Chapter 536: Something unexpected happened?
Looking at Shen Wantang's perfectly styled hair and her flawless ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), Xiao Qingxi suddenly realized that even in the chaotic and heart-pounding situation of tonight, she could still maintain her composure and elegance, showing no sign of panic from head to toe.
Looking down at herself, she realized she was wearing her clothes inside out, and she had lost one of her shoes on the way to Shaoguang Courtyard.
As soon as she heard that the Duke's mansion was plotting a rebellion, she rushed to her father and mother in a panic. Although they were unconscious, she felt that only by being by their side could she feel a little more at ease.
Seeing Shen Wantang turn to leave, she couldn't help but call out to her, "Hey, Shen Wantang, where are you going? As a daughter-in-law, shouldn't you be with me, guarding Father and Mother? You're not going to desert, are you?"
Shen Wantang turned around: "I think it's because you always like to run away and want to be a deserter that you're afraid I'll run away, right? Your fear is written all over your face, so stop pretending."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left.
Xiao Qingxi nearly fainted from anger. She asked Kang Mama in annoyance, "Mama, is there fear on my face? I think Shen Wantang is blind. I am perfectly calm. I am not afraid at all! The Duke's Mansion has no chance of succeeding in its rebellion. The Gu family will be executed! The world of Dafeng still belongs to my Xiao family!"
Looking at her disheveled appearance with her long hair and clothes inside out, Kang Mama couldn't help but sigh. Her mistress said she was composed, which was one thing, but how could she even deceive herself?
She had clearly intended to hide somewhere, saying she would come out after the battle between the palace and the Duke's mansion was decided.
She was filled with worry: "My lady, I wonder what the situation is like in the palace now. Why would the Duke's mansion suddenly plot a rebellion? Could it be because the Crown Prince didn't choose Miss Gu as his Crown Princess, which has completely angered the Gu family?"
Xiao Qingxi snorted coldly: "Definitely! Gu Qianning dreamed of marrying the Crown Prince and becoming the Crown Princess, and then the Empress. But the Crown Prince didn't want her at all. She must have been so angry and embarrassed that she insisted on having the Duke of Zhenguo rebel!"
Granny Kang choked for a moment. Her master's brain was really... not working very well!
How could the Duke of Zhenguo rebel just because Gu Qianning wanted to rebel, given that treason is a heinous crime that could lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of one's clan?
This is at most the last straw that broke the camel's back, but it is by no means the main cause.
"Granny, send someone to the palace right now!"
"What? Now?"
"Of course, now! Go to the palace and find out how the fighting is going and who's winning!"
“My lord, sending people into the palace now is like sending them to their deaths. The fighting outside is already in full swing. If we send people out, it’s hard to say whether they will even make it to the palace alive.”
"If one dies, send more! I refuse to believe none will return alive! Hurry, I need to know the situation in the palace, especially—"
Xiao Qingxi couldn't help but grit her teeth: "Especially the Empress Dowager's situation!"
It would be best to have the Duke's mansion kill the Empress Dowager!
Unable to dissuade her, Granny Kang had no choice but to go out and summon several guards.
Looking at the young faces of the guards, she felt a pang of pity, but she could only obey orders: "The young lady has ordered that you few go to the palace now and find out the situation there, especially the Empress Dowager's situation. You must bring back the news."
The guards were all shocked. Summoning them to the palace at this time? Wasn't this blatantly sending them to their deaths?
The young lady doesn't treat them like human beings at all!
However, none of them dared to say no, or even question it, otherwise they might have been beaten to death by the young lady right now. There were already quite a few guards who had died at the young lady's hands.
The guards gritted their teeth, turned around and walked out without saying a word.
Their faces were tinged with a sense of tragic determination; they all knew what awaited them once they stepped out of the palace.
However, when they reached the gate, they were stopped.
The one who stopped them was the chief steward.
Behind the Grand Steward stood the Crown Princess.
The guards were startled. It was raining in the night sky, yet the Crown Princess was personally guarding the gate instead of taking shelter from the rain!
Wasn't she afraid of danger? Wasn't she afraid that if the Duke's mansion succeeded in its rebellion, they would lead their men to storm the Prince's mansion? Shouldn't she have hidden in the Princess Ning's courtyard, like Xiao Qingxi?
Shen Wantang stepped forward slowly, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the guards, and asked indifferently, "You lot are the young lady's guards, aren't you?"
"yes."
Where are we going?
"this……"
"Tell me! Where are we going?"
"Reporting to the Crown Princess, the eldest young lady has sent a few of us to the palace to check on the situation there."
Shen Wantang frowned. She knew Xiao Qingxi wasn't very bright, but she never expected her to be this brainless!
Sending someone to the palace to inquire at a time like this? Has she lost her mind? Isn't this putting the Ning Prince's Mansion in mortal danger?
Moreover, if these guards get close to the palace, they will probably be shot to death by a hail of arrows!
"No one is allowed to leave tonight!"
Shen Wantang said coldly, "Go back to your respective places and do what you were supposed to do! Tell Xiao Qingxi that I said everything in the Prince's Mansion is under my command. No one is allowed to go out to investigate without my permission! The situation outside is extremely tense. Going out means certain death. If Xiao Qingxi wants to know what's going on in the palace, then let her go in and see for herself. I will not stop her if she wants to go!"
The guards were both surprised and delighted. The Crown Princess wouldn't let them leave?
His life was saved?
That's wonderful! The Crown Princess is indeed the best person in the entire Ning Prince's mansion! No wonder everyone in the mansion is willing to be loyal to her; she really is reliable. She treats them all like human beings and doesn't let them go to their deaths!
They were extremely grateful, and they all agreed and went back to Shaoguang Courtyard to ask Xiao Qingxi to pass on the message.
After they left, Shen Wantang instructed the head steward, "Steward Liu, send someone to patrol the mansion again and see if there is anything unusual."
The chief steward was very respectful to Shen Wantang. Upon hearing her instructions, he immediately sent people to inspect the area.
Du Juan stood beside Shen Wantang, holding an umbrella, and whispered to her, "Princess Consort, the rain is getting heavier and heavier. Your shoes are all wet. Would you like to go back to our courtyard to take shelter from the rain and change into a pair of dry shoes?"
Shen Wantang was preoccupied with the outcome of the struggle and didn't even notice that her shoes were wet.
She shook her head: "It'll still get wet even if I change it, unless I stay home. There's no need to change it, and I won't go back to our yard. I'll just stay here and keep watch." She wanted to be the first to know the result.
After she finished speaking, she looked up towards the direction of the palace, where the sounds of fighting seemed to have subsided, and even the flames had dimmed.
Shen Wantang frowned slightly. The fight was over? They weren't going to fight anymore?
That shouldn't be the case; it can't be that fast.
Has something gone wrong?
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