Chapter 90: Escaping

  "But even so, it can't be an excuse for you to hurt Wu Niang. Lin Zhaoyan always felt that if one has made a mistake, then they have made a mistake, and there is no reason to make excuses."

  "Who would have thought that Shi Liu would say: 'I didn't think of making excuses or seeking forgiveness from the Fifth Young Lady.' Her words carried a hint of desperation and ruthlessness, and she suddenly lifted her head to stare at Lin Zhaoyan, saying: 'Fourth Young Lady, I know you understand what's right and wrong. I don't ask for your pardon, but I hope you won't force me into a desperate situation. If you can cover up this matter for me tonight, I will leave of my own accord and never disturb the life of the Hou Manor again. When I have achieved something in the future and avenged my grievances, I will definitely repay your kindness today!'"

  But a ten-year-old little girl, the words that came out of her mouth were surprisingly powerful, and although they should have been out of tune, for some reason, they made people unconsciously believe.

  Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Ruoyan were both shocked speechless.

  The house was suddenly plunged into a dead silence, with only the two bronze lanterns on the wall swaying gently in the breeze.

  The sky was gray and dimly lit, and the Hou Mansion, which had been quiet for a night, began to regain its vitality.

  The old ladies who sweep the floor yawned and took out their brooms to start sweeping the big yard.

  Rong Mama led several aunts in charge and started a new day's patrol to inspect the work situation.

  An old woman sweeps the floor while dozing off, earning five cents.

  If I see a lazy maid gathering under the corridor chatting gossip, deduct 10 cents.

  Seeing a young servant not feeding the horse, sitting on a haystack in a daze thinking of spring, ...no, directly tell his master. Who knows which pretty maid by his master's side this guy is daydreaming about!

  After a whole day, about 100 cents were deducted. Rong Mama said she felt great and took 30 cents for herself. She handed over 30 cents and gave the remaining 40 cents to several other aunts to share.

  Everyone was delighted and in perfect harmony.

  Alright! Work's done! Let's buy some wine!

  Before he had gone many paces, someone came to report.

  "Rong Mama, something's wrong! The fifth daughter said that the pomegranate beside her is gone!"

  Damn it, big deal, restart!

  Rong's mother rushed to the Qing Xiang Pavilion, where Lin Ruoyan was sitting on a stone stool wiping away tears. She said this was the place where Shiliu loved to sit, and no one could persuade her otherwise.

  "What's going on, after all?" Mother Rong anxiously stepped forward. This stone lychee was bought by her, the person was also trained by her, and it was she who personally sent him into the courtyard of the Fifth Girl. Now that he is gone, she is the first to be held responsible.

  Lin Ruoyan wiped away a tear, her heart aching as she said: "This morning when I got up, I wanted to ask Shi Liu to help me get dressed and washed. But Zi Juan said Shi Liu wasn't around, so she sent someone to look for her... only to find that she was gone..."

  "Have you looked everywhere?"

  "We've looked everywhere. But we just can't find her, did she sneak out?"

  "It's impossible." Rong Mama instinctively knew that every night, each door in the Hou Mansion would be locked. Except for the keys to the individual ladies' and girls' quarters, all the others were kept by her. She was certain no one could run out.

  "But she's gone, what can we do?" Lin Ruoyan was about to cry again, looking very heartbroken.

  "Miss, don't be sad, I'll definitely try my best to find him, even if it means going out of the mansion, I'll find him for you."

  Rong's mother didn't know that Pomegranate had sneaked out when the side door of the third house was opened early this morning, and the one who came up with the idea and covered for her was none other than the fifth daughter-in-law who is now crying with tears streaming down her face.

  The sky is already bright, and the warm sunshine of May penetrates through layers of clouds and fog to sprinkle on the ground. Inside Shengjing City, everything is thriving and prosperous.

  Scale-like shops and restaurants open their doors, starting business.

  Both sides of the road were lined with all sorts of stalls, some selling food, others selling ornaments, and others selling household goods, dazzling to behold.

  There were more and more people on the road.

  The hawking of vendors and the bargaining voices of pedestrians are endless, with a vitality unique to ordinary people under the emperor's feet.

  Pedestrians hurry by, some carrying children to buy toys, others with baskets to buy vegetables and meat. Everyone has their own life, and no one notices the lonely figure standing silently in the crowd.

  The pomegranate is placed in such a lively scene, as if in a dream, with each step taken, the soul has flown to who-knows-where.

  She used to think about going out of the palace to see the prosperity and bustle of this Shengjing city, wanting to see the prosperous Great Yan under Father Emperor's rule. Now that her dream has come true, she is eager to re-enter that cold imperial city by any means necessary.

  Not for anything else, just wanting to ask, asking Empress Dowager, have you ever had any regrets?

  That night's events were enough for her to remember for a lifetime, the gentle and kind smile of the Crown Prince brother, the soft and warm palm, as well as the cold and twisted face of the Empress Dowager and her ruthless slap.

  As she fell down, she turned her head and seemed to see three words coming out of the thin lips of Queen Mother.

  "Goodbye..."

  Not "sorry".

