Just like in her previous life, the old lady of the Ministry of Revenue’s residence suddenly fell seriously ill and died. The Ministry of Revenue was in mourning, and several ministers vied for the position, which ultimately went to the Marquis Zhaoping.
Shen Wan revealed this to the Marquis Zhaoping’s wife, hoping she would believe the words of a Taoist priest. However, she didn’t expect that the news of the Marquis of Zhaoping’s heir marrying a divorced woman would spread so widely and become such a sensation.
That morning, while paying her respects at Shou’an Hall, she heard the Third Madam mention this matter, and Shen Wan’s heart skipped a beat, filled with inexplicable unease.
It was only two days until her eldest sister’s accident at Jingmiao Nunnery in her previous life. The closer the day drew, the more worried she became.
After Shen Wu finished copying the family rules as punishment, Ye Caiwei suggested going out for a stroll. Shen Wan had no leisure to entertain them and refused outright. In the end, Ye Caiwei and the others didn’t go either.
Back at Mingyue Garden, Shen Wan was absent-minded. After much hesitation, she finally decided to tell her father and eldest brother about the matter.
Just as Shen Wan was about to leave, a snow-white dove landed on the windowsill.
Shen Wan quickly went over, took the letter from the dove’s leg, and unfolded it.
It contained only five words: Zhou, Xu, Jingmiao Nunnery.
The Heir of the Marquis Yongqing and Xu Zhiyi went to Jingmiao Nunnery together.
Seeing the words “Jingmiao Nunnery,” Shen Wan’s heart trembled, her hands sweating as she held the note. She hurried out.
Upon reaching the front courtyard, Shen Wan asked the servant, “Is Father in the manor?”
The servant shook his head. “The Duke went to the military camp.”
It was a day off, what was Father doing at the military camp?
“Where is my elder brother?” Shen Wan asked again.
“The eldest you young master left the manor early this morning.”
Why isn’t anyone in the manor?
“Send someone to find my elder brother immediately.”
The servant, not knowing why Shen Wan was so anxious to find the eldest young master, dared not delay and quickly went to look for him.
Shen Wan was about to return to the inner courtyard when a maidservant approached, calling from afar, “Second Miss…”
Shen Wan turned around and saw Bi’er, Shen Yu’s second-class maidservant.
Bi’er stepped forward and said, “Second Miss, Sister Tubai sent me to tell you that the Marchioness of Yongqing insists that the madam go to Jingmiao Nunnery to pray for a child, and she can’t stop her…”
Shen Wan’s face drained of color instantly.
“My elder sister went to Jingmiao Nunnery?!”
Bi’er nodded, “She set off more than half an hour ago…”
Early.
It must be because the heir of the Marquis of Zhaoping’s marriage to a divorced woman made the Yongqing Marquis’s household worry that the affair would be exposed and her elder sister would divorce, so they acted early.
Shen Wan’s heart trembled with panic. She hurried towards the main gate, just as the Second Young Master, Shen Zhang, was about to leave. He descended the steps, preparing to mount his horse, but Shen Wan grabbed him and jumped onto the horse first.
Shen Zhang, pulled along, stumbled and nearly crashed into the stone lion. He cried out, “Second sister, what are you doing?”
Shen Wan ignored him and ordered the gatekeeper, “Have Steward Li take men to Jingmiao Nunnery immediately!”
With that, Shen Wan cracked her whip and galloped off.
However, she hadn’t ridden a horse in many years, and riding was quite uncomfortable. She endured the jolting, her only thought being to run faster, faster.
Shen Wan had been taught to ride by Shen Ji himself, but she rarely rode out, especially not on busy streets, fearing she might bump into someone. But today, her mind was only on her elder sister, she wished her horse had wings.
She gripped the reins tightly, nearly falling off several times, but thankfully, she made it out of the city unharmed, heading straight for Jingmiao Nunnery.
Just as she reached the foot of Jingmiao Temple and was about to turn onto a side path, Shen Wan saw a runaway carriage speeding down the mountain.
The familiar carriage, and the screams coming from inside.
Shen Wan’s face drained of color.
It was her eldest sister’s carriage.
Her eldest sister was inside!
Tears welled up in Shen Wan’s eyes as she watched helplessly as the carriage raced from the side path onto the main road, desperately fleeing forward.
No!
Shen Wan cracked her whip and gave chase.
She had been reborn, she wanted her eldest sister alive!
Living peacefully!
Shen Wan regretted not telling her father and elder brother about the Yongqing Marquis ruthlessness, giving them the opportunity to harm her eldest sister.
She would never forgive herself if her eldest sister were to suffer the same fate as in her previous life.
Shen Wan chased desperately, whipping the horse repeatedly, but she was going too fast. She couldn’t hold onto the reins, her body swaying precariously, and she risked falling.
At that speed, she’d be badly injured, if not killed.
Shen Wan didn’t care. Just as she was about to give up, someone suddenly appeared behind her, grabbing her waist and saying, “Are you crazy?”
The reins tightened, and the horse stopped.
Xie Jingyu jumped off the horse, carrying Shen Wan.
Shen Wan stood on the ground, feeling dizzy, but she didn’t care. Like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline, she clung to Xie Jingyu’s arm, her eyes blurred with tears, her voice frantic, “Save my elder sister! Save her!”
Xie Jingyu only saw Shen Wan frantically whipping the horse, he didn’t know she was chasing the carriage.
He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go save her. You wait here for me.”
He mounted his horse and chased after the carriage.
Shen Wan had no patience to wait there. As soon as Xie Jingyu rode away, she tried to mount, but her legs were too weak with fear, and she struggled several times before finally managing to get on the horse.
She rode forward, towards the path where her eldest sister had fallen off the cliff in her previous life. First, she saw the servant boy unconscious, then Tubao, clutching her arm and covered in blood. Unlike her previous life, they hadn’t fallen together, although injured, they were both alive.
A glimmer of hope rose in Shen Wan’s heart.
She rode forward, rounded a bend, and saw Xie Jingyu standing at the edge of the cliff, Shen Yu slumped to the ground.
“Elder sister!”
Shen Wan almost lunged forward, hugging her tightly.
Shen Yu was terrified.
Her body trembled uncontrollably with fear.
The carriage and horses had plunged off the cliff. If the heir of the Prince of Jingbei hadn’t pulled her out in time, she would have fallen to her death.
Shen Wan held Shen Yu in her arms, wiping away tears, unsure whether she was comforting Shen Yu or herself.
“It’s alright, it’s all alright now…”