"Nonsense, do you think Princess Xingyue is someone you can just borrow?"
"Aunt, why not listen to the whole story before refusing?"
"No matter the reason, it has nothing to do with Princess Xingyue, and you don't even think of laying a finger on her. I absolutely forbid it," Madam Xiao Min said to Yu Xiaoyu, word by word.
"If that's the case, then it seems I have no choice but to use the next plan."
Madam Xiao Min was startled and looked at Yu Xiaoyu coldly, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Yu Xiaoyu stepped forward, taking a handkerchief from her waist. "Aunt, you're forcing me to do this."
Suddenly, she stepped forward and covered Madam Xiao Min's mouth and nose with the handkerchief. Madam Xiao Min struggled for a moment and then became still.
Yu Xiaoyu let go, looking at Madam Xiao Min lying on the ground, and sighed, "We could have talked things through, but you had to force me to act."
"Miss, what's next..."
Yu Xiaoyu said, "Go and bring Princess Xingyue here."
In the evening, Xue Zining heard that Xue Xingyue was missing. Without even time to change out of his dragon robes, he rushed to Shi Lang's residence.
Madam Xiao Min was weeping inconsolably. Upon seeing him, she knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, this concubine is at fault. This concubine lost the Princess, and this concubine is willing to die to atone for her crime."
As she spoke, Madam Xiao Min was about to dash against a wall. Xue Zining swiftly drew out his silver whip, wrapped it around Madam Xiao Min's waist, and pulled her back. Shi Lang, who was almost scared out of his wits, hugged the reunited Madam Xiao Min and knelt on the ground begging for mercy, "I beg Your Majesty to show leniency. I will bear all the crimes."
"I haven't even said I will punish you, yet you all want to die or live, threatening me? It's my princess who is missing, did I say a single word of blame to you?" Xue Zining said coldly.
Shi Lang was startled and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I am terrified!"
Xue Zining walked up to Madam Xiao Min, grabbed her collar, and slapped her.
Shi Lang trembled all over and was about to speak when Shen Yunxuan, who had rushed over, shook his head. Shi Lang endured it, let alone the Empress hitting Madam Xiao Min, even taking their lives would be justified.
"Is Madam An Guo, whom I personally enfeoffed, so incapable? Xingyue was merely abducted, not dead, why do you want to die or live?"
Xue Zining said coldly.
Madam Xiao Min trembled all over, and she was indeed much more sober than before. She bit her lower lip, filled with guilt, "It is all my fault, this concubine..."
"Enough, I don't want to pursue whose fault it is right now. I only want to know what exactly happened?" Xue Zining said coldly to Madam Xiao Min.
Madam Xiao Min bit her lower lip, her eyes showing some guilt. Xue Zining said, "Madam An Guo, I trusted you and made you Madam An Guo, and your godmother to the princess. The princess also likes you and calls you godmother. You must not waste the princess's kind intentions."
Madam Xiao Min trembled all over, lowered her eyes for a long time, and then finally looked up, saying, "This concubine is at fault. It was my niece who did this. She drugged this concubine and abducted Princess Xingyue."
"Your niece?" Xue Zining frowned and asked.
Madam Xiao Min said, "Does Your Majesty still remember when this concubine brought my sister to beg Your Majesty for a marriage decree?"
"There was such a thing, and the marriage decree was for your niece?"
Madam Xiao Min nodded, "Yes."
"Good, now that we know, I will return to make preparations. As for your crime, we will discuss it after Princess Xingyue returns. If the princess says you are not guilty, then you are not guilty..."
"Yes, this concubine awaits the return of Her Highness the Princess."
Upon returning to the Imperial Palace, Xue Zining sent Feng Wu to investigate Yu Xiaoyu's whereabouts. The news received was that Yu Xiaoyu had returned to Jiangnan. Xue Zining summoned Shen Yunxuan overnight. Shen Yunxuan wore a mournful expression, "Your Majesty, Lord Wen has left, and now you are also leaving. How can I resist those old fellows in court?"
"Shen Yunxuan, don't complain to me. You are capable. For your safety, I have decided to keep you in the palace. Feng Jiu and the Imperial Guards will protect you."
Shen Yunxuan heard this and hesitated to speak. Xue Zining said, "I am not a cruel person. I have also brought Madam Zhou over, and she is in the side hall."
Seeing that the Empress had made such proper arrangements, Shen Yunxuan could no longer refuse and had to agree.
Before dawn, Xue Zining, along with Feng Wu, left the capital and headed straight for Jiangnan.
Xue Xingyue woke up in a carriage and saw Yu Xiaoyu. She couldn't help but say, "Why are you relentless? Kidnapping me once should be enough, how many times has it been now?"
Yu Xiaoyu sneered, "I don't want to do this either, but who made me have no choice but to kidnap you?"
"Now that you know my identity, you should know that kidnapping a princess is a capital offense, and it will also implicate the nine generations of your family."
Yu Xiaoyu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Very well, and does your Madam An Guo belong to those nine generations?"
Xue Xingyue heard this and sneered, "Rules are for the dead, people are alive. My Empress Mother is the Empress. Do you think these are difficult things for this Princess?"
"Sharp eyes and a sharp tongue," Yu Xiaoyu said.
Xue Xingyue ignored Yu Xiaoyu. She knew that this time, her godmother would likely be anxious, and her Empress Mother would have already taken action.
Yu Xiaoyu did not travel fast, as if waiting for something. It wasn't until they were close to Jiangnan that she bought a house and settled down. Xue Xingyue didn't understand why.
Until one day she was led by someone into a place, a mysterious place. It took climbing several floors to reach the top floor.
After the person went in to announce, Yu Xiaoyu entered carrying her. As soon as she entered the room, there was a strong medicinal smell. Xue Xingyue couldn't help but cough a few times.
"Have you brought the person I wanted?"
Xue Xingyue raised her eyes and looked at the person speaking. The person was dressed in black, wearing a large black cloak. They stood by the window, while below the window sat a woman in a wheelchair. Her eyes were hollow and listless, staring into the distance, as the person in black gently stroked her long hair.
"Brought her," Yu Xiaoyu placed Xue Xingyue on the ground.
The person in black glanced at the little one and said, "Let's talk inside."
Yu Xiaoyu stepped forward to pick up Xue Xingyue. The person in black said coldly, "No need to bring her in."
"楼主, you don't know, this little one is very capable," Yu Xiaoyu said.
The person in black sneered, "This is not a place where anyone can just leave."
Seeing the person in black say this, Yu Xiaoyu had no choice but to follow them into the room.
Seeing that no one was around, Xue Xingyue walked towards the woman in the wheelchair. She took the woman's hand and gently wrote on her palm, "Are you Aunt Wen?"
Wen Nuan trembled all over and grabbed Xue Xingyue's hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was no tongue inside, so she couldn't utter a single word. She could only write "yes" on Xue Xingyue's tender palm.
Xue Xingyue thought for a moment and then wrote, "I am Xingyue."