Hearing a familiar voice, Xiao Yihao's body instantly went limp, and Su Cheng, holding him, hid behind a nearby rockery.
The pursuing palace maids could no longer see Xiao Yihao's figure once they reached this area.
Two of them even searched in the direction of the rockery.
However, with Su Cheng carefully hiding Xiao Yihao, those two palace maids did not spot them.
But Aunt Wang kept lingering around, and Su Cheng dared not act rashly. Holding Xiao Yihao in his arms, he only dared to walk out when it was dark.
"Are we safe now?" Xiao Yihao was so scared his legs had gone weak, but he felt very reassured in Su Cheng's arms.
"They won't come over again for now, but you can't go back to your previous residence. I'll take you to where I live."
Although the male servants were confined in the same courtyard, each still had their own room. While a bit rudimentary, the privacy was quite good.
Su Cheng led Xiao Yihao along a less-trafficked path, and after much hiding and sneaking, they finally returned to his residence.
Once they were settled, Xiao Yihao dared to tell Su Cheng why he was being chased.
"Today, I merely asked that aunt about my mother's recent situation, but her words were clearly evasive. When I sensed something was wrong, I saw killing intent in her eyes."
After recounting his situation, Xiao Yihao then held Su Cheng's hand.
"Brother Su, something must have happened to Mother. She might be imprisoned now. If not, Mother would have found a way to send me a message."
Combining Aunt Wang's behavior today, Xiao Yihao finally understood everything.
Seeing how agitated he was, Su Cheng quickly calmed him down.
"Don't worry. Your mother is so capable. If something had really happened, how would Aunt Wang still keep you and Miss Su alive? It's likely that her actions today were to avoid alerting the enemy. So, even if your mother is imprisoned, she must be safe."
He analyzed the current situation seriously, allowing Xiao Yihao to feel at ease.
Thinking that what Brother Su Cheng said made some sense, Xiao Yihao sniffled.
"Even if Mother is alright now, if this continues for a long time, who knows what might happen."
Knowing his deep concern, Su Cheng stroked his little head.
"Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to rescue your mother. Your primary task now is to rest well, so that when your mother returns, she won't worry seeing you like this."
Hearing Su Cheng's words, Xiao Yihao let out a long sigh of relief. Although he didn't speak, his small hand still held onto Su Cheng's sleeve.
What happened today would have frightened even an adult, let alone a child.
Su Cheng carried him to his own bed, patting his back and comforting him.
Due to the fright, he only gradually fell asleep around midnight.
Thinking of the care Miss Gu had shown him during this time, and perhaps having some different feelings for her, Su Cheng decided he must find Gu Qianying and rescue her.
The moon in the sky rose and set. Before it was fully light, Su Cheng knocked on the doors of the other two rooms.
"Who is it? So early."
The voice from inside was lazy, and when the door opened, there was a sudden jolt.
"Su Ming, Su Cheng, what are you two doing? It's not even dawn yet." When Su Jie opened the door, his two younger brothers were standing at the entrance.
The rescue of Gu Qianying was fraught with danger. Su Cheng had thought about it all night and decided to entrust Xiao Yihao to his two elder brothers for care first.
The three of them had now gathered.
"What? Miss Gu is in danger?" Su Jie's voice was the loudest, but he suddenly felt it was inappropriate and lowered his voice.
"Yes, according to Xiao Yihao, that Aunt Wang has imprisoned his mother. Miss Gu has been kind to me, so I've decided to go rescue her."
Su Cheng told his brothers of his plan.
"But how will you find her?"
Su Ming had also received help from Gu Qianying, but he was also very concerned about his brothers' safety.
"I have my ways. I've come today to trouble my two elder brothers to take good care of Xiao Yihao while I'm away."
Su Cheng knew very well that this was the imperial palace, and finding Gu Qianying would not be easy. Only if Xiao Yihao had someone to look after him could he go with peace of mind.
Seeing that his mind was made up, Su Jie and Su Ming exchanged a look and finally nodded in agreement.
"Since you've decided, we won't stop you. Leave Xiao Yihao to us, and you can rest assured. As long as we are still alive, we will absolutely not let him come to any harm."
With his elder brothers' assurance, Su Cheng finally felt at ease.
The morning sun leaped over the horizon and slowly rose. Su Cheng looked at the sun in the sky, his heart resolute, determined to find Gu Qianying.
In a corner of the imperial palace, two maids stood properly in the courtyard, while the person they were guarding was reading medical texts within the courtyard.
Since Su Yuxi was carried away, two maids had been added to Gu Qianying's side.
She knew these were sent by Aunt Wang to monitor her.
No matter where she went, even to sleep, there were always two maids by her side. The most interesting thing was that the maids had been changing these past few days, likely because Aunt Wang was wary of her colluding with people in the palace.
"Aunt Wang, you're here."
It was lunchtime, and instead of the meal, Aunt Wang, whom she hadn't seen in days, arrived.
"Miss Gu, Grand Tutor said that you have been studying medical texts for many days. It's time for you to examine the noble lady."
Since her last meeting with Grand Tutor Su, the two had been keeping each other in check.
Gu Qianying had used the excuse of studying medical texts to stall for time, while Su Qingqing had repeatedly guarded against her spreading any news.
Now, after many days, it seemed that examining the patient could not be avoided.
Gu Qianying naturally could not refuse. For now, she could only agree. As for what the situation would be like inside, she could only adapt as she went.
This time, Aunt Wang blindfolded Gu Qianying's eyes again, and her footsteps revealed that the place where the noble lady was arranged had been changed.
Although she had not gone far, perhaps intentionally guided by Aunt Wang through many twists and turns, Gu Qianying found it difficult to discern her current location.
As when she first arrived, she was sent into an empty room, but this time it was different.
When the blindfold was removed from her eyes, there was no screen in front of her. The noble lady was lying on her side on a bed behind thin gauze.
"Last time, with the suspended thread pulse diagnosis, I, this Grand Tutor, was also testing the abilities of you two. Since you won, today you shall take a good pulse and diagnose the illness."
Grand Tutor Su's voice sounded from behind the curtain. Gu Qianying hadn't expected to be seated with the person inside.
Her heart was filled with confusion, but her expression remained calm.
"Yes."