APSIL -Chapter 14 Surrounded on Three Sides?

The more Zhang Shou listened, the more he realized how serious the situation was. In the end, he had no choice but to show himself.

As he stepped out of the hall and saw Zhu Ying’s radiant smile, her face overflowing with delight, his heart skipped a beat.

Even if he believed that the young lady was merely fond of his handsome face, Zhu Ying herself was stunningly beautiful and had a personality he didn’t find disagreeable. He wasn’t made of stone.

But he quickly regained his composure.

Seeing that Nanny Li, who was clearly a trusted servant of the Dowager Lady, stepped forward first and gave him a respectful curtsy, he politely nodded in return before calmly speaking.

“If we follow the Dowager Lady’s wishes and leave so many people here, there are indeed a few empty rooms in my house. But I must admit something rather embarrassing—we’ve never had guests before. Even the young lady had to share a bed with my mother last night.”

“We don’t even have wooden planks for communal sleeping platforms. If I asked everyone from your manor to sleep on the floor instead, I’d feel terribly ashamed.”

“Besides, this is the countryside. During the hot summer, people often splash water on the ground to cool things down, so the floors stay damp and chilly. Anyone sleeping on them for even one night would wake with aching backs. Many farmers have ruined their health by sleeping on cool ground during the summer while they were still young. How could the honored servants of your household be expected to endure such hardship?”

“If the young lady truly likes this place, wouldn’t it be better for your household to build a country villa somewhere nearby in the future?”

The moment she heard those words, Zhu Ying immediately understood.

Very well, Zhang Shou… you’re still trying to chase me away, just in a more roundabout fashion!

Yet before she could say anything, Nanny Li smiled.

“Young Master Shou, you are too modest. If the young lady herself can live here comfortably, why should the others be unable to? I’ll have them purchase some wooden boards from the village. Since there are empty rooms, putting together a couple of large sleeping platforms won’t be difficult.”

“We’ll also ask carpenters to hurry and make several beds. If there’s still not enough space, some people can temporarily lodge with village families for a night or two.”

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Zhu Ying.

Although the young lady was trying her best to appear indifferent, the delight shining in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Nanny Li couldn’t help smiling inwardly.

Not just the young lady—even she herself had been astonished upon first seeing Young Master Shou.

Who would have imagined that such an isolated countryside could nurture someone so graceful and ethereal?

Yesterday, after Zhu Yu had raced back to the capital ahead of everyone else and briefly reported everything that had happened, the Dowager Lady had burst into hearty laughter upon hearing that her future grandson-in-law possessed such refined and extraordinary looks.

She had immediately ordered Nanny Li to bring people here today. No matter what, Zhu Ying’s attendants had to be properly arranged. The Zhu family was passing through troubled times, and they couldn’t allow those with ulterior motives to continue targeting the young lady.

Naturally, in order to persuade Zhu Ying to keep more attendants with her, Nanny Li had deliberately played a little trick when she encountered Nanny Zhao’s group on the road.

With obvious satisfaction, she smiled.

“The Dowager Lady said Young Master Shou needn’t worry that it would be improper for the young lady to stay here. Since the Master arranged this marriage when they were both children, the Zhu and Zhang families have long been close family friends.”

“Besides, both Madam Wu and Young Master Shou are people of propriety. There are far too many vexing matters in the capital. It would do the young lady good to stay here for a few days and clear her mind.”

Having said that, before Zhang Shou could react, she once again bowed deeply in apology.

“I deliberately allowed Nanny Zhao to carry on earlier because I wanted to see what tricks the people manipulating that foolish woman intended to play. Who could have guessed that all she’d do was throw a vulgar scene?”

“My momentary lapse in judgment caused Madam Wu to suffer considerable distress. I sincerely apologize to both you and Madam Wu.”

Although Madam Wu had gone into the kitchen, Aunt Liu had been the one actually cooking while Madam Wu remained behind the curtain, listening to every word.

The moment she heard Nanny Li sincerely apologizing, she hurriedly lifted the curtain and came outside.

“Every household has one or two troublesome servants. It was only a misunderstanding.”

Zhang Shou had never expected Madam Wu to suddenly appear, much less seize the conversation.

His headache only grew worse.

Yesterday, it had been because of his mother that the beautiful yet headstrong Miss Zhu had successfully stayed behind.

Today was even worse.

Now that his own mother had readily accepted things, the Zhu family’s enormous entourage of maids and servants was about to fill the entire house.

Then another realization struck him.

Madam Wu was being so accommodating today for one very simple reason.

She desperately wanted this marriage to succeed.

Once he understood that, he felt utterly helpless.

A young lady stubbornly refusing to leave his house…

A crowd of attendants who had suddenly arrived and clearly had no intention of leaving…

And now, a mother wholeheartedly trying to matchmake…

I’m under attack from three sides.

Nanny Li wasn’t surprised in the slightest that Madam Wu had emerged from the kitchen.

