Granny Sun’s gaze swept over everyone, as if trying to burn through them.
“Which one of you slept with Yurong.”
They looked at each other, but not a single person stepped forward to admit it.
“I’m asking you, why are you looking at others? Have you all gone mute and forgotten how to speak!”
As Granny Sun finished speaking, Zhenzhu took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Granny, I slept with Yurong before, but a few days ago Yurong stopped sleeping with us. She started making her own separate bed.”
As Zhenzhu spoke, the others nodded in tacit agreement.
“Do you know why she wanted to sleep separately?”
“Your servant doesn’t know. Your servant did try to persuade Yurong to sleep on the bed, but she refused. Your servant didn't dare to force her, so it was left at that.”
Granny Sun’s cunning gaze scrutinized Zhenzhu from head to toe, clearly harboring some suspicion about Zhenzhu’s words. She then turned to the rest of the group. “Do any of the rest of you know the reason, or have you noticed anything else unusual about Yurong?”
“Your servants have not noticed anything.”
They all said this in unison, their firm denial leaving Granny Sun with no further questions.
“You are quite united, very good.”
Granny Sun’s gaze swept across the group, her anger barely concealed.
“Forget it, there’s nothing I can get out of you. However, you must remember Yurong’s fate. I hope you will learn from it. You were all trained by me, and I hope to never see a repeat of something like this.”
“Your servants understand.”
They all quickly replied.
Seeing them still obedient, Granny Sun’s expression softened slightly. “It’s getting late, you should all get some rest. I will be going now.”
“Your servants see Granny off.”
Amidst their farewells, Granny Sun slowly departed.
After Granny Sun left, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts pounding.
That was a close call. If they hadn’t anticipated Granny Sun coming to question them about Yurong and prepared their explanations beforehand, they wouldn’t have gotten away with it.
“Finally, we’ve seen her off. Do you think Granny Sun believed what we said?”
Lan Cui leaned closer to Zhenzhu and asked. She wasn’t sure if Granny Sun believed them, and if she didn’t, and came back, they really wouldn’t know what to do.
“Whether she believes it or not, we’ve managed to get through this time. We can only take it one step at a time.”
There wasn't a better way to handle it, only this. They hoped Granny Sun wouldn't return.
“Let’s not think about useless things anymore. Let’s go to sleep. I’m really sleepy.”
Zhenzhu stretched, her tone filled with unconcealed fatigue. She was truly exhausted and would think about these things tomorrow. The immediate priority was to get some sleep.
“I’ll go bolt the door.”
After locking the door, Lan Cui still felt uneasy. She moved the table against the door, and then placed several chairs on top of the table.
Now they were safe. Even if Granny Sun returned, they would be able to protect themselves.
“This is too much. I think Granny Sun won’t come back. Just go to sleep peacefully.”
Zhenzhu was startled by the setup. This was a bit too exaggerated, though if someone were to force their way in, these things wouldn't stop them.
In her opinion, these things were good for adding embellishments, but hardly helpful in dire straits.
“This is called being prepared.”
Lan Cui placed the last chair, looking at her masterpiece with undisguised satisfaction.
Now they could finally have a good night’s sleep, without worrying about Granny Sun’s sudden visit.
Zhenzhu let out a helpless chuckle, not wanting to dampen Lan Cui’s confidence. “Then you’ve worked hard. Let’s go to sleep. If we don’t, the sky will be dawn.”
…
The next day, a large entourage set off. It wasn’t until noon that they stopped by the roadside to rest for a moment.
Chu Qing went to get food, but before she returned, she was stopped by someone waiting halfway.
“Little Sister Qi, you’ve been doing well over in Dongchu. Look at that rosy complexion. You truly look like a delicate flower that inspires pity.”
“What do you want?” Chu Qing looked at the woman in front of her with extreme caution.
“What are you saying? What can I do? Granny Sun wants to see you and instructed me to wait for you here. Let’s go together.”
Granny Sun had given her a death order. If she didn’t bring the person back today, she wouldn't return alive.
“It’s broad daylight, and so many people are watching. If I go with you, I’ll be exposed immediately. Go back and tell Granny Sun that I will go see her when I find an opportunity.”
Chu Qing was extremely reluctant to see Granny Sun and tried to brush her off with an excuse. As she turned to leave, she was firmly blocked by the palace maid.
“You must come with me to see Granny Sun today, no matter what.”
The palace maid tightly grasped Chu Qing’s wrist, giving the impression that she would drag her back. She knew that if she didn’t bring her back today, she would lose her life.
To survive, she had no choice but to act this way. If anyone was to blame, it was her own bad luck.
“You… you let go, release me!”
Chu Qing struggled with all her might, but the palace maid’s grip on her wrist felt as if it were welded in place, not loosening in the slightest.
“Don’t waste your effort. If you willingly come with me to see Granny Sun today, everything will be fine. If you insist on resisting, then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
“Can you tell me why Granny Sun wants to see me?”
Chu Qing cautiously probed, trying to extract some information from her.
“You’ll know when you see Granny Sun. There are many eyes around here, and I don’t want to cause a scene. You should behave yourself.”
The palace maid’s tone carried a hint of threat. She tightly gripped Chu Qing’s hand and quickened her pace.
Only after passing through a patch of woods and arriving at a carriage did she stop. “Granny, I’ve brought her.”
As the words fell, after a moment, Granny Sun emerged from the carriage and walked up to Chu Qing.
“Your servant greets Granny Sun.”
“You’ve put on quite an air now. It’s so difficult to even see you. If I hadn’t sent someone to intercept you today, I probably wouldn’t have even seen your shadow.”
Granny Sun, using her one remaining hand, pinched Chu Qing’s chin and met her gaze. “Little brat, you’ve only been away from me for a few days, and you’ve already grown bold enough to disobey my orders. Do you think your life is too long!”
“Granny, please calm your anger. Your servant has never dared to forget Granny’s teachings and has always been loyal to Granny, with no disloyalty!”