五月阁色婷婷丁香五月

Chapter 509 Pushan Nun Was Strange!

The instant Shao Yanru helped Old Madam get off her carriage, she received the rewards from the imperial palace.

Old Madam was very delighted! After Shao Yanru expressed gratitude for the rewards, Old Madam then took Shao Yanru back to her Chuntang Courtyard. When they sat down, Old Madam could hardly wait to let Shao Yanru open the present sent by Empress Dowager.

No old madam present today received the rewards from Empress Dowager but only her granddaughter had! Old Madam suddenly got very excited.

“Grandma, what is it?” Smiling brightly, Shao Yanru was also very delighted. However, her face changed when she opened it.

A little delicate ferule made by white jade?

“What, what does it mean?” Totally flustered, Shao Yanru got red rimmed eyes while she looked at Old Madam with tears in her eyes.

With her countenance getting pale suddenly, Old Madam picked up the ferule and watched it carefully. It was a ferule of exquisite workmanship. It was very small and delicate, which even looked like a hairpin, which could be put in one’s hair. But however delicate it was, it was a ferule.

“Grandma, I didn’t do anything disrespectful, did I?” Shao Yanru asked worriedly. She raised her watery eyes and looked very poor, which made Old Madam feel distressed.

Putting down the ferule in her hand, Old Madam hurriedly took her in her arms, patted her back lightly, and comforted her, “It is okay, dear. It might be just because you mentioned Pushan Nun in that case and even spoke for her.”

“However, I didn’t speak too much for her, and I didn’t do it very obviously!” Wiping her tears away with her handkerchief, she felt wronged and said.

“Pushan Nun is very close to you. We mentioned the album; we sent people to take this album downhill; we pointed out that the piece of paper was different from others; we recommended Pushan Nun in the end. Considering this, Empress Dowager might misunderstand us that we want to recommend Pushan Nun to the imperial palace and that you were planning for her.”

Distressed, Old Madam comforted her.

“Grandma, I talked so as I found you were unable to answer. I didn’t want to mention the matter of inviting Pushan Nun to enter the palace!” Shao Yanru explained softly.

“I know. I know. I know you wanted to help me and that’s why you would mention Pushan Nun to shift Empress Dowager’s attention.”

Old Madam looked much softer. She only thought that she affected her granddaughter. Had she not tried to put the blame on Shao Wanru by using those doubtful points, she would not have made herself embarrassed and would not have let her first granddaughter receive Empress Dowager’s ferule.

Luckily, they received this ferule when they had left the imperial palace. Otherwise, Ru’er would feel extremely wronged!

Rubbing her forehead, she felt a headache. “Shao Wanru is like her mother. They both are troublemakers! Things have become like this because of her even though she now is in Yuhui Nunnery!”

“What, what should I do?” Shao Yanru asked Old Madam sadly with her eyes wide open.

“It is okay. Just seldom mention Pushan Nun in front of Empress Dowager!” said Old Madam. In her mind, she was the one who brought these troubles to her first granddaughter who didn’t know her plan. Unluckily, she tried to come to her rescue but made Empress Dowager misunderstand her. She felt really sorry for her dear granddaughter.

“Go back and have a good rest. It is okay!” Old Madam comforted her and then let her granddaughter who looked sad and wronged back.

Shao Yanru listened to her advice and stood up. When she walked to the entrance, she suddenly stopped. She reorganized her expression and said in a decent and well-spoken manner, “Grandma, if you are tired, please also have a good rest. Those things are not important. If you are fine, it is totally okay for me to receive this punishment!”

Seeing her granddaughter who had quickly bounced back from frustration, Old Madam felt more distressed but also felt comforted at the same time. She watched her granddaughter grow up and she was clear that Shao Wanru would not have this kind of bearing.

Old Madam smiled and waved her hand. “Go back and have a good rest. I am good and you will also be good, too!”

Shao Yanru said nothing but nodded. Then she turned around and left.

As she left her grandma’s room, she looked darker...

When Shao Yanru left, Old Madam was unable to suppress her rage. Banging on the table heavily, she shouted with her eyes looking sharp, “You told me that the album is smudged, but why we could not find anything wrong?”

Nanny Yu’s face immediately turned pale and hurried to explain, “I don’t know. I was also informed that the album had been smudged and Fifth Miss’s servant girl was stalled. Thus, they could not have found a famous painter to paint it again in time and even bound it into an album so perfectly!”

“But they did it! Did the person you arranged not smudge it at all? Didn’t you let them tell Pushan Nun’s student clearly?” Old Madam still thought the album was complete and had not been smudged by someone. Just a piece of different paper could mean nothing. Pushan Nun might change this piece of paper deliberately while they could not understand the meaning inside.

“I don’t know. I have contacted Huiqing Nun. She once was retaliated by Fifth Miss. Thus, she must hate Fifth Miss very deeply. She would not go wrong at such a critical moment.”

Nanny Yu answered directly. The whole plan had been totally ruined. They had tried their best to plan this but it turned out that there was nothing wrong with the album. Even if they wanted to get Fifth Miss involved the trouble, they could do nothing. Nanny Yu felt quite anxious when waiting outside the palace.

