Already aroused by passion and desire, and further emboldened by Song Shuhao's initiative, Zhang Yu almost lost control, pinning her against the wall and making further demands. Until both of them were drenched in sweat, Zhang Yu finally restrained himself, simply holding Shuhao and ceasing all other movements, though his mind was filled with many thoughts.
·
Xie Lanyan ultimately did not appear at the Xie family residence, nor at Jingyun Nunnery, and there was no news of her whatsoever. Zhang Yu secretly sent people to continue the investigation, but he still did not know how she had managed to disappear without a trace.
The news of her disappearance was contained within Bixiao Palace and did not spread further. Zhang Yu then had people cover it up, pretending that she was bedridden due to a fire. Xie Lanyan was already in poor health, and after this incident, many people did not suspect anything.
After much thought and counting down the days, Ahao decided on the birthday gift to prepare for Zhang Yu. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Empress Dowager Feng's birthday, Zhang Xin and Ahao discussed and came up with a gift that pleased the Empress Dowager greatly. Now that Zhang Yu's birthday was approaching, Zhang Xin was worried about it again and came to Ahao for advice.
The puppy Xia Mingzhe gave Zhang Xin had grown a bit, but its temperament remained gentle; it wasn't afraid of people and wouldn't bite, and it was still incredibly cute. Zhang Xin held the puppy, patiently stroking its fur, and said to Ahao, "Some time ago, I heard someone say that in the deep mountains of Jiutuo Mountain on the outskirts of the city, there is an extremely rare flower. Very few people have ever seen what it looks like. Legend has it that a single flower has many layers of color, making it exceptionally beautiful, and that whoever obtains it will have good luck."
"It is said that a beggar who obtained it married a wealthy woman's daughter, amassed a fortune, and lived a life of blissful marriage. A scholar who obtained it failed the imperial examinations several times, but on his next attempt, he soared to the top, becoming the highest-ranking scholar with a bright future. And..."
Not knowing where Zhang Xin had heard these things, Ahao couldn't bear to listen any longer and quickly stopped her, asking, "Does Your Highness believe these things are true, so you want to find these flowers and plants to bring back as a birthday gift for His Majesty?"
Zhang Xin's eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded repeatedly, saying with delight, "Ah Hao, you're so smart! You understood as soon as I said it! What do you think? It's all about the sentiment, right? I think the meaning is very good, so I'm going to go find it myself. That way, my sentiment will be conveyed, and I think my Emperor brother will like it. What do you think?"
Song Shuhao couldn't bear to tell Zhang Xin that not only would Zhang Yu not like it, but he would likely confine her to Chang Le Palace and forbid her from going anywhere. She could only gently remind Zhang Xin, "His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and naturally has blessings. The flower Your Highness mentioned is difficult to find deep in the mountains, and there are many poisonous creatures in the mountains—snakes, centipedes, and all sorts of other insects..."
"Is it that scary?" Zhang Xin shrank back slightly upon hearing this. Seeing Song Shuhao nod, she became even more determined and said, "Since it's so difficult, if I really get it, then this gift will be even more meaningful! If it's too easy to get, what's so special about it? I'll bring a few more guards with me to protect my life, so that I won't be in any serious trouble."
After finishing her explanation, Zhang Xin felt her idea was quite good. She thanked Ahao and, ignoring Ahao calling after her, left with the puppy.
Chapter 70 Update
The palace servants of Bixiao Palace, especially those of Wushuang Hall, were all interrogated one by one. Haitang and Qingtao, the two head maids serving Xie Lanyan, were the main targets of severe torture. Unable to withstand the repeated torture, Qingtao finally confessed, saying that Xie Lanyan had escaped from the palace several days ago.
Although imperial physicians came to Wushuang Palace every day to take Xie Lanyan's pulse, they were separated by a screen, and beyond the screen were curtains, so to avoid suspicion, they couldn't see what the person lying on the bed looked like. Haitang, who was ill, pretended to be Xie Lanyan, and together with Qingtao, they dealt with the imperial physicians.
The fire at Bixiao Palace wasn't Xie Lanyan deliberately escaping; it was more like a show of bragging to Zhang Yu. She was boasting that she could easily escape Zhang Yu's control, while he would be completely outmaneuvered by her. She hadn't been in the palace for days, and no amount of searching could find a trace of her. At this moment, she had already left the city and gone elsewhere.
A palace guard had suddenly disappeared a few days ago, but such a trivial matter wouldn't have reached Zhang Yu's ears. Now, hearing about it and being contacted again, he understood how Xie Lanyan had managed to escape. However, what Zhang Yu was more concerned about now was the excessively clever timing Xie Lanyan had chosen.
