"Twins?"
"That's right."
"No way!" Qiao Dongzi stopped drying his hair. "How could my sister-in-law possibly be like this?"
"Judging from the way those guards outside are searching for people, you can think of the impossible."
"I have never heard that the Imperial Concubine was pregnant with twins back then."
"How could we possibly know about the secrets of the royal family? Perhaps the one on the throne isn't even a descendant of our ancestors."
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
"Search under orders," the man outside shouted.
Liu Lao Er tapped the tobacco leaves in his pipe bowl. "Look, they've come to our door."
The two guards pushed open the half-closed door and entered the inn.
At this moment, Liu Lao Er was holding the hoe, while Qiao Dongzi was laying tiles on the roof, looking just like a craftsman repairing the roof.
"Sirs, if there's anything you need me to do, please let me know," Liu Lao Er said, bowing and scraping as if he were in awe of the Imperial Guards.
Qiao Dongzi continued with his work, ignoring the two guards as if he were unaware of their arrival.
Liu Lao Er explained again, "He's deaf, please don't mind him, soldier."
“Alright, have you ever seen a woman like this?” The guard took out a portrait.
The portrait was slightly blurred due to the rain, but it still bears a resemblance to Mu Run.
Liu Lao Er shook his head, "Never seen him before. Who is this person? A fugitive? He's quite good-looking."
"Don't ask too many questions. Hold the ladder carefully, and it's best not to work in the rain." Another guard said to Liu Lao Er, seeing Qiao Dongzi getting soaked in the rain on the roof.
Liu Lao Er hurriedly agreed, "Yes, yes, yes, I'll have him come down in a bit."
The two guards looked around again, found nothing suspicious, and then moved on to the next house.
Liu Lao Er bolted the door and then called Qiao Dongzi down. "The city is under lockdown now, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get out for a while. Go to the Prime Minister's residence first and see what's going on there."
Qiao Dongzi had already visited the Prime Minister's residence once, and Fu Yunchen had also instructed the steward of the Prime Minister's residence that Qiao Dongzi was his attendant.
"Okay, I'm going then." Qiao Dongzi changed his clothes, put on a raincoat and a straw hat, and went out.
...
Within the capital, due to the city-wide lockdown and search order, various forces were stirring and undercurrents were surging.
The atmosphere at the Prime Minister's residence was even more tense.
The Prime Minister's wife stood by Li Yingyu's bedside, looking at Li Yingyu who was still unconscious due to excessive blood loss, her eyes filled with heartache.
The prime minister paced anxiously to the side, asking, "Why didn't you tell me first which palace we were going to?"
The Prime Minister's wife wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "I was terrified at the time. The child was clearly dead, but I still had Granny Qing do it herself."
Where is Granny Qing?
"Afterwards, I had someone send her away. Only the Imperial Concubine and I knew about that incident."
"Now His Majesty knows, and the Dragon Court is furious. You are all incredibly audacious... And you, you kept such an important matter from me for so many years!"
"Thinking about it, it's all in the past now. Besides, if Master doesn't tell His Majesty..."
“How could I not tell him? His Majesty knows everything you’ve done since you entered the palace. If I were to keep quiet about what I’ve done, who would be able to bear the consequences when His Majesty blames me? His Majesty is furious about the peace talks with Wu. Whoever he takes it out on will be demoted at best, and their entire family will be wiped out at worst.”
The Prime Minister's wife's face paled in turns. "What did His Majesty say in the end?"
"If you find her, fine. If you don't find Yingyu, she will become Teng's concubine and go to Wu with Princess Xiaoyu."
"What!?" 'Thump~' The Prime Minister's wife swayed and fell to the ground.
The prime minister looked at her with anger in his eyes, then flicked his sleeve and left.
...
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