When Cui Yu came out of Tan Xiang Ying Yue, her mind was still in a mess and she couldn't help thinking about what You Yuzhi said to her.
You Yuji told her that it was not difficult to send her out of the palace. As a concubine, even if Chen Anzhi was not in the palace now, she could find a reason to drive her out of the palace. But You Yuji wanted Cuiyu to think clearly about her plans after leaving the palace. You Yuji gently asked her if she could cope with the difficulties she might encounter in the future.
Cuiyu was absent-minded in the hall all morning. She often couldn't hear Hongzan when she talked to her.
Life after leaving the palace made her both excited and scared.
You Yuji didn't let her reply immediately, and asked her to go back and think about it. After all, this was not a trivial matter. You Yuji could easily send Cuiyu away from the palace, but there were too many weak women in this world who would have a hard time living without a man to rely on.
It was almost noon. Cui Yu was leaving Tan Xiang Ying Yue and was on her way back to her residence. Looking at the green buds poking out of the snow on the roadside, she suddenly made up her mind.
It is impossible to become rich by being a concubine.
Although the future is unknown, she is really fed up with being a concubine in a backyard, waiting to be favored, waiting for the new mistress to be kind-hearted.
Cuiyu turned around and looked in the direction of Tanxiang Yingyue, and her heart couldn't help but warm up. She didn't expect that the lady really took her matter to heart, and was still thinking about her before leaving and planning for her future.
Cuiyu was once again grateful to her biological parents, who were unknown whether dead or alive, for their kindness, which allowed her to have the good fortune to meet such a kind and generous mistress.
Then, Cuiyu frowned again, and showed hesitation. The mistress said this to her, but she was not honest and was hiding something from her.
You Yuji also asked Chun Xing if she was willing to leave the Jinnan Palace. Chun Xing was different from Cui Yu. It was a little troublesome to send Chun Xing out of the palace, but it was not impossible.
But Chun Xing refused.
Chun Xing sat by the window, looking at the red lanterns swaying in the wind. She said, "There is his shadow here."
In this world, only here can his shadow be seen.
You Yuji looked up at Chun Xing in surprise. Chun Xing's lips were slightly raised with a faint smile, but You Yuji still felt the unspeakable sadness for a moment.
After Chun Xing left, You Yuzhi sat alone for a while, then got up and went back to the house.
She walked around the screen, placed her hands on the side of the screen, and looked at Si Que on the bed. It was almost noon, and Si Que said he was tired and came back to catch up on his sleep, not even wanting to have lunch.
You Yuzhi didn't go any further, fearing that she would wake Si Que up.
She looked at Si Que from afar and gradually frowned.
Si Que seems to get tired easily lately and sleeps more than usual.
You Yuji couldn't help but think of Si Que's body and the rumors that he wouldn't live past his twenties, even though she had tried to restrain herself from thinking about it as much as possible.
Chun Xing's sad eyes with a smile suddenly appeared in front of You Yuji, and she clenched her hands on the screen suddenly.
The greatest pain in this world is probably separation between life and death.
You Yuji walked towards the bed with light footsteps, climbed onto it carefully, and leaned against Si Que's side. He suddenly appeared in her life like a brilliant light, and she was reluctant to let this brilliant light disappear so quickly.
Si Que opened his eyes, looked over, and asked, "Why are you here at this time?"
You Yuji closed her eyes, rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, and said softly, "I don't want to eat either. I want to sleep for a while."
Si Que felt around his side and found You Yuji's hand, then held her hand in his palm.
The sun was shining brightly, but the two of them were sleeping in each other's arms on the warm bed.
The kitchen had prepared lunch, and Zhenxu went into the room to ask if they should set up the meal. Seeing the two people hugging each other on the bed, he hesitated for a moment, and then left. After a while, Zhenxu quietly entered the room again, saw the two people on the bed still resting, did not dare to disturb them, and quietly left again.
