No one in the yard could give the empress dowager a satisfactory answer. The exhausted Han Yueting slowly calmed down, but she looked a little confused and her eyes were a little dull.
"Don't everyone in this courtyard know where the prince has gone? Lock up everyone on duty today, and seal off the courtyard where the prince lives. Send someone to look for him immediately. If he's not found within an incense stick of time, no one here needs to return to the palace."
Queen Mother Han was just thinking of taking the opportunity to punish the people who had just been standing in the yard, and now she had the excuse.
"Your Highness, Xiao Anzi requests an audience."
"Xiao Anzi, where is your master?" Queen Mother Han was anxious to know where her grandson had gone and how he had slipped away under her close surveillance.
"In reply to the Queen Mother, after the Crown Prince and Prince Min came back from your courtyard, they said they were too full and wanted to take a walk. Unknowingly, they walked into a small courtyard and have been playing chess until now. The Crown Prince asked me to come back and tell the people in the courtyard that the Crown Prince and Prince Min will not be coming back to stay tonight. Hey! Did something happen here?" Xiao Anzi asked with a look of surprise, but deliberately ignored Han Yueting who should not be here.
Queen Mother Han wished she could sew Xiao Anzi's mouth shut herself. They were acting like masters and servants, completely clearing themselves of all charges with just a few words. What should the Han family do now? What about her niece?
"This is a man's room after all. Take this girl back to the backyard!" Queen Mother Han raised her voice and ordered. She also wanted to separate the Han family and Han Yueting from this matter. As for the guards who had just seen Han Yueting's naked appearance, she had a thousand ways to deal with them.
Queen Mother Han returned to her courtyard with Han Yueting, feeling sullen. She knew her grandson had tricked her, and now she was left speechless with bitterness. Looking back at the girl she once cherished, the most outstanding member of the Han family, her eyes shone with sympathy and pity. This child was ruined. Even if today's incident hadn't spread, she wouldn't have been able to marry into a prominent family.
After the imperial physician conducted a detailed examination on Han Yueting, he concluded that she had been drugged by a hallucination-inducing drug, which, combined with the drug in the incense burner in Yun Yichen's room, caused her to become what she is now. It was a blessing that she didn't become stupid.
Without asking, I knew that the drug must have been given by my grandson, and combined with the drug I had put in his room...
"Can she recover?" Queen Mother Han didn't dare to think about it any further and hurriedly asked the question that concerned her most.
"I'm afraid it will take some time to find out. I will do my best." The imperial physician thought to himself that such a hot potato was thrown to him. Even if he cured the disease, he might be killed. If he failed, he would not be able to escape punishment. As the saying goes, serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Working for the empress dowager is not much better!
After sending the imperial physician away, Empress Dowager Han ordered someone to keep an eye on Han Yueting and turned back to think about how to cover up what happened tonight.
All the palace maids who saw the scene in the courtyard should be sent to a summer palace in other places. Once they get there, it would be like being banished to the cold palace, never able to get out in their entire lives, and never able to return to Kyoto in this lifetime.
The guards should give each of them a bowl of mute medicine and then send them far away to a mine where few people go.
"Empress Dowager, what should we do with the guards who are not on duty tonight?" The nanny who served Empress Dowager Han all year round asked carefully while massaging her shoulders.
The master's methods are much gentler than before. If what happened today had happened more than 20 years ago, these people would have gone to see the King of Hell and would have no chance of survival.
Queen Mother Han pondered for a moment, sighed, and said the word "same".
Just for Han Yueting, the fate of countless people will change drastically this night.
Yun Yichen had been sending people to monitor Empress Dowager Han's movements. When he learned of the punishment she had decided, he sighed deeply. He had long anticipated that someone would suffer no matter what happened tonight.
"Tang Qianli, how is the task that this prince asked you to do going?" Yun Yichen threw away the chess piece in his hand and asked while looking at the door. Among all the people involved, the one he cared about most was undoubtedly Xiao Lang. It was a blessing that the others were able to keep their lives. He couldn't save them all, as that would be tantamount to openly opposing the Empress Dowager. Now was not the time to completely turn against her.
"The name of the eldest young master of the Xiao family has been removed from the list of people coming to the Royal Villa this time."
"Where are the other people on the list!" Yun Yichen found several children of officials in the list of guards who came this time. Among them were people valued by his father, people relied on by his uncle, and grandchildren of several important officials in the court. These people must not be allowed to get into trouble.
"The items to be sent to the palace have been prepared long ago. I have already taught them to say that they left the villa last night and have been guarding the tribute. After they set off, we will let the disguised Young Master Xiao sneak into the team and return to the capital together." Tang Qianli had arranged everything according to Yun Yichen's requirements and was just waiting for his master's order to do it.
