miss
"Have you found out? Is she there?" Jiang Yan asked anxiously as soon as she met Huang Ying.
"No, he's not here. I asked the lady working at Yunxiao Pavilion, and she said that the prince left the manor early this morning and hasn't returned yet."
"...What should we do then? Should we just wait here?" Jiang Yan stroked her chin back and forth, deep in thought.
Huang Ying glanced inside the Cloud Pavilion and made a suggestion.
"Master, shall we wait at the gate of the mansion?"
Jiang Yan looked at her, puzzled.
“My lord, it’s too far from Pear Blossom Residence. If you have any urgent business, it will be inconvenient for you to come and go. The mansion gate is closer to Pear Blossom Residence, and the prince will know as soon as he returns. You won’t have to worry about him going to the other wives’ places and ending up empty-handed.”
Jiang Yan agreed with her suggestion and went to the gate of the mansion with her.
To get to the mansion gate, you will definitely pass through the "Hundred Flowers Garden".
The Hundred Flowers Garden is the courtyard that Shangguan Zeyu ordered to be newly built not long ago.
I heard that a new person is going to enter the household, but I don't know if it's true or not.
Jiang Yan didn't take it to heart and just kept walking quickly toward the gate of the mansion.
She's an impatient person; once she has an idea, she has to do it right away, otherwise she'll feel anxious and irritable.
The oriole looked up at the Hundred Flowers Garden and exclaimed in surprise.
"Master, look! Look! There!!"
Jiang Yan followed her right hand and saw the magnificent high-rise building that was about to be completed.
What place is that?
"It's the newly renovated courtyard in the manor that I told you about before. Fuqu and the others have been busy here these days." As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and looked over enviously, "I wonder who will live here, it's so beautiful!"
Jiang Yan wasn't interested.
Anyway, she won't live here, and she doesn't think living here is any good.
She loved her Pear Blossom Residence; though small, it was cozy.
"Alright, are you going to say hello to Fuqu?"
"No, Master."
"Then hurry up and block them at the gate!"
The two of them hurriedly went to the gate of the mansion.
The gate of the Prince's Mansion is very grand and majestic.
It is a vermilion gate with six panels, each over four meters tall.
The two doors in the middle were wide open, while the four doors on either side were tightly closed.
The open gate faced inwards. The door knocker was gold, hanging from the mouth of a small lion. There was another door on each side, making it even more impressive, and one could tell at a glance that the people living in this courtyard were either rich or noble.
Moreover, there were two spirited young servants standing inside and outside the gate, about sixteen or seventeen years old.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but take a second look at the four servants as soon as she saw them, because they were so good-looking. Of course, compared to "her" father Liu Xiangyi, and the close guards of Shangguan Zeyu that she had just seen, they were still far inferior. But even so, they were still stars!
If Shangguan Zeyu's personal bodyguard is so incredibly handsome, then how handsome must Shangguan Zeyu himself be?
Could it be something that has aroused the wrath of both gods and men?
The most handsome man of all?
Who cares? Handsome men are just for eye candy, not for serious consideration.
Huang Ying noticed that she was in a daze and gently walked to her side: "Master, let's stand aside and wait. You see, even the guards are suspicious of us."
Jiang Yan didn't see that they suspected her; she only saw them looking at her with puzzlement.
"Okay, I understand, I understand, you're in the way of me standing here."
They sat down on the right-hand side of the corridor, staring intently at the entrance. Not long after, Jiang Yan's eyelids began to droop.
Although she has been scared these past few days, she hasn't had insomnia. Why is she so sleepy now?
Were you scared out of your wits?
Jiang Yan shook her head vigorously, but it didn't work. She then reached out and pinched her cheeks hard, but it still didn't work at all. Instead, she felt even more sleepy.
I just can't take it anymore!
"Oriole, I'm leaning against the pillar for a nap. Wake me when I get back!" Her eyelids were already barely open.
Huang Ying wanted to persuade her to persevere a little longer, but seeing that she was already so sleepy, she didn't say anything and let her sleep.
Jiang Yan felt that she hadn't slept much yet. As soon as she closed her eyes, Huang Ying whispered in her ear, making her so angry that she wanted to curse.
"Master, Master, wake up, wake up!"
Jiang Yan certainly wouldn't scold Huang Ying; she would only scold herself for not being sleepy earlier or later, but for falling asleep at the critical moment.
"I'm awake now~" he mumbled lazily, barely opening his eyes.
Is it getting dark?
Was she seeing things?
I quickly rubbed my eyes vigorously with both hands, and then looked again. I wasn't seeing things; it really was dark.
How can she sleep so much? She's been sleeping for so long.
