by N/A
From the moment Grand Empress Dowager agreed to Du Xiao Li taking her pulse until now, she's not spoken a word, only calmly observing Du Xiao Li, watching her and Meng Old Madam, as well as Meng Gu, discuss her condition. Seeing her confident look, she can't help but slightly nodded her head.
"Second sister, since you can't smell osmanthus flowers, then you can't live here." Meng Old Madam said.
Everyone in the palace all know, Grand Empress Dowager very much likes osmanthus flowers and planted many osmanthus flower trees in her palace. Furthermore, for the sake of winning her favor, nearly every flower garden in the imperial palace all had osmanthus flower trees.
"Master, how about moving to the estate outside the city?" Meng Gu said, but before anyone could say anything, she herself rejected this idea, "Won't do, that estate also has many osmanthus flower trees."
"Knowing that second sister likes osmanthus flowers, the estates outside the city, regardless of which one, nearly all have osmanthus flowers growing. Right now is precisely the period for osmanthus flowers to bloom. Where can we go to find a place without osmanthus flowers?" Meng Old Madam said.
Ch. 071.3 – Infected with Gu (3)
Infected with Gu (3)
"How about have the osmanthus flower trees chopped down?" Meng Gu suggested.
"Those osmanthus flower trees have all been planted for several years now. If we really were to chop them down, this grieving one would feel reluctant as well." Grand Empress Dowager said.
Grand Empress Dowager liking osmanthus flowers was well known in the few countries. Even people in other countries all know she likes osmanthus flowers. That's why, in the last few decades, everyone all liked planting osmanthus flowers. This osmanthus flower can nearly be considered the national flower.
That's why right now, wanting to find a place without osmanthus flower was very difficult. Furthermore, Grand Empress Dowager's identity was special and was going for her illness, thus they definitely can't make any noise. Additionally, they can't just randomly find a place either.
"Girl, I heard Jiang Zhuo say you have an estate outside the city, and that place is planted full of fruit trees. That place of yours doesn't have osmanthus flowers, right?"
"En, doesn't have." Du Xiao Li replied.
"Second sister, I heard Jiang Zhuo come back and praise this girl's estate endlessly. How about you go stay there for a few days? It just so happens I'm also rather interested in that place, so I'll go together with you." Meng Old Madam said.
"En, since you're strongly recommending like this, then we sisters will go stay at the estate for a few days."
"Then let's go tomorrow." Meng Old Madam turned and looked to Du Xiao Li, asking: "It's not a problem, right?"
Du Xiao Li looked at how both Meng Old Madam and Grand Empress Dowager were looking at her and inwardly muttered to herself. Since you both already decided, what else can she say? She could only nod her head and say, "For Grand Empress Dowager to be able to come to this subject's estate is this subject's honor."
"Anyways, tonight's banquet is about to start, right? Xiao Li and I will head over first." Meng Old Madam got up and said.
"Alright, you all go then. This grieving one will rest a bit and then go." Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand and said.
"This subject bids farewell."
"This younger sister bids farewell."
After the two finished bowing, a servant girl lead them out.
"Master, are we really going to Du Xiao Li's estate to stay?" After Du Xiao Li left, Meng Gu raised the question.
"Go, since third sister trusts her and likes her that much, then that child must be quite exceptional. I heard she even made Meng Wei Reng take that girl as an adopted daughter! Although she grew up in the wilderness, perhaps precisely because of this experience, her eyes lack that arrogance and willfulness that those official family young ladies have, and have more a steadiness to her." Grand Empress Dowager said, then recalled the two that were still in the courtyard. Her two eyes narrowed, "Those two, although their lives are spared, we still need to teach them a lesson."
"Yes, this servant understands." Meng Gu replied, "Master, I'll attend to your hair and clothes first. The banquet is about to start soon......"
Du Xiao Li followed Meng Old Madam out of the forbidden palace. Along the way, they didn't see anyone. The vast palace hall really just had Grand Empress Dowager, Meng Gu, and two other maids, making the place appear incomparably cold.
"Grandma Meng, this palace doesn't even have any guards. What if bad guys intrude?" Du Xiao Li asked.
"If there are really that kind of evildoers, then they're just looking for death." Meng Old Madam's spirit right now was quite good. This was all thanks to Du Xiao Li's care towards her.
