Chapter 114 - 113: House Arrest
"Illness strikes like a mountain falling; I see that Mother has lost weight all over her face," Yunuo pursed her lips and sighed, "If she continues to lie sick like this, her cheeks will sink in."
Yunuo’s tone was soft and slow, making it impossible to tell whether she was happy or worried.
Yunluo raised her eyes to look at her, only to see that Yunuo’s pair of dark eyes had lost their usual shrewdness, replaced by a hint of melancholy, which was quite surprising and even elicited a bit of regret.
In dealing with her legitimate mother, Yunuo, although not as trusting as with Aunt Mo, had after all been raised in the Liao Family’s presence for more than ten years, and there was some affection.
The Liao Family was somewhat difficult to please, but they never abused or bullied Yunuo, and they were attentive to her food, clothing, and other needs.
Yunuo was not foolish enough to wish for the Liao Family to be gravely ill; she wasn’t that heartless, nor that stupid.
During the Liao Family’s illness, Du Huai’en must have been resting in Aunt Mo’s room, and the longer the Liao Family remained ill, the closer Aunt Mo and Du Huai’en became. When the Liao Family eventually recovered, Aunt Mo would suffer.
If by chance the Liao Family could not recover, it would be impossible for Aunt Mo to replace her; to Yunuo, an unknown personality as a successor was less reliable than the Liao Family.
After all, not only did she have some affection for the Liao Family, but the Liao Family felt the same way; after being with her for more than a decade, she would care even for a dog or a cat, let alone a girl.
Yunuo sincerely wished for the Liao Family to get better soon.
Thinking of this, Yunluo couldn’t help but recall what Yunuo said when she first came over.
She said that the Liao Family was better now, but soon, who knew.
This left Yunluo a bit puzzled.
"Fourth Sister," Yunluo asked her, "Is something going to happen that will worry Fourth Aunt again?"
Yunuo was nibbling on a mung bean cake, and upon hearing the question, she choked; the dry and powdery cake stuck in her throat, causing her to clutch her chest and cough heavily.
Yunluo hurriedly handed her a cup of tea. Yunuo took it, drank, and after catching her breath, finally felt a bit better.
With tears at the corners of her eyes from coughing, Yunuo dabbed at them with a handkerchief, smiling ruefully: "There is a situation. I heard it from Nanny An."
While Nanny An’s husband wasn’t the chief steward of the mansion, he tended to the carriages and horses, frequently coming and going from the Du Mansion, so he was more in the know than most. Meanwhile, Nanny An couldn’t keep her mouth shut and enjoyed gossiping, but since it was always about outside matters, just to amuse the masters, the Liao Family wasn’t bothered by her.
"It’s about the post from Princess An Ran; Lady there didn’t refuse it by chance, but outright rejected it," Yunuo pursed her lips.
Yunluo was taken aback.
These noblewomen’s exchanges of posts were affairs of the inner courtyard, and Nanny An’s husband, while moving outside, couldn’t possibly hear about such things, could he?
"Where did this information come from?" Yunluo frowned and asked Yunuo.
"For others, exchanging posts is private, but the Fifth Sister, she is a County Princess. Whatever the County Princess does..." Yunuo paused, offered a helpless smile, and commented on that County Princess’s manner of doing things, "Look, again she blocked someone. Lady was summoned into the palace today by the Imperial Consort. When she came out, the County Princess was waiting outside the palace gates. Many eyes witnessed it; the County Princess chased after Lady, demanding to know why she was rejected, insisting on an explanation."
Yunluo was astonished.
This Princess An Ran, previously blocked Mu Lianxiao, and now blocked Mu Lianhui; was she specifically targeting the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion?
The palace gates, with not only guards but also the nobles’ carriages and followers waiting outside, alongside palace maids and eunuchs coming and going, was a noisy place. Any commotion would be noticed.
Given Princess An Ran’s temperament, being rejected by Mu Lianhui, it wouldn’t have been conjugal. Even if Mu Lianhui maintained her high stance, not engaging with her, it would draw enough attention.
Thinking of this, Yunluo remembered Du Gongfu’s expression upon returning and his words, suddenly she understood it all.
That was the meaning.
Even if Yunluo was known for being arrogant, compared to Princess An Ran, she truly was minor; she felt ashamed.
In Du Gongfu’s eyes, she appeared understanding, whereas Princess An Ran’s actions were truly reckless.
"Are you worried that the County Princess might be punished because of this?" Yunluo leaned on her cheek and said, "Last time, when she blocked the Princely Heir, it caused a city-wide storm, and even then Old Master didn’t hold it against her. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, she got into a tussle with Princess Hui, causing you and Third Sister to be injured, yet there was no word from Old Master. Only Aunt Liao remembered and sent some ointment to the mansion. Even if she blocked Lady at the palace gates this time, I reckon that given Old Master’s fondness for her, he wouldn’t punish her."
Yunuo bit her lower lip, pondered for a while, and then shook her head: "Hard to say. Lady is most favored by the Imperial Consort, and even the Empress Dowager likes her. If it had happened elsewhere, perhaps it could be dismissed, but right at the palace gates, can this not reach the ears of the Empress Dowager and Imperial Consort? Regardless of Old Master’s feelings, he’d have to show the Empress Dowager a stance."
At this point, Yunluo couldn’t guarantee what would happen either.
Yunuo worried that Princess An Ran’s fuss would lead Old Master to punish her, which would upset Aunt Liao, and if the Liao Family found out, it would add another layer of anxiety.
The two talked for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, Yunuo rose to take her leave.
Having voiced her concerns, Yunuo felt a bit better and returned to Anfeng Courtyard to attend to the Liao Family.
Secretly hoping that, as Yunluo suggested, Old Master would indulge Princess An Ran and refrain from punishing her.
Yet in the end, Old Master still placed Princess An Ran under house arrest.
𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
House arrest, strictly speaking, wasn’t much of a punishment, but for Princess An Ran, it was different.
Since childhood, added together, Old Master hadn’t punished her much at all; sometimes when the Young Master wanted to discipline her, Old Master would come to her defense, puffing and glaring.
Today’s decision for house arrest was hard for Princess An Ran to accept.
Aunt Liao, not feeling well herself, struggled to visit Princess An Ran, only to be overwhelmed by her crying and unable to reason or comfort her, returning with a sigh to rest.
Princess An Ran’s tantrum lasted the entire night before finally calming a bit.
The news reaching Prince Rui Mansion allowed Commandery Princess Hui to finally feel some satisfaction.
Unfortunately, during the chrysanthemum viewing, with so many guests present, Princess An Ran’s cold sneers embarrassed Commandery Princess Hui, and though she couldn’t retaliate face-to-face this time, she felt it was a pity.
These matters, despite Yunuo’s attempts to conceal them from the Liao Family, eventually reached their ears.
As the Liao Family took her medicine, she heard of Princess An Ran’s situation, causing her hand to twitch and spill the concoction all over the bedding.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Truly a muddleheaded thing! No matter how much Old Master spoils her, she’s still just an illegitimate daughter; why doesn’t she understand?"
Yunuo, holding a handkerchief to wipe for the Liao Family, trembled at these words, promptly lowering her eyes and carefully continuing her task.