It's already the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year is just ten days away. The capital city is filled with the festive atmosphere of the upcoming New Year. You can even hear the sound of firecrackers in the distance. Because of the firecrackers, the air is filled with the smell of gunpowder in the crisp air. This smell is a unique smell of the New Year, and it is also the smell of the New Year in the hearts of many people.

However, this atmosphere made Xu Zhi feel increasingly lonely and fearful. She didn't even know when those bad news had come.

Hong Gu looked at Shi Liu, who was tightly pursing her lips. Xu Zhi suddenly stood up and said, "If you won't tell me, I'll find someone who can tell me."

Shiliu held Xu Zhi's arm tightly. Xu Zhi struggled but couldn't break free. She turned to Shiliu and said, "Shiliu, I was going to find out sooner or later, so why are you keeping it from me like this?"

Shen Mingwan looked at Shiliu with a pleading expression. Wuzhou was not only where Zheng Boyuan was staying, but also where Shen Mingwan's parents were staying. If something happened there, as the highest-ranking military and political officials, they would be the first to be affected.

Shiliu remained silent, her lips tightly pressed together. Xu Zhi was anxious and wanted to leave, but Shiliu pulled her arm tightly. She hadn't slept well last night and hadn't eaten much breakfast this morning. Now she felt dizzy and lightheaded, and after a moment of vertigo, Xu Zhi slumped to the ground with Shiliu.

Hong Gu exclaimed in surprise, "Miss!" and quickly stepped forward to help Xu Zhi up from the ground, half-supporting and half-carrying her. Xu Zhi felt weak all over and tried to wave her hand, but felt that her arm weighed a ton.

When Hong Gu saw Xu Zhi's appearance, her eyes reddened, and she looked at Shi Liu pleadingly. Shi Liu gently shook her head at Hong Gu, who turned her head to the side and secretly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Xu Zhi was placed on the edge of the kang by Shi Liu and Hong Gu. Shen Mingwan was both surprised and flustered. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but she was afraid that she would hear the news she least wanted to hear, so she simply kept her mouth shut and looked at Xu Zhi with longing eyes.

After Xu Zhi fainted for a while, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She said to Hong Gu, "Hong Gu, I'll find out about this sooner or later. The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can prepare. I... I'm telling you, Zheng Boyuan and I are husband and wife. We are one. If he lives, I live; if he dies, I won't live alone."

When Hong Gu heard Xu Zhi say this, she choked up and said, "Miss, if you don't think about yourself, then think about the master, the madam, and the grandma, okay? You are their precious child. If something were to happen to you, how would they live?"

Xu Zhi then realized that something must have happened to Zheng Boyuan, and it was quite serious.

The room fell silent for a moment, then suddenly footsteps were heard outside. A person rushed into the room, yanked open the curtain of the inner room, and saw Xu Zhi sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). He said anxiously, "Miss, someone from the Marquis's mansion just sent a letter saying that something has happened to the young master."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi tried to stand up, but her legs were sore and weak that she couldn't. Looking around, she saw Bai Ying standing at the doorway, leaning against the door frame, looking anxious.

Bai Ying saw Shi Liu staring at her fiercely and trembled in fright. Remembering the messenger from the Marquis's mansion who had come to deliver the message earlier at the gate, she steadied herself and said, "It was the Madam who sent someone to pick you up, saying that something had happened to the young master and that you should go to the Marquis's mansion as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and staggered towards the door. Hong Gu, with red eyes, draped the cloak over Xu Zhi's shoulders, and Xu Zhi walked outside without turning her head.

Hong Gu watched as Bai Ying helped Xu Zhi out of the room, then sighed at Shi Liu and said, "Shi Liu, this can't be kept secret like this. The girl is so perceptive, how long can you keep it from her?"

Shiliu gritted her teeth and said, "At least wait until we find the young master before telling the young lady. If you tell her now that the young master is missing, won't the young lady be even more anxious?"

Hong Gu shook her head and said, "You're not a woman who stays locked up in the inner quarters all day. Do you think you can keep it a secret? Right now, everyone outside is talking about the war in Wuzhou. Do you think you can't figure out what's going on?"

Shiliu ignored Honggu's words and strode after Xu Zhi. Honggu glanced at a letter on the kang table, which Zheng Boyuan had sent back a few days ago. Her silly girl had read it countless times. She couldn't help but sigh and turned to leave the room.

The stables had already prepared a carriage. Xu Zhi hurriedly boarded the carriage, while Shi Liu did not board it. Instead, she found a horse to ride alongside her and acted as a lookout. The group left through the side gate of the Zheng residence and headed towards the Yongning Marquis's mansion.

Xu Zhi was flustered and asked Bai Ying, "What did the messenger say?"

Bai Ying held Xu Zhi's hand and said, "Miss, they just said that something happened to the young master and asked us to go to the Marquis's mansion to discuss countermeasures. They also said that our madam said that you and the young master are husband and wife, and no matter what happens or how he is now, you should know all the news as soon as possible."

Xu Zhi felt weak all over and sat leaning against the carriage. Thinking of Hong Gu and Shi Liu's expressions just now, she knew that things were not so simple, but she didn't want to ask Shi Liu what had happened.

Shiliu, who was outside, naturally heard the conversation between the two people inside the carriage. The news from Wuzhou had been sent to the palace first.

The letter stated that the area from Wuzhou to the border river had been occupied by the Great Yan. Zheng Boyuan, the garrison commander of Wuzhou, was injured and unconscious. After receiving basic treatment, he was being transported to the capital due to the severity of his injuries.

Upon receiving the news, Jia San repeatedly instructed Shi Liu not to tell Xu Zhi about it, because so far, there had been no definite news from Wuzhou. Most importantly, all that was said was that Zheng Boyuan was seriously injured and in a coma, but the extent of his coma was unknown to the people in the capital. Everyone knew that Xu Zhi had been unable to eat or sleep well lately because of her worries about Wuzhou, and that it would only cause her more anxiety if she were to be told this uncertain news rashly.

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