Chapter 4

"Chapter 4: Sneaking Out of the Residence"

"Xun Xiang recognized the voice; it belonged to a maid from the West Cross Courtyard, one of Li Mama’s subordinates."

"Li Mama said, 'She hasn’t soiled herself. Little sister is just hungry, she’ll be fine after eating. It’s getting late, you can go and rest.'"

"'Oh.'"

"The footsteps receded."

"Furious, Xun Xiang continued to cry loudly."

"Another set of footsteps approached, 'Why is little sister crying so terribly?'"

"The voice had a certain authority; it was Yan Mama, the housekeeper from the main courtyard."

"Li Mama’s attitude instantly brightened, smiling, 'Little sister is lively. She likes to find me during the day, and Xia Mama at night. Oh, for some reason, Xia Mama suddenly developed a rash on her face. She didn’t dare to come and care for little sister, resting in her room instead.'"

"Yan Mama, surprised, said, 'Xia Mama developed a rash? Why didn’t you mention it earlier? We would be at fault if little sister caught her illness.'"

"Li Mama said, 'I was just about to tell you. Fortunately, I was the one nursing her today, otherwise little sister would have been in danger too.'"

"As she spoke, she wiped Xun Xiang’s tears with a handkerchief, then pressed it against Xun Xiang’s nose. It was meant for use tomorrow morning, but with the child crying incessantly, she had to use it ahead of schedule."

"Exhausted, Xun Xiang no longer had the energy to cry. She knew that handkerchief was given to this wicked servant by He PoPo."

The master stopped crying, and Nanny Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She then said, "Early tomorrow, we’ll send Xia Er's family out of the mansion to recuperate and forbid her from getting near Jie again. No, I’ll arrange for her departure right now."

As footsteps faded away, Xun Xiang, helpless and anxious, drifted into unconsciousness.

She slept deeply and hadn't woken up by the next morning.

Late in the morning, Nanny He arrived at the East Sun Princess Mansion’s Qi Jin Hall West Courtyard, carrying a lidded wooden box.

At Xun Manor, Feng Jie had been given medicine, ensuring she would sleep until the afternoon, wake up, and develop a rash by evening.

To avoid suspicion, the box was round and, although large, didn’t allow for much space. The child inside had to curl up. Fortunately, a baby is flexible and was sleeping soundly.

Nanny He had to appear as though the box was light, concealing its actual weight.

She walked quickly with her eyes down, appearing normal. Only she knew how uncomfortable and nervous she was, sweating on her back, hair, nose tip, and palms.

She was worried about not holding the box securely, afraid a sudden encounter with a vicious dog or a person might knock her down and reveal the child...

The young maid who opened the door recognized her and smiled, "Nanny He, are you here to see Nanny Li?"

"Yes, Nanny Li said yesterday that kind of cloth is soft, suitable for making diaper cloths for Jie. My family's madam asked me to bring some more."

As she spoke, Nanny He slipped a purse into the young maid’s hand.

The little girl, rarely accepting tips, joyfully invited Nanny He inside.

The Qi Jin Hall was very quiet, with only the soft murmurs of birds coming from the trees.

Nanny He went straight to the western cross courtyard.

Mother Li was anxiously pacing back and forth in the room.

Just now, she had pretended to nurse the sleeping Xun Xiang by lifting her garment and holding her close to her chest, even making a round through the main hall for the maids to see.

After the pretend nursing, she had a maid bring in a basin of warm water, then sent two second-class maids with plain fabric to the sewing room to make clothes and hats for the young lady.

She also mentioned, "Since the Empress Dowager has passed away, we must wear plain clothes for a year. The clothes previously made for the young lady are too bright; we need to make several more sets in simpler styles. Being of noble status, she should still have some embroidered flowers and designs..."

Only the head maid and second-class maids were allowed in the young mistress's bedroom. Head Maid Mei Ju's mother was ill, so she had taken leave to go home this morning.

Finally, when Nanny He came in, she quickly closed the door.

The two went to the bedroom and placed the box on the bed, lifting Xun Feng out from inside.

Xun Feng, dressed in Xun Xiang's clothes and wearing her hat, was sleeping soundly. This set of clothes was taken by Nanny He the day before.

Mother Li then put a small gold bracelet with cat's eye and southern pearls on Xun Feng. The bracelet, a gift from the Empress, had been personally put on Xun Xiang's wrist by Princess Dongyang the previous morning.

Bending down to smell, Xun Feng's body indeed emitted a faint fragrance, quite similar to Xun Xiang's natural scent.

Meanwhile, Nanny He carefully stuffed Xun Xiang into the box, cautious not to use too much force and wake her.

Nanny He closed the lid of the box, and Mother Li wrapped Xun Feng in a quilt and placed her on the bed. The two exchanged glances, their moods far from relaxed.

To successfully deliver Xun Xiang into the hands of Lady Xun, and with Xun Jie's face breaking out in rashes, they would have essentially completed their task.

Neither of them felt like talking; after a moment of silence, Nanny He picked up the box and left Qi Jin Hall.

Her heart was even more restless on the way back than when she had come.

Finally, upon smoothly boarding the carriage, which slowly departed the princess's residence, Nanny He wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve and exhaled deeply.

Peeking out from a corner of the carriage curtain, she saw the vermilion gate with its green oil copper ring and forty-five large copper nails receding into the distance. She withdrew her gaze and looked towards the wooden box.

The little girl was deeply sedated, remaining quiet without any fuss. It would be best if she slept through the night and passed away quietly.

Silently, she muttered a prayer. There's a head for every grievance and a debtor for every debt. If you must resent someone, resent your deceased grandmother, who offended Lady Xun. Henceforth, all the wealth and status meant for you will be enjoyed by Lady Xun's biological granddaughter.

Lady Feng's fate is truly fortunate. No wonder she was given this name; she's indeed become a phoenix.

Nanny He sighed, her heart in turmoil. She didn't want to do this; if discovered, not just her life, but her entire family would be doomed. But how could she refuse a command from her master...

The carriage entered Yin Feng Street, a narrow road bustling with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.

Suddenly, the neighing of horses and shouts of alarm came from ahead.

The coachman, Nanny He's nephew He Shun, exclaimed, "Auntie, there's a spooked horse ahead!"

He got down to lead the horse to the side, but the street was too crowded with people and stalls to make way. The horse pranced nervously in place.

Nanny He had no choice but to get down with the box.

A runaway horse, pulling a carriage, rushed towards them, overturning the stalls along the road as people screamed and scrambled to avoid it.

In the chaos, the wooden box slipped from Nanny He's grasp and fell to the ground. She was pushed forward by the crowd. Wanting to turn back for the box, her old and frail body couldn't push through the throng.

Terrified out of her wits, she turned and shouted loudly, "He Shun, grab the wooden box, it's something important for Lady Xun!"

Her scream was unnervingly frantic, as if someone was trying to kill her.

He Shun didn't know what was in the box, but seeing Nanny He's fear, he understood its importance.

Ignoring the carriage, he bulldozed through the crowd. A big and strong man, he forcefully pushed people aside. Fortunately, the crowd wasn't too dense, and he managed to pick up the wooden box without stepping on it, following the flow of people.

He also yelled to Nanny He, who was being swept along by the crowd, "Auntie, I've got the box!"

Ding Zhao's box was also knocked down in the commotion; he shoved people aside and bent down to pick it up.

Moving with the crowd, they emerged from the street, where the throng dispersed.

Thanks to 20201216214455487 for the tip, and to Qiu Zhi Han Dan and Kai Xin 994 for the monthly tickets. In this new book phase, seeking recommendations and collections.