Chapter 558 Missed Opportunity
"Madam, Master, what brings you here today?" Manager Bo and Madam Wei greeted Zhou Da Niang and the Third Prince at the entrance of the incense shop.
Aunt Zhou glanced around nervously and replied uneasily, "I got some new incense made by Aunt Du from you last time. It tasted good, and I'd like to get some more."
With a smile, Madam Wei reached out and took a box of incense pills from the cabinet. "I knew Madam would come, so I prepared the incense in advance. Please smell it."
Aunt Zhou took it in her hand, her eyes darting around, seemingly unintentionally looking at her surroundings, with no intention of smelling the fragrance at all.
The Third Prince held her hand and said, "Thank you, Madam Wei."
Aunt Zhou then came to her senses and gave a slightly embarrassed smile, "Madam Wei is so kind, I'll accept this."
Madam Wei noticed Zhou Da Niang's unusual behavior and invited them into the shop with a smile, "Madam, we have brewed some hot tea in the shop. Would you like to have some?"
Aunt Zhou hesitated whether to go or not, then looked back at the incense shop.
The Third Prince helped her up and whispered in her ear, "It's alright. Let's go inside and sit down. If he wants to arrest us, let him come."
Lu Yan had already dispatched troops to surround the area completely, so that as soon as the emperor arrived, they would execute him here as a rebel.
Aunt Zhou snapped out of her daze, grasped the Third Prince's hand, and they walked into the house together.
Wei poured them some tea.
It's freshly brewed fruit tea, with a wonderful aroma of fruit.
The faint aroma of fruit tea eased Aunt Zhou's initial tension considerably.
She hadn't seen the emperor for years, and memories of the past flooded her mind as if a door had been opened, keeping her awake all night.
She always saw her father and brother who had been beheaded.
And you can always see that night when she kneels for a long time, pleading for her father and brothers.
That night, it was very cold. The biting wind pierced through her thin veil, like a knife slowly torturing her already soulless flesh and blood.
Painful and numb, she couldn't understand how her father and brothers could become criminals who colluded with the enemy and rebelled against the country that night.
Later, she was dragged to the Cold Palace by a group of eunuchs.
Some people slapped her face, some kicked her stomach, and she rushed out of the crowd like a madwoman to the emperor, calling out his real name.
However, the emperor returned a cold and disdainful look.
That look was the final blow that broke her. She sat helplessly on the ground, letting people drag her along until her knees and elbows were stained with blood, at which point she slowly regained consciousness.
After more than ten years of marriage, they could not compete with the favored concubines who frequently entered the palace, nor could they withstand his claim that his achievements overshadowed the emperor.
Now that the bond between husband and wife has crumbled, if they meet again, they will be mortal enemies, irreconcilable sworn enemies.
Aunt Zhou took a sip of the hot tea that Madam Wei brought, and her cold body instantly felt warm.
Madam Wei put down the teapot in her hand and said with a smile, "This fruit tea was brewed by Manager Du herself. She said that this tea has a calming effect."
Aunt Zhou took another sip, and it did indeed taste somewhat like the fruit tea that Du Wanchun brewed.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, as if Du Wanchun were right beside her. Her earlier anxiety vanished, and a smile appeared on her face.
Seeing her smile, Madam Wei quickly asked, "Madam, would you like another cup?"
"Hmm, pour me another cup." Aunt Zhou got up to hand over the cup.
The Third Prince took the cup from her hand first, reassured her to sit properly, then stood up and handed the cup to Madam Wei to pour tea.
After refilling the cup, Wei turned to Manager Bo and said, "How about we close early today to avoid any uninvited guests?"
Manager Bo nodded and got up to close the shop door.
However, he had only just arrived at the door.
Then they heard someone rushing in to deliver a message; it was one of Lu Yan's soldiers.
He rushed into the house and said in a panic, "Master Zhou, Madam Zhou, our general has summoned us to deliver a message, requesting that you return to the manor."
Aunt Zhou and the Third Prince looked up in surprise.
According to their plan, Lu Yan's men should have been guarding the surrounding area, so why were they suddenly called back to the manor?
The Third Prince stood up, his face ashen, and asked, "Did your general say what it was about?"
The soldier quickly replied, "It seems to be related to Miss."
"Miss, isn't that Xiao Zhouzhou?" Madam Wei suddenly exclaimed.
Aunt Zhou suddenly felt her legs go weak. She grabbed the Third Prince's arm and asked in a trembling voice, "Zhouzhou, has something happened to Zhouzhou?"
The Third Prince pulled her into his arms and immediately ordered the soldier, "Quickly, prepare a carriage for us to return to the manor!"
"Yes, Master Zhou."
The soldier stood up and answered, then immediately turned around and brought them a carriage.
After the Third Prince helped Granny Zhou into the carriage, they soon arrived at the gate of the mansion.
Nan Fengling was waiting for them at the gate of the mansion, her eyes red, as if she had just been crying.
Aunt Zhou stumbled down from the carriage, "Ling'er, what happened? Where's Zhouzhou?"
Nan Fengling's tears streamed down her face. "Not long after you left today, there was some commotion outside the manor gate. I sent someone to check the gate, and when I turned around, I found that Zhouzhou was gone."
"You said Zhouzhou is missing?" Aunt Zhou strode into the mansion and saw that it was full of Lu Yan's soldiers, who were searching the mansion from top to bottom.
The Third Prince came up behind her, supported her, and gently comforted her, "Zhou'er, don't worry, let's wait and see. Maybe Zhouzhou just accidentally fell somewhere in the manor."
Little Zhouzhou can't walk yet; she can only babble.
Not only did Aunt Zhou not believe this, but even the Third Prince himself did not believe it.
"Second sister, second brother-in-law." Lu Yan came from the backyard, his face full of anxiety.
"We've been tricked."
The Third Prince frowned. "What exactly happened?"
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