A figure flashed past through the gaps in the lanterns. Because the lanterns obscured the view, Yi Shangyun only saw his profile, but she couldn't believe how much this person resembled someone else. This person looked exactly like Wei Mingxuan, who had been missing for 13 years. He actually looked like Wei Mingxuan...
Yi Shangyun hurriedly followed the figure, only to find the alley deserted. Was it just a hallucination because she missed him so much?
With a suspicious look on her face, Yi Shangyun played with a strand of her hair as she returned to Yan'er's side.
"Miss, who did you see?" Yan'er asked anxiously.
"Maybe I saw it wrong. It's getting dark, let's hurry back." After saying that, the master and servant stopped wandering around and rushed home.
As soon as it got dark, the Prince of Qin's mansion was already brightly lit.
At this moment, Prince Xuanyuan Han of Qin had just returned to his residence. Today, he had a tea gathering with several high-ranking officials at the market, but instead of riding a horse or taking a carriage, he walked.
"Your Highness, an elderly woman and her granddaughter came to the manor today. They said that their son has been away on a campaign in the Northern Lie Kingdom for several years and has not been heard from since. Their daughter-in-law went to look for him but has not returned. They were afraid that their granddaughter would be implicated, so they took their granddaughter and fled to the manor to complain." As soon as his master entered, Deputy General Cheng Liang followed closely behind Xuan Yuanhan and reported.
Why not turn yourself in to the government office?
"Fearing collusion among officials, they repeatedly claimed they only trusted the King of Qin."
"Bring him to the lobby for questioning."
"Yes," the lieutenant replied and withdrew.
Not long after, Cheng Liang led the grandmother and granddaughter to the main hall of the Prince's mansion. Xuan Yuanhan was holding a cup of tea and taking a sip. He exuded an aura of coldness that commanded respect without anger. As soon as the grandmother and granddaughter saw the Prince of Qin, they immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
"Please, Your Highness, do justice for me! I am innocent, my son and daughter-in-law are innocent, and my granddaughter is innocent!" The old woman choked up as she recounted the whole story.
"Old man, you may stay at the Prince's residence for now. Once I have investigated the facts, I will give you justice." Xuan Yuanhan's face was serious and increasingly cold. This Bei Lie is really arrogant. He has provoked wars one after another in the past two years. He has been preparing for this for a long time.
Just as Cheng Liang was about to lead the two downstairs to settle them in, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly glanced sideways and caught sight of a white silk handkerchief tied around the little girl's wrist. The texture of the handkerchief looked so familiar. He was searching his memory.
"Wait a minute," Xuan Yuanhan stood up and walked towards the grandmother and granddaughter. Upon closer inspection, he finally saw that the white handkerchief was also embroidered with the same elegant "cloud" character as his own.
"Is this white handkerchief yours?" Xuan Yuanhan asked in a slightly lower voice, but his expression remained cold. Gentleness was clearly not his forte; despite his lowered voice, the little girl quickly hid behind the old woman.
Seeing this, the old woman replied to Xuan Yuanhan, "Your Highness, this handkerchief belongs to a kind young woman wearing a yellow dress and a veil, who helped me when I fainted from poisoning on the street near the Prince's residence today. My granddaughter accidentally scraped her wrist and it was bleeding, but fortunately, the young woman treated her and gave us money for our journey. She is truly a rare and kind person." As she spoke, the old woman recalled her unfortunate experiences and began to wipe away tears from the corners of her eyes.
A veiled face, an antidote, a long yellow dress—could the woman I saw on the street today be the same one from that night in the valley? A flicker of joy rose in Xuan Yuanhan's heart as he continued to ask.
"Does the old man know what that girl's name is?"
"It seems...it seems...it is called Yi Shangyun, yes, her name is Yi Shangyun, she is said to be the eldest daughter of the Pharmacist's Mansion in the west of the city," the old woman replied.
"Clouds on Clothes," Xuan Yuanhan said thoughtfully.
"Old man, you may stay at the Prince's residence for now. I will take care of your affairs," Xuan Yuanhan said, then looked at Cheng Liang and gestured for him to be taken away and settled in.
After everyone had dispersed, Xuan Yuanhan finally left the main hall and walked through the corridor towards the inner palace. "Young Miss Yi Shangyun of the Western City Pharmacist's Mansion. So this is your identity. I understand." Thinking this, a handsome smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
After settling the grandmother and grandson in, Cheng Liang brought a bowl of porridge to Xuan Yuanhan's bedroom.
The Prince of Qin's mansion was vast, yet the only person truly in charge was Xuan Yuanhan. Less than a year after he was enfeoffed as a prince, his Dowager Consort passed away. Therefore, no one had taken his marriage seriously. The Emperor Jing, Xuan Yuan Ye, was the Prince of Qin's elder brother, and he had mentioned it to the Prince a few times, but the Prince of Qin was very busy and suffered from severe mysophobia, making him intolerant of women getting close. Eventually, neither of them persisted, and the matter was repeatedly postponed.
The Prince of Qin is now of marriageable age, and the Empress Dowager has been looking for a suitable candidate for him, intending to appoint a consort for him this year. Everyone is hoping that the Prince of Qin's residence will have a female head of household, as the entire residence is basically composed of men from top to bottom. The Prince of Qin is not interested in women, and he does not even employ women as servants in his residence, except for Zhang Mama, who previously served the Dowager Consort and has remained in the residence to serve him.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Han was sitting at his desk, with a large pile of secret letters and correspondence in front of him. He was indeed very busy, with many things to do and prepare for. He was the King of Qin of Western Qin, a warrior who fought on the battlefield, protected his country, and loved his people like his own children. It was for this reason that the emperor was always wary of the King of Qin's residence, and because of the King of Qin's high position and power, he dared not speak out against him, always having to give him some face.
Cheng Liang went in and gently placed the bowl of porridge on the table, saying, "Your Highness's injuries have not yet healed; please rest early."
"Investigate the matter of the grandmother and granddaughter as soon as possible, and also..." Xuan Yuanhan said coldly, then paused before continuing.
"Also, investigate Miss Yi from the Yi Pharmacist's mansion in the west of the city."
"Your subordinate obeys," Cheng Liang acknowledged the order and slowly withdrew from the bedchamber, gently closing the door behind him before departing.
A moment later, Xuan Yuanhan stretched out his right hand and pinched his brow, revealing a trace of fatigue. Despite this, his exquisitely handsome face, as if sculpted by the heavens, remained unchanged. At this moment, he was wearing a long white brocade robe, and his long black hair was tied up high with a jade hairpin.
He slowly pulled a white silk handkerchief from his sleeve and stared blankly into space. The handkerchief was clearly clean and brand new. He recalled the masked girl in black he had encountered that night in the valley when he was injured, and he also remembered the masked girl in the yellow dress he had seen on the street earlier that day…
At this moment, Yi Shangyun had just returned to the Yi residence and could see everyone gathered in the main hall from afar.
......
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