Chapter 45 He really was worried about her.
Almost instinctively, Mingwu shrank back, her slender body completely hidden behind the dense bamboo thicket, and held her breath.
As soon as I made that subconscious dodge, a wave of annoyance washed over me.
Why is she hiding?
She wasn't the one who did all those wrong things.
Besides, now that he has seen her, hiding now would only make her seem guilty.
Mingwu steadied herself, slowly straightened up, and gracefully stepped out from behind the swaying greenery.
The early summer sun shines down on her again, and dappled sunlight dances and ripples on her skirt, outlining her slender and graceful figure.
She lowered her head slightly, avoiding the gaze that felt so real upon her.
"I did not mean to wander here and have disturbed Your Excellency. I will return now."
Lu Yuan said gently, "Since you're here, A-Wu, why don't you come in and have a seat?"
Go in?
No, she can't go in.
She clenched her fist quietly inside her sleeve, her nails digging deep into her palm. The slight stinging pain suddenly cleared her chaotic thoughts.
We must not alert the enemy.
Before she can uncover the truth about the Mother-Child Gu and find a way to cure it, she must endure.
She needed to see Zen Master Shanhui again to find out what this mother-child Gu was and how to resolve it.
That day at Lingyin Temple, things happened too suddenly, and she was also worried about Chunnan's safety. Therefore, she didn't have time to ask in detail.
Mingwu lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Prime Minister is busy with state affairs, I dare not disturb you..."
Lu Yuan frowned slightly, before she could finish speaking.
He had already jumped off the windowsill with one hand.
His dark brocade robe fluttered in the wind, causing the bamboo leaves to tremble slightly as it danced. In the blink of an eye, he stood steadily before her, his posture as sturdy as a pine tree.
Mingwu was startled by his sudden action and her eyes widened.
In her memory, Lu Yuan was always calm and composed, and his actions were always methodical.
She had never seen such a seemingly unrestrained leap before.
Her dark clothes and black hair traced sharp arcs in the sunlight, and for a moment she was reminded of a predatory eagle.
He remained in the slightly bent-over posture he had adopted when he landed, so close that the delicate dark patterns on his clothes were clearly visible.
The cool scent of ebony emanating from him wafted towards you.
Mingwu took a half-step back warily: "What is the Prime Minister doing?"
Her skirt was caught on a bamboo branch, and the fine silk gauze made a slight tearing sound. She leaned forward and looked like she was about to fall.
Lu Yuan reacted quickly and reached out to support her wrist.
"careful."
His voice was deep and close to my ear.
Mingwu could even feel his warm breath brushing against her temples, causing a slight shiver to rise involuntarily from her skin.
The sudden closeness made her freeze.
She tried to pull her hand away, but found that he held it very firmly, his fingertips precisely at the spot where her pulse was beating.
"Awu, did you hear something just now?"
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and her gaze fell in a panic, landing on an unknown little white flower swaying beside the green bamboo.
"No."
He realized his words were inappropriate as soon as they left his mouth, and awkwardly added another sentence.
"I arrived just as Guard Xu spotted me. Is the Prime Minister discussing important matters? Then I shouldn't disturb him here."
She was never good at lying, and at this moment her long eyelashes trembled like startled butterfly wings, casting an uneasy shadow over her eyes.
Lu Yuan's gaze remained fixed on her, from her bloodless lips to the rapidly beating pulse he held in his hand.
Why does Ah Wu look so pale?
His abrupt change of topic startled Mingwu, who instinctively looked up.
The moment their eyes met, she felt as if she were being sucked into a bottomless, dark pool.
"Perhaps... I stood in the sun for too long and felt a little dizzy."
Mingwu hurriedly lowered her head, and under the guise of adjusting her sleeves, subtly freed her hand from his grasp.
Lu Yuan did not stop him.
He raised his hand and placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
Mingwu was caught off guard and was about to step back when he withdrew his hand first.
"Since A-Wu is not feeling well, she should go back and rest as soon as possible."
Mingwu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, curtsied, and said, "This concubine takes her leave."
Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and left.
Her skirt brushed against the bluestone path, and her steps quickened compared to usual, as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was chasing her.
Lu Yuan stood there, watching the slender figure disappear quickly outside the moon gate.
The bamboo shadows swayed, casting flickering light and shadow in his deep eyes.
She heard it.
