Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
âHide⦠Hide in your courtyard⦠That⦠I⦠Iâ¦â Dawa stammered, feeling that he had become speechless. Just now, when he had almost exposed himself, the Second Madam had lied for him. He had yet to ask her why she had helped him lie, let alone thank her, and she had made such a request. No, it was not a request, it was to help him again.
Dawa was stunned.
The Second Madam pursed her lips indifferently and said, âSecond Master, is there no one you want to hide?â
âAhâ¦â Dawa neither denied nor admitted.
Dawa was not a fool. Of course, he knew that the opera house was no longer safe. Although the Great Elder and the Sorcerer Queen had yet to suspect that he was a fake Wen Xu, they probably all thought that âheâ had been tricked by some vixen. For that vixen, he would do any bastard thing.
On the surface, the Great Elder believed the Second Madam and his explanation, but in reality, he did not want to embarrass his grandson in front of so many servants. After he left, the Great Elder would still go to the opera house to investigate.
âIf Second Master doesnât believe me, then forget it.â The Second Madam bowed slightly and turned to walk into the door.
âItâs not that!â Dawa said. With that, he regretted it. Why did he panic the moment she revealed that calm and distant look? What should he do next? Was he really going to hide them in her courtyard?
On second thought, there didnât seem to be any other choice.
The Great Elder had already targeted the opera house and must have sealed the various entrances to the Wen Manor. It was almost impossible to silently move them out. The only choice was really the Second Madamâs courtyard.
The Second Madam had never gotten along with him. The Great Elder would definitely not guess that she would help him hide that âvixenâ. Moreover, the Second Madam came from a noble background, so the Great Elder would not embarrass her and search her bedchamber.
âThen Iâll talk to them now.â Dawa turned to leave.
âSecond Master⦠arenât you going to change your clothes first?â The Second Madam asked.
âAh, thatâs true.â Dawa was enlightened and strode into the Second Madamâs courtyard.
The Second Madamâs eyelashes trembled and she muttered, âYour⦠your clothes⦠I donât have them in my courtyardâ¦â
The Second Madam asked Hong Yu to go to Wen Xuâs courtyard and take dry clothes for Dawa to change into.
Dawa went to the opera house and told everyone about meeting the Great Elder on the way. ââ¦That old thingâs eyes are too sharp. I donât even know how he saw that Iâve been to the opera house!â
âMoss.â Yan Jiuchao pointed at his shoes.
Dawa looked down. âNo way. I donât haveâ¦â
In that case, the pair of shoes just now had been stained with the moss in the courtyard, so the Great Elder saw through it?
This was too sharp!
âCan that Second Madam⦠be trusted? Didnât they say that she doesnât have a good relationship with Wen Xu? Will she betray us?â Zhou Yuyan asked carefully.
Dawa hurriedly shook his head and said, âNo, she doesnât look like that kind of person. If she wanted to betray me, she would have done so in front of the Great Elder. Thereâs no need to go through so much trouble to cover up for me.â
The marriage of Second Madam and Wen Xu was an alliance. Wen Xu had never treated this main wife well from the beginning. After the fetus in the Second Madamâs stomach was destroyed by a concubine, the relationship between the two of them became even worse.
All these years, the Second Madam had been living a widowâs life in the Wen family. Perhaps to make it up to her, the Great Elder had given her the largest and quietest courtyard in the manor.
The Second Madam had nothing to do and planted flowers and plants. She raised parrots and fed the fish, but she lived a quiet life. She was not used to the maidservants of the Wen family. The servants in the courtyard were all brought over from her maiden home. She was already in such a miserable state in the Wen family, so the Wen family was too embarrassed to force people into her courtyard.
âThe courtyard is too big. I planted a garden and divided the courtyard into two. I live in the northern one, and the southern courtyard is empty,â the Second Madam said as she led Yu Wan and the others across the garden and into the southern courtyard.
Yu Wan and the others were actually quite eye-catching. The noble and stunning Yan Jiuchao, the handsome Yu Shaoqing, and the imposing Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen. They were all extraordinary, not to mention that there were two children wrapped in cloaks and a woman who was pregnant.
However, from the beginning to the end, the Second Madam did not ask them anything, nor did she size them up. From the beginning to the end, she maintained a proper distance and hospitality.
She was an extremely well-mannered woman. She really did not understand how stupid Wen Xu was to give up such a good treasure and favor that group of concubines.
