Which position in Chapter 3?
The silver needle unexpectedly pierced the index finger, and a drop of bright red blood immediately seeped out.
The newly embroidered sachet rolled to the ground.
Mingwu trembled, almost collapsing into the chair. The maid was still saying something, her mouth opening and closing, but Mingwu could hear nothing.
My mind went blank, like firecrackers exploding, and my eardrums were ringing.
My mother has always been in good health, how could this be...?
She suddenly stood up, turned and ran outside. Her steps faltered, and her hair was violently pulled by the branches of a flowering tree hanging in the courtyard, causing the gold hairpin to fall to the ground with a "clink".
She was completely unaware.
The figure quickly disappeared at the courtyard gate.
The servants looked at each other in disbelief. They had never known that the lady, who was usually so gentle and frail, as if a gust of wind could blow her over, could run so fast.
The rain has stopped.
The sky was still overcast, with patches of grayish clouds rapidly rolling and unrolling.
Chunnan was the first to react.
"Quickly prepare the carriage."
She lifted her skirt and chased after him.
As Chunnan walked through the corridor, she saw Mingwu before stepping into the front courtyard through the hanging flower gate.
She was stopped by several guards.
"The Prime Minister has ordered that the Lady must remain in the inner courtyard for three days to reflect quietly and is not permitted to leave." The head guard clasped his hands in a respectful but unquestionable tone.
"I have urgent business and must go out. Go and inform the Prime Minister..."
The guard did not move, but only bowed slightly.
"Madam, please return."
Mingwu's eyes reddened with anxiety, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palms. Normally, she wouldn't care; whether she was confined or not made little difference to her.
Anyway, she doesn't like going out.
But not today!
"Get out of here."
Mingwu's voice wasn't loud, but it was cold, like it had been chilled to the bone.
Since marrying into the Prime Minister's mansion, Mingwu has always been gentle and mild-mannered. Even when she suffers some losses, she never loses her temper and always greets everyone with a smile.
The servants in the mansion all said in private that this lady was too soft-hearted and easy to manipulate.
But at this moment, her brows were furious, her face cold, and she inexplicably exuded a somewhat intimidating aura. She looked just like Lu Yuan when he was angry.
The guards were stunned for a moment and forgot to do anything.
Seizing this brief opening, Mingwu dashed forward!
"Madam, you mustn't!"
The guards were terrified and hurriedly sheathed their swords. The gleaming blades narrowly grazed her sleeve, and the men frantically shoved their weapons behind their backs.
They brandished their weapons just now to scare people; they didn't really intend to hurt anyone.
After all, no matter how unfavored she is, she is still the mistress of the Prime Minister's mansion. If she were truly harmed...
Taking advantage of the chaos, Mingwu rushed out of the hanging flower gate.
The guards dared not give chase any further. The way she had charged straight at the blade was simply too terrifying.
The lead guard watched Mingwu's resolute departing figure, then turned and hurried towards the east courtyard.
Inside the study in the East Courtyard.
Lu Yuan sat upright at his desk reviewing official documents. When he heard the guard report that "the lady had run straight into the blade," his wrist holding the pen paused almost imperceptibly. The wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner on the desk blurred his features.
After a moment, the brushstrokes slowly fell.
The handwriting remained as strong and fluent as ever, unaffected in the slightest.
"Step down."
-
The red walls and green tiles of Lin'an City separated the powerful and the common people.
Inside the inner city, amidst the ornate carvings and painted rafters, revelry never ceased night after night; although the Ming family had obtained the honorary title of founding baron through donations, they were ultimately just merchants. They could only acquire a magnificent mansion in the outer city, the area closest to the inner city.
The carriage sped along and finally arrived at the Ming family's residence.
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Mingwu lifted the curtain and stepped off. Because she landed so hastily, she twisted her ankle, which had been sprained a few days earlier and was not yet fully healed, making the injury even worse.
He swayed and almost fell over.
"Madam, be careful!" Chunnan hurriedly supported her trembling body.
Because she was worried about her mother, Mingwu pushed Chunnan away as soon as she stood up. She swayed and, ignoring her injured foot, hurriedly walked into the mansion.
The old servant guarding the gate saw her like this, and a strange light flashed in his cloudy eyes, but he dared not say anything and hurriedly welcomed her in.
I hurried to my mother Lin's courtyard, and as soon as I stepped into the main hall, I heard laughter coming from inside.
Mingwu paused in her tracks.
"Wu-jie'er is back? Why is she standing at the door?"
