"When did he go missing? And where?"
Emperor Jingxuan questioned the summoned attendant, his tone still composed.
The young eunuch being interrogated paled, trembling with unease. "Y-Your Majesty, it was an hour ago... in the Imperial Garden."
Upon hearing this, Yun Wan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. An hour had passed since the disappearance, yet they were only reporting it now.
Emperor Jingxuan's expression darkened, his authority radiating without a word.
The oppressive weight of imperial majesty bore down, and the eunuch prostrated on the ground trembled like a leaf, nearly fainting from fear.
Noticing this, Yun Wan intervened, "Explain the details from beginning to end."
The eunuch swallowed hard before speaking. "An hour ago, we were playing hide-and-seek with the Third Prince in the Imperial Garden. At first, everything was fine, but when it was His Highness's turn to hide... we searched the entire garden and couldn’t find him..."
Initially, they thought the Third Prince had simply found an exceptionally clever hiding spot. They believed a thorough search would reveal him, but gradually, they realized something was wrong.
The Third Prince wasn’t hiding—he was gone!
Emperor Jingxuan: "You searched the entire Imperial Garden?"
The eunuch nodded frantically. "Everywhere. Consort Shu ordered us not to raise alarm and to search discreetly first. We checked the Imperial Garden, Taiye Lake, Changchun Palace, and all the places His Highness frequents... but there was no trace of him."
They had combed every corner, especially wary of the palace’s many lakes, fearing the Third Prince might have fallen in and drowned.
Once the situation was clear, Emperor Jingxuan issued a stern command: "Jiang Fusheng, summon Wei Tong. Have him seal the palace gates and lead a thorough search for the Third Prince. No suspicious person is to be overlooked."
Jiang Fusheng bowed and hurried off.
Shortly after, Consort Shu arrived in a fluster. "Your Majesty!"
The moment she entered the hall, she collapsed before the emperor in tears. "Your Majesty, Hui'er is gone! He vanished without a trace! You must find him, or this concubine... this concubine cannot go on living..."
When she first received the news, Consort Shu had remained composed, instructing the servants to search quietly without disturbing the emperor. But now, the situation had spiraled beyond control.
Realizing she could no longer conceal the matter, she had hastily changed into plain attire before rushing to the emperor—though she’d forgotten to remove her hairpins, creating a jarring contrast.
Emperor Jingxuan’s temple throbbed. He shot her a cold glare and rebuked sharply, "Silence!"
"Such hysterics are beneath you. The Imperial Guards are already searching. Chenghui will be fine."
A consort of her rank threatening to take her own life—what kind of spectacle was this?
If harm had come to the child, there would have been signs by now. The absence of any disturbance suggested he was still safe.
Emperor Jingxuan refused to believe anyone could abduct a prince and slip out of the palace undetected. It would be nothing short of a slap to his face.
His eyes darkened like storm clouds gathering.
Consort Shu, however, was oblivious to his mood—especially in her panicked state.
Tearfully, she pressed, "Your Majesty, this concubine suspects someone is targeting Hui'er! There must be a mastermind behind this, daring to harm a prince! Once caught, they must be punished severely!"
Her words left the room in stunned silence.
Yun Wan blinked, recognizing the insinuation in Consort Shu’s words.
Just who was this "mastermind" she implied? The Noble Consort? Or someone else?
Come to think of it, the two women seemed locked in an endless feud, seizing every chance to undermine each other.
Before Emperor Jingxuan could respond, Yun Wan interjected gently, "Your Majesty, Consort Shu, please be at ease. The palace is tightly guarded, and the Third Prince is blessed with fortune. Perhaps he simply hid somewhere and fell asleep. He will be found unharmed."
The emperor’s expression softened slightly.
Others exchanged glances, silently marveling.
See how well-spoken Consort Yun is? A few words eased His Majesty’s anger. Meanwhile, Consort Shu was already crying conspiracy before the child was even found—only adding to the chaos.
