Chapter 4

Chapter 4

This was a death trap of a question!

Cuihong and Cuilv were both household-born servants; their parents and brothers all worked in the manor.

The two of them had figured it out and hardened their hearts. Since they would die whether they spoke or not, they might as well gamble for a good reputation of “loyalty” to preserve their families’ lives and future livelihoods in the Marquis Manor.

Mama Liu had genuinely provided useful clues, but she had touched the matriarch’s sore spot. She kept her miserable life, but ended up in a state worse than death.

Now, the matriarch’s intention was to find my legitimate sister without letting her be associated with any outside man other than the Crown Prince, which would ruin the reputation of my legitimate sister and the Marquis Manor.

Before returning to her room, my legitimate sister had sought me out to talk. Her words were filled with unease about her future life deep within the palace, and sorrow was hidden in her eyes.

“Seventh Sister, to speak from the bottom of my heart, I actually envy you a little.”

“As the legitimate daughter and the imperially appointed Crown Princess, although I am raised with wealth and honor in the Marquis Manor, seemingly lacking nothing and envied by all, I am actually the most unhappy. My every word and action represents the Marquis Manor, and even the Imperial Family. Therefore, I have been taught since childhood to be a role model for all women in the world, to excel in everything, and to speak and act cautiously. I am watched every day, terrified of making a single mistake, so I can only tread carefully, as if walking on thin ice.”

“Moreover, the Crown Prince, he…”

“Legitimate sister!” I quickly interrupted. “My concubine mother once said that in a family like ours, we must be careful with our words and keep quiet. Let alone between sisters, we shouldn’t even speak carelessly in front of a parrot!”

My legitimate sister forced a bitter smile and stopped talking.

She pushed open the window, seemingly wanting to get some fresh air, but there was no breeze at all. It only felt more sticky and stifling.

The moonlight was like white silk, shining on her slender figure, finally bringing a trace of coolness.

“Among the many sisters in the Marquis Manor, you are the only one I can speak my mind to. In the future, I won’t be able to say these things even if I want to, yet you still try to stop me. I know Mother is domineering. She manages the household affairs with thunderous methods. You concubine-born siblings are suppressed everywhere in the Marquis Manor, and your lives are very difficult. But you are Father’s child, after all. You have a concubine mother who dotes on you and loves you; when you have something on your mind, you can nestle in her arms and confide in her. In the future, whichever young lord you fall in love with, it’s impossible for your marriage to overshadow mine, so Mother certainly won’t make things difficult for you. The world always grows wider the further you walk.”

“Right now, there is a severe drought across the land, and I hear that people in many places have been left destitute and homeless. I shouldn’t be feeling sorrowful over my own petty thoughts at a time like this.”

“But whenever I think about how my world, from now on, will be firmly trapped within those thirty-foot red walls, I still can’t help but…”

In her words, my legitimate sister did indeed mention that she didn’t want to enter the palace, that she yearned for freedom, and that the Crown Prince was not the man of her heart.

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. When I raised my head again, I had forcefully swallowed my tears, my gaze resolute.

“Matriarch, you know best what kind of person my legitimate sister is!”

“How could she possibly disregard the lives of the entire household, Father, you, the matriarch, and all her siblings?”

“My legitimate sister bears the destiny of the phoenix. Even when chatting with Shu’er about private matters, her heart was still tied to the common people. She even told Shu’er which areas were suffering from the drought and to what extent, and which places were already receiving relief and heatstroke medicine. Such a legitimate sister would absolutely never wait for an opportunity to run away right before her grand wedding for her own selfish desires!”

The matriarch’s gaze changed.

“That is true. Baozhu is broad-minded and has always prioritized the big picture. She rarely makes people worry.”

The matriarch looked at me, her brows slowly unknitting, but there was a trace of scrutiny in her eyes, as if she wanted to see exactly how much of my words were sincere.

“Then how do you explain the current situation?”

“She has been missing for three or four hours, and dawn is nearly upon us! We only brought so many people with us this time. Everyone who could be questioned has been questioned, and everyone who could be beaten has been beaten, but we still haven’t found a single thing.”

The matriarch’s tone had noticeably softened. I seized the opportunity. “The matriarch is only confused because she cares so much. But think about it. My legitimate sister has been attended by maids and servants in every word and action since she was a child. When has she ever gone out on her own, let alone managed to pull off such a grand deception? If she were to run away alone, she probably wouldn’t even find the crossroads to descend from the temple before being caught. Even if she luckily managed to escape the mountain, the people Father sent to search secretly inside and outside the area would surely have some news by now.”

The matriarch’s brow furrowed. “So, it was that man who met her and hid Baozhu?”

The conclusion had somehow circled back to the starting point.

“No, Shu’er thinks that my legitimate sister definitely did not leave on her own, or at least, not voluntarily!”

“No matter how it was done, my legitimate sister must have been abducted by someone with an agenda! Since they have an agenda, they must be seeking something, and if they seek something, it’s impossible for there to be no traces at all!”

The matriarch finally showed some true belief. Following my lead, she began to ponder.

“But we have already checked the room. If there was knockout smoke or if someone forcibly broke in, it would be impossible not to notice.”

I thought for a moment, turning every word my legitimate sister said that night over and over in my mind.

If my legitimate sister hadn’t called for a famous doctor for my mother, who knows how long her illness would have lingered.

She even donated all her personal savings to disaster relief.

Someone who cares so much for strangers would surely care even more about how her marriage affects the lives of everyone in the household.

Even if she truly didn’t want to enter the palace, I would never believe she would disregard others for her own personal feelings.

Although the matriarch was domineering, she also had a reputation for being virtuous among household mistresses. She was a Buddhist who abstained from meat; no matter how strict she was, she wouldn’t want to drive someone to their death.

Yet now she was harsh and fierce, not hesitating to draw blood and take several lives, simply because she believed deep down that her greatest fear had come true…

But what if the truth wasn’t like that?

If I overturned that conclusion, the perspective on the problem would change entirely.

I knelt up straight. “Matriarch, could you let Shu’er take another look at my legitimate sister’s room?”