Chapter 227: Chapter 227
After living two lifetimes, the thing Jun Ning fears the most is this.
No matter how powerful, skilled, and invincible she has become through cultivation, she is still afraid of this thing.
That kind of fear is ingrained deep in her bones.
This thing is truly terrifying!
Whenever she sees it, she feels her skin crawl, as if struck by lightning. Moreover, if she dreams about this thing, she will wake up frightened and unable to return to sleep.
During her days in the palace, perhaps because she was carefree or because she didn’t pay much attention, she had never seen this thing. Even in the Cold Palace, she hadn’t seen it.
But how could there suddenly be a mouse in Cining Palace?
Jun Ning couldn’t help but cry out in fear.
Her cries attracted the attention of many people.
Except for Emperor Yongning, who had already returned to the Imperial Study Room, those who stayed, including Qiong Hua and Jun Yu, came up to check upon hearing her cries.
Qiong Hua: "What’s wrong, darling?"
Jun Yu: "Sister, where is the mouse? Did the mouse frighten you?"
The Grand Empress Dowager saw the little girl frantically clutching at her own sleeves in fear. She quickly picked her up and gently comforted her, "It’s okay, it’s okay. Grandma is holding Ah Ning, don’t be afraid. It won’t bite you, even if it comes over."
"Hurry, hurry... quickly drive it away..." Jun Ning buried her head in the Grand Empress Dowager’s shoulder, speaking anxiously.
"Ah Ning, it’s gone. You don’t need to be afraid." To ensure no more mice appear, the Grand Empress Dowager turned to Nanny Liu, "Nanny Liu, personally remove all the sesame oil from Cining Palace, then find more people to drive away mice. From today onwards, there shouldn’t be any mice seen in Cining Palace. Otherwise, those involved will be punished with the rod."
"Yes!" Nanny Liu immediately got down to it.
The reason there were mice in Cining Palace today is that lately, the small kitchen there has been experimenting with dishes, crafting many delicious dishes. Thus, it stored a lot of sesame oil.
And mice love sesame oil.
It was the sesame oil that attracted the mice.
"Darling, don’t be scared," comforted the Grand Empress Dowager. "Once the sesame oil is removed, there won’t be any more mice."
Yet Jun Ning is still frightened, her small body trembling slightly, and she hasn’t looked up to speak. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝕟𝕖𝕥
Seeing the situation, the Grand Empress Dowager added, "If you’re still afraid, Grandma will raise a few cats in Cining Palace; then there will surely be no more mice."
"Darling, did you hear what your Grandma said? There will be no more mice in Cining Palace. Don’t be afraid," consoled Qiong Hua.
Jun Yu opened his arms protectively in front of the Grand Empress Dowager holding Jun Ning, saying, "Sister, don’t be afraid, if another mouse appears, brother will kill it for you. Hmph! Daring to scare my sister, it’s seeking death."
Amidst the comforting words, Jun Ning slowly calmed down, finally not as frightened.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the spot where the mouse had just darted across.
There was nothing in that place except for a wardrobe.
She finally sighed with relief and stepped down from the Grand Empress Dowager’s arms.
The Grand Empress Dowager wasted no time, immediately ordering the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send several cats to be raised in Cining Palace.
The cats would yowl occasionally, ensuring that mice never appear again.
"Mother, shall we go back? How about it?" Saying this, Jun Ning turned and pounced into Qiong Hua’s arms, seeking to be held.
"Okay, Mother will hold you." Qiong Hua held Jun Ning, bowed to the Grand Empress Dowager, and withdrew.
The Grand Empress Dowager wanted to keep Jun Ning and have a chat with the little girl, but she abandoned the idea because of that pesky mouse. She decided to let Jun Ning go back with Qiong Hua first, and talk again once Cining Palace was thoroughly cleaned up.
Jun Yu had lessons in the afternoon and returned to the Prince’s quarters.
Jun Ning had Qiong Hua take her to the Cold Palace to fetch her hidden shoes.
Because of that mouse, she was still nervous, wanting Qiong Hua to hold her continually. Qiong Hua hadn’t held the little girl for days and was naturally very willing to hold her continuously. Not only willing but also delighted.
When the mother-daughter pair arrived at the Cold Palace, Jun Ning searched through the room they had previously lived in and quickly found those shoes.
The shoes, as she had told Mrs. Qi before, were very worn and old, not very suitable for wearing. However, they were perfect for warding off bad luck for Qi Xiao.
Jun Ning personally had Nanny Zhang take the found shoes to Mrs. Qi. Simultaneously, Nanny Zhang could leave the palace and visit her son.
That day, Nanny Zhang’s former husband was taken away by the capital constable; he was subjected to minor penalties but wasn’t truly harmed before he confessed everything.
The capital constable personally led people to the Xianggu Hall, where Nanny Zhang’s son was detained, and rescued him.
Nowadays, Nanny Zhang’s son is not only a free man but also starting to prepare for the upcoming imperial examination.
She was always thinking about him!
She could take the opportunity today to visit her son while delivering things to the National Guardian General Mansion.
Grateful, Nanny Zhang cheerfully took the items given by Jun Ning and left the palace.
After completing their tasks, Jun Ning and Qiong Hua did not immediately leave the Cold Palace.
They walked around the Cold Palace and found the several abandoned concubines who had once helped them. Though they couldn’t help the concubines leave, they could bring some food and clothes to make their lives more comfortable in the Cold Palace.
Additionally, the palace attendants guarding the Cold Palace had been bribed and wouldn’t arbitrarily trouble the abandoned concubines.
The abandoned concubines looked at what Qiong Hua and Jun Ning did for them, visibly touched despite saying nothing.
Over the years, they endured hardships in the Cold Palace, and no one had cared for them except Princess Consort Hua and the eighteenth princess helping them.
They are good people.
"Princess Consort Hua, Your Highness, you have done so much for us, what should we say?"
"Previously, we only helped you a little, yet you give us all the vegetables you were growing, asking nothing in return. And now you’ve helped us so much again."
"We...we can’t repay your immense kindness!"
The few abandoned concubines immediately knelt down and kowtowed twice to Qiong Hua and Jun Ning.
Qiong Hua stepped forward to help them up, not detesting their dirty clothes nor feeling that her current status made them unworthy of her assistance.
She helped them willingly.
"Without your help, darling might not have survived until now."
"You are my darling’s benefactors and mine."
Qiong Hua recalled the days of not having enough food in the Cold Palace while raising her congenital child, a arduous time that made her even more grateful to those who had helped them.
"I should be thanking you."
Qiong Hua sincerely spoke.
Jun Ning was going to help but suddenly saw a mouse darting across a piece of land, terrifying her once more into screaming, "Mouse, mouse, there’s a mouse..."