That night, the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city was brightly lit inside and out.
Xuan Yuanhan had just returned from the Yi residence when Xuan Yuanhao and Xuan Yuanyue rushed out to greet him as soon as he entered.
"Yue'er pays respects to Uncle Qin."
"Hao'er pays respects to Uncle Qin."
The two of them greeted him with joy and respect as soon as they arrived.
Xuan Yuanhan was startled and stopped in his tracks, but still asked coldly, "Why are you two here?"
Before he finished speaking, he had already walked straight toward Chenghua Hall.
Xuanyuan Hao and Xuanyuan Yue then hurriedly got up and followed him to the main hall.
Upon entering the main hall, Xuan Yuanhan went straight to a stack of official documents on the desk. However, as he sat down, he glanced briefly at Xuan Yuanyue, who stood silently to the side.
Because of what happened with Yi Shangyun, Xuan Yuan Yue has become much more restrained and well-behaved in front of Xuan Yuan Han, while Xuan Yuan Hao still uses his silver tongue without any restraint.
Xuanyuan Hao saw that his royal uncle, whom he hadn't seen for many years, was still the same cold and boring old man.
His clever eyes darted around, and a thought struck him. After a moment's thought, he deliberately raised his voice and said, "Uncle Qin, have you forgotten that you still owe Hao'er and my elder sister something? Hao'er and my elder sister came here personally with Aunt Qin to collect it. We arrived yesterday, but... I didn't expect that even during the New Year, Uncle Qin would be so busy."
"Oh? I don't recall ever owing you anything?" Xuan Yuanhan suddenly raised his head and said with absolute certainty.
Cheng Liang, standing to the side, also looked at the two little devils in front of him with puzzlement, wondering what they were up to.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Hao suddenly imitated an adult, sighing deeply, "Alas... Did Uncle Qin give Hao'er and his elder sister their New Year's red envelopes last night?... It seems Uncle Qin doesn't understand the joy of children celebrating the New Year at all. If I had a son or daughter in my own household..."
Originally, Xuan Yuanhan remained silent, flipping through official documents while trying to find out what Xuan Yuanhao was up to today.
Upon hearing the words "a man and a woman," he instantly looked up sharply and reprimanded him sternly, "Nonsense! With this time, why not stay in the palace and study more effective strategies for governing the country and ensuring the people's well-being? Do you really think that the Western Qin Kingdom is now so powerful and prosperous?"
Xuanyuan Hao looked up at him in surprise, pursed his lips, and was speechless, not expecting that his royal uncle was still so lacking in humor.
Seeing that Xuan Yuanhao's little tricks were completely ineffective against Xuan Yuanhan, Xuan Yuanhan was about to explode with anger when Xuan Yuanyue timidly spoke up, "Uncle Qin, please calm down. Yue'er and my brother only wanted to take this opportunity to leave the palace and find out some things about Yun'er. It's been a long time since we last met, and we don't know how her leg ailment is. Yue'er is very worried about it, and if she really... then Yue'er will feel guilty."
Xuan Yuan Yue spoke sincerely, and Xuan Yuan Han's tone softened upon hearing this. "Her leg has healed completely. A divine herb was found in the Cold Wasteland Mountain, and someone has already prepared a medicine for her to take."
"What? This is wonderful!" Xuan Yuan Yue and Xuan Yuan Hao exclaimed in surprise, looking at each other in astonishment.
Xuan Yuanhao hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Xuan Yuanhan's face with curiosity and asked, "Hanhuang Mountain? Is it the legendary Taiming Hanhuang Mountain, which is said to be treacherous, with snow and glaciers that never melt, a desolate and uninhabited place, and about two thousand feet high? Who would have the ability and courage to challenge such a place, which is like a living hell?"
Clearly, Xuanyuan Han was unmoved by his words. Xuanyuan Hao, unable to find a solution, did not give up. He then glanced at Cheng Liang, who was standing to the side, and Cheng Liang secretly gave him a wink.
Xuanyuan Hao immediately understood that this Qin royal uncle was indeed very special to that girl, as he didn't even blink at such a dangerous situation.
Then, the vast palace fell into complete silence.
The next day, at the Yi Mansion in the west of the city.
Just after breakfast, Yi Shangyun went to tell Yi Shangkun a lie. She said that there was an elderly nanny in the Qin Prince's mansion who took good care of her, and that her relative was making a living in the south of the city, whom she hadn't heard from for a long time. She had seen her at the Qin Prince's mansion yesterday and asked her to go through the trouble of making a trip and bringing some things to this relative.
Upon hearing that it concerned the Prince of Qin's residence, Yi Shangkun dared not speak out despite his anger.
Upon further reflection, Yi Shangyun would soon be serving in the Prince of Qin's mansion, so having someone to help and take care of her wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
In the end, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye and agree to her request.
At this moment, Yi Shangyun hurriedly stepped out of the Yi mansion gate alone and headed straight for Zhao's Teahouse at the street corner that her maid Yan'er had mentioned the night before.
Upon seeing his lucky charm from afar, Zhao, the owner of the teahouse, rushed out of the shop to greet him personally.
As soon as she came out, she greeted me with a look of surprise and delight, "Oh, isn't this the young lady of the Yi family? What brings you to my teahouse today?" With that, she quickly and respectfully served several plates of pastries and a cup of fragrant, high-quality flower tea.