  That moment of stunned anger and hatred engulfed her, and when she came to again, she had become a ten-year-old girl who had been sold as a child due to poverty at home.

  She woke up in a horse-drawn carriage with many other children like her who had been sold by their families, the youngest of whom was only four years old.

  She followed the carriage all the way from Jiangnan to Yanbei.

  She only then realized that the Great Yan Empire was not as prosperous and flourishing as her father had said, there were too many people who were persecuted by the powerful and bullied by the strong, there were too many corrupt officials who did not serve the people.

  The prosperity of Shengjing is all an illusion.

  She felt it was too tragic, her former self had fine clothes and food, eating swallow's nest and shark fin, wearing silk and satin, enjoying everyone's care and attention, never knowing what worry was, also lost the vigilance that people should have, harming herself and also harming the crown prince who treated her very well.

  When she finally got rid of several masters, the cruel and ruthless person warned her that if she played any more tricks, she would be sold to a brothel. At this time, she waited for an opportunity - the Jian'an Marquis's mansion was buying maids.

  The Jian'an Marquis Manor was her maternal grandparents' home, a place she had never been to but often heard the Empress Dowager mention. She knew that as long as she entered the manor, she would definitely have another chance to enter the Imperial City.

  She took every opportunity to enter the Jian'an Marquis's mansion and deliberately tempted other maidservants into committing theft, stopping at nothing just so she could get attention and be close to the most favored Fifth Young Lady.

  She did succeed, but she didn't think that it was precisely because of her "haste for quick success" that she attracted suspicion, investigation, and surveillance, which ultimately became the root cause of her plan's failure.

  This time's incident, if she hadn't been extra careful and discovered that Wu Niang had been distant and not quite right lately, I'm afraid she would have lost her life by now.

  To be honest, she is resentful, but she doesn't blame anyone. All of this was caused by herself. She can't let go of her hatred, but she's not clever and cautious enough.

  Nowadays, she has left Jian'an Marquis's mansion and wants to enter the palace again, which is a bit difficult.

  Pomegranate was thinking like this, and when she came back to her senses, she found herself standing in front of a majestic and magnificent mansion.

  She was stunned for a moment, her eyes falling heavily on the several gold-plated characters on the vermilion signboard - Xiao Wang Fu.

  The only Wangye Mansion in Shengjing.

  How did she end up here?

  Among several brothers and sisters, because of her favored status, everyone treated her well, except for Xiao Qi Gege from the Fifth Prince's residence, who never showed her any courtesy. She had never been close to him either, so why did she come to the Xiao Wang Fu when she was at a dead end?

  Pomegranate gazed at the gate of Xiao Wangfu with some hesitation. With her current identity, it was difficult to enter Xiao Wangfu, but if she really wanted to see Xiao Qi's brother, as long as she kept lurking around here, she would definitely be able to see him.

  But did you really ask for help from Xiao Qi's brother?

  She is not close to him, will he help her? Or won't he believe her and even betray her?

  At this time, the gate of Xiao Wangfu suddenly opened, and three or four young men in green robes walked out from inside. The leader was handsome and elegant, with a charming demeanor that caught people's attention, and he was her exceptionally good-looking fourth brother.

  All her hesitation and entanglement have dissipated, now pomegranate only wants to hide, she is not willing to take risks, especially still pinning hopes on such an unreliable fourth elder brother.

  She even suspected that he would think she was a woman who would stop at nothing to get close to him!

  Too scary!

  As for why she happened to come to Xiao Wangfu, it can only be said that it was a coincidence.

  The pomegranate ran away in a flash of smoke, but she didn't know that all her movements, even the panic on her face, were seen clearly by Xiao Qi from afar.

  Xiao Xi continued to chat and laugh with several young masters, but took advantage of their unpreparedness to use his internal force to transmit a message remotely, "Go investigate that little girl."

  His side has never lacked powerful and mysterious shadows.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, as soon as he spoke, a black shadow disappeared into thin air in the distance.

  Pomegranate escaped from Xiao Wangfu's place, panting heavily while leaning against the wall, thinking about what to do next.

  "Miss." At this time, a pleasant and sweet voice suddenly came from behind, like the nightingale's cry in the valley, the flowers and trees swaying.

  Pomegranate unconsciously turned around and faced the previous clean and neat face, with long eyebrows and fine eyes, looking gentle and warm, very pleasant to get along with.

  The pomegranate's guard lowered a few points and asked: "What's your business?"

  The woman smiled faintly at her and said, "My young mistress says that if you have nowhere to go, you might as well follow her."

  "What? What?" The pomegranate was startled and for a moment did not react to her meaning.

  "My young mistress is in need of a personal maid for daily care, if you're willing, five taels per month, how about it?" The woman still smiled, with an elegant and refined demeanor, from which one could glimpse what kind of beauty her master must be.

  When we were very young, our parents taught us that we should not easily believe in the greetings of strange uncles or aunts by the roadside, and it's the same with strange sisters.

  Pomegranate is not a naive child, naturally also knows this truth, but does not know why, looking at the woman's warm and clear eyes opposite, as if being bewitched, unknowingly believed her words.

  When she came back to her senses, she found herself in a beautifully decorated boudoir.