Chapter 1263 Leaving, Unrestrained
Shao Wanru looked down at Shao Jie’er silently and said when she almost couldn’t hold on any longer. “No one can change the fact that you are a member of Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion unless Commandery Prince Qing is willing to let you go.”
“Fifth Sister, you can do it. Could you save me? Please! Please do me the last favor. If you save me, I will go far away and never return. There are only a few people left in our mansion now. Fifth Sister, please save me.” Shao Jie’er cried and was about to kneel to Shao Wanru.
Before Shao Jie’er did that, Yujie hurried forward to help her up.
“Do you really want to leave?” Shao Wanru asked, looking at her calmly with watery eyes and asked.
“I… I’m leaving. I have to leave the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. They never treat me as one of them… Mo Qiuyi is offensive, and Princess Yuyan will marry into the mansion. I… I’ll die if I stay there.” Yujie choked with sobs. Mo Qiuyi was pretty bitchy, and Princess Yuyan would join in later. It would be a piece of cake for them to take her life.
Shao Jie’er had taken great pains to leave the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. Of course, she didn’t want to be found and sent back again. To stay in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, she even plotted against Old Madam then. But she didn’t expect that things would change so fast that she couldn’t react in time.
“Why didn’t you leave earlier?” Shao Wanru looked at Shao Jie’er and asked.
“I… Now?” Shao Jie’er didn’t understand. She blinked her eyes, and her lips trembled.
“Why didn’t you leave in the past? Wasn’t it good to go free when you were out of the mansion?” Shao Wanru said.
“I… I thought my father… could be saved at that time…” Shao Jie’er stammered.
“Did you want Old Madam to take you back? Wasn’t it more peaceful to live in the mansion than outside? Or did you still have some precious things to pack up?” Shao Wanru mercilessly exposed the lie of Shao Jie’er.
It was an accident. Shao Jie’er was indeed struck dumb at that time. She was driven out of the Marquis Xing’s Mansion in a daze. She only took a few pieces of jewelry and some clothes she usually wore. It was because there was not enough time to take other things. She was undoubtedly unwilling to leave like this. Although she didn’t have many good things, Old Madam had them.
She had to get some valuable items from Old Madam before leaving.
She was waiting, waiting for Shao Wanru to give her another chance to enter the mansion. Old Madam was in poor health and needed someone to take care of her. Who else could be more suitable than her to do this job?
She could compromise and take care of Old Madam.
Unexpectedly, Mo Qiuyi, instead of Shao Wanru, came. At this time, she was terrified because she saw the wicked and ruthless look in Mo Qiuyi’s eyes. She didn’t dare to stay and was anxious to leave.
“I’m leaving now, Fifth Sister. Please… please give me a hundred taels of silver. When… when I have money in the future, I will return it to you.” Shao Jie’er gritted her teeth determinedly and said.
She didn’t have much money to spend on the way. She might be caught and brought back before going very far. Even if she was sent back, she could not live on her own.
“Yujie, give Second Miss a hundred taels of silver.” Shao Wanru looked at Shao Jie’er and gave an order after a long while.
Yujie took a note from the pocket before her chest and handed it over. It happened to be worth one hundred taels of silver.
Without much effort, Shao Jie’er got what she wanted. She took the note from Yujie in disbelief and said, “Fifth Sister… Are… are you really willing to let me go?”
“What’s the benefit of keeping you here?” Shao Wanru raised her watery eyes and asked, her long eyelashes fluttering twice.
This was something quite contrary to her expectations. Shao Jie’er shook her head blankly. “Shouldn’t she harshly scold me and stride away without looking back?”
“If you want to leave, leave right now. Do you want me to help you pack up?” Shao Wanru asked.
“No… no… I’ll leave now, right away! ” Shao Jie’er seemed to come to her senses at this time. She vigorously shook her head, turned around, and walked out. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around. Kneeling before Shao Wanru, she kowtowed hard a few times and said, “Thank you, Fifth Sister.”
After that, she covered her tearful face and ran out.
Outside the door, Aunt Lu was pacing around anxiously. Seeing Shao Jie’er coming out, she instantly pulled her over and asked in a hurry, “What’s the matter? Is there something wrong?”
“We can leave now. Fifth Sister lent me a hundred taels of silver. Let’s go. We’re leaving right now!” Shao Jie’er spoke feelingly. She didn’t expect things to be so simple.
“Okay… okay, let’s go!” Aunt Lu wiped away her tears of excitement and said to Shao Jie’er, “Did… did you thank Princess Chen?”
Shao Jie’er had told Aunt Lu about her days in the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. Aunt Lu told her she could take Shao Jie’er to her hometown. That place was so remote that Commandery Prince Qing would not go there to get her.
“I… I thanked her. Let’s leave this place quickly!” Shao Jie’er said anxiously. She had been greedy and wanted to take Old Madam’s valuable things away. But now, she no longer dared to think about it. Mo Qiuyi had come to her, and judging from her look, Shao Jie’er knew she had complete confidence. Thus, she couldn’t delay any longer.
