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墨書 Inktalez
Seeing the Emperor leave, Aunt Yu entered and found Empress Dowager Mingxi with her eyes closed, resting.
Not daring to disturb her, Aunt Yu was about to collect the used tea cups when she heard Empress Dowager Mingxi sigh, "What do you think the Emperor will do?"
Aunt Yu smiled bitterly, "Empress Dowager, I dare not speculate on His Majesty's intentions, nor would I deceive you. It seems that the Emperor has received news and intends to let Qingqin and her daughter go, and Princess Bilian seems to feel the same way..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi gently fiddled with her prayer beads, slowly opening her phoenix-like eyes, her tone carrying a hint of melancholy, "The Emperor's thoughts... are becoming increasingly difficult to fathom."
Aunt Yu advised, "Though Qingqin has revealed her true nature in the end, it is still better than her wearing a disguise every day. Now that she and her daughter have long lost their power, they hardly pose a threat. There is no need for you to worry about them. Moreover, according to Princess Bilian, Qingqin does not have much time left; why not just let them be?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi glanced at Aunt Yu with a slight cold smile at the corner of her lips, "Even you think so?"
Aunt Yu was taken aback, "What? Does the Empress Dowager believe there is something wrong?"
"You really do not understand that Qingqin at all... I believe this matter is definitely not as simple as it seems." Empress Dowager Mingxi snorted softly. Perhaps having sat for too long, she stood up and walked out to the courtyard with Aunt Yu's support.
In the courtyard, several magnolia trees were in full bloom. Gazing at the snow-white blossoms, Empress Dowager Mingxi remarked meaningfully, "Women should be as pure and untainted as these magnolias..."
Aunt Yu was puzzled and felt that Empress Dowager Mingxi's words were becoming increasingly difficult to comprehend. However, between the lines, there seemed to be an underlying meaning...
??
Mei Shuang ran swiftly under the guidance of a woman and was surprised to find that the foot of the mountain was so winding and difficult to navigate. The woman had indeed lived here for many years; following Mei Shuang's hints, they arrived at a certain spot at the foot of the mountain.
Having just recovered from a severe illness, Mei Shuang was exhausted and could only wipe away her sweat while gasping for breath upon reaching this place.
Looking around from the foot of the mountain to its midsection, trees stood tall in varying heights and grew haphazardly. In this season, it could hardly be called lush greenery; it could only be considered a half-barren mountain.
The two of them stood at the Mountain Base, gazing up at the sky and suddenly feeling small in comparison.
The woman looked around, her expression filled with doubt, and asked Mei Shuang, "The place you mentioned is probably here. Just look at this desolate area; how could Zheng Yi possibly come here to play?"
As they made their way, Mei Shuang pondered that they had traveled at least seven or eight miles, and the path was difficult. It seemed too bold for a child to come this far. Although she found it hard to believe, recalling Zheng Yi's mysterious expression and his words, Mei Shuang chose to trust him.
"Children speak without restraint. I believe Zheng Yi's words. I think we should search around to see if there are any caves or something; children love to explore caves."
The woman, feeling helpless since they couldn't find the child, decided to take a chance and followed Mei Shuang's suggestion, slowly searching along the stones at the foot of the mountain.
Mei Shuang paid special attention to the flattened grass on the ground. To her surprise, she discovered several small footprints in the grass. Excitedly, she quickly called the woman over.
After examining them closely, the woman exclaimed, "That's right! These are Zheng Yi's shoe prints."
"And look over there! Quick, look!" Mei Shuang pointed to a thin gray strip of cloth caught on a thorn bush nearby. She ran over to retrieve it and showed it to the woman, who became even more excited. "This is from the hem of Zheng Yi's pants from yesterday! Oh my goodness, he really has been here..."
Then she anxiously raised her voice and began shouting, "Zheng Yi! Justice! Where are you? Stop playing hide and seek with your mother and come out!"
Mei Shuang also called out Zheng Yi's name loudly, but aside from the echoing sound in the mountains, there was no response.
The two of them followed the direction of the footprints for a while longer until they finally discovered a few more clear prints. Not far ahead of those footprints was a massive rock.
The footprints disappeared near the rock. Mei Shuang climbed up first and discovered something intriguing. Behind the rock was a cave that was taller than a person.
After walking for quite some time and sweating profusely, they stood at the cave entrance, feeling a cool breeze that was quite pleasant.
"Are you saying that Zheng Yi went into this cave?" The woman asked in panic.
Mei Shuang carefully peered into the cave. It appeared quite deep; her line of sight only reached a short distance inside. The walls of the entrance were chiseled sharply with clear edges and devoid of any vegetation. However, based on her experience, she could tell that this was not a naturally formed cave.
If it were so, Zheng Yi wouldn't have been curious enough to come here to play after discovering something inside.
"Sister, do you know? There are many beads inside that I've never seen before. It's so much fun, but I'm still scared. Can you accompany me?"
