The moment Shen Jialang started coughing, even someone like Qi Yuan—who rarely showed emotion—had a slight tremble in her voice. She reached out to brush the dirt from his mouth and face, gently patting it away as she repeated in a low voice, over and over: “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Shen Jialang clenched his fists tightly and looked up at her with bright eyes. His voice was also trembling, but he responded with strength: “I didn’t cry! I held it in! I knew Big Sister would come save me—I didn’t cry!”
He hadn’t cried when he was waiting for his mother to come get him.
He hadn’t cried even when he was buried alive in a coffin, almost dying.
This child was so much like her younger self.
When she was little, she once slipped into a reservoir full of bamboo pit vipers while chopping firewood. Her first reaction wasn’t to cry—but to cling tightly to the bamboo, gritting her teeth through the pain and climbing her way back up the cliff.
Qi Yuan felt like crying—but in the end, she didn’t shed a single tear.
She didn’t want to cry. Whoever hurt her—she’d make them pay with their life.
Pu Wuyong was dead. But in this matter, there was no way Princess Baorong and Qi Wang could walk away clean.
Wasn’t Pu Wuyong worried that Cishan would be lonely underground?
She would gladly send a few more “companions” to join them in their graves.
Soon after, Babao and the others unearthed several more coffins.
Fortunately, that dead eunuch Pu Wuyong was so twisted in the head that he’d calculated the timing—planning to bury them alive alongside Qi Yuan as part of some grand display—so he hadn’t killed them right away.
Thanks to that, Lihua, Qingtao, and even Shen Mama were all still alive.
Pu Wuyong’s men had only kidnapped those few.
Lihua was the most timid—she immediately burst into loud sobs.
Qingtao was much calmer. Though she trembled as well, she still forced herself to speak steadily and comfort Qi Yuan: “Miss, we’re okay! We’re really okay!”
But as she spoke, she couldn’t hold back her emotions and choked up:
“But Brother Zhang and the others… they’re all gone!”
Those were the Qi family guards Qi Yuan had sent to protect them.
Qi Yuan closed her eyes. When she opened them again, all her emotions had been buried deep.
She gave a soft “mm” and said quietly, “I’ll make sure the family gives their families a proper compensation…”
But no amount of silver could bring back a life.
That d*mn eunuch Pu Wuyong!
She took a deep breath and turned to Qingtao and Lihua: “I’ll have you both moved to another estate. Too many people know about that one—it’s no longer safe.”
Of course, Lihua and Qingtao obeyed her without question and quickly nodded.
As for Shen Jialang, Qi Yuan gently patted his head. Seeing that, even though he claimed he wasn’t scared, he was still visibly tense, she asked softly: “I’ll take you back to the Qi household. Wherever I am—that’ll be your home too.”
Shen Jialang pursed his lips and looked at her. His eyes were clear as he gave a firm, heavy nod.
Only then did Qi Yuan turn to Xiao Yunting and say, “Your Highness, everything here is settled. You should head back to Baiyun Temple now. If you’re gone too long, it’ll be hard to explain.”
But this time, Xiao Yunting didn’t leave in anger. Instead, he casually scooped Shen Jialang up into his arms.
Shen Jialang let out a sharp yelp.
He was still afraid.
Inside that dark coffin, he had kept trying to push open the lid—but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t budge.
It was pitch black. He couldn’t see a thing.
Eventually, in his dazed exhaustion, he fell asleep—and in his dream, he saw his mother.
She told him, “Little Dog, don’t sleep. Don’t fall asleep. You have to go back!”
His earlier bravery had all been forced. Now, being picked up by Xiao Yunting, Shen Jialang instinctively resisted and showed fear.
But Xiao Yunting simply lifted him up and set him on his shoulders. Pointing toward the cave ahead, he said, “See that? Such a big place, so hidden—and we still found you! Little Dog, don’t be afraid. As long as we’re here, no one will ever hurt you again!”
Qi Yuan looked at Xiao Yunting with a complicated expression.
Meanwhile, at Baiyun Temple, the Yongchang Emperor was picking beans with Xiao Mo.
Green beans, red beans, and black beans were all mixed together in a winnowing basket. They had to be sorted by color and placed into different baskets.
Xiao Mo was picking them one by one. He could only count up to twenty, and every time he reached twenty, he had to start over.
But he was extremely patient, never showing the slightest hint of irritation.
The Emperor was surprised and looked at Liu Wangfei: “He can actually sit still like this!”
“What if he couldn’t?” Liu Wangfei gave a self-mocking smile, her tone light. “We’re being hunted. He can’t make too much noise, and he definitely can’t go outside whenever he wants. Naturally, I had to train his patience.”
What now looked effortless had taken her countless years to achieve.
The Emperor fell silent.
Fortunately, Xia Gongong hurried in from outside just then and quietly reported, “Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard guarding the western side made a blunder and let a small group of White Lotus Sect members onto the mountain!”
The Emperor’s security on this trip was entirely under the command of Pu Wuyong and his Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The Imperial Guards and Golden Guards were merely carrying out orders.
If the problem came from the western flank of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, then clearly the issue lay with Pu Wuyong.
The Emperor’s face remained unreadable. “Casualties?”
“We killed 176 White Lotus cultists and captured 92 alive. On our side, we lost two Golden Guards and three Imperial Guards, and more than forty others were wounded.”
They had been suppressing the White Lotus Sect for years—and yet a force this large had remained hidden in the capital all this time.
Just thinking about it sent chills down one’s spine.
The Emperor asked flatly, “And that old dog Pu Wuyong?”
After a pause, Xia Gongong replied softly, “At the time of the incident, someone saw Pu Gonggong taking about a dozen men down the mountain via the western route.”
The Emperor let out a cold laugh.
So this was where the traitor was. Now it was clear.
Xia Gongong added after a moment: “Also… His Highness took his thirty-plus Daoist soldiers and went in pursuit down the mountain.”
The Emperor was briefly stunned—then realized. A prince with Daoist soldiers—who else could it be but Xiao Yunting?
He instantly barked in anger, “Utter nonsense!”
Then he gave a string of urgent orders: “You’re to temporarily take over as Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Issue a decree to bring the Imperial Grandson back from the mountain immediately! And begin a full-scale manhunt for Pu Wuyong. If he dares resist—kill him on sight!”
Xia Gongong bowed quickly and left to carry out the orders.
The Emperor then turned back to Liu Wangfei with a gentle expression. “The danger has been contained now, Wanyin. Don’t worry. I will ensure your and Mo’er’s safety—no harm will come to either of you.”
Liu Wangfei nodded. “Your Majesty, you may go handle your affairs. Mo’er can play a little longer, then it’ll be time for his nap.”
And the Emperor indeed had much to deal with.
With an incident like this, the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard security detail needed to be thoroughly investigated—every person, top to bottom.
Even the Golden and Imperial Guards weren’t above suspicion.
What was worse were the officials stationed around the outskirts of the capital. The White Lotus Sect had operated and spread right under their noses, and they knew nothing. They had even let remnants of the cult nearly break through to threaten the Emperor himself. Useless, complacent fools—every one of them deserved to die.
