"Open the door! Open the door!"
Thumping sounds of knocking rang out.
Ye Xiaoyuan came out from the small kitchen and went to open the door.
"Your Highnesses, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince?" he said in surprise. "What brings the three of you here?"
The Sixth Prince: "We're looking for Seventh Brother!"
The Fourth Prince nodded: "Mhm!"
The Fifth Prince remained silent. The Sixth Prince kicked him, and only then did he say, "Yes, looking for Seventh Brother."
Ye Xiaoyuan gave a bitter smile. "My master is ill. Your Highnesses, perhaps it's best not to enter, lest you catch his sickness."
"Ill?"
The three of them looked at each other, just learning this news and feeling somewhat bewildered.
The Fourth Prince: "Then is Seventh Brother still leaving?"
Ye Xiaoyuan's eyes dimmed slightly.
Who knew how His Majesty would handle this matter? The imperial decree had already been issued; it was hard to say if he would have to depart even while ill.
"Ah, let's go see first," said the Sixth Prince, taking advantage of his small stature to push past them and slip inside directly.
Ye Xiaoyuan hurriedly followed.
"Your Highness the Sixth Prince! Your Highness!"
He was afraid that opening the chamber door would let the cold wind from outside blow onto Qu Dubian, and he also worried that Consort Lan would cause trouble afterward.
But upon reaching the door to the bedchamber, he found it was already open, the air thick with the pungent scent of medicine. Ye Xiaoyuan rushed in within a few steps to see Wen Xiaochun standing frozen before the bed, holding a slip of paper.
At his feet lay a shattered medicine bowl.
Dark brown medicinal liquid had spilled all over the floor.
The Sixth Prince threw himself beside the bed. "Huh??? Seventh Brother isn't here."
Wen Xiaochun's eyes shifted over, his gaze landing vaguely on a spot.
A sense of foreboding rose in Ye Xiaoyuan's heart. He snatched the slip of paper from Wen Xiaochun's hand. The words on it immediately struck him like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, his mind going blank, completely stunned on the spot.
The Sixth Prince tugged at his clothes. "Speak! Where's Seventh Brother?"
He grew angry. "Did you hide him?!"
Slightly chaotic sounds came from outside.
Six imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital had arrived.
Imperial Physician Qiu led the way at the front, lowering his voice. "Honored physicians, this way, please. His Highness is inside."
"I've already explained the situation on the way here. It's quite critical, we can only try to control it from worsening..." At the door, he added a reproachful remark, "Huh? Why is the bedchamber door wide open like this? The cold wind will blow right in."
After entering, the physicians fell into silence at the sight of the completely empty bed.
Yi Shier, sent by the emperor for a second time, lifted a roof tile and peered inside for a while.
He: "?"
Where is the person?
Ye Xiaoyuan took a deep breath.
"His Highness... has gone off somewhere by himself... His Highness is missing!!"
The slip of paper was passed around. Not only were they panicked, but the imperial physicians also began to panic.
The slip of paper ended with a drawn smiley face, which to them looked like the grin of the King of Hell.
Venturing out with a high fever in such cold weather was practically seeking death. They hadn't even started treatment yet. What if the angered Emperor implicated them? Would they have to hear 'If you can't cure him, I'll have the entire Imperial Hospital buried with him!' again, just like over two years ago? Consort Yun and her son really were here to torment them.
Even if they didn't die, it was terrifying!
Imperial Physician Qiu, his beard trembling, took command.
"Search! Everyone search!"
The news that the Seventh Prince had left a 'last note' and vanished without a trace from his sickbed, wishing to see his father one last time, instantly spread in all directions.
When the news reached Emperor Chongzhao, the note Qu Dubian left naturally also came into his hands.
The moment Eunuch Yu saw the note, his heart twisted painfully. He remembered last time at the main kitchens, the Seventh Prince had given him a soft, warm, big hug. That appearance would melt anyone's heart into a puddle.
The words on the note were few, but they first mentioned Consort Yun, saying he would soon return to his mother's embrace, then said before returning to his mother's side, he wished to see the father he had never met.