She smiled, clapped her hands lightly, and a moment later Nanny Jiang silently entered with two guards. Between the three of them, they carried a large assortment of beautifully decorated brocade gift boxes.

Once again, Nanny Li stepped forward and gave a graceful curtsy.

“The young lady has already caused your household enough inconvenience by staying here. Now we’ve brought so many more people besides.”

“The Dowager Lady knows this has troubled Young Master Shou and Madam Wu. These are merely a few small tokens of her appreciation. Please accept them.”

Compared with Zhu Ying’s troublesome wet nurse, Zhang Shou had to admit that the servants representing the Dowager Lady of the Zhu family truly embodied the dignity expected of senior retainers from a great aristocratic household.

Whatever they might actually think of the mother and son living quietly in the countryside, their manners were absolutely impeccable.

Even in the way they addressed Madam Wu, they never once called her “Concubine Wu” as Zhu Gongquan had yesterday. Instead, they respectfully addressed her as “Madam Wu.”

Just then, Old Liu suddenly emerged from who knew where.

Without a word, he dragged over A-Liu—who had been nearly invisible all this time—to receive the gift boxes.

Whether the two of them did so intentionally or not, Zhang Shou couldn’t be bothered to wonder anymore.

“Very well. Then I shall gratefully accept.”

“The countryside has nothing of value with which to repay the Dowager Lady’s generosity. Fortunately, the harvest season has just begun, and we’ve recently threshed a fresh batch of rice. When you return, please take some newly harvested rice along with fresh fruits and vegetables back for the Dowager Lady as a small token of appreciation from my mother and me.”

Nanny Li knew perfectly well what the gift boxes contained.

There were precious medicinal herbs, ten bolts of fine silk and brocade, jade combs, jade pendants, and various exquisite ornaments.

Their value was beyond comparison with a few baskets of country produce.

Yet since Zhang Shou understood the principle of reciprocating kindness with kindness, she gladly accepted.

Seeing Zhang Shou conversing so harmoniously with Nanny Li and the others, Zhu Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The thought of remaining in the countryside for an even longer time—and getting to know this handsome village gentleman better—filled her with delight.

Fortunately, she still retained a shred of reason.

While Zhang Shou was reluctantly occupied speaking with Nanny Li, she quietly pulled Nanny Jiang aside.

“Has there been any news about my eldest brother? And Father? There are so many criticisms against him in court. Can he really handle it all?”

Unlike the socially adept Nanny Li, Nanny Jiang’s expression became slightly solemn.

Nevertheless, she answered calmly.

“The Dowager Lady said Your Young Ladyship needn’t worry. The eldest young master is blessed by fortune and will certainly come through safely.”

“As for the Master, he has weathered storms far greater than this. These little disturbances are hardly worth mentioning.”

“Besides… the Dowager Lady is still there.”

“That’s good.”

The weight pressing on Zhu Ying’s heart instantly vanished, and her smile grew even brighter.

Suddenly remembering something else, she quickly asked, “By the way, where’s Uncle Hua? Why didn’t he come? Didn’t Zhu Hong and Zhu Yu tell Grandmother?”

Before Nanny Jiang could answer, the sharp-eared Nanny Li chimed in.

“Oh, my dear young lady, who would dare neglect your message? Hua Qi isn’t one of the Dowager Lady’s people—he answers directly to the Master. No one knows where he’s wandered off to.”

“This morning the Dowager Lady couldn’t find him anywhere and became quite angry, immediately sending people out to look for him.”

Everything the Dowager Lady had instructed her to do today had gone perfectly, so Nanny Li was all smiles.

“Please rest assured. The moment Hua Qi returns, the Dowager Lady will certainly send him here.”

At this point, Zhang Shou no longer even had the strength to sigh.

Another person is coming?

At this rate, I might as well rename this place the Duke Zhao Manor’s Country Villa!

The gifts had been delivered.

The attendants had been left behind.

Everything that needed to be said had been said.

Politely declining Madam Wu’s invitation to stay for lunch, Nanny Li smiled warmly, exchanged farewells, and departed with Nanny Jiang, saying not a single word about how the two of them, together with a lone coachman, intended to keep watch over Nanny Zhao and the four captured guards.

As for those remaining behind…

The four young maids began tidying the empty rooms.

Zhanjin left Liuyin to attend Zhu Ying while she herself organized the luggage.

Meanwhile, Zhu Hong and Zhu Yu took the guards into the village to purchase wooden planks and other necessities.

When Aunt Liu finally served the dumplings and meat pies with a cheerful smile…

Zhu Ying, having bathed, changed clothes, and dressed in a silver-red gauze gown shimmering like rosy clouds, emerged to eat lunch.

Only to discover…

Zhang Shou had disappeared again.

She had intended to question him—whether today’s dumplings and meat pies were also going to be eaten separately, just as before.

Yet once again…

He had slipped away.