Chapter 17 [Green Plum Smell] Mother, can you find her for me?
Xin Meng and Su Shou were stunned on the spot. Xin Meng asked the princess in confusion, "Your Highness, what's wrong with the prince?"
The eldest princess watched her son's retreating figure with great interest, and said with a smile, "He must have met a rather interesting girl."
She had never seen a woman who could make Yan Huinan lose face and yet make him so flustered. The eldest princess was quite curious about what kind of girl she was.
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Yan Huinan and the soldiers of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Military Affairs divided into three groups, starting from Zhuque Street and spreading to the surrounding streets and markets. She was just a little girl, and no matter how fast she ran, she could not fly out of the capital.
Yan Huinan led the palace soldiers along the lakeside where he and Xie Yun parted ways. They almost turned the surroundings upside down, but did not see a single person.
This is a matter of life and death.
Yan Huinan was young, after all. Although he acted like a tyrant and a scoundrel, it was just a child's quarrel. He never took anyone's life lightly. He also never let his own crimes implicate others.
So when he found that he really couldn't find Xie Yun, he suddenly panicked.
After searching around and reuniting with the palace soldiers at Zhuque Street, Si Wenzheng returned on horseback. Seeing Yan Huinan, he could only shake his head helplessly and report, "Sir, we didn't find him."
Soon, Siwu also reported that they didn't find the person.
"How can you not find her?! She's just a little girl, how can you not find her!" Yan Huinan shouted angrily, "Go look for her again, Si Wen, send someone to the Dali Temple to ask if there is any clue about the flower thief recently. If the Dali Temple doesn't have enough manpower, send all the people from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion and the Princess Mansion to him! Even if you have to turn the capital upside down, you have to find her for me."
Si Wen had been with Yan Huinan since childhood. He knew that although Yan Huinan was arrogant, he was ultimately no match for the Marquis of Dingbei. He said in embarrassment, "But, my lord, such a big show would be bad if the Marquis knew about it, wouldn't it?"
Yan Huinan said coldly: "This is a matter of life and death. If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility for it!"
"Yes!" everyone responded loudly.
After Si Wen left, Yan Huinan sent the remaining men to expand the area. He then prepared to return to the princess's residence to inquire about his mother Xie's whereabouts. Perhaps she had been found by her family and returned home.
But as soon as he entered the princess's mansion, he was captured by a group of soldiers.
Marquis Dingbei saw Yu Xian and Li Wei at the banquet tonight. He had thought Yan Huinan would listen and come over. But after waiting for a long time, he still didn't show up. What was that gift he gave the Crown Prince for his birthday last time? What nonsense did he say?
Yu Xian and Li Wei were both summoned to the banquet tonight by their father and brother to personally apologize to the Crown Prince. But Yan Huinan, that little bastard, didn't even go to the banquet for some little girl.
"Send the prince back to his room and keep him under house arrest for a month." Dingbei Marquis Yan Jingtong stood in front of Yan Huinan, looking at his naughty son mercilessly, and said in a dignified manner without being angry.
Yan Huinan was shocked to see that Si Wen, who had been sent to the Dali Temple, had also been intercepted and returned. He himself was restrained by several people and could not move. "Father, please let me go first. I still have important things to do."
Yan Jingtong scolded him, "What business do you have? Have you done what you are supposed to do? Your father has repeatedly told you to go to the banquet tonight, but have you taken it to heart?"
Yan Huinan struggled: "This time it's real. If I don't go, I will feel uneasy for the rest of my life."
The emperor seemed to be extremely fond of Yan Huinan, but the art of ruling, the heart of an emperor, was always difficult to grasp. Yan Huinan, a mere child, didn't understand the principle that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger, but Yan Jingtong had to be cautious.
So Yan Jingtong was determined to teach Yan Huinan a lesson this time. In the past, Yan Huinan would lie without blinking an eye, and he would not believe it at all. He just thought that he was a child and was lying to him to get away with it.
"You have so much to worry about. Have you ever considered whether your actions betray the father and mother who raised you? You assaulted the son of a noble, disregarded the crown prince, and mocked him in public. He is the heir apparent, yet do you have a shred of reverence for him? You lawless beast, you have a month to reflect on this!"
"Father! Father! This is a matter of life and death!" Yan Huinan struggled desperately, but these were the Marquis's careful and skilled personal soldiers. How could Yan Huinan break free?
No matter what he said, Yan Jingtong thought it was a trick played by Yan Huinan to escape.
Yan Huinan never had the chance to find out where the Xie Mansion was, let alone whether Xie Yun had truly been taken back by her family. The princess had allowed Yan Huinan to act recklessly. Previously, when Yan Jingtong was away fighting, he had no time to care about him, but now that he had been summoned to the capital by the emperor, she could no longer let him go.
So even if the princess pleaded for mercy, Yan Huinan had to be confined to his house this time.
When the princess came to bring Yan Huinan breakfast the next day, she saw a dark tint under his eyes. It didn't take much to tell that he hadn't slept all night. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying. As a close mother, it was the first time she saw Yan Huinan so vulnerable and helpless, and it pained her heart.
As soon as Yan Huinan saw his mother, he rushed over and held her hand tightly, tears as big as beans dripping down his face. "Mom, I really lost someone, a living person. I didn't lie to Dad. I know I was wrong."
If she really died because of this, or if her life was worse than death, he would never be able to let it go for the rest of his life.
Yan Huinan sobbed uncontrollably, his voice hoarse from crying, his heart broken. He might have been able to send her home safely, but because of his own willfulness, he didn't.
She might actually die, and he would be filled with guilt.
