Hearing this, Princess Yajing lightly furrowed her delicate eyebrows and said in surprise, "Is the Ninth Sister really punished? Why didn't anyone tell me! Alas, the Fifth Sister is too heartless. We are all sisters. How could she punish the Ninth Sister so severely?"
"Copying fifty sheets of characters. I don't know when she'll finish! The Ninth Sister is lively and can never sit still. This punishment is really difficult for her!"
Qiaozhu and Dongzhu were kneeling on the ground. Hearing Princess Yajing's words, they both couldn't help but frown.
But Princess Yajing's tone suddenly became cheerful. "The Fifth Sister only said that the Ninth Sister was not allowed to go out. She didn't say that no one could go in to see her."
"Just right. I brought some poetry collections today. I can study them with the Ninth Sister. It can also relieve her boredom. Otherwise, I'll have made this trip in vain!"
Qiaozhu was startled but still tried her best to keep calm on her face. "This servant thanks the Sixth Princess for her kindness on behalf of our princess. But our princess is confined to reflect. It's really not suitable to see anyone!"
"Please understand, Sixth Princess! So that our princess can complete copying the fifty sheets of characters earlier and then read poetry with the Sixth Princess again!"
Princess Yajing's tone was calm, but her suspicion deepened. "Alas! The maids around the Ninth Sister are so eloquent. I'm really a bit envious!"
"Fine! I'll go back today!"
Although Princess Yajing's words were full of regret, she signaled her four personal maids, Zhichun, Zhongxia, Liqiu, and Ruxue, with her eyes.
The four understood. In a moment when Princess Yajing dodged, they rushed forward and blocked in front of Qiaozhu and Dongzhu. Princess Yajing immediately bypassed them and strode forward.
The maids and eunuchs in Ninghua Palace were in a complete mess. Although they didn't know that the Ninth Princess was not in the palace at the moment, they had indeed received the order from the Fifth Princess to guard the palace gate.
But seeing Princess Yajing who was about to reach under the eaves, they didn't dare to really stop her. They just pretended to block in front.
Qiaozhu struggled hard to break free from Zhichun's block, but was hugged around the waist by Zhongxia and couldn't move. She anxiously shouted, "Sixth Princess, please don't disturb our princess!"
Princess Yajing ignored her and still walked forward. Just when Qiaozhu and Dongzhu were in despair, thinking that the matter was about to be exposed, they suddenly heard a stern voice shouting, "Stop all of you!"
"What are you doing? Stop at once!"
Hearing this, Princess Yajing stopped and turned around. She saw that the person coming was Granny Gui beside the Queen. There were also seven or eight maids and eunuchs from the Queen's palace following behind her.
Granny Gui looked sternly at the chaotic Ninghua Palace. "You are fighting so fiercely, ignoring the palace rules and disturbing the order of the palace. Are you all going to turn the world upside down?"
Princess Yajing's face looked ugly. "Why are you here, Granny Gui?"
Hearing this, Granny Gui pretended to just see Princess Yajing. While saluting, she apologized, "Greetings to the Sixth Princess! This old servant's eyes are dim and didn't see the Sixth Princess. Please forgive this old servant!"
"This old servant is here to deliver an imperial edict by the Queen's order!"
After saying that, she straightened her face. "Deliver the Queen's imperial edict!"
Hearing this, everyone knelt down. Princess Yajing had to kneel down even though she was very reluctant at this moment.
"The Ninth Princess is naughty by nature. She is hereby punished to confine herself to reflect and copy fifty sheets of calligraphy templates to cultivate her character. During the period of her confinement, no one is allowed to visit her!"
After Granny Gui announced the Queen's edict, she bowed to Princess Yajing and said, "The Sixth Princess should come another day! The Ninth Princess will not be out for some days!"
Princess Yajing's face was unpleasant. She stared at the closed palace gate, and her suspicion deepened.
From the fact that Luo Ning never showed up all day, to Luo Yao's inexplicable punishment of confining Luo Ning, and now the Queen also stepped in.
No matter how she thought about it, she felt that there was something strange in this palace. Maybe something had happened to Luo Ning, and that was why the Queen and Luo Yao wanted to keep it a secret.
"What Granny Gui said is right. But I just remembered something and need to tell the Ninth Sister about it!"
"Qiaozhu, come forward and listen to the order!" Granny Gui said to Princess Yajing again, "Your Highness can just tell the maids your words. They will surely convey them to the Ninth Princess!"
Princess Yajing didn't answer her. She just kept staring at the closed palace gate.
"We've been here for such a long time, but we haven't heard a single sound from inside. Could something dangerous have happened to the Ninth Sister inside?"
Then, she shouted loudly towards the palace gate, "Ninth Sister! Ninth Sister! Can you hear me?"
"Sixth Princess! You are not allowed to make a racket in the palace. Please leave quickly!" Granny Gui had a cold wrinkled face, and her eyes were full of dissatisfaction.
But Princess Yajing ignored Granny Gui in front of her and directly turned around and wanted to continue walking towards the palace gate.
"Quick! Quick! Quick! Stop the princess!" The maids and eunuchs she had just brought rushed to the front, but were blocked by the people Princess Yajing had brought. For a moment, they couldn't get close to her.
"Your Highness, you can't do this!"
"I'm worried that something dangerous has happened to the Ninth Princess inside. Now I'm going in to make sure her safety. Who dares to stop me?"
"Sixth Princess, the Ninth Princess is very safe inside the palace. But if you insist on going against the Queen's order, this old servant will report today's matter to the Queen exactly as it is!"
"At that time, what decision the Queen will make is not something this old servant can guess!"
The more Granny Gui tried her best to stop her from going in, the more certain Princess Yajing was that there was something strange about this matter. It was very likely that Luo Ning was not inside at all.
"I'm just worried about the Ninth Sister's safety now. After I'm sure of the Ninth Sister's safety, I'll go to the Queen to receive the punishment myself!"
So, ignoring Granny Gui's words, Princess Yajing pushed aside the maids and eunuchs and opened the palace gate of Ninghua Palace. Granny Gui led the people and followed closely in.
But they only saw the afterglow of the sun filling the palace. In this huge sleeping palace, not a single person could be seen.
"Ninth Sister! Ninth Sister! Can you hear me!" There was only Princess Yajing's own voice in the palace.
"What's going on? Granny Gui, why is there no one here? Where is the Ninth Sister?"
Granny Gui couldn't answer.
Princess Yajing, full of worry, ordered the maids, "The Ninth Princess is not in the sleeping palace now. Maybe something dangerous has happened to her! By my order, search for the Ninth Princess all over the palace!"
"Such a big thing has happened to the Ninth Sister. I have to go and report it to Father Emperor quickly. It's better for him to know this earlier!"
Before the proud smile on Princess Yajing's face disappeared, she heard a puzzled voice coming from behind. "Why do you have to report it to Father Emperor? I'm right here!"
"Ninth... Sister? Why are you here?"