Even a eunuch like him, steeped in the palace's ways, seeing through its warmth and coldness, and without descendants, felt his heart pierced, let alone His Majesty.
Prophecies may seal fate, but what fault lies with an innocent child?
Unsurprisingly, Eunuch Yu saw His Majesty glance at the note only once before suddenly clenching it tightly.
Emperor Chongzhao had never experienced anything like this. The moment he saw those lines, his mind went blank for an instant. His voice seemed forced out from his throat, his tone barely maintaining steadiness.
"Dispatch the Imperial Guards, all patrol squads from the palace pathways, eunuchs, palace maids, send them all out."
"Even if you have to turn the entire palace upside down, find him for me!"
Eunuch Yu accepted the order and went to carry it out.
What he didn't know was that Emperor Chongzhao was far more unsettled than he imagined. Fragments from last night's dream kept flashing through his mind—images of his young son losing vitality bit by bit in his arms, and Consort Yun's mournful cries amidst the flames.
"The Astrology Department has harmed me, they will surely face retribution—"
"Your Majesty, save Dubian, save our child—"
Emperor Chongzhao's hand clenched the note tighter and tighter.
That seed of suspicion, long neglected, finally took deep root in his heart.
-
The entire palace was set into motion.
Shouts echoed without end, and the news naturally reached Phoenix Roost Palace as well.
The various consorts' 'tea gathering' had just concluded.
Right at the palace gate, the messenger Eunuch Bao came to report the matter, instructing the consorts of the rear palace to also order their people to search for the Seventh Prince.
Noble Consort Rong adjusted her hairpin. In front of the emperor's Eunuch Bao, she didn't dare say much, only remarking, "He's quite a handful too. Let's just help search." She leaned slightly towards Consort Lan and whispered, "Not as well-behaved and sensible as the Sixth Prince."
Eunuch Bao said, "There's another matter. Consort Lan, Consort Yi, and Noble Consort Rong, the three of you need not participate in this search."
Noble Consort Rong was puzzled. "Why?"
Eunuch Bao explained, "Their Highnesses the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Princes have taken the initiative to mobilize all the remaining, still-available servants from your three palaces. They've been dispatched to follow the guards in the search."
Noble Consort Rong: "..."
Consort Lan: "..."
Eunuch Bao added, "It was His Highness the Sixth Prince who started it. Truly fraternal love. Consort Lan, you may stay at the Empress's palace a while longer. Even the cooks are gone from Elegant Fragrance Palace. If you find the food from the main kitchens unpalatable at noon, you might go hungry."
Consort Lan: "………"
Consort Yi suddenly sighed.
Consort Lan had no desire for her son to exert effort for the son of a dead romantic rival. What search? Couldn't they just pretend? If he really died somewhere, it would just remove an irritating stone.
She forced a smile. "They're just children. They'd only cause more trouble if they went. Eunuch Bao, perhaps you could call them back. Consort Yi must think so too, isn't that right?"
Consort Yi shook her head. "This consort was only wondering if Little Four brought his pillow when he went out. I'm worried he'll fall asleep on the road and get stepped on."
Consort Lan: "..."
Eunuch Bao: "..."
-
The sun sank lower. Seeing that the sky was about to darken, the person still had not been found.
The palace is the best place to hide secrets, and also the worst place to keep them. The imperial clan and the rear palace are connected in many ways, and soon, many court officials learned of this matter.
Although they are outer court officials, royal affairs are closely tied to them as well.
If nothing else, consider reporting a matter during court. The Emperor's mood, good or bad, could lead to two entirely different outcomes.
As soon as Grand Tutor Fang learned the news, he inwardly thought, "This is bad."
He didn't even eat dinner, left his wife behind, and headed straight for the main gate.
Madam Fang shouted, "It's already dark! Where are you going?"
Grand Tutor Fang replied, "To the Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate!"
If they had heard the news, there was no way the Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate hadn't. Although the Marquis himself was currently at the northern frontier, the Marquess Dowager was right there in the estate.
That old lady was no ordinary figure.
Old Madam Fang understood immediately upon hearing those four words. Enraged, she promptly took off her shoe and threw it at him.