Mei Shuang pondered for a moment. "If I'm not mistaken, Zheng Yi should have gone in, but I'm afraid he might be in danger. Right now, we have nothing. Even if we go in, if there is danger, we might not be able to rescue the child."
"What should we do?" Zhengyi's Mother was almost in tears as she pulled out a Firestarter from her pocket. "I only have this; it can provide some light."
Mei Shuang nodded, trying to bolster her courage. She thought that a child had gone in and out safely several times, so there probably wasn't much danger. Besides, they were both adults.
"By the way, do you still have that?" Mei Shuang asked the woman who was anxiously standing at the cave entrance. "If something happens, we can..."
The woman lowered her gaze and thought for a moment. "I have a little left."
"Can you share some with me?" Mei Shuang said.
The woman assumed that Mei Shuang had learned from her previous experience and was worried about being harmed if she found Zheng Yi later. Slowly, she took out a small bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Mei Shuang. "This is all I have; I never use it."
Mei Shuang opened the small bottle and looked inside; indeed, there was some white powder.
She felt relieved to keep it on her person. Having something was better than nothing, especially in an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous environment. It gave her a bit more courage. To be honest, she didn't fully trust the woman in front of her.
Especially after being unknowingly poisoned by that Abbot last time, she approached anyone with suspicion. It wasn't unreasonable for her to think this way; her sixth sense told her that sometimes the woman’s words seemed evasive and hesitant.
Could it be that this child wasn't hers?
Mei Shuang was lost in thought and didn't notice the fleeting complexity in the woman's eyes as she looked down.
The woman lit the Firestarter, and the two of them began to walk into the cave, each holding a sturdy stick as a weapon.
From outside, the cave appeared dark and long, but once they stepped inside, it didn't seem very long at all. Surprisingly, as they walked further in, the path became wider and the ceiling higher, like entering a bottle and now moving from the neck into the belly of the bottle.
However, the further they went inside, the darker it became. The light from the Firestarter flickered left and right in the wind, illuminating only a limited area. A cool breeze occasionally brushed against them, and sometimes they heard a "whoosh" sound that might have been just an illusion.
The two of them cautiously walked deeper, feeling the temperature drop significantly. Outside was sweltering, but in this short distance, it felt like a world of ice and fire. The thin clothing they wore was insufficient to ward off the chill, causing Mei Shuang to shiver involuntarily.
The vast darkness ahead made it hard to discern direction. Occasionally raising the Firestarter high, its light seemed tiny against the thick darkness; even though it was daytime outside, here it was pitch black.
After walking for a while, where the light reached, they saw jagged rocks above them, and the surroundings began to open up more.
Mei Shuang stopped and murmured to herself, "What kind of small child would dare come here to play?"
Suddenly, Zhengyi's Mother called out anxiously, "Zheng Yi! Zheng Yi! Are you in there?"
Disappointingly, the empty cave echoed back with only silence.
Zhengyi's Mother grew restless. "Are you sure Zheng Yi came in here?"
Mei Shuang replied helplessly, "Weren't those footprints you mentioned belonging to Zheng Yi? Besides, those footprints disappeared right by the rocks; if he didn't come in here, where else could he go?"
In truth, Mei Shuang also began to feel uneasy. How could such a small child venture alone into such a dark place? Moreover, where were the beads he had mentioned?
The woman said nothing more. She blew on the Firestarter to make it brighter and raised it higher again; this time their vision cleared considerably.
Just then, as the flame flickered in the wind, Mei Shuang noticed that one side of the stone wall seemed to be glowing, with a faint halo suspended in midair.
She quickly nudged the woman beside her. The woman looked up and, with her keen eyesight, also spotted something unusual in that area.
Mei Shuang's face lit up with joy. "That's right! Zheng Yi said there were jewels here; it must be those things emitting light. Let's go take a look; we might find him."
Initially thinking this might be an underground tomb or something frightening, she now felt that things were much simpler than she had imagined.
She was about to pull her foot back when the woman instinctively reached out to stop her as her gaze flickered.
"What’s wrong?" Mei Shuang asked, looking at the woman in confusion.
The woman glanced at Mei Shuang, her lips pressed together, her expression somewhat complicated. "Are you... sure Zheng Yi said it was here?"
Mei Shuang felt even more puzzled. "If he didn’t say it was here, why would I bring you? Although he’s only five or six years old, I trust him. He didn’t come back last night; maybe he’s just playing around here. Come on, don’t worry. Since we’re already here, let’s take a look. A little kid like that shouldn’t be scared in such a dark place."
"Five or six years old?" The woman’s eyes flickered as she softly spoke, lowering her gaze.
"What’s wrong?" Mei Shuang said. "Did I get it wrong? Is he not that old or is he older? Come on, we’re already here; why aren’t you anxious? Why are you worrying about a year or half a year right now? Let’s hurry and check."
As she reached for Firestarter, she suddenly felt something was off about the woman. Just moments ago, she had been frantic outside, but now she hesitated.
However, suddenly, a light bulb went off in Mei Shuang's mind, and her heart skipped a beat.
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