Qin Wanru knew it was the time now so she said to the boy, “Hao’er, do you want to protect and stay with your maternal granny? You could hold her when she falls down. She is old now. It would be very sad that nobody would be with her.”
Shao Yuanhao thought for a while, then nodded vigorously and said, “I want to be with my maternal granny, forever!”
“There are so many people being with granny but nobody is with maternal granny. How pitiful she is!”
Hao’er raised his tearful eyes, looked at Rui’an Great Elder Princess at the main table, and gradually felt that she was so pitiful because everyone stayed away from her and didn’t play with her.
“No, I must stay with my granny and not let anyone bully her!”
Thinking for a while, Shao Yuanhao climbed down the chair and ran to Rui’an Great Elder Princess. Before he rushed up to her, he shouted, “Granny! I want to be with you! I want to always be with you! I would never go back!”
Rui’an Great Elder Princess was puzzled first and didn’t understand his meaning until he ran to hug her. Thinking about his words, she held him and was moved to tears.
She tried in vain to let him stay here!
She could ask the Mansion of Duke Xing to give her this boy but she was unwilling to see him cry and shout. She couldn’t figure out that what people of the Mansion of Duke Xing had told this boy because every time he came, he was very anxious to go home, seeming that he didn’t want to stay in her mansion at all.
However, actually Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t believe the Mansion of Duke Xing. She had always doubted that the cause of death of her son-in-law was related to Duke Xing but she had no evidence.
He was her only grandchild. She did want to raise him herself and was unwilling to let him stay in the Mansion of Duke Xing!
But she couldn’t own him if the boy was unwilling. After all, his family name was Shao.
Now this child asked for staying with her, which made Rui’an Great Elder Princess so moved and excited. She kept saying “okay”, reached out and patted Shao Yuanhao’s head. She raised her head and looked at Qin Wanru. Her smile was brighter and kinder.
She was very clear that her grandchild would not say so without any special reason. She didn’t expect that this boy would be so congenial to Qin Wanru and now she also liked Qin Wanru very much.
After Shao Yuanhao gave a hug to Rui’an Great Elder Princess, he wriggled and left Rui’an Great Elder Princess. He then ran to Qin Wanru, sat beside her and ate his foods.
The young woman behind her seemed to belong to the Mansion of Princess. It seemed that what happened today caused alarm and attention to Rui’an Great Elder Princess so she let people follow Shao Yuanhao again.
Many people knew Shao Yuanhao. When they saw Shao Yuanhao sitting beside Qin Wanru affectionately and Rui’an Great Elder Princess looking at Qin Wanru very gently, they began to ask who she was.
Then they knew Qin Wanru was the second daughter of the new General Qin from Jiangzhou and the other woman next to her was the second wife of General Qin. They had known that his official wife was Madam Di from Duke Yong’s Mansion, whom everybody was familiar with.
Then a series of accidents just happened. It seemed that people from Duke Yong’s Mansion were to plot against Qin Wanru and Rui’an Great Elder Princess kicked them off!
It seemed that the ringleader was Duke Yong’s Mansion.
Things between the official wife and the second wife were Qin’s Mansion’s business. If Duke Yong’s Mansion really did this, then they were not only hateful but also heinous. Someone even said that Madam Di’s natural daughter, Young Lady Qin, tried to worsen her little sister’s reputation in the dark.
However, when the Second Lady Qin who looked very young sat beside Shao Yuanhao, she seemed to be very childish and totally wasn’t a young bride-to-be. So it was totally ridiculous for her to snatch a bridegroom and break off the engagement.
News traveled very fast and everyone heard and mainly learned about the complicated story of Qin’s Mansion before the banquet ended.
Various kinds of comments broke out in a flash!
Most people thought that Qin Wanru was innocent and that Madam Di did this because she didn’t like the second wife’s daughter.
But as Rui’an Great Elder Princess treated her so well, this second lady Qin would have her power!
When the banquet ended, guests began going home. Finding that it was late, Qin Wanru stood up and wanted to say goodbye to them. But Shao Yuanhao grasped her dress.
Shao Yuanhao asked very pitifully, “Sister, are you leaving? What about me?” It seemed that he was a puppy which was to be left by people. He blinked his tearful eyes, seeming that he wanted to cry.
Qin Wanru squat down, wiped his tears, and said with a smile, “Hao’er is a good boy. I would see you in a few days.”
She did like this boy. Although he seemed to be rude and impolite, he was tender and lack of love!
“Will you forget me?” asked Shao Yuanhao pitifully.
Qin Wanru smiled and answered, “Of course not. If I forget you…”
“If she forgets you, I would take you to find her in Qin’s Mansion!” Suddenly, an unkind voice came out. Qin Wanru looked up and saw Chu Liuxin staring at her very proudly with a sneer. He held his head up and seemed to be very disdainful.
