Chapter 534: Chapter 492, Find Someone_1
This year was the Yan Family’s first New Year celebration in Ningmen Prefecture, and as the head of the household, together with the conferment of Old Madam Yan and Madam Li’s royal titles, as soon as mid-December passed, the Yan Family’s doorstep was besieged by people delivering New Year gifts.
As in previous years, Daohua was brought out by Madam Li to tally the New Year gifts from various households, while also arranging the return gifts.
In the first few days, Daohua still had Xiao Yeyang on her mind, but as things got increasingly busy, and both Yan Wenkai and Wentao assured her there was nothing unusual with Xiao Yeyang, she let go of her worries. By the time she finally had a moment to herself, it was already the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month.
At lunchtime, Daohua saw Wentao and Yan Wenkai in Old Madam’s courtyard and immediately approached them, asking, “Third Brother, Fourth Brother, why are you guys at home? Aren’t you usually out handling affairs at this time?”
Yan Wenkai replied grumpily, “Even Zhou Papi wouldn’t be as heartless as you; it’s New Year’s Eve the day after tomorrow, aren’t you going to let us have a couple of days off?”
Hearing this, Daohua smiled and slapped her own head, “Look at me, I’ve been so busy I even lost track of the date. By the way, when did you start your break?”
Yan Wenkai: “We’ve been off since the twenty-third.”
Daohua’s face showed surprise: “That’s even earlier than father’s break. Since you guys are on holiday, why didn’t you invite Xiao Yeyang over to our place?”
Yan Wenkai snorted: “Don’t bring him up. The Little Prince has been nowhere to be found lately.”
Daohua’s eyebrows furrowed as she quickly stepped forward and grabbed Yan Wenkai’s sleeve, “What do you mean ‘nowhere to be found’? Didn’t you say he was fine just a few days ago?”
Seeing the urgency on Daohua’s face, Wentao asked, “Daohua, do you know what’s happened to the Little Prince?”
Daohua: “Never mind that for now; just tell me what’s going on with Xiao Yeyang?”
Seeing Daohua’s serious expression, Yan Wenkai and Wentao exchanged a glance, their faces becoming serious as well.
Yan Wenkai scratched his head: “Nothing special really, just that on the twenty-second, the Little Prince threw a fit and smashed a table. Other than that, he’s been normal.”
Daohua frowned, “Why would he throw a fit?”
Wentao: “It seemed to be because he received a letter. We thought it was from Governor Wu, pushing him to decode Prince End’s secret letter.”
Daohua felt a jolt in her heart. Could it be a letter from Beijing? Could Prince Ping really be about to officially instate Madam Ma as his principal wife?
Yan Wenkai looked at Daohua, noticing her complexion was amiss, worry appeared on his face: “Big Sister, what’s really wrong with the Little Prince? After he lost his temper that day, De Fu came in the afternoon to inform us of the break, and since then, we haven’t seen the Little Prince again.”
Daohua: “Haven’t you gone looking for him?”
Yan Wenkai: “Of course we did. We’ve looked in his residence in the city, the Glass Factory, even the military camp, but there’s no one there.”
Daohua had tight furrows in her brow and after a moment of silence she said to Wang Manman, “Tell Brother Xiaoliu to prepare the carriage; I need to go out for a bit.”
Wentao spoke up: “If you’re planning to visit the Little Prince’s residence, there’s no need. Wenkai and I have been going there every day, and the gatekeeper always says the Little Prince isn’t there.”
Unswayed, Daohua signaled to Wang Manman to hurry and prepare the carriage. After she left, Daohua said, “Maybe he just doesn’t want to see anyone.”
Yan Wenkai’s brow was furrowed, “Big Sister, what’s really going on?”
Daohua: “…I’m not sure if the news is accurate, I’ll tell you both after I’ve seen Xiao Yeyang.”
After a hasty lunch, Daohua got Madam Li’s permission under the pretext of needing to check on the shops, and she left the house with Wenkai and Wentao.
