Chapter 171: Truly Important Matters
Wan Jing’s second moment of relief lasted just over an hour before Shi Gun called her out of the courtyard.
Stepping out of the courtyard gate, Wan Jing saw her Young Lord and felt her vision go black.
“Speak. Not a single word is to be hidden,” Gu Yan signaled Shi Gun and the others to move further away, looking at Wan Jing as he instructed.
“No… no more!” Wan Jing’s lips trembled as she gritted her teeth and forced herself to hold on.
“If you are unwilling to speak here, I will take you to Academy Street right now. How many lashes do you think it will take before Miss Li speaks up for you?” Gu Yan asked calmly.
“The, the first lash.” Wan Jing’s face was ashen.
Gu Yan snorted, “Speak!”
“Yes.” Wan Jing closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and in one breath, recounted all of Li Xiaonan’s nonsensical ramblings.
Gu Yan listened, his lips tightly pressed together, and after a long while, he finally spoke, “Go back! Remember, do not speak of this to anyone!”
“Yes.” Wan Jing spun around and ran, her skirt trailing behind her.
She knew she shouldn’t have said anything, but he forced her to!
Gu Yan slowly inhaled, then exhaled, raising his hand to his face and rubbing it vigorously.
He needed to select a few people to watch Shi Shi.
………………………………
Li Xiaonan returned to Cai Lian Lane early and chatted idly with Mei Jie.
She needed to get away.
She had already decided where to go.
Tomorrow, she would go back to Li Family Market with her Eldest Sister. She would say she missed Cui Ye; her Eldest Sister was easy to talk to, it would only take a word.
But she had to arrange two things: first, how to keep A Wu and Yu Ting in the dark, and second, how to get Mei Jie to keep her secret and not tell anyone her whereabouts.
A Wu and Wan Jing were fine, but with Yu Ting, she felt Mei Jie wouldn’t be able to keep the secret; Yu Ting was too good at coaxing secrets out of Mei Jie.
It would be best to keep even Mei Jie in the dark!
Alas, that was impossible. If she left with her Eldest Sister, her Second Sister would definitely know, and her Brother would know too. She could fool Mei Jie, but she couldn’t fool her Second Sister.
Li Xiaonan worried all night, but couldn’t figure out how to ensure Mei Jie wouldn’t leak the secret. Instead, she came up with another plan.
When she returned to Li Family Market, she would say she was going to the County Town to pay respects to Old Master Hong. Upon arriving at the Hong Family, after paying her respects, she would say she was going to Linhai Town to buy some things and ask the Hong Family to arrange a carriage to take her to Linhai Town to find her Second Uncle. She would then wander around Linhai Town, have her Second Uncle find a carriage to take her back to Pingjiang City. Upon arriving in Pingjiang City, she wouldn’t go home but would go to her Eldest Uncle’s house to find Ai Ye. This whole trip would take three to four days.
This was called “the golden cicada shedding its shell”!
The next day, as the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, Shi Gun knocked on the Li Family’s courtyard gate, conveying an invitation from his Young Lord: Miss Li was invited to the manor for an urgent matter.
Li Xiaonan poked half her body out and saw Shi Gun’s horse and attendants waiting at the alley entrance. She beckoned to Shi Gun and asked in a low voice, “Wan Jing said you can be trusted. You don’t need to speak. If what I say is correct, blink twice. I ask you: has the matter been exposed? Is it best if I don’t go?”
“No!” Shi Gun’s eyes widened, and he answered very quickly, “Miss, please rest assured, it is indeed an urgent matter.”
Li Xiaonan hummed and looked at Shi Gun, then asked again, “Don’t trick me, is it really nothing?”
“It’s really nothing, Miss, please rest assured.” Shi Gun quickly nodded.
“Then I’ll tell my Eldest Sister.” Li Xiaonan withdrew.
“Breakfast has been prepared at the villa,” Shi Gun quickly added with a smile.
Li Xiaonan followed Shi Gun and the others, dismounted at the Second Gate of the Villa, and saw Wan Jing standing by the Second Gate, immediately feeling relieved.