"Ah?"
Seeing Du Xiao Li react like this, Meng Old Madam chuckled, "Although the entire palace only has three maids, each and every one of them are all highly skilled martial artists, especially Meng Gu. When she was young, she was already an expert martial artist in wulin, and now don't know to what level her martial arts have improved."
Du Xiao Li also felt that Meng Gu's martial arts were profound and mysterious. With her around, even if she can't capture the evildoers, she can still hold off until the imperial guards arrive.
Exiting the forbidden palace, Du Xiao Li saw the two personal servant girls that normally served Meng Old Madam. Turns out, aside from Meng Old Madam, no one else is allowed to enter. Thinking back to how she managed to keep her little life intact today, she can't help but rejoice. Thank goodness Meng Old Madam was there today.
While Du Xiao Li and Meng Old Madam were slowly heading towards the banquet area, Du Old Madam and Chen Old Madam, as well as the two family's womenfolk, were pacing back and forth in the resting palace hall, deeply worried.
"Old madam, madam." A servant girl entered from outside, anxiously shouting.
"How was it? Did you find them?" Zhong Mei Qing hurried walked up and asked.
"No, can't find second miss and Miss Chen anywhere." Lu'er ran in to the palace hall, gasping for breath, "Madam, what to do? The banquet is about to start. The others have already gone to the palace where the banquet is being held. If we still can't find miss, what will we do!"
"When Ke Xin and Chen Yue were leaving, did they say where they were going?" Zhong Mei Qing glared at Lu'er and asked.
"M-miss, they....." Lu'er was frightened by Zhong Mei Qing's appearance and subconsciously retreated backwards, unable to speak.
"Quickly talk, your miss went out, yet you all didn't go together with them. Now you come and say you can't find miss, do you all want to get sold to those lowly places? Quickly say where your miss went?" Zhong Mei Qing roared.
The Chen family was also questioning Chen Yue's servant girl. The two servant girl knelt down at once in fear, "Madam have mercy, it was miss that didn't let this servant follow."
"Where did they go?" Zhong Mei Qing asked with a cold look.
"M-miss, they went to the osmanthus flower forest in the forbidden palace." Chen Yue's servant girl couldn't bear the pressure in the room and instantly confessed.
"Forbidden palace? Why did they go to the forbidden palace? Don't they know that the people who trespass the forbidden palace all will get beheaded?!"
"M-miss said she wanted to go to the osmanthus flower forest to pick osmanthus flowers, tha-that's why she went. Even told us to not follow her." Lu'er tremblingly said.
"Madam Du, what should we do?!" As soon as Madam Chen heard Chen Yue followed Du Ke Xin to the forbidden palace, she almost fainted.
"We can only go to look for the Empress Dowager now." Zhong Mei Qing said, "I'll go find her and let her plead to the Emperor to spare those two girls' lives!"
"Asking Madam Du to save our family's Chen Yue." Madam Chen nearly knelt down before Zhong Mei Qing.
"Madam Chen don't worry, I'll definitely do my best." Zhong Mei Qing said and then said to Du Old Madam, "Mother, you all head to the front for the ban
quet, this daughter-in-law will go look for the Empress Dowager right away."
"I'm coming with you." Madam Chen said.
Zhong Mei Qing nodded. The two thus hastily rushed towards the Empress Dowager's palace with the servant girls. Soon after, Du Old Madam and Chen Old Madam also left the place, heading to the place where the banquet was held.
Ch. 071.4 – Infected with Gu (4)
Infected with Gu (4)
T/N: Chapter sponsored by lamekin, Anon, Gilly, and Mochakat9! Thank you for sponsoring!
Zhong Mei Qing and Madam Chen headed to the Empress Dowager's palace together. The Empress Dowager had finished tidying up and was just planning on heading to the banquet. Before even stepping out, she already saw her own younger sister and Madam Chen urgently walking over.
"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, help!" Zhong Mei Qing knelt down and grabbed the Empress Dowager's hand at once, shouting.
"What is this?" The Empress Dowager was startled, asking in surprise.
"Elder sister, elder sister, save Xin'er, please save Xin'er." Zhong Mei Qing instantly started crying.
