Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C013

This was why Wushuang thought Xiaohong was clever.

For some things, this little girl almost understood them without being told, while Meifang, who was also listening nearby, was still confused.

Of course, it was not that Wushuang despised Meifang. Meifang's loyalty to her was beyond doubt. It was the ironclad proof of two lifetimes, and no one could replace her.

Especially since Meifang was the person left to her by her great aunt. She was relieved to entrust anything to Meifang, but she was not necessarily relieved to entrust it to Xiaohong, after all, Xiaohong was too clever, and the time she had been with her was still short.

How would she put it? Wushuang knew that Xiaohong was willing to follow her largely because Xiaohong was smart and knew that she had no other choice. If there had been another way, Xiaohong might not have chosen to follow her.

That was the difference.

***

Seeing that Wushuang agreed, Xiaohong's heart finally settled down.

Wushuang didn't waste any time either, and instructed Meifang, "Go find Steward Chen to help. It's best to find an opportunity to put some medicine in Nanny Zhao's dinner tonight. After she's knocked out, take her away and temporarily lock her up in a place where no one knows. Then, make her living quarters look like she ran away on her own."

This was the best opportunity. When it rained, those who wanted to come could not, and those who wanted to leave could not. Therefore, tonight, when the rain was about to stop, was Nanny Zhao's best chance to "escape". Otherwise, if the Marquis's mansion sent someone tomorrow, she was afraid that she would not be able to leave even if she wanted to.

And Wushuang had gotten along with Meifang, and knew this servant girl's personality. The best way to order her to do something was to be clear. If you were clear, even if she did not understand, she would not ask more questions.

Indeed, after Wushuang finished speaking, Meifang did not ask why she wanted to do this, but nodded in agreement. Seeing that Wushuang had nothing else to tell her, she went downstairs, presumably to do this.

Leaving Xiaohong behind with her heart in turmoil.

After a while, Xiaohong looked at Wushuang with a complicated expression and said, "Actually, the best solution is not to lock her up, but to kill her and bury her somewhere, so that no one can find her."

Wushuang's body stiffened, and she sighed after a moment.

Her heart was soft after all!

It was true that a person's character, cultivated over decades, could not be changed overnight.

In fact, Xiaohong was right. This was the most permanent solution and would not cause any future troubles, because living people were the hardest to control. Moreover, she had too little help now. Apart from the two maidservants by her side, there was only Steward Chen, and Steward Chen's ability was also limited. Even if a person was hidden, they were likely to be found.

But that was a human life after all.

"Since you've made up your mind and done so much, you shouldn't be so soft-hearted. Otherwise, you'll only hurt yourself, those of us who follow you, and your great aunt who has worked so hard for you. If you continue to have this mindset, even if you return to that mansion, you won't be able to fight against that family."

Xiaohong's eyes sparkled with insight. No one would have thought that Xiaohong, who was so plain and young, would have such insight and such a decisive mind!

Mei Wushuang guessed that Xiaohong was definitely not just a maid, and that she had her own story.

Xiaohong seemed to see through her thoughts, and said with a slight pout, "This servant came to the capital to escape the famine. Miss has grown up in a wealthy family, so naturally you have never seen what it means to escape the famine. It can be said that the tragedies of the world are vividly displayed here. People eat their own children, and when those people are starving, they even eat people. Between their own lives and the lives of others, who would not let themselves live? Whoever does is a mortal enemy."

“This slave is a girl. Since I was little, I have always done the most work and eaten the least in my family. Even when I followed my family to escape the famine, I was treated the worst. When there was food, only the men in the family ate it. The girls ate grass roots and tree barks. When there was no food, the girls were traded for food."

“My sisters were all traded for food. I was the youngest, the thinnest, and the darkest. But I was also the smartest. I knew how to handle my most favored brother, so I was left behind."

