Of course, at that time, Ji Shisu had no idea that chaos had broken out in the mansion.
All his thoughts were focused on news of Zhao Luoning.
After his men had inquired in all the neighboring towns but found nothing, his mood instantly sank to the bottom.
He really wanted to grab Zhao Luoning and give her a good spanking.
How dare she run away while carrying his child?
"Any news from the embroiderers? What about Zhao Luochun?"
The clues about the child had come from here, and now all of Ji Shisu's hopes rested on Zhao Luochun.
Yu Chi shook his head and said, "The embroiderers are still making baby clothes, but it seems none of them has been in touch with the mistress. The eldest brother of the Zhao family is the most likely to have contacted the mistress, but he hasn't been out recently."
"Looks like we've alerted the eldest brother."
"What about news of Zhao Luojing?"
"The second young master of the Zhao family said he was going out on business and would be away for three to five years. Since then, he's never shown up. I once sent men to the temple where the second young master recuperated, but there was no sign of him."
"The temple?"
Ji Shisu frowned and suddenly remembered something. He asked, "Yu Chi, I remember you said there was something strange about a certain place. Which one was it?"
"It wasn't a temple. It was a small nunnery."
"Have you checked it?"
Yu Chi shook his head.
"My lord, what's wrong?"
"Come on. Go with me to take a look."
Zhao Luoning always liked to hide in secluded places.
When she was Zhao Luojing, she spent more time in temples than at the Zhao family mansion.
Anyway, they'd searched everywhere else.
The only place left unchecked was Siyu Nunnery.
Even if there was really no one there, it would just be another fruitless search.
Ji Shisu had had so many fruitless searches that he didn't mind one more.
When Ji Shisu and his men rushed to Siyu Nunnery, Zhao Luoning was instructing people to pack their valuables.
She knew that Zixin's performance that day would arouse Yu Chi's suspicion, but she didn't expect Ji Shisu to show up so soon.
Zixin quickly said, "Miss, you go first. I'll order men to block the door and buy you some time."
Zhao Luoning put her hands on her hips.
In her current state, where could she run in such a hurry?
Thankfully, she'd sent her mother away earlier.
Zhao Luoning stroked her belly and quickly thought things through in her mind.
"My child, your mother is going to face off against your father head-on."
Zhao Luoning calmly gave an order.
"Zixin, go and receive them. Tell Ji Shisu directly that you're my subordinate."
Zixin was greatly shocked.
"Miss, what are you..."
Wasn't she trying to avoid him at all costs?
What was going on now?
"Just do as I say."
Zhao Luoning whispered a few words in Zixin's ear. Upon hearing this, Zixin's expression changed from solemn to relaxed.
She nodded and did as Zhao Luoning had ordered.
As for Zhao Luoning, she told Qiuling to close the door of the side room tightly and listen carefully to the sounds outside.
At dusk, Ji Shisu's men surrounded Siyu Nunnery.
Ji Shisu dismounted from his horse.
With such a large commotion, there was no need for Zidou to announce them. Zixin directly opened the door and walked out.
Zixin immediately saw Yu Chi beside Ji Shisu and mocked,
"What, did you feel bullied by us and go find reinforcements?"
Yu Chi was so taken aback by her words that his face turned ugly. He weakly retorted, "You're a nun, but your mouth is quite sharp."
"I don't know what on earth makes this Siyu Nunnery worth all your trouble, my lords."
Only then did Ji Shisu step forward to smooth things over. He said, "I just came to pay my respects. That's all."
This time, Zixin was quite accommodating.
"Fine. If I don't let you in, you won't give up."
She told her younger sister,
"Zidou, open the door."
Zidou nodded and pulled open the wooden door.
Ji Shisu nodded and stepped inside.
Yu Chi wanted to follow in, but was stopped by Zixin.
"If you want to worship Buddha, you should do it with sincerity. How can you be served while worshiping Buddha?"
Ji Shisu gave Yu Chi a look.
Yu Chi understood and had no choice but to obediently step back and wait at the door.
They were here to find the mistress, not to arrest a criminal. One person, the lord, was enough to go in.
Anyway, the nunnery was full of women. They probably wouldn't be able to do anything to the lord.
As soon as Ji Shisu stepped into the nunnery, he knew he'd found the right place.
He smelled a familiar fragrance.
It was the fragrance he often smelled on Zhao Luoning.
This discovery made Ji Shisu overjoyed. He strode towards the source of the fragrance.
Zixin didn't stop him and followed in his footsteps.
The fragrance was coming from a side room with a closed door.
Ji Shisu stopped in front of the door.
He paced back and forth in front of the door a few times, and finally summoned the courage to reach out his hand.
The door wasn't bolted and was easily pushed open.
The people inside all looked up and stared at Ji Shisu.
The side room was large and filled with young girls.
They were busy grinding newly picked flower petals into flower paste to make rouge.
The fragrance Ji Shisu smelled was coming from the semi - finished rouge they were making.
The situation before him left Ji Shisu confused.
At this moment, Zixin stepped forward and said, "This is the flower - grinding room. We also have a steaming room and a paste - pressing room. My lord, would you like to take a tour?"
"What are you doing here..."
"As you can see, we're not a proper nunnery. The nunnery is just a guise."
There was now a reason for Siyu Nunnery to reject Chen Chuliu, but Ji Shisu was even more confused.
Making rouge wasn't making poison. Why did they have to hide it?
Zixin explained, "Our boss is someone you know, my lord."
"Who?"
"The second young master of the Zhao family."
"What?!"
Ji Shisu's heart was pounding.
Was it Ning'er?
"We're all orphan girls taken in by the second young master of the Zhao family. We're here to help the second young master make rouge and sell it in the capital. The second young master didn't want the Zhao family to know, so he ordered us to use the nunnery as a guise."
That made sense.
When Jingxiu and Guixiu reported on Zhao Luoning's situation back then, they'd also said that Zhao Luoning seemed to have a very good relationship with Madame Lu of the rouge shop in the capital.
So this was the origin.
"What about Ning'er... Where's your boss?"
"Gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes. Our boss left the city a long time ago and won't be back for three to five years. Everyone in Huangcheng knows that. What, don't you know, my lord?!"
Ji Shisu's heart soared into the sky one moment and then crashed to the bottom the next.
"I... I thought she was just lying to me. Who would be away on business for four or five years? Do you know where your boss went?"
"To the Kingdom of Chuyun. If it weren't such a far - off place, it wouldn't take three to five years."
Zixin answered without hesitation.
She answered all of Ji Shisu's questions without any concealment. Her acting was flawless.
"The Kingdom of Chuyun?" Ji Shisu murmured. "Yes, that's the most likely place for him to go."
There was Caixue in the Kingdom of Chuyun. It was normal for her to go there to find Caixue.
Now that he had a direction, Ji Shisu felt quite uneasy.
Somehow, there seemed to be a strange premonition telling him that Ning'er hadn't gone to the Kingdom of Chuyun.
She was far away but near at hand.