The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 65

The carriage for their outing was also switched to the most ordinary kind. Two guards sat on the driver’s box, acting as coachmen, while Xiao Yu, the Eldest Miss, and Liang Chengqiu sat inside. Having grown accustomed to spacious, comfortable carriages with soft cushions, the Eldest Miss might be uncomfortable in this cramped, hard-walled one.

Xiao Yu laid out the cushion she had prepared beforehand for Song Luoning. She and Liang Chengqiu simply made do with the bare seats. The carriage left the capital and headed directly for a temple in the suburbs.

The temple’s incense was flourishing, and since it was close to the capital, many people had already come to pray by the time it was (chén shí, roughly 7-9 a.m.). The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain, and Xiao Yu helped Song Luoning down. The three of them walked up the mountain together, with the two guards staying at a distance to protect them.

Song Luoning rarely went out, and at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill. Her eyes curved into a smile, her icy demeanor melting away like a light pink peach blossom in spring. Xiao Yu couldn’t help but stare, captivated. The pair of watery, affectionate eyes, the distant brows like a mountain, and the uncolored cherry lips were all perfect.

Noticing her burning gaze, Song Luoning glared at her, turned her face away, and fumed internally. It was one thing at home, but they were outside now. Why was this scoundrel so unrestrained?

Glared at, Xiao Yu came back to her senses. She rubbed her nose and said, “Let’s wait here for a moment. The Li family’s carriage hasn’t arrived yet.”

Although Song Luoning had grown up in the capital, she rarely went out and had never met this Miss Li. They could only wait for the carriage to arrive and confirm its identity by its insignia. The carriages of noble families and officials in the capital all had unique marks, both to show their status and to avoid conflict when they met.

The mountain was nestled by a river and connected to Green Mountain Lake. In the distance, a few small boats floated on the lake’s surface. The scenery was quite charming, and the three of them walked slowly, stopping now and then.

Before long, they saw a carriage bearing the Li family’s flag approach in the distance and stop at the foot of the mountain. A young woman got out of the carriage and, with the help of her maid, began walking up the mountain toward the temple.

The three exchanged glances and quickly followed behind. “My lady, that Miss Li only brought one maid. Find a chance to talk to her in a bit. My identity isn’t very convenient right now,” she said, referring to her disguise as a man.

Song Luoning nodded. The group soon reached the summit. To their surprise, Miss Li did not rush to pray. Instead, she dismissed her maid and went to the back courtyard.

“Why is she going to the back courtyard?” Xiao Yu hesitated. Following her on the road was fine; everyone was there to pray, and there was only one path up the mountain, so no one would be suspicious. But the back courtyard…

Wasn’t that too obvious?

Song Luoning frowned. “What do you think, my husband? There are fewer people in the back courtyard. Following her now will definitely get us discovered.” The two had clearly thought of the same thing.

There was no time for them to discuss. Xiao Yu said, “Let Constable Liang go with you to burn incense first, just to keep up appearances. I’ll follow secretly. It would be a shame to lose her.”

Watching the woman walk away, Xiao Yu ignored the worried look in the Eldest Miss’s eyes. She offered a reassuring smile and then quietly followed her.

The back courtyard was a secluded area with quiet meditation rooms for guests.

Why would this Miss Li come here? Shouldn’t a normal person go to the main hall to offer incense first?

Xiao Yu was puzzled. She followed behind the woman and entered a courtyard. Stopping her steps, she heard Miss Li’s voice questioning someone from inside: “Why have you been so long in coming to find me?”

“…” Xiao Yu’s heart leaped. Could it be that Miss Li had arranged a tryst here? But could Xiao Chengze have acted so quickly?

“There have been a lot of matters at the estate these past few days,” a cold, female voice replied.

?!

The person meeting Miss Li was a woman! Xiao Yu hurriedly covered her mouth and stealthily peered inside. The sight that met her eyes stunned her. That Miss Li was shyly leaning against another woman’s chest.

The woman was gently stroking her back.

What kind of major gossip was this? Miss Li liked women!

She wouldn’t even have to act; the male lead was automatically out of the running!

Wait!

What went wrong here? If her transmigration had affected the male and female leads’ relationship, that would be understandable. But what did this have to do with Miss Li? Her arrival had no connection to her at all. And who was the woman she was with?

Judging by her exquisite clothes, she wasn’t someone an ordinary person could afford.

Xiao Yu quietly pulled back, and as she looked up, she froze. Their eyes met in mutual astonishment.

Oh, crap.

It was the male lead!

Why was he here? A bad feeling washed over her. The male lead must have come for Miss Li, too. She absolutely couldn’t let him see what was inside. People in ancient times were closed-minded; if they were discovered, they could be thrown into a pig cage. Furthermore, she absolutely could not let a weakness of Miss Li fall into Xiao Chengze’s hands.

On top of that, the male lead had already seen her, which meant she and the Eldest Miss would also be in danger. This was something she absolutely couldn’t allow.

In an instant, Xiao Yu’s mind raced. The situation was no longer something she could control. She secretly picked up a rock. Before Xiao Chengze could react, she rushed up at a hundred-meter-sprint speed and smashed the rock onto his head. He passed out before he could even process what was happening. For a moment, he regretted why he had left his personal guards outside.

“Who’s there?” a clear female voice rang out. The noise outside had clearly startled the two women inside. Footsteps grew closer. Xiao Yu didn’t care about anything else. She grabbed Xiao Chengze’s arm and began dragging him toward the courtyard. Since he was here, his men were probably nearby. If they were discovered, she wouldn’t be able to escape.

