Madam Meng also looked worried. According to her original plan, she intended to steal a few more valuable treasures from the second wife's house to buy some servants and gradually furnish the house. Who knew that man proposes, God disposes, and things happened so suddenly that she was caught off guard.
Looking back at Wei Shuyao, who was being helped up by Caizhu, Madam Meng couldn't bear to blame her daughter. However, after looking at the courtyard again, which was indeed uninhabitable, she made a decision and said, "How about we stay at an inn for a few days?"
Although the two ornaments stolen last time weren't particularly valuable, they still fetched a few dozen taels of silver. They booked two superior rooms at the inn to settle down, and hired two servants to clear the weeds and clean the yard. Once the place was mostly cleaned up, they bought a few necessities and moved in as needed.
Besides, we can secretly ask the old lady for help again; there's always a way out.
Wei Hai felt that this was the only way, so he nodded in agreement and returned to the carriage with Meng Shi and Wei Shuyao to find a clean and convenient inn.
*
As the cold sun gradually rose into the sky, it dispelled some of the morning chill.
Wearing a crimson brocade dress and a satin fox fur cloak over it, Wei Shuwan left the mansion in a carriage.
The carriage was luxurious and spacious, with thick felt curtains. In the corner, there was a small bronze incense burner, and Wei Shuwan was holding a brass hand warmer engraved with the Eight Immortals. It seemed that the cold outside had nothing to do with her, and the world inside and outside the carriage was completely different.
Yesterday, Wei Shuyao made such a fool of herself at the Prince of Qiaochuan's residence, so Wei Shuwan is eager to see Li Qingchen today, firstly to apologize for the incident, and secondly to find out the whole story.
This was, in fact, the first time she had ever visited Li Qingchen since they had known each other.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Prince's Mansion. Zi Qiao jumped out of the carriage first and explained the identity and purpose of the person inside. When the gatekeeper heard that the person was the Third Miss of the Wei family, he immediately bowed in the direction of the carriage and then said politely to Zi Qiao, "Please wait here for a moment, Miss. I will go and inform the head of the family."
"Thank you for your trouble," Zi Qiao replied politely in return.
After the man left, Zi Qiao returned to the carriage and said with a smile, "Miss, did you see that? The servants in the Prince's mansion now treat you with the utmost respect, like a mistress."
Wei Shuwan ignored her joke and climbed out of the car. Zi Qiao quickly advised, "Miss, why don't you wait in the car for a while?"
“Since he went to report, it proves that the young prince did not leave the manor. Since he is in the manor, there is no reason to refuse him entry.” Wei Shuwan was confident of this. After all, when Li Qingchen wanted to see her, he would just climb over the wall to get in, but he had never been as polite as she was.
Zi Qiao stopped trying to persuade her and helped her mistress down from the carriage. Just as the two of them reached the gate of the Prince's Mansion, the gatekeeper who had gone in to report returned and opened the gate: "Madam Wei, my young prince invites you."
He spoke with some shortness of breath, clearly having run the whole way, which showed his sincerity.
Wei Shuwan was led by the gatekeeper through the corridor and courtyard to an elegant little courtyard. The gatekeeper suddenly stopped and simply gestured for her to enter: "Madam Wei, please go in by yourself."
Wei Shuwan peered through the moon gate and saw that the path wound its way through and seemed to be quite a distance away. Normally, when a new guest visits for the first time, the servants should lead the person to the destination.
He couldn't help but wonder, "Why?"
"I dare not deceive Lady Wei. This place is the Jingchen Pavilion, which can be considered a forbidden area in our Prince's Mansion. Normally, the young prince does not allow anyone to disturb it. Even Guard Yuan and Guard Gu can only enter when the young prince summons them or when there is an urgent matter."
"Can't I go in with my daughter?" Zi Qiao asked, puzzled.
The doorman nodded.
The Prince's Mansion has strict rules, which Wei Shuwan had anticipated. Naturally, she wouldn't break the rules of someone else's mansion, so she said to Zi Qiao, "Then you wait for me here."
"Um."
Wei Shuwan entered Chen Garden alone, and following the gatekeeper's instructions, walked along the path to its end, where she saw a secluded and magnificent painted pavilion. With its red pillars and carved rafters, soaring eaves and steep terraces, and vermilion walls surrounded by lush green bamboo, it seemed to harbor a vibrant energy within its tranquility.
As she approached the painted pavilion, before she could even figure out which floor or room Li Qingchen might be in, she heard a warm voice drifting from one of the windows:
"Come in."
Wei Shuwan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a room in the northwest corner. However, she looked around but couldn't find the door. Just as she was running around like a headless fly between several doors, a figure suddenly flashed out from one of the doors. She was caught off guard and almost bumped into his arms!
Fortunately, she stopped in time, stopping an inch from his chest.
She looked up somewhat blankly, meeting Li Qingchen's long, deep black eyes. They didn't meet, but her mind involuntarily recalled the memory of when she bumped into him at her maternal grandfather's mansion.
That hardness, that temperature, seemed to linger in her mind.
For some reason, Chen Shuwan felt her cheeks getting hot, and she quickly looked away and lowered her head slightly.
Li Qingchen's originally stern face softened as if brushed by a delicate willow branch, melting away its icy coldness and creating ripples on his face.
"Come in with me."
The addition of two words adds a layer of ambiguous meaning.
...
Zi Qiao waited alone outside Chen Garden. The gatekeeper had already returned to his post. She looked around somewhat boredly, and suddenly spotted a face that was somewhat familiar.
"Guard Yuan!"
Yuan Que was passing by not far away when he heard the voice and looked over. When he saw Zi Qiao, he obviously pondered for a while before finally remembering who she was, and then came over to greet her.
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