As if afraid that Mingwei would need to call another carriage, Hongyu quickly took two steps ahead to lead the way. "Miss, please!" She added, fearing that Mingwei might be reluctant, "Second Madam instructed me to take you there as soon as possible."
Why was the second wife so eager to let him meet her sister-in-law from her maternal family?
To be fair, even if Mingwei wanted to be picky, she had to admit that, given her current status, Liu Jun was the best choice for her. If it were a more open-minded and magnanimous matriarch, Mingwei would have thought it was normal. But it was the usually petty and narrow-minded second wife who made this decision, which made it impossible not to be suspicious.
However, none of this was out in the open, and Mingwei couldn't bring herself to expose it. Besides, by this point, Mingwei had already guessed that the old lady probably tacitly approved.
Perhaps in the old lady's eyes, marrying Liu Jun was the best option for her! If the old lady also supports the second wife's decision, then how can she get rid of this marriage?
Thinking of this, Mingwei nodded silently and walked towards Rongze Hall while pondering.
"Miss, please follow me this way!" Hongyu walked ahead solicitously, leading the way for Mingwei at the crossroads, saying, "This shortcut will be faster!"
Mingwei stopped in her tracks.
There was indeed more than one way to get from Rongshan Hall to the Second Madam's Rongze Hall. One was a small path that went through the large garden of the Chengping Marquis's mansion, and the other was a main road that followed the narrow lanes. But Hongyu pointed to a small path.
If one were to pass through the grand garden, one couldn't simply walk along the covered walkways; one would have to traverse several narrow paths, cross two artificial lakes, and meander through a bamboo grove before reaching the Second Madam's Rongze Hall. Mingwei glanced down at her brand-new clothes and clean embroidered shoes, and gently frowned.
After walking like this, my clothes will probably get dirty.
Even if the second wife didn't intend to marry Mingwei off to Liu Jun, and now she was going to see Liu Jun's mother, or even just ordinary relatives, that wasn't the right way to go.
Was this at the behest of the second wife or Hongyu's own idea?
Seeing that Mingwei hesitated and refused to leave, Hongyu, being younger, became even more anxious and even urged Mingwei to hurry up.
So many strange things happened today!
But at this point, she only had suspicions and no evidence. If the Second Madam was plotting against her, she couldn't afford to give anyone cause for gossip! So, after hesitating for a moment, Mingwei followed Hongyu away.
Tang Li and Yue Lin, both feeling bewildered, followed Ming Wei into the large garden.
After walking down the covered walkway, Mingwei stepped onto a narrow path paved with various cobblestones. Her eyes lit up when she saw the thriving scene in the courtyard.
It was late spring, and the large garden was naturally a scene of vibrant blooms. A gentle spring breeze blew by, its slight coolness not making one feel cold, but rather quite comfortable. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers, earth, and grass, creating a truly refreshing and invigorating atmosphere.
Mingwei's tense nerves relaxed considerably.
Could it be that she's really overthinking things?
The second wife really had no reason to scheme against her, and how exactly she could get rid of her was still up for debate.
As she pondered, Mingwei's mind drifted away.
"Ouch—" Hongyu, who had been walking steadily ahead, suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.
The path was only wide enough for one person to pass at a time. Hongyu led the way, followed by Mingwei. Because Mingwei was closest to her and had been lost in thought, she didn't even have time to react when Hongyu slipped. She let out a muffled groan and tripped, falling to the ground as well.
Tang Li and Yue Lin had been reminding Ming Wei to watch her step, but Ming Wei hadn't been paying attention. However, they were extremely careful, which is why they escaped unharmed.
Hongyu got up from the ground on her own, and Mingwei was also helped up by Tangli and Yuelin. "Miss, are you alright?" The two looked Mingwei up and down, asking anxiously.
Mingwei shook her head; it was just a minor scrape on her palm, nothing serious.
"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!" Hongyu hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy. But Mingwei coldly observed her expression, and in her panic, there was even a hint of smugness at having achieved her goal?
Did she see it wrong?
"The road was too slippery, it's not your fault." Mingwei lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Get up."
Hongyu got up nimbly, her movements so agile that it was hard to believe she had accidentally fallen so hard. If she had fallen intentionally, it wouldn't have hurt so much, right? This thought suddenly flooded Mingwei's mind; her intuition told her that Hongyu's behavior was suspicious.
"Miss, your clothes are all dirty!" Hongyu said somewhat anxiously, "But your aunt is waiting to see you, it might not be appropriate to go like this—"
Before she could finish speaking, Tang Li disregarded everything else and snapped, "What are you saying? It was you who insisted that our young lady take this path, which is why she slipped and fell. Now that our young lady is kind enough not to blame you, you're becoming even more demanding!"
Hongyu blushed. She stammered, "I...I was just following the Second Madam's orders...I was only doing it for your own good, Miss!"
"What do you think I should do?" Mingwei was unusually calm at this moment. She stopped Tangli, who was about to argue with Hongyu, and asked calmly, "Your dress is dirty. It's really too impolite to see your aunt like this!"
Hongyu hadn't expected Mingwei to be so understanding. Her stammering voice couldn't hide her excitement: "That's easy! You can have Sister Tangli and Sister Yuelin go back and get you some clean clothes! I'll wait with you at Huimingxuan ahead. It won't delay things here!"
Yue Lin and Tang Li both looked disapproving. Just as they were about to say something, Ming Wei stopped them.
"I think this is a brilliant idea." Mingwei surprisingly nodded approvingly. "We'll do as you say. Tang Li and Yue Lin, you two hurry back and pick out some other clothes to bring to me!"
“Miss—” Yue Lin was the first to disagree. She said in a low voice, “It is really inappropriate for you to change your clothes here!”
Hongyu was afraid that Mingwei would change her mind, so she hurriedly interjected, "Miss just fell, how can she have the strength to walk back now? It would be better if the two elder sisters quickly fetched some clothes for Miss to change into!"
Tangli was furious and was about to argue with Hongyu.
Fearing that she might ruin things, Mingwei quickly turned around and winked at Tangli and Yuelin where Hongyu couldn't see, her lips moving silently a few times, signaling them to leave quickly.
"You two should hurry up and go, don't delay important matters!" Mingwei said, then let Hongyu help her walk forward.
Yue Lin stopped Tang Li, who wanted to chase after them, and pulled her back by her sleeve.
She had already understood the girl's lip reading; those three words meant "old lady."
The girl probably meant to ask the old lady for help!
******
Mingwei sat leisurely in the pavilion by the lotus pond, enjoying the scenery, while Hongyu was so anxious that she was sweating profusely.
The pavilion by the lotus pond is situated in a commanding position, offering a clear view of everything around it. The Huiming Pavilion, recommended by Hongyu, however, is a secluded dwelling where one cannot observe the outside from within.