Chapter 179 Entering the Rongguo Mansion
After arriving at the Duke Rong's Mansion, Lu Jian was the first to knock on the door.
The person who came to open the door was the same young doorman as the last time.
Before Lu Jian could explain his purpose, the little doorman said the same thing with a smile on his face: "We at the Duke of Rong's Mansion are not seeing any guests recently. If you haven't received an invitation, please go back first."
Last time, Wen Ling didn’t bring a visiting card, and then she wasn’t even allowed to enter the door, leaving her with no room for maneuver.
No matter what Wen Ling said, people would just repeat the same words with a smile on their faces.
This time it was different. Lu Jian carefully took out an invitation from his sleeve: "We have an invitation. This is an invitation from the Duke himself. Take a look."
The doorman looked at the visiting card handed to him and froze for several seconds before he took it and opened it to check.
Then, like a paper man, he twisted his neck stiffly from side to side for several times before finally saying, "Wait a moment, I'll go in and ask."
Then there was no movement from inside the door for a long time. The entire Rongguo Mansion was quiet, as if it had been an empty mansion for a long time.
Lu Jian felt goose bumps all over his body. The wind blowing from the Rongguo Mansion made him feel chilly even in the spring when flowers were blooming.
He touched the goose bumps on his body, turned around and asked Wen Ling in a low voice: "Madam, why did we come to the Duke of Rong's Mansion today? Why do I feel that there is something sinister here..."
Wen Ling was very surprised: "Before you came here today, didn't you know what was going on?"
Lu Jian shook his head: "I don't know, I only know that the prince has ordered that as long as Madam leaves the house, no matter where she goes, I must follow her to ensure her safety."
Wen Ling looked at Lu Jian's clear yet stupid eyes with a slightly complicated look, containing both sympathy and disgust.
Wen Ling sighed, "Okay, then you just follow me closely after you go in, don't talk casually, don't run around, and it's best not to leave my sight. No matter what you see, don't scream casually. If you can do these, you can go in with me. If you can't, you can stay outside and wait for me."
When Lu Jian heard this, his eyes widened immediately: "Of course! Madam, I think you may have some misunderstanding about me. I am a well-trained first-class guard. No matter what the circumstances, I can always follow orders!"
Wen Ling showed a meaningful smile: "Of course, I believe you can do it!"
Lu Jian scratched his head. He always felt that there was something else behind the princess' words.
When I turned around again, I found that Tingyin also had the same subtle smile on his face.
This finally made Lu Jian feel uneasy.
Tingyin really liked to fan the flames. She patted Lu Jian's shoulder and said with an experienced look: "It's okay. If something happens later, I can let you hide behind me."
Green Sword muttered quietly: "Who are you looking down on? How could I hide behind a girl like you..."
After a while, there was movement again in the Rongguo Mansion.
This time it was the sound of quarreling. Before I saw anyone, I heard a noisy voice coming from inside: "Dad, those who come from outside may not be good people. Why do you have to go to the front in person..."
As the sound got closer, Wen Ling saw Duke Rong striding towards the door.
When Wen Ling saw Duke Rong, she couldn't help but gasp even though she had prepared herself mentally in advance.
How should I put it? It's true that an eighty-year-old man should look old, but Duke Rong's appearance is not just old, he is haggard and very thin, like a skeleton covered with a layer of human skin, almost like a walking skeleton.
Lu Jian subconsciously took a few steps back. He didn't expect that Duke Rong, who had not been seen for a long time, would look like this!
Behind Duke Rong was a group of people, all of whom were young and at least looked normal.
Duke Rong also saw Wen Ling who was also standing at the door. For some reason, although Wen Ling looked like a young girl, she looked very imposing and reliable when she stood calmly at the door.
Wen Ling bowed to Duke Rong and said, "Greetings, Duke Rong. I am the Wen Ling that Ling Ji mentioned to you."
Duke Rong said nothing, stepped aside, and made a gesture of invitation: "Princess Chen, I have been waiting here for a long time, please come in."
Wen Ling then walked in with Lu Jian and Ting Yin.
After entering the Mansion of Duke Rong, Lu Jian felt that it was worthy of being a Mansion of Duke passed down from the previous dynasty. Every blade of grass and even every ornament inside revealed its heritage and was very grand and majestic.
Lu Jian couldn't help but feel that he was overthinking when he stood at the door before. This is the Duke's Mansion, how could it be the same as a ghost house?
Wen Ling, however, has been looking around since he walked in, his eyes gloomy.
Unlike the respect and courtesy shown to the Duke, the second young master and eldest daughter-in-law of Duke Rong's Mansion looked at Wen Ling with extremely cold eyes.
They didn't even say hello to Wen Ling. Their eyes were full of warning, as if Wen Ling was an uninvited guest who had barged into the place and they were warning her to leave quickly.
Moreover, they all took advantage of the fact that Duke Rong couldn't see them to be hostile to Wen Ling, but when Duke Rong looked over, they quickly returned to normal.
There was order in the mansion of Duke Rong, and the servants were working in their respective posts in an orderly manner.
Some people were watering and weeding in the yard, while others were kneeling in the corridor mopping the floor back and forth over and over again. The wooden floor was mopped so smooth that it almost reflected light.
At first glance, the entire Rongguo Mansion seemed to be fine, but upon closer inspection, one would find that the expressions on the faces and the movements of the hands of all the servants here were as stiff as paper figures, and it seemed that they always had the same expression and would never change.
Moreover, the entire Rongguo Mansion was surprisingly quiet. There was not even a single person talking, and there were no birds singing or flowers blooming, which were similar sounds to those of nature.
It was as if everyone was acting in a silent movie.
There was no sound except the footsteps of their group of people walking.
Suddenly, Lu Jian heard a sound coming from a corner. He glanced over and found the half-grown boy at the corner of the corridor.
Just as Lu Jian was about to speak, Wen Ling spoke first: "Don't shout. That young boy is Zhao Lingji, the client who invited me here today. I have seen him a long time ago. He is not a bad guy and will not be in any danger."
"Yes!" Green Sword responded in a low voice.
Wen Ling warned again in a low voice: "I remember I said that from the moment you walked in, don't say anything on your own initiative, otherwise you can just wait at the door."
Green Sword was shocked and quickly bowed his head: "Madam, I know I was wrong. From now on, no matter what happens, I will not say a word!"
It was at this time that Duke Rong led Wen Ling to the reception room.
He said to the people below: "You all go out first, I have something to talk to Princess Chen alone."
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