Chapter 3: Forcing Her Way into the Mansion

  Although she had heard his voice many times before, Mei was still drunk this time without exception. She closed her eyes and almost forgot where she was.

  He listened to him saying that there was indeed something going on, and the other beauties followed his gaze in the distance, only then did they see Chen Changqing's convoy.

  Another handsome young man sat on the tree, respectfully taking over the jade cup handed over by the adult, "Sir, do you think those guards will be foolish enough to bring Huajie Miss back to the capital to move so-called reinforcements?"

  "Those people have already been persuaded, and escorting Miss Hua Qi is no longer in question. There's no need to say 'what if'." Lord Ban Wo still sounded lazy, but his tone was affirmative.

  The young man was somewhat skeptical, Chu Mingqiu's personal bodyguard couldn't possibly be led away by a little girl's words, but in the next instant, the carriage had already moved, and then six riders had sped towards the capital.

  The young man exclaimed, "Ah, the adults were right after all. They have returned to Beijing. Adults, should we chase after them to see what happens in the end?"

  The old man didn't make a sound, and just when everyone thought he had fallen asleep, he suddenly said in a low voice: "This Seventh Miss has some meaning, she can't be sent away like this."

  The young man was silent. Every time the national teacher said someone was interesting, it was that person's unlucky time. Poor Miss Hua, you are already shining with bad luck.

  In the Da Cheng Garden of the Wu Guo Gong Fu, Madame Gu was talking with He Shi from the second house and Qin Shi from the third house.

  "Eldest Sister, you've made a big splash this time! Sending Seventh Young Lady to the North Sea and gaining merit in front of the Empress Dowager is no small feat. Not to mention the rewards, just the fact that the Emperor has promised to find a good position for Chang Rui and marry Ruoyun off to a good family is already a huge gain. What wonderful news!" He Shi's face was pointed and her lips were thin, but when speaking words of flattery, she seemed quite pleased with herself.

  Qin Shi also smiled and echoed: "If Yun has always been proud and arrogant, her vision is also very high. She doesn't think much of ordinary noble sons. Now that she has the emperor's permission, it seems that all the princes in the capital can be chosen by her. When the time comes, she chooses a satisfactory one, and we should follow suit and bask in her glory."

  Mr. Gu sipped his tea, his face stern but the corners of his eyebrows and eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of joy, "Look at what you're saying, these words can't be let the younger ones hear, if they become spoiled because of this, wouldn't that be a loss? No matter what, everything must follow rules, it can't be because of the emperor's promise that they forget their place."

  He and Qin hastily smiled and said yes yes yes.

  Several people were talking about what the emperor would let Gu Shizi's second son, Hua Changrui, do when a servant woman suddenly rushed in frantically and shouted, "Madam, something's wrong..."

  "Mother Zhou stopped her abruptly, 'What's all the commotion about? Do you think this is a vegetable market?'"

  The old woman hastily performed a curtsy and then exclaimed in alarm: "Milady, you'd better go outside and take a look. Seventh Young Miss has returned."

  Everyone was shocked and stood up, "What? Hua Zhe Yu is back?"

  Gu's family was even more surprised, "She shouldn't be on her way to Beiming now? At this time, she should also be resting at Hengdian, why did she come back?"

  The old woman shook her head, "I don't know either, I only heard the seventh young lady say that she encountered bandits halfway and all the officials and soldiers were killed. She barely managed to escape."

  Several people were shocked and hastily got up to go to the hall.

  In front of the courtyard, Chen Changqing sent Qingya back and assigned two people to guard her before hastily leaving with others to get reinforcements.

  Qing Ya had never seen such a luxurious mansion outside of TV scenes before. Not to mention the decorations, just the courtyard that went on and on, the vast area it occupied, and the numerous servants running back and forth, already exceeded her imagination. Isn't it said that every inch of land in the capital is worth its weight in gold? If one doesn't have a big enough appetite, they can't even finish a whole cow's head, just how powerful was the Huahua family here?

  No matter how surprised she was, she sat calmly in the hall waiting for the master of the Huajia to come and negotiate - if things didn't go well, it would be difficult to stay at the Huajia afterwards.

  Soon after, the sound of footsteps came from outside the house, elegant and refined. Oh no, now it's raining flowers, she hurriedly rubbed her eyes and squeezed out two tears to make a good show.

  "My goodness, the person has indeed returned, and still looks like this. Niece, what on earth is going on?" Mrs. He exclaimed as soon as she entered the door, covering her mouth in shock.

