Huai Qing frowned and reported softly, "I heard from the maids that they haven't seen the fourth young lady at the banquet for a long time. I don't know what happened. I heard that... the fourth young lady didn't even have lunch."
Rong Ting's eyes fixed, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the teacup, and he tightened his grip.
…
The maid who was instructed by Liu to put drugs in the soup was still tied up tightly with ropes, her body curled up against the south wall.
She squirmed restlessly, trying to get rid of the ropes on her body.
Ming Shao was beside her. Even though she was also a maid, she could not feel any pity or sympathy for someone who was easily manipulated. With obvious dissatisfaction on her face, she said, "You should save some strength so that you can explain things to the old uncle later. I will naturally untie you."
Outside the courtyard, Jiang Rao ordered Jiang Ping to find a few guards to guard the courtyard and secretly protect the safety of the maid who could give a confession, to prevent Liu from bringing people to cause trouble.
As expected, Liu's people came twice, but unfortunately they were stopped by the guards and could not even take a single step into the yard. They were driven away by the guards, cursing.
In the distance, Jiang Rao was sitting at the stone table, fanning herself with a fan.
She was so busy that she skipped lunch and had an empty stomach. However, her mind was preoccupied and she didn't notice she was hungry at all. She just frowned and waited for Yu'er to come back, with a slight uneasiness on her face.
Yu'er was instructed by her to invite her grandfather to the banquet.
After a while, he came back in a hurry, but there was no second person following Yu'er.
She came to Jiang Rao alone and said with a sad face, "Miss, the old uncle is having a good chat with Minister Qi of the Ministry of Revenue. He said he will come back in a while."
Jiang Rao felt a little helpless, but she probably expected this result, so she nodded and said, "Let's go check it out later."
It was an unfortunate coincidence that it was time today, as it was lunchtime at the banquet and her grandfather was busy with socializing and couldn't get away.
But the longer things dragged on, the more uneasy she felt. Just the fact that Liu was always thinking about taking Yingyin away made her worry that trouble would arise again.
Jiang Rao said, "Let Jiang Ping find a few people to keep an eye on Liu and don't let her run away."
Ming Shao asked in confusion: "Miss, why don't you just report this to the old uncle? We are in the right, and we are not afraid of falling out with the Madam."
Jiang Rao tapped the table with her fingers. "This is a private matter in the mansion. If we bring it to Grandfather's attention and the people who come to the banquet see it, it will become a handle for some people to laugh at the Ning An Marquis's mansion."
The private affairs of wealthy families, if spread out with exaggeration, will only become more and more outrageous and more and more unpleasant.
"If you bring shame to the Bo's Mansion, you will bring shame to Grandfather. If Grandfather is unhappy, how can he stand on my side?"
Her younger brother was naughty and every time he made a mistake, didn't her father chase him around the yard and beat him? But her father would never do it in front of outsiders, out of consideration for her brother, a little kid whose teeth had not even grown in yet.
As for her grandfather... he has been a high and mighty old uncle for so many years, and he is accustomed to hearing all those compliments. He cares about face more than her brother.
Jiang Rao spoke softly but firmly, "It's better to settle the ugly affairs of the family behind closed doors. Grandfather can't leave now, so we'll just wait."
Ming Shao didn't realize the deeper meaning until she was reminded by her, and immediately understood, "It was my fault for being reckless."
When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with emotion.
Looking at Jiang Rao, I felt that the girl seemed to have grown up suddenly at some point.
It seems like the child with two pigtails who always cried but could be coaxed into submission with a piece of candy and would lie obediently on an adult's shoulder without crying or moving, has now become able to stand on his own.
"But if we want to make a big fuss, we have to make a big fuss."
Jiang Rao pursed her lips and said bluntly, "Eldest aunt is a poisonous sting. If you go easy on her, sooner or later the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion will be turned into a hornet's nest by her."
