readytorunbook Chapter 126 Panic
Chapter 126 Panic
The next day—
The guy who came to Shangshu Mansion to deliver vegetables knocked on the door for a long time but no one opened it. He could only leave the vegetables in a basket at the back door and cover it.
The servants who woke up in the mansion felt that the mansion was exceptionally quiet today.
"It's really strange. Why haven't the master and mistress gotten up yet? I haven't seen the young master and young lady go to the academy either." said a servant who was cleaning the courtyard.
A maidservant nearby rubbed her sleepy eyes and said, "Something is wrong. I went to the kitchen just now, and even Mrs. Li and Xiao Dezi were not there. It's time to cook at this hour!"
The people around him echoed, "Yeah, yeah! Usually, the Third Young Master and the Third Mistress get up the earliest to do morning exercises, but today it's already 3:00 pm and no one has come out yet! The Master also has to go to the morning court at this hour!"
Several people gathered together to think about it. The courtyard was unusually quiet today... Even the maids and servants were nowhere to be seen. The horses in the stables were still there, and the carriage was also in the mansion. Could this be... haunted?
Suddenly a cool breeze blew, and the three of them shivered, looking at the extremely quiet courtyard. They started shouting.
"What are you yelling about! Do you want to die? Don't disturb the masters!" A serious voice sounded from behind the three people.
The three of them turned around and looked at the person who came. It was Butler Zhou.
"Butler Zhou, we didn't mean it...it really is..." The three of them nodded and expressed their doubts.
After hearing this, Butler Zhou was also puzzled. Today was exactly as the three men said. The masters had not yet gotten up and the maids were nowhere to be seen. Could something have happened?
"Butler Zhou... do you want to go in and take a look? We are all low-ranking servants and dare not step into the master's courtyard..."
Butler Zhou nodded, walked into Minister Lu's courtyard, knocked on the door, bowed and stood at the door and asked, "Master, are you feeling unwell today? Don't miss the court session."
There was no response from inside the house.
Butler Zhou knocked on the door again after a while, but still got no response. He couldn't help but feel a little worried, "Master? Is this old servant coming in?"
Butler Zhou pushed the door gently and it opened. He walked carefully to the bedside and the gauze curtain was opened, but there was no one there. He touched the bed and found it was already cold, which meant that the master and the mistress were no longer there in the middle of the night.
He hurried out of the courtyard and walked towards the courtyards of several other young masters. He also knocked on the door and waited for a response. When there was no response, he went in again. The scene was the same. No one... No signs of fighting! Even the young ladies and young masters were gone!
Butler Zhou was extremely anxious and hurriedly stood in the yard, shouting at his servants to gather together and prepare to look for the Lu family.
"Why are there only a few of them? Where are the others?" Butler Zhou looked at the scattered servants in front of him. They were all low-ranking servants. Those servants who served the masters were not there.
"Butler Zhou, they were nowhere to be found when I woke up today! They were nowhere to be found in the entire yard!" someone said in panic.
"Find them! Make sure you find the masters and ladies! I'll report to the police!" Butler Zhou said anxiously.
"Butler! Butler Zhou!" A man came running from a distance, panting.
"Xiao Dezi? Where have you been?" Butler Zhou looked at the person who came. It was Xiao Dezi from the kitchen.
I saw Xiao Dezi holding a basket of vegetables and walking in front of everyone, panting and saying, "The masters have all gone to the palace as guests, and told us not to make a big fuss about it. We will not leave the palace for the next few days."
Butler Zhou realized something was wrong when he heard this, and looked at everyone, "Go away! Go do what you need to do, remember! Talk less! Do more! Don't go out recently!"
Everyone was talking in low voices.
Butler Zhou frowned and said, "This month's allowance will be doubled!"
Everyone looked at Butler Zhou with shining eyes.
"Anyone who disobeys and dares to leave the house without permission or leaks any information will be expelled from the house!" Butler Zhou said sternly.
Everyone nodded "Yes!" and retreated silently.
Butler Zhou pulled Xiao Dezi over and asked, "What's going on?"
Xiao Dezi shook his head, "I don't know either. When I woke up in the morning, I found myself sleeping in the servant's room of the palace. I was scared! By the way, this is a letter from the master. I have to help Grandma Li cook!" After Xiao Dezi handed the letter to Butler Zhou, he hurried to the kitchen with a basket of vegetables.
