Chapter 723 The White Powder Sent from the Imperial Palace
“Madam, Honored Consort Shu gave you this!” After Nanny Sheng sneaked into the room, she poked her head out and looked back. Finding no one behind her, she reported in a low voice.
She put down the hamper in her hand and let out a heavy breath. Then, she opened the hamper and drew a small package from it.
She went to fetch dinner a little later and secretly went to the back door to fetch a small package sent in the name of a relative of hers.
There were only a few simple clothes in the package. She picked up the clothes and shook them one by one. Finally, a letter fell from the clothes at the bottom of the hamper.
Madam of Duke Xing hurriedly took it, sat down on a chair on one side, opened the letter and began to read it rapidly.
When she finished reading it, she showed a look of joy.
She reached out to draw a small package wrapped up with oil paper from a secret pocket of the clothes from which the letter had fallen.
She cautiously unwrapped it and found some fine white powder in it.
“Madam…” Under the light, Nanny Sheng said with her face turning pale and her lips trembling. She had realized something.
“That’s a good idea!” Madam of Duke Xing said with a gloomy look, fixing her eyes on the white powder in front of her.
“Madam, you can’t do that!” As Nanny Sheng said, she grabbed her hand anxiously, looked at her, and kept shaking her head.
“I already have Ru’er and An’er, so I don’t mind hurting myself a little!” Madam of Duke Xing said. Her face looked strangely cold in the flickering light.
“Madam, no. Let… let me do it!” Nanny Sheng finally finished her words after her lips trembled a few times.
“You…” Madam of Duke Xing said hesitantly.
“Madam, I… I’m the Duke’s wet nurse… He… still… still cares about me… If I’m really poisoned, I’m just worried that you will have no one to serve you… and talk with you… in the empty ancestral hall!”
Nanny Sheng said, while crying out loud.
Madam of Duke Xing fell silent and looked at Nanny Sheng with drifting eyes, while examining her and thinking over her words. In fact, she also thought the same as Nanny Sheng did, but she was afraid that Nanny Sheng would refuse to do that. If Nanny Sheng did it unwillingly, things could have come out against her and Nanny Sheng might even trump up a countercharge against her.
Nanny Sheng was the wet nurse of Duke Xing, so her being poisoned could attract enough attention indeed, but only if she was on her side. If Nanny Sheng turned against her, she was not afraid of it in the past, but now she was unable to handle it!
It was naturally a good thing that Nanny Sheng volunteered to do it, but now she hesitated.
She was not worried that Nanny Sheng would be poisoned, because she didn’t think that Honored Consort Shu intended to kill her. Nanny Sheng could provide some clues leading to Honored Consort Shu. Although Honored Consort Shu was a favored concubine, she would get into serious trouble if she secretly poisoned the wife of a duke with the t.i.tle of Honorary Lady.
However, the powder would definitely do harm to health. If Nanny Sheng got sick after taking it, she might be taken away from the ancestral hall. However, before they found out the truth, she had to continue staying in the ancestral hall. Without the help of Nanny Sheng, her trusted servant, she would have no access to the news from outside, which would probably lead to her mistakes in judgement.
Only when she got sick after taking the powder could she make it significant and get out of here.
“No, I’ll do it. Remember what I told you before!” Madam of Duke Xing said, shook her head and gritted her teeth with a gloomy face. At this time, she had to sacrifice a little.
Nanny Sheng heaved a long sigh of relief. In fact, she was afraid that Madam of Duke Xing would really let her do it, but she knew very well about Madam of Duke Xing. If she did not volunteer to do it, Madam of Duke Xing would definitely suspect her in private.
She had to say that, but she also pointed out that if she really got sick, no one could run errands for Madam of Duke Xing and help her.
Now hearing Madam of Duke Xing’s words, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only feeling cold in the back as if she had escaped death.
“Shall I go to tell the First Miss about this now?”
“No, as someone, who often goes out, you will be discovered. When the time comes, the trace will lead to Ru’er. It is a bad thing for both of us!” Madam of Duke Xing shook her head and spoke. She was now locked up in the ancestral hall, while Nanny Sheng was a conspicuous person who could attract attention wherever she went.
If Nanny Sheng was discovered, her plan would be more likely to be exposed.
Madam of Duke Xing believed that Ru’er had forgiven her long before. Otherwise, Ru’er would not have sent her favorite brocade here. Her daughter was smart, so her daughter probably did that as a hint for her to think of a way in the ancestral hall. Meanwhile, her daughter would cooperate with her outside.
Thinking of her daughter’s intelligence, Madam of Duke Xing closed her eyes and thought it unnecessary to tell her daughter about it.
She believed that she didn’t have to tell her daughter about it and her daughter would help her secretly when the time came. There was no need to explain more details about this kind of thing. It was a good thing for her daughter if she could leave the ancestral hall. Her daughter was going to attend the consort selection. If the news that she had a mother locked up in the ancestral hall went out, it would have a bad influence on her reputation.
Madam of Duke Xing provided a perfect explanation for the brocade they found at the door by thinking so.
She believed Shao Yanru sent the brocade as a hint for her to think of a way to get out of here. It also showed that Shao Yanru had forgiven her for her mistake and would secretly cooperate with her.
While they were discussing in a low voice, they did not notice that a figure flashed across the high window of the ancestral hall. Qing’er landed on the ground and adjusted the front of her clothes with a smile. After that, she put on the look of a simple inferior maid, turned around and went to the Piaoyun Courtyard.
