C10 Marriage Substitute 4

The nanny had a habit of panicking and hastily seeking help at the first sign of trouble. "Miss, the Master is not in the Da Xi Kingdom right now. By the time he returns from the Great Cold Nation, it'll be too late—the moment will have passed! With the Master away, Concubine Wan has unchecked power over Mu's Mansion. She's determined to send you to the Temple of Peace, and she'll surely manage it. We must flee! Yes, Miss, we must hurry and escape. We can't stay here any longer!"

With a decisive smack of her fist into her palm, as if to underscore the urgency, the nanny flung open the wardrobe and began packing with purpose.

Mu Yunhua was surprised; she hadn't expected Mu Honghai to be absent from the estate. Did he know about her being replaced in the marriage, or had Concubine Wan orchestrated everything behind his back from the start?

The difference between Mu Honghai knowing and not knowing was significant!

"Take this, and this too."

Mu Yunhua glanced at the nanny. The wardrobe was pitifully bare, with only a couple of garments that had been worn and washed over and over. Packing for their escape was hardly a concern—they could just grab everything and leave.

"Miss, we're ready. We must leave immediately!" The nanny tossed the bundle onto the bed and reached to pull back Mu Yunhua's quilt. Mu Yunhua caught her hand, "Nanny, let's not rush."

"How can we not rush?" the nanny protested. "Concubine Wan will come to take you away by tomorrow. We need to leave today—no, right now—or we won't be able to escape! Please, Miss, get up. Trust me, I would never harm you." As the nanny knelt to help Mu Yunhua into her shoes, she murmured comfortingly, "I'm strong and capable, Miss. Don't be scared, I'll take you to safety right away."

Throughout it all, the nanny's face was etched with determination, her commitment to taking Mu Yunhua away steadfast, with no intention of leaving her behind.

Mu Yunhua reached out to touch the nanny's now graying hair, her heart filled with emotion, "Nanny, have you forgotten? I promised you a better life."

"I know, Miss," the nanny replied, looking up with a smile that accentuated her wrinkles. "Once we leave the mansion, those better days will come."

As the nurse led a neatly dressed Mu Yunhua out of the crumbling courtyard, intent on sneaking out the back door, Mu Yunhua firmly took hold of her hand. "Nanny, come with me."

Unsure of Mu Yunhua's intentions, the nurse followed, but the path they took grew increasingly crowded, unmistakably leading to the grand entrance of Mu's Mansion.

"Miss, we can't go this way; the main entrance is impossible for us to get through! Let's turn back," the nurse insisted, trying to pull Mu Yunhua back. Yet, despite looking so frail that a mere breeze might whisk her away, Mu Yunhua was steadfast, as if her feet were anchored to the earth.

"Nanny," Mu Yunhua said, tightening her grip, "I am the only legitimate daughter of Mu's Mansion. If I, Mu Yunhua, choose to leave, I will not do so through a side door!"

Her statement was straightforward, lacking any bombast, yet it made the nurse's heart pound like thunder. In that moment, the frail young lady seemed to shine with a brilliant, commanding presence, exuding strength and radiance.

The once submissive miss had blossomed into her full potential.

"Miss... you've come into your own..." The nurse's eyes brimmed with tears, a mixture of pride and concern welling up within her. "But two hands can't fight against many. The servants in the mansion won't let us leave so easily."