A dark glint flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes.
He slowly withdrew his gaze, looking down at the back of his hand that had just lightly touched her forehead, a slight smile curving his lips.
"Xu Ming."
Xu Ming, who had already hidden to the side, stepped forward in response: "Prime Minister."
"Send more men. Keep watch over the lady for twelve hours a day."
"I need to know who she met, what she said, even if she was just gazing at a flower in a daze."
"yes."
-
Back in the dormitory, the moment the door closed.
Mingwu's taut back suddenly collapsed, as if all her strength had been drained away.
She staggered and grabbed the edge of the table, her fingertips digging deep into the wood grain, barely managing to support her swaying body.
Outside the window, the sun had disappeared behind the clouds at some point, and the sky darkened.
The dim light filtering through the windowpane made her face lose all color.
It really is him.
The mother Gu was indeed on him.
His right hand instinctively grabbed the inside of his left arm.
As long as this curse remains unresolved, even if she escapes to the ends of the earth, she will ultimately be unable to escape his control.
Despair surged in like a tide.
Must I truly accept my fate, forever trapped in this gilded cage, a bird unable to escape his grasp?
No!
Mingwu suddenly looked up.
As long as there is a glimmer of hope, she must never give up.
Since Zen Master Shanhui of Lingyin Temple could see through this curse, he must know how to cure it. This thought was like a bright lamp in the darkness, instantly illuminating her.
Mingwu strode toward the door, but stopped abruptly when her fingertips touched the door frame.
Now she can't even leave the East Courtyard, so how can she go to Lingyin Temple outside the city?
If we were to seek help from Lu Yuan...
She thought of his gaze outside the study, a gaze that seemed to see right through her deepest thoughts.
Ming Wusheng shivered.
Shaking his head, he crossed out this option.
My chest felt incredibly tight, as if it were filled with soaked cotton wool, weighing me down heavily.
The wind rustled through the treetops, casting swaying shadows on the window paper, their branches and leaves like invisible hands, trying to drag her into the abyss.
It was pitch black all around, and there was not a glimmer of hope.
So, is she really destined to spend her whole life in this cage, a bird to be defiled and played with by him?
Crack!
On the candlestick, the dim yellow wick suddenly burst into a spark, illuminating the dimming room for a moment before fading away again.
The crisp sound startled Mingwu, causing her shoulders to tremble slightly, yet it also seemed like a ray of light that cleaved through her chaotic thoughts.
She stared at the dying red star, and a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
She can't get out, but the Zen master can invite her in.
But how do I invite them?
Yes, the old lady has been a devout Buddhist for many years and has close ties with Lingyin Temple.
If we could persuade the old lady to invite Zen Master Shanhui to her residence under the guise of praying for blessings and giving a sermon, wouldn't that be the safest approach?
Mingwu's heart suddenly raced.
She walked quickly to the dressing table, looked at her pale but bright-eyed reflection in the mirror, and took a deep breath.
Since there's always a way out.
Then she would fight for herself to survive.
"Someone come here. Bring out the white jade Guanyin statue from the storeroom and wrap it up carefully. I'm going to pay my respects to the Old Madam."
-
Inside the study.
Lu Yuan's hand holding the brush paused slightly, and the ink spread a small shadow on the rice paper.
"Is she going to pay her respects to her mother?"
He deliberately exempted her from the morning and evening greetings, just so he wouldn't see her suffer in front of her mother. Now she's taking the initiative to go.
The pen twirled between my fingers.
A subtle displeasure spread through my heart, as if a carefully prepared shelter had been casually brushed aside.
Xu Ming, who was standing to the side, said, "I heard that the white jade Guanyin statue was originally a gift from Miss Qi to Madam."
The old lady had always favored Qi Lan. At this moment, the lady went there with the gifts given to her by Qi Lan.
This doesn't sound like a greeting.
It seems that Plum Garden is going to be quite lively today.
A knowing smile flickered across Lu Yuan's lips as he placed the wolf-hair brush on the brush holder.
"Let her go." He paused, then added, "Let Granny Qin go with her."
Xu Ming bowed his head and accepted the order, understanding the implication in his heart.
The Prime Minister is afraid that his wife won't be able to win, so he sent Granny Qin to support her.
-
"This old servant is ordered by the Prime Minister to accompany the Madam on her journey."
