Hearing Yan'er's heartwarming words of unwavering devotion, Lanxiang was immediately moved. She rushed towards Yan'er and hugged her tightly, saying in a tearful voice, "But if you stay here with me, how will we find your young lady?"
Yan'er didn't refuse her again. After a moment of silence, her eyes turned to the bright spring scenery in the spacious courtyard outside the teahouse, and she said, "Sister Lanxiang, actually... I don't know why, but Yan'er always feels that there is my young lady's aura here. My young lady seems to be very close to Yan'er, very close..."
"Silly Yan'er, how could your young lady be here? We've been here for quite some time now. This godforsaken place is full of bandits and robbers guarding us, except for the two of us women! You're probably too nervous and missing your young lady too much, so you're hallucinating! Come, sit here and rest for a while, don't worry too much. As the saying goes, 'A wild goose leaves a trace, a person leaves a sound,' and for us right now, no news is good news. I believe your young lady is blessed with good fortune and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. Besides, isn't His Highness Prince Qin sending large contingents to search for Miss Yi everywhere? Don't worry, hmm?" Lanxiang grabbed Yan'er's shoulder, raised her eyebrows, and advised.
Yan'er frowned, stared into Lanxiang's eyes for a long time, and finally nodded gently. Then, Lanxiang led her by the hand and sat her down on a bench to rest for a while.
Lanxiang poured a bowl of hot water and handed it to Yan'er, comforting her, "Yan'er, don't worry. Once I've dealt with that matter, I'll take you away from here immediately and continue searching for Miss Yi."
Hearing this, Huan'er finally smiled. Lanxiang smiled faintly at her as well, then asked curiously, "By the way, it's said that the Spirit Void War God, the King of Western Qin, is as cold as ice, indifferent to women, and a god-like figure. Your young lady's background, though not like ours as commoners, is still just that of a daughter from a small family of court apothecaries, and she's even been rejected by her fiancé. As for her looks... well, I wonder what abilities she possesses to make such a noble and powerful prince value her so highly. His Highness the King of Qin seems..." "They've been incredibly good to your young lady! Even if she's about to become a physician in the Qin Prince's mansion, it wouldn't warrant such a massive, far-reaching search for her! The news of the missing physician has shocked the entire Lingkong Continent. Others might believe it's the Qin Prince's doing for his wife, but I've personally witnessed the Qin Prince and your young lady's interactions. Judging from their every move, there's definitely something going on between them. Hey, little girl, tell me about it!"
After Lanxiang finished speaking, she sat down next to Yan'er and nuzzled Yan'er's arm.
Unexpectedly, Yan'er jumped up instantly, furious, and said, "Hmph... that despicable young master Lu of Xiqin Academy, what kind of person is he? Ungrateful! If it weren't for my master and mistress's tireless efforts, traveling day and night to help his mother give birth, how could he have come into this world alive? Annull the engagement... Hmph... Now it seems that what Miss said when she woke up was absolutely right, and it also suits Yan'er's mind perfectly. He is simply not worthy of my Miss. Yan'er believes that my Miss is kind and intelligent, and she will definitely be matched with the best man in the world."
Lanxiang was stunned to see such powerful anger suddenly erupting from Yan'er's small body.
And so, the two women cooked and chatted enthusiastically in the tea room...
The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight as clear as water, and the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city was brightly lit, with the subtle fragrance of spring flowers wafting through the air.
The King of Qin personally intervened, and as expected, the unrest in the Western Qin Kingdom was quickly quelled.
It turns out that most of the so-called rebels were nothing more than local officials who were inactive, deceiving their superiors and subordinates, distorting the truth, causing wrongful convictions, disregarding the lives of the people, and relying on their protection in the central government to oppress the people and force them to rebel.
Therefore, those who deserved punishment were punished, those who needed to be comforted were comforted to the fullest extent, and those who needed to be reported were not spared. The people felt comfortable and at ease, had no complaints, and naturally no longer opposed the court. The King of Qin was indeed a king who cared for the people; wherever he went, everyone applauded and cheered him.
This move, undeniably, once again amplified his power and influence in the court, causing Emperor Jing to feel even more fear and caution towards him.
Meanwhile, the master and servant had just returned to their residence from the palace under the moonlight.
Upon dismounting, Xuan Yuanhan rushed straight to Lin Yuexuan's bedchamber, removing his military uniform and changing into a long white brocade robe. Though physically exhausted, his worries seemed to only intensify. In truth, he himself had long forgotten when this had begun; he was almost constantly sleepless and unable to eat properly.
So he got up again, went out, and stepped into Chenghua Hall.
He was born destined for a dull and tedious military life, a life of loneliness, boredom, and aloofness. But now, the appearance of another soul has gradually warmed his heart.
