Chapter 614: Is It a Natural Disaster?

Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Is It a Natural Disaster?

When Shen Ningning arrived at the entrance of Mrs. Ren’s courtyard with her maid, she saw other maids bustling in and out, carrying freshly brewed medicine.

Mrs. Ren’s head maid turned pale with fright when she saw Shen Ningning.

Not daring to hide, she immediately hurried over and greeted her cautiously, "Eldest Miss, what brings you here?"

Shen Ningning chuckled inwardly. ’This head maid’s attitude has certainly changed drastically.’

Just yesterday, Shen Ningning had clearly seen this same maid standing behind Mrs. Ren, her eyes filled with utter disdain as she looked at her.

No one in this estate had treated her as the Eldest Miss; instead, they all saw her as a burden.

Now, it seemed, they were all afraid.

"I’ve come to pay my respects to Mrs. Ren, of course, and to check on her. She fainted from fright last night, and it’s all my fault. Is Mrs. Ren alright now?"

The head maid looked distressed but couldn’t voice her true feelings. "Eldest Miss, your filial piety is admirable, and this servant will be sure to convey your concern to Madam. However, she cannot see you right now. She was plagued by nightmares after returning last night and was even foaming at the mouth this morning. We just sent away a Taoist priest who came to calm her nerves, and we also had a doctor check her pulse. The doctor said that Madam needs to rest quietly, so perhaps it would be best if you returned for now."

’Scared enough to foam at the mouth?’

Shen Ningning sneered inwardly. ’And here I thought this Mrs. Ren was so capable. To think she’d be frightened this easily.’

"Is that so? It sounds quite serious, then. It seems I’ve come at an inconvenient time. I’ll come back tomorrow."

After Shen Ningning spoke, the head maid’s expression changed. ’She’s coming back tomorrow? Getting rid of her is going to be much harder than we thought!’

She could only force a smile and escort Shen Ningning to the courtyard gate.

Just then, the sound of an argument came from the room behind them. Shen Ningning stopped and looked back.

A moment later, a girl with a round face, almond-shaped eyes, and a goose-yellow dress stormed out, pushing aside the door curtain.

She was complaining nonstop to her maid as she walked. "Mother is so biased! Third Sister and I both came to see her. Third Sister was the one who couldn’t hold the medicine steady and spilled it, but Mother blamed me and gave me a scolding! It’s so unfair. If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have come!"

Her young maid, pale-faced, tried to persuade her, "Fourth Miss, please say a little less. If Madam hears you, she’ll be displeased again."

Ren Si was furious. "It’s not like this is the first time she’s been displeased with me! Sometimes I really wonder if I’m even her biological daughter. Why is she always so harsh with me?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ren Si reached the entrance and saw Shen Ningning standing there.

A look of amazement flashed in her eyes.

’When did such a fairy-like beauty appear in the estate?’

Her skin was like snow, her face like a flower. Her long, dark hair was coiled into a fallen-immortal bun, adorned with only two simple hairpins, yet they couldn’t hide her delicate features. Her graceful figure was the most vibrant sight of the autumn season.

Ren Si stared in a daze for a moment before the head maid called out, "Fourth Miss, this is the Eldest Miss."

Ren Si snapped back to her senses, even more surprised. "So you’re the one who called down the lightning to strike them?"

Shen Ningning’s tone was light. "Everyone’s lifespan is preordained. Lightning doesn’t just strike people for no reason—unless they’ve done something to feel guilty about."

"You’re right!" Unexpectedly, Ren Si nodded emphatically, affirming her words. She then turned and raised her voice toward the room. "Now that Eldest Sister’s fate is so precious, she can keep this estate in check! Let’s see if those with ill intentions still dare to play their little tricks. If their hearts are wicked enough, they’ll be struck dead by lightning sooner or later!"

Shen Ningning was surprised. ’This young girl, Ren Si, is so different from the rest of the Ren Family.’

Looking closely, even her appearance wasn’t much like the others in the family.

Most of the Ren Family had broad faces and phoenix eyes, whereas Ren Si had a round face and almond eyes. She was born with a bright and feisty spirit, looking as though she wouldn’t yield to anyone.

