Chapter 521 An Unexpected Change at the Hall
“Your Highness, where are you going?” Seeing that Chu Liuchen seemed to be about to go out, Xiao Xuanzi hurriedly put down the tray in his hand and asked.
Chu Liuchen not only had a black mink cloak draped over his shoulders, but also was dressed in a black robe under the cloak.
Chu Liuchen turned and went out.
“Your Highness, you can’t go out today!” Xiao Xuanzi hurriedly took a few steps behind him and said, “Your Highness, don’t forget that the Empress Dowager will send someone to check on you and an imperial physician to take your pulse later!”
“Just tell them that I’ve gone to bed!” Chu Liuchen said casually.
Xiao Xuanzi heard his master’s words with his face full of bitterness. It was reasonable for someone else to say that. However, it was inappropriate for his master to say that. After all, his master had been “lying in bed” during the day and at night. In fact, day or night made no difference to him, and he might not be able to fall asleep at night. Thus, it was meaningless to say that he had gone to bed, since he had stayed in bed all the time.
“Master, have you forgotten that the Empress Dowager said that the imperial physician has excellent medical skills? Besides, the Emperor also thought highly of the imperial physician’s medical skills and specially instructed him to come and make a diagnosis for you!”
Xiao Xuanzi tried hard to persuade him to stay.
This matter allowed no delay. His master could be wilful in front of the Empress Dowager. However, according to the Empress Dowager’s words that day, the Emperor also showed his concern for this matter. If his master went out, how could the imperial physician make a diagnosis for his master?
“It doesn’t matter. Just tell him that I’ve gone to bed and no one is allowed to disturb me. Tell him to come tomorrow!” Chu Liuchen waved his sleeves and continued going out.
“But, but…” Xiao Xuanzi stammered, unable to talk.
“What do you want to say? Don’t tell me that I am not allowed to go to bed!” Chu Liuchen said, squinted at Xiao Xuanzi gloomily, and strode away.
“Your Highness, Your Highness…” Xiao Xuanzi called his master a few more times behind him and helplessly watched him leave. After that, he stamped his feet heavily and turned to Doctor Qi in a hurry in an attempt to think of a way to solve the problem. If his master couldn’t meet the imperial physician sent by the Empress Dowager, he had to think of a more reasonable explanation.
As it got dark, the lights were lit up. After having dinner with Shao Wanru just now, Shao Yanru looked at the night sky outside, gently wiped the water from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile, “Fifth Sister, it’s almost time. Let’s go!”
“Big Sister… maybe we shouldn’t go!” Shao Wanru said hesitantly with a little uneasiness in her s.h.i.+mmery eyes. She grabbed the handkerchief in her hand and then put it down, looking really uneasy.
Shao Yanru looked down slightly with a hint of sarcasm across her eyes. However, when she raised her head again, she looked calm and decent as usual. She looked at Shao Wanru, as if looking at a willful child, and said, “Fifth Sister, we’ve asked the First Young Master of the Qi Family to come here, and now he has come up the mountain with the help of the official of the Ministry of Justice. You say that you are not going now. If he gets angry and rushes in, it’s easier to cause trouble!”
She had known that Shao Wanru might change her mind, so when Shao Wanru asked her to deliver the message, she did it immediately. In the current situation, Shao Wanru could not change her mind even if she wanted to.
Sensing the faint threat in Shao Yanru’s words, Shao Wanru seemed to be in a dilemma. She twirled the handkerchief around her fingertips several times and then put it down. She lowered her head without giving a definite answer whether she was going or not. Obviously she could not make up her mind.
“Well, Fifth Sister, let’s go and have a look. It’s not too late to come back if we find something wrong!” Shao Yanru said. She stood up, reached out to take her arm and pulled her up.
“Okay, let’s have a look before showing up!” Shao Wanru stood up and said with a frown.
“Well, let’s take a look first. We can come back if we find anything unusual. In this case, no one will discover or know that we have been out.”
Shao Yanru rea.s.sured Shao Wanru again.
“Well, okay, let’s go and have a look!” Shao Wanru said and nodded helplessly. Now that they had asked Qi Tianyu to come up the mountain, it seemed to be inexcusable if she didn’t go to meet him.
They each led a maid and quietly went to the front yard of the Yuhui Nunnery.
The officials of the Ministry of Justice were now guarding in front of the Yuhui Nunnery, so there were plenty of simple sheds in that area. Most large halls were in the front, and only the wing rooms and Zen rooms were in the back of the Yuhui Nunnery.
Shao Wanru’s courtyard was closer to the back of the mountain, so she had to pa.s.s by plenty of places along the way.
They had made an appointment to meet in a small hall. The Yuhui Nunnery was supposed to be closed at night. However, because the officials of the Ministry of Justice were guarding outside, the Yuhui Nunnery was not closed at night now. Several supervisors even worked in a hall. Anyway it was much brighter in the hall than in the simple shed outside. Moreover, the lamps of some halls were lit up all night.
Each of them wore a hooded cloak which wrapped them completely. In the darkness, Shao Yanru led the way in front, followed by Shao Wanru. They quietly got round several officials of the Ministry of Justice on the way and headed for the outer area of the Yuhui Nunnery.
The hall they chose was not big, close to a corner of the front area. Because it was too small, the lamps in the hall were not lit up. They could faintly see the outline of the hall in the light of the street lamps.