"My father's foundation in Jinling is weak. Among the guests who come here, most of them are good friends with my uncle, so they can't help but speak for Liu. What if my grandfather lets Liu off lightly to save face for others..." She paused as she spoke, "I won't allow it."
Her tone was full of the willfulness that one should have at her age, and she sounded angrily,? ? "She dared to harm my mother. I wanted to let the dogs bite her to death."
"I will never give her a chance to escape the blame. She will be punished for the wrong she has done."
The scene of her family being torn apart and her loved ones dying in her dream was like a bolt of thunder, waking her up from her carefree chaos.
It made her realize very clearly that being like her father, not fighting with others and giving away everything she deserved, would not necessarily protect her.
Even when he walked to the edge of a cliff, there was no one to pull him up.
She will never forget the scene in her dream where her house was ransacked
Her parents knelt down in front of the officials who came to arrest them, begging them to spare their children.
Her father was such a noble man, but he had no backbone or dignity at all.
He kowtowed every time he spoke, his voice hoarse and humble, "Sir, please let my son and daughter live. They are both good children. They were just born in the wrong family and chose the wrong parents. They don't deserve this kind of punishment! I kowtow to you, I beg you..."
He knocked it down once, so low that it sank into the dust; then he lifted it up again, and blood mixed with the white snow mud stained his forehead.
The man who once stood tall and proud, now has become the most humble man, with snow on one shoulder and frost on the other. His tall body is shaking all the time...
Change...
Jiang Rao's fingers became increasingly tense.
It was a nightmare to wake up from...
She never wanted to see her parents gritting their teeth and enduring humiliation, kneeling in the cold snow without dignity.
Ming Shao looked at the lively anger in her eyes and her slightly red eyes, and felt a little distressed.
This is the little girl she has watched grow up since she was a child. She has a fair and pretty face, and she can be happy or angry at the same time. She is destined to be pampered all her life. She is only fit to smile, and should not have such an expression of bitterness and hatred.
Ming Shao coaxed her, "Miss, we don't have a dog at home, let the young master go."
"Sister, sister."
A small red ball suddenly appeared from somewhere.
Ming Shao looked carefully and saw that it was Jiang Jinxing, and exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Young Master, why are you here?"
Jiang Jinxing hugged Jiang Rao's legs, tilted his head and looked at Ming Shao with his round eyes, and asked in confusion, "Why are you letting me go? Is it like flying a kite?"
Ming Shao: “…”
How can I just say "young master" and the young master will appear?
Jiang Rao picked him up. In her heart, she didn't want him to witness the dirty intrigues in the house at such a young age. She turned her body to block Jiang Jinxing's sight so that he would not see the maid curled up in the corner.
She pinched the tip of his nose and whispered, "No kite is as heavy as yours, so don't make things difficult for the wind."
Jiang Jinxing raised his chubby little hand and rubbed his nose.
I don't know if it was because he was unhappy about being called heavy, but he lowered his head fiercely and looked at his round belly. His eyes suddenly withered and became a little resentful.
Jiang Rao patted his small round belly and straightened the hem of his ruffled shirt. "Why did you come here?"
Jiang Jinxing's troubles came and went quickly. He raised his eyes and was full of energy again. "Sister is not well behaved. You don't need to have lunch. Someone asked me to come and see you."
"Is it my parents?" Jiang Rao asked subconsciously.
Jiang Jinxing shook his head.
"It's my big brother."
He turned his head and looked outside the moon gate of the courtyard.
"He came with me. But my sister asked
The guards guarded the yard and didn't let outsiders in, so the guards didn't let him in. ”
Jiang Jinxing wrapped his arms around Jiang Rao's neck, begging and calling out, "Sister, please let him in."
…
Jiang Rao thought that in just this short morning, Jiang Jinxing went out again and found himself a brother.
Unexpectedly, Ming Shao walked quickly to the Moon Gate, took a look, turned around and said, "Miss, it's His Majesty the Ninth Prince."
Rong Ting was stopped by the guards and could not move forward.