Although Zhenxu's footsteps were light, Si Que heard them.
"I'm hungry," he said.
"Okay, let's eat something before going to sleep." You Yuji then sat up.
The two of them got up and went to the outer room, and Zhenxu hurriedly brought up the lunch with her maid.
Si Que didn't eat much. He wasn't hungry, he just wanted to sleep. But he didn't want You Yuji to sleep with him without eating.
You Yuji saw that Si Que didn't have a good appetite. She said softly, "I'm going to the Zhao family in a while. Will I bring you some delicious food when I come back?"
I don't know if it was Si Que's illusion, but I always felt that You Yuji's tone was a bit like coaxing a child. He raised his eyes to look at her and asked, "What delicious food did you bring?"
"The candied fruits from Baimi Shop, the grilled fish from Zuixianglou, the meat buns from Furong Hutong, and two strings of candied haws from the roadside?" You Yuji's eyes curved, "Oh, by the way, I can't forget to buy you a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts!"
Si Que drank a mouthful of porridge slowly and said, "Two bags."
"Okay." You Yuji smiled gently.
Si Que ate the porridge in his mouth and looked up at You Yuji's charming smile.
In the afternoon, after You Yuji left the palace, Si Que went back to bed to sleep. Before going to bed, he was still thinking about You Yuji's charming eyes when she told him to buy him food.
"Meow." Baisui jumped onto the bed.
Si Que casually picked up the increasingly fat black cat and placed it on his body. He slowly tapped its hard skull and said, "Go to sleep. There will be something delicious when you wake up. I can share half with you."
Si Que slept until it got dark.
Baisui had already woken up, got off him, and sat aside to play with his new quilt. The bright red bellyband was now his new quilt.
Si Que had enough sleep and got up from the bed comfortably.
But he didn't expect You Yuji to not come back at this time. He waited for a while, opened the window and looked out. He looked at the crescent moon in the sky, thinking that the meat bun shop in Furong Hutong had already closed at this time.
Half an hour later, Si Que realized something was wrong.
He walked out quickly. Madam Jing was asking why Madam Baohe hadn't come back yet. Baohe frowned and shook her head, saying that she didn't know. Baohe also said that Madam said before she left that she would be back in the afternoon.
Madam Jing frowned. She had a square face, and frowning like this made her look even more serious. She had watched You Yuji grow up, and she knew You Yuji's thoughtful nature too well. Even if something went wrong and she came back late, she should have sent someone back to let them know.
"Go, send someone to the Zhao Mansion!" Madam Jing ordered.
Not long after, the guards hurried back from Zhao's mansion and reported that You Yuji had left the palace long ago.
"How could he disappear?" Madam Jing was anxious. "He was such a big man, and he was accompanied by Zhuo Wen and several guards! How could he disappear without a trace and there is no news at all!"
Baohe was also frightened and stood up with a pale face.
Madam Jing suppressed her anxiety and immediately called the guards to look for Zhuo Wu outside the mansion and asked Zhuo Wu to find someone.
"Why is Zhuo Wu the only one to go look for it? Won't the servants in the mansion go look for it?" Bao He asked hurriedly.
"No, no..." Madam Jing shook her head, "Find it yourself first..."
Madam Jing was concerned about You Yuji's reputation and didn't want to make a big fuss about the matter for the time being.
Madam Jing and Baohe were so anxious that they didn't notice Si Que walking out quickly.
The guards went to the Zhao Mansion to inquire. Zhao Sheng and Jiang Chun were frightened to learn that You Yuji did not return safely to the Prince of Jinnan's Mansion after leaving, and they immediately went out to look for her.
At about midnight, Nanny Gu, who was beside the princess, came over. The princess wanted to invite You Yuji to come over to talk. The princess naturally knew that You Yuji was not in the palace. In the past, You Yuji would occasionally stay at You's house. The princess sent Nanny Gu to ask You Yuji if she would come back tomorrow.
