After the banquet that day, the atmosphere in the palace seemed to have improved somewhat.
It seems that everyone's pace has returned to normal.
However, for some reason, Consort Wan has recently become obsessed with listening to opera. She can listen to it for an entire day at a time.
There were no opera troupes in the palace, so the troupes that performed for Consort Wan were all found outside the palace.
For about six or seven consecutive days, it was the same opera troupe.
These opera singers would enter the palace in the morning and not return until very late at night. They would drive a dilapidated horse-drawn carriage, which was loaded with costumes and props.
Over time, the guards at the palace gates all got to know those people.
There were young people, old people, and children; they were clearly a poor troupe that made a living by performing operas.
It was fortunate that Consort Wan liked them; otherwise, these people would probably never have had the chance to come to the palace in their entire lives.
*
It wasn't until the eighth day after the opera troupe came to the palace to perform.
That night, the darkness was hazy.
Su Tiyue had just finished dinner, and Liu Wan accompanied her as they strolled around the Taiye Pond.
As it was getting late, the two were preparing to head back when they suddenly heard a child crying.
They followed the sound and found a little girl, about five or six years old, hiding behind a rock and crying.
Su Tiyue only found out after asking that the little girl was from the opera troupe that Consort Wan had found, but she had wandered off while playing.
Later, when it got dark, I got lost and am crying here all by myself.
"Don't cry, let your sister take you back to find your family, okay?" Liu Wan squatted down, held her hand and patiently coaxed her, even taking out a small piece of candy from her sleeve for her to eat.
Liu Wan turned to Su Tiyue and said, "It's a bit far from Consort Wan's Xinrong Palace. You've walked quite a distance tonight, you must be tired. I can take her back by myself, you can go back first..."
Before Su Tiyue could even reply, the little girl reached out and grabbed Su Tiyue's skirt, pleading pitifully, "I need this older sister to take me home..."
Liu Wan frowned: "This...?"
Su Tiyue sighed helplessly, "Then let's go together, Liu Wan. It's not like it's a long way off."
Since her master had said so, what could Liu Wan say?
Then the two of them took the little girl's hand and headed towards Xinrong Palace.
When the three arrived at the entrance of Xinrong Palace, the opera troupe had just finished their performance and were methodically packing up their belongings.
Su Tiyue knew that she and Consort Wan had never gotten along well, so she only intended to see the little girl to the door. Just as she was about to turn and leave, the little girl said to her with an innocent and cheerful smile, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Your Majesty?" Su Tiyue asked, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't you just call me 'sister'? How do you know I'm Your Majesty?"
Liu Wan also looked puzzled. During this time, she had never called Su Tiyue "Your Highness" once. The little girl in front of her was not a child from the palace. How could she know these things?
"I just knew it." The little girl was still smiling when she said this, but the way she looked at Su Tiyue was a little different.
Well, that look in his eyes was a bit creepy; it sent chills down your spine.
Just then, three or four middle-aged men walked out of Xinrong Palace, looked at the three people standing at the door, and then exchanged glances.
Su Tiyue's heart tightened, sensing something was wrong. She turned to look at Liu Wan and whispered, "Let's go."
Before the two women could take two steps, the men rushed up, covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs smeared with sleeping pills, and dragged them into Xinrong Palace.
Su Tiyue struggled and resisted desperately, but the drug was too potent and took effect too quickly.
Su Tiyue completely lost consciousness. Before collapsing, the last thing she saw was the little girl she had brought back coldly closing the door of Xinrong Palace.
It turns out that people can all pretend. But Su Tiyue couldn't understand how a six or seven-year-old child could be so wicked.
The little girl's crying and laughing were all faked.
In this palace, everyone, whether man or woman, must be on guard, and even the androgynous eunuchs must be watched out for. Yet, Su Tiyue still fell for a young child.
The drugged Su Tiyue and Liu Wan were stuffed into two large wooden boxes, which were originally used to store props and costumes.
At 3:45 PM, the opera troupe, leading their carriage, left the imperial city through the north gate in an orderly fashion.
The guards at the gate did a cursory inspection and found nothing amiss.
*
Qingwu dozed off on the table, and when she woke up, she found that her master and Liuwan still hadn't returned.
It's normal that the master often stays in the next room and doesn't return to Tingyu Tower, but... why hasn't Liuwan come back yet at this late hour?
Knowing that the two of them usually just strolled around Taiye Pond or the newly planted jasmine garden after meals, Qingwu went out to search but still couldn't find any trace of them.
She was impatient, and when she realized the person was missing, she rushed to Yelan Pavilion to inquire about the situation.
Seeing that the light was still on in Xiao Heye's room, Qingwu walked to the door and tentatively called out, "Your Highness? Are you inside?"
Xiao Heye had just returned to Yelan Pavilion, and Li Xun was serving him as he was about to change his clothes and bathe when Qingwu from next door came looking for him.
Li Xun nodded, withdrew, opened the door and said to Qingwu, "The Empress hasn't come today. Isn't she at Tingyu Tower?"
Qingwu shook her head: "After dinner, Her Highness and Liuwan went out together. Before, they would just stroll around the South Garden or Taiye Pond and come back, but tonight... it's been more than an hour and they still haven't returned."
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