The noise behind them faded into the distance, and the outline of the Duke's mansion gradually became clear in the darkness.
In stark contrast to the chaos and disorder in front of the Second Prince's residence, the Duke's mansion was deathly still. If it weren't for the few rooms still lit, Su Wan would have believed it was a haunted house.
The two squatted on the roof ridge, and Meng Ruliu tugged at her sleeve and said, "Sister-in-law, since we've come to invite the Duke and Duchess Bai, wouldn't it be better to go through the main gate?"
Su Wan said, "If we go through the main gate, we might get beaten out with a big stick. Since we're already like this, let's find out first."
Meng Ruliu joked, "Sister-in-law, you really enjoy being a thief, don't you?"
“How could a lady do such a thing?” Su Wan pulled her hand and walked towards the backyard. “It’s an emergency. Even though Brother Chu is a prince, he also climbed onto the roof to run away. I call that being unconventional.”
Meng Ruliu curled her lip: "He drove you all to Xirong, and you still speak well of him."
Su Wan said, "I was just talking about him as a person... Actually, if Brother Chu weren't our enemy, he and my sworn sister would be a perfect match."
Meng Ruliu punched her in the back: "Nonsense."
The punch landed with unusual force, nearly choking Su Wan. She turned to speak, when the hinges of the door creaked open under the eaves, followed by the flickering of light. Su Wan quickly pulled Meng Ruliu to the other side of the roof and crouched down.
Two maids walked into the courtyard. One held up a lantern and shone it upwards, saying to the other, "Did you hear a sound from the roof just now?"
Another person said, "I heard it, it was quite loud."
After shining the lantern for a while, they still couldn't see anything on the roof. The maid holding the lantern said, "Maybe there's a fat cat jumping around on the roof?"
“Even the fattest cat doesn’t make a sound when it walks,” another said. “Maybe we misheard. Let’s not watch anymore, let’s go and take some food to the master and mistress.”
"The master and mistress may still refuse to eat."
"This can't go on, we need to feed her at least a few bites."
The two men, carrying lanterns, walked along the corridor toward the backyard.
Seeing the maid leave, Su Wan and Meng Ruliu breathed a sigh of relief. Su Wan squeezed Meng Ruliu's hand and glared at her. Meng Ruliu smiled sheepishly.
The two women quietly followed the maids. The two maids went to the kitchen first, and soon came out with a food box, then continued walking along the corridor.
A man who looked like a steward came along the road, and a maid carrying a lantern greeted him, saying, "Steward Li, are the master and mistress asleep?"
Butler Li said, "He didn't sleep. As usual, he was holding the portrait of Miss and shedding tears."
The maid carrying the food box said, "This can't go on. We need to find someone to persuade the master and mistress; the dead can't be brought back to life."
Butler Li chuckled and said, "We've tried everything, hiring opera troupes, acrobats, and even ventriloquists... Don't even mention it, it makes me angry just thinking about it. The other day, that ventriloquist, what was he doing, trying to imitate Miss's voice?"
The maid carrying the food box said, "Is it the time when the master and mistress fainted from crying?"
“That’s right, now the master and mistress are crying so much they can’t see clearly,” Butler Li said irritably. “His Majesty has beheaded all the imperial physicians, and there isn’t a decent doctor to be found in the capital.”
The maid holding the lantern said, "Steward Li, let's go in and deliver the food."
Butler Li said, "You may go. Master and Madam are like this every day, and they've dismissed so many servants that there are hardly any left. I can't take it anymore. I'll resign first thing tomorrow morning."
Su Wan kept all of this in her heart.
The maid and Steward Li passed each other and entered a courtyard where the windows were lit. The maid carrying the food box said to the maid carrying the lantern, "Xiao Zhu, I'm going in to deliver food to the master and mistress."
The maid carrying the lantern nodded and stood still, waiting.
The maid went in and came out again shortly after, carrying a food box. She said dejectedly, "Master and Madam said they couldn't eat. We'll go and put the food in the kitchen to heat it up."
The maid holding the lantern said, "Xiaomei, let's eat first. After we finish eating, let's go to sleep."
Seeing the two maids walk out, Meng Ruliu said to Su Wan, "Sister-in-law, shall we go down to see Duke Bai and his wife?"
Su Wan stopped her, saying, "Sister, this can't go on. The Duke and Duchess Bai are already ill; if we suddenly barge in, won't we frighten them?"
Meng Ruliu said, "That's right, so what should we do?"
Su Wan reached into her bosom and pulled out a medicine packet: "Aren't those two maids going to eat? Let's go, find a chance to put the sleeping pill in their food and make them sleep. That way, it'll be easier for me to carry out my plan."
Meng Ruliu glanced at the medicine packet and said, "Sister-in-law, if I hadn't known you for a long time, I would have really thought you were a big bad guy."
"What's wrong with sleeping pills? They're used during surgery." Su Wan pushed Meng Ruliu. "Good people use them for good purposes, bad people use them for bad purposes. Let's go."
Meng Ruliu found a moment of opportunity and slipped the drug into the maids' food. The two maids were completely unsuspecting. After eating, they were so sleepy that they slumped over, went into the room, took off their clothes, and collapsed onto the bed without even closing the door.
Su Wan and Meng Ruliu easily slipped into the maid's room. Su Wan first went to the closet and found a set of maid's clothes.
Meng Ruliu whispered, "How long will it take for them to wake up?"
“There’s not much food, you should sleep until tomorrow morning,” Su Wan said, taking the clothes and changing them on the spot. She then let her hair down and restyled it like a maid. “Sister, you can stay here.”
Meng Ruliu said, "Why don't you dress up as Xiaomei, and I'll dress up as someone else? Wouldn't that be perfect?"
"It's too much trouble to make you look like a man. If you change to look like a maid, I'll have to redo your makeup. Where am I going to get all that materials?"
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