  Wiping away tears, she rose to her feet and curtsied, then sobbed: "Just after leaving the capital, we encountered an ambush of assassins. Many people were killed. My niece barely escaped with her life. With nowhere else to go, she had no choice but to return..."

  Her words were desolate and mournful, evoking sympathy from all who heard her. Since ancient times, it has been said that a married-out daughter is like spilled water, and once a daughter is married off, there's no reason for her to return halfway, lest she be ridiculed by others. Yet, having suffered this hardship, what she thought of first was still the family's reputation; if not for being utterly helpless, it's likely that she wouldn't have returned to shame the Zhao family either.

  Third Madame Qin said with some sympathy: "As long as you can bring back one life, that's good enough. Don't think about the rest for now. Wait until your father comes back, he'll take care of it..."

  She had not finished speaking, when Gu's face lengthened and he said sternly: "You are going to change the medicine for the Empress Dowager, with a great responsibility on your shoulders. How can you return halfway like this? What do you want to do with our Hua family's reputation? Come, help Miss Qi pack up and send her to the Ministry of Rites to be arranged!"

  Qin was rebuked by her, and she said with some embarrassment: "Elder sister, my niece has just been frightened, and you are going to send her to the Ministry of Rites for punishment. Isn't that a bit inhumane? Moreover, we don't know what happened yet. What if she encounters another assassin..."

  Madam Gu gave her a cold glance, and Madam Qin immediately shut up. In this mansion, everyone had to live under the nose of the national duke's wife; if one spoke too much, they would become enemies instead.

  She knew that the hostess was a cold and formidable person, often taking out the ancestral family rules to suppress everyone in the house. As an orphan without parents, she was even more suppressed. Whatever she said was like a holy edict, never to be disobeyed, and no matter how much others tried to persuade her, it was all in vain.

  But if I'm driven out now, where will I have a good show in the future?

  She suddenly raised her tearful eyes and pointed to the two guards left by Chen Changqing, "Just now when my daughter was in trouble, it was the Fourth Prince who saved my daughter. He also sent two people to have my daughter wait for his news at the mansion. Everything will be arranged by him. If my daughter goes to the Ministry of Rites now, I'm afraid it will conflict with the Fourth Prince's arrangements..."

  Gu's gaze sank, looking at the two of them, "Are you people of the Fourth Prince?"

  Those two guards stared blankly at Hua Zhe Yu and hastily said: "Yes, but..."

  "But the Fourth Prince will be here soon, and my daughter is really exhausted now. Mother will let her go in first, if there's anything to say, wait until the Fourth Prince arrives." Hua Zheyu interrupted the two guards, preventing them from exposing her lie.

  "It's impossible, how could the Fourth Prince possibly come to rescue you? You must be lying!" Along with this shout, a 14 or 15-year-old girl with elegant eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes walked out, glaring. She was none other than Gu's biological daughter, Hua Ruo Meng.

  Hua Zhe Yu lowered her head and twisted her fingers, "The Fourth Prince saved me for a reason, why must Eighth Sister be so agitated?"

  Flowers are like dreams, full of contempt. "Are you still daydreaming until now? When you go to the North Sea, the Fourth Prince will come to propose to me. He truly likes me, how could he go rescue you for no reason? You're just slapping gold on your own face!"

  Flowers in the rain pretended to be stunned by the sudden news and couldn't speak for half a day.

  "Mind your words!" Gu scanned Hua Ruo Meng with a glance, then coldly stared at Hua Zhe Yu, "Since the Fourth Prince has other arrangements, you may go in first. I will ask him for clarification when he arrives."

  It turns out that Chu Mingqiu's true intention for breaking off the engagement with the original host was not only to please the Empress Dowager, but also to marry Hua Ruomeng. He really is a man who can kill two birds with one stone and achieve a double happiness. Hua Yuru sighed at the original host...

  Living a miserable life, she also clearly understood what Gu meant by "asking clearly". Wasn't it just that she was afraid that Chu Mingqiu would still entangle herself with her? She was obviously trying to investigate Chu Mingqiu's motives and then weigh the pros and cons.

  But no matter what, Chu Mingqiu had already locked himself in his own cage, and he would never be able to do as he pleased!

  But what follows will definitely not be performed according to his script.

  She wiped away her tears with a nervous look, turned to the two guards and said: "You just wait for the fourth prince ahead, if he comes, tell him I asked him, whether or not he will go see me off, I still don't know how to answer, ask him if he can give me an answer."

  Those two guards were confused by her rhetorical question and really didn't know what she meant.

  Before they could react, Hua Yu had already followed someone back to Jingting Garden.