"I'm going to find Xiao Pang!"
Linlin looked surprised. "Why are you going to see him?"
"Because a man's guilt is always short-lived, I should strike while the iron is hot and ask him about what happened back then; perhaps it can help my father."
"Who told you?" Linlin asked, gently tapping the window railing, seemingly lost in thought.
"I don't need anyone to tell me," Yanran said. "As the only remaining male member of the Xiao Family back then, how could he not have any secrets? Ah!"
Yanran suddenly opened her eyes wide.
"What's wrong?"
"It suddenly occurred to me, could it be that he disguised himself as a woman to escape back then?"
Back then, no male members of the Xiao Family remained; however, quite a few women actually escaped.
For example, Xiao Wu, and Old Madam Xiao, there are definitely things they don't know.
Linlin said, "Perhaps. Back then, the Emperor showed leniency towards the Xiao Family, giving them a chance. My father told me that he rescued a group of women."
However, Old Madam Xiao passed away a few years ago.
The remaining people are probably all unimportant.
Yanran thought that Xiao Pang might have escaped by blending in with the women.
Linlin then asked, "I'm asking you, what does it mean that 'a man's guilt is short-lived, so strike while the iron is hot'?"
For such a young age, he knows quite a lot.
Yanran said proudly, "I heard it from Xiu'er."
She wouldn't tell you these things for no reason; there must be a reason.
"Oh, she told others that I overheard it."
There was a woman in the household who caught her husband having an affair. The man wept bitterly, saying he would repent and was willing to hand over all his possessions to the woman to manage, in order to show his determination.
The woman was soft-hearted, so she forgave the man and didn't ask for control of the household.
Then Xiu'er advised her that a man's guilt is always short-lived, and that she should strike while the iron is hot and take control of the household affairs first.
Yanran remembered it.
She felt that all men in the world were probably pretty much the same.
Linlin: My sister is learning too much and too many different things, I'm having trouble keeping up.
"Waiter," Yanran said, "Give me two large pieces of roasted mutton, I want to take them with me."
"To give to Uncle Xiao...?"
"Hmm," Yanran said, "It's alright, brother. I feel better now that I've eaten and drunk my fill. I'll go ask for Father; maybe I can help!"
I can't help, so all I get are two pieces of grilled meat and a little disappointment.
That's no big deal!
Linlin said coldly, "Then I'll go with you."
"No need, no need, brother, you go back to your studies," Yanran said. "I can go by myself!"
Linlin didn't force her.
The brother and sister returned to the mansion together and then went about their respective tasks.
When Tang Zhuyun woke up from her afternoon nap, she saw Yanran sitting on the chair next to her, dozing off with her hand supporting her chin.
"Yanran?"
"Mother, you're awake." Yanran said with a smile, "Is the roast meat delicious?"
"It's delicious." Tang Zhuyun smiled. "Did you go out to eat with your brother?"
"Hmm," Yanran said, "Mother, I have something to tell you..."
She told him about being stopped by Xiao Pang and then going to find him.
In the first half, Tang Zhuyun pretended not to know, but in the second half, she genuinely didn't know.
"I asked him about his grandmother, and he said he might be able to help," Yanran said. "But he said he'd have my father go to him, and he couldn't tell me."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
"Why does this seem so unreliable to me?" Yanran, somewhat troubled.
Should she tell her father?
So she came to find Tang Zhuyun.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "Then let your father go."
I'm afraid my father will be deceived.
"Your father isn't that stupid."
"Alright," Yanran said, obedient to Tang Zhuyun, "Then I'll tell my father."
"Um."
The Prince of Jin went to see Xiao Pang, and when he returned, Tang Zhuyun asked him if he had any new clues.
More than half a month has passed, but there has been no progress in the search.
Although Tang Zhuyun also advised him that this matter could not be rushed, as his bedmate, she could still sense the Prince of Jin's anxiety.
"Xiao Pang told me some things about my mother from back then," said the Prince of Jin, "And also told me that he has a portrait of my mother."
"Huh? How did he get it? Did he hide it somewhere?"
"Left by his father..."
Tang Zhuyun immediately understood.
Those misplaced loves from back then were ultimately buried forever because of blood ties.
However, for those involved, regret lingers in their hearts.
"What about the portrait?"
"He's hiding in an old house in the border town," said the Prince of Jin. "I've already sent people to check the house first. If there are no problems, I'll go and retrieve it."
I'll go with you.
"It's a bit far; it'll take four or five days round trip. I'll have someone check first, and then I'll go myself."
Although it is just a city, like many places in the Northwest, it is sparsely populated and takes two or three days to travel from east to west.
Tang Zhuyun was shocked by the size of the border town.
No wonder they're so hard to find; even if they're still in the border town, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
In such a vast area with extremely underdeveloped communication, even population statistics would exclude many people from the count.
"Did it move today?" Prince of Jin touched Tang Zhuyun's belly.
Tang Zhuyun: "... It's still a long way off! It's only just learned to blow bubbles."
It's not even five months yet, and the baby isn't moving that early.
Prince of Jin: "How come I vaguely heard Xiu'er say a few days ago that she felt the baby move?"
Tang Zhuyun: "Either it's a misperception, or she's pregnant with a monkey."
The Prince of Jin was amused by her.
As the two were talking, Xiu'er came in with her maid carrying a large bundle.
Ren Yingying's medicine has arrived!
Xiu'er said, "Zhou Xu hasn't made a move either. I wonder if this medicine will be wasted."
"Give her some more time, I think she'll come to me."
Along with the medicine came a letter.
Tang Zhuyun opened the letter, glanced at it, and burst into laughter.
The Prince of Jin leaned closer. "What are you laughing at?"
Oh, I don't understand.
Although Tang Zhuyun never formally mentioned it to him, Prince of Jin had long sensed it.
Ren Yingying was very likely an old friend of Tang Zhuyun.
The tacit understanding and close bond between these two cannot be cultivated in just a few days.
Now that he saw this letter filled with "scribbles," the Prince of Jin felt it was solid evidence.
"Yingying is coming to you with Qu Nian's four concubines, asking if you still need any accessories to adorn your thigh."
Prince of Jin: "... Aren't you going to scold her?"
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
The look in Prince of Jin's eyes clearly said, "If you don't scold her, it means you don't care about me."
How can you do this? Forcing someone to be jealous!
"Yingying also said she was planning to castrate the Dog Meat for meat..." she muttered to herself.
The implication is that Ren Yingying has no self-control and talks nonsense.
"It's just casting a dog, it's not like you can just castrate it like that," the Prince of Jin said dismissively. "What isn't she capable of?"
Isn't neutering dogs a standard procedure?
"No way," Tang Zhuyun said in astonishment.
Ren Yingying can't be that cruel, can she?
Qu Nian: No, Poisonous Woman Ren is far more ruthless than you imagine!
Now that the weather is warmer, moths are flying everywhere.
"Dog Meat, why are you running away!"