Chapter 941 Shao Jieâer Enters Commandery Prince Qingâs Mansion
âCan it be covered without any trace?â A ghostly voice came slowly from the darkness.
âYes, it has been well handled. Donât worry! No one will figure it out!â a woman said in a low and soft voice, which sounded pleasant and weird in the dark.
âGood! If you hadnât succeeded, I would never help you again!â The ghostly voice was so intermittent and unreal that it wasnât like a human beingâs voice.
âI never fail. Besides, it was just a piece of cake!â the woman replied indifferently with a hint of disapproval.
âYou should be careful even if you are dealing with a trivial matter! Even the Empress suffered losses. Are you the Empress?â The unpleasant voice came again, and then it became impolite. âLetâs call it a day. You can leave now. Iâll contact you when it is necessary. Youâd better not make any rash act in the near future!â
âDo you mean that we take no more action until Prince Chen leaves the capital?â The woman sounded a little unconvinced.
âIf you canât bear to wait, donât come to see me again!â The weird voice became harsh and cold.
âFine! Iâll keep a low profile!â The woman submitted. Then she listened carefully and only heard the sound of the wind in the dark.
She was in a towering old Buddhist pagoda close to the Cold Palace, so people rarely would go there.
The Cold Palace was located in the outer peripheral areas of the Imperial Palace. The old Buddhist pagoda near it was easy to be seen outside the Imperial Palace. Such a deserted place didnât even have a ghost visitor, let alone the possibility that an imperial concubine came here to enjoy the scenery.
The woman showed up from the shadow of the pagoda. She looked up at the dark sky and saw a waning moon with faint light. Her whole body, including the head, was wrapped in a cloak. When raising her head, she showed her beautiful outline. That was Shao Yanru!
She was on the third floor of the pagoda and carefully went down the broken stairs along the side of the building. She stood still after reaching the ground and turned around to look behind with caution.
Moyan came out from behind a tree and whispered, âYoung mistress!â
Marquis Xingâs Mansion had just sent her to serve Shao Yanru.
âLetâs go!â Shao Yanru said with cold eyes.
âAre you not going to stay and have a peep?â Moyan looked up and reminded Shao Yanru carefully. They had not known who the person was yet.
âNo! We might expose ourselves to others if we stay here longer!â Shao Yanru shook her head and looked up at the sky again. She could no longer stay here. Once she was exposed, she couldnât explain herself.
It was not her wish to become a Secondary Consort, the imperial concubine of the lowest rank. But there was only an advantage. At least the Emperor had no interest in her, which made her feel hopeful.
The Emperor didnât like her, nor would she like him. She still aimed at Chu Liuyue. She wanted to be Chu Liuyueâs wife, the future Empress, who could stand high in the Imperial Palace overlooking all the women in the world.
In history, it indeed once happened that a low-level imperial concubine became the empress of the next emperor. With such a truth, Shao Yanru persuaded her father to send helpers to her. It was not hopeless. It could even say that she had great hope. At least in the Palace, it was no surprise to meet a prince!
It was much more possible than outside the Palace!
As for the person she met in the pagoda, she was shocked and panicked, but more surprised to find that the person not only had no evil intentions towards her but also offered her help after guessing right all her secret thoughts. She wanted to know who he was, but she did not dare to offend him.
âIt doesnât matter who he is now. I can figure it out later. At least keeping a friend is much better than having an enemy in the Palace.â
Moreover, Shao Yanru was sure that there must be a secret path in the pagoda, and that person knew it well. Every time he showed up or disappeared, he left no trace at all.
It was good for her. A person offering secret help to her was the best support.
Han Dan had been waiting there for a long time when Shao Yanru returned to her residence. When hearing the knocking, Han Dan hastened to open the door and let them in. After they entered the room, Han Dan looked behind them and quietly closed the door. The outside became quiet again, only shadows of trees swaying.
âYoung mistress!â When Han Dan entered the inner room, Shao Yanru sat there calmly drinking tea.
âDid you send the letter?â Shao Yanru looked up and asked.
âYes, I did. You can rest assured, young mistress!â Han Dan answered.
âGood!â Shao Yanruâs eyes fell on Han Danâs face, which made the latter lower her head. Then Shao Yanru said slowly, âBoth of you are my most trustworthy servant girls. As long as I make it in the future, I will definitely make you enjoy wealth forever!â
âThank you, young mistress!â Moyan and Han Dan knelt down to express their gratitude!
âDonât mention it! I am in a predicament in the Palace now, and you two are the only ones I trust. Though we are master and servants, we have been going through many difficulties together. I have long regarded you as my confidantes. If I ascend to a high position in the future, you are the only people I will care about!â Shao Yanru sighed with her head slightly raised. Her delicate face looked soft in the dim light, making her words sound sincere.
Moyan trembled, but Han Dan looked very excited.
They looked at each other, stood up together, and moved to stand behind Shao Yanru with quite different expressions.
âTomorrow⊠tomorrowâŠâ Shao Yanru murmured some obscure words in a low voice. But she didnât go on, leaving infinite space for their imaginationâŠ
Fortunately, there was not too much publicity about what had happened in Prince Chenâs Mansion. At least the civilians in the capital knew nothing about it. They only knew about the affairs of Duke Yongâs Mansion and Marquis Xingâs Mansion. Obviously, Duke Yongâs Mansion would lose its title of nobility soon. The heir of Duke Yong was so infuriated that he even ran away from home. But soon after that he was found and brought back home.
