Chapter 664 - 667: Wish

Chapter 664: Chapter 667: Wish

Hua Manman was kept locked in the room.

Unable to see the changing sky outside, she had lost track of how many days had passed.

She could only guess at the passage of time by her three meals a day.

Princess Consort Zhen would come to see her every day and chat for a while.

But most of the time, she was alone.

To pass the time, she opened the journal she had brought from the Regent Prince Mansion and read it over and over again.

Every time she read the journal’s contents, Hua Manman was able to relive the events of her childhood.

At the very end of the journal was a color drawing.

It was something Hua Manman had drawn as a child. The picture showed her, her maternal grandparents, and a charmingly naive-looking Three-colored Cat.

The brushstrokes were very childish and the colors were bright, giving it a happy, warm feeling.

Hua Manman’s fingers traced over the drawing. Along with nostalgia, she was also filled with many questions.

Hua Manman remembered that after she finished the drawing, the Three-colored Cat had shown a strong affection for it, so she had given the drawing to the cat.

After the Three-colored Cat left, the drawing disappeared with it.

She had originally thought she’d accidentally lost the drawing, but she never expected it to have come to this world.

According to the journal, Li Ji had seen Hua Manman’s drawing in a dream and had taken a great liking to it, wanting it for himself.

Then, when he woke up, the drawing had appeared right beside him.

’A single drawing connecting two worlds—it was simply unbelievable!’

Hua Manman stared at the paper in front of her and couldn’t help but murmur.

"Can two worlds really be connected?"

Just as she was lost in thought, a familiar meow sounded from outside the window again.

Hua Manman immediately put down the journal and hurried to the window, asking in a low voice.

"System, is that you?"

The System’s voice quickly entered her mind.

"It’s me."

It then told Hua Manman everything it had found out over the past few days.

Most of the information was the same as before, but one thing stood out: the Emperor’s illness was getting worse.

Although the Imperial Physicians said nothing, judging from the current situation, the Emperor’s chances of survival looked slim.

The System combined this with Hua Manman’s previous suspicions and couldn’t help but ask.

"Was it really Princess Consort Zhen who did it?"

It still couldn’t believe that the kind, gentle Hua Qingqing of the past could be so ruthless as to poison the man she shared a bed with.

Hua Manman didn’t care about any of that. She said in a low voice.

"It doesn’t matter if it was her or not. Once the Emperor dies, the palace is bound to fall into turmoil. That might be our best chance to escape. Use this time to look for the key, and once you find it, figure out a way to steal it."

System: "What key?"

Hua Manman: "The key to my room’s lock, you idiot."

She was locked in this room, the door bolted from the outside.

She couldn’t unlock it from the inside and could only pin her hopes on the System.

The System said it was no problem.

In the evening, Princess Consort Zhen came to visit Hua Manman again.

The two sisters had dinner together while making small talk.

Hua Manman pretended to know nothing of the outside world, listening obediently to whatever her sister said.

When they were nearly finished with dinner, Princess Consort Zhen finally spoke.

"The Saint is gravely ill and needs someone by his side to attend to him. I will have to move to Hanzhang Hall for a while.

I probably won’t have time to visit you for the next few days.

You just stay here quietly. If you need anything, tell the people outside the door."

Hua Manman: "How much longer are you going to keep me locked up?"

Princess Consort Zhen: "When all this has settled down, I will naturally let you out. Don’t worry, I keep my word."

Early the next morning, Princess Consort Zhen moved to Hanzhang Hall with her luggage.

Today was the first time Hua Manman had breakfast alone since arriving at Yufu Palace. Princess Consort Zhen had always eaten with her, so it felt a little strange to suddenly be by herself.

After she finished her meal, she spoke to the palace attendant who came to clear the dishes.

"Could you find me a needle, some thread, and some fabric? I want to make a small pouch."

Before leaving, Princess Consort Zhen had given specific instructions that they should try to fulfill any request Hua Manman made.

Except, of course, for the request to let her leave.

The palace attendant nodded and replied, "I will go prepare it now."

A moment later, the attendant returned with a sewing basket and a roll of fabric.

"Will this be enough for you?"

The piece of fabric was so large it could make a whole set of clothes; it was more than enough for a small pouch.

Hua Manman quickly said it was more than enough.

She had made pouches before, so she quickly finished a small one.

Although the stitches were still clumsy and the ends of the thread were sticking out, it was at least functional.

Hua Manman folded the color drawing from the end of her journal into a paper crane. Then, she pricked her finger with an embroidery needle, squeezed out a drop of blood, and smeared it onto the crane.

After doing all this, she placed the paper crane into the pouch, pulled the drawstring tight, and tied a knot.

In the afternoon, the familiar meow sounded outside the window again.

The System said it had found the key to the room.

"The key is hanging on a nanny. I can steal it at any time."

Hua Manman: "Don’t do anything yet. Wait."

The System was confused. "Wait for what?"

"Wait for the Emperor to die. When the palace is in a state of panic and everyone is too busy to look after themselves, then you can steal the key. That will be the best time to escape."

The System had a moment of realization. "I get it."

Then it brought up something else.

"The young prince of Xiliang Country came to the palace to visit the Emperor. He said a thief broke into the Regent Prince Mansion and that security should be tightened. The Emperor agreed."

Hua Manman had almost forgotten about Ah Qi.

The System remarked with a sigh, "He’s really persistent. Even after all this, he still hasn’t given up looking for you."

Hua Manman wanted nothing more to do with Ah Qi.

Right now, she just wanted the Emperor to die quickly.

Once the Emperor died and Tianjing was thrown into chaos, she could take the opportunity to flee this place of trouble.

Thinking of this, Hua Manman pressed her palms together and prayed to the heavens.

"Oh, Guanyin Bodhisattva, your servant begs you to show great mercy and send the Dog Emperor to the afterlife. As long as you grant this wish, your servant vows to never eat meat again."

After saying that, she felt the vow was too severe and immediately corrected herself.

"Your servant misspoke. I meant that I’m willing to give up meat for a year... no, for a month."

The System was disgusted. "Is that all you’ve got?"

Hua Manman: "A month is my limit. Any longer and I’ll go crazy from cravings."

The System didn’t want to deal with her anymore and simply turned and left.

Hua Manman had thought she would have to wait at least another month or so, but unexpectedly, after only ten days, news came from Hanzhang Hall that the Emperor had vomited blood and fallen into a coma.

The System rushed to inform Hua Manman the moment it heard the news, telling her to get ready to escape.

Hua Manman was overjoyed and quickly bowed toward the west.

"Thank you, Guanyin Bodhisattva! Once this is over, your servant will definitely keep her promise and not eat meat for a month."

She paused, then added.

"Excluding eggs, shrimp, crabs, and fish. After all, I’m still young and need to get enough nutrition."

System: "..."

’You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?’