Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 90

I climbed over the wall and returned to Lan Garden. This place was on the west side of the entire garden, quite remote. I tiptoed, step by step, and it took me about a quarter of an hour to walk back to the gate.

Soon, my ankle began to ache again.

Remembering Deng Zishe’s instructions, I stopped to sit by the road and untied the gauze. The wound wasn’t bleeding, so I rewrapped it, picked up a wooden stick, and continued walking.

I didn’t meet anyone on the way. The people in Lan Garden had been taken by my second uncle to the house next door to cause trouble. Only one servant was left at the front gate, craning his neck toward Rui Garden in the west.

I recognized him. The last time I came to save Zhenniang, he was the one who ran off to inform the steward and have us arrested.

Now, upon seeing me, he stumbled back like he had seen a ghost, tripping over the threshold. “M-M-Miss…”

I said to him, “Go call the second master back.”

He got up and ran wildly toward the west.

I was exhausted, so I dragged out the folding stool that the gatekeeper used to rest and sat down, checking my wound again. Only when I was sure it was fine did I feel at ease.

After a while, my second uncle returned with a large group of people. Seeing me sitting at the door, he pointed at me and asked, “When did you return to Lan Garden?”

He cursed inwardly, A mere maid dares ride roughshod over me, making me lose face? The world’s turned upside down! How did he become Prime Minister with a household like this? If it were my home, she’d be dragged out and caned to death! — This wretched girl’s gone wild from mixing with outsiders. Just because she has a title and is betrothed to royalty, she won’t even stand to greet her elders? She’s not even married yet!

The only servant who could make my second uncle feel embarrassed was Feng Yuan.

I stretched out my foot to show him the bandage on my ankle. “Last night, Qinghe Garden caught fire, and I was injured in the rush. Fortunately, I found a horse and rushed back to Lan Garden overnight. I bandaged it myself. Sorry I couldn’t get up to greet you, second uncle.”

My second uncle paused. “You came back last night? How come no one in Lan Garden knew?”

“These servants are lazy and undedicated. No one greeted the master when I returned. Second uncle should blame them, not me.”

He asked again, “I entered Lan Garden just now, but I didn’t see you. Where were you?”

“Last night, I rushed back from Qinghe Garden and entered through the northwest corner gate. No one was guarding the gate, and it wasn’t locked. I couldn’t walk far because of my injury, so I stayed overnight in the northwest corner courtyard.” I glanced at him. “It’s where Zhenniang lived when she gave birth. Now, there’s not even a ghost around. Uncle, you wouldn’t go there, would you?”

When Second Uncle heard Zhenniang’s name, his expression barely shifted, but behind him, one strong servant reacted visibly. That damned greedy wife of mine! I told her not to get involved in such vile, immoral matters. Now I’m plagued by nightmares and bad luck. And the young lady? She’s going to be Empress! She can’t touch the old master and madam, but what about us servants? She could crush us with a flick of her finger!

This was the first time I had seen a servant connected to Ningning’s death. In his mind, I caught a fleeting image of a short, plump woman in our household’s standard russet uniform. Judging from his words, both he and his wife served in the Duke’s residence.

I wanted to catch him and interrogate him immediately, but it wasn’t the right time.

Of course, my uncle didn’t believe my explanation, but he couldn’t refute it, so he ordered, “Since you’re injured, you should go back and get treated.” He told the servants to bring the carriage and take me back to the Duke’s Mansion.

I saw him thinking: Elder Brother really is farsighted, sending Dalang and me to block both of Yu Shiyan’s gates. And we really did find her! Hmph, grown girls can’t be kept—she ran off to another man’s house! Good thing we got her back in time. If word got out that she was tangled up with that Yu fellow, a girl yet to be married—her reputation ruined—would the Third Prince still want her? Elder Brother didn’t even explain what happened in the palace, only that our family’s future glory depends on her. Is there going to be a power shift?

It turned out that my grandfather hadn’t wanted to bring me back to apologize. The situation in the palace was still unclear.

I thought about it. Since my grandfather expected me to bring the family glory, then he must help me when trouble came.

I got into the carriage and went back to the city. Second uncle and two senior stewards rode ahead on horseback; the rest of the group followed on foot. The rain that had begun the previous night didn’t let up until after noon. The road was a muddy mess, making travel difficult.

The wheels ran over stones and fell into potholes, making the ride very bumpy.

I opened the curtain and looked outside. Though the scenery was different this spring compared to last summer, I recognized it. This was where Yu Chongrui and I had almost been assassinated. The stones thrown by the assassin hadn’t been cleared and were exposed again due to the rain.

At that time, I had been about to leave him and return home, but an assassin had interrupted. Looking back, I realized he had probably started to care about me from that moment. If I could have stayed with him after getting injured, I would have gladly accepted a few more encounters.

The wound on my ankle started hurting again from the bumps.

This opportunity seemed to have passed. I shouldn’t be greedy for the things he said last night and this morning or for the things he did for me.

I wanted to bend down to rub my ankle, but the carriage suddenly shook and tilted in the opposite direction from where I was sitting. I almost fell.

