Chapter 4: Sneaking Out of the Mansion

Xun Xiang had heard this voice; it was a maid from the West Annex, one of Mother Li's subordinates.

Mother Li said, "She hasn't relieved herself. The little lady is just hungry; she'll be fine once she's eaten. It's getting late, so you should go rest."

"Oh."

The footsteps receded.

Xun Xiang was incensed and continued to cry bitterly.

Another set of footsteps approached. "Why is the little lady crying so hard?"

The voice carried a certain authority; it was Nanny Yan, the manager of the main courtyard.

Mother Li's attitude shifted instantly as she smiled. "The little lady is quite clever. During the day, she likes to find me, but at night, she prefers Xia Er's wife. Oh dear, for some reason, Xia Er's wife suddenly broke out in a rash. She didn't dare come to serve the little lady and is resting in her room instead."

Nanny Yan said in shock, "Xia Er's wife has a rash? Why didn't you say so sooner? If the little lady catches the illness, we will be guilty of a grave crime."

Mother Li replied, "I was just about to tell you. Fortunately, I was the one breastfeeding her during the day, otherwise, the little lady would have been in danger too."

As she spoke, she used a handkerchief to wipe Xun Xiang's tears and pressed down on the child's nose. It was something that should have been used tomorrow morning, but the little brat wouldn't stop crying, so she had to use it ahead of schedule.

Xun Xiang was exhausted and no longer had the strength to cry. She knew that the handkerchief had been given to this wicked servant by Nanny He.

Seeing that the master had stopped crying, Nanny Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She added, "Have Xia Er's wife leave the manor first thing tomorrow morning to recover from her illness; she is not allowed near the little lady again. No, I'll arrange for her to leave immediately."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Xun Xiang was helpless despite her anxiety and drifted into a heavy sleep.

She slept so deeply that she had not yet woken up by the late morning of the following day.

At the end of the Si hour (around 10:00 AM), Nanny He arrived at the West Annex of the Qijin Hall in the Princess Dongyang's manor, carrying a wooden box with a lid.

When the medicine was given to Feng'er at the Xun residence, she would remain in a deep sleep until the afternoon, and by evening, she would break out in a rash.

To avoid suspicion, the box was circular. Although it was relatively large, it could not be wrapped in a quilt, so the child had to lie curled up inside. Fortunately, the infant was soft and sleeping soundly.

Nanny He could not let the weight of the box show; she made it appear as though she were carrying it with ease.

She kept her eyes lowered and walked briskly, appearing normal on the outside. Only she knew how uncomfortable and nervous she felt; sweat poured from her back, her hair, the tip of her nose, and her palms.

She was terrified that her grip would slip and the box would fall, or that a stray dog or a person would suddenly rush out and knock her down, sending the child tumbling out...

The young maid opening the door recognized her and smiled. "Is Nanny He here to see Mother Li?"

"Indeed. Mother Li mentioned yesterday that the fabric was soft and suitable for making diapers for the little lady, so my Mistress asked me to bring some more."

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

The young maid rarely received tips, so she happily invited Nanny He inside.

Qijin Hall was very quiet, save for the occasional chirping of birds in the trees.

Nanny He went straight to the West Annex.

Mother Li was pacing anxiously in the room.

Just now, she had held the sleeping Xun Xiang against her chest, lifted her clothes to pretend to breastfeed, and even walked a lap through the hall to ensure the maids saw her.

After "feeding" the child, she had a maid bring in a basin of warm water and then dismissed two second-class maids to take some plain cloth to the sewing room to make clothes and hats for the little lady.

She had even said, "The Empress Dowager has passed away, so we must wear plain mourning clothes for a year. The clothes previously made for the little lady were a bit too bright; we need to make several sets that are more subdued. The little lady is of noble status, so we must still embroider some flowers and blossoms..."

Only the head maid and second-class maids were permitted in the young mistress's bedroom. The head maid, Meiju, had taken leave that morning because her mother was ill.

