Chapter 243 Awakening
Why did Zhiqiu come back?
It turned out that Mengxi found Ping'er acting abnormal that day and suspected that there was something wrong with the bowl of bird's nest porridge. An idea suddenly occurred to her to take advantage of the situation and fake her death to leave the house. As soon as Ping'er left, she sent Qin'er and Wan'er away, and called Zhixia and Zhidong to make some busy arrangements.
After testing the porridge for poison, he first used the antidote and then took a pill he had prepared. After taking this medicine, a person looks like he is really dead. As long as he takes another antidote within five days, the person will wake up. He asked Zhidong to quickly use a pigeon to notify Zhiqiu and the others to be ready. Finally, he asked Qin'er and Wan'er to come in and serve him. He drank the bowl of bird's nest porridge in front of them, which led to the scene that the Second Master saw as soon as he entered the room.
It is said that Mengxi's plan to fake her death and leave the mansion was flawless. The Second Master had not yet taken over as the head of the family. Her status in the Xiao Mansion was not very high, and she had no children. According to the customs of Da Qi, the funeral would be suspended for only one day. That is, if she died and was buried according to the rites for a wife, she would have a small burial on the third day, a large burial on the fourth day, and burial on the fifth day. Ouyang Di would arrange people outside to steal her body back and revive it on the fifth night. From then on, she could change her name and surname, and completely sever ties with the Xiao Mansion.
But man proposes, God disposes. The only thing Mengxi overlooked was the Second Master's feelings for her. She never expected that the Second Master would stay in front of Yichun Hall for four days. Li Du and others were so anxious that they were jumping up and down. Li Du tried to dissuade the Second Master from burying the Second Madam in time, but the Second Master refused. They could only watch their master lying in the carriage, helpless.
Zhiqiu wanted to knock the Second Master unconscious and snatch the Second Wife back, but the people watching outside the door almost formed a wall, preventing them from doing anything. Just when they were worried, a rainstorm created an opportunity. Li Du and Ouyang Yi discussed and temporarily organized a group of people to snatch the Second Wife back when the rain just stopped and there were no pedestrians on the street.
Unfortunately, Ouyang Di underestimated the Xiao family's guards. He thought that although the Second Master had some skills, he had been kneeling for four days in a row, and there was a rainstorm, so he was physically and mentally exhausted. The manpower on this side was twice as many as theirs, and they were well-rested, so they should be able to capture the enemy easily.
Who would have thought that because of the last hijacking, the Xiao family had been concerned, and when the eldest master saw that he could not persuade his son to come back, he sent four experts to protect him. If Li Du had not seen that things were not going well and sent people to support him in secret, I'm afraid they would not have been able to escape. According to Ouyang Di, later on, all the people sent out by the Xiao family were elites.
After the robbery failed, Ouyang was very depressed. He came back to discuss with Li Duyi. Even if the second master thought it through and went back to bury the master, let alone the master's wife, even if it was a concubine, it would take three days before the burial. By then, the master would really be dead. Finally, he made up his mind and went to the Xiao Mansion at night to steal Mengxi out. Unfortunately, except for Ouyang Di, the people in Yichun Hall were all newly trained bodyguards with average skills. It was too late to find martial arts friends at the last minute, and he didn't dare to invite them in a big way.
These people were no match for the Xiao family guards. In the end, three people were injured and they couldn't even enter the outer courtyard, let alone Xiaoxiang Courtyard.
In desperation, Zhiqiu was finally allowed to come back. According to Ouyang Di's idea , they should first see what the Xiao family did in the morning, and it would not be too late to go to the Xiao Mansion in the afternoon. However, Li Du was careful. He heard that Zhixia and Zhidong had been looked after, and he was worried that if Zhiqiu went back, he might be stopped at the door by the eldest lady's people and put under house arrest. He would not be able to see the second master. It would be a small matter if he delayed things, but it would be too late to regret if he missed the time to save his master.