Even if Zhao Liang and Zhao Jian's return to their fiefdom wouldn't be so easy, it's not hard to imagine that they could choose that opportunity when he was least distracted and had no time to attend to other matters, and it wasn't a plan that only came about after Zhao Liang and Zhao Jian had truly suffered a defeat...
At that time, Zhao Liang and Zhao Jian went to the banquet with the intention of finding an opportunity to kill him. How could Xie Lanyan, who had always believed in them, have changed her mind so soon? Was she a genius?
After sending someone to Jingyun Nunnery to investigate again, it was found that Xie Lanyan had indeed stayed there for one night. This showed that Zhang Yu's initial assumption was correct. He simply hadn't expected that Xie Lanyan also possessed memories of her past life.
As he gradually came to realize this, Zhang Yu did not want Song Shuhao to end up like them. Although he had not done anything to wrong Song Shuhao and was not worried that she would become distant from him because of it, he did not think that Song Shuhao had ever been particularly happy.
Some things, she didn't realize at the time, such as the final scene of her past life's memories. Now, whenever she thinks of it, she always feels that her seemingly foolish actions might have had other reasons. She must have at least known back then that Xiao Shi could be trusted, but instead of trying to conspire with Xiao Shi, she... Since it's all in the past, it's a good thing she doesn't remember.
Zhang Yu pulled himself together, realizing that Xie Lanyan probably wouldn't be found anytime soon, and the palace would need to find a pretext to erase her existence...
·
For two consecutive days, Ahao saw Zhang Xin and heard her talking about Jiutuo Mountain. Worried that she might do something reckless, Ahao finally mentioned it to Zhang Yu. However, he only emphasized that Zhang Xin wanted to prepare a birthday gift for him, and that the idea was too novel and he didn't know if it was feasible.
Zhang Yu didn't take it lightly and ordered his men to keep a close watch on Zhang Xin. However, when they returned to report, Zhang Xin was already gone. The palace had been under martial law for two days and had just returned to normal today... When he arrived at Yongle Palace, he saw only palace servants kneeling on the ground. Zhang Yu's face was grim as he asked what had happened.
The head palace maid beside Zhang Xin stepped forward tremblingly to report, "His Highness insists on preparing a birthday gift for His Majesty. He asked Lord Xia for help and took several guards to Jiutuo Mountain, so His Majesty need not worry." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, because Zhang Yu's expression at that moment was too terrifying.
As the head palace maid, she dared not watch Zhang Xin take risks, for she would be the first to be held accountable if anything went wrong. However, Zhang Xin had her hands and feet bound and was hiding her on the bed; she was powerless to do anything. By the time she was discovered, Zhang Xin had already slipped away, and it was too late.
If the palace servants could keep Zhang Xin in check, she wouldn't have had the chance to sneak out of the palace for a couple of rounds. This was partly due to Zhang Yu's implicit tolerance of her. Zhang Yu knew that when she usually went out of the palace, she would only eat and drink or go to the teahouse to listen to storytelling, and she wouldn't do anything wrong. That's why he wasn't so strict with her sometimes. But her trip to Jiutuo Mountain was completely different.
With Xia Mingzhe accompanying Zhang Xin, her safety was more assured, but Zhang Yu's mood did not improve. Knowing that Zhang Xin was going to do something dangerous, yet neither stopping her nor reporting it in time, was undoubtedly a dereliction of duty. Before he could utter his angry words, he felt Song Shuhao subtly tug at his sleeve.
Zhang Yu calmed down slightly, his face hardening as he suppressed his urge to punish him. He asked a few more questions, but said nothing, and then turned and left. Song Shuhao followed him out of the hall. Zhang Yu walked rather quickly, and she had to jog a few steps to catch up, but she was somewhat pleased.
Back at Xuanzhi Hall, Zhang Yu's expression remained grim. He sent someone to Jiutuo Mountain to fetch Zhang Xin. Zhang Yu entered the private room with a dark face, reclining on a chaise lounge. When Song Shuhao, who had been smiling the whole way, followed him in, he merely closed his eyes and refused to look at her again.
Ah Hao crouched down beside the recliner, gripped the armrests with both hands, and looked at Zhang Yu with a smile. She said softly, "Your Majesty, let's go to Jiutuo Mountain together." Zhang Yu did not speak. Ah Hao continued, "Jiutuo Mountain is beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains. It would be nice to go and see the scenery. We can also wait for the little princess to come back together."
Although Jiutuo Mountain is serene and beautiful, few people ever go there because many who entered in the past never came out again. Those who did emerge mostly went mad. This is different from the hunting grounds, where even if there were dangers within the mountains, they were still somewhat imaginable. Ahao didn't believe in the legendary mountain demons and ghosts, but Zhang Xin's belief in the rumors about flowers and plants was somewhat related to this.
