Chapter 181 Lin Ruoli is missing
Dayong, the imperial palace.
Eunuch Wang hurried into the imperial study, "Your Majesty, there's news from the secret guards!"
The emperor was reviewing memorials, and when he heard this he immediately raised his head and said, "Hurry and bring it here!"
After receiving the secret letter, the emperor couldn't wait to open it and read it quickly.
When he saw the words "Chu Huaixu and Yu Youning were safe and sound", he breathed a sigh of relief and read it carefully again from the beginning, word by word.
After reading it and putting down the secret letter, the emperor had a complicated expression.
Originally, he thought that Chu Huaixu and Yu Youning going to Nanzhao was just nonsense.
But now it seems that it was the right time to go!
"Go, let Prime Minister Wen and Marshal Wen enter the palace."
"yes!"
Eunuch Wang agreed and left in a hurry.
As soon as he left, the queen arrived.
The emperor and the empress were deeply in love, and the empress always had to inform the emperor when she entered or left the imperial study.
The Empress's face was filled with anxiety. As soon as she entered the Imperial Study, she couldn't wait to ask, "Your Majesty, is there any news about Youxian'er? How is he now?"
The emperor looked at the queen who came to his side and handed her the secret letter on the table. "Xu'er is fine, Queen, don't worry!"
The queen did not shy away from it and read the secret letter carefully.
But even after she finished reading, the queen's brows were still tightly furrowed, without any relaxation.
"Since ancient times, the transfer of imperial power has always been a bloodbath. Xu'er is already deeply involved in the war in Nanzhao. If he is involved in something like this, wouldn't that be even more dangerous? Your Majesty, please let Xu'er return! If you give the order, he will obey."
"Empress, Xu'er is our only child. He is both the legitimate son and the crown prince. You are worried about his safety, and so am I."
"But as the crown prince, while his own safety is important, planning for Dayong is equally important. Dayong, Nanzhao, and Xiliang have been in a three-way balance of power for many years, but in recent years, there have been constant frictions. Xiliang, in particular, has become increasingly powerful and ambitious over the years, frequently making attempts and eyeing Dayong covetously."
"As for Nanzhao, the current emperor is one who seeks stability. If he had remained in power, there would be nothing to worry about. But now he is dying, and it seems he will not survive. The Queen of Nan is cruel and ambitious, and she has frequently come into contact with Xiliang.
If her son really ascends the throne in the end, and the new emperor is young, she will definitely control the court. If she then cooperates with Xiliang and attacks Dayong at the same time, we will be in a very passive position!"
"If this really happens, not only will Xu'er's safety be in jeopardy, but Dayong will also be in jeopardy! Xu'er's actions are not only for himself, but also for the entire Dayong!"
The emperor's words were spoken with great sincerity. The empress and the emperor had been married for many years and were not completely ignorant of state affairs, so she naturally understood.
But understanding is one thing, and worrying is another.
"I understand what the emperor said, but this move is really too dangerous!"
"Even wealth and honor require risk, let alone matters of national importance! Every step is like walking on the edge of a knife. The slightest mistake will lead to eternal damnation! But I believe in Xu'er, and you should believe in Xu'er too! He will definitely help Wei Zhao ascend the throne!"
The Queen frowned. "Does the Emperor trust Wei Zhao so much? What if he cooperates with Xiliang after he comes to power?"
The emperor smiled. "Xu'er, what you have to do is not only to help Wei Zhao seize the throne, but also to make the Jiang family and the Queen of Nanzhao a dead end. The Jiang family and the Queen of Nanzhao each occupy half of the court. They fight to the death, and they consume the strength of Nanzhao. Even if Wei Zhao succeeds in ascending the throne, he will be busy stabilizing the court and recuperating.
Xiliang is ambitious. If he cooperates with Xiliang, it would be like trying to get the skin of a tiger. It would be better to be on good terms with Dayong and get a chance to breathe. I don't want to gain anything from Nanzhao, I just don't want Dayong to be attacked from all sides."
Hearing the emperor say this, the queen's heart couldn't help but feel heavy.
The emperor is devoted to Dayong, and as the queen, she cannot fall behind.
The emperor gently patted the queen's hand and said, "Okay, don't worry. Trust Xu'er. He's so smart, he'll be fine. And Youning is here too. We have people from the Divine Doctor Valley and Penglai Island with us. We will definitely be able to escape unscathed."
At this point, it was impossible to call Chu Huaixu back, and the queen could only follow the emperor's words.
"Yes, Your Majesty is right. They will definitely return safely!"
As the two were talking, Eunuch Wang came in with his back hunched.
"Your Majesty, Marshal Wen and Prime Minister Wen have arrived."
The Queen immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty has important matters to discuss, so I will go back first."
As soon as the queen left, Marshal Wen and Prime Minister Wen hurried in.
Behind Prime Minister Wen was Minister Wen Li.
The emperor glanced at Wen Xiangli indifferently, said nothing, and was not surprised.
While the three of them were talking, Wen Xiangli stood by and listened respectfully, without opening a single word.
There was no expression on his face, but only he knew that after hearing about Yu Youning's recent situation, his heart, which had been beating too fast, finally slowly returned to normal.
The emperor then looked at Wen Xiangli and said, "Xiangli, I heard that you are keeping an eye on the situation at the Lin family. How is it going?"
