Acuerdo de Mu Yucheng

Capítulo 23

"Hmm." Zhao Defang responded faintly, standing with his hands behind his back, not looking at them, and remained silent for a long time. It was unlikely that Wanlan would have been kidnapped while she was conscious; leaving Funing Palace would be extremely troublesome, let alone leaving the palace gates. However, according to those in the know, Wanlan did indeed walk out of Qinlan Palace on her own and automatically boarded that silver-gray carriage. But if she really did leave on her own, it would be impossible for her not to give them any news. She was not the kind of woman who would make others worry about her.

The other four people in the room looked at each other, all puzzled.

“Your wife…” Zhao Defang paused, turned around and looked at the four people in front of him, “Your wife has disappeared in the palace.”

"What?!" The four were shocked and stared at their master in disbelief.

Zhao Defang closed his eyes, regretting his carelessness for the first time in his life. "When I left the capital half a month ago, Madam also left the palace. She has probably already left the capital. The Empress secretly sent people to search for her, but to no avail. I called you here so that you would also go out of the mansion to search, but this matter should not be publicized. I still do not know who took her away, or whether it is beneficial or harmful to her. I cannot let anyone hurt her."

"Your Highness, rest assured! We will do our utmost to bring Madam back!" Lan Wen clasped his hands and solemnly swore an oath. This man was the lively and silly sweeping servant who led Wanlan into Canghan Pavilion for the first time. Who would have thought that he would be the most outstanding guard in the Prince of Qin's mansion?

Lan Wu, who was standing to the side, was a twin brother of Lan Wen, but he was much more reserved and silent than his older brother Lan Wen. At this moment, he frowned and looked at his master, saying in a deep voice, "We cannot search blindly for the lady. It will not only waste time, but it will also be detrimental to the lady's situation."

The most surprising thing was Xuan'er. After a moment of panic, her pretty face gradually calmed down, and she asked in a low voice, "Does Your Highness have any clues?"

Zhao Defang nodded, turned around and went to the desk, picked up a brush and ink, and began to write rapidly on the paper spread out on the table. As he wrote, he said, "There are three clues: First, the lady left the palace on her own with two maids, Xia He and Qiu Ju; second, the carriage that took the lady away was silver-gray, and it made a brief stop at the 'Qiaofeng Post Station' before being abandoned in the suburbs; third, the driver was a young eunuch who had my token."

He paused writing as he finished, his gaze sweeping over the ink-stained letter. He put down his pen, looked up at the four people before him, and continued, "So I suspect that the other party may have used my information to lure Madam out of the palace. If Madam is unaware that she has been deceived, that's fine, but I'm afraid—" He shook his head, not finishing his sentence. He hoped Wanlan would be slow to realize it. Since the other party had used him to lure her out, Wanlan's safety was assured unless she revealed her identity. But if Wanlan knew she had been deceived and refused to go with them… he wasn't sure what the other party might do to her…

Who exactly kidnapped Wanlan? Why didn't he notice any clues at first?

The other four people in the study remained silent for a while after he finished speaking before Lan Wu finally asked, "So, what are Your Highness's plans?"

Zhao Defang carefully folded the half-dry ink on the letter on the table, put it in an envelope, wrote a few words on the envelope, and handed it to Steward Pei, saying, "Quickly send someone to deliver this letter to the Empress. The news of the Lady's disappearance has not yet spread. I have to go to Guizhou as usual in a few days. Before that, Lan Wu, go to the 'Qiaofeng Post Station' and find out who owns that carriage and where the people in it are going. Lan Wen and Xuan'er will come with me to Weizhou and the county. Steward Pei, stay in the mansion and investigate secretly. If there are any clues, immediately send someone to inform me. Do you understand?"

All four men straightened their expressions and replied, "Understood!"

"Alright, then let's all go our separate ways. This matter is known only to the five of us. No one else is to be informed of it, or I will hold you all responsible!"

"yes!"

Chapter 24, Turning Around, the Building Was Empty and the Person Was Gone (3)

Ji County is located to the north of Kaifeng. It takes about three days by car, but a day and night by fast horse.

Zhao Defang, who had just returned to the capital from Luoyang, took Lan Wen and Xuan'er and rode at full speed to Ji County that very night. They did not arrive at the Wei Mansion in Ji County until the afternoon of the next day.

Princess Yongqing married Wei Xianxin, the son of Wei Renpu, the former prime minister of the Song Dynasty. After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Prime Minister Wei could no longer manage affairs and gradually withdrew from the position, eventually returning to his hometown in Ji County. Wei Xianxin was the third son in his family. He was quite frugal and had none of the vices of a spoiled young master, which earned him the praise of Emperor Taizu of Song, who disliked extravagance.

When Zhao Defang arrived at the Wei residence, Princess Yongqing had just finished lunch. Upon hearing that her younger brother had rushed to find her overnight, she was surprised and hurriedly went out of the hall to greet him.

