Inside Shouning Palace, palace maids and eunuchs were kneeling on the ground.
Shen Mingyue and Lu Qingyuan knelt at the front, lowered their heads and remained silent, silently enduring the empress dowager's wrath.
"So many people can't protect a child? Are you really useless or don't you care about that child? If I had known this, I might as well have handed her over to me to raise!"
"I am too stupid! Don't be angry, mother..." Lu Qingyuan's eyes were red from crying and she was still sobbing.
"If Qiqi can come back just by getting me angry, then I might as well make myself vomit blood!"
The Queen Mother was furious.
"Mother," the emperor could not help but advise, "The assassin was cunning. Qing Yuan and the Imperial Concubine are not to blame for this. They were also very upset that Qiqi was abducted."
"Qiqi is the most well-behaved and sensible child. I love her the most! I yelled at her a few days ago and haven't had time to make amends yet, and now she's been kidnapped?! If anything happens to her, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life and will never be able to rest in peace!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, her head felt heavy, and her feet felt light-headed. She almost couldn't stand.
"Mother!"
The emperor quickly helped Zhao Xu and shouted, "Call the imperial physician!"
The Queen Mother shook her head, walked over weakly and sat on the couch. She waved her hand and said dejectedly, "I'm really old. Well, all of you should leave..."
"Mother..."
"Empress Dowager..."
Lu Qingyuan and Shen Mingyue looked worried and did not dare to leave.
The Queen Mother took a deep breath and roared irritably, "Get out! Let me rest for a while."
The emperor quickly winked at Shen Mingyue.
Shen Mingyue nodded and said respectfully, "Don't worry, Queen Mother. Take care of yourself. I will take my leave first."
After saying that, she tugged at Lu Qingyuan's arm.
Lu Qingyuan was about to say something, but after being reminded by Shen Mingyue, she could only reluctantly say, "Your son will take his leave first."
Shen Mingyue, Lu Qingyuan and the palace maids and eunuchs all retreated.
The emperor poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to the empress dowager: "Don't worry too much."
The Queen Mother picked up the warm tea and took a sip to calm herself down.
After a while, she sighed deeply. "Personally, I like that child. Publicly, Su Qiqi is the orphan of General Zhenbei and the descendant of a meritorious official. If anything happens to her, those with ulterior motives will surely make a big fuss about it and stir up public opinion. Therefore, Su Qiqi must be rescued."
It was the Empress Dowager who suggested that the Emperor adopt Su Qiqi as his adopted daughter.
Being named a princess was actually done for the sake of showing off to the ministers and the people.
We must let everyone know that after the emperor has favored his meritorious officials, let the people understand that the emperor is wise and benevolent, and let the soldiers dare to fight wholeheartedly and without scruples on the battlefield.
Now that Su Qiqi is missing, I'm afraid more things will be involved.
"I understand, and I will definitely find her back," said the emperor.
The Queen Mother nodded: "Okay, go and get busy."
"……yes."
The emperor really didn't stay long.
As soon as I walked out the door, Long San came to meet me.
"Your Majesty, the bandits who robbed people during the day have been interrogated. They said that a masked man had paid them a day ago to instigate a robbery there today."
"A day ago?" The emperor's eyes were slightly cold. "The assassin knew a day ago that the imperial concubine and the princess were leaving the palace?"
Long San nodded: "There must be many informants in the harem. The black-clad assassin obviously got the information and came prepared."
The emperor murmured in confusion, "Why didn't he harm the imperial concubine or abduct the eldest princess, but kidnapped a child? What's his intention?"
Long San also has no answer to this question.
//
The clues were like a tangled mess, and after a night passed, no useful clues were found.
The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, Lu Qingyuan, Shen Mingyue...
Everyone tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The next morning, a dart was stuck on each of the palace gates. Beneath the dart was a letter.
Zhao Xu hurriedly took the envelope and darts from the main gate of Guangming Palace and presented them to the emperor.
"What's this?"
The emperor took it and took a look.
There was nothing special about the dart; it could be found in any blacksmith shop.
There was a hole in the envelope, probably caused by a dart.
He opened the envelope and turned it over, and the longevity lock and the folded letter fell into his hands.
"It's Qiqi's lock!"
Shen Mingyue was very excited.
She picked up the longevity locket in the emperor's hand and examined it carefully: "This is the gilded and kingfisher-inlaid longevity locket that the empress dowager gave me a while ago. Qiqi has been wearing it around her neck all the time!"
The emperor's eyes suddenly narrowed: "It seems that the assassin who kidnapped Qiqi has come to negotiate terms."
As he said this, he couldn't wait to unfold the folded letter.
On the yellowed paper were several lines of handwriting written in a flamboyant style.
(Exchange Shen Mingyue's life for Su Qiqi's. Hang Shen Mingyue at the east gate of the capital for seven days, and Su Qiqi will return to the palace safely.)
The emperor couldn't help but clench his hands, and the letter paper was wrinkled and crumpled into a ball...
"This is outrageous!" The emperor gritted his teeth and cursed, veins bulging on his forehead.
Shen Mingyue was also stunned. The other party made such a request, obviously targeting her.
But why didn't those men in black try their best to kill her yesterday, but instead just kidnapped Su Qiqi?
Moreover, she has been keeping a low profile in the harem over the years and has never been harsh or difficult to others.
Logically speaking, she shouldn't have gotten into trouble with such a difficult enemy.
Zhao Xu reported quietly, "Your Majesty, many people in the imperial harem have received such letters. Many written notes have been scattered on the streets of the capital. Now everyone knows that the princess has been abducted by an assassin, and everyone is wondering if you will trade the concubine for the princess."
Shen Mingyue whispered, "If I can really get Qiqi back, I'd be willing to give it a try. But the other party is in the dark, if they're trying to cheat..."
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