Chapter 5 Drag Him Down

  Early in the morning, Hua Ruoyu pestered Gu Shi into asking the Fourth Prince how he planned to deal with Hua Zheyu.

  Gu's family was also waiting for news from Chu Mingqiu, after a sleepless night, they were about to send someone to the Fourth Prince's mansion to ask, when suddenly there was a report from outside that the Fourth Prince had brought Gao Daren from the Ministry of Rites and many officers and soldiers to escort Hua Zheyu to Beiming.

  Gu's family and Hua Ruomeng were overjoyed when they heard the news. When they rushed to the front yard, they indeed saw more than a hundred officers and soldiers guarding the place, with many servants whispering to each other.

  "Madam, the carriage that sent off relatives yesterday broke down halfway. Today, the emperor himself will send Seventh Miss to Beiming. I wonder if Madam can call out Flower Seventh Miss now?" Chu Mingqiu's eyes had dark circles under them, clearly having not rested well all night.

  But despite this, in Hua Ruoyan's eyes, he was still incomparably handsome. She couldn't help but speak on her mother's behalf, "This matter has troubled Your Highness, we will immediately send someone to the backyard to summon Seventh Sister, and it won't delay the wedding procession." That plague god was finally going to be sent away, the man in front of her, would soon become her fiancé, and she had gotten what she wanted.

  Chu Mingqiu nodded, just about to speak, when the two guards who had been guarding Hua Zheyu came over and whispered something in his ear. Chu Mingqiu was taken aback at first, then a hint of suppressed anger flashed across his face. What did Hua Zheyu mean by passing on that message? Was she implying that there was still something between them? Or was there some deeper meaning behind it?

  He scowled with anger and was hard to calm down. Gu's family also noticed something was wrong, and immediately ordered someone to invite Hua Zhe Yu.

  "Wait!" Chu Mingqiu suddenly said.

  "Your Highness, what's going on?" Gu asked with a frown.

  "Then this palace will personally go and invite them."

  He said and took more than 20 guards directly to the inner courtyard, Gu's family didn't say anything, Hua Ruo Meng was excited, "It seems that the servant girl's words angered the fourth prince, the fourth prince wants to deal with her first before sending her on her way, mother, let's go take a look together."

  At this time, everyone in the house came out and saw Chu Mingqiu making such a big fuss to invite Hua Zheyu. They knew that there would be excitement to watch, so they all moved their steps to Jingting Garden.

  In the quiet courtyard, Hua Zheyu had a good night's sleep after getting wet in the rain. She got up early and called Qiner to help her get dressed. After washing up, except for a few rough maidservants, there was still no sign of Chun Tao and Shanhu in the yard. Hua Zheyu didn't mind, they didn't want to be slaves here, she would never let them become slaves.

  "By the way, Qin'er, has Yu Ru come back?" She suddenly remembered what happened when she parted with Yu Ru yesterday and asked.

  Qin'er shook her head, "Neither Xiangyao nor Fang'gu have returned. I was just about to ask Miss yesterday, but saw that she was fast asleep and didn't get a chance to ask. Where did they go?"

  The tragic scene of yesterday seemed to reappear before my eyes, and I choked back tears of sorrow, anger and hatred, looking down calmly and saying: "Fang Gu has died saving me."

  "What? Dead?" Qiner was stunned, silent for half a day, seemingly disbelieving the news.

  "Do you know if there's anyone else at Fang Jie's home?"

  Qin'er came to her senses and hastily said, "There is, there's also a daughter who lives in the capital. However, I've heard that she's not in good health. Although they're married, their days are not easy to get by. Most of Fang'gu's monthly allowance..."

  She suddenly stopped here, somewhat flustered and said: "Miss, I didn't mean anything else."

  Hua Zhe Yu shook her head, "I know you're a kind-hearted girl who knows how to care for others. Fang Gu has met with an accident now, and when she turns back, she'll have to find someone to report the news..."

  Just as she was saying that, footsteps suddenly came from outside, and when she turned her head to look, it was Coral who came in with a lucky and mischievous expression.

  "Miss, the Fourth Prince is coming. I heard he's going to personally escort you to Beiming. Do you want to get ready?" Yesterday, she was subjected to his intimidation, and Shanhuo was still fuming with anger all night. She didn't expect the Fourth Prince to come and take her away so early in the morning. Just now, he clearly had a furious expression on his face. Even if Seventh Miss is going to Beiming, she'll probably have to suffer some physical punishment first before being sent there. How will she still dare to be arrogant in front of him? Doesn't she know who she is? She's just a lowly woman born from a concubine, a disposable child who can be discarded by the Huahua family at any time for wealth and status.

  She thought she could regain some of the ground she lost yesterday by coming here first and mocking others.

