Palace maid Shuoning

(One)

It was before dawn.

Zhou Zhengyin, Huo Xiao, Bao Zhong, and the Crown Prince left the Hall of Mental Cultivation together, all four of them with gloomy and unpleasant expressions.

The Crown Prince suppressed his anger and maintained his composure, giving instructions to Zhou Zhengyin.

He was ordered to immediately begin searching for Jiang Shuoning and to refrain from causing any further trouble at the Eastern Palace.

After speaking, the crown prince turned and left.

Huo Xiao and Bao Zhong were each punished with a deduction of their salary and ordered to reflect on their actions behind closed doors for three days. They originally intended to return to their respective residences.

Unexpectedly, outside the palace gates, Zhou Zhengyin could no longer contain his pent-up anger, clenched his fist, and threw a punch straight at Bao Zhong.

The palace guards were startled and rushed forward to stop them.

Huo Xiao reacted quickly and grabbed Zhou Zhengyin's arm.

Zhou Zhengyin forcefully shook off Huo Xiao, his eyes bloodshot, and pointed directly at Xie Jinghuai, angrily rebuking him:

"Xie Jinghuai! You don't deserve it... You're a complete hypocrite!"

After rebuking him, he forcibly pulled Huo Xiao along and angrily turned to leave.

Bao Zhong raised his hand, his fingertips touching the blood seeping from the corner of his lips. A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he became dazed and disoriented, slowly walking towards the mansion.

On the long street.

Huo Xiao frowned and lowered his voice to advise:

"Your Highness, if word of the incident at the palace gate reaches the Emperor, the punishment will be increased, which would be detrimental to Your Highness."

Zhou Zhengyin's chest heaved violently, his heart filled with uncontrollable resentment, and he said in a deep voice:

"I will not rest until Shuoning is found! I will go to the Eastern Palace and the Xie residence!"

If I am in turmoil, no one else can be at peace! Even if my father issues an edict to permanently banish me, what can he do?

Huo Xiao sighed softly, his expression grave:

"I am certain that this matter is most likely because Ye Wan secretly hid the concubine, who is now in danger and in imminent peril."

"This is precisely what terrifies me the most." Zhou Zhengyin's eyes suddenly reddened, and his voice trembled. "If anything were to happen to Shuoning... I truly do not know how I would go on living."

He paused, then whispered his vow:

"As long as she returns safely, I swear to the heavens that I will never hold a grudge against her again! I will never marry your sister out of spite, I will never force her to consummate the marriage, I will never tear down her bedroom door, and I will never yell at her again. From now on, I will listen to her wishes in everything I do."

Huo Xiao glanced sideways at Zhou Zhengyin's reddened eyes, his heart stirred slightly, and for a moment he felt as if he were seeing him in a new light.

Zhou Zhengyin was a complex person by nature, and his thoughts were always difficult to fathom.

He acted obsessively, sometimes childishly and absurdly, like a madman, but he poured all his stubbornness into finding Jiang Shuoning, causing unrest in the Eastern Palace, Xie Mansion, and Yangxin Hall.

He was indeed doing everything in his power to find him, and he was genuinely afraid that Jiang Shuoning might meet with misfortune.

Huo Xiao slowly lowered his eyes, no longer trying to persuade him, and silently walked alongside him along the long street.

Just then, Zhan Qing and Shan Hengzhe rushed over, looking flustered.

"Your Highness! My lord!" Zhan Qing reported urgently, "That mahogany box suddenly reappeared at the entrance of Xiangmanlou half an hour ago, but it was empty, and there was no one inside!"

Zhou Zhengyin and Huo Xiao were suddenly shocked.

Shan Hengzhe then added in a deep voice, "There's still a pool of blood inside the box!"

Before the words were even finished, Zhou Zhengyin and Huo Xiao's expressions changed drastically. They pushed the two aside and ran wildly toward Xiangmanlou.

Before long, the two arrived at Xiangmanlou.

Several government officials were already standing guard beside the mahogany box. The restaurant owner was so frightened that he trembled all over and stood silently to the side.

Zhou Zhengyin's eyes immediately fell upon the glaring dark red bloodstain at the bottom of the box. His mind went blank for a moment, and he murmured incoherently, "Where...where is he?"

He suddenly turned his head, grabbed the shopkeeper's collar, and roared:

"Where is the person?! The box has reappeared in front of your restaurant, but where is the person inside?!"

The shopkeeper kowtowed, his voice trembling, "Your Highness, please spare me! I truly knew nothing! I just heard urgent knocking at the door, and when I opened it, the box was right there, empty!"

Huo Xiao frowned and squatted down to carefully examine the box and its surroundings. There were also bloodstains on the outer edge of the box.

His eyes narrowed, and he immediately stood up, calling Zhan Qing aside and whispering:

"This is completely illogical. Since last night, the city's officials have been patrolling everywhere. It's impossible for the box to have been left here unnoticed, and it's even more impossible for the person inside to have slipped away silently."

Zhan Qing's heart sank, and he immediately lowered his voice to reply:

"You're right, sir! I also find it strange. When I arrived here after receiving the news, I sent men to seal off the streets and alleys in front of and behind Xiangmanlou and questioned the watchmen and vendors in the vicinity. But from last night to this morning, no one saw when the person who was transporting the box came, nor did anyone see anyone come out of the box."

After listening, Huo Xiao nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Immediately send a message to the city gate commander, instructing him to strictly inspect all vehicles and pedestrians entering and leaving the city gates today, especially those who are injured, as well as any closed carriages or box-like vehicles; none of them shall be allowed to pass!"

Hearing their conversation, Zhou Zhengyin snapped back to reality, the lingering panic in his eyes instantly turning into a cold, stern expression: "Pass on the order! Do not overlook even the slightest clue!"

