Granny Sun’s gaze swept over everyone, as if trying to burn through them.
"Who among you slept with Yu Rong?"
They exchanged glances, but not a single person stepped forward to admit it.
"I'm asking you, what are you looking at each other for? Are you all mute and can't speak!"
As Granny Sun finished speaking, Zhen Zhu took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Granny, I slept with Yu Rong before. But a few days ago, Yu Rong stopped sleeping with us. She made her own separate bed."
As Zhen Zhu finished speaking, the others nodded in a tacit agreement.
"Do you know why she wanted to sleep separately?"
"This servant does not know. This servant also tried to persuade Yu Rong to sleep in the main bed, but she refused. This servant did not dare to force her, so the matter was dropped."
Granny Sun, with her cunning eyes, scrutinized Zhen Zhu from head to toe, clearly harboring suspicion about Zhen Zhu's words. She then turned to the rest of them. "Does anyone else know the reason, or have you noticed anything else unusual about Yu Rong?"
"This servant has not noticed anything."
They all spoke in unison, their unified denial leaving Granny Sun unable to press further.
"You are quite united. That's good."
Granny Sun's gaze swept over them, her anger palpable.
"Never mind, I won't get anything out of you. But remember Yu Rong's fate. I hope you will take it as a lesson. You were all trained by me, and I hope such a thing will not happen a second time."
"This servant understands."
They all quickly agreed.
Seeing their continued obedience, Granny Sun's expression softened slightly. "It's getting late. You should all get some rest. I'll take my leave."
"This servant sees you off."
Amidst their farewells, Granny Sun slowly departed.
Only after Granny Sun left did they truly breathe a sigh of relief, their hearts pounding wildly.
That was a close call. If they hadn't anticipated Granny Sun would come to question them about Yu Rong's matter and prepared their story in advance, they would have been exposed.
"Finally, she's gone. Do you think Granny Sun believed what we said?" Lan Cui sidled up to Zhen Zhu, asking. She didn't know if Granny Sun had believed them. If not, and she returned, they would be in a real bind.
"Whether she believed it or not, we managed to fool her this time. We'll just have to take it one step at a time."
There wasn't much else they could do. They could only hope Granny Sun wouldn't come back.
"Let's not dwell on useless things. Let's go to sleep. I'm truly exhausted."
Zhen Zhu yawned, her fatigue evident. She was utterly worn out and would deal with these matters tomorrow. The priority now was to get some sleep.
"I'll secure the door."
After locking the door, Lan Cui still felt uneasy. She then propped a table against it, and placed several chairs on top of the table.
Now they were safe. Even if Granny Sun returned, it would give them peace of mind.
"You're being a bit too dramatic. I think Granny Sun won't come back. Just go to sleep."
Zhen Zhu was astonished by the elaborate setup. It seemed a bit much. However, she also knew that if someone were to force their way in, these obstacles wouldn't stop them. In her opinion, these things were good for decoration, but wouldn't provide real security.
"This is called being prepared."
Lan Cui placed the last chair on top, looking at her handiwork with a satisfied smile. Now she could finally sleep soundly, without worrying about Granny Sun's sudden visit.
Zhen Zhu chuckled helplessly and didn't dampen Lan Cui's spirits. "You've worked hard. Hurry and sleep. If we don't sleep now, it'll be dawn soon."
...
The next day, the entourage set off grandly. It wasn't until noon that they stopped by the roadside for a brief rest.
As Chu Qing returned with food, she was stopped by someone waiting halfway.
"Little Seventh Sister, you've done quite well after going to Dong Chu. Look at how radiant you are. You truly look so delicate and lovely."
"What do you want?" Chu Qing eyed the woman before her with full alertness.
"What are you saying? What could I want? Granny Sun wants to see you and instructed me to wait for you here. Come, let's go together."
Granny Sun had given her a death order. If she didn't bring the girl back today, she wouldn't make it back alive.
"It's broad daylight, and so many eyes are watching. If I go with you, I'll be exposed immediately. Go back and tell Granny Sun that I will seek her out when I have the opportunity."
Chu Qing was extremely reluctant to meet Granny Sun and tried to brush her off with an excuse, turning to leave. However, the palace maid firmly blocked her path.
"You must come with me to see Granny Sun today, no matter what."
The palace maid tightly gripped Chu Qing's wrist, looking as if she intended to drag her back. She knew that if she didn't bring the girl back today, she would lose her life. To survive, she had no choice but to act this way. If anyone was to blame, it was her own misfortune.
"You... let go! Release me!"
Chu Qing struggled desperately, but the palace maid's grip on her wrist felt as if it were welded there, showing no signs of loosening.
"Stop wasting your energy. If you willingly come with me to see Granny Sun, everything will be fine. If you insist on acting this way, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Could you tell me, why is Granny Sun looking for me?" Chu Qing cautiously probed, trying to glean some information from her.
"You'll know when you see Granny Sun. There are too many people around here. I don't want to cause a scene, so just behave."
The palace maid's tone carried a hint of threat. She tightened her grip on Chu Qing's hand and quickened her pace.
They stopped in front of a carriage after passing through a patch of woods. "Granny, I've brought her."
As she finished speaking, Granny Sun emerged from the carriage a moment later and walked up to Chu Qing.
"Your servant greets Granny Sun."
"You've certainly put on airs. It's so difficult to even get a glimpse of you. If I hadn't sent someone to intercept you today, I probably wouldn't have seen you at all."
Granny Sun used her remaining hand to pinch Chu Qing's chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. "You little brat, you've only been out of my hands for a few days, and you've grown so bold that you won't even listen to me anymore. Do you have a death wish?"
"Granny, please calm your anger. Your servant has never forgotten Granny's teachings and has always been loyal to Granny, without any disloyalty!"