"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 57

The madam turned pale with fright, she made someone stop her but it was already too late.

“Is there another entrance to this secret tunnel?”

Miao Zhen did not imagine such a thing would happen, why did that seemingly gentle and weak second young lady of the Zhao family appear to have changed into another person escaping first? 

Until the madam asked her twice did she then react, she said, “Madam, there isn’t, this is a secret tunnel for escape, again how could there be another entrance, also once locked from the inside it cannot be broken into, this is to prevent evildoers from following.”

The madam’s face became very unsightly, she gloomily and coldly said, “Indeed one may know a person for a long time without understanding her true nature, I actually raised an ungrateful wretch!” 

Again recalling the last words of Zhao Rui Zhi, she only felt an uncontrollable rage, she really was blind, she knew Zhao Rui Zhi was an issue yet always kept her by her side, last time after she was ill she had even thought, if Zhao Rui Zhi was her granddaughter it would be much better! It turns out her so-called gentleness and obedient was merely a method for her to curry favour that’s all!

Suddenly the sound of a woman weeping came from outside, Miao Zhen jolted in fear, immediately a nun with untidy clothes came rushing over, tears clung to the corners of her eyes, eyes wide, appearing to be extremely scared, she said, “Head nun, save Hui An! Those people want to kill her, they’re saying if we don’t hand her over they will slaughter everyone at the Kurong temple!” 

Afterwards she turned to look at Zhao Jin Yu, pure hatred rushed to her eyes.

Miao Zhen hurriedly said, “Madam, what should be done now?” She didn’t want to offend the madam, but again she did not want here people to die, that’s why she could only pass the problem to the madam.

The madam stood in front of Zhao Jin Yu, blocking that nun’s hateful gaze, steadily she said, “I have an idea right now.” Then she moved her gaze to Zhen Zhu, “Zhen Zhu come here.”

Zhao Jin Yu had a really bad feeling.

Zhen Zhu was panic-stricken at first, but seeing the madam’s calm gaze she again had some throwing caution to the wind courage, walking over, she said, “Madam, this servant is here.”

“The Zhao family hasn’t mistreated you right?”

Zhen Zhu kowtowed saying, “The kindness the Zhao family has shown me is greater than a mountain, even if this servant works like a horse this lifetime I would not be able to repay it.”

The madam nodded her head in satisfaction, saying, “In a moment, put on the eldest young lady’s clothes.” Afterwards she looked around, looking over everyone in the room once, her gaze held an undisguised warning, “From now on Zhen Zhu is the Zhao family’s eldest young lady, if any of you dare to object, then don’t think about leaving here.” The madam’s gaze flickered with a strong merciless emotion.

Zhao Jin Yu almost staggered backwards, she saw everyone was either silent, or bowed their heads in fear, in brief they all tacitly agreed to the madam’s plan she felt an indescribable fear rise in her chest.

Zhen Zhu nodded saying, “Yes, madam.” She and Zhao Jin Yu resembled each other slightly, and had been brought up by the madam’s side, her manner was incomparable to others, now she was most suited to pretend to be Zhao Jin Yu.

Zhen Zhu’s body trembled, but nevertheless she stood up firmly, she wasn’t a cruel and unscrupulous person like Zhao Rui Zhi, the Zhao famly had bought her, the madam also cared about her a lot, in fact thinking about it her life was not unlike a young lady from a small family, if she didn’t repay their kindness now when could she?

Anyway she knew, when she passes, the madam would certainly take care of her family, that was enough, but even though she thought like this, she still couldn’t help the tears from flowing.

The sound of weeping came from outside, each sound more painful than the last, Zhao Jin Yu’s mind was shocked, just as she wanted to speak she heard the madam say, “Nanny Li, go hide Zhao Jin Yu in the back.” The madam looked at nanny Li, with a serious gaze, “I will entrust her to you.”

Nanny Li grinded her teeth saying, “Madam feel reassured, this old servant will protect the eldest young lady even if I have to sacrifice my life.”

Zhao Jin Yu naturally was unwilling, she said, “Grandmother, this can’t be…” As she spoke tears came rushing out, she struggled with all her strength, however she was restrained by nanny Li and two other maids, they had been by the madam’s side for a long time, what have they not seen? 

Furthermore they knew how to restrain someone in a safe manner, immediately they carried her to the back directly.

At the back was a small firewood room, there was a basement inside, it was usually used to store vegetables, nanny Li carried Zhao Jin Yu to the basement, saying, “Young lady, I know you have good intentions, you can’t bear for those people to suffer because of you, but you are different from them, you are the eldest young lady of the Zhao family, everyone here, including those nuns, which person has not received the Zhao family’s favour? Every year the madam stays here her donations are more than five six hundred silvers, to be truthful, if it wasn’t for the Zhao family they wouldn’t even be able to eat, that’s why there is nothing to be ashamed of, listen to granny, as long as you live…, even if the madam sacrifices her life she would have been willing, she can no longer bear to experience the loss of a blood relative.” Nanny Li was choked with sobs as she spoke towards the end.

