Chapter 553 - Leave after Acting Improperly (1/2)

“You don’t have to worry about her. Her biological maternal grandma will take care of her. If we sent her those pieces of stuff, she will think that we are after something!” Old Madam said impatiently.

Seeing Old Madam’s tired look, Shao Yanru hurriedly agreed. After having a chat with Old Madam and feeding her medicine, Shao Yanru left when seeing Old Madam sleepy.

Shao Yanru and her mother got out of the courtyard and stood still. A few servants were far away from them and did not dare to get too close to them.

“Ru’er, are you going back now? It’s too dangerous on the mountain. You’d better not go. We can send some pieces of stuff there!” Madam of Duke Xing said. She was worried about the situation on the mountain after hearing that numerous people had been killed in the Yuhui Nunnery before. At the thought of this, she shuddered with terror.

“Mother, don’t worry. It won’t happen again.” Shao Yanru said with certainty, “The officials of the Ministry of Justice have made such a strict investigation that they won’t take action again no matter who they work for!”

“Ru’er, who do you think they work for? They actually have the nerve to kill people!” Madam of Duke Xing said worriedly.

“Who knows? It could be one of the several princes or the surviving supporters of the previous dynasty!” Shao Yanru comforted Madam of Duke Xing in a soft voice with a sparkle in her eyes. In fact, she really had no idea. She had sent messages to both Prince Yue and Prince Zhou that day in order to fish in troubled water.

She didn’t know whether both of them had intervened in it or one of them had done that, or neither of them had done that and it was actually done by the surviving supporters of the previous dynasty.

She didn’t want to interfere in this kind of thing too much, because a smart lady couldn’t know too much. At that time, she didn’t directly tell them about her speculation and just suggested some trivial things of Pushan Nun. Even if they couldn’t figure it out, the counselors working for them should be able to figure it out.

She just told them what she had seen or occasionally thought of. As a Miss raised in the backyard, how could she realize the meaning behind it?

Shao Yanru only thought it a pity that although the incident happened in the hall, where the religious rite was conducted, Shao Wanru was safe and sound.

“Be careful after going up the mountain. I think Wanru harbors ill intents.” Madam of Duke Xing warned her worriedly.

“Mother, rest assured.” Shao Yanru said lightly, “I heard that the princes are going to pick their consorts. If I leave for the mountain to stay with the Fifth Sister at this moment, none of them will pick me!”

At this time, the situation was not clear yet. She did not want to join any prince in the game of striving for the throne, but she could not refuse any of them. Both Prince Xin and Prince Zhou thought that she had fallen in love with them in private, but her status made it impossible for her to be a co-consort. If any of them entered the imperial palace and asked to marry her, she could only accept it obediently.

In this unclear situation, it was risky for her to marry any of them. She, who intended to be the Empress in the future, was reluctant to lose her life for the position of a consort at this time.

She didn’t care about being a consort. When the day came, no matter Prince Yue or Prince Zhou inherited the throne, she could be the Empress easily with her tactics and the support of Duke Xing’s Mansion.

When the day came, no one would remember who the former consort was!

Shao Yanru was extremely confident about this, but she felt a little uneasy because of Shao Wanru. Since she met Shao Wanru, she had considered her a hidden threat. She even had a faint intuition that if there was a girl, who would probably ruin her plan, it was most likely to be Shao Wanru.

Now she could avoid the consort selection, gain a good reputation and keep an eye on Shao Wanru with the excuse of keeping Shao Wanru in company. It could be considered a way to kill three birds with one stone, so why not do it?

Since Shao Wanru was observing mourning for her parents, accompanied by her, she could be considered observing mourning as well. Even the royal family could not allow a girl, who was observing mourning, to participate in the consort selection.

“Since you think so, that’s great!” Madam of Duke Xing said. She had long known about Shao Yanru’s plan, but after what had happened in the Yuhui Nunnery, she was really worried and thus to keep her daughter in the mansion for a period of time. Now that they talked about the consort selection, she suddenly remembered what Prince Xin had done just now.

“Prince Xin came to our mansion just now and met Wanru. It seems that he followed her here. Could it be possible that he has fallen in love with her? But so what even if it’s true? She doesn’t have anything helpful to him except for her status. It will be a miracle if Consort Ming thinks she is good enough for her son!”

Madam of Duke Xing said in a sarcastic tone.

“Did Prince Xin come to our mansion just now?” Shao Yanru asked with a weird look.

“Yes, he found an excuse to come and meet Wanru and then watched her leave eagerly. She is really a restless girl unable to change her coquettish temperament after living in the nunnery for so long. She just can’t behave decently.”

Madam of Duke Xing said with a sneer.

However, Shao Yanru fell silent and felt uncomfortable. Although she had never thought that Prince Xin would finally inherit the throne, he had always been nice to her. Every time he saw her, he was among those childes circling around her and tried every way to fawn on her like them.