So she was asked to return to the Xiao Mansion early in the morning, in case she had an accident. In the afternoon, Li Du would visit the Second Master in the name of Yichuntang. Zhiqiu then entered the mansion and met the old lady, the Second Master and others at the door.
…
Sitting beside the bed, Erye looked at Mengxi without blinking. He had already fed her the medicine that Zhiqiu brought back. Almost half an hour had passed, but Mengxi showed no signs of waking up. Erye's heart was getting heavier and heavier. Was she destined to be an illusion to him?
He glanced at Zhiqiu anxiously, and Zhiqiu saw it and hurriedly explained:
"Don't worry, Second Master. This medicine has just been given to you. It will take at least an hour for it to take effect. I heard from Hongzhu that Second Master sat by the bed all night last night. Why don't you go and rest for a while before Second Madam wakes up? I will stay here and call you when Second Madam wakes up."
Hongzhu and others on the side also echoed, only to see the Second Master shook his head and said to them:
"We don't need that many people. Let's go down to the kitchen and make some porridge."
Zhiqiu and the other two looked at each other. Zhixia, Zhidong, Hongzhu and the others responded and went downstairs. Erye looked at Zhiqiu and motioned for her to go down as well. He wanted to accompany Mengxi alone.
If the Second Mistress really woke up and saw the Second Master for the first time, she would be frightened to death even if she was not dead. Seeing the Second Master chasing her away, Zhiqiu's heart began to beat fast. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"Second Master, I brought the medicine back. I will feel uneasy if I don't see Second Madam wake up with my own eyes."
After hearing this, Erye thought about it and agreed, so he said nothing more.
…
Slowly opening his eyes, Mengxi couldn't tell where he was for a moment. He looked up and saw Zhiqiu standing beside the bed. He was stunned for a while before he remembered that he had faked his death. He saw Zhiqiu again and finally left the house!
"Second Madam, you're awake!"
"Brook"
Zhiqiu and Erye called out at the same time. Erye's low voice was not heard. Seeing Zhiqiu talking, Mengxi smiled at her and said weakly:
"See you again, Zhiqiu, I'm finally out!"
Seeing Mengxi waking up, Erye's mood was like, from hell to heaven!
He couldn't believe what he saw was real. He let out a low cry, and then he became so agitated that he started coughing violently. The coughing covered up Mengxi's weak voice.
"Second Madam, Second Master has been staying by your side for the past two days !"
Seeing that the Second Madam didn't see the Second Master, but only looked at her and seemed to be saying something, Zhiqiu hurriedly spoke loudly. She was really afraid that the Second Madam didn't know that the Second Master was around and would reveal some secrets.
When Mengxi heard the cough, she realized that the Second Master was sitting next to her. She opened her eyes wide as if she had seen a ghost. Why was the Second Master here too?
"Xi'er, you finally woke up, finally woke up..."
It took a long time for the Second Master to stop coughing. He stretched out his hands and held Mengxi's hands tightly, muttering something. Even though the Second Master was a tall and strong man, tears welled up in his eyes and he couldn't continue for a while.
She stared at the Second Master for a long while before she caught a glimpse of Zhiqiu standing beside her winking at her. Mengxi finally realized that something must have happened, but the Second Master was beside her and it was not the time to ask. She looked around and realized that she was in the Second Master's room, lying on his bed. Her face flushed and she wanted to turn over, but when she tried hard, she found that she was weak all over.
Seeing Mengxi struggling to get up, the Second Master quickly held her down and said:
"Xi'er, you just woke up and you're weak, don't move around, just tell me what you want."
"Second Master, I want to go back to the East Wing."
After hearing this, the second master's expression froze, and then he said in a gentle voice:
"Xi'er just woke up. Have some food here first. I'll take you there later."
As they were talking, Zhixia and others heard that the Second Madam had woken up, and they all came over to serve her.
