Chapter 445 Was She Waiting or Hiding in Her Dream?
It would definitely cause mutual resentment between the second and third branches of Duke Xing's Mansion.
Although the Third Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion only had two daughters, she was capable of holding her position, so she must not be simple.
Qin Wanru didn't want to see Duke Xing's Mansion as solid as iron when she came back in the future!
Staring at her thoughtful granddaughter, Rui'an Great Elder Princess, who had been tough for a lifetime, reached out to stroke Qin Wanru's hair compassionately with her eyes turning red.
There were still water stains on her hair, and below her hair was a raised little white face. She looked at Rui'an Great Elder Princess with a longing smile, increasing Rui'an Great Elder Princess's affection for her.
Her daughter, Qinghua, was much older than Qin Wanru at that time, but Qinghua was less sensible than Qin Wanru with her support. Her granddaughter, Qin Wanru, had no parents and had been subjected to endless bullying and humiliation. If it weren't for her intelligence, Qin Wanru would have lost all standing and reputation and even been killed.
Rui'an Great Elder Princess had known everything since she met Shao Huai. Her granddaughter's life had almost been ruined step by step in Jiangzhou. Madam Di and Qin Yuru trapped her again and again, and Qin Huaiyong indulged them again and again. All of these made her feel deep sorry for her granddaughter.
The child was forced to grow up. As long as she thought of this, Rui'an Great Elder Princess felt heartbroken. Her granddaughter should have enjoyed tons of favor during her growth.
"Zhuozhuo... you have grandma from now on. I'll never allow anyone to bully you anymore!" Rui'an Great Elder Princess said in a choked voice and reached out to hold Qin Wanru in her arms, even ignoring Qin Wanru's wet hair.
"Grandma!" Qin Wanru murmured, and felt a lump coming into her throat. During her two lives, she finally got a family member, and was no longer alone and helpless.
Beside her grandma, she also had a younger brother. At the thought of this, she bit her lip with her eyes turning red.
Although she was strong, she couldn't help bursting into tears at this moment. With increasing tears, she couldn't help calling "Grandma".
Seeing them cry on each other's shoulder, the maids beside them hurried over to console them and manage to separate them.
"It's up to you. Come and send the old maid to Third Madam!" Rui'an Great Elder Princess wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said decisively.
"Okay, I'll ask someone to do it now!" Nanny Gao responded. She then turned around, walked out of the room, and instructed the two servants holding down the old maid of Duke Xing's Mansion outside.
The two servants dragged the old maid of Duke Xing's Mansion and left.
When Nanny Gao returned to the room, both of them had calmed down and wiped the tears on their faces.
A maid rushed over and said, "Great Elder Princess, our Madam Dowager invites you to have dinner."
"It's my pleasure, but I'll stay and have dinner with your Fifth Miss!" Rui'an Great Elder Princess said impatiently. She was extremely unwilling to see the face of Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The maid didn't dare to say much and left.
After a while, the kitchen sent sumptuous lunch here. After having lunch with Rui'an Great Elder Princess, Qin Wanru instructed someone to remove the dishes.
"Grandma, you can go back to your mansion now, and come over tomorrow morning!" Qin Wanru said softly.
She knew that Rui'an Great Elder Princess didn't like Duke Xing's Mansion and stayed here at this moment to keep her company.
"I feel worried about leaving you alone here. Why don't you go to my Mansion with me and come over with me tomorrow?" Rui'an Great Elder Princess thought for a while and said.
"Grandma, it's not in line with etiquette!" Qin Wanru comforted her softly, "Don't worry, it will be fine. I'm not in good health now, so they dare not provoke me and will talk with me over opening the ancestral hall tomorrow at most."
They should prepare for opening the ancestral hall today. Although the elders were coming tomorrow, they should prepare some necessary things today and would even need her to do something.
"Okay, okay, anyway I don't have the patience to see them get prepared for it!" Rui'an Great Elder Princess thought for a moment and said. Although she was unwilling to part with Qin Wanru, she involuntarily submitted to Qin Wanru's wish at the thought of the hardships Qin Wanru had suffered from since childhood.
"Grandma, you should pay more attention to Hao'er's safety!" After thinking for a while, Qin Wanru said with her face becoming slightly cold.
"They will hurt Hao'er?" Rui'an Great Elder Princess said, and her face changed dramatically.
"Maybe. In the past, Hao'er was alone with a bad reputation for being derelict in duty, disagreeable and arrogant, and the chief branch of Duke Xing's Mansion had a mere nominal existence. But from now on, both Hao'er and I belong to the chief branch." Qin Wanru implicitly reminded Rui'an Great Elder Princess.
She had thought that Hao'er had an accident when he was missing last time. However, after recalling several times, she remembered the exact time when Hao'er was missing.
Qin Wanru always felt that she was not clear about what had happened in her last life. The disconnected fragments reminded her that some of her memories were missing.
In the last life, Hao'er had an accident after Qin Yuru entered Duke Xing's Mansion with a specious identity, and Rui'an Great Elder Princess had an accident later.
Rui'an Great Elder Princess immediately understood, and said with a bit of fierceness on her face, "I got it. I will instruct some servants to protect Hao'er. Your father was supposed to be the heir of Duke Xing. Although your father passed away, with your younger brother here, the second branch is unqualified to inherit the rank. I've fought for it for your brother, but didn't keep an eye on the situation in the palace. I thought that your brother was still young, Before he inherits the rank, I should make sure that he could grow up safely."
