Glancing over at Long Fengying not far away, she saw a puzzled expression on her face as well. Madam Zhang’s eyebrows knitted tightly, could it be that this matter had really not been arranged by Princess Fengying? Her eyes shifted to her side, noticing that the maid who had just been there was now nowhere to be seen. For some reason, an ominous feeling began to surface in Madam Zhang’s heart.
As Madam Zhang was lost in her troubled thoughts, Madam Xu spoke up, "Someone, help Ms. Guo to that room over there, and quickly fetch a doctor."
The maids proceeded to support the unconscious Guo Huan into the adjacent room, and everyone else followed.
"That person dared to injure Ms. Guo within the mansion grounds. It must have been someone from here." Someone suggested, "Why not find someone to question and see who Ms. Guo was with just now?"
Madam Zhang wanted to intervene, but she had no good reason to do so under the watchful eyes of everyone and thus could only watch helplessly as Madam Xu instructed the maids and older women to spread the word.
It didn’t take long before the messengers returned, reporting that a maidservant responsible for sweeping had seen Guo Huan going alone to the rockery with her own maid.
People began to think even less of Guo Huan. Visiting another family’s mansion but wandering about uninvited, it was truly ill-mannered.
Madam Xu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since Guo Huan had ventured to the rockery with her maid by herself and an accident had occurred, the Hou Mansion could simply claim that Guo Huan had slipped and injured her forehead accidentally, absolving the mansion of any responsibility. At worst, the Hou Mansion could send a gift, which might even improve their reputation.
Madam Zhang alone remained anxious, unable to shake off the unsettling feeling, inevitably feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
At this moment, a rush of footsteps sounded from outside; it was the group of young ladies and youthful wives who had returned from the garden, led by none other than Yang Mengchen.
Everyone quickly offered their respects to Yang Mengchen, who gestured for them to rise. freёwebnovel.com
Upon seeing Yang Mengchen, Madam Zhang felt increasingly perturbed and stood beside Madam Xu with her head lowered, trying hard to make herself less conspicuous.
After a discreet examination of Yang Mengchen from head to toe and finding her unscathed, Princess Ning and others finally let their hearts settle down.
"Younger sister-in-law, the Ma sisters said they did not see you go treat the elder lady. Some said you went to the front courtyard, and we hurried over, but we did not see you. Where exactly did you go? We were very worried," Long Fengying said with feigned concern.
Princess Ning was furious. Despite both being royal family members, Long Fengying constantly targeted Jiujiu, threatening to disgrace the royal family in front of outsiders, simply unforgivable. Just as she was about to reprimand Long Fengying, she felt a light grip on her right hand. Turning her head, she saw it was Yang Mengchen, who blinked at her. Princess Ning then suppressed her anger and remained silent.
With a quick glance at Long Fengying, Yang Mengchen’s gaze was calm like still water yet cold as ice, seemingly tinged with a deep darkness that was unfathomable.
It was just a look, but Long Fengying inexplicably felt terror, as if she was in the midst of an icy world with a bucket of ice water poured over her head. The coldness seeping into her bones made her teeth clatter uncontrollably, and she quickly lowered her head, daring not to meet Yang Mengchen’s gaze.
Yang Mengchen’s clear eyes swept over the puzzled faces of the female relatives. In a calm tone, she said, "The princess and her maids followed that maid into the inner court. Not long after we started walking, the maid suddenly complained of a stomachache and needed to use the restroom. She asked the princess to wait, and after about a quarter of an hour without her return, the princess, concerned for the elderly lady’s condition, decided to head to the inner court by herself."
"However, the princess and her maids were unfamiliar with the layout of the Hou Mansion and somehow got lost. They went round and round without encountering any maids from the mansion until, fortunately, they met Ms. Ye and other young ladies. Together, they asked directions from a maid of the mansion. After treating the elderly lady, we returned to the garden, only to find the other ladies and young misses absent;"
"After waiting a while, we heard from the young ladies who had just returned about what had happened. So we waited in the garden until a maid came and told us something, and that’s why we have come here now."
Ms. Ye Yunqian and several other young ladies immediately confirmed that this was indeed the case.
With the young ladies vouching for her, especially given the time the Ma sisters were making a scene, Yang Mengchen and Ms. Ye Yunqian, among a few others, had already made it to the inner court and then were continuously with the young ladies, proving that all of today’s events had nothing to do with Yang Mengchen.
Madam Zhang and Long Fengying were disappointed that they couldn’t ensnare Yang Mengchen but realized they were powerless to change the outcome at this point.
"Eldest Miss!" Maternal Aunt Rou suddenly cried out loudly, glaring at Madam Qi’s daughter, Guo Li, with venom in her eyes, "The eldest miss and Huanhuan went out to enjoy the sightseeing together, and now Huanhuan has met with an accident. What kind of sister are you, not knowing to take good care of Huanhuan?"
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