Before she could drag him inside, the two women from the courtyard had already come out.

“How dare you! Who’s disturbing my peace?” the woman said sternly.

“What are you standing there for?” Xiao Yu turned her head. “Come over and help!”

The newcomer was stunned. Taking advantage of Xiao Yu turning, she saw the person lying on the ground. Her brows furrowed. “Who are you?”

“Don’t ask questions yet, just come and help quickly.” Xiao Yu straightened up and shook her arm. This male lead was not light. It was really a bit difficult to drag him alone.

The woman glanced at her but said nothing.

“Why are you just standing there? It’ll be bad if we’re discovered,” Xiao Yu couldn’t help but urge. She had knocked the man out; she wasn’t the only one who would benefit. Why was this woman just standing there, not offering a hand?

The woman stared at Xiao Yu for a moment, then with a grim expression, helped her drag the man into the courtyard.

Xiao Yu asked, “Is there anywhere we can hide him for now?”

The woman glanced at a dry well in the courtyard, her face calm. Her voice was low and devoid of warmth. “Why don’t we throw him down the well?”

?!

Xiao Yu’s heart sank. This woman was truly ruthless.

“Would that be… not so good?” Xiao Yu asked tentatively.

“Are you scared?” the other woman countered.

Was this a matter of being scared or not? She had only meant to knock him out. Although he posed a threat to her if he were alive, she never considered killing him. This woman, on the other hand, immediately suggested throwing him down a well.

Xiao Yu tried to reason with her. “He definitely didn’t come alone. If his men come looking for him, and he dies in your courtyard, I’m worried they will cause trouble for you. Also, you might not know, but he’s the Prince of Chang’s Heir.”

“Oh?” The woman eyed her with interest. “Do you know who I am?”

“…” Xiao Yu was taken aback. She stared at the woman. She had called herself ‘bengong,’ a term used only by imperial consorts or princesses. This woman was dressed exquisitely and carried the self-assured demeanor of a superior. Most importantly, her hairstyle was not that of a married woman. That ruled out an imperial consort. She must be a princess!

The old emperor’s descendants were few. She hadn’t heard of him having any daughters.

At this moment, Miss Li walked forward, wrapped her hands around the woman’s arm, and said softly, “Alright, stop scaring her. Let’s think about how to deal with this person on the ground.”

The woman’s gaze softened as it met Miss Li’s eyes. “What do you suggest?” she said, then took Miss Li’s hand and led her to a stone table in the courtyard, where she poured two cups of tea.

This was a complete turnaround from her earlier sternness. Xiao Yu couldn’t help but gasp at how quickly her demeanor changed.

“I think we should just throw him on the back mountain,” Miss Li said. “That way, it has nothing to do with us. Even if he wakes up, he wasn’t hit by us.”

Xiao Yu: “…”

He wasn’t hit by them? So it had nothing to do with them, regardless of whether he lived or died? It was all her fault, wasn’t it?

Xiao Yu’s lips twitched as she stared at the two women with a strained smile. She then saw the woman give an order. A person suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hoisted the man onto his shoulder without a word, and with a few leaps, disappeared from sight.

This…

Xiao Yu was dumbfounded. Was this the legendary light footwork?

“Now, tell me,” the woman said in a deep voice. “Who are you? And why did you knock out the Prince of Chang’s Heir?”

Xiao Yu bit her lip. She wasn’t sure of this person’s identity and dared not offend her rashly. Moreover, this woman had a master hidden in the shadows. He had probably seen everything that just happened. Xiao Yu rubbed her nose and said, half-truthfully, “My name is Xiao Yu. I came with my lady today to offer incense, and I got lost and came here. I heard you talking, and just as I was about to leave, I ran into the Prince of Chang’s Heir. He must have seen me, so in a moment of panic, I knocked him out.”

“Xiao Yu?” The woman narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized her. “You already know Xiao Chengze.” She had seen right through her.

Xiao Yu saw that she couldn’t fool the woman and, still not knowing her identity—whether she was a friend or an enemy—knew that revealing everything was a grave mistake.

Sensing her difficulty, Miss Li spoke up to help. “You cannot hide anything from the Grand Princess.”

This person was the Grand Princess? The old emperor’s younger sister?

Xiao Yu was stunned, but what she felt more was a sense of awe. This younger sister of the old emperor could almost pass for his daughter.

However, the original novel never mentioned this Grand Princess. It seemed the plot had now completely derailed from the original story.

Given that she had suggested throwing Xiao Chengze down a well, the two weren’t friends, and their relationship shouldn’t be close. Furthermore, Xiao Chengze was after this woman’s beloved. Xiao Yu didn’t believe that the Grand Princess, with her pride, could tolerate that. She had been worried about how to stop Miss Li from marrying the male lead, and now the opportunity had just fallen into her lap.

Xiao Yu suppressed her excitement and bowed respectfully. “To the Grand Princess, it is true that this commoner knows Xiao Chengze and has a past grudge with him.”

“Oh?” The Grand Princess, Xiao Qinya, took a sip of her tea and leisurely set the cup down. “Tell me the details.”

Xiao Yu had no choice but to recount the entire story, particularly focusing on Xiao Chengze’s attempts to pursue Miss Li.

As expected, after listening to Xiao Yu’s account, Xiao Qinya’s expression slowly turned grim.

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