The room was so shabby that there were hardly any decent items. The granny grabbed Wei Dongling's sleeve and hurried her inside. With a hard push, she hid her in an old, musty cabinet.
"Who's there?" After hiding Wei Dongling, the granny shouted as she walked outside.
A guard replied from outside, "There's a thief in the palace. He climbed into this courtyard! We're here on orders to investigate. Please cooperate and open the door, Granny."
Inside the cabinet, Wei Dongling covered her nose, trying to bear the nauseating musty smell. She couldn't help but complain silently: It's so shabby here that even a thief would cry.
Outside, the granny's hoarse voice sounded impatient, "There's no thief here! If you want to investigate, let your dog - master come himself!"
Hearing this, the guard's tone softened a bit, but he continued knocking on the door and shouting, "We're just doing our duty. Please don't make things difficult for us, Granny."
The granny got even more annoyed, "What are you shouting about? I said there's no one! You brats, don't disturb others' afternoon naps. Go look somewhere else!"
The people outside were persistent. They went on, "We just want to take a look inside. If there's really no one, we'll leave right away. We're just afraid that the thief might hurt someone. Then we won't be able to explain ourselves!"
The granny snorted, "The people here are almost dying of illness, and you never bothered to ask. Why are you pretending to be kind now!"
The man outside got angry, "Granny, if you don't open the door, we'll break it down!" As he said that, they started to push the door with a clatter.
The rickety wooden door couldn't withstand such pushing. With a creak, it fell apart. The old granny seemed to have been pushed down behind the door. She sat at the door, wailing loudly.
Wei Dongling heard footsteps coming from inside the room. They passed by the cabinet and walked out. Then a cold voice asked, "What's all this noise about?"
The guards said respectfully, "Madam He, there's a thief in the palace. We're here on orders to search. Your granny blocked us from entering, so we had to do this."
The old granny made a big fuss but with little real grief. She wailed, "Madam! You must avenge this old servant! No outsiders have come to our courtyard! But they pushed this old servant, and my back hurts so much that I can't straighten up! They bullied this old servant. I don't want to live anymore!" Then she let out another round of howls.
The guards: ...
Wei Dongling listened carefully and heard the madam say unhappily, "No outsiders have indeed come to the courtyard. Fix the door and get out of here!"
This Madam He was someone even the current emperor held in awe. When she got angry, the guards didn't dare to say a word. Looking at the desolate courtyard, it really seemed that no one had come. Could the woman have climbed over the wall into someone else's yard?
They glanced at each other and backed out. Then they found a palace servant to fix the door.
Madam He helped the granny up from the ground and went into the inner room.
The old granny quickly closed the door. She pulled Madam He to the cabinet and quietly opened it.
Their eyes met, and both of them were a bit stunned.
Madam He whispered to the granny, "Granny Sun, you really hid someone? And it's a girl?"
The white - haired Granny Sun carefully helped Wei Dongling out. Then she rummaged through her clothes and took out a money bag. Opening it, inside was the jade pendant broken into two pieces.
Madam He looked at the jade pendant with disbelief in her eyes. Her hands trembling, she took it. She was so excited that she could hardly speak.
Wei Dongling waved away the lingering musty smell under her nose. She bowed to the two of them and said, "Thank you for saving me. I'm extremely grateful."
Then she looked at Granny Sun and asked, "Granny, are you hurt? Is it serious?"
Granny Sun waved her hand repeatedly. Looking at Wei Dongling with a kind expression, she said, "This old servant is fine. Which family do you come from, girl? What's your name?"
Just as Wei Dongling was about to answer, Madam He grabbed her hands. Her eyes were a bit red, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Who are you to Yu Zixi?"
Wei Dongling was stunned. Filled with doubts, she lowered her head and replied, "I'm not married to Yu Zixi yet. Your Ladyship, who are you to Yu Zixi?"
Before Madam He could answer, Granny Sun stepped forward and grabbed their clasped hands. Excitedly, she replied, "Madam He is Young Master Yu's wet - nurse! I suppose you've met our Young Master Yu. How has he been lately?"
Wet - nurse?
Wei Dongling looked at the elegant Madam He suspiciously. Her eyebrows and eyes were exactly like Yu Zixi's. She understood most of the situation.
Madam He and Granny Sun were hiding in the desolate cold palace. They recognized the jade pendant and claimed to be the wet - nurse. In fact, they didn't know Wei Dongling well and were afraid that admitting their real identities would bring disaster to Yu Zixi.
Wei Dongling couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Then she was shocked. The desolate tomb that Yu Zixi once took her to visit was said to be the tomb of his closest relative. She thought it was his mother's tomb. But this Madam He in front of her, with her eyebrows and expression, was clearly Yu Zixi's real mother! But why was she locked up in the palace?
Who was buried in that desolate tomb?
Seeing the eager looks in their eyes, Wei Dongling didn't expose the truth. She smiled gently and said, "Young Master Yu is doing well. Please don't worry, Wet - nurse."
Madam He's eyes were a bit red. Choking with sobs, she said, "How could Yu Changsheng treat him well? My son has suffered so much."
The Yu Changsheng she mentioned was probably Yu Zixi's father, Lord Yu.
Granny Sun supported the grief - stricken Madam He and sighed softly, "Young Master Yu has grown up safely. He's twenty - one this year. He should have his own thoughts. Madam, don't be too sad."
Wei Dongling couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Lord Yu his real father? Why is he on guard against Yu Zixi?"
Madam He and Granny Sun glanced at each other, but neither of them spoke.
Wei Dongling continued, "Even the second young master of the Yu family can beat Yu Zixi up. And the emperor, on the surface, rewards him with concubines, but actually they're sent to monitor him?"
Hearing this, Madam He was even more sad. After hesitating for a long time, Granny Sun said in a low voice, "He's naturally not Yu Changsheng's son. When our young master was born, the current dog - emperor secretly sent someone to take him out of the palace..."
Madam He gave a soft cough, and Granny Sun immediately stopped talking. She quickly went to pat Madam He on the back to help her catch her breath.
But in Wei Dongling's heart, there was a huge storm.
No wonder the Yu family treated him like this! No wonder Yu Zixi pretended to be a dissolute playboy and was willing to be misunderstood by the world.
No wonder the crown prince always clashed with him.
Yu Zixi was actually a prince! But why wasn't he raised in the palace? Instead, he was secretly sent out and then monitored.
Wei Dongling was full of doubts. She also knew that Madam He didn't know her well, so she naturally wouldn't tell her everything.
Thinking of this, she quickly bowed and said, "My name is Wei Dongling. I'm just a commoner girl. Yu Zixi and I are in love and have privately promised to marry each other. I'm here on behalf of Yu Zixi to thank you, Wet - nurse, for your concern. Please don't worry. Yu Zixi may seem like a dissolute playboy on the surface, but actually he's responsible and resourceful. He even has a master who has been teaching and helping him in private. Please rest assured, Wet - nurse."