Chapter Sixteen: Turmoil

  Unlike the previous time, Zhu didn't faint this time, but his face was much worse than before. When Yu Xian came to report in a panic that the Jin Yiwei had entered the gate, and a thousand households led by Chen Jiu's study room, the leader of the team went straight to here, Zhu held the armrest tightly and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

  This bad news was not enough, and soon another servant rushed over like a gust of wind, saying that Mrs. Ma had fainted in the Water Mirror Hall as soon as she learned that Jin Yi's personal guards had arrived at the door. The scene below was already chaotic. Immediately after, one of the maids serving the young masters and misses in the east wing came over, saying that Chen Bing was making a big fuss. Hearing these successive incidents, Zhu Shi's face turned iron-gray, and in a fit of rage, she slammed the delicate porcelain cup to the ground.

  "Insufficient to accomplish anything, but more than enough to spoil everything!"

  Chen Lan also felt her heart racing at this time, but she clenched her fists tightly, and the pain of her fingernails digging into her palm managed to keep her calm on the surface. Having barely made it to this point, she could only gamble that the old lady still had enough chips in her hand, so she calmed down and advised from the side: "Old lady, please calm your anger, if it's an imperial edict to search the house, watching over the family members would certainly not be done by just one Jin Yiwei officer coming alone. It's better to hurry up and have someone clean up, preparing to meet people."

  After a long silence, Zhu nodded slowly: "You're right." Then she looked at Zheng's mother and nodded slightly, "Take Yu Xian to the Shuijing Hall to clean up, restrain those useless things, and don't make trouble. Also, tell Er Ya to shut up if she wants her father to come back safely!"

  Mrs. Zheng glanced at Chen Lan for the first time. She had just returned and hadn't noticed that all the younger generation were not in the house, except for Chen Lan alone. At this moment, she naturally had some thoughts. However, it was not the time to pay attention to these things now. After calling Xiaoyu to clean up, she hurriedly left first. Chen Lan and Lü Yu together helped Zhu Shi into the room, quickly changed her into a deep blue cloud-patterned jacket with peacock feathers, and then returned to the main hall to sit down.

  It wasn't long before Green Orchid, who had been waiting in the corridor, returned to report that the commander of the Imperial Guard had arrived. Upon hearing this, Chen Lan immediately stood up, and before he could say a word, Madam Zhu instructed: "You don't need to go to the east wing, just temporarily hide in the eastern secondary room, no one will be able to see you from behind the screen."

  Zhu said so, Chen Lan responded and went to the east wing after paying respects. The Ecang Institute originally had many servants, but now half of them were in the east and west wings watching the young masters and misses, and the remaining ones were waiting in the corridor to pass on messages, and also serving in the main hall. The spacious east wing was empty. Chen Lan glanced at the large kang by the window, her deep-seated fear had not dissipated, but her fatigue was even more severe. Despite this, she quietly peeked outside through the door curtain. After a while, she finally saw someone entering the doorway.

  The young man was dressed in a large red embroidered official uniform, with a flying fish pattern on his chest. He looked elegant and refined, with a vigorous and heroic spirit between his eyebrows. His courtesy was neither humble nor arrogant, and he stood there with an air of self-assurance.

  "Your humble servant, Yang Jinzhou, Commander of the Imperial Guard, has been ordered to pay respects to the elderly lady. Before I arrived, His Majesty had given instructions that due to the Yangning Marquis's family having served the imperial court for generations and the elderly lady's advanced age, I should first come to pay my respects before attending to official business. The matter at hand is that someone has reported that the Yangning Marquis betrayed the Emperor's trust by allowing his subordinates to steal horses during his tenure as a provincial governor and also privately purchased several thousand catties of Mongolian tea leaves during an inspection tour last year. Therefore, I had no choice but to search the Yangning Marquis's study, while other properties have been ordered not to be disturbed without permission. The Imperial Guard personnel will not enter the inner quarters without authorization, please do not worry, elderly lady."

  His words were extremely elegant, but Chen Lan looked at those calm and composed eyes, always feeling that there was something behind them. Sure enough, after just a pause, Yang Jinzhou opened his mouth again: "It's just that the Yangning Hou Mansion has been loyal for generations, and even has the emperor's handwriting in front of the ancestral temple, which is 'Report to the country with loyalty, brilliant and heroic spirit; transmit to the family with filial piety, endless virtue and prosperity'. It's not easy to pass on the family name for over a hundred years, so please ask the old lady to teach her children and grandchildren well, and cherish the family name."

