“Open the door, open the door!”
The sound of knocking rang out.
Ye Xiaoyuan came out from the small kitchen to open the door.
“Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince?” he said in surprise, “Why have you three come here?”
Sixth Prince: “We’ve come to find Seventh Brother!”
Fourth Prince nodded: “Mm!”
Fifth Prince didn’t make a sound. Sixth Prince kicked him, and only then did he say: “Yes, to find Seventh Brother.”
Ye Xiaoyuan smiled bitterly: “The prince is ill. You three princes should not enter, lest you catch the illness.”
“Ill?”
The three of them looked at each other, having just learned this news, still a bit dazed.
Fourth Prince: “Then is Seventh Brother still leaving?”
Ye Xiaoyuan’s eyes dimmed.
Who knew how His Majesty would handle this matter, the imperial edict had been issued, traveling while ill was not out of the question.
“Oh, let’s go see first.” The Sixth Prince, taking advantage of his small size, pushed past them and directly squeezed in.
Ye Xiaoyuan hurriedly followed.
“Sixth Prince, Sixth Prince!”
He feared that if the palace doors were opened, the cold wind from outside would enter and blow on Qu Dubian, and he was also worried that Noble Consort Lan would cause trouble afterwards.
But just as they reached the doors of the bedchamber, they found that the door was open, and a strong scent of medicine permeated the air. Ye Xiaoyuan took a few steps in and saw Wen Xiaochun standing dazed by the bed, holding a note in his hand.
At his feet was a shattered medicine bowl.
The dark brown medicinal liquid had spilled all over the floor.
Sixth Prince pounced to the bedside, “Eh??? Seventh Brother isn’t here.”
Wen Xiaochun’s eyes turned, his gaze falling vaguely on some spot.
Ye Xiaoyuan felt a sense of foreboding rise in his heart. He snatched the note from his hand, and the characters on it instantly stunned him as if struck by lightning, his mind going blank, completely dazed on the spot.
Sixth Prince tugged at his clothes, “Speak up, where’s Seventh Brother?”
He angrily said: “Did you hide him?”
Slightly chaotic sounds came from outside.
Six imperial physicians had arrived from the Imperial Hospital.
Imperial Physician Qiu led the way in front, lowering his voice, “This way, physicians, the prince is inside.”
“I’ve already explained the situation on the way, it’s quite dangerous, we can only try to control it from worsening…” As they reached the door, he complained, “Oh, why is the bedchamber door so wide open, won’t the cold wind blow straight in?”
Upon entering, the physicians fell silent before the empty bed.
Yi Shi’er, who had been sent again by the emperor, lifted the roof tiles and looked for a while.
Yi Shi’er: “?”
Where was the person?
Ye Xiaoyuan took a deep breath.
“His Highness… has gone somewhere on his own… His Highness is missing!!”
The note was passed around, and not only were they panicked, but the physicians also began to panic.
There was a smiley face drawn at the end of the note, which to them looked like the smile of the King of Hell.
Going out with a high fever in such cold weather, wasn’t that seeking death? They hadn’t even diagnosed him yet. If His Majesty became angry and implicated them, wouldn’t they have to hear again like two years ago, ‘If you can’t cure him, you’ll all accompany him in death!’ Consort Yun and her son truly seemed to have come to torment them.
Even if they didn’t die, it was terrifying!
Imperial Physician Qiu, his beard trembling, commanded.
“Search! Search everywhere!”
The news that the Seventh Prince had left a ‘last word’, left his sickbed to see his father emperor one last time, and disappeared without a trace, immediately spread.
When the news reached Emperor Chongzhao, the note left by Qu Dubian naturally also reached his hands.
The moment Head Eunuch Yu saw that note, his heart felt as if it had been wrung, very painful. He remembered the last time in the imperial kitchen when the Seventh Prince had softly given him a big hug, that appearance would melt anyone’s heart.
There weren’t many words on the note, but it first mentioned Consort Yun, saying he was about to return to his mother’s embrace, and then said that before returning to his mother’s side, he wanted to see his father emperor whom he had never met.
Having been steeped in palace life and seen through its cold realities, even eunuchs without descendants felt their hearts stabbed, let alone His Majesty.
