Chapter 1153 - Chapter 1153 Shao Yanru’s Plot
Chapter 1153 Shao Yanru’s Plot
It was getting dark. Shao Yanru, with her servant girl Mo Yan, appeared in the darkness of the tall tower in the Imperial Palace.
A heavily disguised person emerged and pointed to a dark corner, saying in a gruff voice, “Secondary Consort, the thing you want is right there!”
“Will there be any mistakes?” Shao Yanru didn’t go straight to fetch it. Instead, her eyes fell on the person in the shadows as she asked nervously. She especially came here because this was her last chance.
“There won’t be any mistakes. Don’t worry, Secondary Consort!” the figure replied in a deep voice.
“Don’t call me Secondary Consort. I’m not a Secondary Consort!” Shao Yanru suddenly flew into a rage, cocking her eyebrows sharply. The title “Secondary Consort” was what bugged her more than anything. She hated it like poison.
She was working her way to the top! She wanted to stand supreme other than remain as a lowly Secondary Consort.
“When you are in the Palace, you are still a Secondary Consort.” The shadow seemed to have smiled. There was a chill in her voice. “But when you are outside the Palace, who cares whether you are Secondary Consort, First Miss, or Miss from any other family?”
Surprisingly, her words calmed Shao Yanru down. She cracked a smile and asked tentatively, “You are my acquaintance, aren’t you?”
“You’re wrong, Secondary Consort. I didn’t know you before!” The person in shades sneered as if she thought Shao Yanru’s words were too amusing. “I’ve been in the Palace all the time. How could I get a chance to go out and meet you? If you want to talk about the past, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong person. I have something else to do, so I have to leave, Secondary Consort!”
The figure in the darkness walked back. After taking a few steps, she heard Shao Yanru catch up. Abruptly, she stopped and said, “Secondary Consort, aren’t you afraid that others will know the business between us? Please stay where you are!”
After saying that, she continued to walk forward, but Shao Yanru stopped chasing after her. Her eyes fell on the receding figure that hadn’t yet vanished. Shao Yanru pursed her lips — there was a big possibility that this person was her old acquaintance.
But now was indeed not the best time to uncover them. Therefore, Shao Yanru decided to let them go on pretending to be mysterious!
“Secondary Consort!” Mo Yan took two steps forward and whispered.
“Go and get it!” Shao Yanru controlled her anger and ordered steadily. A little impatience spoils great plans. Especially now, she couldn’t afford to be disturbed and distracted.
Mo Yan hurriedly took out a small paper parcel from that place. Carefully, she took it over and handed it to Shao Yanru, saying, “Secondary Consort.”
“Let’s go!” Shao Yanru turned around and said. For the time being, she would not come to this place again. She would not be in such a dismal situation when she entered the Palace in the future. She must enter the Palace with great fanfare as a high-ranking imperial consort or even an empress.
A trace of hatred flashed across her eyes. She had been eminent above all others, but how could she become the lowest-ranking Secondary Consort? What a joke!
Even the imperial Palace could not trap her…
“Sister, trust me. I can do it!” Shao Yuanhao squared his narrow shoulders confidently and beat his chest to show he understood.
In the pavilion, Shao Wanru covered her mouth and smiled, slightly raising her watery eyes to look at Chu Liuchen. He was leaning against the rail aside, languid to the extreme. Even in the mansion of Shao Wanru’s grandmother, he looked free and easy as he was at home.
Chu Liuchen, leaning against the pavilion’s rail, also looked up with his beautiful eyes and caught Shao Wanru’s limpid eyes. In silence, he raised the corners of his thin lips and narrowed his eyes slightly, just like the white and fat cat in his arms.
“Indeed, a pet always behaves like its master.” Shao Wanru thought to herself.
“Come here, Yuanhao!” Chu Liuchen waved at Shao Yuanhao.
“What’s the matter?” Shao Yuanhao immediately ran over, faster than when Shao Wanru called him over.
Shao Wanru thought Shao Yuanhao looked more like Chu Liuchen’s younger brother.
Chu Liuchen reached out and stroked Shao Yuanhao’s hair. Feeling quite comfortable about that, Shao Yuanhao smiled and narrowed his eyes. In Shao Wanru’s eyes, her young brother, much like the cat in Chu Liuchen’s arms, was almost going to roll and snore to show his affection toward Chu Liuchen.
“Your sister is worried about you. You are still too young to understand something, so she came here and exhorted you to be careful. But I don’t think it is necessary. You’re man enough now, and you should protect your sister in the future!” Chu Liuchen said gently. Appreciation showed clearly in his words and manner.
Shao Yuanhao puffed out his chest with pride and said complacently, “You can rest assured. I’ve grown up, and I can protect my grandma and sister. I won’t let them worry about me anymore.”
“It’s best for you to think this way. Your grandma only has two families connected by blood: you and your sister. You and your grandma are everything to your sister. As the only man here, you are certainly their backbone!”
Chu Liuchen said with a smile, appearing handsome and refined. Shao Yuanhao thought his brother-in-law was like a gentleman with charming and elegant manners described in books. Everything Chu Liuchen said sounded absolutely right to him.
He looked at Chu Liuchen with admiration in his eyes, nodding repeatedly. He was the backbone of her grandmother and sister. As the most indispensable man in the family, he had the duty to support her sister in the future.
Thinking of this, Shao Yuanhao suddenly hesitated. “To back my sister up, I may have to fight with my brother-in-law, right?” A few classmates had mentioned it. If brothers-in-law didn’t treat their sisters well, these brothers would go to get even with them.
