Chapter 471: Preparing to Leave the House
Birong hugged Wu Ma's cold body and cried for a long time, until she heard the sound of the gong outside the window, and then she came to her senses. She closed Wu Ma's eyes with trembling hands, and her fingers touched the things in Wu Ma's sleeves, which were pieces of handkerchiefs embroidered with lotus flowers.
"Go find the princess..." Nanny Wu's last words were still ringing in my ears.
Birong hid the handkerchief in her underwear, wiped away her tears and wrapped up Nanny Wu's body. She planned to hide her in the backyard and bury her after asking the princess to leave the house tomorrow.
The night wind swept the fallen leaves across the courtyard, the shadows of the bamboos swayed, and a figure flashed by. Birong's heart was beating like a drum, but she didn't dare to look back, and only quickened her pace to walk through the corridor.
"stop."
A cold voice pierced from behind, and Birong froze.
Feng Ming had stood three steps behind her without her noticing. His dark outfit almost blended into the night, with only the sword at his waist shining coldly.
"It's so late, where are you going, Miss Birong?" Feng Ming walked slowly around to her, his hawk-like eyes seeming to see through her thoughts.
Birong dug her fingernails into her palms and forced herself to remain calm: "Madame Wu... is gone. I'll go tell Madame in charge to arrange the funeral."
Feng Ming sneered, "The housekeeper lives in the west wing, but you are going to the princess's courtyard."
A drop of cold sweat slid down Birong's temples. She suddenly knelt down, her forehead against the cold floor tiles: "Please have mercy, Master Feng! Before she died, Nanny Wu asked me to find the princess... She said... that only the princess could save me..."
"Oh?" Feng Ming squatted down and lifted Birong's chin with his sword sheath. "What else did Aunt Wu say?"
Birong bit her lip and shook her head: "No, no..."
Feng Ming stared at her for a long time, then suddenly stood up and said, "Go ahead. Remember, you haven't seen me tonight."
Birong didn't dare to ask more questions, she staggered to her feet and ran. Only when she turned the corner of the corridor did she dare to look back - Feng Ming's figure had disappeared into the night, and only the moonlight cast mottled shadows of trees on the ground, like countless prying eyes.
The lights in the Qiwu Courtyard where the princess lived were off, and only the maid on night duty was dozing off in the corridor. Birong was hesitating about how to report when she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
"What are you doing in front of the Princess Courtyard?"
The door creaked open, and Lin Miaoyin walked out in her outer robe, with a hint of surprise in her eyes, "Are you... Birong from Aunt Wu's side?"
Birong bowed to the ground and said, "I risk my life to ask to see the princess! Nanny Wu...she..." She burst into tears before she could finish her words.
Lin Miaoyin motioned Birong to follow her into the house. Under the candlelight, the princess's plain face looked a little tired, with a faint blue shadow under her eyes, but her eyes were as clear as a cold pond.
"Madame Wu is gone." Lin Miaoyin said directly, her voice so calm that no emotion could be heard.
Birong took out the half embroidered handkerchief with trembling hands: "Madame Wu asked me to come to the princess before she died, saying...please give me a chance to live for the sake of Master Youan. This is what Madame Wu asked me to bring. It's from the Princess's Mansion...Mr. Chen."
Lin Miaoyin took the handkerchief and gently stroked the lotus pattern with her fingertips. When she turned to the back, her pupils suddenly shrank - a small word "Chen" was embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief with very fine silk thread.
"This handkerchief..." Lin Miaoyin's voice trembled slightly, "Can Aunt Wu tell me where it came from?"
Birong shook her head: "Mammy only told me to give it to you, saying that you will understand after reading it." She hesitated for a moment and added, "Mammy also said...the princess is the kindest person in the mansion, please let me leave the mansion..."
Lin Miaoyin clutched the handkerchief tightly in her palm, stood up and walked to the window. The moonlight cast mottled shadows on her face through the window screen, making it difficult to see her expression. After a long while, she suddenly asked, "Birong, do you know Shen Yu?"
Birong was startled: "Master...Chen?
Lin Miaoyin sneered, "The arm is unrecognizable, and it can be determined to be Shen Yu just by a jade pendant..." She turned and looked directly at Birong, "Has Aunt Wu ever mentioned Shen Yu to you?"
Birong's heart was beating like thunder. She suddenly remembered that two months ago, late at night, she accidentally saw the words "Shen Yu" on the letter that Wu Mama secretly burned.
When the nanny found her, she sternly warned her to forget what she had seen and heard...
"I'm not sure..." Birong stammered, "but Madam did say that many 'accidents' in the mansion were not accidents..."
Lin Miaoyin's eyes flashed with a sharp light. She walked back to Birong and said in a very low voice, "Tomorrow I will arrange for you to go out of the house in the name of purchasing."
Birong's eyes widened: "What the princess means is..."
"Madame Wu is right. This princess's mansion is a place of cruelty." Lin Miaoyin smiled bitterly, "But I need you to do something for me first. After that, whether you want to go to the silk shop or the rouge shop, I will make arrangements for you."
Suddenly, there was a slight sound of tiles outside the window. Lin Miaoyin suddenly fell silent and motioned Birong to hide behind the screen. She blew out the candle, walked to the window lightly, and suddenly opened the window -
A black cat jumped down from the eaves with a "meow" and quickly disappeared into the night.
Lin Miaoyin breathed a sigh of relief and turned on the light again, only to see Birong staring at the ground with a pale face: "What's wrong?"
Birong pointed tremblingly at the almost invisible black cloth between the window frames: "Just now... it wasn't a cat..."
Lin Miaoyin's face suddenly changed. She quickly took out a token from the bottom of the dressing table and stuffed it into Birong's pocket: "Leave at dawn and go out from the west corner gate. If anyone stops you, say that you are ordered by me to get the herbs." She paused, her voice almost inaudible, "Remember, no matter who asks, you don't know who Shen Yu is."
Birong was about to nod when she heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. Lin Miaoyin opened the secret compartment in the closet and said, "Hide inside and don't make any noise!"
Almost at the same time, there was a knock on the door: "Princess, the eldest princess asks you to come over immediately."
Lin Miaoyin straightened her clothes and her voice returned to calm: "I understand. Let me change my clothes."
When the footsteps faded away, she opened the secret compartment. Birong was horrified to find that the princess had an exquisite dagger in her hand, which was emitting a cold light.
"It seems someone can't wait any longer." Lin Miaoyin sneered, "Birong, remember my words - after you leave the house tomorrow, no matter what happens, don't look back. If I don't send someone to contact you within three days, you will go to see Doctor Zhou of Renxin Hall."
Birong wanted to say something, but Lin Miaoyin pushed her towards the side door: "Hurry up! Go out through the secret passage under the rockery in the back garden. Aunt Wu should have taught you."
When Birong stumbled and disappeared into the night, Lin Miaoyin lowered her head and stared at the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. Her fingertips gently stroked the word "chen" and tears welled up in her eyes: "Ayu, I will definitely save you..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