Madam Jing looked at the sky that had completely darkened outside, and after a few struggles, she went to the princess in person to report You Yuji's disappearance and seek help. Although she had many concerns, nothing was more important than the safety of her enemy.
After hearing what Madam Jing said, the princess stood up suddenly. She pulled the wound on her back and felt a heart-wrenching pain. She couldn't help but gasp.
"Please slow down! Slow down!" Nanny Gu hurried over to support the princess.
The princess immediately asked, "Are there any suspects? Did Yuji have any enemies in the past? Did all the people who went out disappear, not even a single guard came back? Can you find the way back? There can't be no clues at all!"
Seeing the worry in the princess's eyes, Madam Jing breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had done nothing wrong. She hurriedly explained, "There is really no one to suspect. Not a single servant has returned, and both the people and the carriage have disappeared. We have gone back along the route, but there is no clue at all..."
The princess was silent for a while, and immediately sent people to look for her.
"Wait." The princess called to Gu Ma again, "Just tell everyone that the palace has caught a maid who stole something. Everyone keep their mouths shut and don't let anyone know that the Crown Prince's Consort is missing!"
Madam Jing heaved a sigh of relief when she heard what the princess said. She thanked the princess profusely, then hurried back to Tan Xiang Ying Yue, sending people to inquire about the news from Zhuo Wu outside the palace again and again.
It was Chinese New Year, and You Yuji gave many people under him a holiday. Zhuo Wu also spent quite some time gathering people.
On a quiet night, different groups of people looking for You Yuji set out from multiple directions.
Zhao Sheng looked at Jiang Chun beside him, a little worried that she might accidentally fall in the dark, and couldn't help but persuade her: "Go home, I will keep looking for her."
"No!" Jiang Chun refused, "The person disappeared after leaving my place. I won't be able to rest even if I go back!"
Zhao Sheng knew that Jiang Chun's temper was not something he could persuade, so he had to ask Jiang Chun to stay in his sight. Jiang Chun was not completely without sense of propriety, and agreed to Zhao Sheng's request.
As night fell, the busiest street in Chenjing also became quiet. Si Que stood on the roof of a high restaurant, overlooking the surroundings.
The night wind kept blowing the hem of Si Que's skirt.
He didn't even have time to change his clothes and was still wearing a woman's dress and a white gauze hat.
The crescent moon hung high in the sky, behind him.
After a wisp of smoke, black shadows gathered silently from all directions, occasionally stepping on some loose bricks and tiles.
The black figures kneeling on the ground were densely packed, and they secretly looked at the skirts fluttering on the roof, with doubts in their eyes. Another gust of wind blew, blowing the white veil of the cheese veil up and down, revealing the blood-red mask under the white veil.
It was not until Si Que spoke that the familiar voice dispelled the doubts in the hearts of the kneeling black shadows, who were sure that the man on the roof was the owner of their Poison Building. Not long after, when the kneeling black shadows raised their heads again, the figure on the roof had long disappeared. They did not dare to delay any longer, and immediately stood up, just as they came, quietly hiding in the dark night, and disappeared without a trace.
In the corner, Tingyun folded his arms and thought.
The carriage rolled forward, You Yuji leaned weakly against the wall, with her eyes closed as if she was in a coma.
You Yuji listened to the noise outside the car and slowly opened her eyes. The effect of the medicine had not yet worn off. She had no strength at all and felt limp.
You Yuji glanced sideways at the small table in the carriage, on which were placed candied fruits from Baimi Shop, grilled fish from Zuixianglou, meat buns from Furong Hutong, two strings of candied haws, and two bags of sugar-roasted chestnuts.
The candied fruit was fine, but the other items were inedible, especially the bright red candied haws, the sugar coating had already melted, leaving them sticky.
What a pity.
You Yuji sighed, the man beside her was the best at using poison in the world. But she was drugged and kidnapped, which was really embarrassing.
When she returns, she will learn some poison techniques from Si Que.