Wan Jing’s expression was not good. Before Li Xiaonan could get close, she turned around and walked forward properly.
“Shi Gun said the Crown Prince has arrived, so your Young Lord won’t have time for other matters, right? Is yesterday’s incident resolved? How is that Eldest Madam? Is she alright?” Li Xiaonan caught up with Wan Jing and asked in a low voice.
Wan Jing glanced back at Li Xiaonan but said nothing.
“What’s wrong with you? Have they docked your monthly allowance again? Did you make a mistake as soon as the Crown Prince arrived? What mistake did you make?” Li Xiaonan quickened her steps, walking alongside Wan Jing, carefully observing Wan Jing’s expression.
“We’re here. The Young Lord instructed that Miss Li should dine here.” Wan Jing stood at the entrance of a warm pavilion and bowed, gesturing for Li Xiaonan to enter.
Li Xiaonan poked her head inside and, seeing no one in the warm pavilion, pushed Wan Jing inside. “You come in too. What’s wrong with you?”
“What else could be wrong! Everyone who needs to know knows! The Young Lord knows, and the Crown Prince knows too!” Wan Jing looked utterly despairing.
“You told them? You didn’t hide anything?”
“In front of the Crown Prince, I hid your last few nonsensical remarks, but when the Young Lord came to interrogate me, I…!” Wan Jing covered her face and lowered her head.
“If they know, they know. What can they do? I don’t get my monthly allowance from him anyway.” Li Xiaonan was stunned for a moment, then slapped the table and sat down to eat.
Wan Jing watched Li Xiaonan pick up her chopsticks and eat, blinked, and sighed. It was true; it had been said, and they knew, and no matter what, it was already like this, so be it.
“Don’t eat too much,” Wan Jing put aside the matter of her ramblings, immediately looked forward, and quickly stepped forward to instruct Li Xiaonan, “You were invited so early because Shi Gun said it was to see the Crown Prince, and that there was a task.
“The Crown Prince is the Lord; he’s different from our Young Lord. You should eat only half full; an empty stomach sharpens the mind.
“I’m telling you, when you meet the Crown Prince, absolutely do not speak nonsense. It’s best if you don’t speak at all! Just stand with your head down, nodding and shaking your head is enough.”
Li Xiaonan chewed on a crab roe steamed bun, nodding continuously.
She really wasn’t planning to speak anymore, not a single word!
After eating half a breakfast, Li Xiaonan rinsed her mouth and washed her face again. Wan Jing then redid her hair, inspected her from head to toe three or four times, sniffed her, and once everything was in order, she followed Li Xiaonan out and, with the servants waiting outside, proceeded deeper into the villa.
In a quiet courtyard in the middle of the villa, Li Xiaonan waited with Wan Jing in the flower hall inside the Second Gate for over fifteen minutes.
The sound of footsteps approached from outside the flower hall.
Li Xiaonan dared not move and, tilting her head slightly, looked towards the entrance of the flower hall.
A handsome young man in his early twenties, wearing a silver-white long gown, entered the flower hall, followed by two servants on his left and right.
Wan Jing nudged Li Xiaonan, and Li Xiaonan quickly knelt down with Wan Jing.
Wan Jing had instructed her that upon seeing the Crown Prince, she should immediately kneel and kowtow when pushed by Wan Jing.
The Crown Prince stopped, looked at Li Xiaonan, who had fallen to her knees with a clumsy and unsightly kowtow, glanced at Gu Yan, and smiled, “You may rise.”
Wan Jing tugged at Li Xiaonan, and Li Xiaonan quickly scrambled to her feet.
The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, carefully observing Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan suppressed her overwhelming curiosity and excitement, intending to look closely at the Crown Prince, but was kicked on the heel from behind by Wan Jing, so she quickly hunched her shoulders and lowered her eyes.
Wan Jing had instructed that when facing the Lord, one should not look up unless ordered to do so; meaning, he could look at you, but you could not look at him.
“You should find her a governess,” the Crown Prince said, laughing as he looked at Li Xiaonan, who swayed from the kick by Wan Jing.
