Xie Ming

Chapter 33: The Duke's Mansion is overturned on a starry night

After Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen was assassinated in Mingyue Tower, Niu Jinxing cut off his head and placed it in a brocade box, preparing to present it to the palace and hand it over to Li Zicheng the next morning.

Afterwards, Niu Jinxing walked out of the building slowly. Before leaving, he ordered a Dashun Army of more than 300 people to surround the Duke's Mansion at night, making sure no one was allowed to leave or come in. They had to wait until the next day to report to the Queen Chuang in detail and then confiscate the property.

On the evening of the 20th, at :, four quarters past the hour of Xu.

In the east of the city, at Renshoufang, is the backyard of the Duke’s Mansion, in Shijing Garden.

"Little, miss!"

"Not good!"

"Miss!"

Xue Zhong, the housekeeper of the Chengguo Mansion, trotted all the way from the front yard into the backyard where the women lived.

You know, under normal circumstances, at this time, men in the front yard are absolutely not allowed to enter the back house. This is the rule.

But now, with a sudden change, Xue Zhongzi can't care about so many things!

"Huh? It's Butler Xue!"

Yuzhen in the back house heard someone calling her, so she quickly put on her clothes, put on a feather satin cloak with apricot red edges, and went to the inner hall. Yu'e beside her was rubbing her sleepy eyes and was also awakened, and followed her sister out.

"Miss, it's bad, something has happened!" Xue Zhong ran so fast that he was a little out of breath.

"Butler Xue, don't worry."

"Aunt Liu, go and pour a cup of tea for Butler Xue to calm him down!"

Upon seeing this, Yuzhen was very polite and quickly ordered her servants to take care of something.

"No, it's okay!" Xue Zhong waved his hands, looking anxious.

"My dear lady, the concierge, Xiao Xiazi, came to report that..."

"They said there are Dashun soldiers outside our house!"

"It looks like our Duke's Mansion is surrounded by people!"

"This afternoon, I ordered my servants to go out and buy some things, and I heard that the Dashun Army is not a good group of people!"

"There is a great general named Liu Zongmin in their army. I heard that he started arresting and killing people this morning!"

"They are all royal relatives and noble officials!"

"I thought that the master had the merit of surrendering the city, and this matter would not implicate him!"

"But now it seems that we may not be able to save this Duke's Mansion!"

"Search all the property and send them into exile, including the women, oh!"

"Miss, there is no time to waste. Hurry up and pack your belongings. I will do this at night before the bandits break into your house."

"Even if it costs me my life, I will escort the young lady to escape!"

Xue Zhong was old, and his face had turned pale after running so fast and saying so many words.

"Father, where is my father now?"

Yuzhen was a woman after all, and she was at a loss when faced with the sudden change, so she hurried to find her father.

"Oh, young lady, the Duke was called away by Wu Daoquan an hour ago."

"He hasn't returned yet, I'm afraid he has already..." As Xue Zhong spoke, his face was distorted and he was already crying.

"Before the Duke was leaving, he called me to his side and gave me some hints in his words, asking me to prepare early. It's all my fault. I didn't hear the old man's hidden meaning! Alas!" Xue Zhong said with shame.

Upon hearing the tragic news, Yuzhen was stunned on the spot. Her body went limp and she was about to fall backwards.

Aunt Wang and Aunt Liu on the side hurriedly hugged her around the waist.

"Miss! Miss!"

"At this critical moment, you must hold on!"

"Oh, yes, young lady, the young master has been living in the south for these years. Although he still doesn't get along with the old master, I have been exchanging letters with him!" "Let's flee south to seek refuge with the young master!"

The eldest young master that Xue Zhong mentioned was Zhu Zhengwen, the eldest son of Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen and also his only son. Da Yuzhen was about ten years older than him. He had a stubborn temper since childhood and did not accept the Confucian system of ruler-ruler, subject-minister, father-father, and son. He was very resistant to his strict father, so he left home and traveled far away very early.

Zhu Chunchen was angry at his unfilial behavior. The father and son refused to give in to each other and were incompatible with each other, so the eldest young master rarely returned home after he grew up.

Over time, Zhu Zhengwen settled in the south and had less contact with his family.

"Auntie Wang, Auntie Liu, hurry up! We don't have time. Help the eldest and second young ladies pack their clothes!"

"Gold, silver, and other small items."

"We are in a state of chaos and disorder right now, so we can't attract too much attention. But we have to be prepared. A poor family can make a rich journey. The journey to the south is thousands of miles long, so there will be plenty of time to use money!"

Xue Zhong gave another earnest reminder.

Yuzhen calmed herself down and managed to stand still. Aunt Wang and Aunt Liu behind her had already gone back to the house to pick it up.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Sister, how could this happen!" Yu'e was naive and simple-minded. It was her first time encountering such a thing. She was so panicked that she burst into tears.

In comparison, Yuzhen was better, but she was also shaking uncontrollably.

With the help of Xue Zhong, she slowly sat down on the chair behind her. Her mind was blank and two lines of tears fell silently.

After a long time, the first thought that came to her mind was what Xiao Jingchuan said to her before he broke into the backyard two days ago.

"Yuzhen, prepare some dry food and money. It's chaotic enough now. Don't go out again in the near future!"

Could it be that Xiao Jingchuan knew that something bad was going to happen?
Since you already know that I can't protect myself, why do you leave me?

Xiao Jingchuan, didn't you say you would protect me for my whole life? You deserve to die!
Yuzhen felt a faint sense of resentment and resentment in her heart. She wiped away her tears and stopped thinking about him.

20:15, a quarter of an hour later.

"Oh, that's almost it!"

"Auntie Liu and Auntie Wang, we are going to escape, not to travel!"

"How can you escape with so many things?"

Xue Zhong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Seeing that the two old servants were not doing their job well, he hurried forward and threw useless things left and right.

"Butler Xue is right. Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang, please help to pack down some of the luggage!"

"Just bring one or two sets of clothes with you, and some extra money to pack up all the money I have with me."

"Yu'e, let's go back to the house and change our clothes."

"Auntie Liu, go to your room and find two pieces of clothing that fit us. I remember you mended some clothes for your little niece a few days ago. Do you have any left?"

After a period of adjustment, Yuzhen's mind gradually stabilized, she faced the reality, and began to give orders.

"Oh, young lady, how can we give you the tattered clothes that we wear from our poor family?" said Aunt Liu.

"It's already late, how can we escape wearing these clothes?"

"It's better to dress like ordinary people, so you will look safer on the road!" Yuzhen retorted.

"That's right, Miss is right!"

"Auntie Liu, what are you dawdling about? Hurry up and go!" Xue Zhongbang said.

"Oh my, what are you talking about? I am also afraid of wearing coarse linen clothes, and I am afraid that it will hurt the young lady's delicate body."

"Okay, okay, why don't I go get it right away? Why are you all coming towards me?"

Aunt Liu was upset and angry because she had said the wrong thing, and was scolded by the young lady. She pouted, twisted her big, round and thick buttocks, and hurried back to her room in small steps.

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(End of this chapter)