No matter what they say or how they try to hide it, if they care, they can't help but worry. Even though Zhang Yu didn't show much emotion, Ahao still sensed it. Sitting around waiting for news is the most anxious thing, and she was also concerned about Zhang Xin's situation, which is why she said those things to Zhang Yu, and ultimately saved his face.
Zhang Yu remained unmoved, but slightly pursed his lips. Ahao tugged at his sleeve and poked the back of his hand, asking, "What does Your Majesty think?" Zhang Yu opened his eyes, looked at Ahao, and slowly said, "If you want to go, I will accompany you."
·
Zhang Xin, far away in Jiutuo Mountain, was having a very difficult time. She had gone into the mountain with Xia Mingzhe. At first, it was alright because it was springtime, and the vegetation was lush, with occasional sightings of various flowers she couldn't name. But the deeper they went, the more difficult the journey became. There were no flat roads at all, so they had to choose the easiest paths to take.
Perhaps it was because of the morning rain, the air in the mountains was exceptionally fresh, carrying a slightly cool dampness and the fragrance of earth and grass. Wandering among the bushes and brambles, Zhang Xin initially had the leisure to pick a wildflower to play with. Then, she inadvertently spotted some small mushrooms, and Xia Mingzhe told her they were edible, which she found incredibly fascinating.
As she gradually saw different little insects crawling on the ground, she began to feel a chill run down her spine, especially when those insects would crawl up her skirt. Eventually, Zhang Xin felt as if something strange might jump out from somewhere at any moment, or that various insects were about to crawl onto her body. She had no other thoughts but was filled with fear and unease.
Feeling Zhang Xin cautiously clutching his clothes but refusing to let go, Xia Mingzhe was filled with regret for agreeing to come with her. He shouldn't have agreed at all; firmly denying her idea was the right thing to do. Now that they were here, thinking about anything else was useless; he could only let her back down on her own.
Xia Mingzhe remembered that he had originally refused Zhang Xin's request, but he didn't know where she had learned this weird trick from, and she just snuggled into his arms and started acting all wild. No matter what, he was still a normal person with emotions and desires... Zhang Xin reached out and hugged him, and no matter how hard he tried to pull her away, he couldn't. He was truly scared.
Just as Xia Mingzhe was about to hand Zhang Xin the hilt of his longsword, hoping it would give her some peace of mind, he turned around and noticed that Zhang Xin's eyes were already brimming with tears. Her half-crying appearance made her look as pitiful as a little white rabbit. Xia Mingzhe coughed lightly and said, "Or perhaps we should go back?"
Zhang Xin suddenly sobbed, clearly terrified but still refusing to give up, "We've come this far, how can we give up so easily?" She had endured so much suffering to get here, and giving up now would make all that pain seem pointless. Although she was afraid the whole way, she hadn't uttered a single complaint.
"What if we never find it in the end?"
"But at least I tried my best," Zhang Xin said softly, but her sharp eyes caught what looked like a green snake slithering through the jungle out of the corner of her eye. She felt as if her neck had been grabbed, and she couldn't make a sound. She just looked at Xia Mingzhe with teary eyes, her eyes darting to the side.
The green snake was only about two feet long, but the guards behind Zhang Xin reacted even faster, thrusting their swords and piercing the snake's head, pinning it to the mud. No matter how much it writhed, it was futile. Another guard swung his sword and chopped the snake into several pieces. Zhang Xin covered her face, unable to bear the sight, and when she spoke again, she almost burst into tears, "Did we kill a snake demon?"
Having witnessed Zhang Xin's ambitious hunt for a deer, he was utterly different from the terrified Zhang Xin before him, who dared not open her eyes and uttered incoherent words. Xia Mingzhe was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "No, a snake demon wouldn't be that small." Zhang Xin seemed to agree and was relieved, praising Xia Mingzhe, "Little Xia, you're so smart."
Afterwards, Zhang Xin, holding the hilt of the sword, was led forward by Xia Mingzhe. Perhaps because she felt safer, or perhaps because the journey became easier later on, Zhang Xin was less afraid and managed to persevere. Until they crossed half of the mountain and reached the other side of Jiutuo Mountain, a flower field suddenly appeared on the hillside before them.
The hillsides were covered in blooming flowers, and from a distance, they all looked almost identical, regardless of their colors. Clusters of different colored flowers gathered together, blending with other colors to create a vibrant tapestry. A gentle breeze blew, causing the flowers to sway, and the sunlight streaming down from the sky seemed to dance along with them.