When Nanny He finally entered, Mother Li hurriedly closed the door.

The two went into the bedroom, placed the box on the bed, and pulled Xun Feng out from within.

Xun Feng was wearing Xun Xiang's clothes and her hat, sleeping peacefully. This set of clothes was what Nanny He had taken back the previous day.

Mother Li then put a small gold bracelet, inlaid with cat's eyes and small southern pearls, on Xun Feng. The small bracelet had been bestowed by the Empress; yesterday morning, Princess Dongyang had personally placed it on Xun Xiang's wrist.

Leaning down to smell, Xun Feng indeed emitted a faint fragrance, largely similar to the scent of Xun Xiang's body.

Nanny He, meanwhile, was stuffing Xun Xiang into the box. She did not dare use too much force, fearing she would wake the child.

Nanny He closed the lid, and Mother Li wrapped Xun Feng in a quilt and placed her on the bed. The two exchanged a look, their hearts heavy.

To successfully deliver Xun Xiang into the hands of the Eldest Madam of the Xun family, they had to ensure that Xun's face broke out in a rash; only then would their mission be considered fundamentally complete.

The two had no desire to speak. After a period of silence, Nanny He picked up the box and left Qijin Hall.

Her heart was even more unsettled on the way back than it had been on the way there.

Once she had finally boarded the carriage and it began to roll slowly out of the Princess's manor, Nanny He used her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her face and let out a long breath.

Lifting a corner of the carriage curtain, she saw the vermilion gates adorned with green copper rings and forty-five large copper studs being left far behind. She withdrew her gaze and looked at the wooden box.

The little girl was drugged deeply and had not cried or struggled. It would be best if she slept until night and simply died in her sleep.

She silently recited a Buddhist prayer. *Every grievance has a source, and every debt has a debtor. If you must hate, hate your early-deceased grandmother; who told her to offend the Eldest Madam? From now on, all your wealth and honor shall be enjoyed by the Eldest Madam's biological granddaughter.*

Feng'er truly had a good life. No wonder she was given that name; it was as if she were to become a phoenix.

Nanny He sighed, her heart racing. She did not want to do this; if discovered, not only would her own life be forfeit, but her entire family would be doomed. But since her Master commanded it, how could she dare refuse...

The carriage entered Yinfeng Street. The road was not wide, and the cries of street vendors rose and fell on both sides.

Suddenly, the sound of a horse neighing and people screaming came from ahead.

The driver, He Shun, Nanny He's nephew, cried out in alarm, "Second Aunt, a horse has been spooked ahead!"

He jumped down to lead the horse to the side, but the roadside was crowded with people and stalls, making it impossible to pull over. The horse neighed and stamped its hooves in place.

Nanny He had no choice but to get out of the carriage carrying the box.

The spooked horse charged toward them with a carriage, knocking over roadside stalls, while people screamed and scattered to avoid it.

In the chaos, the wooden box was knocked from Nanny He's hands and fell to the ground, and she was swept forward by the surging crowd. She tried to turn back to retrieve the box, but being old and frail, she could not push through the crowd.

Terrified and losing her wits, she turned and shouted loudly, "He Shun! Grab the wooden box! That is what the Eldest Madam wants!"

Due to her fear, her voice sounded unnervingly horrific, as if someone were about to kill her.

He Shun did not know what was in the box, but seeing how terrified Nanny He was, he knew the contents must be vital.

Ignoring the carriage, he charged headlong into the crowd. Being tall and burly, he desperately pushed people aside. Fortunately, the crowd was not overwhelmingly dense; no one stepped on the box. He picked up the wooden box and moved forward with the flow of people.

He shouted loudly to Nanny He, who was being swept along by the crowd, "Second Aunt, I've got the box!"

The box in Ding Zhao's hands was also knocked down. He pushed aside those crowding him, bent down, and retrieved it.

Following the flow of the crowd, they eventually reached the street exit where the crowd dispersed.