Chapter 42 A Major Event Is Imminent "I'm sorry, this matter is far too..."

"I'm sorry, this matter is too important to me. Zhuozhuo, please believe me, I will never hurt you."

"Zhuozhuo, you're so kind~"

The girl knelt by the pond, bending down to gently stroke the head of a red carp in the water.

But the red carp kept getting closer to her, so the girl followed suit and pressed her cheek against it.

This bizarre, otherworldly scene had already fallen into the eyes of the master and servant, one tall and one short, at the end of the stone path.

Chu Yixin clicked her tongue in amazement and exclaimed in surprise, "Could this Jiang girl really be the Red Carp Fairy descended to earth?"

He didn't say this on a whim.

The girl's appearance alone is unlike anything found in this mortal world.

Furthermore, their interaction was so bizarre that it was impossible to look away.

He glanced at his master, suppressing his excitement as he cautiously probed, "Master, is it true that you asked Xie Xiao to report to the Third Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan glanced at him with a chilling look. In the past, he would have shut up.

But even now, Chu Yixin, despite the terrifying pressure, whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, this is also Her Majesty's wish."

Consort Wan's last wish was that her master could find someone to share his life with, away from the court, to grow old together and live a simple life.

Chu Yixin looked somewhat enlightened. This wish, rather than being for her master, was more for herself.

However, the Empress could not fulfill this wish throughout her life, so she could only place this wish on her master.

Otherwise, given the master's qualities and ambition, how could he possibly be confined to such a lowly position?

Qi Fan naturally heard Chu Yixin's words.

The words I spoke when I knelt before my mother's bedside years ago still echo in my ears.

I hope he finds the love of his heart, leaves the court, lives a carefree life, and is with only one person for life.

But he doesn't need fleeting and useless romantic love. He has been exceptionally intelligent and ambitious since childhood. He is a prince, and the crown prince died young from illness. Why can't he compete for that position?

Unfortunately, his mother cut off this path for him from the moment he was born.

As a concubine who gave birth to a prince, she actually asked the emperor for an imperial decree to name him "Fan," hoping that he would live an ordinary and mediocre life.

The man slightly raised his gaze, moving from the harmonious scene of the girl playing with the koi by the pond to the sunset on the horizon.

In his younger years, he even had doubts about whether his mother truly disliked him.

This is because he was not the child born to the man she loved.

"Hiss~"

The man's eyes were icy; he was already caught in the middle, so what was the point of retreating?

If the person she loved was powerful, influential, and exceptionally courageous, why would he give her away so easily?

Why can't his good mother understand this simple truth?

His eyes grew even colder, and Qi Fan turned and left.

Standing to the side, Chu Yixin looked like a wilted eggplant. He gripped his whisk tightly and sighed softly.

The lord is challenging the deceased empress!

...

"Eunuch Chu? Why are you here all alone?"

The girl's sweet voice came through, and Chu Yixin quickly put on a smile.

Look at her, what an innocent little girl.

He lowered his voice, making it sound a little hoarse: "I came here for a stroll after dinner, having nothing else to do."

Jiang Zhuoying opened her eyes wide and nodded. She had already calculated the date; she would be able to meet Xiangyue the next day.

Since that's the case, I might as well take this opportunity to ask for half a day off.

"Eunuch Chu, I would like to request half a day's leave tomorrow. Would you be so kind as to grant me that?"

"A request for leave?"

The eunuch's voice suddenly turned shrill, and Chu Yixin immediately became cautious.

Such a strong reaction also stunned Jiang Zhuoying for a moment.

She swallowed hard, her peach blossom eyes widening slightly: "Is it inconvenient?"

Chu Yixin's expression stiffened, and she lowered her voice: "Jiang girl, it's okay to lose such a heartless person, there are better people waiting for you!"

ah?

Jiang Zhuoying was stunned for a moment before she suddenly realized what was going on.

So Eunuch Chu still remembers this? She had almost forgotten about it.

The girl hurriedly shook her head: "No, Eunuch Chu, you've misunderstood... I have some private matters to attend to."

The girl denied it without hesitation, both anxious and flustered.

Chu Yixin paused, then lowered her voice again to confirm, "You really didn't go to look for him?"

Jiang Zhuoying nodded emphatically: "Really not! I will have nothing to do with him anymore."

Chu Yixin nodded reluctantly, granting her leave.

Although he really wanted to know what Jiang was doing outside the manor, the girl had already said it was "private business".

This made him unable to ask any more questions...

Jiang Zhuoying happily returned to her room and told A-Liu that she would be leaving the mansion for half a day the next day.

Ah Liu was a very sensible girl. She simply nodded and told her to be careful, but did not ask what she was going out of the manor to do.

But Jiang Zhuoying was cautious and took the initiative to tell him that her period was coming soon and she needed to buy some fabric to sew a menstrual belt.

Even if her fake brother asked Ah Liu about such "private matters" unique to young women, she wouldn't be afraid.

Ah Liu naturally understood this kind of thing and was very sympathetic to it.

The next day.

Jiang Zhuoying left the villa on time. Knowing that Xiangyue was secretly following her, she headed east to the post station as usual.