  When Zhu heard him sign up, his face suddenly became bloodless, but he still stood up when he heard the two words "Huang Shang". Seeing Yang Jinzhou bowing deeply, she didn't look at her or anyone else in the room and turned around to leave. She couldn't help but tightly grasp Lu's hand, and just as the person was about to step out of the door, she finally couldn't help but ask a question.

  "Is Governor Yang from the Ningbo Yang family?"

  Behind the door curtain, Chen Lanzhi clearly saw that when Yang Jinzhou heard this, his foot, which had originally stepped out, was withdrawn and he turned around. Since she had just seen someone leave, she had already opened a wide gap in the eastern room's curtain, and now she hastily retreated behind it. She couldn't see any expression on the person's face either, but only heard a faint voice coming from outside.

  "Madam, you're joking. I'm just a humble military officer, how dare I have any connection with the Duke of Yuening? I still need to go out and take charge, lest those generals be blinded by the luxurious silk of the Marquis's household. With that, I bid farewell."

  He said that and bowed again, this time turning around to leave, but his eyes glanced at the eastern wing. Seeing that the exquisite embroidered shoes he had glimpsed earlier were gone, he couldn't help but smile faintly, and walked away with his hands behind his back. And as he left, Madam Zhu, who had been sitting upright and still, finally couldn't hold on anymore and fainted on the spot.

  At this time, Chen Lan also hurried out from inside to help Green Orchid support Zhu Shi into the east wing room, serving her a cup of water and having her lie down on the kang. Seeing that things were not going well, Green Orchid asked in a low voice: "Old lady, if it's really not working, should I find someone to go out the back door and invite a doctor?"

  "No need, I can still afford it!"

  Seeing the green face full of anxiety, Chen Lan said in a low voice: "The Jin Yiwei is ahead, although it's unlikely that there are soldiers guarding the back door, but if someone else goes out now, if someone notices, it will be a serious crime! Sister, go and see what medicine the old lady used to take, just get through this for now. As soon as the people leave, I'll immediately send someone to fetch the doctor!"

  Although Zhu felt unbearable, she couldn't help but approve of Chen's considerate words. However, she was already exhausted and didn't bother to say anything else, merely nodding at Lu'e to indicate that she would leave everything to Chen. Lu'e, though uneasy, didn't dare say anything else and instructed a maid to wait in the corridor for news, while she herself busied herself twisting towels and pouring hot water. As no accurate news came in, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense and stifling, as if everyone held their breath.

  Just when Chen Lan and others' feet were numb, a sudden commotion came from outside, and soon after, a figure wearing a honey-colored jacket rushed in, stumbling and tripping, and fell to the ground in front of Zhu Shi, wailing loudly.

  "Old lady, old lady, I heard that the Jin Yiwei officer has left... They said the situation at your place is not good, I want to go out and ask a doctor, but they won't let me out of the courtyard, please have mercy on me! " Chen Bing's hair was disheveled, her eyes were red from crying, and her face was smeared with tears, making her look pale. "If not, you can send someone to deliver a message to my elder sister, they must be framing my father, as long as brother-in-law is willing to vouch for him..."

  "Shut up!"

  Zhu's face turned red with rage, and she slapped the kang table loudly: "The matter hasn't been settled yet, what are you wailing about? Are you trying to curse your parents?! No matter how big of a deal it is, wait until the Imperial Guards leave before speaking! And another thing, 'Brother-in-law' is what you should be calling him. Your elder sister has spoiled you so much that you've forgotten all etiquette!"

  Chen Bing had never been scolded by her grandmother like this since she was a child, and she was stunned. However, after being stunned, she suddenly grabbed Chen Lan's wrist like crazy and said viciously: "Is it you again who is stirring up trouble in front of the old lady? Who provided for your food and clothing? If it weren't for my parents, you and Xiao Si would be nothing..."

  Chen Lan's wrist was pinched by Chen Bing, and she saw her gritting her teeth and waving her hand to hit people. She suddenly didn't make a sound, lightly elbowing her right rib, and quickly pulled back her own wrist. Seeing the two girls finally coming up to hold the person and dragging him back, she retreated two steps, lowered her head, and saw a deep red mark on her wrist.

  "What's going on?"

  Zhu was already so angry that smoke was coming out of the seven orifices, wanting to speak but feeling suffocated in her heart. Therefore, when a calm and gentle voice came from the door, everyone in the room suddenly looked over, only then did they see the person who had entered without anyone noticing.

  Chen Lan saw those calm eyes and couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in her heart.

  What is Luo Niang doing here at this time?

  P.S. One more thing, thank you all again!! Also, if it's a reward, I prefer the Christmas stocking from the women's channel, it's cute and doesn't cost much, don't spend too much money ^_^