Wasn't this the perfect world just for her?
It would be great to come down and have fun from time to time!
Shi Muyuan even began to wonder how to renovate this place.
"I wonder where this courtyard is located in the capital city," Xiao Xiao said casually.
Shi Muyuan's wandering thoughts were instantly pulled back. She quickly walked towards the gate to take a look.
The gate was blocked from the inside by an iron bar as thick as a man's thigh.
The iron bar was already rusty, and there were even some small holes corroded in some places. The junction of the iron bar and the gate was stuck together by some unknown mixture.
"Xiao Xiao, come and give me a hand," Shi Muyuan said domineeringly, waving Xiao Xiao over. The two of them exerted all their strength but couldn't move it an inch.
At this time, Shi'er spoke up, "This should be the haunted mansion in the capital city."
"What?"
"What?"
Shi Muyuan and Xiao Xiao said in unison. But the former was greatly shocked, while the latter was just simply confused.
Shi Muyuan looked at Xiao Xiao, who had a strong reaction, in confusion.
Xiao Xiao showed an awkward expression and said, "Doesn't Your Majesty the Empress Dowager know? You were even scared to cry by this house when you were a young girl."
Shi Muyuan said that she seemed to have forgotten.
"The older generation used to say that this place was haunted when they were kids. Sometimes, strange noises and voices of people talking could be heard, but there was no one living in this courtyard," Xiao Xiao explained. "Otherwise, this is a house in the capital city. How could it be unoccupied?"
Shi Muyuan listened extremely calmly. Xiao Xiao felt flustered under her gaze. Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was possessed by the National Teacher? This cold look with upturned eyes was so similar!
"Xiao Xiao, do you mean it's like us?" Shi Muyuan knocked on the big iron bar.
Xiao Xiao immediately realized that this was exactly the scene of a haunted mansion. And they were the so - called ghosts.
Shi'er, who was standing by, also held back a laugh under his mask.
Xiao Xiao twisted her fingers aggrievedly. It seemed that she was the only fool, but it was clearly Her Majesty the Empress Dowager who was scared to cry before!
Shi Muyuan clapped the dirt off her hands and said, "It seems that someone from the palace has been here before. It's just that it was a long time ago, which gave rise to such rumors."
But it provided her with some convenience.
"Your residence is nearby," Shi'er said in a timely manner.
"Oh?" Shi Muyuan didn't expect it to be so close. It was really like someone offering a pillow just when she was sleepy.
She was still thinking about looking for Huo Qizhou. But looking up at the pitch - black night sky with only a few stars, Shi Muyuan decided to ask Shi'er to send another letter tomorrow.
Just as Shi Muyuan was about to pick up the pen to write a letter, she heard Ze Ze say that Huo Qizhou was coming and was heading towards the Shoukang Palace. Shi Muyuan grinned with the writing brush in her hand. He came just in time. She was too lazy to write this troublesome letter.
So, as soon as Huo Qizhou stepped into the Shoukang Palace, he saw a small figure rushing towards him. He frowned and stood still. Fortunately, Shi Muyuan stopped in time, or Huo Qizhou would have stepped aside and let her fall flat on her face.
"I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager," Huo Qizhou said, clasping his fists.
"Huo Qizhou, you come just in time. I have something to tell you," Shi Muyuan reached out her hand to pull him in, but Huo Qizhou nimbly dodged her small hand. Shi Muyuan hooked up one corner of her mouth indifferently. She had almost figured out Huo Qizhou's personality by now. He didn't like others to touch him.
"Does Her Majesty the Empress Dowager want to ask about the question from yesterday?"
Shi Muyuan paused. Which question from yesterday?
She slapped her forehead. Oh right, yesterday she asked Shi'er to inquire about the families of those missing girls. She had been so excited about the secret passage that she had forgotten about it.
"I also have something to tell you," Shi Muyuan paused and then added, "Two things."
Huo Qizhou sat on the chair, looking like he was all ears.
Shi Muyuan casually poured a cup of tea for him and pushed it in front of him. Then she began to talk about her discoveries, "Before, didn't I hear the name of the Duke from Yin Muran? Yesterday when we were enjoying the snow, first, I got the letter I asked Shi'er to send you yesterday. Second, I met Zhang Mingzhu. She had a dispute with Yao Kun on the racecourse. After coming back, Yao Kun told me that she was so arrogant that she didn't even put me, the Empress Dowager, in her eyes." Shi Muyuan said angrily, slapping the table.
She was the Empress Dowager after all, but she was actually looked down upon by someone.
It was only then that she noticed that Huo Qizhou seemed a bit distracted. She waved her hand in front of his eyes and said, "National Teacher? What's wrong with you?"
Huo Qizhou's black eyes turned to her as if he was carefully sizing her up. "It's okay. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please continue." Then his eyes fell on the cup of tea that Shi Muyuan had poured.
She actually poured tea for him?
He didn't believe the news from Shi'er that she had become much more approachable than before. But now it seemed that she was a bit too approachable.
Did she pour it specifically for him or would she pour it for others too?
Shi Muyuan felt embarrassed under his gaze. Who wouldn't blush when being stared at by a handsome man! Shi Muyuan defended herself in her heart.
She took a deep breath and continued to talk about her discoveries.
Shi Muyuan frowned cutely in earnest. Her face was rosy without any makeup, and her skin was as smooth as coagulated fat. Her lips, as red as if painted with rouge, kept opening and closing.
The way she angrily slapped the table just now was like a little rabbit that his master used to raise. He didn't like that little rabbit back then, but it always liked to jump on him and nestle in his arms, nibbling on carrots and making his sleeves dirty.
If he refused the little rabbit, it would keep stamping its little feet beside his desk, making it impossible for him to practice calligraphy properly.
When he complained to his master, his master stroked his goatee with a smile and asked him back, "Do you really not like this little rabbit? Isn't it a bit cute?"
Huo Qizhou had such a personality even when he was a child. After a moment of silence, he threw the little rabbit in front of his master and shouted, "It's not cute. If Master wants to raise it, please take good care of it yourself." Then he left without looking back.
He turned around so quickly that he didn't see the little rabbit's expression, nor did he see his master's disappointed look.
After that, the little rabbit really never came to look for him again. Huo Qizhou never even saw its furry figure again.
He quietly asked the attendant beside his master, and the attendant said that on the day he threw the little rabbit away, it ended up in his master's stomach.
After learning this news, Huo Qizhou didn't want to see his master for a long time. He never got to see his master again until his master disappeared.
Huo Qizhou's long fingers in his wide sleeves unconsciously pinched and twisted together. The white jade flower that hadn't bloomed for a long time in his mind blossomed again.