Chapter 5 Suspects

According to Xueyan, they went to the carriage to change clothes, but the carriage suddenly went mad and ran down the mountain. It even collided with the carriage from the Dongning Marquis's mansion, causing a big bump on the forehead of the girl in the other carriage.

The servants from the mansion tried to chase after the carriage on horseback, but it was out of control and they could only watch as it tumbled down the hill and shattered into pieces.

The mansion turned the whole mountain upside down in search of them, but they were nowhere to be found. They only found a few pieces of their clothes.

On the day they went to the Foguang Temple to pray, the palace sent word that she and the Fourth Prince were to be married, and even posted announcements. But they ended up rolling down the hill, disappearing without a trace.

The mansion dared not publicize the matter. The soon-to-be bride of the Fourth Prince had gone missing, and while it was a small matter, the court would still hold the mansion accountable. They could only claim that she had succumbed to an incurable illness and had the Second Madam go to the palace to discuss whether the Third Miss, Weimingrou, could take her place in the marriage.

The Empress Dowager was very angry, but given the circumstances, she had no choice but to agree.

And then, Weimingrou took her place in the marriage. The mansion continued to search for them, but half a month ago, when the servants from the mansion went looking for them, they encountered a wolf with green eyes that even killed one of the servants. After that, the mansion gave up hope of finding them alive.

The funeral was only held today because it was considered inauspicious to hold it before the wedding. They had to wait until after Weimingrou's marriage to the Fourth Prince before setting up the mourning hall.

That's the whole story.

Clearly, someone wanted her dead, to prevent her from marrying the Fourth Prince.

And the whole thing was too coincidental. Weimingrou spilled tea on her, she went back to the carriage to change clothes, then smelled a strange fragrance and fainted, only to be replaced by Weimingrou in the marriage.

The incident of her falling off the cliff was crucially linked to the tea she drank, and she was the one who benefited the most. No matter how you look at it, she was highly suspicious.

But Weimingrou was not just anyone; she was her own sister from the same father and mother. To scheme against her own sister for a man was something Mingwu found hard to accept, especially since Weimingrou was known for her talent and beauty and had no trouble finding a husband in the capital.

She didn't want to wrong anyone, but she had inherited the body of someone else and felt obligated to seek revenge for them, especially after enduring so much hardship at the bottom of the cliff. If she didn't act, she would suffocate from the anger, and she didn't want to tarnish the reputation of her predecessors.

After taking a bath, Mingwu put on her silk undergarments, yawned, and walked past the folding screen adorned with flowers and birds, ready to collapse into bed and sleep.

Outside the pearl curtain, a woman in her forties with a fair complexion hurried in. Her eyes were red, and without a word, she embraced Mingwu, choking back tears, "My poor girl, you've finally come back..."

Being held so tightly, Mingwu couldn't breathe properly, and her face turned red. Although she felt a bit repulsed, she could guess the woman's identity. She must be her wet nurse, Madam Zhou, who had taken care of her since she was a child. Their bond was extraordinary. Mingwu patted her on the back and said, "Madam Zhou, I'm fine. Please let go of me."

Madam Zhou quickly released her and wiped away her tears with her sleeve, smiling with relief, "A girl who has narrowly escaped death will surely have good fortune..."

Thinking about the Fourth Prince marrying the Third Miss, Madam Zhou's words trailed off. She then pulled Mingwu to sit down and asked her how she had endured these days and if she had suffered a lot.

Xier, who was standing nearby, said, "Madam Zhou, the girl has just returned. Let her rest before asking."

Mingwu yawned and smiled at Madam Zhou before heading to the bed. She had no interest in admiring the antiques in the room, nor did she want to dwell on the distressing days she spent gnawing on fruits and waiting for rescue at the bottom of the cliff.

Seeing Mingwu lie down and roll over, feeling the embroidered peony and jade tower on the canopy, Madam Zhou was overjoyed. Her tears welled up again, quietly wiped away. The girl was truly alive, and she had truly returned.

Suddenly remembering something, she hurried to the bedside and said, "Girl, don't sleep yet. You've been missing for so long and just returned. Everyone in the mansion has been worried sick. Go and pay your respects to the Old Madam first. It's the right thing to do. Come back and sleep later, good girl."

Although it was a questioning tone, Mingwu hadn't agreed yet, but Madam Zhou had already instructed Xier to bring the latest set of clothes. Xier was at a loss. She had just returned and didn't know where the girl's new clothes were kept. Madam Zhou slapped her forehead and called out, "Xueyan, quickly bring the girl some clothes."

It seemed she had no choice but to go. Mingwu shrugged lightly, not refusing. After being missing for so long, it was only right to pay respects to the elders first. She wasn't that tired anyway, so she got up and let Xueyan and Madam Zhou help her change clothes.