Prophecies may determine fate, but what fault lies with an innocent child?
Unsurprisingly, Head Eunuch Yu saw His Majesty only glance at it once before suddenly clenching the note tightly.
Emperor Chongzhao had never experienced anything like this before, and his mind went blank for a moment when he saw these words. His voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat, barely maintaining a steady tone.
“Send out the imperial guards, patrol teams from each palace, eunuchs, and palace maids.”
“Search every corner of the imperial palace, you must find him for me!”
Head Eunuch Yu accepted the order and went to carry it out.
What he didn’t know was that Emperor Chongzhao was now far more unsettled than he imagined. In his mind, scenes from last night’s dream kept flashing – all of them showing his young son gradually losing his life in his arms, and Consort Yun’s wails in the great fire.
“The Astrology Bureau harmed me, it will surely face retribution—”
“Your Majesty, save Dubian, save our child—”
The note in Emperor Chongzhao’s hand was clenched tighter and tighter.
That grain of doubt that had been ignored finally took deep root in his heart.
The entire imperial palace was set in motion.
Shouts were incessant, and this news naturally reached Fengwu Palace as well.
The consorts’ “tea party” had just dispersed.
Just as they reached the palace gates, Eunuch Bao, who was delivering the message, came to tell them about this matter, asking the consorts of the inner palace to also order their people to search for the Seventh Prince.
Noble Lady Rong adjusted her hair ornaments and, in front of Eunuch Bao from the emperor’s side, didn’t dare to say much, only remarking: “He’s quite mischievous indeed, we’ll help search.”
She leaned slightly towards Noble Consort Lan: “Not as obedient and sensible as the Sixth Prince.”
Eunuch Bao said: “There’s one more thing, Noble Consort Lan, Consort Yi, and Noble Lady Rong, you three need not participate in this matter.”
Noble Lady Rong was puzzled: “Why?”
Eunuch Bao explained: “The Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Sixth Prince, the three young highnesses, have proactively dispatched all the remaining palace staff under your command to join the guards in the search.”
Noble Lady Rong: “…”
Noble Consort Lan: “…”
Eunuch Bao: “It was the Sixth Prince who initiated this, truly showing brotherly love. Noble Consort Lan may stay longer in the Empress’s palace, as Xiuxiang Palace doesn’t even have a cook left. If you’re not accustomed to the food from the imperial kitchen at noon, wouldn’t you go hungry?”
Noble Consort Lan: “……”
Consort Yi suddenly sighed.
Noble Consort Lan didn’t want her son to exert effort for the son of her deceased rival at all. What search? Couldn’t they just pretend? If he really died somewhere, wouldn’t that remove a thorn in their side?
She forced a smile and said, “They’re all children, they’ll only cause more chaos if they go. Eunuch Bao, why don’t you call them back? Consort Yi feels the same, doesn’t she?”
Consort Yi shook her head, “I was just wondering if Little Four brought his pillow when he went out. I’m worried he might fall asleep on the road and get stepped on.”
Noble Consort Lan: “…”
Eunuch Bao: “…”
–
As the sun sank lower, it was clear that night was approaching, yet the person still hadn’t been found.
The imperial palace is the place that can best hide secrets, and also the place where secrets are hardest to keep. With connections between imperial relatives and the inner palace, many officials had learned of this matter.
Though they were outside officials, imperial family matters were closely related to them as well.
Not to mention other things, just reporting a matter during court sessions could result in two different outcomes depending on the emperor’s mood.
As soon as Grand Tutor Fang learned the news, he inwardly exclaimed, “This is bad.”
He didn’t even eat dinner, leaving his wife behind as he rushed straight for the main gate.
Madam Fang: “Where are you going? It’s already dark!”
Grand Tutor Fang: “To the Sword-Holding Marquis’s mansion!”
They had all heard the news, so there was no reason the Sword-Holding Marquis’s mansion wouldn’t know. Although the Sword-Holding Marquis was currently in the northern frontier, his wife was still in the mansion.
That old lady was no ordinary person.
When Madam Fang heard these four words, she immediately understood and angrily took off her shoe to throw at him.
“You old fool, just wait! No matter what, the old Marchioness is still a woman, it’s not appropriate for you to visit late at night. Wait for me, I’ll go with you!”