Consort Shu clenched her teeth, shooting Yun Wan a venomous glare.
Of course she could remain calm—it wasn’t her child missing!
Before Yun Wan could notice, Emperor Jingxuan fixed Consort Shu with a warning look.
"Has Chenghui shown any unusual behavior lately? Did you notice anything?" he asked, forcing patience.
Consort Shu stiffened, then faltered. "This concubine has been occupied with copying texts... and didn’t notice anything amiss with Hui'er. You know the child, Your Majesty—though he enjoys treats and games at times, he’s otherwise obedient. He’d never dare do anything improper!"
Emperor Jingxuan scoffed. "So you’re saying you’ve no idea how he’s been lately? Too busy copying texts to mind your own child? Are you resentful toward me, or simply incompetent?"
Consort Shu paled as if struck by lightning. "Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding! This concubine would never harbor such treasonous thoughts!"
The emperor’s gaze pierced like a blade. "Then it’s the latter. It seems your recent illness has left you too feeble to care for a child."
In short, she’d been neglectful.
Realizing the implication, Consort Shu froze, speechless.
Emperor Jingxuan’s tone turned icy. "Rise. Once Chenghui is found, you will answer for this."
Consort Shu’s face drained of color entirely. She could only pray the Imperial Guards found the child soon—or she, as his mother, would bear the consequences of her negligence.
An hour passed with no word from the guards.
Another quarter-hour later, Jiang Fusheng’s apprentice, Xiaoyingzi, rushed in breathlessly.
Consort Shu seized him. "Have you found Hui'er?"
Xiaoyingzi shook his head. "Your Majesty, the Third Prince remains missing, but... but..."
He hesitated, and Yun Wan felt a sudden foreboding.
Emperor Jingxuan pressed, "But what?"
Xiaoyingzi glanced at Yun Wan before whispering, "Young Master Lu and Young Prince Pei... they’ve also disappeared."
Yun Wan’s breath caught. Her mind went blank.
When Wei Tong received the news, he nearly collapsed.
Three precious children vanishing in a single day—this was a death sentence for him!
Who would dare? To abduct three high-profile children in broad daylight, right under the palace’s nose!
Some even began whispering conspiracy theories—perhaps it was the Crown Prince’s faction. With his brothers gone, the Lu family’s prodigy removed, and the heir of the Duke of Cheng’en missing, the Crown Prince’s position would be unchallenged.
The more they thought, the more plausible it seemed.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince—who had resolved to study diligently after being scolded by his father that morning—sneezed violently in his study.
"Don’t panic. There must be more to this. The children will be fine," Emperor Jingxuan reassured Yun Wan, pulling her into a steadying embrace.
After a moment of turmoil, Yun Wan forced herself to regain composure.
She suppressed her racing thoughts and the moisture in her eyes, analyzing calmly. "I understand. Sui has always been obedient, and though Young Prince Pei is lively, he knows his limits. They should have been at the Hongwen Institute today—they wouldn’t wander elsewhere. So they must have gone missing there."
"Your Majesty, have the guards search the Hongwen Institute thoroughly. Perhaps they’re simply hidden somewhere unnoticed."
Emperor Jingxuan gave her an approving look before issuing the order.
After waiting for several more hours, Princess Yongshou, upon hearing that her son had gone missing, rushed over in a panic from the Duke of Chengen's residence.
Upon entering the palace, she discovered that not only was her own little troublemaker missing, but the Third Prince and the Lu family's prodigy were also nowhere to be found. Instantly, she felt somewhat relieved.
Perhaps this was the kind of comfort that came from comparison?
With a prince and a young genius involved, her own child seemed far less significant. Even if someone had taken them, her son would likely have been just an afterthought.
......
While the entire palace was thrown into chaos, in an unnoticed hidden corner, three small voices sighed in unison.
"Ah!"
