Soon, the entire Yi family did not leave Xiqin, but returned safely to their residence in the west of the city, claiming to the outside world that they had added some more dowry to the south of the city.
The mansion was already making preparations in full swing, and upon returning, they sped up the process even more, decorating everywhere with lanterns and colorful decorations, joyfully preparing for Yi Shangyun's wedding.
The King of Qin's wedding was a national event, known to everyone throughout the country, and everyone was happy about it.
The news quickly reached the Western Qin imperial palace.
Outside the Imperial Study, the two men who had returned to the palace to report were trembling and prostrated themselves on the cold floor outside the hall, unaware of the severe punishment that awaited them.
Inside the hall, all was silent.
The atmosphere was oppressive, much like the gloomy weather outside after the rain, making it feel suffocating.
Only wisps of smoke were rising and slowly dissipating.
As expected, Emperor Jing appeared to be sitting upright at his desk, his gaze calmly fixed on a portrait of a woman spread out on the desk in front of him, but he was actually trying his best to suppress the rage burning in his heart like a raging fire.
However, after a long silence, he finally unleashed his thunderous rage.
"Drag these two useless pieces of trash away and beat them to death on the spot! In addition, all the guards who participated in this operation shall be exiled to the frontier and never be allowed to return to the capital."
In an instant, their wailing cries for mercy echoed throughout the entire hall: "Your Majesty, spare our lives! Your Majesty, spare our lives!"
"Your Majesty..." Even the eunuch beside him was startled and wanted to plead for the two men.
But when he turned around and saw his master, who was high and mighty, with a livid face and furious hair, he realized that if he spoke at this moment, his own life would be in danger!
So, he swallowed his saliva silently and carefully kept quiet.
Seeing his perfect plan fall apart, how could Emperor Jing not be angry?
"For a woman, the pain of losing a child must be unbearable! What... could have made her change her mind about leaving?"
"Who... exactly changed her final decision?"
But in the end, he still couldn't figure it out.
The room was silent.
After a while, Emperor Jing's lips curled up slightly, and a sly smile suddenly appeared on his face.
"What a fine Princess Yongning! I thought I could use your wrongful death to throw the country into chaos so I could reap the benefits. But it turns out it's all for nothing..."
"How outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
As he spoke, he slammed his hand heavily on the edge of the table.
Seemingly lost in thought, he paused, then said in a soft voice, "It seems I truly underestimated your power!"
Then, he asked the eunuch beside him, "Has there been any movement from the Empress Dowager lately? How is the search for the Guardian's descendants progressing?"
The eunuch reported, "Your Majesty, there has been no news from the Empress Dowager regarding the descendants of the Guardians!"
Emperor Jing remained silent for a moment, then ordered, "Go and convey my message to the Empress. Tell the Empress Dowager to keep a close eye on this matter!"
"Yes, this servant will go and convey the message to Her Majesty the Empress immediately." After receiving the order, the eunuch hurriedly fled and left.
Emperor Jing once again turned his gaze meaningfully back to the portrait of the woman on the table, and stared at it intently once more.
He raised one hand and gently stroked the woman's rosy cheeks in the portrait, muttering to himself.
Are you still alive?
Where can I find you?
"Come quickly to my side..."
Early in the morning, the Empress heard that the Empress Dowager's headaches had relapsed.
Just as he was about to leave, he received another message from Emperor Jing.
So he hurried to the entrance of Yong'an Palace. Upon seeing him, the palace maid on guard bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress!"
"Get up, all of you!" the Empress said, glancing casually at the servants standing outside the palace.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!" The palace maid stood up.
The Empress then continued, "I heard that Mother's headaches have flared up again today, so I came here specifically to see her. Weren't Mother's headaches completely cured and haven't recurred for a long time? Why have they flared up again today? Is it because you servants are all being lazy, only busy gossiping outside and not taking good care of her?"
Upon hearing this, the palace maids knelt down again, timidly saying, "Your Majesty, spare our lives! We dare not!"
At this moment, the Empress noticed that among the kneeling palace maids in front of her, one of them seemed flustered and kept looking around nervously.
So he took two steps and stood in front of her, looking down at her, and asked, "Tell me, what is the cause of the Empress Dowager's headache recurring?"
"Your Majesty, this servant...this servant..." The palace maid was so frightened that she kept her head down and stammered.
Seeing this, the empress's maid stepped forward and rebuked her, saying, "How dare you! The empress is asking you a question, how can you hesitate? Do you want to be punished? Tell the truth now!"
Immediately, the palace maid prostrated herself on the ground and reported, "Your Majesty, please spare me! I heard that the Empress Dowager had a headache because she received a letter this morning and read it."
"A letter? What letter?" the Empress asked in confusion.
