Zhao Qing nodded, then said, "I asked many people and found my way here, but I still couldn't find my mother."
"Sister Su, does mother not want me anymore?" Zhao Qing seemed to be abandoned. "I used to be disobedient and often made mother unhappy. Did she abandon me?"
"How could that be?" Su Mengyan touched his head and said, "Qing'er's mother went to a very far place, but she didn't abandon you."
"How far is it?" Zhao Qing asked, "Can I find her?"
"It can be found, but it will be a long time later." Su Mengyan couldn't bear to tell him the truth.
"How long will it take?" Zhao Qing continued to ask.
Su Mengyan looked into his clear eyes, the words she wanted to say choked in her throat. She forced a smile and gave him the snack, "When Qing'er gets old, too old to walk or eat, then you can find her."
"Then I'll wait a little longer." Zhao Qing believed what Su Mengyan said and sat there obediently eating snacks.
Zhao Hu was led in by Situ Yao. Seeing Zhao Qing here, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him tightly in his arms, "Smelly boy, where have you been?"
"I wanted to look for Mom, but I couldn't find her, so I ended up here." Zhao Qingqing said crisply, "Sister Su said that when I'm very old, I'll be able to see Mom, so I won't run around anymore. Dad, don't worry."
Zhao Hu, a grown man, had tears welling up in his eyes. After a while, he knelt before Situ Yao and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, and Miss Su, for saving my father and me."
"Hey, get up quickly." Su Mengyan quickly asked him to get up.
Zhao Hu kowtowed three times on the ground before taking Zhao Qing away.
Su Mengyan helplessly held her forehead and whispered, "Kneeling all the time, I feel like my life is being shortened."
"We'll be returning to the palace soon, you have to get used to it." Situ Yao had excellent hearing and heard her words clearly.
Su Mengyan slumped in the chair and waved her hands, saying, "When we return to Beijing, I'll be the only one kneeling to others. It won't shorten my lifespan."
Her status, to put it nicely, was that of a prince's concubine, but in reality, it was only slightly higher than that of a palace maid. If she met a high-ranking palace maid from the concubines, she would have to be humble.
Thinking about the fact that her free and easy life would be gone after she returned to the palace, Su Mengyan felt uneasy all over.
Situ Yao seemed to live in her heart. He guessed what she was thinking at a glance and warned her, "I will send someone to watch you when you return to Beijing this time. Those thoughts of secretly escaping halfway should be put away as soon as possible."
"If I find out about this, I won't let you off easily like I did last time." Situ Yao leaned forward, looking extremely oppressive.
Su Mengyan could see her own fear in those deep eyes, and she quietly stepped back a little.
"Your Highness." Cui Mixue's call of "Your Highness" brought both of them back to their senses.
Situ Yao stood up straight as if nothing had happened and asked expressionlessly, "What are you doing here?"
Cui Mixue barely withdrew her gaze from Su Mengyan and said with a gentle smile, "I heard that His Highness will be returning to the capital tomorrow. Can I go with His Highness?"
"Yes." Situ Yao's answer was only one word.
Cui Mixue didn't seem to care at all. Instead, she asked Su Mengyan with a smile, "What's wrong with Yan'er? You don't look well."
Su Mengyan really admired this two-faced woman. She was staring at her with murderous eyes just now, but now she can smile.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Miss Cui." Su Mengyan slowly adjusted her facial expression and spoke in a distant tone, obviously intending to keep a distance from her.
Cui Mixue didn't take it seriously. She wanted to pretend to be concerned in front of Situ Yao, saying, "We're leaving tomorrow. Yan'er, you have to take good care of yourself."
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I won't be delayed." Su Mengyan said with a fake smile, "Your Highness, don't you agree?"
Situ Yao nodded imperceptibly, and Cui Mixue didn't know what to say. Finally, she said goodbye and left.
"You don't want to match me and Cui Mixue anymore?" Situ Yao asked her with a raised eyebrow.
Su Mengyan was extremely tired. She stopped and turned back and said, "Your Highness, that's a matter between you two. I'm an outsider and don't want to interfere."
"Outsider?" Situ Yao suddenly pulled her back with force. "Have you forgotten your identity?"
"I haven't forgotten." Su Mengyan's eyes were clear. "It is because I remember that I don't want to cause trouble for His Highness."
"What does this have to do with Cui Mixue?" Situ Yao felt puzzled. In his opinion, if Cui Mixue had not taken care of Su Mengyan for a few days, he would not remember this person at all.
"Your Highness will know later." Su Mengyan broke free from his control and walked towards her room.
When she saw Cui Mixue just now, she finally remembered when Situ Yao started to fall in love with Cui Mixue in the original work.
In the original novel, they encountered bandits on their way back to Beijing, and it was Cui Mixue who saved Situ Yao with her courage. Although there was no plague in Chu City in the original novel, the time is consistent with the present.
Su Mengyan felt that even without her intervention, their relationship would have come to fruition. She felt that there was no need to be annoying, lest Cui Mixue would keep an eye on her in the future.
The next day, the group traveled light. Su Mengyan and Situ Yao sat in the carriage, while Cui Mixue reluctantly went to the carriage behind.
When Su Mengyan got into the carriage, she felt Cui Mixue's burning gaze, which made her feel uncomfortable. She quickly got into the carriage and sat in the corner, closing her eyes to rest.
Situ Yao sat on the other side. Seeing her eyelashes fluttering from time to time, he knew she was not asleep. He looked at her with inquiring eyes and said, "What are you thinking about?"
"I was wondering how the young master was going to bring the princess back." Su Mengyan lied casually.
Situ Yao was wary of her leaving and was skeptical about what she said. "I'll make arrangements after we return to Beijing."
After saying this, the carriage fell silent. Su Mengyan had just closed her eyes, but unexpectedly she actually fell asleep.
When she woke up, she found a cloak covering her body. It belonged to Situ Yao.
"Awake?" Situ Yao put down the book in his hand and glanced outside. "We'll be in Luo County soon."
"Luo County?" Su Mengyan felt that this place sounded familiar. "After passing Luo County, is there a place called Luohe Mountain behind it?"
"Yes, we passed Luohe Mountain and arrived at Heyang City." After Situ Yao finished speaking, he noticed that Su Mengyan's expression was not right and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this place?"
"No." Su Mengyan smiled awkwardly, "I was just asking casually."
"If you feel tired, then sleep a little longer. We can find an inn to rest in when we get to Heyang City."
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