The entire household lit up, some preparing carriages, others opening doors.
Grand Tutor Fang and Madam Fang boarded the carriage and hurriedly set off towards the Sword-Holding Marquis’s mansion.
The Sword-Holding Marquis’s mansion had few visitors.
It wasn’t that the Sword-Holding Marquis had lost the emperor’s trust, but that the marquis’s household had no heir. Their only daughter, Xu Yueqing, had become Consort Yun and died on the night she gave birth.
The Sword-Holding Marquis guarded the northern frontier and rarely returned. The old Marchioness lived in seclusion, never attending banquets, only visiting various Buddhist temples and Taoist shrines. No one knew what she truly believed in.
Besides the Sword-Holding Marquis, the Xu family had two other branches, but there had been conflicts between them, especially after the Consort Yun incident, and they no longer kept in regular contact.
The couple hadn’t adopted children from the other branches to inherit their lineage. Even though they were prominent now, it was like a castle in the air, with nothing left for the next generation.
At this moment.
The main gate of the Sword-Holding Marquis’s mansion burst open.
A woman with her hair in a bun walked out. Her face didn’t look very old, but most of her hair had turned frost-white, and her back was slightly hunched.
She was the old Marchioness of the Sword-Holding Marquis.
Her given name was Wu Siwan, a gentle name, but the harsh winds of the northern frontier had imbued her very bones with unyielding resilience.
The servants of the marquis’s mansion were different from those of other mansions, showing signs of having undergone training. They varied in age, some very old, some very young.
Without exception, they all had some form of disability or injury.
These were soldiers who had nowhere to go after retiring from the battlefield. The marquis’s household had taken them in, keeping them in the capital to guard the old Marchioness and look after the mansion for the Marquis.
“My lady, my lady.” Her personal maid caught up, worriedly saying, “Are you really going by yourself? Why don’t you take Brother Dai and Sister Ren with you?”
The old Marchioness: “No need, I’ll go alone.”
She took the reins from a servant, tightened them, and patted the horse’s back.
“My lady, why don’t you take a carriage instead? The doctor said your body can’t withstand such jolting anymore.”
The old Marchioness: “If the horse is faster, I’ll be faster. If I’m faster, my daughter Qing’er’s child, my grandson, will suffer less.”
With that, she mounted the horse directly. Just as she was about to whip the horse, she heard the urgent sound of carriage wheels from behind, accompanied by loud shouts: “Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!”
The Fang family’s carriage stopped, and Grand Tutor Fang practically rolled out. He hurriedly rushed in front of the old Marchioness, sweating profusely, too anxious to observe proper etiquette, only hastily cupping his hands in greeting.
“Sister-in-law, don’t rush, come down and let’s talk calmly!”
Madam Fang also alighted from the carriage and joined in persuading: “Yes, little sister, come down first, let’s talk slowly.” She was older than the old Marchioness, so calling her “little sister” was appropriate. They each had their way of addressing the other, causing no confusion.
Grand Tutor Fang: “His Majesty still cares about the young prince. Now is not the time to enter the palace. The palace is in chaos, and His Majesty must be troubled. You…”
The old Marchioness said: “When Yueqing was in difficult labor before, my old man and I were anxious but couldn’t enter. My only daughter lost her life then. At that time, I secretly vowed that if it happened again, I would force my way into the palace even if I had to break in.”
“The child that was finally left behind was labeled as an ill-fated child. How could the child my daughter gave her life to birth be ill-fated?! After enduring three years of torment for no reason, he’s still to be sent to a detached palace. In this world, no mother would watch her child be mistreated like this. If Yueqing saw this, how could she rest in peace?!”
“How can you say ‘he still cares’ when the child with a fever could go missing? Even if stripped of his prince status to become a commoner, it would be better than suffering in the palace!”
Tears glimmered in her eyes but quickly disappeared as her face hardened again.
“Although our marquis’s household isn’t what it used to be, we can still provide for a child. Since he’s to be sent away anyway, if the emperor won’t raise him, then our household will!”
The old Marchioness whipped her horse and galloped towards the palace gates.
Thank you for the chapter!
Hmm