"I didn't expect that it has enlarged some people's ambition and made them think that the rank of Duke Xing belongs to the second branch. Ask to assign the heir? Haven't they thought whether they are qualified!"
Rui'an Great Elder Princess remembered that the Emperor had told her that Duke Xing's Mansion asked to assign the heir again. At that time, she had no ideas, but just wanted to make Hao'er grow up safely. So she didn't say anything.
"Grandma, please send someone to investigate what happened to my father and mother. Was what happened to my father really just an accident? Why did my mother come back to Duke Xing's Mansion? Both my parents scattered in rebel forces. Accompanied by only a few maids, my mother was less conspicuous than my father. Why did they find my mother in the end but didn't find my father? Who were sent there by Duke Xing's Mansion at that time? How did they find my mother?"
Qin Wanru thought for a moment and said.
Her mother got separated, and then her father had an accident. If they looked for her father after finding her mother, would the result be totally different?
As she raised questions one by one, Rui'an Great Elder Princess was astounded!
Staring at the delicate granddaughter in front of her, she suddenly felt that she had really neglected numerous details. In an instant, she was overcome by the feeling of sorrow. Clenching her teeth and swallowing the sorrow in her eyes, Rui'an Great Elder Princess nodded and said, "Zhuozhuo, rest assured. I will definitely check it out. If it really has something to do with the second branch of Duke Xing's Mansion, I will fight with them desperately!"
Seeing Rui'an Great Elder Princess understood, Qin Wanru showed a trace of smile on her face, but her eyes became increasingly gloomy.
Who benefited the most from the death of her parents? Needless to say, it was the second branch of Duke Xing's Mansion. Her second uncle became Duke Xing, and the person setting her mind on trapping her became Madam of Duke Xing. After that, they intended to spoil her brother. In addition, she died in the hands of Shao Yanru, the First Miss of Duke Xing's Mansion in the last life. All of these made her draw a conclusion that her parents were probably plotted against by the second branch.
After Rui'an Great Elder Princess left, Qin Wanru sat in front of the window and continued having her hair stirred by Qu Le. The delicate face of a girl in the dressing mirror was a little gloomy or even sinister.
Neither Yujie nor Qu Le dared to speak. They just gently combed her hair and then helped her walk to the bed for a rest. However, Qin Wanru did not sleep well this time. She seemed to be both awake and asleep all the time. In her dream, she saw a scene when she was in the palace.
She, who had just entered the palace, was very timid, and panicked when noticing any sign of disturbance. She seemed to hide behind a cluster of blooming flowers and even bump into someone. After that, she saw a pair of cold eyes, but heard a gentle voice calling her, "Zhuozhuo, Zhuozhuo..."
But why did she have to hide? Although she was hiding, she was not afraid at all.
She looked around, seeming to be waiting for someone. However, she saw no one, but only heard the voice coming from her ears.
Qin Wanru felt very uncomfortable. She thought that she had fallen into a dream of the last life. She wanted to wake up, but she felt weak all over and seemed to be even incapable of moving her fingers. Nevertheless, she just knew that she was in a dream.
She wanted to wake up and stop dreaming!
She exerted every ounce of energy just in order to move her fingers and scare the dream off. However, she was still like an onlooker, watching herself crouching behind the flowering shrubs, panicking and looking around expectantly. She was wondering whether she was hiding or waiting for someone.
Wait? Who was she waiting for? There suddenly came a loud bang in her ear. Something was broken. She felt relaxed, because her dream was broken.
"Miss, Miss!"
This time she heard it clearly. It was in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes. Looking at Yujie's concerned face in front of her, she moved her hands with difficulty. Although it was difficult, she could move them obviously. She had escaped from the dream.
"What's the matter?" She had just woken up, so she talked in a hoarse voice and felt uncomfortable.
"Prince Chen is here!" Yujie reached out to help her up and said.
Chu Liuchen? Why did he come here at this time? Qin Wanru was slow in thought. The thing had developed into this, but it seemed to have nothing to do with him. What did he come here for?
"Prince Chen said that he has something important to ask you and he's on behalf of the Empress Dowager. Now he is waiting in the front hall. Duke Xing and Madam of Duke Xing are waiting outside with him."
Qu Le also came to help Qin Wanru up. The two maids helped her, who was still sleepy, walk to the dressing table and freshen up.
The maid sent by Madam of Duke Xing was still waiting at the door. She had implicitly indicated that Prince Chen was extremely noble and reminded them to hurry up.
In the lobby, Chu Liuchen was sitting at the head of the table. He was dressed in a purple robe, with a few golden edges embroidered on the cuffs and neck opening. Under the purple gold crown, there was a handsome and gentle face. In addition to his pale face which made him look weak, Prince Chen's appearance was almost flawless.
The handsome man was unparalleled in this world. Madam of Duke Xing only thought of these words to describe him. Although she had often got in and out of the Imperial Palace, she was not familiar with Prince Chen, seldom met him and wouldn't even expect him to come to her mansion one day.
"Madam of Duke Xing, why do you keep staring at me?"