Chapter 69 "It's my fault."
Chi Ying had been on her way for more than ten days, and the secret guards who went to search could only estimate that they should still be in Shandong at this time.
However, mothers and daughters traveling south were a daily occurrence, and the two might have used makeup to conceal their appearance. In addition, the investigation could only be conducted secretly, and a large-scale search could not be carried out, which greatly increased the difficulty of finding them.
However, it is certain that after checking along several Yellow River ferry crossings, boatmen indeed remembered a mother and daughter and a coachman, saying that the three of them had paid extra money to load the carriage onto the boat and had crossed the Yellow River southward five days ago.
Five days had passed, and with the snow restricting their journey, the three of them had to find an inn to rest.
The guards immediately crossed the river and continued their search southward. However, after asking at almost every inn along the way for several days, they still could not find any trace of the three. They had no choice but to send someone back overnight to report.
The door was half-open, and a cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker violently. In the interplay of light and shadow, the dark figure on the table appeared even more silent and lonely.
Hearing the commotion, Yan Xuecui didn't even look up, only asking, "Where is he?"
The bodyguard, a trusted confidant of many years, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine upon hearing that hoarse and sinister voice.
Forced to bite the bullet, he stepped forward and reported, "Your subordinate has sent men to continue searching south, but the Princess has not yet been found at any inns or post stations along the way..."
Yan Xuecui clutched the purse in her hand, her aura as cold as the winter night, devoid of any warmth: "Send more people to continue the investigation, and do not miss any restaurants, clinics, or farms along the way."
The guard hesitated for a moment: "If we send more people, I'm afraid... the palace will notice?"
Currently, the Imperial Guards and His Highness's own secret guards are being used. However, Emperor Yongcheng is extremely suspicious, and there may be spies planted within the Imperial Guards. If His Highness is found to be secretly raising assassins, it will be difficult to explain.
Yan Xuecui merely sneered: "In the palace?"
If he is even hindered in finding his wife, then he must remove those obstacles.
Yan Xue forced a smile, a cold killing intent flashing in her eyes.
Shuyuzhai was sealed off, and the princess was suspected of being confined to her quarters. Although no one in the entire household knew the inside story, all the servants who had seen Prince Zhao were intimidated by his sinister and cold aura, and no one dared to ask a question.
Even though everyone kept it a secret, Consort Zhuang still noticed something was amiss.
The young couple used to be so loving and sweet, and now that they've been apart for a while, they should be spending time together. Why did they lock him up?
Consort Zhuang braved the wind and snow to personally go to Shuyu Zhai, only to be told that Prince Zhao was in his study.
She pushed open the door and walked closer. She saw that the person at the head of the table had slightly drooping eyelids and an unprecedentedly gloomy and listless face, even exuding a sickly depression.
"Seventh Prince, what has happened?" Consort Zhuang was extremely worried, she had never seen him like this before.
After a moment, Yan Xuecui looked up in a daze and said, "Mother."
Seeing the bloodshot eyes in his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days, Consort Zhuang asked anxiously, "What happened? I heard that you..."
Yan Xuecui said, "She is not a princess."
Consort Zhuang was taken aback: "What?"
Yan Xuecui repeated, "She is not Aying."
Consort Zhuang looked at Yuan De beside her in a daze. Yuan De glanced at his prince's expression and knew that he did not want to hide anything, so he told her in detail about the Chi family's substitution marriage.
Consort Zhuang then realized, "So that's how it is..."
No wonder she always felt something was off after her daughter-in-law returned home, and could even occasionally catch her pretentious manner.
A few days ago, Qionglin praised her pastries as delicious and asked her to make some more, but she deliberately delayed, claiming that she had caught a cold... It turns out it wasn't the same person!
Consort Zhuang murmured, "They are actually two sisters... Was the previous princess married in place of her elder sister?"
Yuan De sighed, "Exactly."
No wonder everyone says that the Chi family's daughter is spoiled and domineering, but the woman who married into the family is extremely gentle and obedient. She was delighted at first sight; it turns out she was a substitute bride.