"Xin'er? What happened to Xin'er?" The Empress Dowager asked, wanting to pull up her younger sister, yet the other party was unwilling to get up.
"Elder sister, in the afternoon, Xin'er said she wanted to go outside for a stroll with Chen Yue, thus headed out with some servant girls. But seeing as the banquet is about to start, yet still didn't see them come back, so I sent someone to go find them, only to find their servant girls. Soon after, we had all the palace that can be searched all searched, but still didn't find them. Afterwards, the servant girls finally said, they'd gone to the forbidden palace. Trespassing into the forbidden palace, that is a crime punishable by beheading! Elder sister, I beg of you, please save Xin'er." Zhong Mei Qing cried her eyes out, as she explained.
"The forbidden palace!? Why did they run to the forbidden palace?! That place, aside from the Emperor, no one else can enter without permission. Even this grieving one doesn't have that power! They actually dared to go there, they don't want their little lives anymore?!" The Empress Dowager heard Zhong Mei Qing's words and immediately berated.
"Elder sister, I don't know what to do right now either. Right now, in the entire imperial palace, aside from the Grand Empress Dowager, only your position is the highest. I beg of you, please save Xin'er! If anything happens to Xin'er, how can I live!?" Zhong Mei Qing tearfully lamented.
"Alright, you all get up first. Crying like this in front of this many people!" The Empress Dowager said, "Since it's like this, we can only go look for the Emperor now. Right now, the banquet is about to start, the Emperor should on the way to the banquet. Xi mama, go and have the Emperor invited over, just say this grieving one is looking for him. Have to move quick, if the Emperor has already reached the banquet, then we'll be too late."
"Yes." An old mama by the Empress Dowager's side, after hearing the order, quickly left. It was obvious she also knew martial arts.
"Alright, help the two madams inside to redo their make up. This appearance right now really is ugly to death!"
"Yes, Empress Dowager." The two servant girls walked out from behind, coming before Zhong Mei Qing and Madam Chen, "Madam, please."
"Thank you, elder sister." Zhong Mei Qing gratefully said as she got up, using her handkerchief to wipe her tears.
"Xin'er, I watched grow up. How can I bear to watch her go die. Alright, go in first. Later, if you lose your bearings in front the Emperor, then it won't be good." The Empress Dowager said.
"Yes." Zhong Mei Qing and Madam Chen curtsied, before finally following the servant girls inside.
A moment later, Zhong Mei Qing and them already finished reapplying their make up. Coming out to the main hall, they heard the Emperor's voice, "Imperial mother, you urgently called this emperor here, did something happen?"
"Yes, this grieving one has something to ask of the Emperor." The Empress Dowager said.
"Imperial mother please speak."
"It's like this......" The Empress Dowager had Du Ke Xin's matter explained, and in the end, requested, "That's why, this grieving one wants to ask the Emperor to spare those two girls' lives, asking the Grand Empress Dowager for forgiveness."
"Why did they go to the forbidden palace?" The Emperor said with a frown, "If they get discovered by grandmother, then even this emperor can't save them. Besides, are you certain they entered the forbidden palace?"
Zhong Mei Qing and them were brought into the main hall by the servant girls. After bowing to the Empress Dowager and Emperor, she said, "At the time, the servant girls they brought were guarding at the entrance the whole time, from when they entered to until now, they haven't come out."
"This emperor knows that imperial mother has always liked Ke Xin. Since that's the case, then this emperor will help imperial mother." The Emperor said, "Xiao Danzi, go inform the front, tonight's banquet will start a little later."
"Yes, this servant will go right away." Eunuch Dan received the order and left.
"Right now, let's quickly head over then." The Emperor said as he stood up and headed outside. The Empress Dowager and Zhong Mei Qing's group quickly followed after.
Arriving at the osmanthus flower forest, the Emperor saw the servant girl guarding at the entrance and asked, "Are they still inside?"
"Greetings Emperor, Empress Dowager!" That servant girl instantly knelt to the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably, "Reply-replying to your Majesty, miss is still insides, and hasn't come out yet."
"Then this emperor will go in first for a look." Han Ming Ze said and entered from the Plum Blossom Entrance. Standing in place, he closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding for a moment, before directly heading towards the hundred year old osmanthus flower tree. As expected, in front of the osmanthus flower tree, he found Du Ke Xin and them, just their appearances made him somewhat want to laugh.