Yi Shangyun smiled and slowly accepted the gift. He said humbly, "Manager Zhao, to be honest, I've heard that your family has lived here for three generations and knows everything about this area. So, I've come here today specifically to ask you about a place, and I hope you can help me."
As he spoke, he presented a silver ingot. Upon seeing the silver, Manager Zhao's face lit up with joy, and he immediately became full of energy.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked with a hint of doubt, "What place does Miss wish to inquire about?"
Yi Shangyun seemed a little embarrassed. After a slight hesitation, she lowered her voice and leaned closer to him, saying, "Wanjiao Pavilion in the South of the City."
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao was immediately shocked and exclaimed, "Miss, you...you are a young lady from a respectable family who is not yet married. How could you inquire about such a low-class brothel?"
Yi Shangyun hurriedly waved her hand and explained, "Manager Zhao, please don't misunderstand. I only heard about this from an elderly woman yesterday. Half a year ago, her relative was abducted there. The old woman is very worried, and she also has a young granddaughter to worry about, so she can't go to visit him in person. Therefore, she asked me to go and visit him, so that she can at least know whether her relative is alive or dead, and whether he is well?"
"How could things possibly be good in a place like that?" Manager Zhao said with some disdain.
“But we can’t just do nothing now. So, I think I’ll go and see first.” Yi Shangyun was uneasy, wondering what was going on with Yu Niang. But Zhao’s words only made her more anxious.
Manager Zhao hesitated for a moment, surprised that this seemingly useless and ugly girl from the Yi family, as rumored by outsiders, was so kind and courageous. He asked with concern, "But as an unmarried young lady, wouldn't it be inconvenient for you to go to such a place?!"
Yi Shangyun gasped and said, "I'm sure Manager Zhao knows that I'm a woman who has been jilted before. So what do I have to worry about?"
Manager Zhao continued to nag, "That's true, but you're still young, and it's not impossible in the future..."
...
"Your Highness, is Miss Yi going to Wanjiao Pavilion?" Mei Zhixuan, wearing a butterfly-shaped silver mask, was sitting next to a guard drinking tea when the guard whispered a reminder to him.
The guard happened to be sitting with his back to Yi Shangyun, so he clearly heard her conversation with the shopkeeper.
"What is she going there for?" Mei Zhixuan wondered.
"It sounds like they're looking for someone?" the guard replied.
As the two remained puzzled, Yi Shangyun seemed to grow increasingly anxious and impatient, saying with some annoyance, "Manager Zhao, I know you're worried about me. But please don't try to persuade me anymore. I absolutely must go to this place to find news of that relative for the old woman. If you know anything, please kindly tell me. Otherwise, I'll try asking elsewhere..."
Before he finished speaking, he hurriedly stood up.
"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but how can a young woman like you go to a place like that..." Manager Zhao also stood up and continued to try his best to stop him.
Suddenly, Mei Zhixuan quickly stood up and walked towards Yi Shangyun, blocking her way. "Miss, are you going to Wanjiao Pavilion in the south of the city?"
Yi Shangyun took two steps back warily, looking at him with suspicion.
“Don’t be afraid, young lady. I happen to be going to that area to discuss some business. It’s the New Year, and I’m afraid you won’t be able to find a carriage to ride in a while. If you don’t mind, we can give you a ride.” Mei Zhixuan looked around and said to her.
Just as she was hesitating cautiously, Mei Zhixuan seemed to notice her concerns and gave a wink to Manager Zhao beside him.
Manager Zhao, being a businessman, was naturally adept at reading people, so he quickly stepped forward and said, "Yes, yes, Miss, it's impossible to hire a carriage on a day like this. It won't be until after the Lantern Festival that the drivers will gradually return to the market. If you're really in a hurry, you can go with these two gentlemen. It'll be safer with two grown men around. They are both regular customers of my shop, and I guarantee their character is absolutely fine. Miss, you can rest assured."
"So long after the Lantern Festival?" Yi Shangyun asked in surprise, frowning.
"Yes, everyone is busy making a living all year round. It's a rare occasion for families to reunite and visit relatives and friends during the New Year, so businesses naturally have to close for a longer period. I just opened this shop when I had nothing to do at home, so people could rest there. You see, there are hardly any people in the shop, it's very quiet," Manager Zhao said helplessly.
Yi Shangyun looked around and thought that after the Lantern Festival, she would have to go to work at the Prince of Qin's mansion. After that, when would she have time to do as she pleased?
Looking at the two people in front of him, they were both very elegant, and the one wearing the butterfly mask had an extraordinary air about him, so he didn't seem like a bad person at all.
So, she gritted her teeth, made up her mind, and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble you two. I'll pay you the amount of silver you need right away."
As he spoke, he took out his money pouch from his person.
Mei Zhixuan immediately reached out to stop him, saying, "Miss, as I just said, I'm just giving you a ride along the way, not acting as your driver. As the saying goes, at home you rely on your parents, but when you're out and about you rely on your friends. How can you look down on us like that?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun pursed her pink lips somewhat awkwardly, smiled slightly, and even cupped her hands, saying, "Alright, I'll accept your offer. Then I'll trouble you two 'friends'."
After saying that, he strolled after the two of them and walked toward a nice-looking high-class carriage parked next to the teahouse.
Manager Zhao stood in front of the teahouse, half-closing his eyes as he watched the departing figure, nodding and smiling silently...
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