Consort Zhuang frowned as she remembered something and said, "Since you knew all along, why didn't you explain it to her clearly? Why did you make her guess your intentions in such a fearful manner, waiting for her to be honest with you? If you had just spoken up earlier, the Chi family wouldn't have made such a fuss!"
Yan Xuecui's eyes reddened, and a self-deprecating smile escaped her lips: "Mother is right, it's my fault."
He was too arrogant and conceited.
I always thought my love was obvious enough, and that there was plenty of time to wait for her to open her heart.
He certainly had his pride, after all, she had deceived him first. All along, her fear of him had outweighed her love. But he didn't want her to fear him or cautiously obey him because of her status. What he wanted was her unreserved love, a love that was sincere and honest.
He also underestimated the greed and wickedness of the Chi family. He never expected that they would be so bold as to replace his queen and put a daughter who had a secret affair with the Prince of Xuan and was even pregnant into his bedside!
Consort Zhuang sighed, "It's good that we found them sooner. We should bring them back as soon as possible. In this cold weather, I don't know how much suffering they must have endured outside."
Seeing that he was silent and his expression was gloomy and weary, she couldn't help but say a few words of comfort: "Don't be pessimistic. It's been more than half a month since he left, so it's naturally not easy to find him. But as long as he didn't just disappear into thin air, we can always find him."
Yan Xuecui finally slowly opened her lips: "Okay."
Consort Zhuang noticed that his eyes were bloodshot, and felt that his gaze was different from before, as if...
She tentatively waved her hand gently in front of him.
Yan Xue's dull and lifeless pupils flickered slightly as she looked up at her: "Mother, I can see now."
Consort Zhuang was instantly overjoyed and asked, "Really? When did this happen?"
“Actually, I regained my sight before going to Hejian, thanks to A-Ying,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “It’s a pity I didn’t have time to tell her.”
Consort Zhuang felt a pang of sorrow, and her eyes involuntarily reddened: "They will be found. It's not too late for you to tell her yourself when she returns."
Yan Xuecui's voice was hoarse to the extreme: "Okay."
Consort Zhuang advised, "If she returns and sees you looking so dejected and depressed, she will feel sorry for you."
Yan Xuecui remained silent for a long time, then clenched the purse in her hand before slowly standing up. "I understand."
He thought he should do something.
This will allow her to completely escape the shadow of suffering brought by the Chi family, so that she will never have to feel inferior about her status, never have to be subservient to others, and never have to be cautious in everything she does.
He wanted her to live a peaceful and carefree life, free from worries and at ease.
...
Outside, snow was falling heavily, and the cold wind swirled snowflakes, which then seeped into the cracks in the window.
Aunt Xue got up and used old cotton cloth to seal the gaps in the wooden window little by little, finally stopping the cold wind from blowing in.
Turning around and seeing that Chi Ying had opened her eyes, she quickly asked, "Why didn't you sleep a little longer? Are you cold?"
Chi Ying, wrapped in the blanket, gently shook her head: "I had a dream."
Aunt Xue sat down by the bed to keep her company. Without asking, she knew how many times her daughter had called out "Your Highness" in her dream.
The person my daughter remembers must be an exceptional person, but unfortunately, our fate was short-lived, and things don't always go as planned.
Aunt Xue sighed, wondering what the situation was like in the capital. Could the Second Miss be sent back to keep it a secret?
Chi Ying put the silver hairpin back into her bundle, composed herself, and looked out the window, saying, "I wonder when the snow will stop, and when we can continue our journey."
The Earl of Changyuan wanted the coachman to take them to Jiangnan as soon as possible, the farther away from the capital the better.
The coachman may have received a bribe from Madam Yin, as he drove non-stop all the way, leaving both Madam Yin and Aunt Xue feeling completely shaken and broken.
After they were bribed, the man became more polite and stopped deliberately taking the bumpy gravel road. He also occasionally let them get off the carriage to rest.
After crossing the Yellow River, they originally planned to continue south, but they heard that bandits were rampant on the southern route and were advised to take another route. They followed the directions of the passerby and unknowingly wandered into this desolate mountain and lost their way.
Later, it snowed, and the mountains and fields were vast and slippery, making it difficult to walk. They had no choice but to find an abandoned temple to take shelter from the wind and snow.