Seeing them coming, the Second Master gave up his bedside and asked them to help Mengxi wash and eat, and told someone to go to Shouxi Hall to pass on the message. Seeing Zhiqiu feeding Mengxi porridge and hearing her talk with strength, the Second Master was relieved. Seeing that she insisted on going back to the East Wing, although he was a little reluctant, he remembered that the old lady was still waiting in Shouxi Hall, so he nodded and said okay.
Seeing the Second Master nod, Zhiqiu was about to step forward to support him, but the Second Master had already picked up Mengxi and carried her directly into the east wing. After settling her down, he told her to have a good rest and went to Shouxi Hall himself.
Seeing that the Second Master had left, Mengxi asked Zhiqiu to help her up, and she leaned against the bed with a pillow behind her. Seeing that Zhiqiu and the other two were there, she asked why she was still in the mansion. Zhiqiu simply told her about the Second Master kneeling in Yichun Hall, and finally said regretfully:
"There is only one day left. My brother was worried about another accident, so he sent me back early. If it was a little later, and the Second Master took you out of the house, we would have asked him to save you directly. It would be great for you and the Second Master to live together forever."
"Luckily you went, otherwise I don't know how it would end. We couldn't get out at all. When you went, the Second Master was already exhausted."
After hearing Zhiqiu's words, Zhixia interrupted.
"Live together and fly together?"
Zhiqiu always hated Erye the most, why did he want to make them a couple now? Not paying attention to what Zhixia said, Mengxi looked at Zhiqiu and repeated it.
Seeing Second Madam's doubts, Zhiqiu blushed slightly and said unnaturally:
"Second Madam, not only this maid, but even my brother and Master Ouyang were moved by Second Master. During those days, it was both scorching hot and rainy, and no one could stand it. In order to ask for medicine for you, Second Master knelt at the door of Yichun Hall. If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Family couldn't accommodate you, everyone would have wanted to give the medicine directly to Second Master."
Zhixia and Zhidong also echoed, and when Zhiqiu stopped talking, Zhixia said:
"Second Madam, you don't know that Second Master and the Xiao family are at odds and want to take you away because they want to bury you with concubine rites, but Second Master disagrees."
"Falling out? Burying with concubine ceremony?"
"The old lady said that your status violates the ancestral teachings. If you are buried with the ceremony of a wife and the tablet is placed in the ancestral temple, it is equivalent to acknowledging your status, and the second master can no longer be the head of the family. That is why she forced the second master to bury you with the ceremony of a concubine."
"and after?"
"Then the Second Master disagreed, and the First Master wanted to kidnap the Second Master... In the end, the Second Master agreed with his death, swearing that even if he didn't become the head of the family, he would still sleep with you in life and die with you..."
Zhixia narrated the story of the conflict between the Second Master and the Xiao family, and finally said:
"Second Madam, you don't know that the Xiao Mansion has been in chaos these days. The servants even sleep with their eyes open and dare not walk loudly."
"Live together and die together"
Mengxi kept repeating these words, and was stunned for a moment. How lucky she was to have such deep affection from the Second Master, and how unfortunate he was, to be born in such a family with such ancestral precepts, and to meet her, a girl with a modern soul. How could she open her heart to him due to the different ethical beliefs and ancestral precepts?
How can a free heart carry such a heavy yet imprisoned love!
It was destined that she would betray his love in this life.
For the first time, Mengxi felt a strong hatred for the Xiao family's ancestral precepts, for the ancient times where men were superior to women, and for the system of men having three wives and four concubines. She wanted to smash all of this with her own hands, but unfortunately she was not the ancestor of the Xiao family, let alone a saint.
"Second Grandma, what's wrong with you?"
Zhiqiu saw that the second wife looked gloomy and asked worriedly? After hearing Zhiqiu's question, Mengxi came back to her senses, put away her lonely mood, and asked casually:
"By the way, have you told the Second Master that the medicine wasn't given by the eldest aunt? Is the eldest aunt okay?"