Qin Wanru didn’t know what this Prince Xin planned to do so she just bowed sideways and took Shao Yuanhao to Rui’an Great Elder Princess and then said goodbye to her.
Hearing that Qin Wanru was to leaving, Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t ask her to stay but just tell her to come here to play when she was free!
Qin Wanru answered her softly.
When finding out that Qin Wanru answered in front of Rui’an Great Elder Princess, Shao Yuanhao was very happy to dance. He didn’t grasp Qin Wanru’s dress so tightly but only told her to play with him. When Qin Wanru promised him again and again, he finally felt relaxed.
Qin Wanru and Shui Ruolan followed an old maidservant and went to the parking lot where their cart was.
Chu Liuxin got angrier. Qin Wanru offended him before but she now just ignored him. He thought that his temper was so good that he didn’t get extremely irritated because of this.
Although he didn’t become extremely angry, he had no mood now. Thinking that he would be punished when coming back, he was in a bad mood.
Seeing Qin Wanru leaving, he knew he could not trouble her. Then he walked outside with his favorite eunuch to the outer court. He came to the inner court was to trouble Qin Wanru.
Although she ignored him, she was polite at least. He could not find out her mistake and he even noticed that Rui’an Great Elder Princess glared at him, suggesting him don’t make any trouble.
Chu Liuxin felt wronged. He didn’t feel well and didn’t know what to do. When he walked on the stair of the attic, he seemed to be torpid.
When he popped his head out, a voice with amusement came out. “Hi, my fourth brother! I heard that you just went through a dog hole? ”
Chu Liuzhou, the second Prince who was today’s Prince Zhou, sat opposite to Chu Liuyue. They were playing chess.
Chu Liuzhou was much stronger, taller and more powerful than other brothers. He looked like a strong man.
He looked at Chu Liuxin and kept laughing.
Chu Liuxin took a deep breath, saluted with joined hands and said, “Big brother! Second brother!” He only saw there was Chu Liuyue in the attic just now.
Chu Liuyue raised his eyes and asked coldly, “Where did you go suddenly just now? You would be punished because of this!”
“Where? He must go to the hole in the wall. If father then asks, he could give a much clearer answer!” Prince Zhou laughed and kept patting his legs, bowing forward and leaning backward.
“You are a prince! You… Fine!” said Prince Yue. He sighed and shook his head. A smile appeared in his stern face.
“You are so careless! How could you not notice that Shao Yuanhao was following you? You even allow such a little boy to follow you. How stupid you are!” said Prince Zhou. He looked at Chu Liuxin’s listless face and could not help laughing.
Chu Liuyue reached out and pointed at the chair in front of him, motioning him to sit down. He said casually, “If something really has happened to Shao Yuanhao, grand aunt would have not let you go easily. You, you are not a child now and how could you still cause this mistake? I suppose that this time grand aunt must blame you and the Mansion of Duke Xing together!”
Hearing his words, Chu Liuxin got really irritated and refused to sit down. He said with his face red and neck swollen, “Why does she blame me? Why the Mansion of Duke Xing? It is the boy who didn’t notice and who ran about. Why did grand aunt blame others? She should have let more people to watch him!”
It seemed that Chu Liuyue wanted to pour oil on troubled waters. He said, “Okay then. Don’t be mad. Just think about what you should say when meeting father. I am afraid that the Mansion of Duke Xing would also be scolded by father!”
“Oh man, what an annoying boy!” said Chu Liuxin angrily. He now not only hated Qin Wanru but also Shao Yuanhao. It was obvious that Rui’an Great Elder Princess threw her weight about others. The Mansion of Duke Xing and he had a very bad luck today. When he visited the Mansion of Duke Xing next time, he must build a good relationship with the First Young Master of the Mansion of Duke Xing.
At least they were fellow sufferers today. Who would know there would be an unexpected trouble? How could she then blame him! How could she blame the Mansion of Duke Xing!
Chu Liuzhou was still laughing at him but his smile was a little bit heavy. He raised his eyes and shot a glance at Chu Liuyue meaningfully…
Xiao Xuanzi ran in a hurry with a light quilt in his hands and panted out, “Master, three princes are in the opposite attic and asking you to join them!”
He was to take a quilt but unexpectedly met people of Prince Yue.
“No!” Chu Liuchen raised his eyebrows, leaned sideways weakly and asked, “Where is Qin Wanru?”
“She is ready to go back. I heard that those guests are returning their home now!” answered Xiao Xuanzi. He also saw some madams of other mansions passing by with their servants.
“Let her come here!” said Chu Liuchen with his eyes closed.
Xiao Xuanzi glanced at his master uneasily and explained powerlessly, “Master, I am afraid that it is inappropriate to let her come! Here is the mansion of Rui’an Great Elder Princess!”
“I want her!” This handsome man said very willfully, “I am sick!”
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