However, in Shao Yuanhao’s eyes, his brother-in-law was gentle and graceful. How could he bully his sister? Therefore, he did not have to worry about that.
When he was a child, Shao Yuanhao had been bullied by Chu Liuchen, but he consciously glamorized those memories in his heart. When he left the unpleasant things behind, he thought Chu Liuchen was like an immortal descending to the human world. He was worthy of his sister.
“Well, let’s go to pay our respects to grandma!” Shao Wanru said, watching helplessly at her silly brother. At this moment, Shao Yuanhao was looking at Chu Liuchen in high spirits with sparkling eyes. Obviously, Chu Liuchen successfully tricked Shao Yuanhao into being his admirer.
“Go ahead. I’ll take a rest here for a while and won’t go with you!” Chu Liuchen waved his hand and said very lazily.
The scenery here was delightful, and the terrain was also pleasing to the eye. On the rockery, his field of vision was surprisingly broad. It was indeed a nice place. It was inconvenient for Chu Liuchen to show up at this time, but Chu Liuchen also felt pleasant in this place.
“Then I will take Hao’er there. I’ll come back later!” Shao Wanru said.
“Okay!” Chu Liuchen nodded smilingly.
Shao Wanru and Shao Yuanhao walked out of the pavilion, descended the rockery, and headed for Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s courtyard.
Just as they arrived at the main room door, Shao Wanru heard someone talking inside. With a hint of sarcasm, she raised the corners of her mouth silently. The woman named E’niang was inside the room. Shao Wanru and her grandma had decided to ignore that woman for a while. As they had expected, she rushed over as soon as she got a chance.
When Nanny Gao heard the servant girl’s report, she hurried to the door and lifted the curtain. “Her Grace is talking about you two!”
“Is there anyone else inside?” Shao Wanru stood still and asked in a low voice.
“She is not an outsider. She happened to come here today!” Nanny Gao explained softly.
“Hao’er is also here. I don’t think it’s proper for them to meet!” Shao Wanru hesitated and looked at Shao Yuanhao.
“Hao’er, Zhuozhuo, come in. She is not someone you can’t meet. Let’s spend some time together!” Rui’an Great Elder Princess heard them from inside and called out.
Since Rui’an Great Elder Princess had asked them to go in, Shao Wanru stopped talking and entered.
Shao Wanru and Shao Yuanhao walked into the room together. When seeing Rui’an Great Elder Princess sit in the middle, they stepped forward to salute her.
“Greetings, Grandma!”
“Greetings, Grandma!”
Rui’an Great Elder Princess reached out to pull them over and told them to sit on the chairs next to her. Then she looked at Shao Wanru and asked. “Zhuozhuo, why are you here? It’s rare for you to come here with Hao’er! Let me look at you. Are you feeling better?”
Although she knew Shao Wanru would come here today, she was still worried, fearing something would go wrong.
Shao Wanru went to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion but quickly came back because she felt poorly. Rui’an Great Elder Princess knew it, but Shao Wanru didn’t tell her the specific reason, only saying she was very uncomfortable at that time.
This was the first time Shao Wanru had come out since she returned from the Marquis Xing’s Mansion. Rui’an Great Elder Princess was very worried about her. In case Shao Wanru might smell something unpleasant, Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t even put a flower in her room.
“Grandma, don’t worry. I’m fine. I haven’t seen you for a long time, so I came here today. I met Hao’er on my way and walked over with him.”
Shao Wanru smiled and said.
“Hao’er has a day off today and stays at home. I wanted him to sleep a little longer, but I didn’t expect him to get up early!” Rui’an Great Elder Princess looked at the two grandchildren and felt increasingly satisfied with them. Her face was wreathed in smiles.
Usually, Shao Yuanhao was not in the mansion because he had been studying at the Imperial Academy.
“Grandma, it’s not that early. My brother-in-law said even if I didn’t go to school, I should get up and practice martial arts.” Shao Yuanhao shook his arms and said. Since he hadn’t yet fully grown, he was thin and not tall. Yet, he looked very energetic. Chu Liuchen especially found a master to teach him martial arts.
He would practice fighting skills for some time when he came back from school. Even during the holidays, he would get up early to take exercise.
Shao Yuanhao was fond of practicing martial arts. Compared with his gentle and weak little classmates, Shao Yuanhao felt himself to be much stronger. Rui’an Great Elder Princess had protected Shao Yuanhao very well. But when fighting with his little classmates, Shao Yuanhao never suffered losses, which made him cheerful and confident. Of course, he was willing to heed Chu Liuchen’s advice: he would not attack unless he was attacked.
If anyone asked Shao Yuanhao whom he admired most, he would say nobody but Chu Liuchen.
“Grandma, why is she here?” Shao Wanru asked after casting a sidelong and cold glance at E’niang, who was standing aside.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Your Grace!” Seeing that Shao Wanru finally noticed her, E’niang immediately stepped forward and bowed. She was so excited that her eyes turned red when she saw Shao Yuanhao.
“His Grace has grown up. If my master saw him like this… she would definitely… definitely feel gratified!” As she said that, E’niang wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and forced a smile. She reached out and smacked her cheek gently. “It’s all my fault. I’m so happy to see the little heir of a duke and said something inappropriate. I deserved a slap. His Grace and his father look very similar. They are as like as two peas.”
E’niang’s words were pleasing to the ears, and the joy in her eyes was almost overflowing. She looked so sincere that Shao Wanru couldn’t help sneering in her heart. “Exactly! Birds of a feather flock together. When she and Shao Jing fake a kind appearance, they look likable and can always make a good impression on those who don’t know them well!”
Shao Wanru came here especially to “accidentally” meet E’niang!