Chapter 21: Miscalculated
As Wen Mingqian and the others had just left the flower hall, they ran into Cui Baozhu.
“Second Miss Cui, have you seen the Young Heir and the Fourth Young Master Gong?” Liu Cuiyi asked her.
“I did see them playing by the willow tree to the west earlier. Afterward, I went for a stroll in the garden and haven’t seen them since,” Cui Baozhu shook her head. “What, you can’t find them?”
“The banquet is about to begin. Please, Second Miss, go and sit in the front first!” They were all guests. Even though she knew Cui Baozhu harbored ill will towards her, Wen Mingqian still extended the hospitality of a host. However, she keenly detected an anomaly on Cui Baozhu’s face and immediately changed her tone, “Of course, if Second Miss Cui is willing, you can also search with us.”
Cui Baozhu did not refuse and said, “The place is so big, I’ll help you search! More people means more help.”
She was putting on a good act, but inwardly she couldn’t help but feel triumphant.
It turned out she had colluded with Consort Song beforehand to harm Wen Mingqian today.
While the maid was playing with the two children, a Gong family servant brought tea to the maid. The tea contained a diuretic, so the maid needed to relieve herself shortly after drinking it.
After the maid left, Cui Baozhu, who had been hiding not far away, walked over and deliberately provoked Feng Tianzhu and Gong Changan, intending to make them argue so she could make her move.
To her surprise, Gong Changan didn’t fall for it and pulled Feng Tianzhu along to relieve themselves, which made it difficult for Cui Baozhu to follow.
Fortunately, Feng Tianzhu returned on his own shortly after, but Gong Changan was nowhere to be seen.
Cui Baozhu was overjoyed. She had intended for Feng Tianzhu to be alone, so she coaxed him, saying, “I just saw the Fourth Young Master Gong go into that room over there. I bet there’s something fun inside that he wants to play with by himself. Young Heir, did you see? It’s the room to the north that isn’t locked.”
Feng Tianzhu nodded and walked straight over.
Cui Baozhu watched him open the door and go inside, then quickly and stealthily locked the door from the outside behind him.
Afterward, she left the area and gave a knowing glance to the Gong family servant who was waiting for news.
She knew that this servant would then put a snake into that room.
Feng Tianzhu, startled by the snake, would trigger his epilepsy. By the time people found him, they would see the Young Heir of the Feng family, who was doted on by everyone, having an episode locked in a storage room.
Given Wu Shi’s temper, and her existing dissatisfaction with Wen Mingqian, she would naturally make a huge scene.
And to give the Feng family an explanation, the Gong family would definitely punish Wen Mingqian.
In this way, she would have greatly helped Consort Song, who would surely be grateful to her.
Of course, she wasn’t afraid of being implicated. Firstly, Feng Tianzhu’s epilepsy usually took two to three days to recover his senses.
And besides him, no one knew that she was the one who led him there.
Secondly, even if Feng Tianzhu spoke up about it later, there would be nothing to worry about.
Although she had told him she saw Gong Changan enter that room, who could prove that she locked him in? After all, Feng Tianzhu didn’t have eyes in the back of his head.
Moreover, both Feng Tianzhu and Gong Changan were children. How could they clearly explain such a confusing matter?
Everyone knew that Gong Changan was playing with Feng Tianzhu, and Feng Tianzhu had an episode in the Gong family’s residence, so naturally, the Gong family would be responsible.
How could she, a guest, be easily dragged into it?
Watching people search frantically, Cui Baozhu also feigned anxiety, looking around everywhere.
Finally, someone discovered the room: “Why isn’t this room locked? But it’s bolted from the outside.”
“Could he be in here?” Wu Shi hurried forward. “Open it quickly!”
The door opened, and indeed, there was a child inside.
But it startled everyone greatly.
The child was wearing a Zhong Kui paper mask, and a dead snake lay at his feet, its head smashed.
“My son, are you alright?!” Wu Shi cried, rushing over and pulling the child into her arms. “You scared me to death! How did you end up here?”
“Little Madam, you’ve made a mistake,” the child said, smiling as he removed the mask. “I am Gong Changan.”
“You…” Wu Shi stood frozen on the spot, and everyone else was stunned.
Only Cui Baozhu looked as if she had seen a ghost: “How are you here?! Where is the Young Heir?!”
“We swapped clothes,” Gong Changan said, looking at her and smiling like a little fox. “Didn’t Second Miss Cui say she saw him enter this room? How come I didn’t find him?”
“I…” Cui Baozhu’s eyes darted around, and she stammered an explanation, “I just said I saw someone over here, from a distance… I didn’t see clearly.”
“Is that so? Then why didn’t Second Miss Cui bring everyone directly here? Why make everyone search everywhere?” Gong Changan raised his delicate eyebrows, a mischievous look on his face like a cat playing with a mouse.
“I… How was I to know you actually came here… I left afterward…” Cui Baozhu’s face turned red with embarrassment.
She truly hadn’t expected the two children to swap clothes. Thinking back now, she had been too careless.
Because she saw Gong Changan wearing Feng Tianzhu’s clothes and a mask, she assumed it was Feng Tianzhu.
And when she spoke to him, the other party only shook his head or nodded, never making a sound.
Could a seven-year-old child already be this cunning?
Or was there an adult teaching him behind the scenes?
“Then where is our Young Heir?” Wu Shi asked anxiously. “Why haven’t we seen him yet?”
“Little Madam, don’t worry, I’ll take you to find the Young Heir.” Gong Changan said, walking out the door and calling out, “Young Heir! You can come out now! I admit defeat.”
“Hahaha!” Laughter echoed from a large tree in the distance. “I’m here! None of you found me, did you!”
It turned out Gong Changan had seen through Cui Baozhu’s intentions. He used the excuse of needing to relieve himself to go to a distant spot and told Feng Tianzhu he wanted to make a bet. They would hide separately and let the adults search for them. Whoever was found would lose, and the one not found would win.
Feng Tianzhu naturally agreed. Gong Changan then suggested they swap clothes and wear paper masks.
He told Feng Tianzhu to climb up the tree, while he himself would trick Cui Baozhu.
Feng Tianzhu stayed hidden in the tree the whole time. The leaves were dense, and unless one looked deliberately, he couldn’t be seen. Moreover, people’s gazes are usually level or downward, rarely looking up.
Everyone then hurried over and helped him down from the tree.
“My precious child! How did you get up the tree? What if you had fallen?” Relieved from the scare, Wu Shi hugged her son and couldn’t help but shed tears.
“Hehe, today was so much fun!” Feng Tianzhu was exceptionally happy. “Gong Changan, let’s become sworn brothers! How about it?”
“It’s a good idea, but let’s sort things out first,” Gong Changan said. “Young Heir, why don’t you tell us what you saw from the tree?”
Hearing Gong Changan’s words, Cui Baozhu’s face immediately turned ashen.
Previously, she could still argue with Gong Changan because her confidence stemmed from the fact that there was no third person present. You state your case, and I state mine.
As long as I deny it to the death, what can you do to me?
But she had never expected that Feng Tianzhu would be hiding in the tree, looking down from above, and would have surely seen everything.
“I saw her bolt the door,” Feng Tianzhu said, pointing at Cui Baozhu. “Then a servant woman came and put a snake inside.”
Did everyone go out to play? The comment section is so quiet. Is anyone reading?
