Yu Pin hesitated slightly, her breath caught for a mont!
She slowly raised her head, pondered for a mont, and said: "Yes, the Imperial Concubine Yun took away the Purple Jade Bracelet you gave her back then as a tribute from the Western Regions. She said she liked the item best and it could serve as a nto."
Qi Yun’s face twitched again, was it really the Purple Jade Bracelet?
A hint of disappointnt flashed in his eyes.
But he remained persistent and asked: "Is there anything else?"
"No, that’s all. Back then, Yunhai Palace was reduced to ashes, and many things were gone. At the ti, the Imperial Concubine Yun clutched the Seventeenth Prince as she hurried out, only wearing that Purple Jade Bracelet on her wrist..."
Qi Yun was taken aback, slowly nodding: "Alright, I understand, return to the palace!"
"Safe travels, Your Majesty!"
Yu Pin once again bowed down on the ground.
However, when she slowly raised her head, the corner of her mouth curled into a slight smile...
"Go, investigate, go to the borderlands and investigate, everyone that matches the age must be checked!"
As soon as Qi Yun left Zilan Palace, he imdiately ordered Chen Zhong, who was at his side, to handle the matter. Chen Zhong did not protest and hurried away.
Yulong Pavilion, as the Emperor’s largest intelligence agency, always operated efficiently, but because they had been deploying manpower within Daliang previously, they were counter-attacked by Daliang’s intelligence agency, resulting in misfortune.
But fortunately, Qi Yun, for so unknown reason, had people pulled back from Daliang, and montarily, intelligence within Dazhou was running wildly, soon gathering countless pieces of information in Shengjing City.
"I report to Your Majesty, subordinates have discovered that indeed, there was a person in black carrying a newly born baby heading southwards back then. It is estimated that the person ca from the Imperial Palace, because the direction he’s headed extends straight to the palace’s harem gate!"
In the Imperial Study Room, Luosha, the second-in-command of Yulong Pavilion, reported his findings in detail, while Yama, the first-in-command, had already been dispatched by Qi Yun to secretly guard Li Qingmu.
Qi Yun was reading a morial, and his hand trembled slightly upon hearing this.
Could it be... is it really true?
"Where did he go? Can it be investigated?"
"Your Majesty, he headed south! Subordinates have already ordered people to track all the way down, barring unforeseen circumstances, we should receive the information within these two days."
Luosha expressed his joy.
Searching for one person amidst the vast sea of people is indeed very difficult, but if that person has surfaced, then pursuing them will beco much easier.
Nineteen years ago, the disappearance of Imperial Concubine Yun and the Seventeenth Prince was an unsolved case, but now, it seems about to be cracked.
As a senior mber of Yulong Pavilion, Luosha too was extrely delighted.
Qi Yun squinted, showing little emotion on his face, or perhaps it was just that emperors should not show their emotions.
He waved his hand, "Go, report imdiately once there’s news!"
"Yes, subordinates withdraw!"
Luo Sha bowed and retreated. Qi Yun slowly rose, approached a cabinet, opened the drawer, and took out a rectangular embroidered box.
He carefully opened the embroidered box, revealing a scroll inside.
Qi Yun unfurled the scroll, which depicted a young girl gracefully dancing by a lakeside. The girl’s figure was slender, her waist barely graspable, her brows curved like willow leaves, like the crescent moon, and her gem-like eyes seed to speak.
These two features alone were so vivid!
This was a peerless beauty!
Qi Yun glanced at the scroll, then rolled it up again and placed it back inside the embroidered box.
He looked up, gazing out a window on one side, seeing the flowers gradually withering and leaves falling in abundance.
He chuckled softly, his smile carrying a hint of satire: "It’s becoming more and more interesting!"
...
Jiangling County, Southern Territory!
Yicheng.
This is a relatively remote city, separated by two other cities from Ling’an. It seems not far, but in between are vast stretches of prival forests and towering mountain ranges that could rival several towns.
So Yicheng is not far from Ling’an City, but the situations of the two places differ greatly.
Ling’an City is the capital of Jiangling County, imnsely prosperous, a typical land of plenty, with the Yangjiang Grand Canal beside it, making river transport very developed, convenient transportation driving here the business day by day towards prosperity.
While Yicheng, far in the remote mountains beyond the forests, not to ntion inconvenient transportation, human comings and goings are few, and the tall mountain ranges in between further hinder developnt here.
Poor landscapes breed cunning people, the folk customs here are simple, but crafty people are also not few.
Indeed, on a street in a small county town, two won were pulling each other’s hair and fighting, each one chanting filthy words and even kicking each other.
People nearby were rely watching the drama, for the mundane lives of people, seeing won fighting, seed to have a unique charm.
"Oh, Mrs. Li Zhou, your younger son is a habitual thief, shaless, he stole my eggs again, humph! Let’s see if I don’t beat you to death!"
"Bah, who stole your eggs? Second Wife of the Qian Family, don’t falsely accuse people without evidence. My family now, how it’s said, is the wealthiest over these ten miles. We’ve torn down the old house and planted fields, and in the county town, we have a three-entry residence, who would covet a asly egg from you?"
Identified as Mrs. Li Zhou, the woman wore extrely fine cotton clothing with a few beautiful embroidered flowers on it, a golden hairpin inserted into her bun, radiant and seemingly valuable.
"Plop!"
As the two tussled, the Second Wife of the Qian Family disrupted Mrs. Li Zhou’s hair, imdiately dropping the golden hairpin to the ground. Mrs. Li Zhou angrily retaliated with force.
Qian Erniang, montarily careless, was pushed fiercely into a full embrace, falling to the ground. Seeing the fight was lost, she pointed at Mrs. Li Zhou and shouted insults loudly.
Mrs. Li Zhou snorted, deftly picked up the golden hairpin, retorted with a spitting sound, cursed back, and towards the end, even started waving the golden hairpin at the other’s face.
"Look, just look, my family now has money aplenty, who’d covet your damn egg? I’m telling you, if you continue to slander my A qiu, I’ll go to the county governnt and report you!"
"Mrs. Li Zhou, you shaless one, you dare!"
"What do I have not to dare? Humph, doesn’t everyone know your son went missing, and you bla it on my family? Back then, that affair involved Li Qingmu, but the matter with him already has nothing to do with our family, yet you still cling onto us, where’s your reason?"
Mrs. Li Zhou supported her waist with one hand, making an orchid gesture with the other, pointed at the other expressing, "This is what they call fallacious reasoning! You just want to extort money from my family!"
"I... I spit!"
Qian Erniang, staring at the glittering hairpin, felt her eyes were being blinded. Her jealousy just couldn’t be expressed, like a prehistoric beast raging to burst out!
Thinking of her son who had been missing for years, Qian Erniang felt a lump of blood congested in her chest, almost suffocating her!
She truly wished she could kill every Li Family mber!
She didn’t care whether Li Qingmu had anything to do with his family, anyway, that young rascal was raised by the Li family, so the Li family ought to be held accountable!
"I... I’ll fight you..."
Feeling life worthless without her son, Qian Erniang, in a fit of rage, grabbed a stone fragnt at her side and charged like a madwoman at Mrs. Li Zhou!
"Stop her quickly!"
People around all cried out in alarm, the stone’s tip was sharp, such a hit could be fatal!
But it was too late, Qian Erniang’s rise was too sudden, her speed too fast, people nearby were too far, indeed couldn’t stop her.
"Mom!"
Just at this mont, a familiar voice suddenly sounded, Qian Erniang’s figure abruptly paused.
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