Wen Xiangli quickly replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, Madam Lin has moved to a farm outside the city with Lin Yu and Lin Ruoli. They've been there for a few days now, and so far, there seems to be nothing wrong."
"You keep a close eye on me. I have a feeling that a daughter raised by someone like Lin Siqiong won't remain silent."
"yes!"
...
Outside the capital, in a small village.
Although it is not yet the twelfth lunar month, there have been two snowfalls in the capital.
The wind and snow just stopped the day before yesterday. Although the sun is out now, I can't feel any warmth, and the snow shows no sign of melting.
The snow was illuminated by the sun, so bright that it was a little dazzling.
I don’t know if it’s because of the cold weather, but Mrs. Lin hasn’t been feeling well these days. She spends most of her time lying in the house and doesn’t let Lin Yu and Lin Ruoli serve her, for fear of infecting them.
Lin Yu was a person who could not sit still. In the past, he would go hunting in the snow with a group of young masters in winter. Now that he had nothing to do, he was even more interested.
"Li'er, the weather is nice today. How about your uncle take you rabbit hunting?"
Lin Ruoli was reading a book. When she heard this, she looked up at Lin Yu. A smile instantly spread across her palm-sized face. "Okay!"
"Then put on your cloak. It's cold outside. Don't catch a cold!"
Lin Yu gave instructions and went to get the white cloak from the shelf and carefully helped Lin Ruoli put it on.
The people on the farm are all farmers who only know how to farm, don't know how to hunt, and are even less able to flatter and serve.
Lin Yu was too lazy to see them and didn't let them follow him. He carried his bow and arrow on his back, held Lin Ruoli's hand, and left the farm.
The village was backed by a mountain range. The two of them entered the mountain from a small path and only walked for a quarter of an hour before reaching the forest.
Maybe it was because of the good weather, or maybe because they had no food, there were actually quite a few rabbits and pheasants hanging around outside.
Lin Yu drew his bow and shot an arrow, his face full of confidence, "Li'er, today you can eat the pheasants and rabbits hunted by your uncle himself!"
"Uncle is so awesome!" Lin Ruoli praised with a smile.
The arrow flew off the string and headed towards a pheasant.
The pheasant flapped its wings and flew to the other side, and the arrow was stuck in the snow.
Lin Yu was not discouraged. He drew his bow again and shot a rabbit this time.
The rabbit was very agile and it dodged the arrow easily by jumping a few times.
"I don't believe I can't hit the target! I used to hit the target every time!"
As Lin Yu spoke, he drew his bow and shot an arrow while keeping walking forward.
At this moment, Lin Yu only had prey in his mind and eyes, and was filled with resentment. It seemed that he wanted to vent all his experiences and dissatisfaction in the past few months on these pheasants and rabbits.
But even after he shot all the arrows in the quiver, he still couldn't hit any prey.
Lin Yu's face turned red with anger and he threw the bow in his hand to the ground.
"This bow must be bad! Li'er, let's go into town and buy a good one!"
Lin Yu said this and turned to look at Lin Ruoli.
But Lin Ruoli was no longer in the woods!
Lin Yu's expression changed instantly.
"Li'er? Li'er, where are you?"
"Li'er, don't scare your uncle! Are you playing hide-and-seek with him?"
Lin Yu ran while shouting, searching everywhere nearby. He was exhausted and out of breath, but still couldn't find Lin Ruoli.
"Li'er! Where are you?"
"Uncle lost! Uncle couldn't find you, come out quickly!"
Lin Yu was extremely panicked and kept shouting.
But no matter how he shouted, Lin Ruoli did not appear.
It was completely silent, without even the sound of birds or pheasants.
At this moment, it seemed that Lin Yu was the only one left in the world.
Lin Yu did not give up and was still searching frantically.
But as the sun rose higher and higher above his head, he still couldn't find Lin Ruoli until the people from the farm came.
Seeing the people on the farm, Lin Yu hurriedly urged them, "Go! Go find them! Li'er is missing!"
Everyone was very surprised when they heard this. Without saying anything more, they hurriedly dispersed to look for him.
There were so many people that they searched from dawn to dusk but still couldn't find Lin Ruoli.
Not even a piece of clothing was found.
After dark, it gets even colder outside.
Lin Yu was reluctant to go back at first, but he hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day and was very nervous. He got too excited when arguing with everyone and fainted.
Everyone hurriedly lifted him up and went straight back to the village.
Mrs. Lin had heard about this a long time ago and was waiting anxiously. When she saw Lin Yu being carried back, she was almost frightened to death. She ignored her own health and insisted on staying by Lin Yu's side.
Nearing midnight, Lin Yu finally woke up slowly. The first thing he did after opening his eyes was to ask about Lin Ruoli's situation.
"Mother, have you found Li'er?"
Mrs. Lin shook her head. "No, Yu'er, don't worry too much. Li'er is a lucky person, and nothing will happen to her!"
"How could nothing happen!" Lin Yu roared, "She's a little girl, not even six years old. In this weather, she's alone in the mountains, full of dangers! Why don't you send someone to look for her? Keep looking!"
"It's already midnight, let's talk tomorrow—"
"Tomorrow? Do you think Li'er can survive a night alone in the mountains?" Lin Yu glared at her. "No wonder Yu Tingwan and Yu Youning don't want to acknowledge you. You're not worthy of being a grandmother! You only care about yourself and don't care about any of them at all!"
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