On the way back to the mansion with Wei Dongling, Yu Zixi kept holding her hand and babbling, "It's my fault. I should have arranged a secret guard to protect you earlier. I made you suffer so much."
Wei Dongling said, "Well, after being nursed for so many days, I've gained a lot of weight. I don't know if the new clothes cut from the fabrics you sent to the mansion last time still fit me."
It was okay for her when she was lying in bed. But every time she saw the burning look in the eyes of the Cloud Prince, her heart would be in a knot. Finally, when she could get out of bed, she quickly found a little follower to accompany her, which somewhat diluted the ambiguous atmosphere.
"It doesn't matter. I'll ask someone to send you some more," Yu Zixi replied.
Wei Dongling frowned unhappily. "You're such a spendthrift! Can't you save some silver?"
Yu Zixi was speechless.
Wei Dongling asked, "In the past few days, has your master made things difficult for you?"
Yu Zixi said in a low voice, "My master is okay in other aspects, but he may try to stop our marriage. But don't be afraid. Give me some time and I'll convince him." Then he pulled Wei Dongling's hand and put it on his chest. With red - rimmed eyes and a bitter smile, he said, "Wei Dongling, during the days when you were missing, I just realized that my heart is full of you."
Wei Dongling's nose turned sour. She had also been missing Yu Zixi all the time.
Yu Zixi hugged her slender waist tightly and whispered in her ear, "Wei Dongling, I'll protect you well. I won't let them hurt you at all!"
When it came to the Zhao Mansion, Wei Dongling thought of Prime Minister Su. She quickly pushed Yu Zixi and whispered, "Uncle Li told me that Prime Minister Su is still alive!"
Yu Zixi nodded. "I know."
Wei Dongling was surprised. "You know?"
Yu Zixi was silent for a long time and then said seriously, "Prime Minister Su has a body - protecting token. When the execution took place that year, he was the only one left alive. However, seeing his relatives die in front of his own eyes, it may be more painful to live alone."
Wei Dongling sighed silently. "I heard that Concubine Chen, Prime Minister Su's only daughter, also died in the palace that year."
Yu Zixi's eyelids twitched wildly. He asked in surprise, "How do you know that?"
Wei Dongling didn't answer him. She just said silently, "I want to find out about this matter, clear Prime Minister Su of his unjust charges and prove my father's innocence."
Cold sweat broke out on Yu Zixi's forehead. He said seriously, "Don't act rashly. Especially the matter of Concubine Chen that year. It's a taboo in the palace and must not be mentioned again. I'll help you with what you want to do."
Wei Dongling wanted to say something else, but finally she didn't say a word.
In the General's Mansion, Qi Jinxuan finally waited for Wei Dongling to come back. She rushed forward and hugged her, crying loudly.
Seeing this, Second Master Qi's eyes also turned red. He scolded, "You girl, you don't even know to come back earlier!" Wei Dongling obediently lowered her head to admit her mistake.
Qi Jinxuan quickly pulled her to see the renovated small room, which was actually much more spacious than before. Then the two of them went to try on the new clothes together. Sure enough, the clothes were a bit tight, but they could still be worn.
Qi Jinxuan touched Wei Dongling's small belly and joked, "Tsk tsk tsk, this feels really good!" The two of them were making a ruckus.
"Dongling," Qi Jinxuan said softly, "In a few days, it will be the birthday of Master Kong. I'll go there to give a gift and then come back. I won't stay there for the feast this year."
Wei Dongling was silent for a moment. There was a faint feeling of sadness in her heart. In previous years, she might have been looking forward to seeing the Cloud Prince. This year, she was probably not willing to wait any longer.
"Miss," Wei Dongling hugged Qi Jinxuan's slender waist and said in a muffled voice, "It's all my fault. It's my recklessness that has made you suffer like this."
Qi Jinxuan lowered her head. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. She said in a low voice, "When you had an accident, Lvkou and I were eager to find someone to save you. But we were dragged off the carriage by a group of vicious women. They scolded me... scolded me for deliberately seducing my senior brother..."