(two)

Jiang Shuoning clutched his bundle tightly, his face as pale as paper, and staggered along the path in the eastern suburbs.

Blood continued to seep from the wound on his chest, his face was covered in bruises, he walked unsteadily, and every step he took aggravated the pain in his wound.

Let's go back an hour.

She was abandoned at the back door of Xiangmanlou. Exhausted, she struggled to climb out of the box and knocked on the back window.

The shopkeeper opened the window upon hearing the noise, and was immediately horrified to see her like this. He instinctively wanted to send someone to report to the authorities.

"Don't report this to the authorities! Bring me some hemostatic medicine and cotton cloth. If you dare to divulge even a single word, I will take your life."

Jiang Shuoning's fingertips trembled as she pulled out the dangling hairpin from her hair bun, held it in her palm, and spoke in a weak but ruthless voice.

The shopkeeper was stunned by the resolute look in her eyes, trembling with fear. He dared not say another word, hurriedly went to the pharmacy across the street, bought hemostatic medicine and cotton gauze, wrapped everything up, and handed it to her through the back window, whispering words of advice:

"I know you are the concubine of Prince Jingchen! The whole city is searching for you, and there are officials everywhere. Why won't Your Highness return to the Prince's residence? It is really dangerous for you to leave alone with injuries like this."

Jiang Shuoning, barely breathing, took the bundle and asked slowly, "Are there any secret paths to leave the city, avoiding the officials?"

Looking at her bruised face and blood-stained white clothes, the shopkeeper felt a pang of pity and hesitated for a moment before saying:

"I know a secluded path in the back mountains that can bypass the city gate checkpoints. I'll have the waiter quietly escort you out of the city."

Before long, the waiter led Jiang Shuoning onto the secluded path behind Chang'an Street.

After Ping An escorted her out of the city, the waiter dared not linger and returned to Xiangmanlou on his own.

Suddenly, light snow began to fall again, interspersed with small hailstones that stung my face with their coldness.

Jiang Shuoning had only taken a few steps when the craving for the drug suddenly surged up within him, like countless tiny ants crawling out from the cracks in his bones, gnawing at his limbs and bones.

First, a tingling sensation ran down my spine, which quickly turned into a piercing, burning pain that shot up my head along my meridians. My head throbbed with pain, my temples pounded wildly, and my vision blurred.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed heavily to her knees on the snow-covered, frozen ground. Her fingertips dug into the soil, her whole body trembled violently uncontrollably, her teeth chattered, and cold sweat mixed with snow water soaked through her clothes.

Blood seeped out from his chest again, but the pain couldn't suppress the torment brought on by the addiction.

My bones felt like they were being forcibly torn apart, my tendons were clenched, and I felt sore, numb, and painful. I felt empty and anxious, and restless.

I wanted to scratch my own skin, just to find an antidote to suppress this maddening craving.

She bit her lip, struggling to stay upright and not collapse completely. Her breathing was rapid and broken, and she murmured gasps, her consciousness torn between lucidity and confusion.

Ultimately, addiction overwhelmed all willpower.

She lay prostrate on the snow-covered, frozen ground, her hands trembling so badly she could barely hold anything. In her panic, she opened the bundle and, in her delirium, overturned all the medicine bottles inside, scattering them across the snow.

Through her blurry vision, she caught a glimpse of the delicate vermilion bottle. Trembling, she reached out and grasped it in her palm, uncorked it, her fingertips shaking violently. With great difficulty, she poured out a single pill, hastily shoved it into her lips, and swallowed it.

The pill went down her throat, and the agonizing pain that felt like ants gnawing at her bones eased slightly, but she remained sprawled on the snow, drenched in cold sweat, with a lingering trace of clear-headed regret in her eyes.

She knew the medicine was like drinking poison to quench thirst, but the attack she had just experienced was simply unbearable.

The medicine slowly took effect, and the throbbing pain in my bones gradually subsided, leaving only a feeling of utter exhaustion and weakness.

Jiang Shuoning only felt embarrassed and sad.

She was deeply addicted to drugs, covered in blood and wounds, lying in a sorry state in the swirling snow.

She would rather die than let anyone see her in such a hideous, insane state, completely controlled by the drugs.

Ye Wan is extremely vicious.

They poisoned her with the agonizing love potion, yet pretended to release her from the palace; they must have had ulterior motives.

She was clear-headed, yet had nowhere to turn.

Throughout the vast world, in the imperial court, the royal residence, and the palace, there are people everywhere who are hunting her down and plotting against her.

With nowhere to hide, the only place she could temporarily find refuge was that unknown thatched hut outside Huo Xiaocheng.

The cold wind swirled fine snowflakes that landed on my face, icy and biting.

Jiang Shuoning was completely exhausted and collapsed onto the desolate snowfield, staring blankly at the gray, snow-covered sky.

The raging addiction gradually subsided, but the heart-wrenching grievances and loneliness surged up and almost overwhelmed her.

Her lips twitched slightly, and tiny beads of blood seeped from her already bitten lower lip. Her face was covered in bruises and wounds, making her look disheveled.

Hot tears, finally unable to be held back, slid slowly down her pale, cold cheeks, mingling with the snow water.

"I can't let anyone see me like this..."

Her voice was as soft as shattered snow, hoarse and broken, filled with endless weariness and despair.

It turns out that from beginning to end, no one has ever been able to shield her from the wind and rain.

In times of crisis, no one protects her; in times of hardship, no one waits for her; in times of distress, no one forgives her.

She choked back tears, speaking in broken, fragmented voices:

"So... all along, I've been doing everything I can to protect myself."