Life shouldn't always be about blindly following and accepting fate's arrangements. Even the loneliest and coldest soul will eventually meet someone for whom it's willing to make any changes.
As soon as he entered Chenghua Hall and sat down, he seemed to habitually take out the sapphire blue sachet that he had carried with him day and night, even when eating and sleeping, and stared at it in a daze.
Currently, notices from the Qin Prince's Mansion, urging them to spare no effort in searching for the missing female physician, have been plastered all over the streets and alleys of the entire Western Qin region. However, as time passes by like flowing water, there is still no news.
As you look, you see that on that cold, handsome face, which seems to have been sculpted by the hand of nature, the two sword-like eyebrows suddenly furrowed more and more tightly, and the person clenched their teeth fiercely, as if they were enduring great grief, which makes people feel heartbroken.
At this moment, Granny Zhang walked in carrying a bowl of steaming tonic soup on a carved wooden tray, holding Xiao Ling'er's hand in one hand. She bowed and said, "This old servant greets Your Highness."
Little Ling'er had also been trained quite well by Granny Zhang, and her bowing was quite proper. In her childish voice, she said, "Ling'er greets Your Highness, Prince Qin. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings!"
Upon seeing this, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly raised his head and exclaimed in surprise with a serious expression, "It's already so late, why haven't you all rested yet?"
With a smile, Granny Zhang stepped forward and offered the soup, saying, "I heard from the people in the manor early this morning that His Highness had returned, so this old servant asked Physician Yue to prescribe a formula and personally cooked this nourishing soup. It has been simmering for a whole day, Your Highness, please drink it while it's hot!"
Xuanyuan Han reached out and took the soup bowl, scooping up the soup as he said apologetically, "Granny Zhang, about last time..."
Before he could finish speaking, Granny Zhang quickly interrupted him, saying, "What happened last time was because this old servant failed to appreciate Your Highness's good intentions and almost ruined Your Highness's plans. General Cheng has already told this to me, and it is this old servant who should apologize to Your Highness. This old servant shouldn't have acted so willfully and recklessly just because I am an old servant of the Prince of Qin's mansion. It was all my fault, not Your Highness's fault. This old servant is incompetent, and I have let down the Dowager Consort, causing her to die with regrets."
Seeing the somber expression on Zhang Mama's face, tinged with grief and indignation, and her wiping away tears, Xuan Yuanhan gasped and explained, "Zhang Mama, you know that's not what I meant. You were my mother's closest and most trusted person, and you handled things appropriately. How could I blame you? Besides, if it weren't for you, Zhang Mama, I would never have imagined that the one in the palace would have extended his reach into the Western Qin Academy so early. I wonder what they're planning? The hatred for the murder of my mother is irreconcilable. I will avenge them one by one sooner or later, but not now."
"Your Highness, over the years, this old servant knows the bitterness in your heart. Even after the Empress Dowager's murder, they have never relaxed their covetous gaze upon you. Whenever there is a crisis in the Western Qin Kingdom, they always push Your Highness to the forefront. If Your Highness wins, they say that the foolish ruler governs well and appoints people based on merit; but if Your Highness loses, it is said that Your Highness has failed the Qin King's great reputation and is unworthy of the title. They wish that Your Highness would fail every time, or be drowned in the spittle of the people, or..." He was stabbed to death by the chaotic swords on the battlefield, thus fulfilling their intention of using someone else to kill him, and silencing the gossips of the world. For this, His Highness could only silently bear the pain and grievances brought by his many wounds. "This old servant only…this old servant only feels sorry for His Highness on behalf of the Dowager Consort! In all these years, His Highness hasn't even had anyone to care for him. If the Dowager Consort were alive, how heartbroken she would be!" Granny Zhang paused for a moment, then wiped away her tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
However, Xuan Yuanhan listened while silently drinking the nourishing soup that Zhang Mama had carefully prepared. From Zhang Mama's words, he could clearly see that she had let go of her worries. As soon as the soup entered his stomach, he felt incredibly warm and comfortable.
She quickly finished the whole bowl of soup, pursed her lips, and exclaimed, "Grandma's soup is getting better and better!"
Granny Zhang had spoken earnestly and painstakingly for so long, but when Xuan Yuanhan heard her say these few words, Granny Zhang was instantly speechless and angrily said, "Your Highness! I can't serve you for the rest of my life. The Empress Dowager loved and worried about no one more than Your Highness when she was alive. However, since the Empress Dowager's accident eight years ago, the entire Prince's mansion has been left without even a maid, except for this old servant. This huge Prince's mansion, to this day... sigh!"
Just as Granny Zhang was angrily clearing away the soup bowls and preparing to leave, Xuan Yuanhan suddenly spoke to her seriously, "Granny Zhang, I know what you want to say. Actually, I was just about to ask you, what do you think of the eldest daughter of the Yi family in the west of the city..."
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