The powder had been sent to Madam of Duke Xing. As early as when someone gave the package to the old maid at the back door, she found the powder in the package and changed it as her master told her…
In the early morning, Nanny Xi sent some servants to invite the four Misses to the courtyard, where she lived now, to learn rules.
She didn’t live in Shao Wanru’s yard, but in a yard not far from the Piaoyun Courtyard. This yard was neither too big nor too small, well suiting her, an etiquette instructor sent by the imperial palace.
Shao Yanru was the first to arrive. After entering the room, she bowed to Nanny Xi first in a polite and respectful manner. Nanny Xi secretly nodded, thinking that the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion was indeed a dignified and refined Young Lady from a n.o.ble family.
As a servant of the Empress, Nanny Xi admired those, who were as dignified, refined and graceful as the Empress, the most. Although Nanny Xi thought Shao Yanru was a little immature in manners at the moment, she could still tell that Shao Yanru did a good job.
The two sisters of the third branch came later. Nanny Xi just glanced at them casually and did not take them seriously. It was impossible for them to be selected, and they were just going to attend the consort selection as the other two Misses’ companions. Although the two of them were also beautiful, they were still inferior to the First Miss and the Fifth Miss in appearance.
The First Miss and the Fifth Miss were the most ravis.h.i.+ng among them.
The First Miss was graceful and dignified with the prestige and figure of a legal wife. She looked like a blooming peony with overwhelming charm. However, this was the case when the Fifth Miss was not around. The First Miss looked like a conventional beauty, who was not that stunning, when the Fifth Miss was around.
Speaking of which, this Fifth Miss Shao was the most gorgeous Miss in Duke Xing’s Mansion.
Shao Wanru appeared at the door, dressed in a very simple light blue overall and an eight-piece plain white dress. They were very simple and plain, but added a little attractive charm to her. Her watery eyes seemed to contain thousands of stars. Her long and curly eyelashes fluttered and kept the infinite starlight in her eyes.
She, who looked as delicate as a flower with her skin as white as snow, was pure and aloof when she didn’t smile, but was charming and attractive when she smiled.
Nanny Xi had seen all kinds of beauties in the imperial palace, but every time she saw the Fifth Miss Shao, she felt her heart beat fast and couldn’t help admiring her beauty secretly. She had heard the conversation between Prince Zhou and the Empress that day.
Prince Zhou always had little regard for trifles and paid little attention to women. The only woman he had talked about was the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion. He had said more than once that he wanted to take her as his Princess, of course, in order to get the support of Duke Xing’s Mansion. But now he said with certainty that the First Miss Shao’s reputation had been tarnished, so she could only be a concubine. But was that true?
Nanny Xi felt her heart skipped a beat and suddenly had a bad intuition. It was the first time Prince Zhou had ever expressed his desire for a woman so definitely, wasn’t it?
He had said that he wanted to take the First Miss Shao as his wife. Nevertheless, when the First Miss Shao failed to attend the last consort selection banquet because of learn painting in the Yuhui Nunnery, Prince Zhou asked the Empress to make the decision and did not insist on marrying the First Miss Shao!
If it was true… Nanny Xi hesitated. Then, when she saw Nanny Zheng behind Shao Wanru, she became even more hesitant.
She didn’t expect that Nanny Zheng would follow Shao Wanru here.
Seeing Nanny Zheng come over, Nanny Xi felt a little uncomfortable on her chair and moved uneasily. She could not afford to offend Nanny Zheng either.
“Nanny Xi!” Shao Wanru said. After coming in, she bowed slightly to Nanny Xi and then stood up straight. Nanny Zheng stood behind Shao Wanru, looked at Nanny Xi with burning eyes, and smiled politely.
Nanny Xi stood up and said to Shao Wanru, “Fifth Miss, you’re overcourteous. Please sit down. Let me introduce what you are going to learn today.”
Shao Wanru sat down beside Shao Cailing as she was told.
Shao Yanru and Shao Caihuan were sitting opposite them. When they saw her coming over, they both smiled kindly, but they remained silent as rules required.
Shao Wanru returned a smile.
Nanny Zheng stood behind Shao Wanru respectfully, seeming to be at Shao Wanru’s service.
Looking at Nanny Zheng’s position, Nanny Xi hesitated for a moment and then said with a smile, “Nanny Zheng, since you are here, how about working with me to train the four Misses?”
Since she couldn’t offend Nanny Zheng, of course, she had to be polite to Nanny Zheng. It seemed that the Empress didn’t mean to offend Nanny Zheng openly. Moreover, the Empress implied her to sound out Nanny Zheng’s intention.
“Nanny Xi, you are overcourteous. You are sent by the Empress. How dare I overstep my authority!” Nanny Zheng politely refused and still stood behind Shao Wanru as rules required.
It was a spot where the maids of the other Misses stood, but Shao Wanru didn’t bring any maid other than Nanny Zheng today.
Shao Yanru also fixed her eyes on Nanny Zheng. She had also learned that Shao Wanru had an etiquette instructor, but now it was the first time for her to meet Nanny Zheng. Seeing that Nanny Zheng was neither humble nor arrogant in front of Nanny Xi, She frowned secretly. She didn’t know when this person entered Duke Xing’s Mansion nor find out her background. She thought that she had misjudged the situation indeed.
Shao Wanru had such a capable servant in secret. Could it be that Nanny Zheng was the one who came up with those ideas to deal with her before?
After such a thought flashed through her mind, she was increasingly convinced that she was right. Nanny Zheng came from the imperial palace, and Nanny Xi considered her a big threat. How could Nanny Zheng be simple? It seemed that she had to be more careful…