Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 959 - 957_1

Chapter 959: Chapter 957_1

After a while, seeing that Shangguan Wanru was still in a struggle, Xiao’er suggested, "Princess, you haven’t been sleeping well lately, why don’t I ask those in charge of the acquisition to buy some spices tomorrow, and make you a soothing sachet?"

The intention behind Xiao’er’s words was to remind Shangguan Wanru that Shangguan Xuanyi and Shangguan Ruixi were still pretending to be sourcing for the Wang Mansion.

Catching on to the hint, Shangguan Wanru responded, "Call them over, I have something to instruct them to buy as well."

Hearing this, Xiao’er set aside her work, curtsied and left the room.

Once Xiao’er had left, Yan Zi asked, "Why was Ziyuan speaking so softly today? I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. Normally, she’s got quite a loud voice!"

"Ziwan has a sore throat and can’t speak aloud." Shangguan Wanru conjured an excuse. She had four maids in total. The one she had brought back to Minze Country had been dealt with. The four left were all loyal, but Shangguan Wanru dared not tell the truth, for fear of causing unnecessary complications.

Zixin then returned holding the prince, just as Shangguan Wanru finished her sentence. "I also heard her complaining of a sore throat yesterday." she chimed in.

Yan Zi was no longer suspicious after hearing this.

"How long has the prince been awake? Has he been fed yet?" Shangguan Wanru reached out to take her son.

The little one was sucking on his tiny hands, creating a small sucking noise, filling Shangguan Wanru’s heart with tender feelings.

"The wet nurse said the prince just woke up and has not been fed." As it was usually Shangguan Wanru who fed the prince during the day, the wet nurse was about to carry the prince over and ask, but Zixin had already headed for them.

"You may all leave. I will feed the prince," Shangguan Wanru undid her clothing to nurse the prince. Meanwhile, she pondered over Xiao’er’s words. She knew Xiao’er was right. But, she was worried that once they returned to Minze Country, they might never be able to return. This made her hesitate.

The maids then left the room and stood guard outside the door.

After leaving the main courtyard, Xiao’er headed towards the kitchen, where she spotted Shangguan Xuanyi cleaning the garden.

She approached him and whispered, "Where is the prince? I will take you to see the Princess."

"He’s in the kitchen, making a fire."

"Keep cleaning then, I’ll go get him."

Shangguan Xuanyi reluctantly nodded. To think that he, a royal prince, had been reduced to a mere servant cleaning the garden.

As one of Shangguan Wanru’s maids, Xiao’er found things easier. She walked into the kitchen and told Shangguan Ruixi that the mistress had summoned him to discuss some purchases. The chef quickly allowed him to leave.

Xiao’er brought the two to the main courtyard, where Shangguan Wanru had just finished nursing the prince. She instructed the maids, "Stand guard outside and do not let anyone approach."

A flicker passed through Yan Zi’s eyes at the command. She glanced at Xiao’er before exiting, closing the door behind her.

Once all the maids had left, Shangguan Ruixi quickly stepped forward, examining Shangguan Wanru and her child. Only when he saw that they both looked healthy did he breathe a sigh of relief. "I heard from the sixth princess consort, you do not want to come with us. Do you know how both you and your son will die if you stay? Did you know that Xuanyi just saw a maid secretly adding something to the milking soup?"

The colour drained from Shangguan Wanru’s face upon hearing this. She quickly checked on her son. Seeing his rosy complexion, as he vigorously sucked on his little hand, he certainly did not appear poisoned.

But she was sure that both Shangguan Xuanyi and Shangguan Ruixi wouldn’t lie to her. She quickly figured out the key point - they must have been using chronic poison!

"Who would’ve thought that the servants in the mansion would be bribed so soon!" Shangguan Wanru thought she and Gong Zixuan treated their servants fairly well, but clearly, personal gain trumped loyalty. How ungrateful!

"Why are you surprised? The entire empire belongs to Gong Qinghua, would it be difficult for him to win people’s hearts? Even a fool would know which side is more beneficial: serving the emperor, or staying by the side of a widow and her child. The maid in green is also not trustworthy!" Xiao’er had been observing the two maids intently and caught their subtle changes in expression.

"We don’t have much time, let’s talk about the escape plan immediately!" Shangguan Xuanyi reminded them.

Shangguan Wanru realized that the whole idea of staying behind was no longer an option given the circumstances!

"It’s impossible to leave without alerting anyone, considering that the entire Wang Mansion is under surveillance. We can only wait until tomorrow morning when we...." Xiao’er shared the plan they had been discussing.

"What about Zhuan’er?" Shangguan Wanru asked. After all, the child stood out quite obviously.

"Zhuan’er will be in Brother Guan’s care. He should be able to lead him out safely. Don’t worry. As long as the three of us manage to get out successfully. If we can’t bring the child with us, you can always come back, right? After all, we’re just quietly leaving, not trying to assassinate Gong Qinghua; there’s no crime involved!"

Shangguan Wanru trusted Shangguan Xuanyi’s abilities. Although she still worried, she eventually nodded in agreement.

The three of them felt a surge of relief upon convincing her.

Since they were males, both Shangguan Ruixi and Shangguan Xuanyi couldn’t stay for too long. After enquiring about the servants’ sleeping quarters, they left. Luckily all three acquirers were staying in the same room due to their previous residences collapsing in the earthquake. Shangguan Wanru had therefore relocated them to another room. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know where they were sleeping.

Nightfall came swiftly.

Shangguan Wanru asked Ziwan to stay awake while the other maids slept.

Xiao’er had put some itching powder on Zhuan’er earlier, causing him to cry uncontrollably throughout the night.

As expected, little Zhuan’er cried incessantly throughout the night. He refused to drink milk and the wet nurse had no choice but to carry the child to Shangguan Wanru, asking her to summon the imperial doctor.

Shangguan Wanru took her son, her heart aching at the sight of his discomfort, but for the sake of their survival, she had no choice but to put him through this temporary discomfort.

She took the crying child and turned away from the maids, quickly feeding him the antidote.

Zhuan’er quieted down almost instantly.

Turning back to the maids, Shangguan Wanru said, "The prince might be missing his mother. Wet nurse, you may return first. I will have someone bring the prince over once he falls asleep."

The wet nurse believed her, because during the day, Shangguan Wanru’s nursing sessions were more frequent compared to the wet nurse’s. The prince recognizing people was inevitable. With a curtsey, she left.