Only by doing this could he avoid arousing the suspicion of the guards when leaving the palace. In this way, Sister Xuan and his imperial brother wouldn't know that he had left the palace so soon.
Xin Yeheng was deep in thought and making plans in the inn room. He knew that he could only deceive them for a short while, not for several days. He had to figure out how to explain it to Sister Xuan and his imperial brother when he got back. He couldn't let them know that he had taken the Phoenix Feather Mirror.
Just then, he suddenly thought of Qi Ha'er. If he could find Qi Ha'er and blame the disappearance of the Phoenix Feather Mirror on him, then Sister Xuan and his imperial brother wouldn't suspect him, nor would they wonder what he had left the palace for.
However, he didn't know where Qi Ha'er had gone. He thought Qi Ha'er should still be in the palace; they just hadn't found him yet.
Wei Shuxuan felt strange. Given Xin Yeheng's personality, since she had left a message for him, he should have come to find her. Was he busy with something?
"What's wrong, Xuan'er? Lost in thought all by yourself."
Xin Zizhao returned to Fenghe Palace from the imperial study. As soon as he entered, he saw Wei Shuxuan holding her chin, seemingly lost in thought. Hearing Xin Zizhao's familiar voice, Wei Shuxuan came back to her senses and showed a faint smile on her face. ".....You're back? Have you finished dealing with all the affairs in the court?"
"Almost. I've removed all those ministers who opposed me before from their posts on the charge of treason, thrown them into prison, and in a few days, I'll confiscate their properties and exile them to the border."
"Humph, they deserve it!" Wei Shuxuan spat out in annoyance at those ministers. Who asked them to bully her Xin Zizhao? It served them right to end up like this! "Well done. Don't let those people off. Who asked them to treat you like this!"
Hearing her words, Xin Zizhao felt extremely touched. He reached out and pulled her to his side, making her sit on his lap. Wei Shuxuan didn't react in time and plopped down on Xin Zizhao's leg. "What are you doing, Xin Zizhao?"
She struggled to get up, but Xin Zizhao held her tightly. The warm touch from his body and the faint cedar fragrance made Wei Shuxuan forget her surroundings for a moment. All she could hear was his voice. "Xuan'er, thank you for standing up for me like this. Apart from my master and Xin Shang, you're the only one by my side."
Wei Shuxuan smiled, looked at Xin Zizhao's face, and pinched him hard. "What are you talking nonsense about? You're mine. If I don't treat you well, who else will?"
"Sometimes, I think what you say makes sense, but other times, I think you're just like a little idiot..." After saying that, Xin Zizhao laughed softly.
Hearing Xin Zizhao's laughter, Wei Shuxuan thought Xin Zizhao seemed to be in a good mood today. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Did something good happen?"
"It's not really about good or bad. I just hope that the matter of Sima Tianhai can be resolved as soon as possible so that we can be together without worry."
After lingering with Xin Zizhao for a while, Wei Shuxuan then said to him, "Speaking of which, Yeheng still hasn't come to find me. I clearly left a message for him."
"Not coming yet. This is a bit out of character for him..." Xin Zizhao knew Xin Yeheng's personality very well.
"I think maybe he hasn't come back yet..." Wei Shuxuan said in a low voice. Xin Zizhao turned to look at Wei Shuxuan, his handsome brows furrowed. "Did he go out?"
"Yes. I heard from the guards in his bedroom that he went out early this morning with a few people. I asked the guard if he knew where he went, and he said he didn't know. He also didn't know when Yeheng would come back. Yeheng should be out on business, right? He won't encounter any danger, will he?" Thinking of this, Wei Shuxuan showed deep concern on her face.
Seeing Wei Shuxuan so worried, Xin Zizhao stroked the hair that fell by her ear. "Don't worry. I'll send someone to look for him outside the palace later to see if they can find him."
"Okay, thank you."
Early the next morning, Xin Yeheng got up very early. He woke up Xiao Li and the two guards who were still sleeping and was ready to set off.
"I'm sorry to trouble the three of you, but this matter is urgent. I must do it as soon as possible. I'll trouble you for the next few days. When we get back to the palace, I'll approve a holiday for the three of you."
"Thank you, Young Master Xin!"
"Let's set off!"
Fortunately, Quan'an Town wasn't too far from the capital. If they hurried on their way, they should be able to get there in about three days, Xin Yeheng thought. It would take about six days for a round trip. Calculating the time, he should be able to return to the palace within ten days.
Four days had passed, and Wei Shuxuan still hadn't received any news about Xin Yeheng. She went to Huaman Palace, and the old nursemaid in the palace told her that the Eleventh Prince hadn't been back for several days. Even the old nursemaid was very worried. "Empress, what should we do? His Highness the Prince has been out for so long and hasn't come back. Has something happened to him?"
"Old nursemaid, don't worry. It's okay. I've already asked His Majesty to look for him. Also, if the Eleventh Prince comes back, send someone to inform me, okay?" Wei Shuxuan comforted the old nursemaid, but who could comfort her?
Wei Shuxuan left Huaman Palace. She knew that Xin Zizhao was dealing with official business in the imperial study at this time. She walked quickly to the imperial study, feeling both anxious and worried.
When she arrived at the imperial study, Xiao Gaozi was outside the door. Wei Shuxuan looked at the closed door and asked Xiao Gaozi in a low voice, "Xiao Gaozi, is His Majesty busy now? Is there anyone in the imperial study?"
"Your Majesty is currently reviewing memorials. There's no one else in the imperial study at the moment. Your Majesty the Empress can go in and discuss matters with His Majesty."
"Okay, thank you, Xiao Gaozi."
"You're welcome, Your Majesty the Empress."
As soon as she entered the imperial study, before Wei Shuxuan could speak, Xin Zizhao spoke first. "Xuan'er, so fidgety. What are you going to do?"
"Xin Zizhao, have the people you sent found Yeheng? Four days have passed, and there's still no news."
Wei Shuxuan was a bit anxious. Looking at Wei Shuxuan's anxious face, Xin Zizhao sighed helplessly. "Not yet. But someone came to report that someone saw him in the market on the morning four days ago. They said he hired a carriage and headed towards the western suburbs."
"Then did you send someone to the western suburbs to look for him?"