“What is Your Highness doing?” Qin Wan asked as she crouched beside Yan Sui.
Yan Sui didn’t answer and continued digging. Given his small size and limited strength, he had only managed to create a shallow hole despite his efforts. Qin Wan noticed this and picked up a tree branch to help. With her assistance, the hole gradually deepened, and Yan Sui finally let out a sigh of relief. He tossed a small cloth bundle into the hole.
The bundle was merely some small objects wrapped in a handkerchief. After placing it in the hole, Yan Sui hurriedly began filling it with the soil from beside them. Qin Wan watched, puzzled by his actions.
After burying the items completely, Yan Sui finally looked up at her.
Qin Wan said, “How did Your Highness escape from Shoukang Palace? Nurse Su has been searching everywhere for you.”
Yan Sui glanced at Qin Wan, then at the filled hole, before suddenly covering his mouth and saying, “Don’t tell anyone.”
Understanding his meaning, Qin Wan nodded, “Alright, I won’t say anything.”
Yan Sui stood up and walked away on his short legs, with Qin Wan following. Looking back at the spot, she noticed that Yan Sui had chosen a very secluded location, hidden by weeds and completely inconspicuous.
Nevertheless, Qin Wan said, “What did Your Highness bury? Although this area is abandoned, if the garden undergoes renovation, whatever is buried here will be discovered.”
While brushing grass off Yan Sui’s clothes, Qin Wan spoke. Yan Sui paused, tilted his head in thought for a moment, and said, “I wanted to hide it, but I don’t know where else to hide it in the palace.”
Qin Wan frowned, wondering what he needed to hide.
“What does Your Highness want to hide?”
At Qin Wan’s question, Yan Sui pressed his lips together, seemingly hesitant to tell her.
Qin Wan didn’t press him, simply waiting quietly. After a moment, he said, “It’s a keepsake from my Imperial Mother.”
Qin Wan understood immediately, “A keepsake from Imperial Consort Jin? Why do you need to hide it? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it with you?”
Yan Sui shook his head, showing a worry beyond his years, “Father Emperor doesn’t like me keeping Imperial Mother’s keepsakes. This is the only thing I have left from her, and I can’t bear to part with it.”
Yan Sui looked at Qin Wan, then turned back to look at the burial spot, appearing somewhat uncertain.
Suddenly, he looked at Qin Wan and asked, “Could you help me take it out of the palace?”
Qin Wan was slightly surprised, “But that’s the Imperial Consort’s keepsake…”
Qin Wan wasn’t concerned about taking something belonging to Imperial Consort Jin, but rather felt it inappropriate since it was meant for Yan Sui. At her hesitation, Yan Sui became more determined. He walked back step by step, quickly dug out the small bundle from the hole, came to Qin Wan’s side, and thrust it into her hands.
“Please take it out and keep it for me. Return it to me when I have my own palace.”
Yan Sui currently lived in Shoukang Palace, and it seemed he couldn’t even trust the Empress Dowager.
Qin Wan said, “I can certainly keep it safe for Your Highness, but why not tell the Empress Dowager? She would surely understand your desire to keep your mother’s keepsake.”
Yan Sui shook his head repeatedly and gripped Qin Wan’s hand tightly. Seeing his anxiety, Qin Wan quickly placed the item in her sleeve pocket, “Very well, I’ll keep it safe for Your Highness and won’t lose it.”
Yan Sui exhaled in relief, his expression finally relaxing. Qin Wan brushed the dirt from his clothes and hands, then led him toward Shoukang Palace. Halfway there, Nurse Su appeared with two servants. Seeing Qin Wan holding Yan Sui’s hand, Nurse Su quickly approached, “Oh my, Your Highness, why did you slip away by yourself…”
Noticing the dirt spots on Yan Sui’s clothes that couldn’t be removed, Nurse Su smiled wryly, “Where has Your Highness been rolling around?”
Qin Wan explained, “It’s nothing, he was just playing with mud over there.”
For a child of Yan Sui’s age in a common family, playing in the mud would be perfectly normal, but as a prince in the palace, it was inappropriate. Nurse Su sighed, picked up Yan Sui, and looked ahead. Seeing that Yan Sui had come from the direction of Yongning Palace, her eyes showed both pity and fear. She quickly turned to thank Qin Wan, “Thank you so much, County Princess. His Highness is very fond of you…”
Qin Wan smiled slightly, touching the object in her sleeve, and said, “His Highness is young and naturally playful. Next time, Nurse, you should keep a closer eye on him…”
Nurse Su nodded repeatedly, carrying Yan Sui while sharing some amusing stories about him. As they talked, they quickly reached Shoukang Palace. At the entrance, they encountered the Emperor and Empress’s procession heading out, followed by Yan Qi and Feng Chenbi. Nurse Su quickly put Yan Sui down, and Qin Wan hurriedly bowed.
Emperor Yan Huai was about to board his carriage when he noticed Yan Sui’s dirty robe hem and asked, “Where have you been playing again? Why weren’t you here earlier?”