For some reason, the palace maid seemed terrified; her thin shoulders trembled incessantly, and she dared not raise her head even slightly: "Your Majesty, spare me! This servant truly did not know, truly did not know..."
Seeing that the girl didn't seem to be lying, the Empress was pondering.
"Click-clack"
Just then, the sound of porcelain shattering into pieces came from inside the hall, interrupting his thoughts.
"Who's inside?" the Queen asked, snapping out of her daze.
“Your Majesty, it is Eunuch Shou!” a palace maid replied.
"Eunuch Shou...which Eunuch Shou? Why does that name sound so unfamiliar to me?" The Empress recalled for a moment and then asked.
"This servant doesn't know much either. He seems to have just entered the palace today, and everyone calls him Eunuch Shou! Besides Eunuch Shou, he also brought a young master with him. That's why Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent us out to guard outside the palace. As for anything else, this servant really doesn't know anything. Please, Your Majesty the Empress, investigate thoroughly," the palace maid said.
“Eunuch Shou…Young Master Yi…As soon as he entered the palace, he was summoned by the Empress Dowager. Could it be…” The Empress repeated the name, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
"I heard that many years ago, in the great fire at the City God Temple, one of the eunuchs who served the Empress Dowager was unfortunately burned to death as well. Could it be him...?"
"So many years have passed, why has he suddenly returned to the palace? Could it be... that all of this was planned in advance?"
"And who is that young master?"
"What on earth has caused the Empress Dowager to be so cautious, even sending out all the servants in the palace?"
As the Empress pondered these thoughts, she was suddenly startled.
"Your Majesty the Empress..." The palace maid guarding the gate was about to announce to the Empress that she was about to enter the main hall.
"Shh!" The Empress gestured to stop him.
"I'm going in to see my mother. You all stay here and keep watch over me."
With that, he stepped over the threshold and went inside.
"Fool, you useless thing, you've let a cooked duck fly away."
As soon as the Empress entered the room, she heard the Empress Dowager burst into anger.
Suddenly, an elderly voice rang out: "It was all due to my carelessness and negligence that I ended up like this. This matter has nothing to do with the young master. I deserve to die. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The Empress slowly approached and glimpsed an old, white-haired servant kneeling before her on the cold floor, apologizing profusely.
Immediately afterward, a man standing beside him said, "This time, we almost obtained the Guardian's descendant, but alas..."
"Almost... So what are you doing back now?" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately raised her eyes and shot them at the man, her gaze sharp as a sword, rebuking him.
The man who was being reprimanded seemed to want to say something, but then fell silent with a helpless expression.
Upon hearing this, the white-haired old servant continued, "When I finally realized what had happened, I rushed with the young master to the riverbank, where the boatman said that the guardian's descendant had been taken away by people from the palace..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager turned her sharp gaze to the kneeling old servant and asked, "You suspect it's me?"
The white-haired old servant did have doubts, but standing before her now, he dared not disobey her in the slightest, and silently lowered his head, saying, "This old servant dares not."
"Absurd!" the Empress Dowager exclaimed indignantly.
"Could it be...the Emperor?" At this moment, the white-haired old servant suddenly had another suspicion.
After listening for a moment, the Empress Dowager denied it, saying, "No, apart from the portrait that Lu Xian brought to the palace, he knows nothing about the Guardian."
"Oh no! Could we have fallen for a trap to lure us away from our mountain?" The white-haired old servant thought and thought, and suddenly realized.
"You two idiots, why aren't you investigating who's behind this? Without the power of the guardians, you think you can achieve anything great? Don't even think about it!" The Empress Dowager was instantly furious.
The two instantly realized what was happening and were about to turn and leave when they were suddenly called back: "Wait..."
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and asked the old servant, "You just said that you had met the descendant of the guardian once?"
The old servant replied, "Yes, she once saved my life in the mountains."
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and then instructed, "Go down and tell the painter what the guardian looks like from your memory, and have the painter draw it for me."
"Yes," the old servant replied.
The Empress Dowager suddenly felt uncomfortable all over her body.
As he gently rubbed his head, which was throbbing as if it were about to split open, he noticed that the two people in front of him hadn't left, so he asked, "Is there anything else?"
The old servant glanced at the man beside him who had remained silent throughout, seemingly harboring a bellyful of grievances.
Finally, wiping away her tears, she said with deep emotion, "Back then, Your Majesty arranged for this old servant to use the fire at the City God Temple as a pretext to leave the palace and find the lost prince. After finding him, I was to assist him well. In the future, when the descendants of the guardian are found, mother and son will be reunited, and I will help the prince ascend the throne and become emperor."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "So many years have passed, and Your Highness still hasn't had a good look at the young master. He's grown up so much!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager finally turned her gaze to the man in the hall...
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