There were not many things to pack up. Aunt Lu and Shao Jie’er had prepared a few items. Since they wouldn’t bring any servant girl, the two of them changed into ordinary clothes and were about to leave. When they walked back to the courtyard door, Shao Jie’er suddenly returned to the main room and kowtowed three times again to Shao Wanru in the room. Then, she stood up with Qing’er’s help and left in tears.
Once she left, there wouldn’t be a chance for her to return.
When Shao Jie’er left with Aunt Lu, no one noticed that a wing room’s window was slightly open. Shao Hua’an stood by the window and watched this with a bleak look.
Zhao Xiran was also watching quietly. When Shao Jie’er and Aunt Lu leave, she felt very sad. Shao Jie’er deserved what she had suffered. But even so, Aunt Lu was willing to accompany her and never abandoned her. In contrast, her father abandoned her. Although her mother felt distressed for her, she just gave her some money secretly and watched her father kick her away.
Frankly, she was pathetic.
“Fifth Sister, you helped Second Sister escape. Will you get into trouble? After all, she belongs to the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion,” Zhao Xiran said.
“I’ll ask Prince Chen to tell this to Commandery Prince Qing.” Shao Wanru shook her head and said, “Sister Zhao, if you have any difficulties in the future, you can tell me.”
“Thank you… Fifth Sister.” Zhao Xiran choked out. Quickly, she turned her face aside to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. Since such a thing happened, everyone avoided her when they saw her. No one had ever come forward to offer help.
“Don’t mention it, Sister Zhao. Shao Jing did such a nasty thing. It has nothing to do with you,” Shao Wanru said. Although Zhao Xiran had targeted her, she had never done such a vicious thing to her parents with Shao Jing.
She was well aware of this.
It was getting late, so Shao Wanru got up to leave. Zhao Xiran sent her to the door and didn’t return to the room until she got in the carriage and left. After sitting in the room for a while, she went to the wing room on the left.
There was a couch in the wing room. Shao Hua’an was leaning against it and reading a book calmly. Hearing the sound at the door, he raised his head and said gently, “Has Fifth Sister gone back?”
“Yes…” Zhao Xiran sat down on a chair nearby. After watching his expression closely, she said, “Second Sister has left. Just now, some people from the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion came to take her away. Second Sister borrowed one hundred taels of silver from Fifth Sister and left.”
“It’s good for her to leave at this time!” Shao Hua’an sighed and put down the book in his hand. Leaning back, he said with a bitter smile, “My father has done such a thing, and we have been punished as his children.”
“Don’t say that!” Seeing his decadent look, Zhao Xiran felt like crying.
“I’m fine. Don’t be sad. When I recover, I’ll take you out of here and find a beautiful place to start over.” Shao Hua’an comforted her and reached out to take her hand. “I’m sorry to make you suffer. You used to be the minister’s daughter but married me, a useless man.”
“Honey, please… Don’t say that. It has nothing to do with you. In the future, let’s leave this place and go to the south, where there are bright mountains and limpid waters.” Zhao Xiran was heartbroken. She didn’t expect that they would end up like this.
“Okay, it’s all up to you.” Shao Hua’an nodded.
“You… Are you serious?” Zhao Xiran asked, feeling uncertain.
“Of course, I’ll listen to you. I have nothing now except you!” Shao Hua’an smiled even more bitterly. He looked up, closed his eyes, and said slowly, “Xiran, don’t worry. I will do business in the future and let you live a good life.”
“I… I know.” Zhao Xiran burst into tears. She could no longer restrain herself from crying out in distress. Tears poured down her cheeks.
“Alright, it’s okay. Everything will be fine.” Shao Hua’an reached out to hold Zhao Xiran in his arms and comforted her softly.
“Will we be fine? You… Promise to me, okay?” Zhao Xiran said unconfidently.
“It’ll be fine. I promise you!” Shao Hua’an said, soft eyes on Zhao Xiran.
“My Lady, you assisted Second Miss to leave. Is it really okay for you to do that?” In the carriage, Yujie said worriedly. When Shao Jie’er first came to the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion, she was supposed to be a consort. But after many things happened later, no one in the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion mentioned it. As a result, this matter was ignored. But if the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion insisted that Shao Jie’er was a consort, this matter would become a big problem.
It didn’t matter if a concubine left, but it would be a big deal if she were a consort.
“As a consort, the royal family would grant and record her identity. In the past, her identity as a consort was never recognized. Then, it’s even more impossible for her to become a consort now. How could His Majesty be in the mood to deal with such a trivial matter?” Qing’er said indifferently.
“Maybe she has become a consort long ago!” Shao Wanru said meaningfully.
“How… how is that possible?” The two servant girls were startled. It was not right to gossip about this because such an issue might become terribly wrong.
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