Realizing something was wrong, Xiao Songzi broke out in a cold sweat and immediately turned back to report the matter to the Emperor.

Meanwhile, a palace servant saw Xiao Songzi looking for the princess and reported the matter to the Imperial Noble Consort.

Upon hearing the news, Su Yushan was flustered and immediately sent more people to search for him. She then went to find Hongli to inquire about the reason.

Only after asking did they learn that it was because Hongli slapped Rong Yu that she ran away.

Hongli reprimanded Xiaosongzi for not watching over the princess properly. Xiaosongzi, terrified, knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Su Yushan, standing nearby, advised him:

"Judging from the situation, it seems that Rong Yu deliberately sent him away, and Xiao Songzi did not do it on purpose. We can discuss this matter later. The most important thing now is to find Rong Yu."

After Yu Shan spoke, Hongli stopped pursuing Xiao Songzi's responsibility and waved for him to leave.

Yu Shan also wanted to go out and look for him, but Hongli told her to wait here. "The guards are the most experienced in finding people. You won't be of much help. If they find Rong Yu, they'll have to come looking for you. Just wait here!"

Su Yushan didn't want to cause trouble, so she stayed. But there were some things she still wanted to say. "To be fair, you shouldn't have hit her. You should have talked things out. She may be young, but she's sensible. Hitting her like that will hurt her self-esteem."

Since Rong Yu's birth, Hongli had always cherished her as the apple of his eye, never once laying a finger on her. If she hadn't been so stubborn this time, he wouldn't have been so fierce.

“Listen to what she said, saying she would rather not be our daughter. After giving birth to her and raising her for so many years, is this how she repays us?”

Her daughter's attitude was indeed not good, but Yu Shan believed that hitting people was not the solution. "Rong Yu already had objections to this marriage. If you hit her like this, she will be even more resistant."

Hongli, however, felt he was right. "I'm her biological father. What's wrong with hitting her? Does she think I'm her enemy?"