Chapter 207 The Fake Daughter of the Imperial Palace 13
"But the academy is full of men."
Su Tiangang was considering what to say so as to persuade his precious daughter without hurting her feelings. If she wants to learn, we can invite teachers to the palace, right?
If you want, I can open a school in the palace. If you feel lonely, I will call in the daughters of ministers and dignitaries to study with you.
If this still doesn't work, I'll want to go outside and take a look. Then I can take people for a walk or a stroll outside the palace from time to time.
For example, we went to Tzu Chi Temple today, didn’t we have a lot of fun there?
Xue E also disagreed: "If others knew about it, it would be detrimental to our reputation."
She glanced at Su Tiangang beside her. She had suffered from having a bad reputation before, and she knew better than anyone how important reputation was for a woman living in this world.
Although Ran'er is the most noble princess, once she gets married, whether her husband is considerate and really cares about her is not something that power can control.
Between husband and wife, only they themselves know the warmth and coldness.
Xue E didn't want her daughter to make any mistakes in this regard, which would create hidden dangers for their future married life.
"Then why don't you just keep it secret from others?"
Su Youran hugged her arms and smiled mischievously, “I’ll pretend to be a man and say… I’ll say I’m Fourth Brother’s tutor!”
She rolled her eyes, as if she had thought of something fun, and clapped her hands:
"I'll use an alias, Xue Ran, when I'm out there. How about that? As long as I'm careful and don't reveal my female identity, no one will be able to associate this name with the princess."
Su Tiangang glared. So you have already thought about it?
Su Youran clasped her hands together and acted pitifully, “Please, Daddy, Daddy… You’re the best!”
The tail note was drawn out, each one sweeter than the last, as if it were mixed with a dozen pounds of honey, making Su Tiangang so choking that he had no choice but to raise the white flag and surrender.
"Okay, okay, okay, go ahead, just go! Don't say you're just going to the academy disguised as a man. Even if you want to destroy Dayin, I'll give you the tools!"
Yeah! Su Youran and Su Jingxi high-fived each other and went back to pack their things and get ready to go!
However, Su Tiangang also had a request:
"There are still more than two months until the Dragon Boat Festival, so you must remember to come back. There is also the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day when the family reunites. You must not miss it, and you can't be gone for two or three years like your brothers did. You can only be gone until the twelfth lunar month at the latest... Then come back before Laba to celebrate the New Year, and don't go again after that."
He touched Su Youran's head:
"You should also understand the feelings of parents who miss their children, right?"
Su Jingxi rolled his eyes secretly. When the three brothers went there, you didn’t have so many requirements. And you came back as soon as the festival came?
I'm sure you'll say:
"Get lost, are you going to study or have fun? If you are going to study, then study hard and concentrate on it. You should spend your life the same way as others do. You don't even have to go back for the New Year!"
Xue E frowned, feeling very reluctant, but she didn't object any more.
Never mind, her daughter is different from others, so what's wrong with her being a little more free and unrestrained?
No matter how reluctant Su Tiangang and Xue E were, Su Youran and Su Jingxi still happily left the palace on a clear and sunny day and headed for Qiushan Academy, the holy place for students.
Two days after they left, news came out from the palace that the eldest princess had caught a cold and was depressed upon hearing that her wet nurse had passed away. At the queen's advice, she decided to stay in the royal villa for a while to recuperate.
After hearing this, Su Jingtai did not doubt it at all, but was rather worried, fearing that his sister would be lonely and bored in the villa, so he would send people to deliver some small toys to cheer her up from time to time.
Even though the palace maids came back every time and said that the princess was missing, Su Jingtai just thought that she was still in a bad mood and became more worried.
People outside the palace saw that the palace sent people in and out of the city every day, which almost became a scene in the capital.
Most people couldn't help but sigh that the eldest princess was indeed favored. No one had ever suspected her of being in the other courtyard.
