After a small sedan stopped outside the Shangguan’s Mansion, the pretty maid, who followed the sedan, glanced at the tightly closed gate and asked her master for instructions in a low voice after a brief hesitation, “Miss, we’ve arrived.”
The illustrious Shangguan Family now enjoyed enormous popularity.
Although the mansion Lin Mengya visited today just belonged to a distant relative of the Shangguan Family, its scarlet gate was much more magnificent than that of the Lin’s Mansion.
Even the stone lions at the gate seemed to be more imposing.
The pedestrians didn’t even dare to stop for a moment, for fear of spoiling the noble vibe of this mansion.
Since Marquis Weiyuan, Shangguan Lei, returned to take the reins, some officials had responded instantly and awaited an opportunity to show their loyalty to him.
Moreover, those old friends of the Shangguan Family had openly supported the Shangguan Family to regain power in the imperial court.
The Lin Family had declined and was no longer as prosperous as before.
“Go knock on the door. Tell them that Vice Princess Yu has something important to talk with their Miss,” as Lin Mengya said, she lifted the curtain of the sedan chair with a delicate hand and glanced thoughtfully at the gate of the Shangguan’s Mansion.
Since her brother got into trouble, she had not received any news of Shangguan Hui, which was strange given Shangguan Hui’s affection for her brother.
Besides, she did not believe that Shangguan Hui, who was shrewd with a delicate touch, would stay at home and watch her brother caught up in the trap.
Today, she brought Baiji, who was meticulous, with her.
Long after Baiji knocked on the door three times, there came some sounds from inside.
A moment later, an impatient person appeared in front of Baiji and asked, “Who is at the door? Why are you here?”
The gatekeeper was a manservant in his twenties. After looking Baiji up and down with sly eyes, he asked lustfully, “My pretty, which family are you from? Which man are you looking for here?”
The manservant, who leaned against the door rascally, was obviously a frivolous person.
Baiji hated this kind of people the most, but now she had to endure it.
Baiji forced a smile, took a step back without being noticed, and said, “I’m here with my master. Please do me a favor and report our visit.”
However, looking at Baiji with a chuckle, the manservant, who had no sense of propriety, intended to reach out to pinch her white and tender cheek.
“What are you doing?!” Baiji dodged quickly, while involuntarily raising her eyes and scolding the guy in front of her.
She had never been treated so inappropriately since she worked in Prince Yu’s Mansion.
“This is the mansion of the Shangguan Family. No matter which noble family you are from, you’d better behave yourself and be obedient here. I did that because of your pretty face. Humph, don’t be unappreciative. I can even ask your master to marry you to me as a concubine if I want!” the manservant said.
Even the gatekeeper of the prime minister was of rank. Baiji thought that the Shangguan Family was really abominable.
Even a humble gatekeeper dared to act so shamelessly and arrogantly. It could be seen that his master was not a nice person either.
She bit her lip with her face darkening instantly. However, she had to brace herself to continue arguing with the rascal, “My master is Vice Princess Yu. You can’t afford to hold up her business!”
The gatekeeper seemed to have heard something funny. He suddenly bent over and laughed himself into convulsions, while saying, “I was wondering who your master was. It turns out to be the daughter of the Lin Family who has been relegated to a Vice Princess. I heard that your master has been sent back to the Lin’s Mansion. What’s up? Does your master come to our Shangguan Family to ask for a favor?”
Baiji was furious. She didn’t expect that there would be this kind of false news of her master.
She kept pinching the corners of her clothes with her hands, wishing she could tear this guy’s face off at once.
But before she took any action, Lin Mengya, who was supposed to sit quietly in the sedan chair, quietly walked up behind her and said, “In any case, I’m still a Vice Princess, while you’re just dependent on the Shangguan Family. Do you think I can’t punish a lackey?”
She said in a cold and composed voice, showing no anger.
She even looked as at ease and peaceful as ever, but glared at the gatekeeper with her sharp eyes, as if she could tear him apart.
The gatekeeper suddenly froze. He had seen a lot of high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but had never been terribly frightened by someone with a glare.
That was the overwhelming prestige beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person like him.
He felt as if she could kill him easily although she had fallen into trouble.
Immediately, the manservant swallowed his arrogance and fled into the mansion in disgrace.
“Miss, he…” Baiji said.
She felt indignant about the way her master was treated. Lin Mengya had never been treated so lightly.
Now even a gatekeeper dared to treat Lin Mengya anyway he pleased. What situation was she going to face?
“Don’t get angry because of a trifle. We are very likely to encounter this kind of situation in the future. No one can always get the upper hand, so don’t take it to heart,” Lin Mengya said.