Huang Ying: "My lady, it's already this late, and the prince still hasn't returned."
"Not back yet?" Jiang Yan exclaimed in surprise, then asked, "Is he not coming back today?"
"Master, do you think the Prince might have already returned? Or maybe we just missed him? There's a side road in the manor that leads to Yunxiao Pavilion."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan immediately recalled her encounter with "Zhang Qin" during the day and cursed herself, "How could I be so stupid?!"
"My lord, this is just a guess. Perhaps the prince is busy with official duties today and stayed at another place."
"No! I ran into the prince's personal guard near the Cloud Pavilion during the day, the one you mentioned, Qin."
"Zhang Qin?"
"Yes! His presence nearby means the Prince has definitely returned." Jiang Yan was filled with regret and self-reproach.
Huang Ying: "Even if the prince really comes back. Usually, it's the prince who's there, and Guard Zhang is there too."
Jiang Yan felt like dying!
"Master, what do we do now?"
"What time is it?"
"It's just past 7 PM."
It's only eight or nine o'clock, still early.
"Let's go to Yunxiao Pavilion to find him!" Jiang Yan said, standing up, but her legs were numb and she almost knelt on the ground.
Huang Ying hurriedly helped her up and whispered, "Master, the first watch has just been struck. We can't go anywhere right now. We should hurry back to Pear Blossom Residence."
"......"
“The night patrols in the manor have already begun. If they find out and report it to the Prince, it will be terrible.” Huang Ying said, helping Jiang Yan along the long corridor back to Pear Blossom Residence.
Jiang Yan was indeed exhausted. In her words, her fear of Shangguan Zeyu had almost drained all her strength. She needed to calm down and think carefully about what to do next.
As soon as Jiang Yan returned to Pear Blossom Residence, she sat on the soft couch under the window and pondered.
Huang Ying brewed her a pot of tea, poured her a cup, and handed it to her.
"Master, it's late, you should rest."
Jiang Yan glanced casually at the pale tea in the teacup, looked at her, and said.
"Huang Ying, how about we go and ambush the prince first thing tomorrow morning?"
Huang Ying's eyes widened in surprise: "Blocked?"
“That’s right! Shangguan Zeyu always leaves early. If we don’t see him return by tomorrow, it will be too late to get back to the Liu residence.”
"But my lord, the servants say that the prince is unpredictable. If you do this, what if you disturb him?"
"Then do you think there are any other ways?"
The oriole lowered its head in distress.
Jiang Yan glanced at her and sighed, "Returning to the Liu residence is a must. To leave the residence, we need the Prince's permission. The only other option is to wait. But time is running out, and waiting any longer might delay things."
Huang Ying looked at her: "Master, I will do as you say."
"How early do you think we should get up tomorrow? We absolutely can't be late!"
"...His Highness usually enters the palace at dawn, so we must be ready by 3 AM at the latest."
"Then let's get up at 3 AM to get ready and get it done quickly."
Jiang Yan didn't dare to sleep soundly that night, waking up and falling asleep intermittently, and constantly having wild thoughts. She woke up before 1 AM.
Huang Ying lay on the soft couch, but she couldn't sleep soundly, turning over seven or eight times a minute.
Jiang Yan simply woke her up: "Can't sleep? Get up. Let's get up and get ready first."
Huang Ying half-sat up and looked at her: "It's still early, Master, you should get some more sleep."
"I can't sleep. The more I try to sleep, the more anxious I feel," Jiang Yan said, getting out of bed.
Huang Ying quickly got off the soft couch and ran towards her.
"Which clothes would you like to wear today, Your Highness? This servant will help you change."
"Which one should I wear? A brighter color or a darker color?"
Huang Ying thought for a moment and said, "My lady, the weather is already hot. Wearing something simple and elegant will brighten things up and make you look more comfortable."
"Then you can pick one out for me."
"Yes, Master."
Huang Ying chose a white dress for Jiang Yan, embroidered with dark green maple leaf patterns. It looked elegant and simple.
It's just a pity that she doesn't like white; she's never liked white.
"Can you change the color? I don't like white."
Huang Ying paused for a moment: "Master, besides this white one, you also have a pink one, and the rest are all light green and pale blue. Would you like to wear the pink one?"
"Pink?" She doesn't like pink either.
The colors she's currently obsessed with are gray and black, which are known as "sophisticated colors."
"...Okay, this one will do. It'll have to do."
Huang Ying began to help her change her clothes, saying, "My lady, I think you will look especially beautiful in this white dress, and it will definitely catch the prince's eye."
"Let's forget about it then. I don't want him to be dazzled, nor do I want him to be blinded by it. She desires ordinariness, ordinariness to the point of mediocrity, which suits her perfectly."
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