  The rain stopped, and she sat down leisurely. "I'm thirsty now, Shanhu, go get me a cup of hot tea."

  Shanhu was taken aback. How dare Seventh Miss order her to go pour tea for her? In the past, even if she had ten times more courage, she wouldn't have dared to do so unless she wanted to!

  "Miss, I said the fourth prince has arrived, you should..."

  "I should still have a slave to point and gesture, this thought of drinking a mouthful of water, I'm afraid even if my mouth is dry, I won't be able to drink it. I don't know if all the slaves under heaven are like this? Is it that our great dynasty's laws allow slaves to do as they please in front of their masters?" Hua Zhe said lightly.

  Coral was stunned again, it was this expression that made her feel like she was being suffocated. She swallowed hard and was about to make excuses when a stern male voice came from outside the door, "Hua Zhe Yu, what do you mean by this?"

  Hua Zhe Yu turned her head to see Chu Ming Qiu leading more than 20 guards into the courtyard, with many masters and servants following behind, peeking from outside the gate, enough to feel everyone's excitement.

  She smiled slightly and ignored Coral, standing up to pay her respects to Chu Mingqiu: "I thought Your Highness wouldn't mind, but I didn't expect it to be so grand, Your Highness is indeed open-minded and unafraid of being criticized by others."

  "What do I have to be criticized for?" Chu Mingqiu narrowed his eyes, enunciating each word: "Hua Zhe Yu, you're getting bolder and bolder. Yesterday, you mentioned some nonsensical special envoy, and deceived Chen Changqing into sending you back to the mansion. What else are you not daring to do?"

  Hua Zhe Yu suddenly looked shy, twisting her fingers and said: "What did the prince say? Special envoy? What special envoy? I don't understand what he's talking about. Besides, Chen Changqing is the prince's personal guard, they're all clever people, how could they be deceived by a weak and timid woman like me? It's clear that the prince is making excuses, it's clear that the prince ordered them to send me back, it's clear that the prince can't bear to part with me..."

  Chu Mingqiu's face changed greatly, and he shouted: "Enough! What exactly do you want to do?"

  As she lifted her bright eyes to meet his gaze, her clear pupils shone like crystal beads, seemingly transparent yet mysterious, like the moonlight veiled by thin fog, unclear yet clear. Chu Mingqiu's body trembled at the sight, for he had never known that Hua Zheyu possessed such a captivating and heart-stirring gaze. In his memory, she was always timid and weak, a pitiful creature who could be bullied by anyone.

  "I really don't like seeing Your Highness with a scowl on your face." Hua Zhe Yu slowly walked closer to Chu Ming Qiu, a unique fragrance of a young girl uncontrollably wafted into his nostrils, and to his surprise, Chu Ming Qiu didn't dodge. Hua Zhe Yu whispered in an extremely low voice, almost like an ear whisper: "If Your Highness insists on sending me to Bei Ming, then I can only say that those assassins were actually sent by you, because you couldn't bear to part with me and also wanted to please the Empress Dowager, so you came up with this plan for a win-win situation..."

  Chu Mingqiu pursed her thin lips, her eyes deep and solemn, but in her heart she was shocked and outraged. If yesterday's caution had been a small precaution to prevent accidents, then in her eyes it had become a mistake that gave others a handle on her. The so-called special envoy, the words that incited Chen Changqing, were all part of her cunning plan, thinking three steps ahead with each move. And such a goal, in the end, was actually to drag herself into trouble, in order to achieve her aim of not having to marry the King of Beiming!

  Unexpectedly, he almost heard the sound of his own teeth grinding, "Don't play tricks on me, tell me your purpose!" He still didn't give up, hoping that this woman was an occasional clever fool.

  She smiled slightly and said, "I just don't want to go to Beiming."

  “?...

  "This is an imperial decree!" Her words proved that his wish was a luxury, and he had to grit his teeth for the final dying struggle.

  After the rain, she still looked out of the courtyard with a shy expression, stretching her neck to wait for Chu Mingqiu to deal with the person who had treated her with the most ruthless and poisonous means. She said softly: "That's the master's business."

  Her appearance was as if she were bidding farewell to him. Chu Mingqiu's face turned iron-green, staring at Hua Zheyu's eyes almost spitting out fire, but Hua Zheyu lowered her head and met his gaze with the top of her head. She believed that he was now furious, because her words had hit the nail on the head. As the fourth prince, Chu Mingqiu still hadn't been granted a kingdom, probably not having won the favor of Emperor Baoxing. If so, any rumors would make Emperor Baoxing suspicious. Such suspicion would be a fatal blow to Chu Mingqiu, who had just achieved merit with this matter.

  How can he not dive in?