He looked at the guards who stopped him. His body was steady and motionless, but his gaze revealed a decisiveness to kill, and there seemed to be blood in his eyes.
At one point, his emotions were on the verge of violence, but he endured it, with a slight bruise on his forehead.
There were footsteps coming from the moon-shaped door, and a crimson figure stepped out from the yard.
Rong Ting caught a glimpse of it, closed his eyes, and suppressed those thoughts.
"Let him go!" Jiang Rao said hurriedly.
She looked around and found that Jiang Ping was not there. Perhaps he had gone to ask someone to look after Liu and had not come back.
The remaining guards didn't recognize Rong Ting, no wonder they stopped him.
only……
Jiang Rao frowned slightly.
Rong Ting was stopped by the guards, with his head lowered dejectedly, as if he had suffered enough injustice and bullying and couldn't even lift his head.
Seeing her coming, he raised his eyes slightly, with some relief in his eyes, and extremely self-blaming, "Am I... coming at the wrong time?"
Jiang Rao had indeed never thought that what happened today would alarm Rong Ting.
But Rong Ting looked like a child about to cry after being scolded, so there was no way she would nod.
Jiang Rao shook her head slightly and said softly, "It's okay."
Rong Ting held the oil-paper bag and handed it to her: "I heard from the maid that you didn't have lunch."
Even more cautious than his movements was his eyes.
As clear as a spring of water.
When he slightly raises his head to look at people, his eyes are like pools, full of deep affection.
It seems like there is only one person in it.
The little girl in his sight lowered her head and looked at the date paste cake.
The oil print of the jujube paste pastry soaked a corner of the thin oil paper, which was folded too neatly.
Jiang Rao: I’m hungry.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Rong Ting turned his eyes away slightly, and said in a slightly low voice, "I came here to bring you some food. But... did I disturb you?"
Originally, Jiang Rao had no intention of blaming him, but when she heard his uneasy tone, she felt nothing but soft-hearted.
"No, you're so kind to bring me some snacks, how can that be a bother?"
She and her brother both wore red today.
Oh, but it doesn’t have the same effect as others.
Jiang Rao lowered her head to glance at her brother who had come out holding her hand. He was round and dressed in red, looking nothing but festive.
Rong Ting's eyes were gloomy, and he looked at the sword-wielding guards guarding the yard from the corner of his eye, knowing that something big must have happened.
But there was no impatience or urgency on his face, and his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the wheelchair.
As his eyes swept across, he memorized all the people around him and the expressions on their faces. Rong Ting then turned his gaze back and looked at Jiang Rao intently. His eyes and tone were still cautious, and he asked, "Then you will definitely eat the snacks, right?"
Jiang Rao lowered her eyes to meet his gaze, and couldn't help but want to describe him as "beautiful beyond words".
Her beautiful face was melancholy and pale, and she looked particularly sickly and decadent, but the dignified rich red color of her clothes washed away some of her sickness. Although her face was decadent, she was so beautiful that people could not take their eyes away. Her black hair was tied up high behind her head, and she had a kind of ghostly, demonic, and almost enchanting charm about her.
My heart suddenly felt like it was pounding for no apparent reason.
She nodded affirmatively.
Jiang Jinxing tilted his head and looked at Jiang Rao, not understanding what she meant, but nodded.
His sister nodded, and he nodded.
One big, one small, moving in unison.
Huai Qing said at the right time: "This jujube paste cake, the Ninth Prince couldn't bear to eat it himself, so he specially saved it for you, the Fourth Miss."
The atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle.
Only Jiang Rao seemed to feel nothing. She lowered her head and unwrapped the oil paper package while humming softly.
The voice was indifferent: "I know."
Huai Qing was stunned.
There was a hint of shock in the confusion.
Know?
Miss Jiang knows everything?
She actually knows everything?
Jiang Rao smiled and said, "I know Your Highness the Ninth Prince doesn't like sweet food, but I like it."
Huai Qing: “…”
No, no, no, that's not what I meant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
