Zhu Yu pointed to the hole in the left courtyard wall. The hole was about five feet wide, and the sides of the hole were covered with lush grass. It was early spring, and like other places around it, there should have been tender shoots growing.

However, there was a pile of weeds at the entrance of the cave, which seemed a bit too deliberate, as if someone had arranged it that way to cover their tracks.

Qi Yu walked over and, without saying a word, moved the pile of weeds on top. She said, "Miss, this dog hole has been disguised."

Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow and looked over. The ground of the cave was covered with straw, which was pressed down very firmly.

The gatekeeper's face turned pale, and he stood trembling to the side, not daring to breathe.

Lu Yucheng walked over in confusion, bent down and peered inside. He saw a tray on a stone table in the courtyard, with two sets of bowls and chopsticks and four small dishes on it.

This is clearly a meal for two.

He stood up, his eyes coldly fixed on the servant: "Who's inside?"

The servant was sweating profusely: "No, no one."

Qi Yu rolled up his sleeves, making a move to crawl through the dog hole. He would find out who was inside once he went in.

Zhu Yu stopped Qi Yu, his imposing aura and sharp, even frightening, features making him look indifferently at the gatekeeper.

Lu Yucheng didn't notice the cold look in the eyes of the girl next to him.

He said coldly, "A hole this size is just big enough for an eight or nine-year-old child to crawl through on their knees. The soil on the ground is packed thickly, clearly someone has gone through here more than once. Since you're here guarding the gate, haven't you seen it?!"

The servant knelt down with a thud: "I...I really didn't see it. This...this is just a dog hole, perhaps...perhaps..."

He wanted to say that perhaps some dog had crawled in, but since it was the Second Young Master who had crawled in, he dared not say such disrespectful things.

The second young master said he wouldn't make things difficult for them; they just needed to pretend they couldn't see him. After all, he was just a child, so it wouldn't matter if he was a little naughty or crawled through a dog hole.

The servants in the mansion knew very well that it wouldn't be long before the Duke of Zhenguo and his son would have to return to the southern border. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would still be ruled by the lady of the house, and no one would dare to disobey.

At that moment, the courtyard gate slowly opened from the inside, and Lu Yuyi walked out.

He opened the door and saw Zhu Yu and Lu Yucheng standing there. He glanced at the servants kneeling on the ground, then bowed slightly to Zhu Yu and Lu Yucheng, saying, "Elder brother, elder sister."

Zhu Yu looked at Lu Yuyi with a calm gaze. At the age of eight or nine, he stood tall and straight like a pine tree. Although his face was still a little immature, his eyes were clear as water, and his features were slowly developing. He looked three parts like Lu Yucheng.

Lu Yucheng nodded slightly, then turned to the kneeling servant and sneered, "So this is what you call following orders."

Lu Yuyi was a head shorter than Zhu Yu. He smirked and said, "Eldest brother and elder sister, there's no need to make things difficult for a servant. He was just doing his duty and following orders. He didn't open the door for me."

He pointed to the dog hole that Qi Yu had pried open: "I crawled in through this dog hole. I hadn't seen my mother for several days, and I missed her terribly. She's not well, and I was really worried about her. I came several times, but they wouldn't open the door for me, so I took advantage of their inattention and crawled in through this hole."

He paused slightly, then smiled and said, "My father told him to guard the gate, but he didn't say he was to guard the dog hole as well. Besides, he really didn't see it."

Zhu Yu sized up Lu Yuyi. Although the child was young, he was a deep and thoughtful person who could bend and stretch. With just a few words, he not only won over the servants of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion, but also used filial piety to pressure them.

Even if the Duke of Zhenguo were here, after hearing his words, how could he possibly punish an eight or nine-year-old child for crawling through a dog hole?

If guided correctly, such a child will surely achieve great things in time.

Otherwise, if one's mind is used for something wicked, it will lead to endless troubles.

The kneeling servants repeatedly kowtowed to Lu Yuyi, saying, "We thank you, Second Young Master. We were blind and had our backs to the hole, so we really didn't see how you went in."

Qi Yu clenched his fist behind Zhu Yu, wanting to punch the gatekeeper to the ground. Was he blind? He hadn't even seen a grown man crawl through the door.

Lu Yuyi stood with one hand behind his back, adopting the demeanor of a young master: "Get up. This matter has nothing to do with you. Just guard the courtyard gate."

This means he'll crawl through the dog hole again in the future.

"Yes, yes." The servant hurriedly got up.

Lu Yucheng glanced at the open courtyard gate and frowned slightly: "Don't you know that Father forbids you from seeing your stepmother?"

Lu Yuyi smiled and said, "Since you know that Father forbids anyone from seeing my mother, why didn't you ask Father for a warrant before you came? Isn't all this going back and forth a waste of your time?"

Zhu Yu thought to himself, "What a sharp tongue."

Lu Yucheng said, "Didn't my second brother also not have Father's warrant?"

"Yes, that's why I crawled through the dog hole. Are my older brother and sister going to crawl through the dog hole too?"

Seeing that Lu Yucheng was speechless, Zhu Yu said, "Second brother also said that this is a dog hole, how could a person crawl through it?"

Lu Yuyi was just a child after all, and he was immediately angered by Zhu Yu's words. His little face turned red, and he clenched his fists: "Elder sister, how can you talk to me like that? I am your younger brother!"

"Oh." Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow at him. "Then we won't go in. We just have a few questions to ask the stepmother. The door will remain open, and she can answer them here."

Lu Yuyi gritted her teeth and looked at Zhu Yu, "May I ask what you want to ask Mother, elder sister? Didn't you ask Father to lock Mother in this Green Bamboo Residence? Are you here to see Mother make a fool of herself?"

Zhu Yu sneered. Children are just children; they get provoked by a few words.

Anyway, she's a woman now, so what's wrong with speaking in a sarcastic tone? "Is that so? So in Second Brother's mind, moving into this Green Bamboo Residence is a joke? Does that mean that when I lived here before, and Lu Jinmi occupied Tongjia Courtyard, I was the joke in your eyes?"

He chuckled again: "It's been a joke for eighteen years. What goes around comes around."

Lu Yuyi's face turned bright red: "Elder sister, what are you saying? Although Cuizhu Residence is remote, it is quiet and peaceful. Otherwise, how could we not know that elder sister plays the flute so well?"

Wow, this kid's got a way of getting carried away and brought this up. It's been over a month, and he still remembers this. He's not as clueless as Lu Jinmi.

Lu Yucheng looked at Zhu Yu curiously: "Yes, Xiaoyun, when did you become so good at playing the flute?"

Zhu Yu used Lu Yuyi's words to shut him up: "What my second brother said is true. This place is remote, and they never set foot here. So, when I had nothing to do before, I would often tinker with my flute by myself. After arriving at the Prince An's mansion, I received guidance from His Highness Prince An, and my skills improved by leaps and bounds."

Lu Yuyi: "..."