Apart from the servants, there were only Zhao Defang and his two servants in the hall. Zhao Defang did not sit down, but stood with his hands behind his back and his back to the door. Yongqing was stunned by the solemn atmosphere in the hall as soon as he entered.

"Defang, what happened?"

Hearing the voice, Zhao Defang turned around, his handsome face showing some fatigue. He forced a smile and said, "Royal sister, I'm sorry to bother you. I came to ask you some questions."

“You look very tired,” Yongqing said, strode over and pressed him down into a chair. “I heard from the servants that you rushed here to find me overnight. What happened that made you so anxious?”

"Your Majesty, Wanlan has disappeared," Zhao Defang said bluntly.

"What?" Yongqing was taken aback, puzzled. "What do you mean by 'disappeared'?"

"My mother told me that on the day I left the capital, Wanlan also left the palace in a carriage and hasn't returned since. I'm afraid something must have happened to her. Did you go to see Wanlan that morning and find anything unusual?"

“Abnormal?” Yongqing paused, then suddenly chuckled. “Wanlan, who has lost her memory, is already not normal compared to before, so what’s abnormal about her now? But I remember clearly what she said that day. That girl is very satisfied with her current life. I think this should be a great joy for you. So why would she go with someone else?”

"That's why I'm even more worried; she definitely didn't go with someone willingly."

Zhao Defang frowned, his expression growing increasingly grave. Knowing that Wanlan was missing, he would often recall the look on her face when she frantically pushed open the door to his study that time—a look of utter despair and helplessness, almost a hint of hopelessness hidden within. Just because she sensed that he was lurking in the shadows and hadn't shown himself, she was terrified. So, this time, would she be startled? Would she be afraid?

"The reason I went to see her that day was simply because I was suspicious of whether her amnesia was real or not. But her attitude surprised me, and then I noticed some marks on her neck, so I left feeling relieved." Yongqing finished speaking and gave a rather ambiguous chuckle.

Zhao Defang didn't react immediately. "A mark on her neck? What mark is there on Wanlan's neck?"

Yongqing covered her mouth and chuckled, glancing at him sideways. "There was no mark originally, but some guy who doesn't know how to cherish women injured you."

Zhao Defang was taken aback, then instantly understood. His handsome face flushed slightly, and he awkwardly turned his eyes away. "Ahem! Your Highness, did you really not notice anything unusual or see anything that day?"

"Let me think..." Yongqing, his brows furrowed, rubbed his forehead and thought earnestly, "I remember that after leaving Qinlan Palace, I went straight back to Baoci Palace. I originally planned to stay in the palace for a few more days, but my husband was in a hurry to return, so he sent someone to the palace to tell me. Therefore, I returned to Ji County that afternoon. I didn't see Lan'er leaving the palace in anyone's carriage... However..."

"But what?"

Suddenly remembering something, Yongqing looked up at him sharply, "That servant might know. I remember when he came to the palace to see me, I had just come out of Qinlan Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Defang immediately stood up. "Royal sister, quickly bring that servant here and question him!"

Without needing to be reminded, Yongqing had already called out to the servants waiting nearby, "Go and call Xiaochunzi over!"

Before long, a thin boy was brought to the hall. Before he could figure out why he had been summoned, Zhao Defang stepped forward and pulled him aside, asking, "When you went to the palace to see your elder sister a month ago, did you see a silver-gray carriage in front of Qinlan Palace?"

Xiaochunzi was stunned for a moment, "Your Highness?"

"Defang, calm down." Yongqing walked over and pulled his hand down. "Let me do it." Pushing Zhao Defang aside, Yongqing looked at Xiaochunzi, who was obviously quite frightened, and said slowly, "Xiaochunzi, don't be afraid. Think back carefully. When you came to the palace to find me a month ago, did you see a silver-gray carriage? The driver was a little eunuch."

"Silver-gray?" Xiao Chunzi murmured, repeating his master's words. He tilted his head and thought for a while before suddenly opening his eyes. "I've seen it! But not in front of Qinlan Palace. That carriage entered the palace gate later than me, but it overtook me just before reaching Anfu Palace!"

Zhao Defang exchanged a surprised glance with Yongqing and asked eagerly, "Did you get a good look at the driver? Do you recognize him?"

“Of course I know him!” Xiao Chunzi nodded very seriously. “He is Xiao Luzi, who entered the palace with me. I was assigned to serve the princess, while Xiao Luzi followed Prince Yan. I grew up with him, and I haven’t seen him since I left the palace with the princess.”

Big Brother?! Zhao Defang's eyelids contracted rapidly in shock, and his face turned deathly pale.

It was his older brother... He should have realized it sooner...

The elder brother's feelings for Wanlan are probably even deeper than his own, and... Wanlan should have originally belonged to the elder brother...

"Looks like I misjudged her!" Yongqing's face turned cold, and with a flick of his sleeve, he sent Xiaochunzi away. He looked at him with his clear eyes. "So what if she really has amnesia? She still chose to follow that man, after all, the man she loved deeply for so many years. What can you do as her husband? You can't compare to him no matter what!"