After tidying up the study, Su Peisheng noticed that his master was lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the window. He glanced at the window and realized that the direction was exactly where Wanyue Pavilion was.
I'm too proud to admit it; what's the point of just standing here and looking?
Remembering Quanfu's words, he swallowed hard and forced himself to say, "That day, Master Tong was out in the snow for half a day wearing only a thin coat. I wonder if she caught a cold. Sir, do you think we should go and check on Master Tong?"
Yinzhen immediately stood up, paused in his steps, and suddenly sat down, picking up and putting down official documents repeatedly.
He was frustrated, thinking about how to coax her back after the slap he received that day.
He was so concerned that when he learned she had used a contraceptive peach, he became furious and embarrassed and attacked her severely.
She's definitely still angry if we go now, so let's wait and see. "Tell Quanfu to investigate who ordered that old woman to do it."
"This, sir, this servant, this servant thought, thought..." Su Peisheng didn't move, looking troubled.
Even a fool could guess that the only people in the inner courtyard capable of ordering around the master's maids are three: the master's wife, Consort Li, and Consort Nian.
The more they investigate, the more difficult it will become for the master; none of these three can be touched.
The primary wife is the prince's principal wife. She manages the inner quarters for him and has made great contributions. Consort Li has given birth to two sons and two daughters. For the sake of the young prince, the prince cannot punish her severely.
Not only was Consort Nian pregnant, but her brother was also the master's trusted subordinate. He was worried that punishing Consort Nian would cause a rift between Consort Nian and her family.
Su Peisheng boldly suggested, "Why don't you pick out some gifts, sir, and I'll go to Wanyue Pavilion to visit them on your behalf?"
He went to sound out the situation first, to prepare the groundwork for his master, to see how angry Master Tong was, so that he could devise a plan to help his master appease Master Tong.
Yinzhen's expression changed several times, his eyes filled with a cold and fierce light. He glared at Su Peisheng with slight annoyance, thinking, "You dog servant, how dare you try to guess my thoughts?"
Su Peisheng's legs trembled, and he buried his head in his chest. He was only thinking of the master's sake. Please, master, be merciful.
His gaze swept over the neck of his personal eunuch, and Yinzhen raised his hand to open a drawer. The study was filled with many fine items, and Tong Shi often sneaked in to ask for anything she liked.
He also developed this bad habit: when he acquired exquisite and fine items, he would not put them in his private stash, but would display them in his study, waiting for her to find ways to persuade him to buy them.
The Tong family has many fallacies, and they often succeed in getting what they want.
The other day, his father, the Emperor, gifted him two old mine glass and jade bead bracelets from Myanmar, one pink and one purple, both of perfect color. He subconsciously put them in a drawer.
"Master, the Thirteenth Master has arrived," Quanfu announced from the doorway.
Yinzhen put away the beaded string and stood up to greet him.
Thirteen came over and warmed his hands by the brazier. “Fourth Brother, what have you been so busy with these past few days? You disappear as soon as court is over. If I want to see someone, I have to come all the way to the mansion to look for them.”
"There are some miscellaneous matters at the manor. Did you need to see me for something?"
After warming his hands, Thirteen came over and said, "What could be wrong, little brother? He just wants to find someone to drink with."
He spotted the beaded string in his fourth brother's hand and his eyes lit up. "Hey, fourth brother, you're a lifesaver! Ah Qiao's birthday is in a few days, and I was thinking about what gift to give her. The beaded string is nice. Give it to your little brother."
As Thirteen reached out to take it, Yinzhen dodged and put it into his sleeve, saying calmly, "Change to something else; this is useful to me."
"You wouldn't be sending this to some young lady's wife, would you?" Thirteen smiled mischievously.
Yinzhen glared at him coldly, "It can't be the Fujin (Prince Consort)."
Thirteen stroked his chin. "No, the color is too bright and vibrant. Fourth Sister-in-law won't look sophisticated enough in it."
Yinzhen remained silent, thinking to himself, "Thirteenth Prince has sharp eyes; he can even see through this. With your clever mind, why not allocate more tasks to you? Father Emperor would be even more pleased."
So he guessed right. Thirteen shrugged. For someone as reserved as Fourth Brother to value a gift so much, the recipient must be the person he values most.
The two chatted for a while and agreed to go for drinks together. Su Peisheng brought Yiren in, and the girl looked panicked. She held a letter in her hand and knelt down to present it to him.
Yinzhen's heart skipped a beat. This scene was so familiar. The last time, when Yi'er left, Granny Qiu also gave him a letter.
Yi Ren's face was pale, and beads of sweat were visible on her forehead. "Master instructed me to fetch tea. In the blink of an eye, the window opened, and there was only a letter left on the table. I dared not hide it from you, Master, and came to inform you without delay."
Yinzhen's chest heaved, his fingertips twitched, and he took the envelope. On it were a few crooked words. The envelope was not sealed. He pulled out the letter, which contained only a few words: "Going on a journey, return date uncertain. Treat Granny Qiu and the others well. From Tong Yilan."
She's been traveling, and there's no word on when she'll return. Will she ever return? No, he knows she's gone forever.
What did he do to force her to leave?
Yi'er, no.
Yinzhen rushed out the door like a whirlwind, while Thirteen and Xiao Suzi exchanged bewildered glances. "What happened?"
Su Peisheng paced anxiously, muttering to himself, "It's over, it's over, Master Tong must have run away again."
He stamped his foot, glared at Yiren on the ground, and hurried after his master.
Upon hearing this, Thirteen was completely bewildered. She ran away? What did she run away from? Where could a prince's concubine, Tong Xiaosao, possibly run to?
Seeing the girl lying on the ground, he didn't bother to ask what had happened. Fearing something might have happened to his fourth brother, he followed after her.
There was no one in the study. Yi Ren wiped away her sweat before daring to open her mouth and gasp for breath. She got up, walked out of the study, and closed the door behind her.
Yiren's heart was pounding. To avoid arousing her master's suspicion, she had given him too little time. She hoped that her master had already found a hiding place.
It's nighttime now, and there's a curfew on the roads, so she can't leave the city. The best course of action is to hide first and wait for things to calm down before making a move.
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