Granny Li lifted the curtain and came out of the room. Her smile hadn't faded yet when she saw Ming Wu, she froze for a moment, then smiled again. Her shout brought the conversation inside to an abrupt halt.
A moment later, the people inside came out; they were several wives of officials who lived nearby. Mingwu had met them before her marriage, but they all looked down on the Ming family's merchant status and never associated with them. Even if they bumped into each other on the street, they would look down on her with disdain.
At this moment, however, they all wore fawning smiles and bowed to her as they passed by.
"What are you doing standing at the door? Come in." Lin's voice came from the inner room.
Lifting the brocade curtain, the room was filled with golden light that made Mingwu squint.
The room was filled with gold jewelry, and even the furniture was painted with gold paint. Instead of exuding elegance, the room's abundance of gold gave off an unbearably vulgar feel.
Her mother, Madam Lin, was reclining comfortably. She wore a brand-new bright red jacket with gold trim, the fabric stiff and gleaming. Three wide gold bracelets jingled on her wrists.
I saw that Mingwu's hair was disheveled and she looked a mess.
Her finely drawn eyebrows immediately furrowed into a knot: "What happened to you? How did you end up looking like this?"
"Isn't Mother... sick?"
Then Lin remembered that she had told a trivial lie to hasten her daughter's arrival. She then recalled the rumors she had heard that morning, which was one of the reasons she had tricked her daughter into coming back.
His face darkened, and he questioned, "Did you cause a scene in Wuyi Lane yesterday?"
"yes."
"Foolish!"
Lin suddenly stood up and pointed at Mingwu, saying with disappointment.
"You! What can I say to you? How could you be so disobedient? Your mother told you long ago that you must try your best to please the Prime Minister. How could you... Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
The Prime Minister may seem to have a good temper, but the bloodstains that littered the streets of Lin'an when he deposed the emperor and installed a puppet emperor were a stark reminder of the past. Just thinking about that scene makes Lin tremble with fear.
If the Prime Minister gets angry, he might then retaliate against the Ming family...
Lin dared not think about it anymore.
"Do you know what those ladies came here for? They ostensibly came to see me, but in reality, they came to gather information. Once... our Ming family will be doomed."
"Awu, can't you be a little more sensible?"
Lin clutched her chest, her face turning pale. Li, the old nanny beside her, rushed forward to rub her chest.
Mingwu stubbornly straightened her back: "Did Mother ever ask me once whether I was doing well in the Prime Minister's residence?"
Lin's temper flared up again.
"What could be wrong with that? You're already incredibly fortunate to marry into the Prime Minister's household and become a first-rank noblewoman. So what if you suffer some grievances? Which woman hasn't gone through this?"
Mingwu pursed her lips tightly. She knew she wasn't generous or sensible enough... but all she wanted was for her mother to show her some concern.
Instead of just scolding.
Perhaps realizing that she had gone too far, Mrs. Lin softened her tone.
“Awu, it’s not that your mother doesn’t love you. It’s just that you need to know what’s important. Why did your father spend so much money to buy the title of Founding Baron? Wasn’t it for you and your brothers and sisters?”
"So that your brother can have the opportunity to become an official, so that you sisters can marry into a prestigious family and become people of high status. Ah Wu, you have always been well-behaved and sensible, you should understand your mother's good intentions."
"Mother is doing this for your own good."
Mingwu pursed her lips and remained silent.
Her father was away on business most of the year when she was young, while her mother was busy arguing with the concubines her father brought home. She was the youngest in the family and was also the most neglected.
The year she was born, her father and mother were on the verge of divorce.
Her mother felt that it was because of her that her father broke ties with her mother. Therefore, it could be said that she was raised by her older sister, Mingchan.
"For my own good? My mother married my older sister off to a widower thirty years her senior. She also said it was for my sister's own good..."
"Smack!"
Lin's slap came suddenly and hard.
Caught off guard, Mingwu's head was turned to the side by the blow. Five bright red finger marks immediately appeared on her fair cheek, swelling up at a visible speed.
The room fell completely silent.
Mingwu remained motionless with her head tilted to the side, a wisp of hair falling down to cover her eyes, which had instantly reddened.
A piercing pain shot through her foot; the injury had worsened. Mingwu bit her lower lip tightly, and even as the pain made her vision blur, she remained silent. Deep down, she hoped her mother would notice the injury on her foot.
However, no.
Lin started crying first.
"You're blaming me? Fine, you're all blaming me. I'm the bad guy, and your father, who doesn't care about anything and only knows how to fool around outside, is the good guy."
"Why is my life so miserable? My husband doesn't want me, and my children blame me. What's the point of me living? I might as well just die."