“Fifth Sister, go in now. I’ll wait outside. If you find anything unusual, call me, and I’ll come in right away!” Shao Yanru turned to Shao Wanru and said in a low voice. She pointed to the half-closed hall and said, “The First Young Master of the Qi Family should have arrived. If no one is in the hall at night, it will be locked up.”
“Big Sister, I think I’d better not go inside!” Shao Wanru said hesitantly again.
“There is no need to hesitate at this moment. Go ahead. It would be fine to make it clear to him. You will be the Fifth Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion in the future. Although he is the third scholar in the imperial exam, he is not good enough for you. Nevertheless, don’t waste much time there. Just make it clear to him in a few words.”
Shao Yanru said with concern and gave her several pieces of advice. She looked so sincere as if she really cared about Shao Wanru.
“Well, okay!” Shao Wanru said, seeming to be forced to go inside in the current situation. She moved and walked forward. Qing’er hurriedly followed her.
“Why does she bring an inferior maid with her?” Shao Yanru asked Shuqi in a low voice, because she didn’t notice that Shao Wanru brought another maid instead of her two princ.i.p.al maids Yujie and Qu Le until now.
“I don’t know either. I only paid attention to the Fifth Miss just now, and ignored the maid following her!” Shuqi said and shook her head. Her master had only told her to keep an eye on the Fifth Miss and prevent the Fifth Miss from going back halfway, so she didn’t notice that it was Qing’er who followed Shao Wanru. “Maybe the Fifth Miss doesn’t want others to know this kind of thing, even including her close princ.i.p.al maids. After all, Qing’er is an ignorant little maid. The Fifth Miss probably feels more comfortable with her around!”
Shao Yanru raised the corners of her mouth to show a sarcastic smile, thinking that she could only describe Shao Wanru with one word “stupid “. She couldn’t believe that Shao Wanru chose to bring an ignorant little maid instead of a loyal princ.i.p.al maid with her to meet Qi Tianyu.
Nevertheless, the more stupid Shao Wanru was, the easier for her to carry out her plan. She had thought that Shao Wanru’s maid would definitely defend for Shao Wanru after the secret meeting was discovered. Now it was great. it was much easier to deal with an ignorant little maid than to deal with a princ.i.p.al maid experienced in life. Shao Wanru’s choice made her overjoyed.
“Have you told the official of the Ministry of Justice about today’s meeting?” Shao Yanru asked.
“First Miss, rest a.s.sured. I have dropped a hint to the official that the Fifth Miss may be meeting the First Young Master of the Qi Family in secret here. I believe he will come here soon with other officials,” Shuqi said with a smile.
Shao Yanru had sent a letter at that time. After all, there were some words Shao Yanru couldn’t tell someone else directly, so sending a letter was the best solution. Moreover, the letter was written in the tone of the Fifth Miss. When Shuqi turned to the official, she had dropped plenty of hints and almost told him the time and place of the meeting.
Besides, she hinted that the Fifth Miss had always been arrogant and often rebuked or scolded the First Miss without considering the First Miss as her sister. In the past, the Fifth Miss had asked the First Miss to help her deliver the letter where she asked another man to meet in secret, and she did it again. No matter for revenging the First Young Master of the Qi Family or revenging the First Miss, the official would definitely lead other officials here to spoil the Fifth Miss’s “secret meeting” and disgrace the Fifth Miss.
Shao Yanru nodded with satisfaction and looked at the door of the hall eagerly. At this moment, Shao Wanru had entered the hall, and it fell silent at the entrance of the hall. Suddenly there came a lady’s low cry from the hall. Although it was low, Shao Yanru heard it clearly and involuntarily froze for a while.
“First Miss… what’s that sound?” Shuqi also heard, trembling and asking anxiously.
In the dark, Shao Yanru shook her head silently, stared fixedly at the slightly closed door of the hall and frowned tightly. Logically speaking, there should not be such a sound coming from inside at this moment. Did something happen inside?
Suddenly, the door of the hall was pushed aside slightly, and a dark figure appeared in front of the door. It seemed to be a man who waved at Shao Yanru and then turned into the hall.
“First Miss, this, this…” Shuqi lowered her voice and said in panic. The development had gone beyond their imagination. Did something really happen inside so that the First Young Master of the Qi Family came out to invite the First Miss in and talk it over?
At this moment, the First Young Master of the Qi Family was the only person who knew that the First Miss was here!
“Come on, let’s go and have a look!” Shao Yanru said. After thinking about numerous possibilities, Shao Yanru made up her mind. She could not let her efforts lead to nothing at the last moment.
They came to the door of the hall one behind the other. Glancing at the dark hall, Shao Yanru stopped cautiously and looked back at Shuqi.
“Are you inside, Childe Qi?” Shuqi asked in a low voice.
“Come in quickly!” A voice came from inside. It was a little distant and low, showing a trace of darkness and anxiety. Perhaps it was so low that they couldn’t tell whether it belonged to Qi Tianyu or not.
Nevertheless, they could be sure that it was not a female voice, so it should not belong to Shao Wanru or Qing’er.
“I’ll go inside and have a look. You guard at the door of the hall. If someone comes, report it to me quickly!” Shao Yanru told Shuqi cautiously. The officials were coming soon, so she had to instruct Shuqi to stay alert.
After giving the order, she gently pushed the door open and walked in slowly…