Tang Zhuyun panicked upon hearing this, instinctively believing that someone was deliberately seeking revenge.
"Where did they go? Where did they go? When?"
Meng Yulan repeatedly urged her, "A-Yun, don't panic! Your health is the most important thing. Things can always be resolved. There's no use in worrying. Xiu'er, call the messenger in!"
The message will be somewhat distorted if it is relayed a second time, so it is best to ask the messenger directly.
Tang Zhuyun felt she had learned something new.
The messenger was an old woman who spoke unclearly, but Tang Zhuyun still understood her.
"You mean, your lord was having an affair with another woman, which angered the Lady so much that she left home?"
The old woman wiped her sweat. "It's a misunderstanding, Your Highness, it's all a misunderstanding. The Marquis and the Ninth Princess are perfectly fine!"
Tang Zhuyun couldn't stand such things, and upon hearing this, she sneered, "Then I understand, it's all because the Lady of the Marquis is suspicious and jealous, is that what you mean!"
How dare the old woman speak?
Xiu'er said, "Fine, if Nanxing isn't good, then let Nanxing come back. What do we need her for?"
What a scoundrel! He turns his back on me as soon as he gets what he wants.
Who cares about him? Is he some kind of pushover?
Radishes aren't something you can just grab a handful of; you can't just eat anyone.
Years-old, rotten radish, ptooey!
"Your family is badmouthing Nanxing," Xiu'er squinted at the old woman, "Honestly, did you accept a gift from the Ninth Princess?"
The old woman said tremblingly, "This old servant wouldn't dare, this old servant wouldn't dare. Please, Your Highness and Madam Song, help us. The Marquis is extremely anxious."
"You're so capable of driving people away, but you're not capable of bringing them back and making others clean up your mess?" Xiu'er said rudely. "Go away, go away, the Pei Family isn't welcome."
The old woman left sheepishly.
At this moment, Meng Yulan spoke up, "A-Yun, Xiu'er, don't be angry yet. Finding Nanxing is the most important thing. I still think Pei Shen isn't that kind of person..."
How could someone who has endured years of solitude possibly "ruin their reputation in their later years"?
If Pei Shen wanted to be with the Ninth Princess, why would he have waited until now?
Xiu'er stomped her foot and cursed, "How can he not be? He's always bullying Nanxing, completely dominating Nanxing. If he were a good person, would people misunderstand?"
It's all Pei Shen's fault for being so careless!
As a married couple, each party has an obligation to nip any potential ambiguity in the bud.
Pei Shen clearly did not do a good job.
Nanxing is not a petty person at all; the fact that she was so angry that she ran away from home suggests that it's probably true.
"Now I actually hope Pei Shen and the Ninth Princess get together soon, and see what kind of idiot they can produce!"
Pei, you scumbag, let Nanxing go right now.
"Nanxing too, if she's been wronged and doesn't come back, where can she go?" Xiu'er said anxiously again.
Tang Zhuyun said in a deep voice, "I've already sent people to look for them. Let's wait for news."
She's not afraid of anything else right now, except that Nanxing might be injured by the remnants of the Zong Family or Xiao Wu.
The importance of Nanxing is self-evident, so for a time, everyone in the Prince's mansion was busy helping to search for it.
Yanran also wanted to help look for it, but Cui Xiaoqiu told her that it would be more troublesome for her to go around looking for it.
Yanran was able to listen to advice, so she sat bored on the threshold of the back door, eating snacks while listening to Cui Xiaoqiu talk.
"Yanran, take good care of the chess piece given to you by the Great Confucian Scholar Kong, the Buddhist beads given to you by Master Hong'en, and the jade pendant I gave you."
"Yes, I know! They're all very valuable."
Except for your broken jade pendant.
But the sentiment behind it is even more precious.
"These three items need to be used together. To be precise, one more is missing; you need all four together..."
"Oh? What else do you need?"
"I'm not entirely sure about that either, I only have a vague idea..."
Cui Xiaoqiu spoke earnestly, and Tu Yanran listened attentively.
The story was quite dramatic, and she listened intently, forgetting to continue eating her snacks.
"That's it?" Yanran asked skeptically after listening. "My mother's stories are much more interesting."
She'd heard far more about Indiana Jones and tomb raiding.
Cui Xiaoqiu said, "You have to trust me. This is very important!"
"I believe you, but you might be overthinking it."
"Yanran!" Cui Xiaoqiu's voice was unusually loud.
Yanran: "Okay, okay!"
Cui Xiaoqiu is good in every way, except that sometimes he takes himself too seriously and doesn't like others contradicting his opinions.
So what if it's important? She doesn't want to be an empress anyway.
Well, her father doesn't need it either; her whole family is going to the Northwest to happily lie down and be lazy.
Cui Xiaoqiu could tell from her expression that she didn't take it to heart, and couldn't help but shake her head.
Unfortunately, that book was originally in the Heavenly Unity Pavilion, but it has now been burned.
Otherwise, he might be able to understand it even better in the future.
"Seventh Young Master, Madam is experiencing chest pain. Would you like to go home and check on her?" Cui Xiaoqiu's maidservant said.
"Let's go, let's go," Yanran urged him, "Or your mother will get worried."
Madam Cui may have contracted a serious illness that causes her heart pain if she doesn't keep her son under her watchful eye at all times.
Cui Xiaoqiu is the only medicine.
"Yanran, wait for me here, I'll be right back."
Yanran finished her snacks, handed the plate to the maid beside her, patted her bottom, and said, "No need, I have to go see my mother."
"Then this afternoon," Cui Xiaoqiu persisted.
"OK."
Just as Yanran was about to leave, a peddler carrying a load of food passed by.
The carrying pole had a windmill and other small gadgets like a rattle drum, which looked quite interesting.
Yanran herself wasn't interested in those things, but thinking of buying a couple for Little Tangyuan, she called out to the peddler.
"Hey, wait a minute, I need to take a look."
The guards immediately stood ready and followed.
However, the peddler, quite self-aware, as if to avoid suspicion, took two steps back, bowed his head, and said, "Miss, please take your time choosing."
His demeanor made the guards relax a little.
Yanran picked out two items, took out a silver melon seed from her purse, and handed it over generously, saying, "Keep the change."
These street vendors don't earn much money; they might even have a family to support.
Giving her three or five extra coins at this point wouldn't mean much to her, but it could make the peddler happy for a whole day.
The peddler was delighted and insisted on giving a windmill to Yanran.
The guards, seeing this, naturally tried to stop her.
The peddler blushed and stammered, "No, I didn't, I..."
Yanran reached out and took the dusty, inconspicuous windmill, then gave him a silver melon seed. "Alright, let's go."
She took the three toys and headed towards the Tang Family.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the north wind was still biting, yet the windmill remained motionless.
Yanran suddenly realized that she might have been tricked.
Did the vendor take advantage of her because she's naive and has too much money?
She may be naive and rich, but she can't let people bully her!
Yanran stopped in her tracks, reached out and fiddled with the windmill a few times, saying, "Why don't you move it!"
If Cui Xiaoqiu were here, she could definitely help her make a judgment and prevent her from being scammed.
But the windmill didn't move an inch.
Yanran: "..."
She reached out and moved the fan blades, but suddenly noticed something else.