Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Discovering Xie Yuanjiu’s True Face

She had indeed tied a rope to the little deer to keep it from running around.

But she had tied it very loosely. That was why she felt so uneasy when she first heard the sika deer had run off.

Because she really hadn’t tied it tightly.

’But how could a loose rope have injured the deer’s leg?’

Shen Ningning said, "I did tie its hind leg, but the rope wasn’t tight. Maybe it hurt itself somehow while struggling?"

Pei Yin thought for a moment, then nodded. "That’s possible."

With that, he clasped his hands and took his leave.

After Pei Yin left, Shen Ningning immediately took a carrot out from the Immortal Realm.

The little girl sat on the floor, her arms wrapped around the sika deer’s neck.

"Eat up, eat up. You must have been terrified, weren’t you?"

She had been feeding it for the past few days, and the sika deer had also eaten fruit from the Immortal Realm. Shen Ningning could understand everything it said.

With a few plaintive cries, the sika deer recounted what had happened to Shen Ningning.

And the more the little girl listened, the colder she felt, a chill running down her spine.

The little deer said that after Shen Ningning left, the other person lying on the bed had walked over with a smile.

’It’s talking about Xie Yuanjiu!’

At first, Xie Yuanjiu was very kind. She picked up a carrot from the ground and fed it to the deer, who ate it happily.

But for some reason, as it was eating, Xie Yuanjiu suddenly grabbed a book and hit it hard on the head.

The sika deer cried out in panic, trying to break free, but the rope on its leg had been tightened at some point!

It couldn’t escape at all!

Xie Yuanjiu struck it angrily and viciously many times. Finally, she untied the rope, and the terrified sika deer scrambled out the door.

A moment later, it heard Xie Yuanjiu’s voice shouting from behind, "Someone, come quickly! The Commandery Princess’s sika deer has run away!"

It looked back and saw Xie Yuanjiu’s eyes glinting ominously as she leisurely started to chase after it.

The sika deer was petrified and fled in a hurry, not stopping until it was cornered by the lake. It stood in the water, terrified that Xie Yuanjiu would come closer, and stayed there until it was frozen stiff.

After that, another young girl arrived.

Hearing this, Shen Ningning’s voice dropped to a whisper. "That was Wei’er."

The sika deer was scared and wouldn’t go with Qi Xiuwei, so Qi Xiuwei walked toward it. Unexpectedly, she slipped and fell right into the water.

The sika deer was helpless. It looked up and saw Xie Yuanjiu standing around a corner not far away, half of her face visible, a faint smile on her lips.

Qi Xiuwei’s cries for help from the water grew fainter and fainter, until finally, there was silence.

It was only when the sika deer saw figures passing on the other side of the lake that it began to stomp its forehooves and cry out incessantly, finally attracting rescuers.

But Xie Yuanjiu had already run back long before.

After hearing all this, Shen Ningning couldn’t stop trembling.

’Xie Yuanjiu... To think she’s that kind of person!’

The little girl only had to think for a moment to understand why she had done it.

’Xie Yuanjiu wants to be chosen as the female official.

’With the sika deer Shen Ningning was raising having caused Qi Xiuwei to fall into the water and lose consciousness, Consort Rong would no longer choose Shen Ningning as the female official.

’And as for Qi Xiuwei, the most likely candidate, her life is now hanging by a thread. How could she possibly compete for the position?

’The remaining candidate, Ye Shangyi, was publicly reprimanded by the Crown Prince for her arrogance. Consort Rong definitely wouldn’t choose her either.

’So, after eliminating these people and the others whose family backgrounds weren’t prominent enough, Xie Yuanjiu becomes the most likely person to be chosen as the female official!

’And the timing of Xie Yuanjiu’s actions was very clever.

’She must have first observed that I hadn’t returned, and that the elder aunt and the other young ladies hadn’t returned either.

’In the entire, vast Waterside Pavilion and Flower Shed, there were only two little palace maids and the just-returned Qi Xiuwei.

’This was the best opportunity she could seize.

’The elder aunt is going to announce Consort Rong’s choice tomorrow morning. For her to make a move at this time... it’s truly malicious.’

Once Shen Ningning figured all this out, she felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar.

Xie Yuanjiu usually seemed so gentle and well-mannered, and she was quite popular. How could she be so cruel in private?

The little girl felt that she was even more terrifying than Qin Fangmei.

Shen Ningning calmed herself a little, then had the sika deer stay in the side hall for the time being, planning to send it away later.

After that, she returned to her own room.

Xie Yuanjiu was sitting on the edge of the bed, coughing softly.

Seeing Shen Ningning return, she lifted her dark, somber eyes. Her tone, however, was gentle. "Ningning, have you been to see Miss Qi? The Imperial Physician said her body is half-stiff and her breathing is faint. I’m afraid she might not make it."

Shen Ningning kept her back to her, her small hand clutching a brush and paper, forcing herself not to tremble.

