Chapter 330: Falling into a Trap
The next morning, Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu boarded a carriage heading out of the city.
The porcelain vase was carried out of the city early by the secret guards in a bamboo basket. Jingzhe stayed behind to guard the study. As long as no one entered the study, they would not notice that the porcelain vase had been taken away.
The Emperor of Wei publicly announced that Wei Qingyan knew the occult arts in order to deter those who practiced the evil arts from murdering the people of Wei. However, no one knew to what extent Wei Qingyan mastered the occult arts.
The unknown can make people fearful, but it can also make people relax their vigilance.
She didn't intend to let anyone know for the time being that Fu Zhuzhu's remaining soul was in the porcelain bottle, and she could see it and communicate with it.
The farm where the old Zhenbei Marquis and his wife were recuperating was half a day's journey from the imperial city. It was already noon when they arrived.
Dongzang went forward and knocked on the door without hiding his identity.
When the old gatekeeper heard that it was the newly recognized prince who came to visit, he hesitated and said, "Today is the fifteenth day of the lunar month. My old master went to the temple to release animals and pray for blessings. According to his usual custom, he will probably return home around sunset."
The prince must have come here to visit the old marquis.
Wei Qingyan and Shi Yu had already gotten off the carriage. She stepped forward and said, "Please inform us that we have been asked to see the old lady."
"To see my wife?" The old man was stunned and looked even more embarrassed. "But my wife is ill and may not be able to see guests."
But thinking of their identities, and not wanting to cause trouble for the old marquis, he said, "Why don't you two nobles rest in the hall first, while I go and report."
Wei Qingyan nodded slightly, "Thank you."
Seeing her so polite, the old man couldn't help but take a closer look and extended his hand to lead the way. "Please come in, both of you."
His teeth and hair are almost falling out, but his steps are very steady. He must have been a soldier following the old marquis in the past.
The farm was not small, but there were not many servants. The old man led the two men to the main hall, where they saw a fifty-six-year-old woman coming over with a teapot and pouring two cups of tea for them.
The old man said to the old woman, "Xiaoxi, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess want to see the old lady. Go and see if she's awake. If she is, let her know."
When the maiden named Xiaoxi heard that they were the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, she leaned forward and bowed, but said, "The old lady has been unconscious more often than awake recently. I'm afraid the two nobles will have to go for nothing."
Wei Qingyan heard the rejection in her words and was curious about the two servants around the old marquis, who seemed to have little respect for their status.
Was it just them, or was it just the same for all the people in Fengzhao? Wei Qingyan didn't have time to think about it for now. He took out the headband from his bosom and handed it to Nanny Xi. "I've been asked to give this to the old lady. If she's not feeling well, I can go see her."
Seeing the forehead bandage clearly, Aunt Xi shuddered and asked in a trembling voice, "Where did you get this?"
This was a birthday gift designed by their young lady for the old lady herself. The young lady thought she had kept it a secret, but in fact, they had already secretly seen the drawings.
However, after the little lady passed away, everyone was very sad and deliberately avoided looking for the thing to avoid adding to the sadness.
Wei Qingyan said nothing more.
Nanny Xi still remembered Wei Qingyan's identity and did not dare to ask. She hurried out of the main hall and went straight to the backyard.
The old man frowned when he saw this, but didn't dare to ask more questions. He originally planned to continue guarding the door, but he stopped steadily at the door of the flower hall.
After a while, Nanny Xi came running in again, "My old lady has woken up, but she has been bedridden for a long time, I'm afraid she can't come here to see you..."
"It's okay, let's lead the way, Ma'am." Wei Qingyan took the basket containing the porcelain bottle from Dong Zang and put it on his back.
Nanny Xi only took a curious look at why the Crown Princess was carrying a bamboo basket.
Shi Yu was a man, so it was inconvenient for him to go to the backyard, so he waited in the main hall.
When Wei Qingyan arrived at the backyard, she saw a skinny old woman with sparse white hair and many age spots on her face. She was lying in a rocking chair under a ginkgo tree with her eyes half closed.
Seeing someone coming, she raised her hand and wanted to get up with the help of the servants, but Wei Qingyan stopped her in time, "You're welcome, old lady."
"Your Highness, please forgive me. My room is filled with the smell of medicine. I am afraid that it will bother Your Highness, so I will ask you to sit under this tree for a while."
Maybe his teeth fell out, so his speech was a little slurred, but his mind was clear.
Wei Qingyan was a military general. He felt pity and sympathy for the old lady who had lost four sons in succession on the battlefield, so he would not bother with those things.
Although she knew that the old man did not let her into the house because of her status as the Crown Princess, he suspected that she and Shi Yu came to win over old ministers, so he did not want to get too close to her.
After she sat down, the old lady asked, "Your Highness, who sent you to see me?"
"Liang Fuzhu."
Her drooping eyelids suddenly widened, and Madam Liang clutched the headband in her hand. "She has been dead for many years. How can Your Highness accept her trust?"