------Because the two of them already weren't sitting on the ground anymore, but rather, hanging from the tree branch!
"Your Majesty." Meng Gu suddenly appeared before the Emperor.
"Meng Gu, Is imperial grandmother's body still well?" Seeing Meng Gu appear here, the Emperor thus knew that the Grand Empress Dowager already knew about this matter. And now, things will be difficult.
"More or less the same as before." Meng Gu coldly replied. "Master has ordered, tonight is the mid-autumn festival, Prime Minister Du is our Feng Ming's meritorious official, this time, she'll spare their lives, hanging them on the tree as punishment. However, need for everyone to all come before letting them down."
"Everyone?" Han Ming Ze still haven't asked who everyone was referring, when he saw the Empress Dowager and Zhong Mei Qing's group entering.
"The Grand Empress Dowager has ordered, next time, if anyone dares trespass the forbidden palace again, killed without question!" Meng Gu finished saying, and then quickly disappeared before everyone.
"Such quick qinggong!" The Emperor watched Meng Gu seemingly leave in a blink of an eye, exclaiming in admiration. Soon after, he said to the others, "Imperial grandmother said, today is the mid-autumn festival, thus will spare their lives, having only hung them on the tree as punishment. Right now, go and have them let down."
"Thanking Grand Empress Dowager's grace for not killing." Zhong Mei Qing said, and then turned to the servant girl behind her, "Still not quickly going to let your miss down?"
"Yes, madam." Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue's personal servant girl walked forward, wanting to have their own miss let down, but before their hands even touched them, Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue woke up.
As soon as they woke up, they saw that they were suspended in a high place and instantly panicked. Their bodies instinctively moved a few times as they shouted, "Help!"
The branch that they were hanging was already very thin, and having been hung for that long, it already had signs of breaking. Now, getting jolted by the two of them, the branch sounded with a 'kacha' and snapped. The two directly fell to the
ground from the tree.
"Aiyooo-----"
"Ah-----"
Ch. 071.5 – Infected with Gu (5)
Infected with Gu (5)
"Miss, are you okay?" Lu'er and Chen Yue's servant girl quickly went forward to help their respective miss. The two servant girl's position just happened to have blocked their line of sight, letting them think that there was no one else around.
"Of course, I'm not okay. Why don't you try falling down from this high of a place?" Du Ke Xin roared, rubbing her own belly as she said, "Where is Du Xiao Li that slut? It definitely must have been her that had Chen Yue and I knocked out and hung here. That dead brat, watch how I'm going to sort her out! I'll definitely have her.........mother? E-Emperor? Empress Dowager?"
Du Ke Xin said as she stood up, just now seeing the people standing to the side. Despite having just gotten up, the two immediately knelt down again, saying: "This subject greets your Majesty and your Highness, Empress Dowager."
Du Ke Xin's words, everyone all heard. They who were well acquainted with the battles of the rear court naturally all guessed the truth of the matter. The Empress Dowager and the two madam's expressions all became unsightly.
"What, Du Xiao Li was also together with you?" Han Ming Ze said.
"Third, third sister she......." Du Ke Xin looked to the Emperor's vaguely smiling expression, thinking to herself that even if she has to die, she'll still drag Du Xiao Li down as a scapegoat. "Third sister did enter together with us."
"Then where is she?" Han Ming Ze looked around, not seeing anyone else's shadow.
"It definitely must have been her that knocked out Chen Yue and I, and then hung us on this three. When we were playing in the courtyard, we encountered third sister. She said she'd heard that this place's osmanthus flowers were the best, and the blossoms the most fragrant, and wanted to come here to pick osmanthus flowers, insisting on dragging Chen Yue and I over together with her. We tried to dissuade her, but she not only wouldn't listen, she even forcibly had us dragged in. Afterwards, we just lost consciousness. When we woke up, we were already hanging on the tree. Your Majesty, we really didn't intentionally want to intrude the forbidden palace, asking your Majesty to please forgive us! Spare this subject this time!" Du Ke Xin spoke in a tearful voice, as she recounted having acted against her will, each word all saying this was Du Xiao Li's scheme.