Before even entering the capital, Wu Liping sensed someone following him. Without even thinking, he knew who it was.
"Your Majesty, the Azure Dragon Guards are tracking us."
Xuanyuan Zhan didn't even lift his eyelids: "Don't worry about them for now. We'll figure out how to shake them off once we're in the city."
We're in the suburbs now, where the view is wide open, so it won't be easy to shake them off.
Once we're in the city, things will be much simpler.
"Yes," Wu Liping replied immediately.
After entering the capital, Wu Liping did not go directly back to the Wu residence. Instead, he drove the carriage around in a winding and circuitous route until he had completely shaken off the Azure Dragon Guards before returning to the Wu residence.
The Azure Dragon Guards were immediately filled with regret for failing to catch the person.
Wu Shou had not found anyone by nightfall and could only return to the palace with the Azure Dragon Guards.
When Helian Rong heard that they had lost Su Renzhong, he was furious: "What are you all doing? I repeatedly told you to protect the imperial grandson, and with so many of you following him, you still managed to lose him!"
Wu Shou knew the Emperor would be angry, and he was so frightened that he knelt down immediately: "When we were at the hunting grounds, His Highness kept wanting to go deeper into the hunting grounds to hunt, saying that he would choose a good hunting spot for His Majesty. However, his horse ran too fast and disappeared in a short while after turning around and around. We searched for His Highness for a long time at the hunting grounds but could not find him. We went out to search again, but we still could not find him."
Helian Rong narrowed his eyes dangerously: "How could someone suddenly disappear? Did something bad happen to them?"
Cold sweat dripped down Wu Shou's forehead. He said tremblingly, "My men didn't encounter any assassins. It shouldn't be."
The hunting grounds weren't steep or precipitous, so they were quite safe. Even if there were wild beasts deep within the hunting grounds, His Highness's martial arts skills should have been sufficient to handle them. Even if His Highness was injured, there should have been some clues in the forest, but they found nothing when they searched the forest. This indicates that His Highness did not encounter any danger in the forest.
Helian Rong then summoned the guards who had gone out with Su Renzhong. The guards had also been shaken off by Su Renzhong and had no idea where he had gone.
Helian Rong was furious with them. He really wanted to go on a killing spree and kill all these fools, but when he thought of his grandson's unknown fate, he couldn't care less about arguing with them: "Quickly send more people to search. Have the Xuanlong Guard and Bailong Guard go out and search for him. Even if you have to search the entire Northern Wei, you must find my grandson. If anything happens to my grandson, you will all be buried with him!"
"Yes." Wu Shou dared not delay and immediately led his men out, instructing all the Azure Dragon Guards, Black Dragon Guards, and White Dragon Guards to go find the person.
"Cough cough cough cough..." As soon as Wu Shou left, Helian Rong could no longer hold back and started coughing violently.
"Your Majesty!" Upon seeing this, Yuan Xian, Helian Rong's personal attendant, quickly stepped forward to support Helian Rong.
Helian Rong coughed so hard he couldn't breathe, and even coughed up blood.
Yuan Xian was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said, "This old servant will go and fetch the imperial physician."
Helian Rong quickly grabbed him, panting, and said, "These are all old ailments of mine, and calling the imperial physician won't help."
Yuan Xian's eyes reddened with anxiety: "It would be good to have the imperial physician take a look. You can't keep pushing yourself like this."
The Emperor's health is deteriorating, but he is reluctant to call the imperial physician. What can be done if he just stubbornly endures this?
Helian Rong gasped for breath and said, "I can't call the imperial physicians. I can't let them know that my health is deteriorating. I have to hold on, to hold on for Ci'er!"
Seeing that the Emperor was so concerned about his grandson, Yuanxian felt even more distressed: "Now that the grandson's whereabouts are still unknown, you must take good care of yourself!"
"Go!" Helian Rong forced himself to stop coughing and pulled Yuan Xian, who was panting, to say, "Summon Prince Rui, Prince Heng, and the others to me!"
Yuan Xian looked at Helian Rong with some concern.
Given His Majesty's current health condition, if the princes were to upset him further, wouldn't his illness worsen even more?
"Go quickly!"
Seeing that he didn't move, Helian Rong urged him impatiently.
"Yes." Yuan Xian had no choice but to go and summon the people.
Before long, Helian Rong's three sons, Prince Rui Helian Zheng, Prince Heng Helian Qin, and Prince Mu Helian Jun, entered the palace together.
At this moment, Helian Rong had completely changed from his previous sickly appearance and looked like a spirited old man.
"Your sons pay their respects to Your Majesty." The three entered the Imperial Study and bowed to Helian Rong together.
Helian Rong stared at them sharply: "You were the ones who did Ci'er's thing, weren't you!"
Before entering the palace, the three of them already knew about Helian Ci's disappearance. After all, their father had not only mobilized the Azure Dragon Guard, but also sent out the Black Dragon Guard and the White Dragon Guard. The entire military force of the capital was mobilized. With such a huge commotion, it would be difficult for them not to know!
Helian Zheng spoke first: "When I entered the palace, I heard that Ci'er had disappeared. I do not know how Ci'er disappeared or where she went."
Helian Qin, however, was more impatient: "What does Helian Ci's disappearance have to do with us? It's not like we made him disappear!"
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and then distanced himself, saying, "Anyway, it has nothing to do with me. It wasn't me who did it. As for whether it was my second brother or my fourth brother, I don't know."
Helian Jun glanced at Helian Qin speechlessly.
He really knows how to talk! He's so eager to throw mud at them.
Helian Jun bowed to Helian Rong and asked, "What has happened to Ci'er? Should I send someone to look for her?"
Helian Rong's sharp gaze swept across the three faces one by one.
The third brother is impatient and can't keep secrets; it's obvious he didn't do it.
The second son is steady and has the deepest mind; you can't trust what he says.
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