funbook-pk Chapter 458: Bad News (3)
Chapter 458: Bad News (3)
"Master, you..."
Cui Jinxi called out worriedly, but was stopped by Zhen Huan who raised her hand gently.
"Aunt Jinxi, I want to drink some red date tea. Could you please make me a cup?"
"Yes, slave, go right away."
Zhen Huan stood at the intersection at the top of the mountain, her eyes fixed on the downhill path swallowed by the night, praying in her heart that the person who made her worried would appear with a smile.
She didn't even take a sip of the red date tea Cui Jinxi brought her until it had cooled down.
There was silence at the top of Lingyun Peak. At this moment, Baizhi, who was in the village at the foot of the mountain, said goodbye to everyone and chose a small path to rush to Anqi Temple.
A ray of white light appeared on the horizon, and I didn't meet anyone else on the road.
When she arrived not far from Anqi Temple and was about to get closer, the gate of the temple opened at this moment, and a woman in a green shirt was pushed out rudely.
The harsh scolding also reached Bai Zhi's ears.
"Go back to where you came from."
"Anqi Temple is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you, Miss Dongmei."
The girl called Dongmei was seen clinging to the door and pleading in a low voice.
"Aunt Jiyun, Concubine Ye asked me to serve the Dowager Concubine. Please don't chase me away."
"Dongmei, I tell you the truth, the prince has had an accident, and it's futile for you to wait in Anqi Temple."
Bai Zhi quietly took a few steps back and hid in the corner, thinking to herself: It seems that Prince Guo has indeed encountered misfortune.
She waited until the woman in green picked up the bag on the ground in a daze, and then she quietly followed behind her.
After a few moments, Bai Zhi asked tentatively.
"Sister in front, can you tell me how to get to Gouzi Village?"
The upset Dongmei turned a deaf ear to the questions that followed. She wiped her tears and quickened her pace as she walked forward.
Bai Zhi saw this and trotted after him, "Sister, my master doesn't have a good appetite. I heard there's a Gouzi Village nearby and wants to go there to buy some food. Could you please show me the way?"
When Dongmei heard the visitor mention "master", she stopped and asked in a very imposing manner.
"Whose servant are you? Why are you out so early in the morning?"
"Sister, I am...my young lady has a history with the Dowager Consort, and she is going to visit the Dowager today."
Baizhi, with her head down, turned the topic directly to Concubine Shu. Dongmei, who had just been angry, couldn't help but interrupt.
"I'm afraid your young lady won't be able to visit Anqi Temple. The Dowager Queen cried heartbreakingly yesterday morning and probably has no time to see guests."
Dongmei complained silently in her heart: Concubine Shu's sudden crying scared her, she acted as if her son had died.
Aunt Jiyun just said that something happened to the prince. Could he be dead?
When she thought of this, she couldn't help but shiver.
No! She must return to the palace as soon as possible.
Dongmei didn't bother to talk to the maid who had kept her head down and had never seen the world. She hurriedly ran back along the route she remembered.
After walking for about half an hour, they met a carriage heading into the city.
When the honest coachman learned that she wanted to pay money, he shouted to other villagers to make room for her.
On the other side, Bai Zhi had just appeared on Lingyun Peak when she was called over by her master.
"Baizhi, is there anything unusual at Anqi Temple?"
Bai Zhi looked at Zhen Huan embarrassedly, and at her urging, told her the information she had heard from Dong Mei.
"Master, I think that maid is just talking nonsense because she's holding a grudge against Aunt Jiyun for kicking her out. Please don't take it to heart."
Cui Jinxi also followed suit.
"Master, the prince is a lucky man and will definitely return safely."
Wen Shichu, who appeared at the door out of nowhere, immediately retorted.
"Huan'er, the prince won't be coming back. The latest news I heard back home is that the ship the prince and his companions were on sank, and no remains have been found. The Yellow River's currents were so strong that even the iron ship was shattered into pieces. Even if the bodies were found, they would be unrecognizable."
Zhen Huan glared at him, "You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"
Wen Shichu endured the sting in his heart and said, "Huan'er, I'm not talking nonsense. I swear on our many years of friendship that I'm not talking nonsense. I'm not lying to you."
Zhen Huan muttered to herself, full of disbelief, "He's dead? I can't even see him one last time?"
Wen Shichu saw that she looked devastated and distressed, so he advised her, "Huan'er, wake up. The dead cannot be resurrected."
"The dead cannot be resurrected. Even his soul has never entered my dreams."
Zhen Huan was so angry that she vomited blood.
"Why did he die? Why can't we even find his body?"
"In fact, the wreckage of the ship he was on has been found. There is nothing wrong with the hull, but..."
Wen Shichu didn't know whether he should tell the news he had heard.
When Zhen Huan heard him hesitating, she knew there was a big problem.
"Just what?"
She stared at Wen Shichu with red eyes, as if she would attack and hurt him if he didn't tell the truth.
"But the bottom of the boat isn't made of nails. It's held together with rubber and rope glue. Once the boat is on the water, the rubber and rope glue will break apart, and the boat will float."
This was the news that Wen Shichu had spent a lot of effort to find out from the palace.
"This ship was dispatched by the government, it shouldn't be like this."
Zhen Huan had seen the emperor handle state affairs and had some understanding of some of the things involved.
"Huan'er, you're right. There was nothing wrong with the boat when we left. According to the shipbuilders, the hull was identical to the one they built, but the bottom was different. This suggests someone switched or tampered with the boat while it was anchored on the bank of the Yellow River."
Zhen Huan slammed the small table in anger and cried, "Who wants to harm him?! Who wants to harm him?! Who wants to harm him?!"
She cried so hard that tears streamed down her face, and for a moment she wished she could just go away with Yunli.
"Huan'er, it has already happened. It's unknown who intended to harm him. The Emperor wants to keep the death a secret until the body is found."
Wen Shichu was concerned about the presence of Cui Jinxi and Bai Zhi, so he withdrew his hand.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! He won't die!"
Zhen Huan, who was on the verge of collapse, kept shouting.
Seeing that Wen Shichu had almost provoked the other person, Cui Jinxi whispered some advice.
"Master Wen, please be quiet. Our master is pregnant. If you keep saying this, aren't you asking for her life? Haven't you always been considerate of our master and treated her like a younger sister? Why are you so confused now?"