In fact, she didn’t mind being treated differently after her demotion. After all, she had managed to climb to her current position step by step from a crazy woman in everyone’s eyes.
Even if one day she was deprived of her position as Vice Princess Yu, she would still be able to take it calmly.
Besides, it was hard to say who would be the final winner.
The gatekeeper acted quickly. After a while, the butler appeared in front of Lin Mengya in a hurry.
Lin Mengya threw out her chest, looking as proud and noble as before.
When the butler saw her, a look of disdain flashed across his eyes.
Nevertheless, he feigned a respectful look, bowed to Lin Mengya, and said, “Madam, I apologize to you. The brat is insensible. Please forgive him.”
It was inappropriate for Lin Mengya to pursue the matter.
Moreover, even if she insisted on pursuing the matter, the Shangguan Family might not punish their servant.
Lin Mengya had no choice but to nod slightly as a hint that she didn’t care about this.
The butler immediately put on an eager expression, seemed to be astonished at Lin Mengya’s visit, and said, “I’m wondering what brought you here. Speaking of this, I forgot to tell you that Miss has gone out for some business and probably won’t be back over the next few days. If you have something to talk about with her, I’m afraid you have to come again later.”
“She had gone out?” Lin Mengya sneered in her heart. How could she fail to tell it was just an excuse?
“Nothing, I just come to visit your Miss, as I haven’t seen her for a long time. After all, we’ve met several times, and I’ve missed her all this time,” Lin Mengya said.
The butler was perplexed by her words.
His master flew into a rage after receiving Lin Mengya’s invitation and warned Miss to cut off from Princess Yu.
But now, the Princess sounded a little strange.
It seemed that they were on bad terms.
“Miss has been summoned to the Imperial Palace by the Empress early in the morning. You probably can’t meet her now. If you have anything to tell her, just let me know. I can take a message for you,” the butler said.
After glancing at him coldly, Lin Mengya snorted and turned to leave the Shangguan’s Mansion.
Seeing Vice Princess Yu and her entourage leave suddenly, the butler and the gatekeeper were both confused.
“What on earth did she come here for?”
In the sedan chair, Lin Mengya softened her cold face.
Shangguan Hui had entered the Imperial Palace this morning. How could Long Tianyu act so fast?
But she thought it unlikely. After all, if Long Tianyu immediately reported it to the Emperor, the Emperor would definitely be suspicious given his character.
Could it be that the Empress had also included Shangguan Hui in her plan?
It would be terrible if something went wrong now.
However, it was inconvenient for her to enter the Imperial Palace now. Otherwise, she could inquire about Shangguan Hui’s situation.
“Miss, shall we go back?” Outside the sedan, Baiji inquired in a low voice.
After thinking for a while, Lin Mengya named a place.
She looked down and had a slight headache.
It seemed that she hadn’t visited her teacher for a long time. She didn’t have to worry about her teacher who was under Long Tianyu’s protection, but she could only reassure herself after paying her teacher a visit in person. What was more, her teacher treated her in a fatherly manner. Would her teacher think her, who hadn’t visited him for long, an ungrateful disciple?
Her sedan stopped smoothly outside her teacher’s courtyard. It didn’t matter even if this place was discovered. Long Tianyu had mentioned last night that he was going to find a new residence for her teacher in the next few days.
Today, however, it was unusually quiet in the courtyard.
She looked around, realizing it seemed that every time she came, the guards outside were gone.
A suspicion arose in her heart. Could it be that Long Tianyu had other plans?
Lin Mengya stood at the door and gently knocked on it a few times.
After waiting for a long time, no one came to open the door. Lin Mengya suddenly had a foreboding.
Could it be that her teacher had gotten into trouble?
Thinking of this possibility, Lin Mengya immediately began to bang on the door.
Before she could do that again, the door was suddenly opened.
In an instant, Lin Mengya bumped into someone like a rocket.
“Ouch!” She heard the person scream in pain and fall to the ground.
Lin Mengya only felt that she seemed to have fallen on something soft.
She immediately got up and checked on her situation. To her embarrassment, she discovered that the person beneath her, who almost got killed by her, turned out to be her teacher she had been missing.
“Look at you, why didn’t you answer when I knocked at the door?” Lin Mengya complained while reaching out to pull her teacher up.
Baili Rui felt that he was going to die of anger. She bumped into him and then made it sound like it was his fault.
“I…” He tried to explain.
“Well, I know you were immersed in your research and had no time to answer the door. But you could have sent someone to do it. Why bother scaring me?” Lin Mengya interrupted him.
