Li Wanming was immediately so furious that she couldn't utter a word.
After making some inquiries later, she found out that it was actually Mrs. Kang who had embellished the story about her intention to adopt Zifu as her god - daughter and told it to the Princess of Ning.
What angered her the most was not that the Princess of Ning had admonished her, but that the princess had blindly favored Mrs. Kang without even asking her a single question. She had even labeled Li Wanming as disrespectful to her elders and unruly in her words and deeds, not giving her a chance to defend herself...
Li Wanming suppressed her anger forcefully. Thinking that she was a newly - wed bride after all and should always be polite, she sent people to the villa twice to pay respects.
However, the Princess of Ning refused to see her every time and only sent one lecture after another, telling her to be sensible and follow the rules.
Oh, what wonderful rules!
Li Wanming was so angry that her fingertips trembled. She simply decided not to go anymore.
— See me or not, it's up to you! If you want, just divorce me and let me go back to my natal family. Then you can find someone else to be the Princess of the Heir Apparent!
"My father - in - law and mother - in - law are deliberately partial. Whatever I say is useless."
Li Wanming's eyes were cold, filled with indescribable disappointment.
After thinking for a while, she said to Qinglan, "Tell your elder brother and sister - in - law that in the next few days, no matter who in the mansion wants to use a carriage or a horse, find an excuse to decline. Especially for the second branch, don't let them go on a long - distance trip..."
The incident today had caused quite a stir. Mrs. Kang would surely rush to cry and complain to the Prince and Princess of Ning.
However, before Mrs. Kang went there, Li Wanming wanted the Prince and Princess of Ning to hear the voices outside. Although these two partial in - laws didn't listen to her, the noisy public opinions would surely reach their ears!
Let them listen carefully about how "virtuous" Mrs. Kang had been in helping her prepare the festival gifts, thus offending the Marquis of Guangyi's Mansion, and how she had behaved inappropriately at the palace banquet and been scolded by the Empress Dowager!
Although this matter wouldn't change the Prince and Princess of Ning's partiality towards Mrs. Kang, it would be good to disgust Mrs. Kang and buy some time for herself.
"No one in the mansion is allowed to go out by carriage or horse in the next two days. If Second Aunt insists on going out, come and report to me."
Qinglan responded and then turned to leave.
Li Wanming had been busy for so many days and had a big fight with Mrs. Kang at night. She felt a splitting headache. After drinking a bowl of soothing soup, she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up the next day, it was already late in the morning.
Qinglan was anxiously calling her beside her, "Princess of the Heir Apparent, Princess of the Heir Apparent?"
"What's going on?" Li Wanming's eyelids were heavy, and she could hardly open them.
"Early this morning, a carriage was sent from the suburban villa to pick up the Second Master!"
"What?" Li Wanming sat up abruptly, "When did this happen?"
"About a quarter of an hour ago." Qinglan said eagerly, "Since the carriage was sent from the villa, my elder brother and sister - in - law didn't dare to stop them and could only let them take the Second Master away. My sister - in - law rushed here immediately to report and told me to come and inform the Princess of the Heir Apparent quickly."
Li Wanming tightened her fingertips, and the apricot - colored hibiscus brocade quilt wrinkled into a ball in her palm. The crimson light reflected in her eyes.
"They invited the Second Uncle instead of Second Aunt?" she mused.
"Yes," Qinglan replied in a hurry, "The person who came was the personal bodyguard beside the Prince. He clearly said that only the Second Master was to go."
Li Wanming lowered her eyes and pondered. After a long time, a smile slowly appeared on her face, and her fingertips smoothed the wrinkles on the quilt.
"Of course. Second Aunt was just scolded by the Empress Dowager yesterday. How dare the Prince and Princess invite her to the villa openly at this time?"
"However, whether it's the Second Uncle or Second Aunt going might not make much difference. Birds of a feather flock together. After all, the Second Uncle is the direct beneficiary of the position of the Heir Apparent that Second Aunt has been scheming for."
She threw off the quilt and got out of bed. "Qinglan, help me change my clothes. I've had several confrontations with Second Aunt, and we've each won some. This time, I'd like to pay a visit to this Second Uncle."
——————
The distance from the capital to the Prince's villa was only about thirty li. If one rode a horse at full speed, they could reach it in half an hour.
After leaving the capital and heading east, there was an apricot grove about two or three li away from the Half - Stone Mountain. There was a Wind - Watching Pavilion beside the official road for merchants traveling from south to north to take a rest.
It was early summer now. The apricot blossoms had withered, and there were faintly visible fluffy and round little apricots on the branches, like cute green jade beads.
Li Wanming ordered people to set up a tea table in the Wind - Watching Pavilion. With a pot of green tea and several plates of snacks, she leisurely waited for Xiao Yuanjie to return.
The distant mountains were like a painting, immersed in the celadon - colored morning mist. The tender tips of the apricot leaves carried dewdrops, outlining the distant peaks like ink spreading on rice paper, making people feel relaxed and happy.
She sipped the tea slowly, but her eyes would occasionally scan the official road at the foot of the mountain.
The Prince of Ning had summoned Xiao Yuanjie this time to find out about the Dragon Boat Festival gifts and surely wouldn't keep him for long. And Xiao Yuanjie was eager to go back and report the result to Mrs. Kang, so he surely wouldn't stay long either.
So he would surely return to the capital via this road before noon.
Today, she was going to lie in wait here and catch Xiao Yuanjie like a turtle in a jar. She wanted to ask him exactly what he had said in front of the Prince of Ning!
However, she waited until the Shen hour, but there was still no sign of Xiao Yuanjie.
She had eaten most of the snacks, and the tea had been refilled three times, but there was still no familiar figure on the official road.
What was going on?
Had Xiao Yuanjie not left the villa?
"Impossible," Gao Yong said in a deep voice, "I clearly saw him leave the main gate of the villa before I came back to report to the Princess of the Heir Apparent."
Then... had he not taken this road?
"That's even more impossible!" Gao Yong flatly denied, "This is the only official road from the villa to the capital."
"Official road?" Li Wanming frowned, "Do you mean there are other small paths?"
Gao Yong pointed in the direction of the Half - Stone Mountain. "To the south over there, there's a narrow path that leads to the former Yue Lao Temple in the mountains. Then you can also get back to the capital via the path in front of the temple. But the mountain road is rough, and the Second Master rides a horse. He can't take that path."
Then why wasn't he seen?
Li Wanming pressed her fingertips against her temple. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that... he was missing?
She suddenly stood up and ordered coldly, "Gao Yong, you leave one person to guard here. Qinglan, you go back to the mansion immediately to see if the Second Uncle has returned. The rest of you, follow me into the mountain via that small path! If we can't find the Second Uncle before it gets dark, we'll immediately report to the Metropolitan Police Office!"
Human life was at stake. Xiao Yuanjie still hadn't been seen by this time. It was very likely that he had had an accident on his way back.
If he had deliberately taken that narrow path to avoid her, then...
Li Wanming's eyes darkened, and she led the bodyguards straight into the forest.
Wild vines climbed on the old trees and spread wantonly. The thorns were overgrown and almost covered the already narrow mountain path. The cicadas were chirping noisily, and the birds were flying away in alarm. The dead branches and leaves under their feet made a fine cracking sound.
Li Wanming pushed aside the overgrown branches, feeling faintly uneasy in her heart. If Xiao Yuanjie really had an accident in this mountain, as the current mistress of the Prince's Mansion, she might not be able to escape the blame.
Moreover, she just wanted to ask a few questions today. She never thought of taking his life.
What a useless guy!
Why did he have to go into the mountain!