from the Southeast. The current clan patriarch is my grandfather." Mia introduced herself.
"So you are the eldest Miss Qian." Mrs. Penny looked at Mia Qian.
"May I ask how I should address you, sister?" Mia Qian stood up and looked at Mrs. Penny, her smile pure and innocent.
"Me? I am Mrs. Penny, the Queen's personal lady-in-waiting." Mrs. Penny replied.
"Hello, Sister Penny. Would you please deliver this box of ginseng to Her Majesty the Queen for me? It's a small token of my respect." Mia Qian pleaded sincerely.
Mrs. Penny glanced at Mia Qian, then at the box of ginseng. Suddenly, she flashed a warm, seductive smile, took the box, and said, "Thank you, Miss Mia, for your thoughtfulness. I will accept this ginseng on behalf of the Queen."
Mia Qian immediately beamed with delight, clasped her hands together, and said, "Wonderful! May Buddha bless Her Majesty with a speedy recovery! I won't disturb you any longer—I'll come visit the Queen and Sister Penny another day."
"Mm, you may go." Mrs. Penny watched Mia Qian's departing figure. Once Mia turned the corner and disappeared, Mrs. Penny's smile vanished, replaced by a cold glint in her eyes.
Mrs. Penny stepped into the inner chamber.
Margaret Evans stayed in the room with Princess Jade Hayes, while Quentin Lin looked after his mother and sister nearby.
Martin Wu sat at the desk by the window, handling a mountain of business paperwork for Princess Jade Hayes.
Mrs. Penny entered the room with a heavy sigh, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Mrs. Penny, why are you sighing?" Martin Wu looked up from his pile of complicated accounts, puzzled by her demeanor.
Mrs. Penny glanced at Martin Wu and said, "Do you all know what happened in the grand hall today?"
Martin Wu, Margaret Evans, and Quentin Lin exchanged looks. "We've been with Her Majesty the whole time. We have no idea," they replied.
"Oh! The Queen must wake up soon!" Mrs. Penny anxiously paced the room. "Now that Quentin Qian, patriarch of the Southeast’s most powerful clan, has come to pay respects and been granted the title of Lord Qian, he’s staying at the Palace of Qin to help His Majesty manage affairs in other regions."
Martin Wu interjected, "Isn't that normal? With the Qian family's help, things will go much smoother in other territories."
Mrs. Penny shot Martin Wu a look. "That's not the point. The point is, Quentin Qian came prepared, and his intentions aren’t pure! He brought all three of his beautiful granddaughters—each at the perfect age for marriage, each unique in personality. The younger two are stunning twin sisters. I just saw the eldest, Mia Qian, at the door—she brought a box of thousand-year ginseng for the Queen’s recovery."
Mrs. Penny slammed the ginseng box onto the table. "Don’t you see what the Qian family is up to?! Those three lovely young ladies are clearly meant for the royal harem! That Mia Qian, who just moved in and probably hasn’t even eaten yet, was the first to bring ginseng for the Queen. Can you imagine how calculating these girls must be? If Her Majesty keeps sleeping like this, what will become of us? If the Queen truly loses hope, is His Majesty supposed to never remarry or take another consort?"