Ye Qingxue suddenly understood why Shen Jiefeng had told her they would meet soon when she left the palace.
It turned out that at that time, Shen Jiefeng had already received orders to search for the deposed crown prince from house to house, and he happened to be in charge of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
But is this just a coincidence?
When and where did the news of the deposed crown prince hiding in her residence leak out?
Dong Bai said, "This servant just climbed over the wall and looked around. There were soldiers everywhere, densely packed, like ants everywhere."
He added, "The court has spread the word that they will search the ground three feet deep to find the deposed crown prince. If you know what's good for you, hand him over, or your whole family will be executed. The people in the vicinity are now living in fear."
A breeze came in through the window, and everyone suddenly felt a chill on their necks, as if a giant guillotine was hanging over their heads.
Yun Zhuo clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes, visible outside the mask, were so deep they seemed bottomless.
Qiu Shen suddenly asked, "Did someone spread the news that the deposed crown prince is in the capital?"
Dongbai nodded: "That's what they're saying outside."
As autumn deepens, he frowns in deep thought.
Ye Qingxue thought about the last time Yun Zhuo saved the Luo family. Ning Hongxi had clearly arranged a net to capture Yun Zhuo, but Yun Zhuo still managed to escape. Therefore, they guessed that Yun Zhuo was still in the capital city.
—This is her ideal guess.
There is a spy among us.
—That's a terrible guess.
However, Shen Jiefeng had already reached the door, and there was no longer enough time for her to investigate the reason.
Qiu Shen frowned deeply, then suddenly said softly, "The Empress just betrothed Miss to Lord Shen today, and now Lord Shen is already outside the Marquis's residence. Why is this happening so suddenly?"
Dong Bai suddenly looked at Ye Qingxue.
Her daughter has been betrothed?
And the marriage was arranged for Shen Jiefeng?
Even Yun Zhuo's gaze unconsciously fell on Ye Qingxue's face.
For some reason, Ye Qingxue also looked up at him, and their eyes met in mid-air.
Ye Qingxue looked away: "Dongbai, take Young Master Ling to Guanju Courtyard and hide in the tunnel."
He then said to Yun Zhuo, "While you are in the tunnel, keep an eye on the outside. If you sense anything is wrong, immediately come out of the tunnel and hide in the grove."
"As for why the whole city was searching for you tonight, we'll discuss that once you're completely safe. We'll see if there are any spies around us."
In fact, apart from herself, Chunxia Qiudong, and Xiaobao, no one else knew Yunzhuo's true identity.
Therefore, until the very last moment, Ye Qingxue did not believe that there was really a spy among her people.
As dusk fell, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was grim.
Yun Zhuo nodded slightly, turned around and left through the back door of Lixue Residence with Dong Bai. In a few leaps, they arrived at Guanju Courtyard.
At this time, Guanju Courtyard was in ruins, with broken walls and rubble, and had not yet been rebuilt, nor were there any lamps.
As they entered, it was as if they had vanished into darkness.
In just a short while, there was no sound at all.
Ye Qingxue walked out of the study and asked Tan Shan to move his things to the small dark room. "Just say that you live in this small dark room. It's close to me and convenient for protecting me."
The crowd agreed.
Ye Qingxue took a deep breath: "Now go and inform everyone in the Marquis's residence to go to the front courtyard to welcome Lord Shen and await his instructions."
The servants immediately scattered to inform everyone in the various courtyards of the Marquis's residence.
Upon arriving at the front courtyard, Shen Jiefeng had already brought over thirty people from the Palace Guard.
Standing at the forefront, Shen Jiefeng was still dressed in all black, with black boots on his feet. He was slender and tall, but his every move exuded power.
Ye Qingxue stepped forward to greet him, smiling, "Just as Lord Shen said, we meet again so soon."
Shen Jiefeng said, "Because we couldn't let the news leak out, I didn't inform you that I was coming."
His gaze swept past Ye Qingxue, surveying the surroundings before he coldly ordered, "Everyone, listen up! Before the search of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence is completed, no one is allowed to enter or leave the residence. Otherwise, they will be killed without mercy!"
The guards responded in unison, and the ground trembled slightly.
Shen Jiefeng lowered his head, his gentle breath almost brushing against Ye Qingxue's face: "Miss is my fiancée, you should be able to understand me, right? I'm just doing my job."
He raised his hand slightly, and the guards behind him rushed into the Marquis's residence, searching in all directions.
The footsteps were rapid and hurried, as dusk settled in, making it seem as if the house had been invaded by enemy forces.
For a fleeting moment, when Ye Qingxue met Shen Jiefeng's slightly smiling eyes, she felt that this person possessed conclusive evidence that Yun Zhuo was hiding in her Zhongyong Marquis's residence.
Ye Qingxue smiled and said, "Lord Shen has a mission to complete, how could Qingxue not understand? However, Lord Shen can search, but he cannot damage a single tree or blade of grass in my Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion."
The three families were all taken aback.
When did Ye Qingxue become the fiancée of Shen Jiefeng, the deputy commander of the Palace Guard?
Don't underestimate the deputy commander just because he's only a fourth-rank official. He can walk in front of the emperor and is highly valued by him. Moreover, Shen Jiefeng is the nephew of the empress, which makes his status very important.
Ji Mingwei pinched her palm, genuinely admiring Ye Qingxue. Having lost the good marriage to Prince Ding, the Pan family, the Minister of Rites, came to propose marriage.
If the Pan family didn't work out, she went to the palace and became the fiancée of the Empress's nephew.
She had been searching for a husband in the Marquis's mansion for several years, and was even a few months older than Ye Qingxue, yet she still hadn't found a satisfactory marriage.
How can this not be infuriating?
However, her aunt didn't think that much about it.
Seeing that no one else was home, Madam Wan stepped forward and said, "Lord Shen, how could our Marquis's residence harbor a deposed crown prince? Is there some misunderstanding?"
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