Lin picked up a pair of scissors and pretended to stab herself, but fortunately, Li Mama stopped her.
Mingwu felt utterly exhausted. It was always like this; once she lost the argument, she would threaten suicide, causing chaos and unrest. Yet, she was powerless to stop it, because this was her mother, and she couldn't ignore her.
"Mother, please don't do this."
It wasn't easy for her to come all this way, and she didn't want the mother and daughter to part on bad terms like this.
"Then are you still blaming me?" Mrs. Lin still held the scissors in her hand, refusing to let go.
"...No, it's not my fault."
Only then did Madam Lin let go, and Granny Li hurriedly took the scissors away and hid them in the bottom drawer.
Lin wiped away her tears and beckoned Mingwu to come over. Mingwu gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and slowly walked to Lin.
Lin grabbed Mingwu's hand, and the mother and daughter sat together on the chaise lounge by the window.
“When you were little, your mother neglected you, but your sister was there for you. Besides, your mother had no choice. At that time, your father was bewitched by another woman and wanted to divorce me.”
At this point, Lin's face showed hatred, and she gritted her teeth. Even after so many years, she still felt hatred whenever she thought about it.
"Your father..."
Lin then bitterly recounted all the wrongs the Ming family head had done to her. Ming Wu had heard this countless times since childhood, and it was all too familiar. But she didn't interrupt, because she knew that her mother was truly suffering inside.
"...If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for being blind and ending up in the belly of a useless person like me. I'm already old and faded, who knows how many more years I have left to live?"
“You say I’m biased, and I admit it. I do favor your brother a bit more. He’s the only male heir, your mother’s support, and your confidence in your husband’s family. Only when your brother is doing well will your husband’s family respect you more.”
"If you had a successful uncle back then, would your father have dared to say he wanted a divorce from me?"
“Awu, you are still young. There are many things you don’t understand. Your mother has been through it all, and everything your mother does is for your own good.”
Madam Lin went on and on, and seeing that the sun was already setting, she hurriedly urged Mingwu to return to the Prime Minister's residence quickly, lest she displease the Prime Minister.
Before leaving, she asked Granny Li to give her a brocade box, saying it would be useful to her.
There was a book in the box.
"This was specially found by Madam for Wu'er. Wu'er must learn from it well and not repeat Madam's mistakes," said Granny Li mysteriously.
Without giving it much thought, Mingwu boarded the carriage and casually handed the brocade box to Chunnan.
After buying some medicine for sprains and bruises at a pharmacy in the city, Chunnan carefully lifted Mingwu's skirt, revealing her fair ankles to be red and swollen, but fortunately, no bones were broken.
By the time they returned to the Prime Minister's residence, it was already dark.
Chunnan's face flushed red, and she hesitated to speak, her hands trembling as she held the brocade box. As soon as she entered the room, Chunnan was as if she had been burned, quickly placing the brocade box on the table as if it contained a man-eating monster.
Mingwu picked up the box and looked it over. She opened it, took out the books inside, and was about to open them when Chunnan's voice came from inside the bathroom.
"Madam, the hot water is ready."
Mingwu casually placed the book on the table and turned to go into the bathroom.
Soaking in the hot water, Mingwu felt all her fatigue washed away with the water. After coming out of the bathroom, she felt much more relaxed.
Perhaps because she was neglected by her parents since childhood, Mingwu was very good at comforting herself. No matter how sad she was, she would always find a way to cheer herself up.
As she dried her hair, she softly hummed a Jiangnan folk song her older sister used to sing to her when she was little. Her soft, sweet voice made the melody, like the morning light, pierce through the clouds, warming and healing everyone who heard it.
She was so engrossed in humming that she turned around the screen and saw the man sitting at the desk, flipping through a book.
The sound stopped abruptly.
"...Prime Minister, what brings you here?"
Oh no, could he be here to settle scores with her because she left the manor without permission today?
Lu Yuan slowly shifted his gaze from the book to Ming Wu. Ming Wu felt as if something terrifying was churning in his eyes, making her want to run away.
"come over."
Mingwu approached slowly.
Which position?
Mingwu: "??"
The seemingly random sentence left Mingwu completely bewildered. She stood on tiptoe, craned her neck, and curiously peered at the open book.
There were several pictures depicting human movement.
The drawing is very clear and lifelike.
Mingwu's face flushed red instantly. She tried to escape, but her foot got caught on something and she fell forward uncontrollably, landing squarely between his legs.
Mingwu: "!!!"
A note from the author:
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