Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 200 - 199: Mother

When Miao Family was mentioned, it was the first time Zhu Yu felt a bit of warmth in her heart ever since returning to Shuo Country.

Though, due to the rules set by Pang Yuzhen, the concubines’ daughters were all housed in one courtyard and usually weren’t allowed to stay with their biological mothers. Moreover, Miao’s own disposition was soft and even somewhat timid, so the mother and daughter didn’t have much opportunity to spend time together. As a result, Miao was never really clear about what kind of personality her daughter truly had. Even until Zhu Yu got married, she hadn’t perceived anything unusual.

But during those years, Miao still tried every possible way to be good to Zhu Yu.

Previously, Pang Yuzhen had invited a female teacher to educate Zhu Ning in reading and hired an embroidery girl to teach the women’s crafts in the mansion.

Although she usually didn’t pay much attention to these concubines’ daughters, since they were the daughters of Prince Shuo, if in the future, when it came time for them to be married off, were ignorant and clumsy, it would ultimately bring shame to the Prince Shuo Mansion. It would also cause people to gossip behind her back that this legitimate mother was narrow-minded and hadn’t properly raised the concubines’ daughters in the household.

Based on this consideration, other concubines’ daughters who were of similar age to Zhu Ning also needed to learn to read and do needlework together.

Zhu Yu was quite happy with reading and studying, as it provided something to do instead of wasting time. All she needed to do was keep her abilities under wraps and not outshine Zhu Ning completely, which was enough. Being familiar with the teacher, she could even borrow some storybooks from her to pass the time.

However, when it came to needlework, she found it quite troublesome.

Sitting there embroidering, not only were the needles small and the threads thin, but the stitches also needed to be uniform and dense. For a small pattern, she had to bend over and sew countless stitches.

If it were merely pricking her fingers with the needle, she could endure it, but the most exhausting part was bending over for so long, causing her neck to ache unbearably.

Miao somehow learned that Zhu Yu’s embroidery skills often seemed unsatisfactory and she was frequently ridiculed by Pang Yuzhen and Zhu Ning for it. Thus, Miao would occasionally sew a few simple patterns secretly and have a maid send them to Zhu Yu privately, so she could present them to the needlework teacher as an explanation.

Later, she also heard that Zhu Yu liked reading miscellaneous books and would secretly try to obtain a few for her from outside.

Even though Miao wasn’t well-read and the books she managed to buy were varied and not always in Zhu Yu’s interest, this thoughtfulness and concern still made Zhu Yu feel very warm inside.

Of course, if Miao had any expectations for her daughter Zhu Yu, it was only one—to not stand out too much and overshadow Pang Yuzhen’s treasure, Zhu Ning, because if that were to happen, life would become difficult for both mother and daughter.

Before Zhu Yu left for her marriage, Pang Yuzhen likely estimated that Zhu Yu would be leaving for good this time, so she didn’t prevent Miao from meeting with her daughter. Miao stayed with Zhu Yu for several days, mostly without saying anything, just sitting there watching her, or holding her hand and soon tears would fall.

On the day of the wedding, Miao could only stand among the crowd from the Prince Mansion, not even qualified to squeeze to the front. Before Zhu Yu boarded the sedan, she glanced at her, seeing Miao’s eyes red and swollen like rotten peaches, almost reduced to a slit.

From the beginning, being forced to become a concubine was involuntary. The only person she regarded as her own, with whom she could share a few intimate words, was just that one daughter, who was now being married off to Jin Country through an edict. From then on, whether dead or alive, there might never be any news.

Pang Yuzhen, concerned for her daughter, could have Zhu Cheng choose a concubine’s daughter casually to be married off, but Miao didn’t have such face or ability. She could only watch helplessly as her only close kin was sent away like this.

Just thinking about this made Zhu Yu feel a bit sad, and her face unconsciously showed some melancholy.

At that time, when she opened her eyes, everything was so unfamiliar, forcing her to cautiously wade forward, Miao’s maternal care and silent protection were crucial in allowing her to get through it smoothly.

Lu Qing observed this, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke to Zhu Yu, "Tomorrow, Yan Daoxin will go to check the pulse of Princess Shuo and your mother. You should go with him, using the method from the time in Situ Jing’s camp. Your father won’t say anything, and they won’t recognize you."

Zhu Yu thought about it and indeed wanted to see if Miao was doing well, so she agreed.

In the past, Miao was timid, and she herself had to lower her head while under someone else’s roof; neither of them could help each other much.

This time is different.

Zhu Yu, hoping to become a support for those who were kind to her in the past.

Yan Daoxin raised an eyebrow at Lu Qing, then looked at Zhu Yu with a meaningful gaze. He stretched lazily and yawned, "Alright, let’s settle it like that!

Tomorrow morning, both of you will come with me, and I’ll make sure to properly check Zhu Yu’s mother’s pulse!

After traveling for so long, tonight I can finally sleep properly on a proper bed. You can discuss whatever in your room; I won’t keep you company!"

With that, he got up and walked away, stretching his stiff limbs as he did so. Upon reaching the door, he paused, turned back to Zhu Yu, and said, "Oh, by the way, don’t forget to change this old guy’s medicine!"

After Yan Daoxin left, Zhu Yu and Lu Qing also returned to the main building in Li Garden.

The steward of Prince Shuo Mansion, knowing Zhu Yu’s identity, likely instructed by Zhu Cheng personally, was waiting there with some of the mansion’s renowned and tight-lipped old servants to ensure they fulfilled any of Zhu Yu and Lu Qing’s requests, fearing the news of Zhu Yu’s secret return to Jin Country might leak.

Zhu Yu didn’t mind this much; after all, there were many things they still needed to do, and keeping it confidential was to their advantage.

However, since things were different now, she wasn’t just an overlooked and insignificant concubine’s daughter from Prince Shuo Mansion but had transformed into a Secondary First Rank Princess of Da Jin, whom even Zhu Cheng needed to respect. Thus, she saw no need to be courteous with the normally haughty steward.

Therefore, she directly instructed the steward to bring some extra bedding to make the hard bed in the main house soft and also to bring two soft pillows.

The soft pillows from Prince Xiaoyao Mansion were of excellent quality, and she loved them. Returning now to Prince Shuo Mansion, faced with the hard pillows of the side courtyard, she simply couldn’t use them at all.

Previously, the steward didn’t see Zhu Yu as significant, treating the concubines’ daughters with respectful indifference. But this time was different.

The concubine-born second miss had not only become Princess Xiaoyao, but he personally witnessed how Zhu Cheng stayed back to dine with them, and talked privately for a long time, seemingly unwilling to leave until Princess called someone to fetch him.

Thus, hurriedly, he sent a constable to bring over some of the best silk comforters to make their beds, delivered some hot water for washing, even scattering fragrant flower petals in the washbasin.