Zhao Jin Yu’s tears surged, she couldn’t see clearly nanny Li’s face, at this moment the old woman who had always been by grandmother’s side was very fuzzy, but it left a clear mark in her heart, she said, “Nanny Li, this won’t do, if something happens to grandmother, if those people die because of me, how can I live happily?”

“Granny knows you are a good child, Zhao Rui Zhi that ungrateful wretch really cannot compare with a fingernail of yours, pah, cruel and unscrupulous person!” Nanny Li affectionately wiped Zhao Jin Yu’s tears, and also cried with her, not just her, the two maids who came with them were also crying. Nanny Li said, “Eldest young lady, with such an intention, we don’t mind dying.”

The two mads sobbing said, “Nanny Li is right, eldest young lady, the Zhao family has been kind to us, there is nothing we fear.”

Until they left Zhao Jin Yu only then realised she really has been locked in a black basement, she wiped her tears, walking to the door wanting to push it open and walk out, in the end however pacing for a while she didn’t push the basement door open.

“Since they carried you here, how would they allow you out? They must have already locked it.” The emperor said.

Zhao Jin Yu anxiously hopped about, saying, “What to do?”

The emperor’s heart was also uneasy, he had just woken up to find out the Tiangui sect was revolting…, his body was two days travel away from the outskirts of Hangzhou, thinking about it he couldn’t help sigh. How could it be such a coincidence?

Zhao Jin Yu walked in a circle for a while, again a cry came from outside, moreover each cry was more piercing than the last, she felt she was about to have a nervous breakdown, tugging at the stone she yelled, “Aren’t you a stone spirit? Do you have no powers at all? Let me out? If someone actually happens to grandmother, how will I live on? Could it be I have to bear the shame my entire life? Also those other innocent people…, Zhen Zhu is a kind girl! A few days ago she even said she would serve me for a lifetime!” The more Zhao Jin Yu spoke the more her tears flowed.

The emperor couldn’t control himself watching Zhao Jin Yu cry, he only felt a sharp pain in his chest, he nevertheless could not say comforting words, actually it wasn’t that the emperor was unable to help those people, but it would use a lot of resources.

Just now hearing that house guard explain, there were two three hundred people outside, An Wen Yao had ten experts by his side, even if it was one person to ten…, that didn’t guarantee the safety of every person, the emperor anxiously ran after the less important issue, forgetting the more important matter, if something happened to Zhao Jin Yu…, thinking about it the emperor’s heart couldn’t bear it.

There were more and more cries of women from outside, unending screams, Zhao Jin Yu cried even more in distress, she saw there was an axe in the basket at the side, because it was placed inside no one had seen it, Zhao Jin Yu without hesitation picked it up.

The emperor watched Zhao Jin Yu with red eyes, like a mad woman use the axe to smash open the basement door, an indescribable heartache welled up in his heart, originally he had wanted her to live her life daily as she wished, how did things become like this?

He should have sorted out the mess in the palace long ago, let alone those evil spirit like the Tiangui sect…, otherwise why would he have to use the imperial concubine selection to get Zhao Jin Yu delivered into the palace, in fact he had only done this following official rules because he was afraid they would see how important Zhao Jin Yu was to him, hurt her.

At first he had thought it was a very easy matter, however because of all kinds of reasons, including 

Zhao Jin Yu herself unwilling to enter the palace…, dragging it on until now the original reason was already lost, if he had known earlier this would not be better he would have directly summoned Zhao Jin Yu into the palace already.

He had wanted to play a game of cat and mouse, in the end that flame almost actually burned him.

When the emperor once again opened his eyes, a killing intent in his eyes, he opened his mouth to say, “Don’t smash it, we will help you.”

Zhao Jin Yu’s brow was beaded with sweat from physical exertion, she continued to pant, hearing the stone’s words she couldn’t help but cease her actions to take a break, using her sleeves to wipe the drops of sweat and tears mixed together, flushed she asked, “How can you help me?” After speaking she started crying.

The emperor endured Zhao Jin Yu’s both pitiful and adorable appearance, he only thought if he was actually here he would certainly hold her in his arms and properly comfort her, with a distressed tone he said, “I have a secret guard, he is really talented, he can help you get out.” The emperor finished speaking then with a low yell towards the outside, “An Wen Yao, come out!”

An Wen Yao had constantly been hiding on the roof, listening to all the activities over here all along, he of course also heard Zhao Jin Yu breaking the door, he couldn’t help think…, the girl His Majesty likes really does have an explosive character, hearing the emperor’s words he came down deftly as a falling leaf.

“What is your instruction?” An Wen Yao did not dare to address the emperor as His Majesty in front of Zhao Jin Yu, because every time the emperor met him it was after Zhao Jin Yu fell asleep, he could tell the emperor did not want Zhao Jin Yu to know of his existence and the emperor’s identity.

Zhao Jin Yu hearing this deep voice from outside jumped in surprise, she couldn’t help say, “There really is someone?”