There were four acts in total. Li Chenjiao barely listened to the first two acts, but she found the two acts that Ma Jiashi requested later quite interesting.
It was somewhat like a scene from a storybook that Li Chenjiao had read, and she found it quite interesting.
As the last act of the opera drew to a close, everyone could prepare to return to their respective courtyards. There would be another performance at the banquet, but by then, Lady Xilinjueluo and Lady Majia would have to return to the Ulanara residence.
Li Chenjiao was engrossed in watching the show when she heard a gasp from behind her, which startled her.
"Cat..." It was the Second Prince's voice.
Because she had heard the cat meowing earlier, Li Chenjiao had been paying attention to the Second Prince's movements. Now, upon hearing the Second Prince's voice, her gaze naturally fell on him, who was not far ahead.
She glanced over and witnessed the cat slip from the Second Prince's arms; the snowball-like cat had vanished without a trace.
Springtime is the time when cats are most active.
The cat that was originally in the Second Prince's arms suddenly became very active.
She slowly withdrew her gaze, clearly lost in thought for a moment.
As she was pondering this, she saw Qiu Hu quickly walk over to her side and support her.
The master and servant exchanged a glance, but before they could speak, gasps of surprise rose and fell without ceasing.
"It looks like a cat running around. Master, be careful not to get caught in the crossfire." Qiu Hu said, standing in front of Li Chenjiao.
The commotion inside the courtyard quickly alerted the servants outside. Xiao Luzi had already entered, but was still searching for his master.
"Where did this stray cat come from... Take it away quickly." This was Song's voice, and it sounded quite strong, not like she was frightened.
Then came the voices of Wu Shi, Bai Jia Shi, and others, their tones filled with surprise and fear.
The wind outside carried a slight chill, which should have been pleasantly cool at this time. However, when the wind blew on her face, Li Chenjiao felt a tingling sensation shooting up her spine, causing her whole body to tremble.
Alarm bells rang in her mind instantly, and Li Chenjiao subconsciously pulled Qiu Hu aside, half-hiding behind a tall tree in the yard.
When they were halfway back, a panicked figure rushed out, and the snow-white cat also appeared out of nowhere. Li Chenjiao quickly grabbed the person, and Xinxiang also rushed into her arms.
Li Chenjiao didn't even see clearly who had rushed into her arms; she could only vaguely make out a tall, slender figure.
Someone accidentally bumped into a teacup that had fallen onto the table. The sound of the teacup hitting the ground was quite jarring, and the woman being pulled into someone's arms seemed to tremble as well.
Li Chenjiao let go of his hand, trying to create some distance: "Are you alright?"
The two were about the same size, and Li Chenjiao could vaguely see a profile of one of them, which seemed to be Niohuru.
Niohuru was probably really frightened. She didn't say anything when she heard Li Chenjiao's voice, but just held Li Chenjiao's hand tightly.
Li Chenjiao felt that her palms were covered in cold sweat, but in the end she still didn't let go of her, holding onto Niohuru's arm before looking up at the farce unfolding over there.
The first to react was still the Fujin's mother, Xilin Jueluo Shi. She stepped forward to take charge and calmly instructed the servants to catch the cat named Tanzhu.
It was only then that Li Chenjiao learned that the cat's name was Tanzhu.
The situation quickly stabilized without any major problems, but the Second Prince was crying his heart out, and the cat had been caught in a net by Wang Jinzhong, the chief eunuch of the main courtyard.
The Fujin (principal wife) had clearly only just recovered. Seeing that the farce had subsided, Li Chenjiao nudged Niohuru again.
Niohuru let Li Chenjiao push her away. Her thin face was pale, probably from fright, but her lips were unusually rosy.
Niohuru moved her lips slightly, her voice unusually low: "Thank you for saving me, Consort."
Li Chenjiao felt that Niohuru's voice sounded different from usual, but she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.
Before Li Chenjiao could think about it, the Fujin launched into a tirade against Yun Mama, who had been serving the Second Prince.
"The master instructed the nanny to look after the Second Prince, but what about now? With so many people coming and going, if the Second Prince gets hurt by that cat, can you take responsibility?"
The Fujin stood in front of Granny Yun, supported by Yu Ru's hand. Today, she was wearing platform shoes and was a head taller than Granny Yun. Because it was the Second Prince's birthday, she was dressed in a rich, deep red. When she spoke in a stern voice, she had a rather arrogant air about her.
Li Chenjiao easily noticed the mocking smile that appeared on Niohuru's lips after hearing the Fujin's voice.
Granny Yun had a valid argument at this moment. The beast was sent to the front courtyard by the Fujin (princess's wife), and now that the beast was running around, the blame fell entirely on her.
They were all shrewd women who had served in the palace for decades. When the Fujin (princess) launched into a tirade of abuse, how could Granny Yun not realize that it was all a setup?
Ironically, after the Fujin's outburst of anger, her mother, Lady Xilinjueluo, was the first to stand up for Granny Yun and pretend to be a good person.
"Princess Consort, there's no need to be angry. These old women are nowhere near as caring as a mother. After all, they weren't born of her own children, so naturally they won't be as attentive. Just give them a lesson once."
Xilin Jueluo Shi clearly knew that Granny Yun used to be a nanny serving Consort De, so she didn't speak too definitively.
Although his words still favored the Fujin, he glossed over the punishment of Granny Yun, clearly not wanting to offend Granny Yun because of it.
Li Chenjiao slowly withdrew the hand that had been extended to support Niohuru, and now she naturally understood that this whole thing was a scheme set up by the Fujin (wife of the princess).
They deliberately chose a time when the master was not at the mansion, and it was also the second prince's birthday. The second prince was still crying and making a fuss, and there were people from the Ulanara family there...
This farce is unlikely to end easily without a punishment or resolution.
However, it was only because an outsider from the Xilin Jueluo clan stepped forward to play the good guy at this time that Yun was punished but not too severely.
The way the Fujin (wife of the emperor) and Xilinjueluo (née Xilinjueluo) played the good cop and the bad cop so well made this play even more exciting than the previous plays on the stage.
Li Chenjiao pulled Qiu Hu back and headed towards the direction of the Fujin (principal wife).
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