PS: Thanks to book friend Hua Xiaoyun for the tip.
"My Jiong'er!" Queen Zhou cried in tears.
Of the two sons, one was taken away by Zhou Yanru, while the other son lost his life in the palace.
"Who told you that my prince is missing? Has anyone brought him here?" Chongzhen asked in a cold voice.
The prince actually disappeared in the palace, which was no less than a provocation to the imperial power and a slap in the face of the emperor.
"That's the person." Wang Chengen stepped aside and turned around to point his finger at the little eunuch who was also kneeling on the ground.
Chongzhen looked at the other party.
"You were the one who discovered Jiong'er was missing?" Chongzhen stared at the little eunuch on the ground with suppressed anger.
The little eunuch trembled and replied: "Yes, yes, it was my slave who discovered that the little prince was missing. Also missing was the wet nurse."
"When did Jiong'er and wet nurse disappear?" Chongzhen asked.
The little eunuch stammered: "When I went out to pour water, the little prince and the wet nurse disappeared. I looked around again but couldn't find it. I met the prince on the way."
"So Jiong'er and the nurse disappeared not long ago?" Chongzhen asked.
His eyes were fixed on the little eunuch.
The little eunuch didn't dare to raise his head, so he lowered his head and replied: "Yes, yes, he disappeared not long ago."
At this time, Queen Zhou said nervously: "Your Majesty, someone must have taken away our Jiong'er during the chaos. Please ask your Majesty to send someone to seal the palace door. We must not let the thieves take Jiong'er away from the palace."
"Queen, don't worry, Jiong'er can't be lost. Maybe the wet nurse took Jiong'er out for a walk around the area." Chongzhen comforted Queen Zhou in a soft voice.
But the anger in his heart was almost uncontrollable.
The nanny would never dare to wander around with a little prince who can't even walk without receiving the Holy Order or Yizhi. It was obvious that someone took advantage of the tiger-shaped flag to invade and secretly abducted the little prince while the palace was in chaos.
It's definitely not an ordinary person who can do such a thing.
Unfortunately, the tiger-shaped flag army had already entered the inner city and would soon attack the palace. He had no chance to find out who was plotting against the little prince again.
"My eldest companion, go immediately to the palace gates and pass on my instructions. Anyone who finds the little prince will be promoted to the third rank, and whoever brings the little prince back will be granted the title of uncle." Chongzhen told Wang Chengen.
"This slave will go and deliver His Majesty's instructions. No one will take the young prince out of the palace." Wang Chengen got up from the ground and trotted out of the hall.
Chongzhen looked at the little eunuch kneeling on the ground and said: "You go back and continue to look for Jiong'er. If you find him, I will appoint you as the eunuch Bingbi. If you can't find him, he will be sent to the East Factory for interrogation."
"This slave will definitely find the little prince." The little eunuch promised firmly.
After the young eunuch left, Queen Zhou looked at Chongzhen worriedly and said, "Your Majesty, I am still worried. I want to find Jiong'er in person."
"Queen, don't worry, I have arranged for someone to look for her. As long as Jiong'er is still in the palace, she will be found." Chongzhen comforted Queen Zhou.
Although he said so, he could not guarantee that Zhu Cijiong would be in the palace.
It would be easy for the wet nurse to take Zhu Cijiong privately to visit other places in the palace. He was afraid that there was someone behind this. If that was the case, it would not be easy to find his son back.
When the Tiger-Character Banner army broke through the outer city, news spread in the palace. When the young eunuchs and maids in the palace learned the news, many people became panicked.
Many of them grew up in the palace. When they heard that the capital might fall into the hands of rebels like Tiger Flag, many people in the palace didn't know what to do. Some people simply wanted to take something valuable. Escape from the palace to live, and there are many such people.
Even the guards in the palace were in a mess, especially the Lord's children. Many people simply left the palace and returned home. Some people knew that the Tiger Flag was attacking the city, so they did not go on duty, but found an excuse not to be there. value.
Donghua Gate is usually entered and exited by courtiers.
Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren took the crown prince out of the palace, also through Donghua Gate.
When the two people left the palace, there was a sedan beside them.
The Crown Prince's cry could be heard faintly in the sedan, and when the sedan passed by Donghua Gate, the cry was noticed by the British Duke Zhang Weixian and others here at Donghua Gate.
"Stop the sedan!" British Duke Zhang Weixian said.
Immediately, the British palace guards and people from other families stopped the sedan leaving the palace.
"My lord, what's going on?" Dingyuan Marquis Deng Wenming came up and asked the British Duke Zhang Weixian in confusion.
When a sedan comes out of the palace, it must have a way of coming. How can ordinary people be qualified to leave the palace in a sedan? Moreover, the sedan leaving the palace will naturally be inspected by the guards guarding the palace gate.
If he can be released by the guards, nothing will happen.
"I am old, you should also listen to see if there are any children crying inside the sedan." British Duke Zhang Weixian turned his ear towards the sedan and listened.
When Dingyuan Hou Deng Wenming heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
The identity of the children who emerge from it is self-evident.
"My lord, what's going on? Why did you stop the sedan chair?" Zhou Yanru quickly came to the British lord and said politely.
The British Duke was the first among the nobles, his status was unattainable in Beijing, and he controlled the capital camp. Zhou Yanru had to laugh and bow his head when facing the British Duke.
"What happened in the sedan?"
Before Britain could speak openly, Marquis Deng Wenming of Dingyuan opened his mouth to question.
Zhou Yanru hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "My lord, my lord, please take a moment to speak."
The three people came to a place a little away from the crowd.
Zhou Yanru then whispered the identities of the people in the sedan and explained the reason for leaving the palace.
"You just brought people out just by touching your upper lip to your lower lip. I can't let you leave just like that. Without His Majesty's will, you can't take away the people in the sedan." British Duke Zhang Weixian said.
Zhou Yanru hesitated for a moment and said, "Since the Duke of the State doesn't believe it, please take a look at this before speaking."
With that said, he took out the imperial edict that Chongzhen had given him and handed it to the British Duke.
The British official who received the imperial edict used his body to block it, opened the imperial edict little by little and read it over.
After looking at the seal under the imperial edict, and making sure it was correct, he returned it to Zhou Yanru and said at the same time: "Since it is His Majesty's will, let's go, but you must protect His Highness."
"Don't worry, sir. Even if I die, I will definitely protect your highness." Zhou Yanru promised in front of the British prince.
British Duke Zhang Weixian nodded.
With the British Duke's consent, the sedan chair was quickly let go.
"My lord, have we not already arranged for another prince to go to Nandu, why are we letting Zhou Yanru and the others go?" Dingyuan Marquis Deng Wenming asked in confusion.
Everyone knew that if the two princes went to Nandu at the same time, it was very likely that they would be used by others and become tools to fight for power.
(End of chapter)
