Chapter 96
**Chapter 96: The Princess Returns**
The courtyard was brightly lit.
Yun'er, the princess's personal maid, went to the princess's chamber as usual that night. Upon opening the door, she found that the princess, who had been resting in bed, was missing. Panic-stricken, Yun'er rushed around, her mind in chaos at the thought of the princess's disappearance.
Shen Wei quickly threw on a robe and got up.
Cai Ping opened the door, and a cold wind mixed with rain rushed in, making Shen Wei shiver.
What a heavy rain, what a cold night.
The courtyard was in disarray, with everyone at a loss. Shen Wei cleared her throat and coldly commanded, "Yun'er, don’t panic. Tell me how many servants and guards are in the courtyard."
Yun'er replied hurriedly, "Six guards, two cooks, six maids, plus a gardener and a doorkeeper."
Shen Wei nodded, swiftly formulating a plan in her mind. She spoke calmly, "Wake everyone up. The guards and maids should search by the lake for the princess. The gardener and doorkeeper will stay here. As for the two cooks, have them prepare wind-chill soup and hangover soup overnight."
At this hour, the gates of Yanjing were already closed. When they open tomorrow, Yun'er, you must go to the palace for help immediately."
In the shortest time possible, Shen Wei had put all the measures in place. The Luoyue Lake lay outside the city, and with the gates shut at night, no one could enter after dark.
The wind-chill soup was meant for the guards and maids searching for the princess; the hangover soup was for the drunken Mo Shenyi. If the princess returned, she would certainly need Mo Shenyi to check her pulse and diagnose her.
After a pause, Shen Wei warned everyone, "The princess is of noble birth, the most beloved daughter of the emperor and empress. If anything happens to her, everyone present will pay the price."
The crowd gasped, quickly following Shen Wei's orders to search for Princess Zhaoyang.
"Master, you’re pregnant; you should go back inside and wait for news," Cai Ping said, worried about Shen Wei's health, guiding her back into the room.
Inside, Shen Wei sat, listening to the muffled sounds of footsteps outside.
She suspected that Zhaoyang had likely sneaked out on her own. Reflecting on the princess's behavior during the day, Shen Wei guessed that Zhaoyang must have gone to meet Yan Yunting in secret.
Shen Wei sighed inwardly. What a good princess, yet she couldn’t see her own heart, caught up in a whirlwind of infatuation, making too many reckless decisions.
No amount of medicine could cure her love-struck mind.
Only through the trials of a storm could the innocent princess see the murkiness of the world.
Shen Wei had a restless night, and when dawn broke, the light rain continued to fall outside. She got up and heard from Cai Ping that the previous night had seen torrential rain, causing the waters of Luoyue Lake to rise. The guards were struggling to search in the rain, and two nearly drowned.
After a long search, they finally spotted a broken red lantern at the eastern pavilion of Luoyue Lake.
The guards speculated that Zhaoyang might have fallen into the lake.
The rain was too heavy, making it difficult to search for Zhaoyang in the water. As the rain lessened in the early hours of the morning, some guards risked their lives to enter the water in search of Zhaoyang's "body," while others continued a thorough search along the shore.
"Master, if something happens to Princess Zhaoyang, we might also be implicated," Cai Ping said, her head hanging low.
Shen Wei sipped a bowl of calming tea. "Keep searching; we need to see her alive or find her body."
If Princess Zhaoyang were to die, Shen Wei could save herself, but those who served Zhaoyang would likely face execution.
Just then, a joyful shout from Yun'er broke through the tension: "The princess is back! Quick, someone come!"
Shen Wei slammed down her teacup and hurried to the courtyard entrance. The sky was still dim, with gray morning light mingling with the fine rain. At the entrance stood Zhaoyang, drenched and expressionless.
She looked utterly disheveled.
Her gilded red gown was torn and tattered, the hem caked with mud.
Zhaoyang's cheeks were swollen, with clear handprints visible, the edges bruised, indicating a heavy hand had struck her. Her damaged clothing bore deep and shallow scratches, some oozing blood.
Her hair was a tangled mess, soaked and hanging over her shoulders. In her hand, she clutched a golden hairpin, its tip stained with blood, the once-sharp end now bent and deformed.
Her expression was hollow, like a blood-red flower that had crawled out of hell.
"Princess!" Yun'er cried out, tears streaming down her face.
Zhaoyang showed no emotion, as if she were a puppet in a daze. Shen Wei rushed forward, grasping Zhaoyang's icy hand. "Princess, come inside and change your clothes."
Zhaoyang's vacant gaze fell on Shen Wei, and she opened her mouth to say, "I’m really ridiculous..."
Her body swayed, and she collapsed against Shen Wei.
Shen Wei caught the fainting princess, feeling her forehead, which was burning hot.
"Quick, Cai Ping, bring the ginger soup from the kitchen for the guards and maids who went out searching for the princess. Yun'er, hurry and summon Mo Shenyi."
Last night, the commotion in the courtyard had been loud, yet it hadn’t awakened the drunken Mo Shenyi.
Shen Wei instructed the maids to help the unconscious Zhaoyang into the room.
Zhaoyang's clothes were soaked through, and the maids quickly changed her into a dry dress. Shen Wei watched, her brow furrowing in concern.
Zhaoyang had several handprints on her face, and her lips were split. Her once fair hands bore numerous scratches. Her clothing was in tatters, as if it had been violently torn apart.
What had she gone through?
"Shen Wei, Mo Shenyi has arrived," Yun'er said, her eyes red from crying, dragging the doctor in.
Mo Shenyi was hungover, his head pounding. He pressed his throbbing temples. "The princess is missing? Why didn’t anyone call for me last night...?"
His clothes were loose and disheveled, his hair a mess.
Seeing Mo Shenyi in this state, Shen Wei frowned and instructed Yun'er, "Yun'er, go to the kitchen and bring the hangover soup for Mo Shenyi. Also, keep the news of the princess's disappearance quiet for now; it would be detrimental to her reputation."
Yun'er understood the gravity of the situation, nodding through her tears as she turned to fetch the prepared hangover soup.
After a bowl of hangover soup, Mo Shenyi seemed to regain some clarity.
Shen Wei dismissed the other servants, leaving only the unconscious Zhaoyang, Shen Wei, Yun'er, and Mo Shenyi in the room.
Mo Shenyi, still looking weary, drank the hangover soup and then gave himself a shot to perk up. He sat on the edge of the bed, preparing to check the princess's pulse.
His fingers paused, and his previously dazed eyes suddenly sharpened. Mo Shenyi squinted, "Get the princess's clothes off; I need to see her back."
Table of Contents