Once outside of the Yan Residence, the three headed straight for Xiao Yeyang’s residence.
Unfortunately, upon arriving at the residence’s front door, the gatekeeper still insisted Xiao Yeyang wasn’t there.
Yan Wenkai glanced at Daohua, who had followed them, and after a moment of thought, he pulled a servant who usually joked around with them aside, “Be honest with me, lad. Is the Little Prince really not in the residence, or is it just that he doesn’t want to see us?”
The servant wore a bitter smile, “Third Master Yan, Fourth Master Yan, I truly haven’t lied to either of you. Considering your relationship with the master, I wouldn’t dare hide it from you if he were actually here.”
“Honestly, a few days ago, the Governor Guo and Advisor Jiang came too, saying they wanted to invite the master to celebrate Chinese New Year at their home, but since the master wasn’t here, they just sat for a while and then left,”
Yan Wenkai turned towards Daohua and then asked, “So Governor Guo didn’t see the Little Prince either?”
The servant: “Right, the master really wasn’t here.”
Yan Wenkai released the servant, and once the person left, he said while looking at Daohua, “The Little Prince might truly not be in the residence.”
Daohua remained silent without saying a word.
Yan Wentao: “Daohua, why don’t you go home first, Wenkai and I will continue to search.”
Daohua shook her head, thought for a bit, left the main street by the front gate, and took a detour to the back gate.
Watching Daohua staring intently at the surrounding wall, Yan Wenkai’s cheeks twitched, “Big sister, please don’t tell me you’re planning to climb over the wall?”
Daohua nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Yan Wenkai, with a speechless look: “If you really want to go in, let’s take the front gate. The people there wouldn’t dare to stop me and Third Brother.”
Daohua: “Taking the front gate, we won’t see Xiao Yeyang.” She looked around, saw that there were no trees or anything nearby, frowned in thought, then directed her gaze onto Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai.
Yan Wenkai was looked at in confusion while Yan Wentao let out a sigh and resignedly squatted down by the corner of the wall.
Seeing Daohua skillfully step onto Yan Wentao’s shoulder and climb up the wall, Yan Wenkai was both dumbfounded and speechless.
It seemed that when they were younger, his big sister and Third Brother must have often engaged in activities like climbing over other people’s walls; otherwise, even after so many years, they wouldn’t still have such an understanding.
The Hidden Guards watching the residence saw the three Yan siblings climb over the wall one after the other and were somewhat speechless.
“Instead of using the perfectly good front gate, they just have to climb the wall, what a strange habit!”
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao followed Daohua over the wall into the residence, expecting her to search everywhere. However, she just made a symbolic round.
Both men were a bit frustrated but still had to accompany her even if it meant risking their necks.
As they were climbing back over the wall to leave, Daohua said to the rooftop, “I will come climb the wall again tomorrow.” After speaking, she glanced at Wang Manman below the wall and moved her right hand.
Wang Manman caught Daohua’s glance and had a sudden realization, blurting out, “Miss, you shouldn’t climb the wall; your hand injury hasn’t healed yet. What if you hurt yourself falling or bumping into something?”
Hearing this, Daohua’s lips curled slightly, and with the help of her two brothers, she jumped down from the wall.
After the three left, two Hidden Guards appeared on the rooftop.
The two Hidden Guards looked at each other.
Hidden Guard One, somewhat hesitant: “Should we notify the master?”
Hidden Guard Two firmly said: “The master has said he’s not seeing anyone, no matter who is looking for him.”
Hidden Guard One furrowed his brow: “But the master also said that if Daohua has any issue, no matter how trivial, we have to inform him immediately.”
Hidden Guard Two became a bit hesitant.
Hidden Guard One continued: “Did you clearly understand the meaning behind Daohua’s maid’s words? If Daohua gets hurt while climbing the wall, and the master finds out…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Hidden Guard Two said with conviction: “It must be reported to the master.”
Others might not be clear about it, but they, as Hidden Guards, understood all too well that Daohua was the master’s Achilles’ heel. Whoever touches her, faces consequences.