Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Chapter 135: Final Arrangements

As soon as Yanqing entered, he found Yu Wanran. Ignoring the presence of others, his eyes were bloodshot with anxiety, and he knelt down before her with a thud.

"Master, please save Brother Yanbai! He... he's dying!"

Upon seeing this, Zhong Yeliu immediately led the two bewildered girls, Yu Xiaoxiang and Xiao Juan, out and closed the door.

Yu Wanran frowned: "Get up and speak first!"

He grabbed a cup from the table, poured himself a glass of tea, and handed it to Yanqing, who was wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He couldn't help but scold, "How old are you? Why are you still so flustered!"

Zhong Yeliu didn't care that she witnessed all this. But her little niece was still a child; if she were frightened, how could she explain it to her brother and sister-in-law?

Yanqing felt both ashamed and anxious. Yanbai was on the verge of death, and he had rushed back on horseback. He was so restless that he couldn't eat or sleep, and in his daze, he didn't notice that there were two children in his master's room.

He took a sip of water but couldn't drink it; he just stood there, his face pale, lost in thought.

"Sit down and tell me what happened."

Yan Qing was jolted back to her senses by her master's gentle shout. Holding her teacup, she plopped down in the chair next to Yu Wanran, gritted her teeth, and began to speak in a muffled voice.

"Master, Yanbai is currently imprisoned in the Duke's mansion dungeon. When I left Tongcheng, he was being severely tortured and might not last more than a few days..."

"what?"

Yu Wanran stared in astonishment.

"why?"

Could it be that Yan Bai was being held accountable by the Duke's mansion because he didn't want to betray her? But what she's done recently isn't anything that's not worth telling outsiders, so Yan Bai has no reason to hide it, right?

Yanqing had a bitter expression on his face.

"I found a former bodyguard I knew and learned that Brother Yanbai was arrested for attempting to assassinate the Duke! As for why he attempted the assassination, I really don't know the reason?"

"Assassination attempt on the Duke?"

Yu Wanran gasped!

Even if she were still the daughter of the Duke's mansion, she would inevitably be implicated in such a situation. Moreover, she had just left the Duke's mansion, precisely when she was being subjected to all sorts of suspicion from them.

Yan Bai really dug a huge hole for her all of a sudden!

Fortunately, Xiao Wang sent Yan Bai and Yan Qing to her side precisely to control her. In the short term, they wouldn't suspect she had turned Yan Bai against him and thus attempted an assassination, would they?

I used to think Xiao Wang was a cunning old fox. Now I hope he is indeed cunning, so that I won't mistakenly suspect her.

Seeing his master's grave expression, Yan Qing slowly regained his composure, realizing his master's perilous situation. His face paled further, and he said in a trembling voice, "Master, I'm afraid you can't return to Tongcheng now. The Duke..."

But if the master doesn't return to Tongcheng and try to rescue Yanbai, Yanbai will surely die!

For a moment, Yanqing was consumed by grief.

"Rest for one night, and set off tomorrow to help the Lin family open a workshop in Dezhou!"

Seeing Yan Qing's blank expression, she raised her eyebrows coldly: "At a time like this, you can't show up in Tongcheng, but I will go back openly and honestly!"

Otherwise, how could Xiao Wang not suspect her?

Regardless of Yan Bai's reasons for suddenly assassinating Xiao Wang, he must return to Tongcheng to clear his name before they can discuss the future.

The Duke's mansion has dedicated decades to cultivating its secret guards, wielding considerable power. If Xiao Wangzhen suspects her and sends someone to deal with her, she worries that she is currently unable to protect her family with her abilities!

Yanqing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yu Wanran knew what he wanted to say, and coldly replied, "If Yanbai is worth saving and can be saved, I will naturally save him. But if you reappear in Tongcheng, it will not only arouse the Duke's suspicion, but also ruin my plans!"

Yanqing dared not speak again.