For the first time in his life, Yan Huinan tearfully begged, "Mother, can you please find her for me?"
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After parting ways with Yan Huinan on bad terms last time, she and Lusong cried and asked for directions, but only managed to get back to Zhuque Street.
They had already lost hope and thought no one would come looking for them, but unexpectedly they saw a servant from the Xie Mansion.
When Xie Yun was brought to the Xie Mansion's carriage, she saw Madam Yu, who never left the mansion, getting off her father's carriage, stumbling towards her with red eyes, and hugging her tightly in her arms.
The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried.
Father Xie Qingyun did not get off the carriage. He just asked the servant to lift the carriage curtain and said coldly: "Now that you have found the person, go back. Why are you crying?"
When Madam Yu heard this, she was slightly stunned and her expression changed slightly, but she quickly wiped away her tears and wiped away Xie Yun's tears. She forced a smile to comfort her daughter and led her to a carriage following behind.
The carriage slowly moved along the darkening streets, entering even quieter streets, which was already far away from Suzaku Street.
Many years later, Xie Yun learned that Lady Yu was Xie Qingyun's wife from his impoverished days, and later became his concubine. After that, no one mentioned Xie Yun's disappearance again.
Perhaps his father's only sympathy for Lady Yu was that one glance as he lifted the curtain. All the past and old feelings faded away today, as he set aside his official duties to help her find her only child.
The rest of the matters were left to Mrs. Zhao to handle. She only glossed over the fact that Xie Shaohua lost his sister, attributing it to Xie Yun's own running around and getting lost, rather than the fault of Xie Shaohua and Xie Yan.
More than a month after the Lantern Festival, it was the birthday party of Xie Yun’s father, Xie Qingyun.
That day, a spring breeze caressed people's faces, scattering blossoms from the trees, filling the garden with a delicate fragrance. It was a perfect day for a garden outing. The palace was bustling with people, mostly his father's colleagues and their families. Xie Shaohua had seen many of these families before, when he had accompanied Madam Zhao to banquets hosted by various lords. Now, they were chatting happily in the garden.
Xie Yunjun didn't know anyone, and even among a group of noble ladies her own age, Xie Yun found it difficult to fit in. This kind of thing was already common in Baixia, and the noble ladies in Baixia City didn't like to play with Xie Yun, who was a loner.
She found a secluded pavilion and painted alone to pass the time.
Lusong went to the garden and picked several budding peonies. He ran towards Xie Yun excitedly, "Miss, what do you think of this peony?"
Xie Yun looked up and smiled, "Just hold this bouquet of flowers like this, don't move."
The peonies in Lusong's arms were in full bloom, their pale pink petals like layers of silk and bird feathers, with a gilded core in the middle, and the drooping green leaves lightly brushing Lusong's wrist.
Xie Yun's painting skills, learned from Madam Yu, were still immature, but for girls just playing around, they were quite good. She roughly outlined Lusong's figure, then added touches of color, the paint gradually spreading like tiny clouds. But it was most suitable for painting peonies and the light yellow cotton shirt Lusong was wearing today.
Lu Song's face froze with laughter, and he asked with a grin, "Miss...how long will it take?"
Xie Yun raised her head and brought the brush close to her eyes, closing one eye and gesturing while saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, it will be done soon."
Lu Song complained: "Miss, your skill in painting portraits is really...why don't we take a break?"
Xie Yun threatened sternly, "That's why you need to practice more! If you keep talking, I'll draw a turtle on your face. You can't wash it off!"
"Miss, you are always bullying me!"
Xie Yun smiled but said nothing.
Just when the painting was about to be completed, a round, pure white ruler appeared out of nowhere, stepped onto the stone table, and stepped all over Xie Yun's paint. Not only did it make its body colorful and its face stained with black ink, but it also splashed ink all over Xie Yun.
Just as Xie Yun and Lusong reacted and were about to catch the cat, the cat nimbly stepped onto an old elm tree beside the courtyard wall, looked down at the two people below, and then slowly squatted on the branch and washed its face and paws delicately.
Lu Song frowned: "Where did this cat come from? Madam hates cats the most."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, Lu Song saw blood on Xie Yun's hands: "Miss! The cat scratched you! I, I will go and call the palace doctor!"
Xie Yun quickly pulled her back: "This is not my blood."
The two of them looked at Xie Yun's hand carefully, and indeed, they could not see any wound.
"The cat just stepped on my hand. Maybe its claws are injured." Xie Yun frowned and said, "Lusong, go find a ladder. We'll bring it down and let Auntie bandage it."
"This is too dangerous. The tree is too high. I better go find someone to help."
Xie Yun shook her head. "Father's boss will be here today. Everyone in the house is very busy. No one has the time to help us. It's just a cat. It's no big deal. Go find a ladder. And bring some fish balls."
Lusong was very quick, and she asked Luxue to help her carry a ladder. With the two of them holding on from below, Xie Yun climbed up carefully, spreading out the oil-paper-wrapped fish balls in her palm to attract the kitten.
As soon as it came close to eat the fish balls, Xie Yun carefully coaxed it into her arms and brought it down. "This cat is round and pure white, it's really rare. I don't know where it came from. It would be great if it could stay."
Lusong was so frightened that he repeatedly reminded her: "No, the lady won't allow it."
Xie Yun also knew that Madam Zhao hated cats. She could only bandage the cat and release it. However, as she walked out of this sparsely populated area with the cat in her arms, someone led by a servant called out to her angrily:
"Xie Yun! You're so brave!"
The author has something to say:
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Chiyu: Pure white cats were also called Chiyu in ancient times.
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