Yan Sui shrank his neck, “Father Emperor, I…”
Seeing Yan Sui’s fearful hesitation to mention being near Yongning Palace, Nurse Su quickly interjected, “Your Majesty, His Highness was catching cicadas in the Imperial Garden…”
It was late summer, and cicadas were still chirping. For a child like Yan Sui to be interested in such things was natural. The Emperor frowned disapprovingly but boarded his carriage and departed. The Empress and the Prince and Princess of Cheng followed, nodding to Qin Wan before leaving. The Prince of Cheng still needed to pay respects to Feng Lingsu, so naturally wouldn’t linger. After they left, Nurse Su was nearly sweating.
Qin Wan accompanied Nurse Su into Shoukang Palace to first take Yan Sui to see the Imperial Princess.
The Imperial Princess didn’t mind Yan Sui’s playfulness and simply had someone take him to wash up. Qin Wan stayed to chat with the Empress Dowager. When Qin Wan happened to mention Yan Chi, the Empress Dowager said, “I haven’t seen Yan Chi for several days either. I hear the Ministry of Justice has been quite busy lately.”
Qin Wan felt suspicious and said, “I wonder how the military provisions case in the Northwest is progressing.”
The Imperial Princess sighed, “What else can be done? It’s so far away, and even the capital can’t reach that far. If you have time, go to the ministry and see what Yan Chi is doing. The other day, Yan Li came to keep me company for quite a while.”
Qin Wan nodded and stayed with the Imperial Princess for a while longer before taking her leave.
Outside, she saw Nurse Su waiting, apparently specifically for her.
Indeed, when she came out, Nurse Su immediately approached. Qin Wan smiled and said, “Nurse, what is it?”
Nurse Su’s face showed some guilt as she said, “County Princess, may I have a word with you?”
Qin Wan naturally agreed, so Nurse Su accompanied her as she walked out. When they reached a corner and saw no one around, Nurse Su spoke in a low voice, “County Princess, both the Emperor and Empress Dowager dislike the Ninth Prince going to Yongning Palace, which is why I didn’t tell the truth earlier. I hope you understand.”
In front of Qin Wan, Nurse Su had committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor.
Qin Wan smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, Nurse, I understand your meaning.”
Nurse Su exhaled in relief, “His Highness has suffered much this past year. I’m grateful for the County Princess’s kindness towards him, and I must thank you.”
Qin Wan asked, “Have you been caring for His Highness since he was young?”
Nurse Su gave a bitter smile and shook her head, “No, when the incident happened, all of His Highness’s former attendants were replaced. I actually served the Empress Dowager, who knew my steady nature and sent me to care for His Highness.”
Qin Wan was shocked to learn that even all of Yan Sui’s attendants had been replaced.
Nurse Su continued, “Although I haven’t cared for His Highness since he was young, if I may speak frankly, in this past year, I’ve treated him better than my own children. Even setting that aside, as His Highness’s nurse, I naturally want him to grow up safely, so that when I eventually leave the palace, I might receive an honorable retirement. Therefore, His Highness’s safety is my safety.”
Qin Wan understood and nodded slightly. Nurse Su earnestly continued, “In any case, I came specifically to thank the County Princess and explain my actions…”
She was also asking Qin Wan to help keep the secret.
Qin Wan raised her hand to stop Nurse Su’s words, “Don’t worry, Nurse. His Highness is young, and I care for him deeply… However, earlier His Highness mentioned that all of Imperial Consort Jin’s keepsakes were taken away. Now when he misses his mother, he can only go near Yongning Palace to ease his longing.”
Qin Wan naturally couldn’t mention the small bundle Yan Sui had given her. At these words, Nurse Su thought that since they were already discussing Yongning Palace, she might as well be more thorough with Qin Wan, so she could better help cover for Yan Sui in the future. She said, “When the incident occurred, many rumors circulated in the palace. Although the Emperor publicly granted Imperial Consort Jin an honorable burial, he actually had Yongning Palace searched, and not a single item of hers was left.”
Among the rumors at that time, the most taboo was that Imperial Consort Jin had an affair with Prince Jin. For this reason alone, the Emperor’s decision to remove all her belongings wasn’t particularly excessive.
Qin Wan nodded, “I understand.”
Nurse Su thanked her repeatedly before escorting her to Shoukang Palace’s gate and returning inside.
Qin Wan touched the weighty object in her sleeve, her heart growing heavy.
Leaving the palace, Qin Wan took a carriage to the Ministry of Justice. Outside the ministry, the guard on duty immediately recognized her and hurried forward to bow. Qin Wan asked, “Is the Young Master here?”
The guard shook his head, “The Young Master isn’t here. He hasn’t been to the ministry for several days.”
Qin Wan frowned, and the guard asked, “Does the County Princess have business with His Highness? I can pass along a message.”
Qin Wan smiled, “I’m here on the Empress Dowager’s orders to check on him.”
She left the ministry and, once back in her carriage, her brow furrowed deeply. After a moment, she lifted the curtain and asked Bai Ying, “Do you know where Prince Rui’s Estate is?”
Bai Ying naturally nodded, “Yes, servant knows—”
Qin Wan said, “Good, let’s go there and look.”