Knowing his master's personality well, he knew that if he continued to dwell on this issue, his master would definitely get angry. Moreover, he was currently helpless; if even his master couldn't save the person, then it could only be said that Yan Bai's fate was sealed.

He clasped his hands in a somber gesture.

"Then... this subordinate will take his leave!"

After taking a few steps, he remembered something, turned back, and took out the hundred-tael silver note: "Master, this money is useless..."

Yu Wanran glanced at it: "Take it, it'll be useful in Decheng. Buy a small house in the city, hire someone to guard the door and clean the rooms, and we'll have a place to stay there in the future."

"Yes!"

Yanqing understood and took back the silver note: "I will definitely handle this matter properly."

After he left, Yu Wanran called Zhong Yeliu, Qiu Cui, and the others in.

A deep worry was hidden in Zhong Yeliu's eyes: "Master, are you going back to Tongcheng?"

She learned about her master's background from Yan Qing, Yan Bai, and others. She never imagined her master was connected to the Duke's mansion.

She herself came from a wealthy family, where intrigue and cutthroat competition were rampant. How much more so for her master, who was facing the powerful Duke's mansion with its own fiefdom!

Yu Wanran reached out and touched the head of her little niece, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "After I go to Tongcheng, I will also have to go to the capital. I will send someone to tell you that my elder brother will wait outside the city."

"it is good."

Zhong Yeliu nodded, indicating that he would definitely pass on the message.

Yu Wanran asked Qiu Cui to take Yu Xiaoxiang and Xiao Juan down to rest. After hesitating for a while, she took out two thousand taels of silver notes and handed them to Zhong Yeliu. This was almost half of her life savings.

"If... I don't come back, keep some of this money for your future living expenses, and send some to my family. Send someone to Decheng to let them know; Yanqing knows what to do!"

Tears streamed down Zhong Yeliu's face. He refused the silver notes and knelt before her feet.

"Master, is it absolutely necessary to go back to Tongcheng? The world is vast, surely there's somewhere we can find refuge!"

"I was born with original sin. The Duke's mansion is a calamity I cannot escape..."

Yu Wanran helped her up, gave a wry smile, and stuffed the silver note into her hand.

"Your indentures are in the jewelry box in the small storeroom. If anything happens to me, tell my parents that they should move to De City."

Yan Bai's sudden and inexplicable actions nearly ruined her entire life plan. She had to prepare for the worst to deal with the Duke's fury.

"master……"

Zhong Yeliu's eyes were red-rimmed: "I will stay here and wait for you to come back..."

"Don't be stupid!"

Yu Wanran began packing her belongings. Having said what needed to be said, she felt no more regrets. To her, this life had been earned in vain, and every extra day she lived was a bonus.

Mei Xue made a bunch of dry pancakes as provisions, and Yu Wanran set off on her way back to Tongcheng overnight.

No sooner had she left than a messenger sent by Xue Heyu of Decheng arrived. Zhong Yeliu dared not open the letter, nor could she reveal her master's whereabouts, and the messenger returned disappointed.

Yu Wanran rode at breakneck speed, avoiding shops and cities along the way, arriving in Tongcheng two days ahead of schedule on the fourth day, just before curfew. She found a small inn near the Duke's mansion to stay in.

Early the next morning, she changed into inconspicuous clothes and went to the back gate of the Duke's mansion to wait for Granny Xiong, who was out shopping. She gave her five taels of silver and asked her to bring a box of rouge to Princess Tang Manman.

The rouge was produced by Yunzhuxie, the most famous rouge brand in Tongcheng. Granny Xiong assumed that Yu Wanran wanted to curry favor with the Crown Princess, so she sent the item to the inner quarters without much suspicion.

She secretly chuckled to herself, thinking how extravagant this fake heiress was! The errand fee she paid was more expensive than a box of rouge?

Little did she know that if Yu Wanran were to get into trouble in the future, and she were found out, the blame she would bear would be considerable.

If you're alive to take money, you have to be alive to spend it.