No one in the royal villa probably slept well that night. The next morning, Yun Yichen told everyone to pack up and get ready to leave as if nothing had happened.
Queen Mother Han forced a wry smile at her grandson's composure. Both her son and grandson were excellent, so excellent that she was already at a disadvantage and could no longer be their match. She wanted to see which family's daughter he favored, considering he disdained the Han girl. If he wanted to marry into the royal family, it would depend on her approval.
The trip lasted more than ten days, and many accidents happened. Many people went out but did not come back.
After Yun Yichen sent Queen Mother Han back to the palace, he rushed back to the palace. He knew that his mother must have been extremely worried these days. Now that he was back safely, he had to let her know and see it first.
"Achen has lost weight." Yin Qianhua looked at her son with fondness in her eyes. It must be tiring to go out with a group of people who need to be on guard at all times! I will ask the kitchen to stew some tonic for my son today. He should take good care of himself before getting married.
"My Lord, the prince invites you to the study."
"Go!" Yin Qianhua glanced resentfully in the direction of her husband's study. She had just spoken a few words to her son. Couldn't she wait a while before calling anyone?
King Jing praised his son's performance and pointed out his shortcomings. Yun Yichen was moved and couldn't help but feel that he was still too weak. Otherwise, his father wouldn't have sent people to secretly monitor him. It seemed that if he wanted to become a strong man, he still had a long way to go.
After finishing their business, the father and son chatted for a while about what they had seen and heard in the capital and the court. Most of the time, it was Prince Jing who asked first, and Yun Yichen would answer. Prince Jing found that his son was a little absent-minded, and in the end he seemed to be hesitant to speak. What's wrong with this kid?
"My son is back. Do you think we should arrange an appointment with Uncle Xiao?" Yun Yichen said hesitantly. He knew without looking up that his father must be laughing at him!
"I just praised you for becoming calm, but now you've exposed your true colors. Your grandmother is still angry. Do you think it's appropriate to meet with the Xiao family?"
"Son, your father understands your feelings, but we have to find our time, don't we? That boy surnamed Liang has been sent back to his hometown to repair the ancestral hall. He probably won't be back in Kyoto for a year or two. The remaining people are not what the old man likes at all, so why are you still worried?"
Yun Yichen knew that now wasn't the right time. Maintaining as much distance as possible from the Xiao family would benefit both parties. At least that way, the little girl would be completely safe, without having to worry about the Empress Dowager and the Han family taking action against her. But he missed her dearly, and as long as he couldn't confirm their status, he couldn't find peace. Those unsettling, apprehensive thoughts would constantly surface, ruining even his interest in reading.
"Won't the Xiao family think we're being inconsiderate?" What would they think if the words were spoken but no action was taken? Yun Yichen really wanted to leave a good impression on his future father-in-law and mother-in-law. If he could get their approval, he would be halfway there.
"Your mother is very active!" She sends you fruits today and clothes tomorrow. With such a mother and son, there is no need to worry about the palace not being emptied!
"My father has already met with your future father-in-law, and he has agreed to have tea together. How about setting the time for after the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"Did he really agree? Was it because he didn't dare to refuse, or was it because he agreed willingly?" Yun Yichen asked excitedly. Although he knew that it was unlikely that the Xiao family would agree willingly, he still couldn't help but ask.
After hearing Yun Yichen's words, King Jing almost threw away the teacup in his hand. It was a good thing that his son was interested in the Xiao family, but it was a bit too much to go so far! As those who knew the Xiao family well knew, it was absolutely impossible to get the old man to "willingly" agree to marry his granddaughter.
My son is having hallucinations, it seems he is seriously ill!
As soon as he said this, Yun Yichen realized that his choice of words was inappropriate. Besides Qin, there was no one else in his family who was willing to marry Xiao Yao. His future father-in-law had already given him a lot of face by agreeing to have tea together. He had only asked this question because he wanted their approval so much. His father was right, he was still not calm enough!
Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away, just hang in there! He thought that after getting the approval of Xiao Yao's parents, he could openly date his sweetheart. He never imagined that this was just the beginning of his longing for her.
"Think carefully about how to impress your future father-in-law! You should know that it is not easy to marry a girl from their family. You should be mentally prepared. Your father can only help you make an appointment with Mr. Xiao. How to impress him is your business." King Jing left a few words, patted his son on the shoulder and left. The person was chosen by his son himself, and how much he could do for the girl depended on how much weight she held in his heart.
These are not things that I and the palace can help with. Everything depends on his own choice.
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