Fortunately, there is always a way out. Although the temple was dilapidated, it seemed to have been inhabited not long ago. There was a wooden bed in the simple house, and some old hunting nets and pitchforks outside. It must have been a temporary place for hunters in the mountains to stay when they went out hunting.
They often had to endure wind and rain and sleep outdoors along the way. The carriage was always equipped with tinder and dry food, so they simply swept and cleaned the area, settled down there, and waited for the snow to stop before setting off again.
Two days ago, the driver took a pitchfork and went out to hunt, saying he would look for directions along the way. But two days have passed and he hasn't returned. I wonder if something has happened to him.
The night was dark and the north wind howled. The lonely temple in the mountains seemed to be swaying precariously in the wind. Chi Ying was a little scared, but with her mother there, she felt at ease.
The mother and daughter snuggled together, warmly wrapped in the quilt. They no longer had to face the ugly faces of the Chi family. It felt like they had returned to their days on the estate. But this time, the mother's health had improved, they had enough money, and the beautiful and fertile Jiangnan region awaited them. That was enough.
How can one have everything in life, wanting everything at once?
...
The capital city, the residence of Prince Xuan.
In just a few months, King Xuan became emaciated, his skin peeled away, and all the former pride and arrogance of a nobleman vanished, leaving only a walking corpse.
Princess Xuan watched as the servants changed Prince Xuan's dressings and wiped his body before pushing open the door and leaving.
Outside the courtyard wall, a dark figure silently flew in, secretly coming to report.
"...I personally witnessed that carriage drive into the deep mountains. Only a few refugees and hunters occasionally pass through that place. It can be said to be deserted. King Zhao would never find that place."
Princess Xuan nodded slightly, her expression indifferent.
She was reluctant to resort to such methods, after all, that illegitimate daughter was also a pitiful person.
But she just didn't want to make King Zhao's life easier!
Ever since she discovered that King Xuan was keeping a mistress, she had been secretly sending people to keep an eye on that villa.
The person in front of her was a trusted confidant specially left to her by her grandfather. He was very capable and not only found out that the mistress was actually the original queen consort of King Zhao, but also discovered that King Xuan not only had an affair with her, but also had his eye on a concubine's daughter from the Chi family who looked like her.
At that time, it was a critical period in the struggle for the throne, and it was not advisable to make a big fuss, otherwise it would damage the reputation of King Xuan, so they had to suppress it for the time being.
Later, when Prince Xuan was flogged and deposed, she wanted to see how Chi Yingyue would react, so she sent people to keep an eye on the villa. However, she discovered that Chi Yingyue and Princess Zhao had returned to the Changyuan Marquis's residence one after the other.
She hadn't thought too much about it initially, only ordering people to continue monitoring the Chi family to see what they intended to do.
On the night of the Chi family's birthday banquet, the people sent to guard the side gate inadvertently saw a woman who looked very much like Chi Yingyue carrying a bundle and getting into a carriage. She even hurriedly left the city that night. Only after secretly chasing after her did they discover that the woman was not Chi Yingyue, but the Princess Zhao who had been replaced!
She sent people to follow Chi Ying south. Later, when King Zhao discovered that the queen had been replaced, he also sent people south to search for her. Queen Xuan had an idea and came up with this plan. She ordered people to pretend to be passersby and pretend that bandits were rampant in the mountains, so that she and her daughter would be lured off the original road and trapped in the deep mountains.
In this way, no matter how many secret guards King Zhao had, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Since King Zhao won't let them have an easy time, then don't blame her for being ruthless. She will make him lose his love and never have peace in this life!
Her upbringing and the last vestiges of conscience prevented her from ever killing a fellow woman who had been innocently persecuted.
Whether Chi Ying can survive depends on her fate.
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Author's note: 50 random red envelopes~ Happy weekend, my darlings!
The progress won't be slow, and it won't be a separation of several years. Look into my sincere eyes [glasses]
Then came the turning point: every day was emotionally draining, so I couldn't write quickly. I'm already trying to write more [crying emoji]. Love you all, sending you love [heart emoji].
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