Housekeeper Zhou opened the letter and read it, frowning. The content of the letter was almost the same as what Xiao Dezi said. The masters were all going to the palace as guests, and even the maids and servants who usually served them went with them. Don't worry, take care of all the affairs in the palace, everything will be normal...
Butler Zhou put away the letter and thought to himself, it seems that something might have happened in the court. The master is safer in the palace.
————Royal Palace
Minister Lu and his family, who were sitting in the flower hall, had just finished their meal with great satisfaction. The food in this palace was really good!
"Grandfather! Is this my aunt's house?" Lu Xingyao asked, looking up.
Minister Lu nodded with a smile, "That's right! This is your aunt's home, her second home, the Shangshu Mansion is also her home!"
After dinner, the little ones gathered together and said, "Aunt's house is so big! It's even bigger than the Shangshu Mansion!"
The eldest, Lu Xingxing, said, "My uncle's official position is higher than my grandfather's! His house is naturally bigger than the Shangshu Mansion!"
"Grandpa! Can we go play? No running around! Just in the yard!" The twins Lu Xingyao and Lu Xingyue said cutely.
Minister Lu looked at the children, then at the secret guards, "This..."
"Don't worry, Minister Lu. The mansion is safe. As long as you don't leave the mansion or go to the main courtyard, the young masters and young ladies can wander around as they please." An San said
Minister Lu nodded and said, "Go ahead, be careful. Xingxing, keep an eye on the brothers!"
Lu Xingxing nodded.
"Grandfather, can I go to the attic to read?" Lu Xingzhi said.
An Qi came over and said, "I'll take the young lady there."
"Sister, I'm going too," Lu Xingyao said, holding Lu Xingzhi's hand.
Minister Lu nodded with a smile, "Go, go." Xingzhi is a good person, much better than her brother Lu Xingxing! She will definitely become a top female scholar in the future!
Mrs. Si, her eldest daughter-in-law Lin Jingyi and her second daughter-in-law Wen Xin, took a walk in the palace garden after dinner.
The third son Lu Yang and his wife Zhao Wan'er were practicing martial arts in the martial arts training ground of the palace. An Liu stood by and watched, commenting from time to time.
Lu Xingxing and his brothers were strolling around the palace, looking around, and finally stopped at the armory.
Several children leaned over the door and looked inside. "I can't see it!"
"Young masters, do you want to go in?" An Ba appeared behind them.
Lu Xingxing was startled. He protected his brothers behind him and looked at An Ba who was dressed in black. "Are you also a secret guard?"
An Ba nodded and said, "Your subordinate An Ba! Master Xing Xing, do you want to go in? This is the weapons depot."
Lu Xingxing asked doubtfully, "You know my name?"
"Not only me, everyone in the mansion knows the names of the young masters." An Ba replied.
Lu Xingxing nodded and looked at the locked door. "Can I come in?"
"Of course! Except for the prince's study and the princess's courtyard, you can enter all other places." An Ba replied.
Lu Xingxing was eager to try, in fact, he longed to become a general! But his grandfather was a civil servant, and he also hoped that he would become a knowledgeable person like his father... But he... just really, really liked it...
"Forget it. Let's go." Lu Xingxing shook his head, holding Lu Xingyao's hand with one hand and waving to Lu Xinglin, who was also holding Lu Xingyue's hand with the other hand, to follow and go to other places.
An Ba shrugged and hid his body.
Minister Lu, his eldest son Lu Ze, and his second son Lu Ye were sitting in the small study in the front yard.
"Have you all applied for leave?" asked Minister Lu.
The two nodded and said, "I have taken a month's leave from the academy."
"The Imperial Master has been in seclusion recently...with no one to supervise him." Lu Ze took a sip of tea indifferently. This job was really good. If he had something to do, he would go to the Imperial Master's Mansion to visit. If he had nothing to do, he would stay at home...it was leisurely.
Minister Lu glanced at his two sons and sighed. He didn't know what was going to happen. Wanwan wasn't there, and Xiao Jing'an wasn't in the house either. Where were the three of them? Were they safe?