Mo Qinghuan didn't say a word. She gave orders to Dan'er and told her to pass them on to the guards.
Mu Yanming couldn't bear it any longer. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
She looked up at Mu Yanming. "I didn't avoid Your Highness. You're overthinking."
Mu Yanming was infuriated by her cold and aloof demeanor. He took a step forward.
Grabbing her wrist and raising it, he asked, "Then what's this attitude of yours for?"
Mo Qinghuan felt a pang of annoyance in her heart. She suddenly shook off Mu Yanming's hand. "Your Highness, don't you always want to find the key? I'm helping you now."
Mu Yanming watched her speak so calmly. His chest felt so blocked that he turned around and left.
After he left, work started in Yuanyu Garden.
Mo Qinghuan was sitting on the swing in front of the main hall of Yuanyu Garden. Dan'er warmed up some tea and brought her a storybook. She was reading it with great relish.
The storybook told the tale of the legitimate daughter of a prime minister's family who was bullied by everyone. One day, she woke up with excellent medical skills and the ability to outwit others. From being despised by all the young masters in the capital at first, she became the highly - regarded Princess Eryu.
"Dan'er, have you ever heard of a story about someone suddenly changing their temperament?"
Dan'er was pouring tea. She looked up at Mo Qinghuan. During the time she had been by Mo Qinghuan's side, she had heard many things about Mo Qinghuan's past. So she felt that Mo Qinghuan was talking about herself.
She smiled faintly. "A person who suddenly changes their temperament must have experienced some unknown and significant events."
Mo Qinghuan was immersed in the story in the book when suddenly someone shouted, "Your Highness, is this what you're looking for?"
Mo Qinghuan stood up abruptly. She stumbled, but luckily Dan'er caught her in time.
"Quickly bring it here for me to have a look."
The guard brought the item over. Mo Qinghuan lifted the covering.
"This thing doesn't look like a key," Dan'er said while looking at the jade pendant.
Mo Qinghuan looked at it from side to side. "This should only be half of it. Keep looking until you find the other half."
She stared blankly at the item in her hand.
— If it was found, would it mean the end between the two of them?
Dan'er saw her sighing while looking at the item in her hand and felt melancholy too.
After lunch, the sky was dark and it seemed that the weather was about to change.
However, the guards searched all afternoon but didn't find the other half of the jade pendant.
At a quarter past the You hour, Bai Ke rushed to the general's mansion in a hurry.
"Please return to the mansion, Your Highness."
She looked at Bai Ke. A flicker of displeasure flashed in her eyes. "Who sent you here?"
Bai Ke stood in front of Mo Qinghuan with a panicked look in his eyes. "Your Highness, His Highness the Prince was assassinated and got shot by an arrow!"
She had been reading the storybook from the afternoon. Hearing this, she threw the book aside, stood up, and walked out.
Seeing this, Dan'er grabbed a cloak and followed.
Just before going out, she seemed to see a fleeting look of cunning on Bai Ke's face.
"What happened? Where was His Highness assassinated?" She got into the carriage, lifted the curtain, and asked Bai Ke.
Bai Ke's tone was extremely anxious, even faintly with a sob.
"Today, after His Highness left the general's mansion, he went to the military camp for inspection as usual. But on the way to the military camp, he was ambushed. At that time, only I was with His Highness. I was careless for a moment, which led to His Highness getting injured. It's my fault. I failed to protect His Highness well."
Mo Qinghuan was so worried at this moment that she didn't notice Bai Ke. But Dan'er had been staring at Bai Ke since just now.
Sure enough, after Mo Qinghuan lowered her head, she saw Bai Ke's sneering expression again.
She then realized that His Highness must have used a ruse of feigning injury.
She had just let out a sigh of relief when suddenly an arrow shot into the carriage.
"Your Highness, be careful! There are assassins!"
Bai Ke shouted and drew out his sword. But the attackers seemed to be well - prepared. Dozens of arrows instantly pierced through the carriage.
Having no other choice, Mo Qinghuan entered the space with a thought.
After a beam of light, Mo Qinghuan disappeared. Dan'er was startled and shouted at Bai Ke, "Bai Ke, something's wrong! Your Highness has disappeared!"
Bai Ke lifted the curtain and only saw Dan'er hiding in a corner. He grabbed Dan'er and hid deep into the alley.
At the end of the alley, he leaped lightly. The next yard was the Regent's Mansion, so he jumped in.
Dan'er was gasping for breath, gently stroking her chest.
She grabbed Bai Ke's arm, still in shock.
"Bai Ke, where has Your Highness gone?"
Bai Ke was stunned for a moment and then shook his head helplessly. He really didn't know where Mo Qinghuan had gone. He clearly hadn't let anyone get close to the carriage. How could His Highness have disappeared?
"You should think carefully. What exactly happened before Your Highness disappeared?"
Dan'er carefully recalled what had just happened. She shook her head, looking utterly incredulous.
"Your Highness and I were originally holding soft cushions in front of us. Your Highness was holding my hand. Suddenly, there was a white light. I rubbed my eyes, and Your Highness was gone."
Bai Ke punched the wall, his face full of remorse. "So, Your Highness just disappeared into thin air?"
Dan'er nodded. Then she gently patted Bai Ke's arm. "Let's go back and look for her."
Bai Ke nodded. Just as he was about to walk out, when he turned around, he suddenly saw Mu Yanming.
Mu Yanming was looking at them with a gloomy face. "What did you say? The Princess disappeared into thin air?"
Bai Ke and Dan'er lowered their heads.
"Where did she disappear?"
Bai Ke stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, on our way back to the mansion, we were attacked. But I swear that no one got close to the carriage. So I really don't know how Your Highness disappeared."
Mu Yanming stared at Bai Ke. His expression was frozen.
Bai Ke secretly glanced at Mu Yanming. He knew his master well, so at this moment, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
After about a quarter of an hour of silence, Mu Yanming gave an order to Bai Ke, "Immediately lead people to look for her. Even if you have to turn the whole capital upside down, you must find her."
After receiving the order, Bai Ke immediately summoned the mansion guards and went out to look for Mo Qinghuan.
However, at this moment, a major event suddenly happened in the palace.
An event that was enough to shake the foundation of the country.
The imperial jade seal was missing!
The news of the incident reached the Regent's Mansion before Bai Ke even led the people out of the mansion.
Mu Yanming's already gloomy face turned even darker. He coughed twice at the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial edict. "Eunuch, please go back and reply first. I'll enter the palace in a short while."
Eunuch Shu stood hunched over, one step in front of Mu Yanming, not daring to breathe loudly.
He had served the emperor for many years and had witnessed the long - term confrontation between the emperor and the regent. He of course knew what Mu Yanming's gloomy face meant at this moment.
But the loss of the imperial jade seal was such a big deal, and the emperor in the palace was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Yet this man was so unhurried.