Impératrice douairière Xiaoxuan

Chapitre 174

Seeing her expression, Ning Jin smiled but said nothing.

Zhan Zhao witnessed this scene, and his heart ached with a bitter feeling, as if something was stuck in his throat. He hastily bowed to them and said, "I still have to patrol the camp, so I'll take my leave first." With that, he quickly walked away.

Snowflakes fluttered around his ears, yet he could still hear Mo Yan's voice coming from the hall behind him.

"...Ma's hands were often red and swollen from being splattered with oil, and I had been thinking of getting her a box of Green Jade Ointment."

He sighed inwardly, guessing that Ning Jin's expression at this moment was probably similar to that of Green Jade Ointment.

That day, after getting up and having breakfast, Mo Yan came to Zhao Yu's tent as usual. Strangely, the tent was empty, and Zhao Yu was not waiting for her to go fishing together as usual.

"Where is the princess?" she asked the maid beside her as she came out of the tent.

"The princess got up early this morning and wouldn't let us follow her. I thought... you would accompany the princess." The maid was also a little flustered. "Could it be that she went to find Prince Ning?"

Mo Yan turned and left, quickly checking the camp but finding no trace of Zhao Yu. She hurriedly went back to Ning Jin's tent, but was stopped by Wu Zichu as soon as she arrived.

"Your Highness has not yet risen. Please allow me to relay your message."

"The princess hasn't come?"

Wu Zichu shook his head blankly: "No."

"Oh no, where did the princess go all by herself?" Mo Yan scratched her ear, suddenly becoming anxious. "Please inform His Highness that the princess went out alone early this morning. I must go find her now, lest something happen to her."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zichu dared not delay and immediately lifted the curtain to enter the tent. Mo Yan rushed to the stables but did not see Old Hu, so she hastily grabbed a horse, mounted it, and rode towards the water.

The fog was much thicker than usual that day, and the area around the water was shrouded in mist. They searched several of their usual fishing spots, but could not find any trace of Zhao Yu. Mo Yan began to panic. The ice on the water was still very thin and could not support a person's weight. If Zhao Yu were to fall into the water, it would be icy cold... She did not dare to think any further. She dismounted and walked slowly along the water, looking around and shouting loudly.

Before long, Ning Jin, Wu Zichu, and some of the guards in the camp rode out on horseback, their shouts rising and falling in the mist.

"How's it going? Still haven't found it?" Ning Jin rushed to Mo Yan's side, following the sound, and asked anxiously, "Where do you usually go?"

"I usually live around here."

Mo Yan squatted down to examine the footprints, but after a long while, she found no clues. Dejected, she stood up and her gaze fell on the thin layer of ice on the swamp...

Ning Jin felt uneasy under her gaze and said uncertainly, "Xiao Yu'er can't swim, so she shouldn't be walking too close to the water."

Looking out from here, the difference between the ice and the shore is still visible. The princess shouldn't have gone astray, Mo Yan felt a little relieved. But then she suddenly remembered: the princess had said yesterday that she missed someone. Could it be that she was going to find that person? But the question returned to the starting point: who exactly was the person she was thinking of?

"Did the princess say anything to you?" Mo Yan asked Ning Jin out of the blue.

Ning Jin was baffled: "What did you say?"

"For example, the person she's thinking about..."

"I miss my royal brother."

Mo Yan waved her hand impatiently: "That's not what I meant, I meant her sweetheart."

"No, why would she tell me that?"

"So who is the person she actually likes?" Mo Yan was still thinking.

Ning Jin interrupted her thoughts: "Now is not the time to talk. Finding Xiao Yu'er is the priority."

"Of course I know. The princess said yesterday that she missed him very much. I was wondering if the princess would go to see him now?"

"Who is it?!"

The two looked at each other, neither of them having an answer.

Mo Yan scratched her ear with difficulty, trying to organize her thoughts clearly. She said, "First, the princess didn't have a sweetheart before coming to Liao, so this person must have been someone she met after arriving in Liao. Therefore, he's very likely a Liao person. Second, the princess liked him but couldn't say it, so it couldn't be Yelü Hongji. Third,..."

"What is the third one..." Ning Jin listened with great interest.

“For the princess to be moved, it means that the princess and he must have had some contact, and it must have been more than just a casual acquaintance. In the Liao Kingdom, the princess knows only a limited number of people, and even fewer people she has had close relationships with…” At this point, Mo Yan suddenly understood, and recalling yesterday’s conversation, she became even more certain.

"So it was him!"

"Who?" Ning Jin pressed.

Mo Yan shook her head: "I can't tell you yet, but if it really is that person, the princess wouldn't go looking for him."

"you……"

Ning Jin was furious and about to speak when he suddenly heard a guard shouting from afar, "Found her! The princess is here! Found her! Found her!"

The two were immediately delighted and followed the sound. They saw Old Hu leading a horse out of the mist, with Zhao Yu on the horse. He looked slightly tired.

"Little Yu'er, where have you run off to? I've been looking everywhere for you, I was afraid you'd fallen into the water." Ning Jin stepped forward, both angry and anxious.

Zhao Yu smiled apologetically: "I was scared myself. I just wanted to go for a walk, but the fog got thicker and thicker, and I got lost. Luckily, I ran into Old Hu, who was out walking his horse, so I didn't wander too far away."

"You are not allowed to come out alone again next time. This is what your royal uncle said, and you must listen to him."

Zhao Yu smiled helplessly, head bowed, "I understand."

"Let's go, let's go back and have some hot soup to calm our nerves."

Ning Jin, realizing she must have been frightened herself, couldn't bear to scold her, but had no choice but to rein in her and head back.

Mo Yan followed Zhao Yu to her side, giving her a quick once-over. Apart from some decaying leaves on her robes, there was nothing else wrong. She breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhao Yu, "Princess, please remember to call me next time. This marshland is a complex place, no joke. Luckily we ran into Old Hu this time, otherwise, what would we have done if this fog hadn't dissipated for even a day?"

"The fog is indeed thick. If I hadn't heard Lao Hu's horse hooves, I would have panicked a bit," Zhao Yu said with a sigh. "Thanks to him."

Mo Yan looked at Lao Hu, who was leading the horse and walking unsteadily ahead, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.