Wei Dongling stood there stunned, unable to say a word.
She was so stupid that she even dragged her miss into trouble! Wei Dongling wished she could slap herself hard.
Qi Jinxuan was sad for a long time before she went back in a daze.
Shangguan Yun returned to the mansion to pay respects to the prince and princess. Then he went to the palace to pay respects to the empress dowager and the emperor. After a lot of greetings, it was almost dark when he came back.
Pin Hao brought in some tea and snacks. He saw his prince rummaging through things.
Pin Hao quickly asked, "What is the prince looking for? Let this subordinate find it for you."
Without even raising his head, Shangguan Yun asked him, "Where did you put the brocade bag Miss Wei sent last time?"
Pin Hao's mouth twitched. "Didn't you think the embroidery was too ugly last time and asked this subordinate to throw it away?"
Shangguan Yun looked up in surprise and asked, "Where did you throw it?"
Pin Hao was speechless. "I threw it into the wood - shed with a pile of sundries. By now, it may have been burned to ashes."
After Pin Hao finished speaking, he saw Shangguan Yun get up and run towards the wood - shed at full speed. He had no choice but to follow quickly.
The two of them squatted in the wood - shed, looking for it for a long time with dirty faces, but they still couldn't find it.
Shangguan Yun asked, "Could it really have been burned? Or was it picked up by some servant?"
Pin Hao wondered, "Would anyone pick up something that ugly?" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Shangguan Yun looking at him with a bad look in his eyes. He quickly shut up.
"Found it!" Shangguan Yun happily dug out the dusty brocade bag from a pile of firewood. He waved his hand to pat the dust on it. With a smile in his eyes, he said, "Take a closer look. Actually, the embroidery is not bad! Pin Hao, don't you think so?"
Pin Hao was on the verge of tears. His prince must be blind...
At night, Uncle Li came back.
When Wei Dongling saw who was outside the window, she rushed over in a flash.
Uncle Li looked at Wei Dongling standing in front of him and sighed with emotion, "Girl, you've suffered. You... Well, why have you gained so much weight?"
Wei Dongling was speechless. She thought about how Aunt Xiu had received the silver from Shangguan Yun and had stewed old hen soup with angelica and codonopsis pilosula for her almost every day, forcing her to drink it all. How could she not gain weight? Last time when she climbed a tree, she even broke the branch. Fortunately, she was quick enough not to fall.
Wei Dongling changed the subject. "I heard that you fought bravely and even broke Zhao Chuanyi's leg?"
Uncle Li said, "Well! If it weren't for his servants rushing over, I would have twisted off his other leg too!"
Wei Dongling thought, Uncle Li is awesome!
"Later, I jumped down but couldn't find you. I guessed that you were with that young man Shangguan, so you should be okay," Uncle Li continued.
Wei Dongling sighed. "I almost lost my life."
Uncle Li rolled his eyes. "It's okay as long as you're alive. If you were willing to practice kung fu well and be half as good as me, you wouldn't have been beaten so badly."
Wei Dongling was speechless.
Uncle Li said again, "So, I went to the tea - picking field of the Zhao family in Xingshan by myself."
Wei Dongling was shocked. "Weren't you going to visit Prime Minister Su in the prison? Then you went to Xingshan?"
Uncle Li lowered his head and sighed. "Old Master Su is in a very bad condition. He has some chronic diseases and is even blind."
Wei Dongling remembered what Yu Zixi had said about how it was more painful to live alone. She couldn't help feeling sad.
Uncle Li said again, "The tea - picking field of the Zhao family in Xingshan is just a cover. On the surface, it's a tea - picking field, but actually they are mining iron ore in the mountains and smelting it into iron."
"Iron ore?" Wei Dongling was secretly shocked. Iron ore was generally state - owned, and all the smelted iron had to be handed over to the court. But the Zhao family was secretly mining, smelting and selling it! "Uncle Li, you still have to check on someone! Young Master Mingyang from Xuyang Winery in Liaocheng!"