eurekapd Chapter 132: Age is not the only factor that determines one’s intention (Part )
Chapter 132: Age is not the only factor that determines one’s intention (Part )
Nanny Qin, who was traveling with them, immediately called five or six palace maids and led them up the stairs.
When the man saw so many people running towards him, he turned around and ran.
She was unexpectedly fast, and she turned around and ran a long distance away.
But Nanny Qin had brought many people with her, and they surrounded the man from both sides. Soon, they captured him and brought him back to the two masters by twisting his arm.
Zhu Yan looked at him several times and said, "I don't know you. Which palace do you serve in?"
The palace maid was dark and thin, she lowered her head and said nothing.
Jiang Wanyue glanced at it.
"Keep your head up."
The palace maid still didn't move, so the palace maid who was guarding her grabbed her hair at the back of her head and pulled it hard, forcing her to raise her head.
Jiang Wanyue looked around carefully before speaking.
"You are not very old. The maids working in various places in the East Palace are all over sixteen years old. Your age does not match."
She spoke slowly, her eyes swept over her neck, the back of her hands and other exposed skin, and suddenly she sneered.
"You know a lot. You have tung oil on your face and hands, right? You are not stupid to come up with this idea, but you probably don't know that tung oil is poisonous. It's okay to use it for painting, but if you apply it directly on your skin, you will feel itchy all over in less than half a day. After a while, your skin will become red and swollen. If you don't wash it off in time, your face will be ruined."
The palace maid's pupils trembled violently, and she subconsciously wanted to touch her face, but her hands were restrained and she could not move, so she could not touch it.
She struggled violently but couldn't break free.
At the same time, my face, hands and neck started to itch.
She panicked and begged.
"Please, ladies, save me!"
Jiang Wanyue raised her eyebrows.
"Answer the question first. Who are you from? What are you doing in Cheng'en Palace?"
The maid twisted her body around, trying to scratch her itch. In her panic, she didn't have time to think and directly revealed her identity.
"I am a maid in Changming Palace..."
Changming Palace?
Jiang Wanyue and Zhu Yan looked at each other.
That is Li Chengye’s residence.
Was this little girl sent by Li Chengye?
Could it be that Li Chengye suspected Lu Qingshuang's death and wanted to go to Cheng'en Palace to investigate?
Jiang Wanyue frowned slightly.
She then denied the conjecture.
Li Chengye is a smart and calm child. Even if he wants to investigate, he would not send such a little girl.
After a moment of thought, Jiang Wanyue had an idea in her mind.
She looked at the palace maid and said in a deep voice.
"Did the eldest princess ask you to come?"
The palace maid trembled with fear and looked at Jiang Wanyue in disbelief.
"H-How did you know that?"
Jiang Wanyue raised her hand to support her forehead: "Xiuchun, take her to wash the tung oil off her face first."
Xiuchun replied yes, walked forward and took the palace maid to the gatehouse of Cheng'en Hall. After Lu Qingshuang's death, there were still a few palace maids guarding Cheng'en Hall.
Zhu Yan took a quick glance and then looked away, snorting coldly.
"I said Li Chengyu is not a good girl! At this time, she doesn't observe mourning properly, but jumps up and down. What is she trying to do?"
Jiang Wanyue said nothing.
She could still guess a little about Li Chengye's personality and thoughts, but Li Chengyu... this girl's brain was different from that of normal people, and no one could guess what she wanted to do.
It seems that I have no choice but to ask her in person.
"Sister has been out for a long time. I don't know how Yin'er and Qi'er are doing. Let's go back to Yiqiu Palace first! I will deal with this palace maid."
Jiang Wanyue said in a gentle voice.
Zhu Yan didn't think much about it, nodded, and didn't forget to give some instructions.
"If she gets angry, tell me and I'll ask the Imperial Concubine to send a few nurses to teach her the rules."
Jiang Wanyue smiled and nodded: "I understand, don't worry, sister."
Zhu Yan then led his men to Yi Qiu Palace.