"Since that's the case, it's still useless... I knew I had to find a way. I kept my eyes open and looked for someone who looked like a noble. I knelt down and begged her, saying nice things to coax her... This noble bought me with half a bag of coarse grains. Later, I found out that this noble was actually a slave trader who buys those that were fleeing from famines."

"I thought that even if she was a slave trader, she would at least let me eat my fill. Who knew that I would still be hungry and beaten... Later, I followed the slave trader all the way to the capital. I changed two masters before I was finally bought by the Marquis' mansion. Although I was beaten and bullied here, at least I didn't go hungry."

"I've grown up never believing in fate, because I know that fate is something you make for yourself. If I had resigned myself to fate, I would have died long ago on the road as a refugee. I wouldn't be standing here now, in front of you, Miss."

Xiaohong's words may have been heartfelt, but they were more of a gesture of submission.

Wushuang also knew that it was precisely these words that gave her countless feelings.

"You're right. A woman's kindness leaving things half-finished, is harming others and herself. But I still can't change it for a while." She laughed at herself.

After a while, she looked at Xiaohong: "Thank you for your words. If I can get through these difficult times, when you turn eighteen, I will let you go and give you some silver so that you can live your own life."

Xiaohong's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Wushuang nodded: "I have no need to lie to you."

Xiaohong also knew that the young lady had no need to lie to her, so she believed her. She looked at Wushuang with complicated emotions and said, "Alright, I'll return the favor. I'll take care of this matter for you."

She turned around and was about to walk out when Wushuang pulled her back.

“Miss?”

“You’re right,” Wushuang said, looking at her and gritting her teeth. Although she gritted her teeth, she couldn’t stop her lips from trembling. She tried hard to think about how Nanny Zhao usually acted as a tiger’s accomplice, and how she had forced her in her previous life, so that she could harden her heart.

“If I don’t change, even if I go back, I’ll only be swallowed alive by them and continue to repeat the same mistakes. This time, I’ll do it myself. Even if… I don’t do it myself, Bo Ren still died because of me*, so I’ll go and see her off.”

TN: a proverb from the Book of Jin

***

Meanwhile, in the main room of the small courtyard.

The thick curtains hung low, blocking out the light, and the entire room was shrouded in darkness. The gilded three-legged beast-head incense burner on the cabinet in the corner of the wall was puffing out smoke in large mouthfuls, and the fragrance floating in the air seemed to grow stronger.

Outside the bed curtains, Fusheng looked out the window at the fine, threadlike rain with a worried expression.

The rain would stop tonight or tomorrow, but if they wanted to wait until the road is a little drier so they could travel, they would have to wait until the day after tomorrow. However, the Master's medicine had already run out. Would he be able to hold on until the day after tomorrow?

Fusheng looked back at the bed curtains with worry, then went to the wardrobe and stirred the incense balls in the incense burner.

“Fusheng.”

"Master."

In the tent, the man rubbed his temples.

"Send someone to take care of that housekeeper granny tonight."

Fusheng's heart skipped a beat, and he understood at once.

Yes, the housekeeper granny searched everywhere but couldn't find the item. It could only be in Third Miss's hands. However, Third Miss is young and probably wouldn't have thought of it. Now that she had suppressed the people who came with her, once the rain stopped and someone from Marquis Changyang's mansion came,  there would definitely be more trouble.

But if the housekeeper granny was dealt with and made to look like she fled because of guilt, the situation would be completely different. At least it could divert attention and buy some time.

It would not take long. Once the master returned to the capital and the imperial edict of marriage from the palace arrived, even if the people of Changyang Marquis's mansion had more thoughts, they would not dare to bully the future Princess Consort of Wei.

"This servant understands. I will go do it now."

At that time, Wushuang didn't know that someone was already planning to do what she wanted to do.

After dark, she received a message from Meifang. She finally mustered up the courage to go and deal with Nanny Zhao herself, but she didn't expect to find nothing.

Meifang stuttered and could only gesture when she was anxious.

Wushuang understood her gestures. Meifang was saying that she had seen Steward Chen's wife put the medicine in, and she had also seen Nanny Zhao eat it and faint outside before she turned around and went back to tell Wushuang.

