Upon seeing Zhong Muyu, Wenhui's father immediately pulled Wenhui over with a look of panic: "So it's the Princess Consort of Ling! You silly girl, how can you be so disrespectful? You don't even bow to the Princess Consort!"
Zhong Muyu said, "No need for formalities. I came back secretly this time and don't want to attract too much attention."
"Your Highness is very generous. I heard from Hui'er that you are returning to the city?"
"Yes, I'll trouble you to give me a ride."
"No trouble at all. It's a blessing for our family that Your Highness doesn't mind the simplicity of my donkey cart. Please get in."
Wenhui's father hurriedly spread a blanket in the center and invited Zhong Muyu to go up.
After the two boarded the donkey cart, Wenhui's father drove the donkey and left Qingshui Village in a relaxed manner.
Beside her, Wenhui was weaving something with grass leaves. In no time, she had woven a grass grasshopper with her skillful hands.
"Your Highness, this is for you!"
"Thanks."
Zhong Muyu smiled and accepted the grasshopper. Upon seeing this, her father angrily scolded, "How dare you give such a thing to the princess!"
Zhong Muyu said, "It's alright, I think it's great, this grasshopper is so lifelike."
Wen Hui smiled and said, "I'm glad the princess likes it."
Zhong Muyu carefully put the grasshopper into her pocket, then took out a warm yellow hairband from her sleeve.
"Since you gave me a gift, I'll give you one too. Although I didn't make this headband, I designed the pattern on it, so it's something I created."
Looking at the exquisitely crafted hairband, Wen Hui felt a little uneasy: "This is far too expensive."
"Its color matches you perfectly."
Zhong Muyu gently tied the hairband on her head, and the girl looked very happy, her whole demeanor becoming even brighter.
The two chatted all the way until they reached the city.
Looking at the happy Wen Hui, Zhong Muyu suddenly realized that her appearance was very similar to that of Wen Jiao, the maid of Chi Xuanzhu.
Moreover, the names are similar, which piqued Zhong Muyu's curiosity.
Just as she was about to ask Wen Hui if she had any other sisters, the donkey cart had already arrived at the Prince of Ling's residence.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
"Oh, thank you."
Zhong Muyu handed them a silver ingot, exchanged a few more words with Wen Hui's father, and then went to knock on the door.
"princess?"
Upon seeing her, the guards at the gate were overjoyed and immediately opened the gate, running back to spread the news.
"The princess is back! The princess is back!"
When she was kidnapped, many people in the manor were worried, so it's understandable that they reacted this way now that she's back.
As Zhong Muyu walked into the garden, she was surrounded by people from all directions. In early spring, they wept with joy, and others asked her about her situation.
Seeing Uncle Qiu and several familiar faces, Zhong Muyu was surprised: "Uncle Qiu? You're back?"
"You're back. Don't worry, everything has recovered. Your Highness, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm sorry to have worried you."
Zhong Muyu looked around at the people, but didn't see Chengfeng.
Zhiyu knew what she was looking for, and quickly said, "Your Highness must be tired after escaping back. Let me answer your questions."
"Alright."
Zhong Muyu followed him to Xiuyu House, but to her surprise, Lu Ziyuan was not there.
"Where is the Prince? Has he gone out to handle official business?"
"His Highness has come to see you."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Muyu felt a faint sense of anticipation: "He...has recovered?"
"Um."
Zhiyu told Zhong Muyu about what had happened in the past few days, including Su Zhirou being imprisoned and all her servants being sold off.
Zhong Muyu listened quietly. No wonder Tingzhi Courtyard was so quiet when she returned; there wasn't a single person there.
Hearing that Lu Ziyuan had been frantically searching for her, Zhong Muyu was deeply moved. Now that she had returned safely, it was time to call Lu Ziyuan back.
Zhiyu asked, "Where is the Princess? How did you escape?"
"Those people took me to the mountains and forests on the border. They were probably heading to Xirong. It was thanks to their temporary stay there that I was able to be rescued by a person with high martial arts skills."
To avoid revealing Chi Xuanzhu's true identity, Zhong Muyu fabricated a story about him being the son of a wealthy merchant family and a wandering knight-errant. This was the excuse she repeatedly pondered and revised along the way.
After hearing about Zhong Muyu's ordeal, Zhiyu exclaimed, "Your Highness, you are truly blessed."
"I was lucky, but I can't be lucky every time. We need to catch that bad guy as soon as possible."
"Your Highness, rest assured. Your subordinates have been conducting an intensive search of Lingqing City and the surrounding villages in accordance with His Highness's orders. Border checks have also been strengthened, and His Highness has sealed off Black Street. I believe we will have results soon."
"I hope so."
Even so, Zhong Muyu still felt that the chances of catching the other party were slim.
Wu Zhao is cunning and highly skilled in martial arts. Even if he can't return to Xirong, he has many places to hide.
Never mind him for now. Zhong Muyu asked, "The most important thing right now is to find Lu Ziyuan. Do you know where he is?"
"His Highness said he would personally investigate. Chengfeng has been following him, but I don't know his exact location. However, he shouldn't have left Yuanqi. I will send someone to communicate with the military camp and the border guards. I believe we will find His Highness soon."
"Then go quickly. He's been traveling a lot, and I'm worried about his safety."
After Zhiyu left, Zhong Muyu also planned to return to Xinxiang Courtyard, but unexpectedly, she saw Zaochun waiting there as soon as she came out.
"Early Spring, what are you doing here?"
"Your Highness, I was worried about you. Are you alright? Are you really not injured?"
Zhong Muyu spread her hands: "Look at me, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry, I'm completely okay."
"It's good that you're back. Now I can rest assured."
"I'm sorry to have worried you."
Zhong Muyu took her hand, and the two strolled into the garden.
Seeing the empty Tingzhi Courtyard, Zhong Muyu asked, "Is Tingzhi Courtyard all empty?"
"Yes, the prince was very angry about this. He not only divorced Consort Su, but also imprisoned her, sealed up Tingzhi Courtyard, and sold all the servants."
"Divorce? Isn't it said that concubines are registered in the imperial genealogy and cannot be easily divorced?"
“That was a normal concubine. Su Zhirou’s father was confiscated for corruption and bribery. Although she escaped this fate by marrying out, she had become the daughter of a disgraced official. In addition, plotting against a prince is a serious crime, so the prince saved her the trouble and simply divorced her.”
Zhong Muyu nodded, never expecting that something like this could happen to Su Zhirou's family.
"Since it's early spring and we have nothing else to do, why don't we go see Su Zhirou?"
Zaochun curled her lip: "What's so interesting about her now? She's just a prisoner."
"If she dares to use evil magic to control Lu Ziyuan, can you guarantee she won't use evil magic to control the prison guards to escape? Besides, she caused so much suffering to Qiao'er and the others, I'd be happy to go and see her make a fool of herself."
These words convinced Zao Chun: "That makes sense, then let's go see her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
