How could Xiu Zhu dare to admit there was a problem?
She quickly said, "There’s no problem, it’s just rather ti-consuming."
Zhu Xiuxiu said no more. Holding Xiaosuisui, she turned and left. After a few steps, however, she turned back and said, "By the way, your craftsmanship is excellent; what you make for Suisui to eat must certainly be the best."
Xiu Zhu stood stunned, a chill running down her back. The Third Mistress ans I shouldn’t look for any helpers!
Zhu Xiuxiu took her [Xiu Zhu] directly to Qinxin Courtyard. Afterward, she watched Xiaosuisui test Xie Pan’Er’s progress with her Hidden Weapon practice.
"Xiaobai, stand still! Let the pretty sister take a shot!"
Xiaosuisui, hands on her hips, looked up at Xiaobai in the old locust tree. Her call made Xiaobai tremble, not daring to move a muscle.
Fortunately, Xie Pan’Er had so aptitude. She actually succeeded today, hitting the apple on Xiaobai’s back on her first try. Only then was Xiaobai’s confinent lifted, and it imdiately leaped onto the courtyard wall and fled.
"Finally, she can hit the targets accurately. This is good. Once she’s familiar with it, this will be a safeguard if she encounters danger when out and about in the future," Zhu Xiuxiu said.
Xie Pan’Er nodded. "That’s what I thought too!"
From the entrance of Qinxin Courtyard ca Nanny Zhang’s voice, "Old Madam, why have you co personally? If there was anything, you could have just sent a maid to pass on the ssage, and this servant would have gone to you. Why did you need to make the trip yourself?"
Ever since Xiaosuisui was struck by Celestial Thunder while learning to kowtow, Nanny Zhang had considerably relaxed Xiaosuisui’s lessons. Instead, she spent more ti attending to the Old Madam. So, when Old Madam Ji entered this Courtyard, Nanny Zhang assud the Old Madam was looking for her.
"I heard Suisui is back from the Palace, so I ca to see her!"
As Old Madam Ji spoke, she had already walked into the Flower Hall.
Xiaosuisui ca pattering to the Flower Hall entrance, sweetly calling out, "Grandmother!"
Old Madam Ji imdiately took her into her arms and asked, "What did you do in the Palace today?"
"I played picking flowers with Grandma and Grandfather Wang," Xiaosuisui replied.
Old Madam Ji didn’t dwell on it. She assud Eunuch Ling had rely relayed His Majesty’s verbal decree for Xiaosuisui to enter the Palace, simply because they wanted Suisui to accompany the Empress Dowager, so she didn’t inquire further.
"Mother! Please sit!" Zhu Xiuxiu stood up and moved a stool for Old Madam Ji.
Seeing Zhu Xiuxiu also there with Suisui, Old Madam Ji said, "It’s good that you’re here. I just heard that Second Son has returned and hurriedly dragged Seventh Son away. Do you know what’s going on?"
Zhu Xiuxiu was taken aback for a mont, then honestly shook her head. "I don’t know!"
"Liu Neng also asked around, but no one knows what happened. I’ve been feeling restless lately. Your eldest brother wrote asking Second Son to go to the Illusion Sect, and I’m terrified sothing might happen to your sister-in-law."
Zhu Xiuxiu quickly reassured her, "Don’t worry, Mother. Sister-in-law has Eldest Brother with her; there probably won’t be any problems. Besides, the Illusion Sect also has doctors who study dical Skill. If Sister-in-law encounters any trouble, Eldest Brother will surely find soone to help her."
"That may be so, but I still can’t help worrying."
Hearing Old Madam Ji’s words, Xie Pan’Er offered an idea. "If you’re truly worried, why not find a Temple, offer incense to a Bodhisattva, and make a vow—perhaps to gild a statue or sothing similar—to pray for the Bodhisattva’s blessing for the First Lady and her child to be safe and sound!"
As soon as Xie Pan’Er finished speaking, before Old Madam Ji could respond, Zhu Xiuxiu imdiately clapped her hands. "That’s an excellent idea! Qixia Temple was built with donations from our Zhu Family’s Ancestors. I’ll send soone to inform them and have the young monks clean a courtyard. Tomorrow, we’ll go to Qixia Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings for my sister-in-law and the child in her womb!"
Old Madam Ji found this feasible and said, "Then you arrange this matter."
At that mont, Zhu Xiuxiu and the mbers of the Ji Family still did not know that a rumor about a phoenix landing at Qixia Temple had already spread throughout Capital City. This was why their upcoming trip to Qixia Temple would prove to be so eventful.
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