"You old fool, just you wait! The Marquess Dowager is, after all, a woman. It's improper for you to visit so late at night. Wait for me, I'm coming with you!"
The entire estate lit up—some prepared the carriage, others opened the gates.
Grand Tutor Fang and Old Madam Fang boarded the carriage and hurried towards the Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate.
The Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate appeared desolate and quiet.
It wasn't that the Marquis had lost the Emperor's favor, but that the estate lacked an heir. Their only daughter, Xu Yueqing, had become Consort Yun and died the night she gave birth.
The Sword-Bearing Marquis garrisoned the northern frontier and seldom returned. The Marquess Dowager lived in seclusion, never attending banquets, only visiting various Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries. No one knew what she truly believed in.
Besides the Marquis, the Xu family had two collateral branches, but there had been discord between them, especially after the incident with Consort Yun, and they no longer kept in regular contact.
The couple had also not adopted a child from the collateral branches to carry on the family line. Thus, despite their current prominence, it was like a castle in the air, destined to end with their generation.
At this moment.
The main gate of the Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate swung open with a bang.
A woman with her hair pinned up walked out. Her face was not overly aged, yet most of her hair had turned frost-white, and her back was somewhat hunched.
This was the Marquess Dowager of the Sword-Bearing Marquis Estate.
Her given name was Wu Siwan, a gentle-sounding name, yet tempered by the harsh winds of the northern frontier until resilience seeped into her very bones.
The estate's servants were different from those of other mansions; one could faintly discern they had undergone training. Their ages varied, some very old, some quite young.
But without exception, each bore some physical impairment, more or less.
These were soldiers who had retired from the battlefield with nowhere to go. The Marquis's estate had taken them in, keeping them in the capital to guard the Dowager and watch over the home for the Marquis.
"Madam, Madam," her personal maid caught up, worried. "Are you really going alone? Wouldn't it be better to take Brother Dai and Sister Ren with you?"
The Marquess Dowager said, "No. I go alone."
She took the reins of a horse from a servant, tightened her grip, and patted the horse's neck.
"Madam, perhaps you should take the carriage. The physician said your health can't withstand the jolting ride."
The Marquess Dowager replied, "A horse is faster. I will be faster. And if I am faster, Qing'er's child, my grandson, will suffer less."
With that, she directly swung herself onto the saddle. But just as she prepared to flick the whip, she heard the urgent sound of carriage wheels approaching from behind, accompanied by a loud cry: "Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!"
The Fang family carriage halted. Grand Tutor Fang practically tumbled out. He rushed to the Marquess Dowager's side, frantic and sweating, forgoing formal greetings with only a hurried clasp of his hands.
"Sister-in-law, don't be hasty! Get down, and let's discuss this calmly!"
Old Madam Fang also descended from the carriage and joined in urging, "That's right, sister. Come down first, let's talk properly." She was older than the Marquess Dowager, so calling her 'sister' was appropriate. They each used their own form of address; it didn't matter.
Grand Tutor Fang said, "His Majesty still shows some concern for the young prince. Now is simply not the time to enter the palace. The inner court is in chaos, His Majesty is surely vexed. You..."
The Marquess Dowager stated, "When Yueqing was dying in childbirth before, the old man and I could only fret helplessly, unable to enter the palace. My only daughter lost her life just like that. I swore to myself then that if it happened again, even if I had to force my way in, I would get into the palace."
"The child she struggled so hard to leave behind has been branded a 'cursed fetus.' How could the child my daughter gave her life for be a cursed fetus?! Having endured three years of torment for nothing, and now he's to be sent to a detached palace? Under heaven, no mother would stand by and watch her child be treated so cruelly. Could Yueqing rest in peace seeing this?!"
"A child can go missing even while running a fever—how can that be called 'some concern'? Even stripping him of his princely status to live as a commoner would be better than suffering in the palace!"
A glimmer of tears briefly shone in her eyes before vanishing, her face turning cold and hard once more.
"The Marquis's estate may not be what it once was, but it can certainly afford to feed one small child. Since he is to be sent away regardless, if the Emperor won't raise him, then my household will!"
The Marquess Dowager flicked her horsewhip and galloped straight for the palace gates.
