Chapter 32 The person is gone. Zhao Linzhang's eyes turned bloodshot with emotion...
Zhao Linzhang's eyes turned bloodshot with emotion. He reached out and pulled the plain jade hairpin from her black hair. Instantly, her jet-black hair, as black as silk, cascaded down, making Shen Yunrong's rosy face look like beautiful jade.
He leaned in again and gently kissed her from her eyebrows down to her eyes.
She slumped into a ball of spring water in his arms, not knowing what he was going to do to her. She wanted to push him away, but her limbs were weak and she had no strength at all. Her mind was blank, and she couldn't utter a word of "don't," her voice soft and charming.
The trembling voice saying "no" ignited an inexplicable fire within Zhao Linzhang, turning his light, fleeting kiss into an unbearable, gentle bite.
Shen Yunrong felt as if her lips and tongue were being licked by flames, both hot and itchy. She also felt the hands that were roaming over her body. She wanted to grab the hand that was setting her on fire, but the man grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.
The dim candlelight cast long, tightly intertwined shadows on the window.
A knock sounded at the door: "Your Highness, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial says the foreign embassy has been hit by fire!"
It was Xiao Zheng knocking on the door. Zhao Linzhang got up from the pool of spring water and made a few quick, panting sounds.
"If the fire starts, go put it out!" Zhao Linzhang was ready to go. He threw all thoughts of self-discipline and the idea that they could only consummate their marriage to each other to the back of his mind. All he knew was that his whole being was screaming that he wanted to cherish her.
He picked up the woman in his arms, stood up, and strode towards the bed.
Startled by the sudden loss of his grip, Shen Yunrong cried out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, curling up against his chest like a helpless kitten.
Zhao Linzhang narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a soft laugh from deep in his throat.
"Your Highness, Princess Ana has gone missing!" Xiao Zheng could hear the unusual hoarseness and restraint in his master's voice. He was already married and knew when this sound would come from, but the matter was of great importance, so he had to report it.
Like a roast duck that was about to be eaten flying away, Zhao Linzhang had already pressed the woman in his arms into the quilt. Hearing this, he let out a rough sigh, laboriously removing his hand from her belt, and said angrily, "This troublesome thing!"
"Your Highness, please go ahead and attend to your business! The important matters are paramount!" Shen Yunrong was somewhat relieved this time; she had almost been devoured by him. The last time it hurt so much, she was afraid.
Zhao Linzhang gave her a hard kiss on her luscious lips, then reluctantly released her: "You're the important one! That crazy woman is up to something again. I'll be back soon, wait for me!"
After seeing off the troublesome princess, he went to ask his elder brother, the emperor, for permission to marry her.
Shen Yunrong watched him leave, straightened her clothes which he had torn loose, and felt a slight pain in her swollen lips. She reached down and touched them, feeling as if the warmth of his touch still lingered on her lips.
The next morning, a guard rushed in in a panic and reported, "Miss, there is someone who has fainted at the door."
"Quickly help her in and fetch a doctor." Shen Yunrong carried her daughter and the guards out. A seven or eight-year-old child, who looked like a beggar, lay motionless at the door, whether from hunger or illness, no one knew.
Liu Hu and Xiao Zheng followed the prince, leaving behind two young guards. When they saw someone collapse at the door, they didn't know what to do and could only come in to ask the mistress for instructions.
The little beggar was carried by the guards into the guest room in the front yard. Soon, a doctor from across the street rushed over, gave him an acupuncture, and the little beggar slowly woke up.
"Madam, the child has fainted from hunger. Give him some porridge or rice first, but be careful not to overfeed him," the doctor replied quickly after taking his pulse.
"Okay, thank you, doctor. Xiao Qiu, quickly go and bring me a bowl of porridge."
The little beggar lay sprawled on the bed, listening quietly to their conversation, until the porridge was placed in front of him. He leaped up from the bed, grabbed the still-hot bowl, and poured it down his throat.
The bowl of porridge was quickly licked clean.
Xiao Qiu stared in shock. The emperor of the Dayan Dynasty was diligent and hardworking, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. It was rare to see someone so hungry that they would drink a bowl of hot porridge like this.
"Don't rush, you can't eat too much since you just woke up." Shen Yunrong had seen refugees pass through their village when she was a child, and she knew that hungry people would wolf down their food like this when they were starving.
"Thank you, madam!" the beggar said, his voice hoarse and low, yet still clearly that of a girl.
"You're a girl?" Shen Yunrong asked in surprise.
"My name is Xiaoxi, and I am ten years old. Thank you for saving my life!" After the little beggar finished speaking, tears streamed down her dark face. She wiped them away fiercely with her dirty sleeve, leaving several black and white mud marks on her face.
"Xiao Qiu, take this child to wash up first." Shen Yunrong thought she was only seven or eight years old, but she's already ten.
"No, no, Madam, I have to go back. My mother is still waiting for me. Please, Madam, have mercy and give me some food. My mother and I haven't eaten for days." Xiao Xi'er was about to kneel down when Shen Yunrong helped her up.
"Your mother? Where is she? And your father?" They had thought she was an orphan without parents, but it turned out she was a child with a mother. They didn't know what had happened to the mother and daughter that made the child faint from hunger.
“My father kicked us out, my mother is sick, and we are now living in a dilapidated temple outside the city.” A numbness, incongruous with her age, appeared on Xiao Xi’s face.
