Chapter 442: Zhen Will Speak Up for You
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“Why is he here? Does he want to force us to accept his daughter again?” Mingzhu immediately stood up. “I’ll go see the Changxing Marquis!”
Yuwen Chu shook his head. “What are you going to do? You don’t need to worry about it. Let Zhou Shuyi handle it.”
Mingzhu felt that she had caused too much trouble recently and didn’t dare to provoke him easily, so she obediently sat back down and read the book absentmindedly. She hadn’t finished reading the current line when she jumped to the next line.
Yuwen Chu patiently pointed out her mistakes, and Mingzhu wondered, “Aren’t you worried that she’ll join forces with someone else and cause trouble? Why do you have the leisure to correct me for misreading?”
“What’s meant to happen will happen. What’s the rush? You lack patience.” Yuwen Chu gave her a short conclusion and ordered her, “Continue reading. If you make a mistake, repeat it until you get it right.”
Mingzhu could only follow his orders and continue reading, fearing punishment. She focused more, and as she read, her heart calmed down, her lips curled into a smile, and she even forgot about the Changxing Marquis outside.
Yuwen Chu was satisfied with what he saw and commented, “You’re braver now, but your focus still needs work. You must continue to practice. Starting tomorrow, read twenty pages of calligraphy every day, and I’ll check it when I come back at night.”
Mingzhu glared at him indignantly, and he said, “Prenatal education! Prenatal education!”
Mingzhu couldn’t help but laugh.
Su Lan came to report, “Zhou Changshi has returned with a message.”
Mingzhu stood up to leave, but Yuwen Chu said, “No need. Stay here and listen. This matter is deeply related to you. The more you know, the better it is for you. Not letting you run around doesn’t mean I won’t let you know anything.”
Mingzhu sat back down as instructed.
Zhou Shuyi walked in and saw Mingzhu there, slightly surprised but quickly realized that Mingzhu was deeply involved in this matter. He didn’t hesitate anymore. “Jiang Shanshan didn’t return to the Changxing Marquis’s residence last night, nor did she send any messages back. The Changxing Marquis couldn’t find her and insists that His Highness took her away. He demands to see His Highness. I told him His Highness caught a cold and is recuperating, so he won’t see anyone. He first begged with tears, then threatened to report to the Emperor.”
Jiang Shanshan didn’t return home last night? That was unexpected for Mingzhu. If she had run away, she should hurry back home and hide, then find a master willing to pay a high price for her talents and quickly sell herself. If she disappeared without a word to her family, could it be that she had really chosen Yuwen You and couldn’t wait to become his concubine, leaving her family behind in Linaan Mansion?
Yuwen Chu obviously knew that Jiang Shanshan hadn’t returned to the Changxing Marquis’s residence last night and wasn’t too concerned about the Marquis’s threat. “If he wants to report to the Emperor, let him. It’s a good opportunity for us to find her.”
Zhou Shuyi agreed and went back out to inform the restless Changxing Marquis: “His Highness truly doesn’t know anything about Miss Jiang’s whereabouts. Since Miss Jiang was last seen at the Linan Wang Mansion yesterday, the Marquis should inquire with Linan Wang. Alternatively, the Marquis can file a report to the Emperor and ask His Majesty to help locate her. After all, it’s not a good sign for a noble young lady to suddenly disappear.”
The Marquis of Changxing only remembered Jiang Shanshan saying that yesterday was the last chance for Yuwen Chu. He also knew that Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu had been having conflicts these past few days. Yesterday, he was hoping for good news, but it never came, and neither did his daughter. When he questioned the servants who accompanied Jiang Shanshan, they were all evasive, claiming ignorance. All they knew was that their young lady disappeared with a strange maid.
As dawn approached, he couldn’t sit still anymore, feeling his eyelids twitching incessantly. This was a sign that a great disaster was about to occur. Therefore, he rushed to Ying Wang’s mansion regardless of everything, hoping that Yuwen Chu could give him an explanation. However, not only did he not see anyone, but he was also told to go to Linan Wang’s mansion to find someone or to file a complaint directly. It was clear that they refused to acknowledge anything.
This was really going to be a big problem. The Marquis of Changxing sat in his chair trembling, not knowing what to do.
Zhou Shuyi reminded him, “Lord Marquis, sitting here like this won’t do. You need to quickly organize people to search for her. The sooner, the better. And don’t worry too much. Maybe she’s still at Linan Wang’s mansion. After all, the second miss of the mansion is good friends with the Wusun Princess, and Linan Wang also highly regards her.”
The Marquis of Changxing recalled the rumors after the Drip drip dew pot incident. He wanted to say that his daughter had no private affair with Yuwen You, but he couldn’t say it at all. He just trembled and was helped away by the steward of the Changxing Marquis’s mansion.
He rushed to Linan Wang’s mansion, wanting to see Yuwen You and the Wusun Princess. However, the Changshi of Linan Wang’s mansion, Ruan Qingshang, smiled gently, “Unfortunately, His Highness and the Wangfei went to the palace early this morning. Miss Jiang? Didn’t she leave after the wedding ceremony yesterday? I even asked her to stay for a meal, but she refused, saying she had urgent matters to attend to. Did she not return home? Oh, this is not good at all. We need to send someone to find her quickly! The situation in the capital is not very stable lately! Is she angry with her family? Have you checked her handkerchief to see if it was left at home? Also, her relatives and close friends should be asked.”
The Marquis of Changxing had no choice but to go to the homes of the noble ladies who were once close friends with Jiang Shanshan, asking each one individually. The results were all the same, with several noble ladies even denying that they had ever been close with Jiang Shanshan. As for relatives and friends, they all claimed ignorance.
This was a big problem! The Marquis of Changxing stood on the street, looking at the bright sun, his fat body soaked in cold sweat, and he collapsed straight back. When he was rescued and taken home, he was struck by a stroke, half of his body paralyzed, and he couldn’t speak clearly. It took a long time for his eldest son, Jiang Cong, to understand that he meant to rush to the palace to see Empress Dowager Min for help in finding Jiang Shanshan.
Jiang Cong also had recent grievances with his sister Jiang Shanshan and was dissatisfied with his father always indulging her. He hesitated to go find someone but also feared causing a scandal that would disgrace the family. He reluctantly went to the palace to see Empress Dowager Min but ended up not seeing her and instead met Yuwen Bai.
Yuwen Bai laughed when he heard the situation. “Are you saying that a living person has disappeared? Could it be that she ascended to immortality? No, no, for such matters, it only takes a few people to be involved. You can rest assured and go back. Let Zhen handle this for you.”
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