Yu Mingyue, with her sharp tongue, explained the situation clearly in a few sentences.
Madam Cui and Yu Zeyan exchanged glances, fearing that something truly serious had happened in the capital.
However, he was merely the deputy minister of the Ministry of Justice. Without notification from his superior, he couldn't overstep his bounds and could only wait for news at home.
Fortunately, Jing'er was out, and he was always steady; if there was any news, he would surely send someone to inform them.
Yu Mingjing quickly comforted her daughter, "There are many people during the Lantern Festival. Perhaps someone got lost, and it alarmed the yamen. Don't be scared."
Yu Mingyue pretended to believe her father's words, nodded, drank a bowl of sweet soup, and returned to her courtyard.
Father was trying to fool a child. The Imperial Guards were mobilized. Could it be that a concubine had gone missing from the palace?
Of course, she only dared to think such disrespectful thoughts in her heart.
Xie Jia'an returned to his residence and went directly to the study. "Liankong, go and inquire at all the city gates. I need to know everything, no matter how small, especially... in the direction of Qianshan Temple."
"Yes!" Liankong vanished instantly after speaking.
Xie Jia'an sat at his desk, his fists clenched. He feared that his return to the capital would bring her trouble.
Xie Jia'an copied the Lotus Sutra in his study all night without closing his eyes. Liankong returned at the end of the Yin hour.
"Young Master, Qianshan Temple is safe."
Xie Jia'an put down the brush in his hand, his face visibly relaxing. "Did you find out what happened?"
"The third daughter of the Yao family was abducted. She was found, but..."
"But... she was found on a pleasure boat," Liankong said, lowering his head, somewhat embarrassed, his ears turning red.
Xie Jia'an had clearly not expected this outcome. After a moment of silence, he said, "I understand. You haven't slept all night, go and rest."
Yao Sanniang was the niece of Noble Consort Yao. The Marquis of Chengen's mansion was a power in the capital that no one dared to provoke. Who had such audacity?
Yao Sanniang's disappearance had alarmed the Imperial Guards. With such a large-scale search, by dawn, everyone who needed to know in the capital would know.
The Yao family had always been arrogant, and Yao Sanniang was even more so. She had offended countless noble ladies in the capital.
But the consort was favored, so they could only endure it.
If it were anyone else, they might have felt sympathy. However, with Yao Sanniang's situation, many noble ladies in the capital were secretly watching the show.
A noble lady found in such a place would have her reputation utterly ruined.
Yao Sanniang was a strong-willed person, so she would likely...
Indeed, before evening, news arrived that Yao Sanniang had hanged herself.
Madam Luo, the wife of the Marquis of Chengen, fainted from crying. She had given birth to two sons and one daughter, and this daughter was cherished like her own eyes.
Every year, the capital celebrated the Lantern Festival for three days. But this year, all the noble ladies tacitly stayed at home, and no one dared to go out.
On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, Chihua learned that the eldest daughter of the Yao family had fallen gravely ill. According to a physiognomist, this illness required her to stay away from worldly affairs and be accompanied by Buddhist scriptures for her recovery. The eldest daughter of the Yao family had already shaved her head and become a nun.
Yu Mingyue instantly understood. Everything had a cause and effect. Indeed, heaven's will was just, and retribution was cyclical. The Yao family would have to bear the bitter consequences they had brewed themselves.
Without anyone else's intervention, their own family had torn themselves apart, ending in mutual destruction. They truly lived up to being the Yao family with the Emperor's deepest favor.
In the palace, Noble Consort Yao was furious. Were her elder and second brothers insane? Hadn't she already told Madam Luo that she would choose between the eldest and third daughters as a secondary consort for her son?
The Emperor had designated the sixth daughter of the Yu family to win over the scholars of Jiangnan for his son. The sixth daughter was only thirteen years old after the New Year. It would take several years for her to come of age and enter the palace. By then, the eldest or third daughter would have already established a firm footing in the palace.
When the Emperor's son ascended the throne, the prince born to a Yao family lady would be made Crown Prince. The mother would be honored for her son's status, and the position of Empress would surely belong to the Yao family.
But what were they doing? The entire family was fighting amongst themselves, and both legitimate daughters were lost.