Chapter 395 - 387: Roadblock
Gu Yifeng was busy checking if Sister Ning in his arms was hurt, and didn’t have time to ask what was happening outside. However, Zhao Wu’s reporting voice rang from outside.
"Marquis, the person who stopped the carriage is an elderly woman. She claims to know Madam, is injured, and fainted after speaking."
Gu Yifeng sat up, frowning deeply, "Send her to the back carriage and see if there’s a doctor nearby to check her pulse."
He didn’t even ask who it was.
Lin Youning was curious, "An elderly woman? I don’t know who it is, yet she claims to know me."
Gu Yifeng was not in a hurry, "Seeing the person now is of no use; she’s already fainted. It’s not too late to see her after the doctor checks her and we arrive at the estate."
"I know that myself. I just don’t understand how someone claims to know me and recognizes this as our Mansion’s carriage? Did Brother already figure out who it might be?" Lin Youning raised a brow, feeling that Brother should know that she has a brain too.
Gu Yifeng held her close and tapped her forehead, "You little mischief, alright, then guess who has come?"
Gu Yifeng was turning it into a mystery.
Lin Youning wasn’t stumped, "I guess there are two possibilities: one is someone Brother sent out to gather intelligence, the other is someone sent by my brother."
Watching Brother’s suddenly brightened eyes, Lin Youning felt proud, yet couldn’t suppress the feeling of showing off.
"Very well said, but if you ask me, I’d say the last one." Gu Yifeng smiled, still explaining to her, "If it were someone I sent, they would surely know that the Eldest Prince is watching and wouldn’t reveal themselves. Moreover, an elderly woman wouldn’t be someone I’d send for intelligence gathering; this confirms it’s not someone I sent. So, it’s someone sent by your brother. Though you haven’t shown yourself, the guards’ attire outside easily marks us as Dingyuan Marquis Mansion’s people. With Dingyuan Marquis traveling with Madam to the estate, it can be assumed there are no outsiders; naturally, the other party knows you’re inside the carriage."
Lin Youning widened her eyes, "Brother’s analysis is truly amazing."
"Actually, you’re not bad either. I just know the work of my people and who I send out, so I can be more accurate." Gu Yifeng teased her nose, "But I always knew my little sister is smart, even smarter than Mr. Wu."
Lin Youning couldn’t help but laugh, her giggles bringing a smile to Hailan’s face outside. Zhao Wu glanced once, then moved to her side, "We’re a bit far from the estate. You should go to the carriage outside; I’ll handle things here."
Zhao Wu rarely talked to Hailan at the Mansion, let alone showed any closeness. Showing care like now was a first.
Hailan knew Zhao Wu wasn’t good at such things, noticed his slightly reddened ears and forced composure as he gazed afar, and couldn’t help smiling, "I’ll go when I’m tired."
Zhao Wu softly acknowledged, feeling Hailan glance away before using his peripheral vision to glance at her, a smile naturally forming at his lips.
Guards went to nearby villages to find a doctor, who went to the back carriage to check the pulse and said it’s due to exhaustion, rest will suffice.
In the front carriage, Lin Youning remained curious and brought the topic back to the person who sought them, "Why did my brother send an elderly woman back? Could it be the nanny beside Prince Shou?"
Lin Youning recalled what her grandmother told her, "Grandmother said when Prince Shou left the palace, he only brought a nanny. When my brother and sister-in-law went to the border, there were no old nannies around. Just now Zhao Wu said it’s an elderly woman; could it be the old nanny beside Prince Shou?"
The more Lin Youning thought, the more she felt it was true. She excitedly grasped Brother’s hand tightly, "Brother, it must be."
Gu Yifeng smiled, "Alright, I know."
Lin Youning tilted her head, scrutinizing him, then bit her lower lip, "Did Brother already guess? So he waited for me to say it?"
Gu Yifeng inwardly knew he was caught; this little girl indeed found out, but outwardly he shook his head, "How could that be? I was thinking when you said it, that’s when your words made sense."
"Brother is teasing me again." Lin Youning pouted.
See, she knew Brother must have thought of it already; how could he just realize after she said it?
Suddenly, she felt like a clown while Brother was appeasing a child.
Gu Yifeng noticed her anger and whispered in her ear, "I heard when a woman is pregnant and gets angry, the baby might also be one to get angry."
"I really didn’t think of it. I only learned about Prince Shou from your grandfather, not about his nanny."
"Truly don’t believe Brother?" Gu Yifeng asked in a feigned downcast tone.
Lin Youning knew he was pretending, but also knew her own stubbornness at the moment. Looking back at him, "Brother truly didn’t guess?"
Gu Yifeng nodded, "I only guessed it might be someone knowing Prince Shou’s whereabouts but truly didn’t know about the nanny."
"Actually, I’ve thought about it again, feeling my guess might have been rushed. If it were truly Prince Shou’s nanny, she wouldn’t just come out like that and find me; the person seems more like a messenger."
"That’s possible too. Alright, don’t guess anymore; we’re almost at the estate. We’ll know what’s going on soon." Gu Yifeng comforted her, then called Zhao Wu outside, who answered promptly. Gu Yifeng instructed, "Let the guards outside pay attention, watch if anyone is tracking us."
Now that the person has come to them, they must guard against the Eldest Prince’s side.
Lin Youning also remembered this, grew anxious, and Gu Yifeng patted her hand and further instructed Zhao Wu outside, "If anything unexpected happens on the road, don’t stop the carriage; head straight to the estate."
If Gu Yifeng weren’t worried about Sister Ning, he would have already turned back to the Capital. But considering the elderly woman stopped them outside the Capital, she clearly followed them all along, and evidently has suffered greatly. Outside the Capital might draw less attention; the concern is someone tracking them might discover the elderly woman.