The two met in a side room on the second floor of the inn.

Xiangyue was carrying a bundle, which was much smaller than the bundle she had carried when they last met, but it was still quite large.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhuoying, Xiangyue immediately burst into tears.

"Oh dear, Miss, I'm so glad to see you again! What have you been doing all this time? Have you accomplished what you were looking for?"

Looking at Xiangyue like this, Jiang Zhuoying suddenly had an idea.

Could it be that I cry so much in front of Qi Fan because I've been influenced by Xiang Yue in my daily life?

Xiangyue cried out, feeling sorry for Jiang Zhuoying.

She said she had lost weight again, and that she had suffered a lot. Then she opened the bundle and said that inside were menstrual pads prepared for her, as well as handkerchiefs that she and Xiangxing had embroidered for her by hand, and so on...

Looking at the beautifully embroidered menstrual belt in the bundle, Jiang Zhuoying felt a warm current flow through her heart.

Xiangyue and Xiangxing were her two most trusted maids, who had been with her since childhood. Their relationship was far more than just that of a master and servant.

She took out a handkerchief from her waist and wiped Xiangyue's tears. The reason she waited until now was because she understood Xiangyue.

If she isn't allowed to have a good cry first, she won't be able to stop the tears.

"Okay, I'm fine. Why do you keep crying so easily?"

Hearing her young mistress say this, Xiangyue felt a little embarrassed and blinked hard, trying to stop her tears.

Jiang Zhuoying chuckled and handed her a handkerchief: "Wipe yourself."

She turned to look at the contents of the bundle and asked softly, "Do you carry all this with you every time you come here?"

Xiangyue nodded emphatically: "Yes, but these things are all very light. Miss, you don't need to worry about me. I was just thinking that your period is coming soon, and your menstrual belt has always been specially made. I've been worried about this lately."

Her daughter has a special constitution and delicate skin, so the fabric used for her menstrual pads must be fine and soft silk, not rough fabrics!

Jiang Zhuoying nodded, then tidied up her bundle before composed herself and said, "I have something important to discuss with you today."

Xiangyue was taken aback, and quickly composed herself, sitting down respectfully: "Please speak, Miss."

Jiang Zhuoying organized her thoughts and told Xiangyue about her plan.

The main instruction was for her to go back and tell Wujiu that on the next day the Second Prince entered the city, Wujiu should disguise himself as the black-clad assassin who had tried to kill Zhuozhuo, and meet her in the backyard. At that time, she would then come to her rescue...

Perform a story about a beautiful woman rescuing a red carp.

“But…” Xiangyue frowned, “how can we know that the Second Prince is not in the manor?”

Jiang Zhuoying smiled gently. She had been observing this for a long time and was already confident.

"Two days later."

According to her observations over the past few days, her fake brother would leave the mansion every three days, rain or shine.

His last departure from the residence was yesterday.

"Have Wujiu come over at Shenshi (3-5 PM). When he comes, he should be dressed in all black and have his face covered..."

Xiangyue nodded nervously, wishing she could memorize every word her young mistress had said.

After explaining everything, Jiang Zhuoying carried her bundle and returned to the villa.

It was almost noon, and she was debating whether or not to go and show her face at Big Ice Shard's place, but Ah Liu had already told her first.

They said she wouldn't have to go to the main house for the time being.

Jiang Zhuoying: "???"

The girl frowned, her oval face full of confusion: "Why?"

Ah Liu's expression wasn't strange at all. She simply said that this was what Eunuch Chu had said. She had been here for almost a month, so he was giving her two days off to rest.

Hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying was even more confused...

When she asked Lord Chu for leave yesterday, he was clearly reluctant. How come he gave her two days off now?

Unable to find out the reason from Ah Liu, she ran to the main room.

But before she could even step into the main room, she was stopped by Chu Yixin at the door.

The girl's cheeks flushed slightly, and she breathed softly, "Eunuch Chu, according to Ah Liu, His Highness gave me two days off?"

Chu Yixin nodded, still smiling as usual: "That's right, Jiang girl, don't worry, I'm just concerned about you!"

Jiang Zhuoying naturally couldn't believe such deceptive words.

Feeling sorry for her? You're just trying to comfort a child!

There must be something strange about the sudden disappearance of the large ice crystal.

She has an important matter to attend to and cannot afford any mistakes.

The girl looked anxious, her eyes red, as if she was about to burst into tears: "Eunuch Chu, please tell me the truth!"

"What did I do wrong to offend Your Highness?"

"Or is Your Highness angry that I went out of the manor today?"

Seeing his pitiful state, Chu Yixin immediately felt compassion.

He frowned and patted Jiang Zhuoying's arm: "You, just go back and rest."

"As for Master..."

He glanced in the direction of the study, then lowered his voice: "With us here, Jiang girl, you'll definitely be back in a couple of days!"

Jiang Zhuoying blinked, looking at Eunuch Chu's posture, as if he were patting his chest and making a promise in front of her.

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Author's Note: I wonder if Yingbao's scheme will work out this time... [Chin resting on hand]