Her voice was deliberately calm. "I haven’t gone to see her yet. I was just about to write a letter to my brother and ask him to send more Imperial Physicians to treat Wei’er."

A cold sneer flashed imperceptibly in Xie Yuanjiu’s eyes.

"Is that so? Then you’d better write quickly. I’m just afraid she doesn’t have much time left. *Sigh*!" To the little girl, her pity sounded so sarcastic!

’Animals don’t lie.’

Ever since hearing the sika deer’s story, Shen Ningning couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine as she wrote the letter.

Because she was recalling all the things that had happened with Xie Yuanjiu along the way.

Xie Yuanjiu claimed to be taking care of her, but the food she brought for Shen Ningning always seemed to be covered in a layer of dirt, as if it wasn’t clean.

The quilt she wrapped herself in tightly at night would always inexplicably end up on the floor by morning.

The water Xie Yuanjiu left for Shen Ningning to wash her face with in the morning also had a strange, pungent smell.

Also, the fruit Xie Yuanjiu brought her... she would only discover after biting into it that the core was black and rotten!

The most frightening incident was when they were standing on a bridge once. Xie Yuanjiu said she was scared and walked behind Shen Ningning.

She tugged on the little girl’s clothes, walking unsteadily, and nearly pulled her into the lake several times.

If the elder aunt’s voice hadn’t called out from behind them at that moment, Shen Ningning couldn’t imagine what kind of disaster her lack of vigilance might have invited.

And at the time, Shen Ningning had thought all these things were just coincidences.

Although she had always sensed that, aside from Second Master Xie, neither Second Madam Xie nor her daughter Xie Yuanjiu were particularly fond of her, Xie Yuanjiu had always acted so warm and gentle.

Shen Ningning had never met someone who hid a dagger behind a smile. This was her first time witnessing it.

’Thankfully...

’It’s not too late to stop Xie Yuanjiu.

’Wicked people won’t get what they want!’

After finishing the letter, Shen Ningning went out and asked the elder aunt to have someone take both the sika deer and the letter to Zichen Palace and deliver them to Mo Lingwei.

Afterward, not wanting to share a room with Xie Yuanjiu any longer, she went to Qi Xiuwei’s room to visit her.

It was already evening. The curtain of night was slowly falling, and the wind and snow howled outside, and the biting wind battered the window lattices, making them rattle.

After taking six doses of strong medicine, Qi Xiuwei finally, slowly regained consciousness.

The first thing she saw was Shen Ningning. She smiled wanly. "Commandery Princess, did you find your sika deer?"

Shen Ningning quickly grabbed her fingertips with her small hands, rubbing her cold hands to warm them.

"I found it, Wei’er. Thank you for helping me look for the deer. I’m so sorry you fell in the water because of it."

"It’s all right," Qi Xiuwei said, very weak but managing a smile. "I was just being careless. Besides... when I couldn’t open my eyes just now, I heard a little palace maid say that the one who saved me... was Captain Pei?"

"Do you think this is a different kind of ’favorable position’?"

Shen Ningning’s big, dark eyes widened in surprise.

She complained softly, poking Qi Xiuwei’s cheek with her small hand. "How can you be thinking about that at a time like this?!"

"If you ask me, that ’favorable position’ is bad luck! Being near the water just gets you *in* the water. It’s too dangerous."

Qi Xiuwei gave a subtle smile. "But I feel so happy. To be rescued by the person you admire in a moment of crisis... that’s the kind of story you only read about in books."

After saying this, she began to cough violently. A moment later, she fell asleep again from exhaustion.

The Imperial Physician said Qi Xiuwei had practically taken a trip to the underworld and back. It took a whole night of medicine just to save her life.

But she would have to recuperate carefully from now on, or she would be left with a lingering ailment.

So, early the next morning, the Qi Family sent people to take her home.

Qi Xiuwei sat in her sedan chair, wrapped up like a dumpling, still holding tightly to Shen Ningning’s hand.

"Commandery Princess, when you have time, please come visit me. There’s no one at home to talk to me."

Shen Ningning nodded reassuringly. "Okay! You have to take your medicine properly, then. When I visit, I hope to see your cheeks rosy and glowing!"

Qi Xiuwei smiled weakly, and the two parted ways.

Just then, the elder aunt returned from Consort Rong’s quarters, bringing the official document for the appointment of the female official.

Everyone gathered together, all of them wondering who would be chosen.

Xie Yuanjiu had excused herself from all activities for the past two days, claiming illness, but she made sure to attend the elder aunt’s announcement.

Now, she would let out a soft, weak cough from time to time.

Shen Ningning withdrew her gaze from the corner of her eye. Deep within her lively, dark eyes was a coldness like frost and snow.

The elder aunt unfolded the document, her voice steady and dignified. "Regarding the choice of female official for the Ninth Prince, Her Highness has made a decision. She is—"

If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.