Prince Cheng’s wedding was yesterday, and now that the court celebrations were over, the officials would turn their attention to the Northwest military provisions matter. Yet Yan Chi hadn’t been seen for days, which worried Qin Wan, especially since considerable time had passed since the provisions incident.
The carriage proceeded slowly, and Qin Wan noticed they were turning into Xingle District. Prince Rui’s Estate was outside the Imperial City, towards the northeast. Though in the same district as the Marquis Estate, it was quite far away. As they traveled, Qin Wan examined the object from her sleeve. This wasn’t out of curiosity about Yan Sui’s secret, but since he had entrusted it to her, she needed to know what she was keeping safe.
The handkerchief was crumpled into a ball. When Qin Wan unfolded it, she found a small silver longevity lock with a ruyi-head design, carved with lotus patterns and the characters for “Long Life and Prosperity.” The lock appeared quite old, like a family heirloom. Shen Qingxi couldn’t understand why, even if this was from Imperial Consort Jin to Yan Sui, he couldn’t wear it openly. Moreover, at such a young age, he had hidden it for so long…
Qin Wan felt something wasn’t quite right, but having promised Yan Sui, she couldn’t break her word. She rewrapped the longevity lock in the handkerchief and returned it to her sleeve. After the previous incident with the golden bird being crushed by Mo Yi, she absolutely couldn’t let anything happen to this lock. Qin Wan sighed, and after about two incense sticks’ worth of time, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Although she had been back in the capital for a while, she hadn’t visited Prince Rui’s Estate before. Lifting the curtain, Qin Wan immediately saw the estate’s imposing entrance with three gilded characters above. Due to long-term vacancy, the entrance appeared somewhat deteriorated.
Qin Wan had visited both Prince Yi’s and Prince Gong’s estates, and she could see that Prince Rui’s Estate was grander than both. However, the gates were tightly closed, and Qin Wan wasn’t sure if anyone was inside. She instructed, “Bai Ying, go knock on the door.”
Bai Ying nodded and went to knock several times, but there was no response from within.
Qin Wan’s heart sank. If Yan Chi wasn’t at the ministry, hadn’t entered the palace, and wasn’t at the estate, where could he be?
Had he already left the capital?!
Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled what Daoist Zhang had said that day.
Bai Ying knocked twice more, and with a creak, the gate opened.
An elderly man’s face appeared in the doorway. Seeing Bai Ying standing outside, he asked puzzled, “Who are you looking for?”
Bai Ying quickly replied, “I am County Princess Yongci’s maid. We’re here to see the Young Master.”
The man looked Bai Ying up and down, then glanced at the carriage outside, before shaking his head, “The Young Master isn’t here.”
Bai Ying was startled, “Where did His Highness go?”
Wariness appeared in the man’s eyes as he shook his head, “This humble one doesn’t know.”
He then closed the door and disappeared.
Bai Ying bit her lip and walked back to the carriage. Qin Wan frowned, “Let’s head back.”
Bai Ying took her seat and cracked the whip, directing the carriage toward the Marquis Estate.
Inside the carriage, Qin Wan’s unease grew stronger.
Prince Rui’s Estate occupied a prestigious location, surrounded by other grand mansions. These residences were mostly former princely estates, many still vacant and unassigned, making the alley particularly quiet. Qin Wan’s carriage left the alley and traveled some distance before reaching the main road. Just as they turned onto it, Qin Wan heard the sound of rapidly approaching hoofbeats.
Bai Ying suddenly pulled the reins as several young men in military uniforms galloped up from the southern main road. These men wore stern, cold expressions, and though they rode swiftly, they showed no concern for the pedestrians on the street. People scattered to make their way as they passed. They carried golden-feathered arrows on their horses, making Qin Wan’s pupils contract – while others might not recognize them, she knew these were Imperial Guards responsible for delivering urgent imperial decrees!
Their appearance always meant something significant had happened!
After the riders passed, Bai Ying continued toward the Marquis Estate, but Qin Wan grew increasingly anxious. Upon returning home, Madam Hu greeted her with a smile, taking her hand and saying, “Wan’er, your Third Brother’s marriage has been settled. Madam Peng and the Duke are quite pleased with him. Yesterday I had someone send Yan’er’s birth details over, and we’re just waiting for the good news.”
Though Qin Wan had been uneasy, Madam Hu’s words helped calm her.
“Then congratulations to Aunt. With Third Brother’s matter settled, you’ll have one less worry.”
Madam Hu smiled, “Indeed! With your Third Brother’s matter having direction, next is your Fourth Brother. I’ve already asked the Senior Madam of the Wu’an Marquis Estate to help look around. She suggested several candidates, and I was planning to inquire about these young ladies one by one, but coincidentally, I recognized one of them. Not only do I know her, but you do too.”
Qin Wan was slightly surprised, “I know her? Who is Aunt referring to?”
She didn’t know many young ladies in the capital…
Madam Hu covered her smile and said, “The eldest Miss Meng, don’t you know her?”
Qin Wan was stunned, taking a moment to react before showing astonishment – Madam Hu had her eye on Meng Yao!