Where was she?

The three of them searched the room but couldn't find her.

Xiaohong was still attentive and discovered that Nanny Zhao's bundle was missing.

Could it be that Nanny Zhao ran away on her own? Or did she discover that she had been drugged, pretended to be unconscious, and then ran away while Meifang was gone?

This possibility was very high, otherwise there was no way to explain why Nanny Zhao had disappeared.

For a moment, Wushuang's face was very ugly.

Xiaohong's face was grave, and Meifang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"It's no use being anxious now," Wushuang said, wringing her hands. "She couldn't have run far in such a short time. Meifang, go find Steward Chen and have him follow the road to find her without alerting anyone. Xiaohong, go check the other servants' quarters and see if Nanny Zhao is hiding in someone else's room."

Meifang nodded and ran out.

Xiaohong also hurried out, but after taking two steps, she turned back to help Wushuang.

"Miss, you have a fever and can't help with anything. Why don't you go back to your room and rest? Meifang and I will let you know if there's any news."

Yes, Wushuang had a fever.

Xiaohong had previously advised Wushuang not to come, but she insisted on coming. She didn't expect such a thing to happen.

When she walked out, the cold wind outside made Wushuang feel even more dizzy. She didn't refuse and gestured for Xiaohong to go and do her business. She walked back along the path she had come from alone.

***

Nanny Zhao's residence was not far from Wushuang's.

However, she was a servant after all, and servants were not allowed to live in the main house or the east and west wing rooms, so the people who came from the Marquis' mansion initially lived in the back wing rooms.

Later, when the people from Marquis Huaiyin's mansion came to stay overnight, the small courtyard was not big enough. After getting permission from Nanny Zhao, Steward Chen moved the people from Marquis Huaiyin's mansion to the back wing room, and the servants from Marquis Changyang's mansion moved to the row of houses behind the back wing room.

This row of houses was at the very back of the entire residence, next to the kitchen and the storehouse. Because it was connected to the kitchen, this small courtyard was also connected to the back wing room in front, and to the two courtyards and the front courtyard.

Wushuang forgot about this. It was also dark. They didn’t want to attract attention, so they didn’t even take a lantern when they came out, only relying on the moonlight for brightness.

She wrapped her cloak and walked forward. Her head was dizzy and her mind was in chaos. She didn’t realize that she had gone in the wrong direction and walked to the small courtyard that had been lent to the Marquis of Huaiyin's mansion.

No one stopped her, and the small courtyard was unusually quiet.

Wushuang was unaware of this, and when she saw the steps, she went up them and walked all the way to the door of the main room. When she stepped inside, she realized that the door had not been closed, and she smelled a very familiar fragrance.

She then felt something was not quite right. Did she go to the wrong place?

But her head was dizzy. Even though her mind had reacted, her body had not yet reacted.

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around subconsciously and saw the person standing under the clear moonlight.

He was wearing black silk clothes. His top was half-open, revealing his fair but muscular chest. His long hair, like satin, cascaded down to his waist. It was probably because his hair had been tied up before, so it had a curved arc and was draped casually over his shoulders and chest.

His face, as if carved by a knife and chisel, was only half exposed. His eyebrows were raised like swords, his nose was high and straight, his eyes were narrow and slightly upturned, and his lips were thin and slightly red.

He stood there barefoot, like a god descending from heaven, but because of his bloodshot eyes, sinister gaze, and the long sword in his hand, he had a bit more bloodthirsty atmosphere.

Wushuang recognized him almost at a glance.

It was Emperor Qianwu.

No, it was Ji Yang!

She couldn't help but tremble, and she didn't know how she thought of that year.

That time, she and her mother-in-law, Chen shi, entered the Palace. Afterwards, someone intentionally led them to an unfamiliar palace. It was also there that she first saw Ji Yang having a seizure.

At that time, she was almost strangled to death by Ji Yang.