Granny Qin bowed respectfully to Mingwu, her manner impeccable.
Mingwu's fingertips curled slightly inside her sleeve, but her face remained gentle as she smiled.
"Thank you for your trouble, Granny."
He turned around, and the smile on his lips vanished instantly.
He was indeed worried about her.
The reason Qin Mama was sent was ostensibly to attend to the old lady, but in reality, to keep an eye on her. Was it because they feared she might say something inappropriate in front of the old lady, or did they suspect she had ulterior motives?
Upon arriving at Plum Garden, the moment one steps inside, a somber atmosphere immediately envelops them.
In summer, the plum trees shed their winter and spring splendor, their dark green leaves forming a lush canopy that envelops the courtyard in a deep, verdant green.
Mingwu lowered her eyes and said, "Your daughter-in-law greets Mother."
The old lady sat upright at the head of the table, her eyes closed as she twirled her prayer beads. After a long while, she slowly raised her eyes.
Her gaze lingered on Mingwu for a moment, a half-smile playing on her lips.
"It's kind of you to remember to come and pay your respects."
These words were spoken gently, yet they carried a sharp edge.
Mingwu maintained her bowing posture, her voice soft.
"It is a blessing for a daughter-in-law that the Prime Minister is so considerate, but serving one's mother is a daughter-in-law's duty."
The old lady paused in her hand, which was fiddling with her prayer beads, and finally waved her hand, saying, "Get up."
Mingwu then straightened up and gestured to Granny Qin to place the brocade box on the small sandalwood table next to the old lady.
The old lady paused in her fiddle with the prayer beads, slowly opened her eyes, and her cold gaze fell on Mingwu.
"You're certainly well-informed."
Mingwu seemed oblivious to the veiled meaning in the old lady's words.
In the past, she would have been uneasy about such a knock.
Now that she has decided to leave, the coldness and warmth of human relationships, the open and hidden attacks within this deep mansion have all become insignificant dramas to her.
Mingwu calmly met the old lady's gaze, a light, serene smile playing on her lips.
"My daughter-in-law happened to see this white jade Guanyin statue. Its compassionate appearance might help my mother rest in peace, so I specially brought it to her as a token of my filial piety."
The old lady's gaze fell on the open brocade box.
The Guanyin statue was flawless, about half an arm's length tall, made of white jade and depicting a Guanyin giving a child. The jade wasn't of the highest quality, but it was still lustrous and translucent.
The old lady's maid standing behind her whispered something in her ear.
The old lady's face instantly darkened, and she slammed the prayer beads heavily on the table, making a crisp "smack" sound.
"Take it back!"
What was the meaning behind giving away the things Qi Lan had given her? Was it to flaunt her victory, or to mock herself for the defeat of Qi Lan, whom she had favored?
Having not slept well lately, this outburst left the old lady feeling pain all over her body.
"The daughter-in-law is just worried about her mother's health."
The old lady glanced at her sideways: "You're worried about my health? You probably just want her to die sooner, don't you?"
Mingwu nodded slightly: "That's right."
She suddenly lowered her voice, leaned forward slightly, and looked hesitant.
"This restless sleep is something we can't take lightly... Could it be from disturbing something, or..."
The old lady's heart sank suddenly.
These days she has been unable to sleep at night, and every time she closes her eyes she is plagued by nightmares, and she already suspects that she has been tainted by something unclean.
At this moment, Mingwu's subtle hint caused that unease to grow wildly like weeds, transforming into a real fear that seized her mind.
"What...what nonsense are you spouting!"
The old lady's voice was somewhat strained, her tone sharp but her eyes involuntarily darting around with a look of surprise and doubt.
Seeing her expression change suddenly, Mingwu knew she had fallen into the trap. She felt a little relieved, but at the right moment, she showed a look of fear on her face and quickly covered her lips with her handkerchief.
"It was my daughter-in-law who misspoke."
"Perhaps my daughter-in-law is overthinking it. My mother is blessed with good fortune and is protected by Buddha. How could... how could anything be wrong?"
Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Mingwu got up and took her leave.
The old lady was in a bad mood, her mind filled with supernatural tales. She just waved her hand haphazardly, forgetting even to give her usual admonition.
In the evening, news came that the old lady would be holding a religious ceremony at the mansion in three days.
The person invited was Zen Master Shanhui from Lingyin Temple.
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