"Alright, then you be careful. This is a map of the manor's secret passages. Take a look, and don't trigger any mechanisms. I'm heading down the mountain, and I'll be back soon."
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Yun Xiao waved her hand, then blinked her eyes and coquettishly said, "Remember to miss me."
A surge of warmth welled up in Murong Chong's heart. He wished he could hug this girl tightly and kiss her, but with people in the hall, he couldn't do that. All he could do was give her a deep look with his eyes before turning to leave.
Yun Xiao watched him leave with a smile. Once his figure disappeared, a faint coldness settled on her face. She lowered her head to look at the map in her hand.
This was the distribution map of Yunshui Manor's secret passages. She had already heard some details from Murong these past few days. Looking at the drawings now, she understood it all. She put away the map and looked at Wanwan beside her, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, much better."
Wanwan nodded. The several young maids who had fainted in the hall also gradually woke up. Each of them was still somewhat shaken, casting cautious glances around until they were sure there was nothing there, only then did they relax.
"Let's go get dressed and eat."
Yun Xiao called out, and Wanwan followed her towards the sleeping quarters.
Yunshui Manor's Yingxue Courtyard was still built by the old manor lord for his daughter. It was uniquely elegant, with every brick and tile more perfect and intricate in its design than elsewhere.
The rockery was rugged, the bamboo fragrant, and the flowers intoxicating.
Paths paved with similarly sized cobblestones led directly to the main house, with countless precious flowers and plants lining both sides. They swayed gently in the morning mist, their fragrance rich and alluring.
In the main hall of the main house, two women were currently eating.
They ate while chatting with smiling faces.
"Do you think they'll be scared to death?"
Murong Yingxue's eyes sparkled. She smiled, pursing her lips proudly, and cast a sidelong glance at Mo Ruyan, who was eating silently beside her.
What did this woman mean, with that look of disdain, as if she were treating her like a child?
"Putting a few mice to scare people, isn't that too childish for you, miss?"
Mo Ruyan finished her sentence and stopped appropriately. It was said that talking too much led to misfortune, and knowing when to stop was the way of the wise.
However, as soon as her words fell, Murong Yingxue became so angry that she slapped the table, putting down her chopsticks and staring at Mo Ruyan with a somber expression. "If you think that, why don't you do it yourself? Are you trying to get me beaten by Brother Murong?"
The wounds on her face hadn't healed yet, and she had already annoyed Brother Murong. She was afraid he wouldn't care about her anymore, and then she would have no family left. That was why she dared not act freely.
Mo Ruyan curved her lips into a faint smile.
"I was just giving a reminder, why should you get so angry, miss?"
Mo Ruyan's faint eyebrows furrowed. She had been thinking about something last night. Who exactly was this woman?
Hearing the Palace Lord always call her Xiao'er, who could she be?
And these people in the manor, she recognized one of them, Prince Shangguan. There was also Prime Minister Sima Qingyun. As for the other person, although she hadn't met him, she had some impression of him, and he should be a high-ranking official or dignitary from the capital.
Last night was too rushed, and she didn't have a chance to speak with Prince Shangguan. Although they had quarreled before, she could use the opportunity to catch up and inquire about some matters from Prince Shangguan.
Mo Ruyan was lost in thought, while Murong Yingxue was still angry because of her words.
At this moment, a young maid in a red dress with her hair styled in a simple bun walked in from outside the hall.
As soon as she entered, she respectfully reported, "Miss, there's news from Xinglan Courtyard. They say nothing happened, and those few mice were eliminated by that Yun girl."
Mo Ruyan had a look of "I knew it." She frowned and pondered. The woman residing in Xinglan Courtyard called herself Yun Xiao.
Mo Ruyan had lived in Yan Capital for several years and was very familiar with this name. The foolish empress that everyone talked about seemed to have the same name.
Could she be her? She hadn't expected this woman to not be foolish at all. On the contrary, she was probably very capable, otherwise, how could she have managed to escape the palace under everyone's noses?
Then, the person in the wheelchair, who looked very much like Yun Xiao, must be the current Prince Yun.
Although she hadn't been involved in the prison break incident handled by the Ministry of Justice, as one of the Four Protectors, news had reached her ears.
A Prime Minister, a Prince, and a Regent.
They had all gathered at Yunshui Manor. What were these people trying to do?
Even if the Palace Lord wanted to seize the throne, why were these people letting him control them? Was it simply because the Palace Lord had saved them?
Mo Ruyan felt that there was a secret hidden within all of this.
But she couldn't quite articulate what it was. It would be better to inquire from Shangguan Lin later.
As Mo Ruyan was lost in thought, Murong Yingxue, furious, threw the food on the table to the ground, causing several cracking sounds. Following that, she said with a cold expression, "I don't believe I can't deal with that woman."
Mo Ruyan snapped back to attention and smiled faintly. "Miss should make better use of the things within the manor to achieve the goal without anyone knowing. If you bring things from outside, won't the Palace Lord know that you did it? If that woman gets hurt, you won't get away with it."
Murong Yingxue immediately trembled slightly. To be honest, she was very afraid of Brother Murong getting angry.
After all, she had no family left in this world except for Murong. That was why she wanted to hold onto him more tightly, fearing that he would be snatched away by someone else.
If Brother Murong loved that woman, would he still pay attention to her? Even if he didn't love her, at least she was his sister, and he still cared about her.
But yesterday, because she had cursed that woman twice, Brother Murong had slapped her.
She could imagine that if Brother Murong really married that woman, she would lose him. Therefore, she absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen.
Murong Yingxue clenched her fists, her pretty face filled with determination, and she stated with absolute certainty.
"I know what to do. You don't need to nag."
With that, she flicked her hand and darted out.
Behind her, Mo Ruyan raised her eyebrows indifferently. Compared to her, Murong Yingxue was still too inexperienced.
For now, she would go and build a rapport with Prince Shangguan to see if there was a secret between the Palace Lord and these people.
Her graceful figure moved at a leisurely pace, leaving and rushing out.
By early morning, more than half of the people in the manor knew that the Manor Lord had gone out.
Murong Yingxue and Mo Ruyan were naturally no exception. They all knew this, which greatly increased their confidence in the tasks ahead.
Mo Ruyan inquired from the maids in Yingxue Courtyard about Shangguan Lin's residence and then went to find Shangguan Lin with two subordinates to gather information.
Yun Xiao naturally knew that these two women would not let her off, and she was also planning to retaliate against them. So, she led Wanwan and the two maids serving in Xinglan Courtyard to wander around the manor.
However, after wandering for a good while, she didn't see any sign of Mo Ruyan or Murong Yingxue. She ended up feeling sore all over her body from walking. Just as she decided to return and rest, she unexpectedly saw Murong Yingxue emerge from a turning brocade screen gate.
As she looked up, it was a case of enemies meeting, and their eyes burned with hostility. Murong Yingxue stared at Yun Xiao with icy rage, slowly walking towards her step by step.