Liu Shushu felt that she might know something, but she was afraid of overthinking and dared not ask for details. After hesitating for a moment, she decided that it was best not to confront her directly for the time being.
She adjusted her hair and said without changing her expression, "Forget it, I won't hear anything of value from you."
She walked past Qingying with her chin held high and an air of arrogance.
Qingying pursed her lips and curtsied according to custom.
After walking a few steps, I heard her say again, "Little sister, you can't miss the talent show in a month."
Qingying didn't delve into the meaning behind her words, and simply responded with a faint "yes".
Back at Baoyi Palace, Qingying felt a vague sense of unease as she reflected on the affairs of the court.
"Sending a general like Wei Dongchen to the south of the Yangtze River to control the floods seems rather strange."
Yu Yue said, "Perhaps it was the young master who volunteered himself?"
"If he volunteered to guard the border, I would believe him for now. But why would he volunteer to manage the floods in Jiangnan? Is he really good at that? Among so many officials in the court, is there not a single one who is qualified for this position?"
Yu Yue shut up. She was just a lowly maid, and the affairs of the court were beyond her comprehension.
Qingying felt increasingly uneasy. After much deliberation, she wrote a letter and secretly sent it to the Jin residence.
Jin Heng replied to her letter the next morning at the court session.
After she finished reading it, she immediately put it on the fire and burned it to ashes.
"Jin Heng said that the Emperor directly named the Heir Apparent to go to Jiangnan, and several officials had already stepped forward to volunteer, but the Emperor only allowed Lord Li to assist Wei Dongchen to go together. What was his purpose in doing this?"
"What else could it be? The Emperor is probably still jealous of you and the Crown Prince," Yu Yue said casually.
"Is it just jealousy?"
A pair of sharp eyes flashed into Qingying's mind, causing her to subconsciously hold her breath.
Wei Huaixu used to treat Wei Dongchen like a brother, and she never doubted his intentions back then, but now...
She couldn't help but worry.
After much deliberation, Qingying finally wrote a letter and hid it in a small object, asking Yu Yue to personally deliver it to Prince Yu's residence. She repeatedly instructed Yu Yue to personally hand it to Wei Dongchen.
She wanted to remind Wei Dongchen that there might be risks involved in this trip to Jiangnan, and to tell him to be careful of the people around him.
But she never expected that Yu Yue would lose her life because of this.
...
A torrential downpour began at night, and Qingying paced anxiously back and forth inside the house.
Yu Yue left the palace early this morning and has not returned yet.
At this moment, Tong Xia hurriedly returned from outside, put away her umbrella and stood by the door, shaking off the water. Her shoes were soaked through, and her trouser legs were also covered in water stains.
"How is it?" Qingying quickly came forward and handed her a clean handkerchief.
While wiping the water off her body, Tongxia reported with a helpless and worried expression: "The nanny who went shopping with us said that they separated after leaving the palace. She waited for a long time at the agreed location, but when it started to rain and they still didn't see anyone, she had no choice but to take them back to the palace. Not only Sister Yuyue, but also Xiao Fuzi who accompanied them has disappeared."
"What did the Crown Prince say?"
"The young master said he was in the West Market today preparing his luggage for his trip. After receiving the message, he asked Yu Yue to wait for him at the teahouse, but when he got there, he only saw Xiao Fuzi."
"Didn't they say Xiao Fuzi was missing too?"
"Xiao Fuzi disappeared later. The young master had already received the things you sent from Xiao Fuzi, but he said he saw Xiao Fuzi leave the teahouse with his own eyes, and he didn't know where she went."
Qingying was both angry and anxious: "Then hurry up and send someone to look for it!"
Tongxia was startled by her shouting for the first time and shrank back, but she quickly recovered and stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "Your Highness, don't worry. Perhaps it suddenly started raining heavily, and Sister Yuyue and the others couldn't make it to meet up with the nanny in time, so they went to find a place to take shelter from the rain."
Even Tong Xia herself didn't believe this. They had spent many years with Yu Yue and knew her actions and character very well. This trip out of the palace was originally intended as a secret trip under the guise of purchasing supplies. Yu Yue was always steady and wouldn't easily break the rules.
This time, Qingying would rather she break the rules, would rather she had gone to find a place to take shelter from the rain.
But once she calmed down, she realized she couldn't take drastic measures, fearing she might involve innocent people. She could only hope that good fortune would come her way and that her worries were unfounded.
Yu Yue did not return home that night.
Qingying could no longer contain herself, and rushed to the Yuqing Palace at the crack of dawn. She had no choice but to seek help from Wei Huaixu.
But she never expected to see Xiao Fuzi's body here.
The little boy, just twelve years old, had his thin body soaked in blood, his black hair disheveled, and the deep wound on his neck, where the bone was visible, had already congealed blood, and the exposed skin was white from being soaked in rainwater.
On the other side was a corpse covered with a white cloth, and Qingying didn't even dare to think about it.
Her hands trembled violently, and when she spoke as she curtsied, her voice was broken and fragmented: "Your Majesty... Your concubine..."
She bent down slightly and was supported by Wei Huaixu.
His voice came from above: "Jiaojiao, I know you and Yuyue have a deep bond. I will definitely investigate this matter and give you an explanation..."
boom--
Something seemed to explode in Qingying's mind. She felt a moment of deafness. She stared blankly at the thin lips of the person in front of her, but it seemed that she could not hear what he was saying.
She could clearly hear it, every single word, but when put together, it seemed incomprehensible.
"What...what are you saying?" Qingying's voice trembled so badly that she could barely stand up with the support of Wei Huaixu's arm.
“Yu Yue, she…” Wei Huaixu looked at her pale, pained face and couldn’t bear to tell her the truth.
Tong Xia, whose legs gave way, knelt on the ground. After a long while, she crawled over shakily and lifted a corner of the white cloth with trembling fingers. After just one glance, she collapsed to the ground, covered her mouth, and burst into tears.
Seeing her like this, what else could Qingying not understand?
She forced back her tears, nudged Wei Huaixu, and walked over, her legs feeling weak.
She slowly lifted the white sheet, revealing a corpse so swollen it was almost unrecognizable. The skin was pale and swollen, the features protruding, but the resemblance to Yu Yue was still faintly visible in the eyebrows and eyes. This outfit was the same one Yu Yue had worn when she went out yesterday, and the sachet at her waist was one that Qing Ying had personally hung on for her.
In just one day, how could a perfectly healthy person suddenly turn into this?
Qingying was having trouble breathing. She clutched her aching, throbbing chest, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"How could this be... how could this happen..."
She couldn't believe it.
Everything was fine until yesterday.
How could a perfectly healthy person just suddenly disappear?
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