Jiang Wanyue watched the group leave and waited for a while. Then Xiuchun came back with the palace maid.
"This tung oil is very difficult to wash off. I had to use a lot of wood ash to wash it off."
Xiuchun wiped her hands with a handkerchief. In her haste, several drops of liquid splashed onto her hands.
Jiang Wanyue looked at the palace maid seriously.
After washing off the tung oil, her original skin was exposed. She looked like a pretty girl, but she was too young and her eyebrows and eyes had not yet grown.
"How old are you? What's your name?"
The little maid was well behaved now. She stood there without struggling, bowed and replied.
"My maid Mei'er is twelve years old."
Changming Hall is in the front yard, located to the west, behind Chongwen Hall. Jiang Wanyue did not interfere in the affairs of the front yard, so naturally, she did not know this little palace maid.
However, putting a twelve-year-old girl next to a ten-year-old boy, the purpose is obvious without any guessing.
"Who arranged for you to be with the eldest son?"
Mei'er lowered her head and replied, "It's the assistant minister's wife."
Jiang Wanyue didn't think of it for a moment, and asked, "Which family's minister's wife is she from?"
Mei'er raised her head and glanced quickly at Jiang Wanyue, a little surprised.
"Of course it's the eldest son's maternal grandfather's home!"
It’s the Lu family!
Jiang Wanyue had never expected this.
Was this arranged by Li Chengye’s grandmother?
She simply didn't know what to say.
If Li Chengye were fourteen or fifteen, at the age when he should know how to deal with people, it would make sense to arrange for him to have a few young girls.
But he is only ten years old!
Jiang Wanyue rubbed his eyebrows.
"How many people did the Minister's wife send here? How many people are there like you?"
"There are only two in total, besides this servant, there is also a Zhuang'er."
Jiang Wanyue took a deep breath.
She doesn't know whether she should care about this matter!
What's the name of this?
Mei'er and Zhuang'er, don't they just mean to dress and draw eyebrows?
The Lu family still has the nerve to call themselves a centuries-old family and a prominent family. What the hell are they doing?
Although Li Chengye is not Jiang Wanyue's biological son, she cannot accept this kind of thing.
After thinking about it, Jiang Wanyue still felt that she couldn't just ignore it.
"Follow me to see the eldest princess first. After I have asked her questions, we will go to Changming Palace."
She dropped her hands and shook them.
"Let's go!"
So, the group went to the Lotus Pavilion first.
The Lotus Pavilion is located in the northeast of Yi Qiu Palace. It is an independent small pavilion. In front of the pavilion there is a shallow pond with some lotus flowers planted. Next to the lotus pond there is a small square pavilion, hence the name.
This palace is relatively small, and the furnishings inside are fresh and colorful, unlike the simple and ancient style of Yichun Palace.
However, due to mourning, all colorful items in the hall have been taken away and replaced with white.
Jiang Wanyue stepped through the temple door and saw a white incense burner, and her brows frowned.
When I looked up, I saw a pair of milky white gourds, with nothing inside, empty.
When I turned around again, I saw several layers of white gauze hanging down towards the inner room.
Jiang Wanyue coughed heavily.
"Pull up the curtains. What are you doing in broad daylight?"
Xuzhi and a few others hurried forward and pulled up the gauze curtain.
The next moment, Jiang Wanyue heard a panicked sound coming from the inner room.
After a long while, Li Chengyu came out.
Her eyes were vague and she didn't dare to look Jiang Wanyue in the eye. She knelt down and bowed.
"Meet Jiang Liangdi."
Jiang Wanyue looked at her with amusement, and then her eyes turned cold.
"The eldest princess is much more polite now than before. She knows how to behave when meeting her elders. But, you don't observe mourning properly. What do you want to do? The Crown Princess passed away. As her biological children, you and the eldest son should observe filial piety. If there is anything, just send someone to tell me and I will arrange it for you. You are so sneaky. How can you be the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince?"