Time Travel: Brothel Maid

Inside the Prince Zunyi's residence.

A quiet and solemn atmosphere permeated the study.

Shen Jing dared not be negligent in the slightest and truthfully reported to Zhao Yunrong everything that had happened in the Tang residence.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunrong's originally calm face gradually darkened, as if a storm was about to break.

After Shen Jing finished his report, Zhao Yunrong slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and his dark eyes flashed with anger.

"By my decree! Immediately order the Infantry Command to seal off the four main gates of the capital city—east, west, south, and north—without any oversight! All goods and personnel entering or leaving the city must be inspected, and only those confirmed to be in order may pass!"

Zhao Yunrong then took out a scroll painting from the jar on the table. "Quickly find several skilled painters to make multiple copies of this painting and distribute them to the soldiers guarding each gate. Remember, she is skilled in disguise, so do not let your guard down!"

"Yes, sir!" Shen Jing replied tremblingly, then turned and hurriedly left to carry out his orders.

On this day, the streets and alleys of the capital were bustling with activity. Besides talking about the grand and dignified funeral of the Tang family's only son, with the funeral procession stretching for miles, people were also discussing the sudden closure of the four city gates.

Those passing pedestrians and travelers complained bitterly—regardless of age or gender, they had to first wash their faces with clean water, and then have the guards compare their appearances with portraits one by one before they could pass through the checkpoint and continue forward.

This scene aroused suspicion among the crowd: Could it be that someone had committed a major crime and the authorities were conducting a city-wide manhunt for the suspect? Or perhaps someone from a prominent family had gone missing?

In short, such a large-scale mobilization must be because they are looking for a very important person.

After all, as the core area of ​​the Li Dynasty, Shangjing City is a hub of economy, politics and culture, with a large amount of goods and people flowing through it every day. If it weren't for something extremely important, the government would never have taken such extreme measures to seal off all the city gates and check every passerby.

However, such inspections significantly slowed down the speed of entering and leaving the city. The four city gates, which were already busy and crowded, were even more congested, forming long queues.

The people who were in a hurry to get things done or get home began to complain, but faced with this imposing situation, they had no choice but to wait helplessly.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and more than half a day had passed in the blink of an eye. The colors in the sky gradually dimmed, and night was about to fall, but the person they were looking for still hadn't appeared.

Zhao Yunrong sat upright on his horse, his gaze fixed on the city gate. His expression grew increasingly solemn, and his eyes were like an extremely cold wind, sending chills down one's spine.

Seeing this, Shen Jing, who was standing to the side, became increasingly flustered and uneasy.

"In such a short time, it's impossible for him to leave the capital on foot. As long as he's still here, even if we have to dig three feet into the ground and turn the entire capital upside down, we will find him for me!"

"Quickly gather the palace guards and soldiers, send them all out, take the portrait and search for me from house to house. I refuse to believe that a person can just disappear into thin air!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jing was taken aback, but his body moved first, and he replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

As Shen Jing turned to accept the order and leave, a sense of unease and worry welled up inside him. In his search for Xiao Guo'er, the prince had even mobilized the imperial guards bestowed upon him by the emperor to protect him...

The capital city is vast, and searching every household would likely take several days and nights. Zhao Yunrong was extremely anxious and wished he could immediately mobilize all the city's troops for the search operation.

Just as Zhao Yunrong was racking his brains about how to gather more troops, he suddenly caught sight of a group of people galloping towards him in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, they realized that the newcomers were a group of eunuchs and palace attendants dressed in court attire. In an instant, a feeling of utter annoyance and restlessness welled up within them.

"This servant greets the Eighth Prince."

"Why is Eunuch Wang here instead of serving the Emperor in the palace?"

"This servant is acting on His Majesty's orders to summon the Eighth Prince to the palace for an audience with the Emperor."

"Why has the Emperor summoned me so late? Does Eunuch Wang know the reason?"

Eunuch Wang glanced up at the Eighth Prince, noticing the innate majesty and domineering aura emanating from him, subtly revealing the imposing presence of an emperor. Startled, and recalling the Emperor's recent actions and his unusual attitude towards the Eighth Prince, a fawning smile instantly appeared on his face as he said obsequiously, "Eighth Prince, you jest. How could a servant like me possibly fathom His Majesty's intentions? However…"

He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear, "Half an hour ago, the Fourth Prince had just entered the palace. I happened to be serving him and heard him exaggerate the story of how the Eighth Prince locked the city gates and searched for people."

Zhao Yunrong sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm. "Thank you for your advice, Eunuch. I will certainly repay you in the future."

"Eighth Prince, please come with me to the palace. His Majesty is waiting."