After searching the bamboo forest thoroughly, Liu Ziqi still couldn't find Tao Ge'er. He asked the maid who was in charge of sweeping the garden, "Is there a hole in the wall leading to the outside of this garden?"

The maid hurriedly said respectfully, "Master, there really is one. There is a dog hole in the west wall. However, wild cats always came in earlier. In order to prevent them from scratching the young ladies in the mansion, the steward ordered people to block the hole."

"Take me there." Liu Ziqi ordered.

Tao Ge'er only has the mind of a child, so it is possible that he just wanted to play and saw a hole in the wall and crawl out.

The maid quickly led Liu Ziqi to the dog hole in the west wall. The entrance of the hole was blocked by bricks and stones. Liu Ziqi picked up the lantern, squatted down and took a closer look. There was dust on the bricks and stones, and there was no sign that they had been moved.

The maids and servants searched the garden but couldn't find Tao Ge'er. Wei Ma was a little anxious and asked the two maids who were playing with Tao Ge'er, "Why is he not in the garden? Didn't you say you would play with Tao Ge'er in the garden?"

The two maids shook their heads helplessly, "We were playing in this garden, but then we couldn't find Brother Tao, and Xiao Cui was guarding here, so I went back and told you, Madam."

Liu Ziqi stood up and told the servants in the garden, "Go look for him in other places in the mansion. Tao may have gone somewhere else."

Remembering that he once ran into Tao Ge'er playing at the rockery, Liu Ziqi took the servant to the lake in the backyard to look for him.

Just then, he ran into Madam Liu, who was hurriedly approaching with several maids following behind her.

Liu Ziqi bowed respectfully and called out, "Mother."

Madam Liu responded calmly and looked at Madam Wei, her tone unable to conceal her anxiety, "Why didn't you tell me that Brother Tao was missing? You only have this one biological son. If anything happens to him, how can I feel at ease?"

The maidservant beside was not surprised by Madam Liu's words. Madam Wei had served Madam for many years and was an old-timer in the mansion. Madam had always been kind to Madam Wei and even doted on Madam Wei's son. Although Madam Wei's son Tao Ge'er was a mentally retarded child with the mentality of a five or six-year-old, his status in the Liu mansion was like that of a young master.

Not only did the lady dote on this foolish boy, Tao, but even the eldest young master treated him like his own brother. The master, who was busy with official duties, would often play children's games with Tao. The masters in the mansion all treated Tao in this way, so the servants treated Tao as half a master.

The two maids who accompanied Tao Ge'er to play hide-and-seek in the garden saw that even the lady was alarmed, so they knelt down and admitted their mistakes.

Madam Liu glanced at the two maids coldly, her voice sinking, "What did I tell you normally? Brother Tao can't be without someone by his side, and you turned a deaf ear to my words? If anything happens to Brother Tao, you won't have to stay in the mansion to work."

The two maids knelt down and begged for mercy, "We know we are wrong..."

Madam Wei stepped forward to support Madam Liu and said, "I am afraid that Madam will worry, and I thought that Brother Tao might have hidden away because he was having fun, so I brought people to look for him first."

"What are you all standing there for?" Madam Liu shouted at the maids and servants, "Hurry up and go find Tao'er. Search every courtyard in the mansion. If you still can't find him, go outside the mansion and look for him!"

Liu Ziqi bowed slightly and said, "Mother, I will go look for Brother Tao too."

Mrs. Liu's expression was very cold. She just nodded slightly. Liu Ziqi took the servant and went towards the rockery in the backyard.

As soon as he left, Madam Liu no longer concealed her worry and anxiety on her face, "Why did Brother Tao disappear for no reason? You should have told me about such a big thing as soon as you knew about it."

Madam Wei comforted her, "It's normal for Tao to be playful. There are guards at the front and back doors of the mansion, and Tao can't climb over the wall, so he must still be in the mansion. Madam, don't be too anxious. I'll take you back to the courtyard first, and then find some servants to look for Tao."

"How can I not be anxious? Brother Tao is mentally handicapped. I am always worried that he might get hurt." Mrs. Liu's eyes were filled with worry. "I will go with you to look for him. Let all the servants in the mansion look for him."

Nanny Wei knew Madam Liu's feelings very well, so she stopped trying to persuade her and accompanied Madam Liu in the mansion to look for Tao Ge'er.

Liu Ziqi and the servant searched carefully beside the rockery by the lake in the backyard, but could not find Tao Ge'er. The entire Liu Mansion was filled with people holding lanterns looking for someone, causing quite a commotion.

After talking with Liu Ziqi in the study, Liu Yu was talking to his old mother in the courtyard of Baoshou Hall. He told the old lady that Liu Ziqi was going to Qingzhou to bring Yu Jiao back to the Liu family.

Old Madam Liu knew what had happened back then and was well aware of Yu Jiao's background. Although she worried day and night that what her son had done would become known to others, the old lady came from a prominent family in Northern Zhili. Her family had been scholars for generations and her character was not that of an ordinary woman. Otherwise, she would not have been able to raise a son like Liu Ci Fu after her husband's early death.

Hearing that her son had agreed to this, Old Lady Liu comforted him, "When you were young, your mother taught you a truth. If you firmly believe that what you are doing is right, just do it. Everyone in this world has his or her own way. If you stick to your own way, you will be worthy of praise and criticism from others."