Wei Qingyan's eyes were calm. "I have some knowledge of the mystical arts. Fu Zhuzhu asked me to look after her grandparents and to deliver the birthday gift that she didn't get to give out all those years ago to you."
Knowing that the old lady wouldn't believe it, Wei Qingyan continued, "Fu Zhuzhu told me that the emerald in the middle of the headband represents the old lady.
The three rubies on each side represent your five sons and one daughter, and the small yellow gems below represent your grandchildren, meaning that they are all by your side.
The big Dongzhu behind the strap is her. She said, you have cherished her in your heart for more than ten years. She tied herself to the back of your head to represent that she embraces you at all times.
The old lady's turbid tears were soaked with moisture.
Yes, her Zhuzhu always had different ideas from others. When she learned about it from Xiaoxi, she wanted to ask about her Zhuzhu. With such a big Dongzhu on the back of her grandmother's head, she was not afraid that it would pierce her grandmother's head when she was resting.
But she resisted the urge to ask, because it was a surprise given to her by her Zhuzhu, and it was Zhuzhu's intention.
Although she had already believed it to some extent, the old lady still looked at Nanny Xi to confirm with her whether what Wei Qingyan said was true or not.
Nanny Xi nodded and said, "Old Madam, I have indeed heard that the Crown Princess of Great Wei is well versed in the mystical arts."
Although they did not ask about the affairs of the imperial city in the village, it did not mean that they had blocked their ears and covered their eyes. They still had to know the news from there in a timely manner.
"Then Your Highness, please tell me, what does my Zhuzhu look like?" The old lady's hands trembled slightly, but her expression remained calm.
Wei Qingyan said to Madam Xi, "Madam, please lend me your pen, ink, paper, and inkstone."
Nanny Xi looked at the old lady and saw her nod. She quickly asked another old nanny to serve on the side and trotted towards the study.
And in the capital.
Qing Wu woke up and picked up Fu Zhuzhu's portrait again, muttering, "If you hadn't died, what would you look like now?
If you were here, you would be on my side, right? I've been so good to you, Fuzhuzhu. I've nurtured friends for a thousand days, but never used them.
I'm so angry. You haven't even reached the age of 15 yet, what's the point of talking about love? Look at you, you haven't even grown up yet, and you can't even support this headdress. It's just like what the Crown Princess said, like a little person pretending to be an adult, and even wearing clothes..."
Her words stopped abruptly.
After a long while, she suddenly called out, "Madame Ping, Madame Ping..."
Rong Yu came over after hearing the noise and asked with concern, "What happened?"
Qing Wu's eyes were still fixed on the portrait, and she said anxiously, "Go and call Madam Ping."
Nanny Ping was her wet nurse, and was soon invited over by Rongyu.
"My princess, what happened?" Nanny Ping also looked anxious.
"Madam," Qing Wu pulled Madam Ping to sit beside her. "Could you help me take a look at the dress Fu Zhuzhu is wearing? Is it the same one she wore at the chrysanthemum viewing banquet?"
Worried that Madam Ping might not understand, she explained, "It's the dress she wore the last time she entered the palace before the accident."
Upon hearing this, Nanny Ping squinted her eyes and took a closer look. She said with certainty, "Yes, this cloth was given to the princess by the late emperor. The princess and Miss Fu have a good relationship, so she asked Nanny to use this cloth to make two different styles of clothes."
This was the dress that Miss Fu wore that day. The princess even said that she was partial and that the dress she made for Miss Fu was better looking than the one she made for the princess. Nanny Ping remembered this clearly.
But so many years have passed, why did the princess think of this again?
Qing Wu didn't bother to explain to her, so she took the scroll and went to the Prince's Mansion again.
Yesterday, she was so focused on thinking about Shi Yu's life experience that she didn't pay close attention to what Fu Zhuzhu was wearing in the portrait. Today, after a closer look, she realized something was wrong.
It was the first time that Fu Zhuzhu wore that dress. She spent most of the time with Fu Zhuzhu on the day of the chrysanthemum viewing banquet, and no one was seen painting in the palace.
Besides, she was a princess, so it made no sense for the painter in the palace to paint for Fu Zhuzhu instead of her.
So where did the portrait in Wei Qingyan's hand come from?
She remembered that Wei Qingyan was proficient in occult arts. Could it be that she saw Fu Zhuzhu's soul and painted according to this soul?
But since she can see Fu Zhuzhu, she should be able to communicate with Fu Zhuzhu. Fu Zhuzhu's big mouth will definitely tell her identity. Why does Wei Qingyan still ask her?
Could it be that Wei Qingyan was testing her for something? She had to find out.
But when she arrived at the Prince's Mansion, she was told that Wei Qingyan and the other two were not there.
Qingwu thought of something and felt inexplicably uneasy, but Jingzhe refused to tell her where they had gone. Qingwu had no choice but to send people to investigate. When they learned that they had left the city, Qingwu asked in surprise, "Did they go to find the old Marquis of Zhenbei?"
Jingzhe didn't dare to reveal his master's whereabouts easily, but Qingwu said anxiously, "Tell me quickly, whether it is true or not, your master may have been set up by someone."
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