"The Empress Dowager?!"
Qiwen snapped to attention and quickly followed, "What's going on? Why is that old lady here all of a sudden?"
Jian Ye's brows furrowed.
"I don't know. I was just on my way to the kitchen to deliver some bowls and chopsticks when I ran into them halfway. From the looks of it, they're here for the young master."
As he finished speaking, a commotion could be heard from outside. The footsteps were close to the courtyard, clearly approaching the gate.
Jian Ye's expression turned grim. "There's no time. You hurry to the gate and intercept them. Absolutely do not let them in!"
With that, he turned back, still holding the bewildered Feng Jin Chen. Qiwen's face changed color upon hearing this.
"Hey, how am I supposed to stop them..."
That was the Empress Dowager, an old lady over fifty, pampered and precious. Not to mention he couldn't lay a hand on a woman, but what if he accidentally killed her?
Jian Ye frowned, freeing one hand to grab a nearby broom and toss it to him.
"Use this."
Qiwen: "???"
Jian Ye didn't want to say anything more and unceremoniously shut the door in front of him.
Gritting his teeth, Qiwen picked up the broom and went out.
The moment he stepped out of the courtyard, he saw two figures approaching. Qiwen's lips twitched slightly as he began sweeping the ground with all his might.
It was just... two people?
The nanny, who had been supporting the Empress Dowager, frowned when he suddenly swept dirt and dust towards their feet as if he were blind.
"How dare you! How are you sweeping? Didn't you see the Empress Dowager here!"
Qiwen pretended not to hear, his movements continuous.
The broom, as if acting on its own, swept at every step right by their feet, blocking their path forward.
"You... you!"
The nanny reprimanded him angrily, but the Empress Dowager waved her hand, stepping back half a pace.
Her gaze fell upon Qiwen, not particularly sharp.
"You are Concubine Wan's servant, aren't you? I am here today to see your young master. Is he here?"
Her gentle tone was already a sign of respect, yet Qiwen maintained his sweeping posture, unmoved.
Seeing that he was being completely uncooperative, the nanny's brow furrowed slightly, and she whispered to the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, this person is engrossed in sweeping and seems to not hear us at all. He might be deaf."
"Deaf?"
The Empress Dowager paused, then nodded slightly, "It is rather similar."
Qiwen wasn't deaf; his hearing was excellent. Although they spoke in low voices, he heard their conversation clearly.
Therefore, he tightened his grip on the broom and swept even more fiercely.
The nanny was alarmed and quickly pulled the Empress Dowager back a few steps.
Although this deaf person couldn't hear, he had a bad temper.
After a moment's thought, she said, "Your Majesty, shall I call for some guards?"
The Empress Dowager had not wanted to make a scene and had not brought any guards with her, but now it seemed they wouldn't be able to get in easily without calling for help to drive this person away.
The Empress Dowager nodded, "Very well."
They retreated from the entrance of Hengwu Courtyard, and the nanny turned to summon the guards.
Seeing her approach with several people, Qiwen braced himself and swept a couple more times, feeling that he could no longer pretend.
Having been in Prince Mo's manor for many days, he had secretly befriended most of the guards, calling it "infiltrating the enemy's ranks." Among those who were called over, he had shared drinks with two of them last night.
The guards clearly showed a hint of surprise upon seeing him.
This stubborn deaf person mentioned by the nanny... was Qiwen?
How strange, did he just go deaf this morning?
Sensing the dangerous remark, Qiwen struck first, hitting the guard with his broom.
The guard was stunned by the blow and looked at him dazed, then with indignation.
"What are you doing!"
Qiwen thought, for the young master's sake, bear with it.
Without another word, he swung the broom again. The guard was truly angered and immediately drew his sword, ready to fight.
The other guards, not understanding what was happening, rushed forward to break up the fight. The nanny's eyelids flickered, and she quickly helped the Empress Dowager to the side.
The situation became increasingly chaotic, and Qiwen, seizing the opportunity, felt incredibly clever.
Just as he was contemplating how to resolve the situation, a stern voice cut through the commotion, "Stop!"
Everyone immediately ceased their actions and turned to look. They saw a figure in black standing outside the crowd, his dark hair disheveled by the wind.
The Empress Dowager's expression changed slightly upon seeing him.
"Lan'er, why are you back?"