She had thought over the whole thing again and again but she didn’t know what was wrong.

Which part?

“Anyway, just let it go. When I go to Yuhui Nunnery, we then discuss this matter.” Thinking for a while, Old Madam said decisively. Just let the matter of the album go. She could not catch Shao Wanru tripping because of this album. She had planned to bring back the album and to ask a painter who was proficient in mounting pictures. However, as Empress Dowager kept the album, thus, she could not take it back now.

She could not find any clue!

Just let it go.

“Okay, I know it. I will send those people away!” Nanny Yu answered craftily. Actually, it was unnecessary for her to send these people away. However, since it had been shown to Empress Dowager, if the imperial palace knew this, they might be sentenced for lying to the Emperor. That would be terrible trouble.

“Okay, then. Just stay and don’t do anything now. Send an old maid to the nunnery. If they need something necessary, then give them. Don’t let any negative news come out!”

Old Madam rubbed the place between her eyebrows. The excitement led by Empress Dowager’s rewards disappeared. Now she just felt a dull headache.

Seeing Old Madam’s look, Nanny Yu knew that Old Madam was suffering from a relapse now. She quickly helped her lie in the mat, put some pillows against her back, and then took the Buddhist prayer beads bracelet to her.

She then picked up the little massage hammer put aside and began to percuss Old Madam’s legs.

Old Madam took the Buddhist prayer beads bracelet and rotated it while chanting the scriptures, which seemed kind and benign...

“Miss, the old maid of Duke Xing’s Mansion and the servant girl who received the penalty of kneeling have been sent to another mansion outside the capital city. It is Old Madam’s own mansion.” Qing’er came to inform Shao Wanru of this news with a lamp in her hand.

“Are you sure?” Putting down the pen and watching her painting carefully, Shao Wanru smiled and asked.

“Yes. In the evening, First Miss sent a person here, saying that she prepared a gift for Pushan Nun. Thus, the person went directly to Pushan Nun and then left downhill without greeting you!”

Qing’er told Shao Wanru other things relevant to her, which Shao Wanru had asked her to pay attention to.

Chu Liuchen had sent several dark guards to protect Shao Wanru. Now Qing’er had the right to dispatch them. Even if others took an aim at Shao Wanru or her two principal maids, they would not notice the little servant girl who even looked so innocent. Thus, Qing’er was sent by Chu Liuchen to protect Shao Wanru, which also was the most significant part of this protection.

“What do you think of this Pushan Nun?” asked Shao Wanru. She then cast her eyes on Yujie and Qu Le. She was asking them for they had been with Shao Wanru in Yuhui Nunnery for a long time and besides, they needed to frequently contact nuns in the nunnery.

“I think Pushan Nun is cultivating herself. She never considers anything else except Buddhism and seldom holds any religious rites. Moreover, she enjoys a very good reputation!” Thinking for a while, Qu Le answered.

Shao Wanru didn’t say anything and then looked at Yujie.

Yujie frowned and said, “Miss, I think Pushan Nun is quite weird!”

“Well, why?” Shao Wanru looked at her in an encouraging way.

“In Jingxin Monastery, Mingqiu Nun is a reclusive expert who had excellent medical skills. Those patients the owner of the monastery didn’t know how to treat were all treated by Mingqiu Nun. Sometimes, she even stood by the owner of the monastery and acted like an attendant, which seemed that she didn’t care about fame and gain at all. I have been very curious about her attitude and have wondered what she wants. I once asked her and she told me that she, as a nun, has no other desire but just wants a peaceful mind.”

“But if Pushan Nun has always maintained a low profile, then why will she earn such a good reputation? It seems that she has become famous before First Miss went to the mountain and studied painting. Without her reputation, First Miss would not have turned to her and learned painting from her. She is also a nun who believes in Buddhism. Then she also should have no other desire and want to live a peaceful life, but why does she enjoy such a good reputation? I don’t understand.”

Yujie said in bewilderment. Her idea was different from Qu Le’s. She did feel weird. Since she had entered Yuhui Nunnery, she heard that Pushan Nun was famous for the fact that she had always cared about nothing. Without appearing in front of others, then why would this nun gain such a good reputation? How did she make it?

Few people knew Mingqiu Nun while people all knew Abbess of Jingxin Monastery.

“Pushan Nun is strange!” Qing’er concluded. Hearing Qu Le and Yujie’s conclusion, Qing’er blurted out her opinion without hesitation.

She was stunned after saying the words. She looked at Shao Wanru spontaneously. Since she started to serve Fifth Miss, Qing’er first looked down upon her but then began to respect her. Even if her lady looked weak, she was actually strong. She was totally different from those misses of aristocratic families who were really weak and worthless.

“Pushan Nun is strange. It seems that she has nothing to do with those things, but she can always gain benefits from them. Qing’er, keep an eye on her. She seems to not like cultivating herself these days. A person will be very active physically after prolonged rest. But we don’t know what she plans to do.”

Shao Wanru raised her eyes and looked outside the window. The scenery out of the windows was terrific with colors stacking together. The last touch of green of summer vanished while the trace of a red flame of autumn appeared...