jdhmnovel Chapter 233 Revenge (Part )
Chapter 233 Revenge (Part )
Shortly after the emperor left, several more guards arrived outside. The one leading them trotted over but didn't rush in. He simply knocked on the door and said, "Sir Song, Second Miss Shi, the emperor has ordered me to escort you two back."
Tao Yao was still in shock, unable to recover. Song Zhishou had already stood up and stretched out his hand to help Tao Yao up.
"Don't stand there, let's go and leave the palace." Song Zhishou said.
Tao Yao stood up in a daze, staring at Song Zhishou with a dull gaze, and asked anxiously, "Master Song, did I say anything wrong just now?"
Song Zhishou sighed, patted Tao Yao's shoulder gently as if to comfort her, and said softly, "Don't worry, you didn't say anything wrong. It's me who should thank you for reminding me just now, otherwise I don't know how this would have ended."
Tao Yao lowered her head, shook it weakly, sighed, and whispered, "It was just my instinct to save my life. If you step out, we'll all be doomed."
At that moment, the guard outside the door poked his head in again and asked tentatively, "Master Song, Miss Shi, are you leaving now?"
Song Zhishou winked at Tao Yao and whispered, "Let's go. There are many people in the palace. If there is anything, we can discuss it after we leave the palace."
Tao Yao nodded.
The emperor personally assigned a carriage to escort Tao Yao and Song Zhishou out of the palace and home. Even the dumbest person could see that this was not a matter of etiquette, but surveillance.
On the way back in the carriage, Tao Yao and Song Zhishou almost turned into two stones. They sat silently at the two ends of the carriage, and did not say a word about Chu Huanjun.
When the carriage stopped in front of Song Zhishou's mansion, Song Zhishou slipped a note into Tao Yao's hand before jumping off the carriage.
When the carriage started moving again, Tao Yao closed the curtain and carefully spread out the note in her palm.
There were a few small, scribbled words on the note, which were blurred by sweat from the hands, but one could still vaguely make out what was written on it.
"Spring Breeze Tower, Quiet Frost."
Because these characters had complex strokes, Tao Yao held the note in front of her eyes and carefully checked it several times before she was sure that they were indeed these characters.
Tao Yao's heart moved. Perhaps Chu Huanjun had left Song Zhishou some secret code for a secret meeting before, so Song Zhishou could guess that An Jingshuang could know the clues about Chu Huanjun.
If Chu Huanjun's disappearance was really his own initiative, he would probably be able to keep himself safe.
Tao Yao's heart, which had been hanging for a long time, finally relaxed a little. Chu Huanjun had always been a comprehensive thinker. It was impossible for him not to have calculated that he would be assassinated one day, and he must have made emergency preparations in advance.
Even though Tao Yao herself was anxious, the carriage was now heading towards Shi Mansion. She was now under the emperor's surveillance and could not rashly go to look for Chu Huanjun. She had no choice but to follow the emperor's wishes and go back to Shi Mansion first.
Thinking of the Shi Mansion, Shi Yiqian, and Shi Lanxin, Tao Yao couldn't help but feel nauseous.
The humiliation and pain people have suffered can be left in the body's memory. Regarding Shi Mansion, Tao Yao could not think of any wonderful things. The only happiness she had was when she was with Huai Ling. Now Huai Ling was no longer in Shi Mansion. If she was not forced to do so, Tao Yao would rather not show up in public and hide carefully for the rest of her life than go back to Shi Mansion again.
But no matter how disgusted, how disgusted, or how afraid she was, there was nothing she could do. The emperor had given an order, so how could she disobey?
The carriage gradually stopped, the door curtain lifted, and the guard pretended to bow to Tao Yao and said calmly, "Second Miss Shi, we have arrived at the Shi Mansion."
Tao Yao took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "I understand. Thank you all for sending me off."
The guard raised his lip and said, "I am only following orders."
Immediately, two more guards brought a staircase to the carriage door for Tao Yao to descend. Tao Yao was suddenly flattered. She had never received such preferential treatment in the Shi Mansion before. Although these palace servants were two-faced, they did a good job of showing courtesy and showing respect.
The guard took Tao Yao's hand and walked her to the door. The two guards guarding the door of the Shi Mansion had already knelt on the ground when they saw the palace carriage. They didn't even raise their heads to see who was coming before they started to pay their respects.
Tao Yao couldn't help but feel delighted and jokingly said, "I never thought I could have this kind of treatment now?"
Hearing Tao Yao's voice, the two guards raised their heads at the same time, their four eyes widened to almost bigger than walnuts, their faces immediately turned ashen, and they both looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
"What? Do I have a bump on my face? What are you guys looking at?"
Tao Yao's face was fierce, and she put on a ferocious expression, trying to scare them. In ancient times, most people still believed in ghosts and gods. The two guards were already certain that the second young lady was dead. Now an identical woman stood before them. What else could she be but a resurrection?
So the two useless guards fainted on the spot.
Tao Yao snorted coldly, cursing the Shi Mansion's gatekeepers as worse than dogs as she strode into the Shi Mansion. Relying on her memory, she found her way to Shi Lanxin's yard. Since she couldn't escape her fate of returning home to suffer, she decided to tease Shi Lanxin for a bit; after all, her vengeful nature shouldn't be underestimated.
Tao Yao pulled a piece of gauze from her sleeve, covered her face with it, and walked straight to the door of Shi Lanxin's courtyard.
At that time, Huaiqiu was concentrating on taking care of the flowers and plants in the yard and did not notice Taoyao's arrival at all.
Shi Lanxin seemed to have just finished a shower. She was wearing a nightgown and leaning leisurely on the beauty chair. There was a thick layer of green and yellow mud on her face. I don’t know where she got this folk mask recipe from.
Tao Yaoshen sneaked into a bush without anyone noticing, hoping to find an opportunity to attack Shi Lanxin from behind and kill her by surprise.
Just as Tao Yao was about to make a move, Shi Lanxin suddenly spoke up, "I don't know where Brother Xiaochu has been lately. He hasn't come to see me in a few days. Could it be that I deliberately sent others away and sent him back home alone last time, which made him angry?"
Huai Qiu quickly replied, "How could that be?! Miss, you're worrying too much. Miss is willing to personally escort His Royal Highness Prince Yi home. His Royal Highness Prince Yi must be overjoyed."
Shi Lanxin usually looks ferocious, but when she mentions Chu Huanjun, her eyes are full of tenderness and affection.
"This man's thoughts are really hard to figure out. A few days ago, he said he would come to my house in person to give me a gift and thank me, but he hasn't been seen for several days. I really don't know what tricks Brother Xiao Chu is playing on me."
Shi Lanxin had a sad face. She leaned on the railing with her chin in her hand and looked at the sky, missing her brother Xiao Chu whom she hadn't seen for several days.
Tao Yao, who was hiding in the bushes, couldn't help laughing. It seemed that Shi Lanxin was a young girl in love and mistook other people's courtesy for deep affection. This was really a bit sad.