The day to go to Yuxi Mountain is getting closer and closer.
Pei Yanzhou returned after stepping on the moon, covered in cold air. After finishing his errands, he went directly back to Song Jinyin's house.
He stayed here all day long. Many new objects had been added to the originally small house, and a landscape screen was placed in the middle to form a simple study room.
But he had not moved the things that originally belonged to Song Jinyin in the wooden cabinet, and her bedding was still neatly placed on the bed, as if she had never left.
It was this short-lived illusion that gave Pei Yanzhou renewed hope.
She just came home late and didn't leave.
When Cang Lin entered the room, only the outline of the screen was reflected in his peripheral vision. He lowered his eyes and did not dare to look further, stopping in front of the bookcase.
"Your Majesty, everything is as expected. After the owner of the embroidery shop realized that he was being followed, he deliberately reduced the number of times he went out and had no contact with Bi Chun Tang."
"One or two days before I left Beijing, I completely made myself invisible again, making him think that I had withdrawn my people."
"Yes, I understand that I will let people oppress him for a few days. If he really has other motives, it will be easier for him to reveal his flaws when he thinks he is safe..."
Pei Yanzhou didn't even raise his head, just looking at several purses of different shades placed on the desk.
These, along with the handkerchiefs in the wooden cabinet, must have been things that Song Jinyin had embroidered and prepared to exchange for money.
Now these are all kept by Pei Yanzhou, together with the middle coat that she kept at the bottom and never touched again.
In a daze, he seemed to see Song Jinyin sitting next to the candlelight, her fingertips moving lightly, and her stitches were carefully taken.
But at that time, he didn't want to admit his heart, didn't dare to face it, and never cherished it.
Now when I feel regretful, I can no longer see the person, and I don’t even know when I can find him back.
The dullness returned.
Cang Lin was still reporting the news in his hand, but Pei Yanzhou came back to his senses and listened carefully.
He deliberately let people reveal his whereabouts and arouse the vigilance of the owner of the embroidery shop, just to make that person panic.
Ordinary people will only lose their sense of proportion when they see how such a battle can be treated calmly.
If he had been in contact with Song Jinyin, or if he was involved with Shen Yuhe and others, this oppression would allow his people to find a reason when the pressure was relaxed.
The most important thing is that he acted like this just to align everything with the time when he returned to Beijing from Yuxi Mountain.
He wanted to personally investigate everything that might be related to Song Jinyin.
"If I find any information related to her... I'll protect her secretly first, don't try to alert others, and when I return to Beijing, I'll pick her up in person."
"Yes, Your Majesty, it's just that when you go to Yuxi Mountain, you must have no one by your side. This subordinate..."
"I know well that you have other things to do."
Pei Yanzhou interrupted Cang Lin's words, and finally moved his eyes away from the purse and fell on the man in front of him who bowed his head and listened to the instructions.
"During this period, you personally lead people to keep an eye on Shen Yuhe, and the use and whereabouts of all medicines sent from him must be found out. If the third prince notices, there is no need to hide it."
Pei Yanzhou spoke coldly, as if he was placing his meager hope on everything.
But he also knew in his heart that if normal, Shen Yuhe and the owner of the embroidery shop should not have any contact with Song Jinyin, especially since they were businessmen who were accustomed to weighing the pros and cons.
But if there is really a connection, there must be some secret hidden in these two people.
After Kurin retreated, the room fell into silence again.
The night is as cold as water.
Pei Yanzhou sat behind the desk, picked up his purse, and rubbed it gently with his fingertips. His stern eyebrows were hidden in the flickering lights, which also concealed the darkness and depth in his eyes.
...
In the Duke's Mansion.
Even if Zhuyayuan didn't let anyone get close to investigate, the old lady also noticed something was wrong inside.
She had indeed never seen Song Jinyin again, and even the few people she arranged to hang around outside the hospital had not heard a word about Song Jinyin for so many days.
There is also the imperial edict that was not received that day.
The old lady has been worried and dissatisfied these past few days.
Although her eldest grandson is valued by His Majesty, he behaves too arrogantly and even dares to forget the imperial decree. He is not as stable as a grandson of the Pei family should be, and is becoming more and more out of control.
She felt uneasy in her heart. It was more like she saw the shadow of his mother in him, which made her think about making a choice.
When Ms. Liu entered Fuluyuan with her breakfast, the old lady's brows furrowed tightly and never relaxed.