Marquis Xingâs Mansion also became notorious for being degraded from a Dukeâs Mansion to a Marquis one.
Old Madam of Marquis Xingâs Mansion lost her reputation for oppressing her juniors. The scandal that Shao Caihuan replaced Shao Jieâer to marry Commandery Prince Qing brought disgrace upon all the other sisters. âHow could Marquis Xingâs Mansion defy the seniority and do such a thing? Who dare to marry a Miss of Marquis Xingâs Mansion from now on?â
Under such circumstances, Shao Jieâer was carried into Commandery Prince Qingâs Mansion by a small sedan chair. According to the Empress, Shao Jieâer had to enter the mansion first, though she didnât like Commandery Prince Qing, one of the royal members. As for her status, it all depended on whether Commandery Prince Qing would give her a title.
Soon after Chu Qing rescued Shao Jieâer from the water in the Imperial Palace, the Emperor suggested Chu Qing take her as a consort and even asked an official and the Grand Prince to help register her name on the royal family list. However, now Shao Jieâer finally entered the mansion, but she was merely an inferior concubine without a title. And the Emperor said that he did not want to intervene.
âChu Qing will make the decision himself,â the Emperor thought.
It was the order by the Empress when she was in a fury that Shao Jieâer must enter Commandery Prince Qingâs Mansion. No one from Marquis Xingâs Mansion dared to defy the Empress, because it was not Duke Xingâs Mansion as it had been before. Nothing would change no matter how much Shao Jieâer cried. She could do nothing but be put into the sedan chair and carried to Commandery Prince Qingâs Mansion to suppress the scandal.
As for Shao Caihuan, she had no intention to get married these days. She told her mother that she didnât care what others said, nor did she want to marry anyone. She would rather live a lonely life.
Third Madam could do nothing but return to her courtyard to cry. Neither her eldest daughter nor second daughter could marry out. After all, all the girls in Marquis Xingâs Mansion had lost their reputations. On thinking that it was Old Madamâs fault, Third Madam couldnât help gnashing her teeth with hatred in her heart.
âIf it werenât for that old woman, my two daughters wouldnât have ended up like this!â
Shao Yanru was in the Palace, Shao Wanru had married into Prince Chenâs Mansion, and Shao Jieâer had just entered Commandery Prince Qingâs Mansion. For a time, Marquis Xingâs Mansion, which had been in constant disputes, became peaceful now. It was said that Old Madam fell ill again. Her new granddaughter-in-law was said to be a virtuous woman. She would go to take care of Old Madam as long as she was free.
Third Madam was also sick, and Fourth Miss served her every day!
The whole Marquis Xingâs Mansion became depressed. The servants who used to be self-righteous outside behaved themselves now and did not dare to have any ulterior motives.
There was nothing to be proud of in their mansion anymore!
A small sedan chair was carried out of Duke Yongâs Mansion through the back door, followed by a servant girl who was wiping the tears on her face with her head lowered.
After making several turns, the sedan chair entered a big mansion through the back door.
After the sedan chair went into the mansion, an old maid there stepped forward and greeted the person inside. âFirst Miss!â
The servant girl stepped forward and lifted the curtain, behind which Qin Yuru appeared. She got off with Mei Xueâs help.
Mei Xueâs face was swollen with red and the corner of her mouth was broken. However, Qin Yuru looked more miserable, with messy hair and swollen face with a bruise. It was obvious that she had been beaten. The makeup on her face was a mess, making her no longer as beautiful as before.
Her gloomy eyes full of hatred, Qin Yuru ignored the old maid and directly went inside with Mei Xueâs help.
She was about to meet Madam Di, the only one she could rely on.
The old maid stood up and looked at Qin Yuruâs back, secretly taunting her. âFirst Miss is becoming more and more disgraceful now. No wonder her husbandâs family taught her a lesson. It seems that she made trouble again. Messes come in succession to us! Who can bear to live such a life?
âNeither First Miss nor her husband is right!
âFortunately, our general has Madam Shui and Young Master. Otherwise, Generalâs Mansion would have fallen. In the past, General would take care of First Miss and his son-in-law, but now he just leaves them alone. Duke Yongâs Mansion once asked our mansion for help when it was in trouble last time, which, however, caused more trouble.
âDuke Yongâs Mansion is indeed not a good family!â
âFirst⊠First MissâŠâ When Qin Yuru walked inside gnashing her teeth, a surprised voice stopped her. She combed her hair back and then saw a beautiful servant girl. Qin Yuru didnât recognize her, so she just looked at her coldly.
âFirst Miss, I am Qing Xue. Do you not remember me?â Qing Xue was excited and looked at Qin Yuru with red eyes.
âWhy are you here?â Qin Yuru asked. She remembered Qing Xue was Madam Diâs servant girl. She looked around to be sure that they were in the garden, but Qing Xue didnât dress like a first-class servant girl.
Qin Yuru rarely went home. If she did, she came back because she had a quarrel with her husbandâs family. Moreover, she would be sent or invited back to Duke Yongâs Mansion soon. That was why she paid little attention to the affairs in her parentsâ home, let alone Madam Di. She didnât even notice the change in Madam Diâs servants.
âI⊠I live here now!â Qing Xue lowered her head and murmured.
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.