Jiang Shuyue felt the whistling wind in her ears, as if she were floating on clouds.
She slightly opened her eyes; the soft glow of the lamplight and the fleeting glimpses of treetops and tiled houses created a unique scene.
shore.
Upon hearing the news, Lin Miaoshou met Su Nan on the shore.
"Uncle Lin, are my sister and Sui Sui alright?"
Seeing that the painted boats had turned off their lights after docking, Su Nan was about to rush forward to find someone.
Just then, in the darkness of the night, the figures on the painted boat leaped down like birds, densely packed, and disappeared in an instant.
Lin Miaoshou grabbed Su Nan's arm, "Don't go, let's go back. Someone will escort Yue'er."
On the other side of the lake, Gao Mu saw this scene and guessed why all the painted boats had turned off their lights. He quickly rode back to his residence.
Nangong Zeyue and her team were exhausted at the princess's residence.
Xiao Jingzhao pointed to the two men, and then the Prefect of Jingzhao sent a few more people, making a total of less than ten.
He was unfamiliar with the vast princess's residence, and all the maids and servants had run away after the emperor left.
Nangong Zeyue had a particular fondness for the storeroom. The outer courtyard storeroom contained household odds and ends, and after searching for most of the area, she couldn't find a single person or any trace of anyone being imprisoned.
Finally, he waved his hand and said, "To the main courtyard."
"Oh dear! Young master, could you please let us rest for a bit? With just a few of us searching, someone might die." One of the constables put his hand on his back and simply plopped down on the steps.
Nangong Zeyue, an outsider to the official ranks, dared not reprimand the yamen runners. He looked at the two Imperial Guards and asked, "Why don't we go first?"
The two Imperial Guards said expressionlessly, "Please come forward, young master."
As soon as Nangong Zeyue took a step, she heard a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard say to the yamen runners, "Your physical condition is worrying. You lack exercise. Serving in the government, you should be training hard in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. Lord Lu is too lenient."
Fearing that the Imperial Guards would cause trouble for the Emperor upon their return to the palace, the yamen runner scrambled to his feet. "Sir, wait a minute, I can still hold on."
The yamen runners received meager salaries and mostly ran errands; they had no need to train hard in the coldest and hottest winters.
The extravagance in the main courtyard almost blinded them.
The house was ransacked, with the floor a mess, as if a robber had broken in.
They say when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, and that's really true.
Judging from this, the servants of the princess's residence must have searched for their indentures before leaving, and also took their jewelry and money with them.
A search of the main courtyard yielded no trace.
Nangong Zeyue waved her hand, "Go find the storeroom."
Upon arriving at the main courtyard storeroom, we found the door locked by two iron gatekeepers.
The constables kicked it several times, but it didn't budge.
To prove he wasn't a weakling, the constable said, "Wait, let me go find something to break it open."
"No need for that, I'll just lend you my hairpin." Nangong Zeyue said, reaching for the hair ornament on the yamen runner's head.
Seeing the constable's hair instantly become disheveled, the others suppressed their laughter.
Under the questioning gazes of the others, Nangong Zeyue skillfully manipulated the lock cylinder.
In the blink of an eye, a "click" sound was heard, and the lock opened.
One of the Imperial Guards couldn't help but praise, "Young Master, you are truly remarkable. No wonder the Emperor entrusted you with such an important task."
Nangong Zeyue had no words to express his suffering. What did he mean by entrusting him with an important task? That black-hearted woman was clearly jealous of him staying by Yueniang's side and deliberately sent him away.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard is full of talented people; it's impossible that there are no capable individuals among them.
"Your Highness!" A yamen runner called out to the house before the person carrying the lantern behind him could even enter.
There was no sound inside. When the candles in the storeroom were lit, the storeroom was found to be empty.
The constable scratched the back of his head and said, "That's not right. The main treasury of the princess's residence shouldn't be empty. Even if there aren't mountains of pearls and agates, there should still be several chests of silver."
Nangong Zeyue glanced quickly at the marks on the ground. "This place isn't empty; the warehouse was cleared out in advance."
Is anyone there?
Just as everyone was about to leave the warehouse, shouts came from outside.
The two Imperial Guards paused for a moment, then leaped outwards and vanished from their spot in an instant.
Several constables stared at each other, speechless for a long time. One of them, with disheveled hair, swallowed hard and turned to his companion: "Shall we go back and practice too?"
Nangong Zeyue glanced at the group and said indifferently, "If your bones are rigid and your training is in vain, it's all for nothing."
The constables only saw a blur before their eyes, and the handsome young man vanished without a trace.
As Nangong Zeyue arrived at the main courtyard gate, she heard a man say, "The princess has been found. The Emperor has ordered that no suspect be released and that an accomplice be searched throughout the city."
Upon seeing Nangong Zeyue appear, the two Imperial Guards clasped their hands in thanks to him, saying, "Thank you for your help tonight, young master. We'll meet again someday."
A dark shadow flashed in the moonlight, and the two Imperial Guards disappeared from the spot.
The messenger was about to leap after him when Nangong Zeyue quickly caught up and grabbed his arm, anxiously asking, "Is the princess and...the others alright?"
The man glanced at Nangong Zeyue and said seriously, "Young master, be careful with your words. Princess Chang Le is still a child. Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
Nangong Zeyue: "..." Did I say something wrong?
Startled, Nangong Zeyue released the man's arm.
Once the person in front of them had disappeared, several constables chased after them.
The yamen runners overheard Nangong Zeyue's conversation with the man.
The group looked at Nangong Zeyue with ambiguous expressions.
One of them bowed and smiled obsequiously, "When you see the princess, please remember to put in a good word for us. With your exceptional demeanor, you will surely have your wish fulfilled. We'll be on our way now."
The group retreated as they spoke, leaving Nangong Zeyue completely bewildered.
He just wanted to know if Sui Sui was safe and sound. The princess was the kind of person who would never fix what she did, so what was the point of speaking well of her?
Watching the group run towards the gate, Nangong Zeyue shook her head, leaped over the wall, and disappeared into the vast night in a few bounds.
...
At the Jiang residence, Xiao Jingzhao led Jiang Shuyue directly over the wall and entered.
After his feet touched the ground, his large, burning hands were still on his waist.
"Thank you for seeing me off, Your Majesty," Jiang Shuyue said softly, her ears slightly flushed.
Xiao Jingzhao slowly withdrew his arm, his voice as warm as a spring breeze: "Take care of yourself. I assure you, what happened tonight will never happen again."
Just when Jiang Shuyue thought Xiao Jingzhao was about to leave, she saw him lower his head slightly, pick her up around the waist, and carry her to the bed.
Jiang Shuyue was filled with shame and indignation, "You..."
"Your shoes are wet. I'll call someone in a bit. Take off your clothes first." Xiao Jingzhao bent down and placed her on the edge of the bed, helping her take off her shoes and socks.
The large, warm hand massaging her ankle made Jiang Shuyue's cheeks flush red as she realized she had misunderstood Xiao Jingzhao.
"Excuse me, please return to the palace first. Qiuju will be here soon."
"Okay, you rest first. Xiangyang should have brought Suisui back by now. I'll go check on her."
Hearing the sound of the beaded curtain clattering, Jiang Shuyue breathed a sigh of relief and, with a thought, flashed into the space.
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