"But such a large sum of money, especially when it's being poured into the territory of a vassal king, won't yield much benefit in the short term. Moreover, it could easily arouse the suspicion of His Majesty or the other princes. Big merchants are shrewd and calculating, and they won't easily make such a splash."
Upon hearing Song Jiuyuan's words, Luo Cuiwei was unsure whether she should turn back or continue forward.
Hesitating for a moment, he remained where he was.
"At that time, I casually joked with His Highness that this matter was risky with little reward, and if we wanted to tie people to our side, the quickest and most secure way was obviously through marriage..."
Song Jiuyuan's voice gradually lowered, followed by a soft, indistinct sigh.
"I thought His Highness hadn't listened at all, but who knew it would actually come to pass, and it was Luo Cuiwei, whom I thought was the least likely to succeed."
****
When Luo Cuiwei appeared at the end of the tree-lined path carrying a food box, Song Jiuyuan and Xiong Xiaoyi on the roof were both stunned and almost tumbled off.
Feeling guilty, the two men took a long time to calm themselves before awkwardly greeting Luo Cuiwei.
Luo Cuiwei smiled faintly and waved her hand, "You guys go ahead with your work. I just came to deliver some snacks to Old Master Qi and Xiao Babao, and I'll leave after thanking them."
Her expression seemed calm, not much different from usual. Xiong Xiaoyi and Song Jiuyuan exchanged a nervous glance, swallowed nervously, and neither dared to make a sound.
After Luo Cuiwei entered the house to see Old Master Qi, presented the gifts of thanks, and played with five-year-old Xiao Babao for a few moments, she gracefully withdrew.
The two people on the rooftop watched silently as Song Qiuqi, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, approached Luo Cuiwei and walked out with her. Only then did they let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Song Dai, you're quite sharp," Xiong Xiaoyi couldn't help but swallow again, lowering his voice as he leaned over the roof, "Look at her expression, did she hear it or not?"
Song Jiuyuan blinked hard, his gaze trembling as he looked at the tree-lined path, and murmured, "We were shouting so loudly just now... no wonder we heard it."
I don't know how much I've heard.
“Song Dai, I think,” Xiong Xiaoyi looked at Song Jiuyuan with great sympathy, “if this matter isn’t explained clearly, you might really have to go back to your hometown to sell duck eggs.”
Song Jiuyuan slammed his head on the roof, muttering in frustration, "You can't escape either!"
****
At dusk, Yun Lie rode back from Tongshan at full speed, entering the courtyard with great pride, only to find Xiong Xiaoyi and Song Jiuyuan pacing around in circles, looking dejected.
The maid Tao Yin standing to the side also looked anxious.
"Are you guys so free?" Yun Lie frowned as he looked at the three of them.
Tao Yin turned around upon hearing the voice and saw Yun Lie. She quickly curtsied and hurriedly reported, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort... has not returned."
Yun Lie glared at Song Jiuyuan: "Weren't you going to find your sister?"
“Qiu Qi said that after taking the Princess to the mountainside to survey the terrain this morning, he personally escorted her to this intersection,” Song Jiuyuan scratched his head anxiously, feeling extremely guilty, “I don’t know where she went afterward…”
After all, they had been comrades for many years, and Yun Lie knew from his appearance that there must be something else going on.
His expression gradually turned cold, his voice was deep and icy, and his gaze was like a knife: "You two choose one who can speak clearly."
Don't let Yun Lie's usual easygoing and approachable demeanor fool you; among the people from the Linchuan army, none are unafraid of his expression.
Song Jiuyuan cleared his throat and, forcing himself to speak, briefly recounted what had happened that day, his attitude of admitting his mistake quite sincere.
After hearing the whole story, Yun Lie's mind went blank, and he felt a chill run from his feet to his head.
Xiong Xiaoyi quickly added, "We've already sent out everyone in the village who can move to search. I'm just keeping Song here to wait for His Highness to return so he can apologize with a bundle of thorns on his back."
As the murderous aura emanating from Yun Lie grew increasingly intense, Song Jiuyuan felt her legs becoming weaker and weaker.
Yun Lie's eyes seemed to hold frost and snow as he turned to Xiong Xiaoyi with a stern face, "Have the people who were relieved from their posts today been moved?"
"No." Xiong Xiaoyi shook his head emphatically.
What a joke! Without His Highness Prince Zhao's order, who would dare to use military personnel for other purposes?
"Immediately gather everyone who's resting. One team will search from the village exit towards the main road, the rest will search the mountains," Yun Lie's mind was as calm as his voice. "As for Song Jiuyuan..."
Song Jiuyuan felt a chill on his neck. "This subordinate accepts the punishment."
"Xiong Xiaoyi, tie him up and hang him in the well to calm him down!"
Yun Lie, who had been as cold as ice, suddenly exploded and pointed at Song Jiuyuan, cursing him.
"Did a dog eat your brain? You were babbling on and on to yourself, did I even listen to you? I wasn't even paying attention to what you were saying!"
After saying that, he turned around and headed up the mountain.
Along the way, Yun Lie's eyes roamed around, not missing a single corner of the mountains and forests.
"I told you this morning before I left that if anyone talks nonsense, don't believe a word of it. You can always wait for me to come back and confront me, okay?"
He muttered to himself in frustration, then raised his hand and slammed it aside, as if venting his anger.
The sharp point of the twig grazed the edge of his palm, quickly leaving a bloody gash.
He seemed oblivious to the pain, striding forward with sharp eyes that continued to scan his surroundings.
"What a jerk! He overheard a few of people's nonsense and then got upset and ran away... Am I that kind of person?!"
He walked a long way but didn't see anyone. Yun Lie felt as if his heart was being fried in oil. The pain was even worse than when the Northern Di people slashed his chest with a knife.
After searching for about half an hour, Yun Lie heard the bird-like whistle commonly used by the Linchuan army coming from not far away, and immediately ran towards the source of the whistle.
The whistle meant "found".