The news from the palace might not have reached the Second Madamâs ears, but it was impossible for the Second Madam to not know about Yu Wanâs relationship with âWen Xuâ. Therefore, did this Madam really not mind, or had she never believed it?
Yu Wan smiled at the Second Madam, thanked her, and entered the house with Pingâerâs help.
âThatâ¦â Everyone entered their rooms. Dawa walked over with his head lowered and whispered beside the Second Madam,â I have nothing to do with her. The child in her stomach isnât mine.â The Second Madam smiled. âI Imow.â
âHuh?â Dawa was stunned.
âItâs his.â The Second Madam looked at Yan Jiuchao in the courtyard.
Yan Jiuchao stood under the tree and looked at the sky.
âHow do you know?â Dawaâs eyes widened.
âThe look in their eyes,â the Second Madam said with a smile. Their love for each other was all hidden in their eyes. She had never received such a look from Wen Xuâs eyes. She had never had it in the past and would never have it in the future.
âNo one will come to my courtyard. Second Master, tell your friends to stay here without worry.â With that, the Second Madam turned around and left.
Dawa looked at her lonely and thin back and silently bit a nonexistent handkerchief.
Sheâs such a good person, but Iâm using her! What should I do with the guilt!
Not long after Dawa left the Wen Manor, the Great Elder really went to the opera house. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The opera house was already empty.
The Great Elder remembered that a troupe hired by the Second Madam had once stayed here. He called the old maidservant over. âWhereâs the troupe?â
The old maidservant sighed. âThe troupe left today. It was Second Master who asked them to leave. Sigh, Second Master is really too much. Second Madam doesnât have any other fun and only likes to listen to opera. But he doesnât even let Second Madam listen to her opera.â
The Great Elder looked back at the empty opera house with a gaze as sharp as an eagle. Then, he turned around and left coldly.
Dawa arrived at the palace two hours later. He went to the Sorcerer Queenâs palace to see her.
The Sorcerer Queen was worried about Ye Yang. She sat on the black gold phoenix chair without a word and had a cold expression. She exuded a powerful aura. Dawa could feel his heart beating wildly just by looking at her from afar.
Dawa composed himself and walked into the hall. âSister, I heard that we caught the assassin! Is it true?â
âYes.â The Sorcerer Queen opened her eyelids indifferently and glanced at him.
âWhy are you here so late? Didnât I give you the secret code long ago?â Dawa said, âI went back to the Wen Manor.â
âWhatâs the matter in the manor?â The Sorcerer Queen frowned.
Dawa hurriedly said, âNo, the horse is exhausted. It went back to the manor to change to another horse and even saw Grandpa.â
The Sorcerer Queen did not say anything else when she heard that he had met the Great Elder.
Dawa glanced at her and asked, âSister, weâve caught the assassin. Is Ye Yang back?â
The Sorcerer Queen said indifferently, âThatâs not an assassin, sheâs with the assassin.â
âHuh? A team?â Dawa was stunned. None of them were missing. How could there be an accomplice?
Dawa wanted to investigate further, but the Sorcerer Queen had no intention of letting him see that person.
The Sorcerer Queen said, âYe Yang is in the hands of that group of assassins, but these people are in my hands. As long as I post their portraits, I donât have to worry about that group of people not coming to me personally.â
Dava was dumbfounded. âHow⦠how many?â
The Sorcerer Queen narrowed her eyes and said, âA woman and three children.â Dawa was confused. Who was the woman? Who were the three children?
The Sorcerer Queen continued, âForget it, Iâve changed my mind. Didnât they capture Ye Yang to threaten me to hand over the Sorcerer King? Heh, threaten? Alright! I want to see who can threaten who!â
An ominous feeling surged in Dawaâs heart. âSister, what are you going to do?â
The Sorcerer Queen took out a dagger. âI want to chop off the fingers of those children, one a day, and hang them at the palace gate until that woman appears with Ye Yang! If she has the ability, sheâll chop off Ye Yangâs fingers too! But if she dares to chop off one, Iâll chop off two! I have three children in my hands! Three children who are only three years old. Letâs see who feels more heartache!â
Are you crazy? You donât even let go of a three-year-old child!
Dawa wanted to stop her, but he couldnât.
The Sorcerer Queen held her dagger and went to the courtyard where the hostages were being held with a murderous aura..