I grabbed the corners of the seat with both hands and barely stabilized myself. The carriage stopped abruptly. Someone outside shouted, “Don’t move, the rear wheel is stuck in the mud!”

I looked down from the window and saw a puddle three feet in diameter on the ground, with half of the wheel stuck in it.

The driver whipped the horses to pull the cart, but the shaft tilted, and the two horses exerted uneven force. They couldn’t pull the wheel out and just circled in place.

I looked outside and noticed the servant who knew about Ningning’s death standing not far from the rear of the carriage.

I leaned out and shouted, “What are you standing there for? Come help push the cart!”

The steward quickly instructed everyone to disperse around the carriage, first lifting the wheel from the mud pit and then pushing the cart together.

The servant was tall and broad-shouldered, placed in the heaviest position, right under the window, a foot away from me. I wondered if I could use this opportunity to get a word from him.

Just as I was about to speak, I heard the sound of hooves, and a group of people on horseback galloped past.

That was…

Seven or eight golden-armored guards were leading a figure dressed in purple clothes and a broad hat, with a dignified posture. After passing us, he suddenly pulled the reins and turned his horse’s head to look at me.

It was him, the person I had been thinking about. I could recognize him just by a passing glimpse.

It was still early, and he had come back in person. Did he have any important news to tell me?

It was almost evening, and he had arrived as promised, but I missed the appointment.

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, the carriage suddenly lifted, and the servants worked together to get the wheel out of the mud. They pushed forward and started running again.

I looked at Yu Chongrui from a distance, and the gap between us grew wider.

Although it was cloudy, the cold light was so bright it hurt to open my eyes. For a moment, I even expected him to command the golden-armored guards to rush over and take me away, and we would leave Luoyang and the Duke’s Mansion behind, never looking back.

But that couldn’t happen. He was the prime minister, responsible for the court, the country, and the lives of millions. No matter how rebellious I was, I was still my grandfather’s granddaughter, and my bloodline would never change.

I only had time to mouth to Yu Chongrui, “Wait for me.”

From this distance, I wondered if he understood.

His figure gradually turned into a dark purple shadow at the end of the road. After rounding a corner, he vanished completely.

I couldn’t be too greedy. It was enough to see each other once before we parted and to know we were both safe.

I lowered my hand from the curtain and saw the servant walking behind the carriage. He looked up and met my eyes, then quickly lowered his head, taking slow steps and shrinking back, hiding in the crowd behind the carriage.

Interrupted by Yu Chongrui, I had forgotten to question him. But he seemed so timid and alert—if I tried to probe too directly, he would get spooked. If he and his wife fled to avoid consequences, I would lose my only lead.

I suddenly realized Yu Chongrui’s appearance at that moment was probably meant to remind me to think carefully and not act rashly. He had listened to my words and brought a team of guards when leaving the city. I should take care of my own affairs and not make him worry.

It was not dark when I returned to the Duke’s Mansion. My grandfather was not home. The previous day, he had gone to Qinghe Courtyard to pray for rain. His Majesty, out of concern for his age, hadn’t taken him along. Today, he had probably gone to the palace after hearing about the Emperor’s accident.

Madam Zhou was waiting in the hall. She hadn’t seen my grandfather but saw my second uncle bringing me back. She remained calm and suppressed her surprise and doubts. While ordering a maid to help me down from the carriage, she sent someone to summon a doctor.

I sat in the hall for a while. The doctor hadn’t arrived yet when Grandfather returned.

On the way, I had already thought it through. My grandfather must have learned of my disappearance after the fire in Qinghe Garden. He had probably heard that the guards had blocked the road and that Yu Chongrui had taken a woman out of the restricted grounds at night, guessing that it was me. He had hurriedly ordered my second uncle and cousin to block off Yu Chongrui’s residences. I planned to use this as leverage—have the guards testify they found me caught in a trap while I was seeking help, then brought me back to Lan Garden. If His Majesty still wanted to keep benefiting from “Mojin Gu,” perhaps there was a sliver of hope to plead for survival.

Grandfather’s face was heavy, as if he was worried, but his steps were slow, and he didn’t seem anxious. Seeing me sitting in the hall, he sneered, took off his hat, handed it to Madam Zhou, then sat down in the middle seat and sighed deeply.

It was Madam Zhou who spoke first. “How is the palace? Is the Emperor okay?”

Grandfather glanced at me and answered Madam Zhou’s question, but his words were directed at me. “The Emperor was frightened and fell off his horse, breaking his neck. It took two hours for people to find him. It was too late.”

Madam Zhou asked, “Then the Emperor is… already…?” She didn’t dare say “passed away” easily.

“No. His Majesty is blessed by the heavens and survived the fall,” Grandfather said, taking a pinch of snuff from a maid and leaning back in his chair. “But the delay in treatment allowed wind chill to enter the brain. Even the imperial physicians are helpless now. I’m afraid he will never rise from the dragon bed again, nor speak to his ministers.”

He didn’t say the last part out loud: His Majesty is already a useless man.