What surprised Shen Ningning even more was Ren Si’s attitude toward her, which was so surprisingly compliant.

Just then, a nanny walked out of the room with a complicated expression. "Fourth Miss, Madam heard everything you said. She is quite angry and accuses you of being insolent. Madam has ordered you to go kneel in the ancestral hall, and you are not to come out without her permission."

Ren Si’s mocking expression vanished, replaced by anger. "She wants me to kneel in the ancestral hall? On what grounds? I was just casually chatting with Eldest Sister, and Mother is getting angry over that?"

The nanny offered a high-sounding excuse.

"Madam said that you spilled the medicine just now and refused to admit your mistake, pushing the blame onto others. This is not the way of the Ren Family. Therefore, she wishes for you to kneel before the ancestors and properly reflect on your transgressions."

Ren Si grew frantic, stomping her foot in anger. "I’ll say it again! Ren San spilled that medicine on purpose! It wasn’t my fault!"

But the nanny wouldn’t listen, saying coldly, "This servant is only responsible for relaying Madam’s orders. Fourth Miss, you should hurry to the ancestral hall. If you wait until the Master returns and finds out, you’ll get your hands caned."

Ren Si must have actually been caned before. Upon hearing this, she flinched and shrank back. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only follow her maid away.

Seeing her leave, the nanny turned to Shen Ningning. The sharp expression she had when facing Ren Si was completely gone. She gave Shen Ningning a fawning nod before scurrying back into the house.

She looked as if she were afraid Shen Ningning would summon a bolt of lightning to strike her down on the spot.

The head maid by Shen Ningning’s side also departed in a hurry.

The young woman watched Ren Si’s angry, retreating figure, lost in thought.

’Perhaps, if I want to find out more about the Ren Family, Ren Si is the perfect opening.’

Shen Ningning returned to her room.

After noon, she awoke from her nap just as Mo Lingwei happened to return.

The sky outside was overcast, and rain was falling. Mo Lingwei pushed aside the door curtain and entered, bringing with him a hint of mist. Droplets of water clung to his dark sideburns.

Shen Ningning offered him her handkerchief, but Mo Lingwei simply grabbed her wrist, using her hand to guide the handkerchief and wipe the rain from his hair.

Shen Ningning’s cheeks puffed out in slight displeasure, but seeing how hard Mo Lingwei had been working, she didn’t say anything.

She only asked, "Did you find anything out while you were away this time?"

"General Peng has definitely been imprisoned. I couldn’t find a single one of his men. The Deputy General and troops at the barracks are all under Ren Pengyi’s command now."

Shen Ningning was shocked. "He’s completely seized control of the military!"

Mo Lingwei’s sharp brows furrowed as he nodded with a grave expression. "Logically, he shouldn’t have been able to pull this off so smoothly. And there’s no way the Capital City wouldn’t have heard a whisper of it. General Peng is highly skilled, and there are plenty of loyal men in the army. How could no one have reported him?"

"Could he have bribed all the soldiers?"

"It’s a possibility. I’ve already sent people to investigate. Oh, and I made another discovery on my trip into the city."

Mo Lingwei’s tone was laced with suspicion. "I heard that Governor Ren has been widely recruiting citizens to help build a high platform, which is now being called the Heaven-Reaching Ladder. It’s supposed to be built as high as two Star-picking Towers stacked on top of each other."

Shen Ningning was taken aback. "What’s he building that for? It must require a great deal of manpower and resources. Is he really in the mood for such extravagant waste?"

Mo Lingwei nodded. "That’s exactly what I find strange. It looks like he’s preparing to defend against something. My Hidden Guards investigated. The foundations are dug very deep, and they’ve built waterproof channels."

A platform that high would be large enough to hold three hundred people.

’What is he defending against? A flood?’

But this is the Northern Border, a land of continuous mountain ranges. How could a flood pour into the city here?

Mo Lingwei took Shen Ningning’s hand and asked seriously, "Can you feel it? Is another natural disaster coming?"

Shen Ningning froze, turning her head to look at the pouring rain outside the window.

It was a steady, continuous rain. There was nothing suspicious about it.