Seeing that this stupid boy had accidentally done the right thing, Su Tiangang didn't care and just let him go.
But Su Jingmin and Su Jingan are not so easy to fool.
After they finally found out that Su Youran had followed Su Jingxi to Qiushan, Su Jingmin had a huge rage in the study and even broke several vases.
This fourth brother is so treacherous that he actually kidnapped Ran'er!
Then he started to worry about whether Ran'er would be wronged outside, and he was so worried that he could hardly eat.
But he still had to help them cover up when the Imperial Concubine and Sun Mingde asked about it, and absolutely no one could discover Ran'er's whereabouts.
Su Jing'an wrote three full pages of information about the academy, its people, and some precautions overnight, and sent someone to deliver it to Su Youran as soon as possible.
The result cannot be changed, so let's try to help Raner adapt as quickly as possible and let her take fewer detours.
In addition to them, there was another person who was also so anxious after hearing the news that he almost bit his teeth.
That’s Wen Yuan.
I thought that the worst case scenario was that Cao Ping had a hold on me and I would have to give him most of my property.
She didn't expect that the old woman Wei Fangruo would be so nosy as to investigate her. By the time she found out that the little maid was missing, it was already too late.
Wen Yuan knew that with that girl's personality, she would definitely sell her out with just a few words. Once the palace knew the truth, it would be impossible for her to enter the prince's mansion, let alone continue to stay with the princess.
She wanted to ask the princess for help first, as the princess was soft-hearted and there might be a glimmer of hope. But at this moment, she left the palace!
When Wen Yuan was brought before the Queen, her face was as pale as paper, and her tears fell like beads that had broken off the string:
"Your Majesty... I really didn't mean it... I just, I just admire the Fourth Prince, and I don't want to get close to him... I really just said it casually to you... Who would want it... Who would want it!"
She fell facedown on the ground and burst into tears, her voice full of sorrow and regret:
"If I had known, I would never have said a word. I would have kept it in my heart for the rest of my life. As long as I can save my mother's life, I am willing to shorten my life by ten years... no, twenty years! Mother... as long as you come back..."
Xue E leaned against the soft pillow with drooping eyelids, twirling the Buddhist beads in her hand intermittently, and just watched the people in front of her singing, chanting, and performing martial arts quietly, without saying a word.
After a long while, until Wen Yuan's throat was dry from crying, she finally spoke softly:
"I will give you two choices. First, I will find you a marriage partner among the palace guards who is honest, motivated, and from a well-off family. Or, if you like scholars, I will find you a talented student from a poor family.
If you marry the former, you won't have to worry about anything, and your life will definitely be rich and worry-free. If you marry the latter, your life may be more frugal, but perhaps within a few years, if he succeeds, you can also become a lady of honor.
Second, if you insist on staying in the palace, it’s not impossible…”
Wen Yuan bit her lower lip and stared at the ground nervously. After a pause, she heard the voice above continue slowly:
"But you can't stay with Ran'er anymore, and don't even think about it, Prince. I remember that you are good at sewing, so go to the sewing room and wait until you are 25 years old. It's up to you whether you want to leave the palace or stay in the palace until you die of old age."
Wen Yuan's hands that were supporting herself on the ground slowly clenched involuntarily. In the needlework room, all the palace maids were together, and life was relatively leisurely, much more relaxed than in places like the imperial kitchen and the laundry department.
It is also much simpler than serving the master and his mistress.
But there is only one thing: they cannot leave the house easily, and the space for activities is very small.
Wen Yuan's heart was filled with hatred, and he really wanted to lock her up.
But if I don't choose this, the only option left is to get married...
The hall was silent. Xue E did not move, nor did she urge anyone. She just waited silently.
After a long while, Wen Yuan's hoarse voice was heard: "I am willing to... go to the sewing room."
Xue E paused while holding the Buddhist beads, glanced at her calmly, and slowly closed her eyes:
"Got it. Go out now. Someone will take you there. You can take all your things with you. But this house was given to Xier by me. When she leaves, I will take it back."