Grandma Fu had been comforting her for a long time, and she felt relieved when she saw the visitor smiling.
Putting aside the commotion that Mrs. Liu made when she entered the house and her original status as a widow, this lady is really the person in the house who can please the old lady the most.
Seeing her carrying breakfast, her face rosy and energetic, Nanny Fu felt that whatever words came out of her mouth would be tinged with joy.
"What happened to the old lady?"
Ms. Liu took off her cloak, then put down her things, smiling gently and gracefully.
Aunt Fu hurriedly greeted her and helped lay out breakfast. When no one else was around, her words were full of intimacy.
"Mrs. Side is finally here. Maybe the old lady thinks the medicine tastes too strong and she has been unhappy!"
How could Madam Liu not know the meaning of these words.
The newly prescribed medicines were all due to the discomfort caused by the prince's failure to receive the imperial edict that day, and this unhappiness was the old lady's dissatisfaction with this eldest grandson.
But even if they knew that the old lady was worried, no one dared to tell the prince's fault to her face.
She, Mrs. Liu, would never be so stupid.
"Look at me, I forgot to bring some cakes and fruits for the old lady today, but let me tell you, if the old lady gets the new information about the second young master, I'm afraid she won't need those things to serve as medicine."
"Mrs. Side, this is..."
Grandma Fu looked back at the old lady with a look of surprise in her eyes.
Sure enough, the person above, who had a straight face at first, suddenly smiled a little.
"Have you heard about Jin Zhi's return?"
"Yes, madam."
Mrs. Liu stepped forward to help him up, walked to the table, and said with a smile: "Last night, I heard something from the Duke of the State, saying that the second young master should be working hard. He should be able to enter the city in the next two days. I have an early morning." I was thinking that it would be better to let the old lady know about this happy event as early as possible."
"You are serious. The second son is so confused. He actually has to ask your eldest brother to talk to me about the news about his son!"
"Don't be upset, old lady. When the second lady comes back, she may still blame me for talking too much."
Ms. Liu's voice was gentle, and when she talked about business, she never left the word "concubine" in her words, and her posture was extremely low, which made the people in front of her shudder again.
"The Duke of Guo said that the second master has been too busy recently and seemed to be drinking with his colleagues last night. I am thinking about the second young master. I am afraid that the old lady has been looking forward to it. No, I came here early in the morning. I want to please the old lady."
"Why do you need to please me?"
After hearing the news about Pei Jinzhi, the old lady's brows relaxed completely, and her eyes burst into laughter.
"I heard that the boss has been staying in your house as soon as he returns home these days, so I said you should put some thought into him and secure your position."
"The old lady still loves me. Without the old lady's reminder, I wouldn't have thought of that in my heart."
When the conversation changed, Mrs. Liu showed a close look on her face, but there was always a hint of distance in her smile, and her eyes were clear and light.
"I know you are safe, but from now on, you have to keep a close eye on the news about the big house. Even Yan Zhou's Zhuya Courtyard, you can't completely ignore it."
Seeing that the old lady's face became serious, Mrs. Liu lowered her eyes and suppressed some of her smile, "The old lady feels sorry for the prince, but she must also feel sorry for me. Let me go to find out about the prince, isn't it... "
"This is the Duke's mansion after all, and the boss is his father after all."
The old lady looked at Mrs. Liu, her eyes darkened, "When Jinzhi comes back, there are some things in this house that I will try to get him to do. Don't worry about anything else. No matter where the second wife goes in the future, I will never let my second wife get past you."
...
When Mrs. Liu left Fuluyuan, the smile on her lips finally became a little more sarcastic.
She went directly to Aunt Fang's place without stopping.
The robe that Aunt Fang used to "practice" should be fully made, and she should also confirm who can wear that robe.
Ms. Liu walked leisurely in the cold wind.
No matter how many people in this house fight, she doesn't care, but the only one who can take the position of the Crown Prince and the future Duke is Pei Yanzhou.
"Mrs. Side!"
A clear voice came, filled with joy, interrupting her thoughts.
It's the second girl, Pei Fanlin.
She was carrying a three-layered small box that she didn't know where she came from, and ran towards Mrs. Liu with a smile on her face.
The cold wind rolled up her skirt and black hair, and the heat in her breath blurred her face. Liu was suddenly in a trance, and when she saw the person clearly, she felt a heavy hammer in her heart.
Then his face was full of smiles, gentleness and warmth.
"It's cold, second girl, please slow down."
