Chapter 492 Let me tell you, if this county is able to do so, we will not stand idly by.
"Shut up! How dare you say that!" Madam Xu turned her head abruptly and glared at her daughter fiercely, her eyes filled with shock, anger, and fear. "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear the princess say she wanted Lord Bao to thoroughly investigate the Mu Mansion?!"
She practically dragged Mu Ting'er towards her carriage, "Get in! Quick! Go back! We must tell your father immediately! It's too late... I'm afraid it will be too late!" Her heart was in turmoil: Her husband and brother-in-law were out on business, and those business tactics... how could they withstand the scrutiny of the Shuntian Prefecture Governor? And the princess specifically mentioned her brother-in-law and the Baihua Opera House... Could it be that her brother-in-law had done something so terribly wrong with the Baihua Opera House that the princess had obtained evidence of? No! She had to go back and get to the bottom of it immediately!
Mrs. Xu almost stumbled into the carriage and shouted at the driver, "Hurry! Drive! Go back home as fast as possible! Hurry!" There was a cracking despair in her voice.
When the coachman heard Mrs. Xu's voice in the carriage, he did not dare to delay. The whip in his hand "cracked" in the air and hit the horse's buttocks hard.
The horse felt pain, neighed loudly, and exerted force suddenly, pulling the carriage violently and bumping around. The wheels rolled over the gaps in the cobblestone road, making a rapid and chaotic sound.
Inside the car, Mu Ting'er was thrown against the wall by the sudden acceleration. She rubbed her sore shoulder and looked at her mother's still pale face and her clenched, slightly trembling hands. The feeling of depression and unwillingness in her heart surged up again.
She curled her lips and spoke with an almost innocent certainty, "Mother! I've been getting along really well with Princess Nalan recently! The princess treats me very kindly and treats me like a close friend. She often invites me to the Nalan Mansion to enjoy flowers and tea!"
She deliberately emphasized the words "Princess Nalan" and "handkerchief friend" as if they were the supreme honor and amulet. "Think about it, Princess Nalan is a legitimate relative of the Prince Regent's Palace! In fact, Princess Nalan can call the Prince Regent uncle?"
The more Mu Ting'er spoke, the more she felt her words made sense. Her voice rose a few notches, with the relief of someone finding support. "At worst... I'll go back and talk to Princess Nalan about today's misunderstanding. The princess is a very kind person, and she's a good friend of mine. As long as she's willing to put in a few good words for us in front of the Regent Princess and explain that it was an unintentional mistake... I'm sure the Regent Princess will be so broad-minded that she won't make a big fuss about such a small matter!"
Mrs. Xu was originally immersed in great fear and her heart was in turmoil. When she suddenly heard her daughter's words, it was like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood, and her dull eyes suddenly lit up!
That's right! How could I have forgotten this! Ting'er had indeed mentioned her interactions with Princess Nalan quite often recently. She grabbed her daughter's hand with such force that Mu Ting'er frowned, her voice trembling with excitement: "Ting'er! You're right! This... this is a really good idea!"
Madam Xu made arrangements quickly, "Go back! When you get back, prepare a generous gift! No, prepare two! No, three! Bring the most valuable jewelry in the warehouse, the latest materials, and... prepare more banknotes! The more the better! Deliver them to Princess Nalan personally! Be sure to explain today's events to the Princess in a tactful manner!"
We must seek the princess's mercy and ask her to speak well of our Mu family in front of the Regent Princess! As long as we can calm the princess's anger and get Lord Bao to show mercy... any amount of money will be worth it! "
Mu Ting'er looked at her mother's eyes that lit up instantly and her face full of hope, and felt the pain of her wrist being grasped, but still nodded obediently, and with a blind confidence in the "friendship" of the powerful, she replied: "Well, mother, don't worry, I'll take care of it." She had even begun to think about which new and interesting things to pick out to make Princess Nalan happier.
After returning to the mansion, Xu immediately ordered the housekeeper to open the storeroom. The servants brought out gifts worth the current price. She then personally stuffed a thick stack of banknotes into an exquisite brocade bag. She whispered a few words to Mu Ting'er in a low and hurried voice, and urged her to immediately set off for the Nalan Mansion to meet Princess Nalan.
Watching Mu Ting'er's carriage disappear in the dust raised by the street corner, the inexplicable uneasiness in Xu's heart did not dissipate, but instead became tighter and tighter like a vine.
She turned to the maidservant standing beside her, and said with a barely perceptible tension in her voice, "Where are the Master and the Second Master? Are they back?"
The maid lowered her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Madam, the master and the second master left early this morning and have not returned yet."
Upon hearing this, Xu's carefully drawn willow-shaped eyebrows instantly tightened, and her fingertips unconsciously pinched the silk handkerchief in her hand.
"Go!" she ordered hurriedly, "Send the servants out to look for him immediately! Make sure he's found! Tell them...something terrible has happened in the mansion, it's urgent, have them return home immediately, without a moment's delay!"
"Yes, madam!" The maid did not dare to delay and turned around and trotted away.
The hall suddenly became quiet, leaving only the sound of Xu pacing back and forth.
The expensive Persian carpet under her feet seemed to have invisible thorns, making her feel uneasy.
Seeing this, the trusted nanny who had served for many years stepped forward and whispered, "Madam, please be at ease. Didn't the eldest lady go to see Princess Nalan with a generous gift? The princess is a noble and distinguished lady. If she were willing to speak, today's disaster would be averted. Besides, how could you and the eldest lady know that the lady was actually the Regent Princess..."
Xu suddenly stopped in her tracks, her fingertips cold, her voice filled with exhaustion and uncertainty. "I hope so... I hope Ting'er can convince Princess Nalan to speak up for our Mu Mansion..."
Mu Ting'er's carriage stopped in front of the magnificent vermilion lacquer gate of the Nalan Mansion.
After the announcement, she was led into the flower hall.
Nalan Mei was lazily leaning on the brocade-covered chaise longue, playing with a crystal grape between her fingertips.
Seeing the servants coming in one after another behind Mu Ting'er, carrying and holding a dazzling array of gift boxes, Nalan Mei's exquisitely painted phoenix eyes lit up instantly, and a reserved and satisfied smile spread across the corners of her mouth.
"Oh, Sister Ting'er," Nalan Mei said in a deliberately affectionate voice, slowly sitting up straight. "You just came, why did you bring so many things? This expense makes it seem like you are alienated from this county."
Mu Ting'er suppressed her inner uneasiness and put on a respectful yet somewhat flattering smile, "The princess treats me so kindly, so a small gift is only fitting as a token of her appreciation."
She stepped forward and bowed deeply. "To be honest, I've come here today because I'm in a great difficulty. I'm begging you, princess, to lend a hand and save our Mu Mansion from this dire situation!"
Nalan Mei raised her carefully groomed eyebrows, revealing a hint of just the right amount of confusion. "Oh? What's making Sister Ting'er so anxious? Tell me about it. If this county is able to help, we will certainly not stand idly by."
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