Wen Yuan remained silent. She didn't care about the shabby house in the first place. It would be better to take it back so that it wouldn't be given to that scoundrel family for nothing.
If it weren't for them, she wouldn't have ended up like this! But it doesn't matter, as long as she can stay, there is still hope...
Nanny Wei looked at Wen Yuan, who was lowering her head and looking submissive, with a complicated expression. Why was she so stubborn? Was she really determined to come to the palace?
She said nothing and led people forward. It was their own choice and how they lived in the future was no one else's fault.
At the gate of a palace, Sun Mingxin, holding the hand of a maid, was about to go in when she saw Wei Fangruo and Wen Yuan walking one after the other.
She narrowed her eyes: "Is that someone around that girl Ran'er?"
"Yes, it's Madam Wei and Miss Wen Yuan."
Sun Mingxin didn't care about Nanny Wei, but kept staring at Wen Yuan. This girl seemed familiar.
She raised her eyebrows as if she remembered something, and a little excitement slowly appeared on her face:
"The daughter of the wet nurse who died on the same day as her?"
"yes."
Hey, this is interesting. The corners of Sun Mingxin's lips rose higher and higher, and her eyes became brighter and brighter. She seemed to have thought of a perfect idea.
If used well, it can definitely overthrow the queen!
She turned around and walked back. It was because she was careless in the past that she was oppressed by a village woman for so many years. Her life was no different from being imprisoned.
But Xue E, don't be too proud too soon, the winner between us has not been decided yet.
Sun Mingxin looked towards the direction of Hanyuan Hall. That position must be Jingmin's!
Su Youran had no idea what was happening in the palace. No one even told her about Cao Xier's death, as they didn't want to affect her mood to go out.
After several days of traveling, they arrived in Philadelphia, which was a busy place as it was located at a transportation hub and had frequent caravan traffic.
Even though it was already mid-afternoon and the sky was getting dark, the sounds of hawking could still be heard from both sides of the road.
Some of the little beggars would walk among the pedestrians, looking for old masters and ladies who looked kind and were dressed richly to ask for some money.
Some of them waited at the door of the inn or restaurant, waiting for kind guests to give them some food to fill their stomachs.
Unfortunately, the kind-hearted man didn't wait for the guest, but instead waited for the vicious innkeeper.
"Go away, go away! If you block our way here, will we still be able to do business?"
The little beggars scattered, and the waiter was about to go back when he saw two carriages approaching from afar and slowly stopping in front of the inn.
The carriage didn't look luxurious, but the second brother immediately put on a smile and bowed to greet it.
The carriage was indeed very ordinary, but one could tell at a glance from the horse-riding guards surrounding it that they must be martial artists!
Which rich person is this, pretending to be low-key?
Sure enough, as soon as the carriage stopped, a handsome young man about fifteen or sixteen years old jumped out.
Such a noble demeanor can never be developed unless one is raised in a wealthy family since childhood.
The second brother was about to greet him, but he saw the young man went straight to a carriage behind and shouted softly at the window:
"Ran...Xiaoran, we're here, come down."
The second brother looked up and saw the curtain of the car slowly opened, revealing an extremely delicate and handsome face.
His eyebrows are like ink paintings, his eyes are like bright stars, and his brilliance is dazzling, just like a banished immortal.
The second brother's eyes widened instantly. He had been welcoming and seeing off people here for so many years and had seen countless people of all kinds, but he had never seen anything like this...
Such a smart, handsome young man!
The young man was wearing a light blue brocade gown, a jade belt around his waist, and a crystal clear jade pendant hanging around his waist. As he got off the carriage, the jade pendant swayed slightly, but soon returned to calm.
Every move shows elegance and dignity.
He just stood there holding a folding fan, smiling, and when he raised his eyes slightly, he saw the most beautiful scenery in the world.
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