"Kicked out?" Shen Yunrong and Xiao Qiu exchanged a glance. How could there be such a father who would kick out his own flesh and blood?
“He said my mother couldn’t give birth to a son, and he beat us every day. He drove my mother crazy. He doesn’t want her, and he doesn’t want me either. My mother and I have been starving for many days, and my mother has fallen ill.” No matter how hard Xiaoxi tried to hold back, tears streamed down her face like raindrops.
"How could there be such a vicious person? Even tigers don't eat their cubs. This person is worse than a beast. Xiao Xi, don't cry. Take me to see your mother!" Shen Yunrong asked Xiao Qiu to pack up steamed buns and pastries, and packed her everything that could be eaten at home.
He took Xiao Xi and got into the carriage, followed by two guards.
After getting off the carriage, Shen Yunrong's heart sank as she looked at the dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city, overgrown with weeds: "You and your mother live here?"
"When we're elsewhere, people chase us away, saying my mother is crazy!" Xiao Xi'er wiped away her tears, but didn't move forward. She pointed to the two guards behind them.
"Madam, my mother is afraid of strangers, especially men. She goes crazy if a man gets close to her. I can go back by myself!"
"Your mother must be terrified of your father. I'll go in with you." To be able to drive a perfectly healthy woman insane is an understatement; even calling him a beast is an understatement.
Since she was already there, Shen Yunrong wanted to see the poor mother, so she asked two guards to wait for her outside.
The dilapidated temple was overgrown with weeds, some taller than a person, both inside and out. The four walls had collapsed, and the roof had a large hole, making it look as if a gust of wind could cause it to collapse.
Shen Yunrong followed Xiao Xi with difficulty: "How can anyone live in this place? You can tell your mother later that you can stay at my place first, and then we can make further plans."
Xiao Xi turned around to look at her, her expression complicated.
Just as Shen Yunrong was about to ask her if she had any other difficulties, a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck, her vision went black, and her body went limp and she collapsed.
After waiting for a long time without seeing Shen Yunrong come out, the two guards exchanged a glance and exclaimed, "Oh no!"
When they rushed into the dilapidated temple, there was no sign of anyone; it was overgrown with weeds and clearly had never been inhabited.
Behind the dilapidated temple were tire tracks from a cartwheel. In an instant, all the color drained from their faces. The person had vanished right under their noses! The prince would surely skin them alive!
"Go and report to the Prince. I'll stay and investigate further!"
The two quickly split up and headed in different directions, judging from the tire tracks, they should not have gone far.
Zhao Linzhang was listening to the report from the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. Last night, a fire suddenly broke out in the kitchen of the foreign embassy. Everyone was busy putting out the fire. After the fire was extinguished, Princess Ana disappeared. He searched every corner of the capital but could not find her.
The people were nowhere to be found in their own land, and it was their responsibility both inside and outside. Minister Zheng was so anxious that he was covered in sweat.
"Your Highness, Your Excellency, you must help me find my sister. Annam only has one princess." Prince Ali secretly brought his sister to visit the great kingdom and then lost her. If he returns, his father will surely kill him. Annam has many princes, but the queen only gave birth to Princess Ana, who has been exceptionally noble since childhood.
Zhao Linzhang sat in his armchair, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, and said to the anxiously crying Prince Ali, "The princess is very playful, send more people to search for her."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Zheng's expression turned serious. Ignoring the discussion among the others, he went straight to Zhao Linzhang and whispered in his ear.
Zhao Linzhang's expression visibly changed. He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.
A surge of anger welled up inside Zhao Linzhang, his chest feeling like it was about to explode with a ball of flame.
"Very well, you've tried to lure me away from my prey!"
Shen Yunrong is just a country girl. The only one who would have designs on her is that Hu Kingdom princess. He must have had a death wish to touch her woman.
"Seize Prince Ali and imprison him in the Heavenly Prison!"
Prince Ali was still anxiously worried about his sister's safety and didn't understand what had happened. He struggled and shouted, "Why are you locking me up?"
"If your sister dares to harm my woman, I will make sure your entire Annam Kingdom pays with its life!" Zhao Linzhang's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
After saying that, ignoring the cries and shouts behind him, he mounted his horse and shouted, "Gather your iron cavalry and find him, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground!"
“Your Highness, without the Emperor’s decree…” Xiao Zheng said worriedly.
"That's a crazy woman. If the Emperor gives the order, she might get hurt!" Zhao Linzhang couldn't care less about anything else now. He only had one crazy thought in his mind: he had to find her safely.
They searched the area within several miles of the ruined temple. If they could take the person away in a few breaths, they must not have gone too far. And Ana is a foreigner, so it's impossible for her to be so familiar with the terrain.
"Send the order to search every single household in the nearby villages!" A burning anxiety surged in Zhao Linzhang's eyes. He had been so anxious that he hadn't thought things through. The only place Ana could hide now was in the villagers' homes.
The two guards kneeling on the ground were pale-faced. Zhao Linzhang already knew what had happened from them. He stood with his hands behind his back and suddenly shouted, "You said it was a little girl who looked like a beggar?"
"Yes, because they were children, our subordinates were careless. We beg Your Highness to grant us death."
"You're getting off easy by dying! Get up and find people for me! Find all the girls in your households who are between seven and twelve years old!" The more Zhao Linzhang thought about it, the more he felt that this girl was strange. If he could find this girl, he could find Shen Yunrong.
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A message from the author: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!
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