Peach Blossom.

Xiao Wan's tears fell, "Does Your Majesty hate me so much? You even gave Princess Si Yao, who kicked you out, a little face. I was trying to help you, what did I do wrong?"

"You really don't know?" Chen Ji sneered, with a sarcastic look on his face.

Xiaowan shook her head and blinked her eyes with tears in her eyes, looking aggrieved.

Chen Ji suddenly grabbed Xiao Wan's sleeve and said viciously, "Because Si Yao's head is filled with shit, and you are filled with black water!"

After saying that, Chen Ji's hand suddenly loosened, and Xiaowan lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Zhuo Jin stood beside Chen Ji and watched, sighing to himself.

"You knew she might recognize you, so why did you come here?" Chen Ji laughed coldly, his tone still harsh: "I am not Emperor Xiaozong, I am not good at being sympathetic to women, I am more experienced than you in the tricks used by the harem to fool people!"

Xiaowan lay on the ground, crying sadly.

"Get out of here right now! If you deliberately appear in front of me again, get out of the palace right away. It won't matter to save Chen Liang's face! Get out!" Chen Ji's attitude became more and more harsh, and the last word was particularly harsh.

Xiaowan had no choice but to stand up and run away, holding back her tears.

The sun was shining brightly, a little dazzling. Fang Xiang was terrified to learn that Madam Han and her son had escaped from Yongfu Palace. She ran over here panting. Just as she turned around a bush, she bumped into Xiaowan, whose face was covered with tears.

Xiaowan suddenly fell to the side of the road.

The maids who followed hurried over to support her.

Fang Xiang took a closer look and quickly bowed: "I deserve to die. I left a little too fast because the emperor summoned me. Please forgive me."

After saying this, Fang Xiang ran forward in a hurry without waiting for Xiaowan to get up.

The maid Cong Yun saw Xiao Wan was depressed, so she said, "This man is really rude. Your Excellency hasn't said whether you will forgive him yet, why did he run away?"

"He... is Mada's brother-in-law, right?" Xiaowan looked at Fang Xiang and felt that she had a vague impression of him.

Cong Yun replied, "Your Excellency has good eyesight. He is the brother-in-law of Prime Minister Ma, and now he is the chief steward of the imperial guards."

Xiaowan nodded, wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, stood up with the help of the maid, and returned to her bedroom.

Fang Xiang rushed to the gate of Yongfu Palace and knelt down hurriedly: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"Tell me where Madam Han and the King of Hexi went?"

"I...I don't know..."

Chen Ji sneered and looked at Fang Xiang speechlessly: "You are responsible for the safety of the palace. Now such an important person is missing. You say you don't know?"

"In the entire Jiankang Palace, Yongfu Palace has the most guards. I visit several times a day and keep reminding them to be extra careful and to keep an eye on even a fly that flies out. I can't understand how people got lost." Fang Xiang knelt with a sad face, as if he was puzzled.

Chen Ji asked again: "Have you ever looked inside?"

"No."

“Never been inside?”

Fang Xiang explained hesitantly: "It smells like a dead body in there, I don't want to go in..."

Chen Ji was so angry that he kicked Fang Xiang upside down. "You didn't even go in once to check. What's the point of coming several times a day? They have been missing for several days, did you know that?"

Fang Xiang rolled over and crawled, then knelt down again: "I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

"You deserve to die! If it weren't for your brother-in-law, I would kill you with a sword right now!" Chen Ji stared at Fang Xiang and gave an order: "The chief guard Fang Xiang has seriously neglected his duty. He will be immediately taken to the Ministry of Justice to await trial. Take him away!"

After Fang Xiang was taken away, that night, Ma Da came to Xuanji Palace to ask for a meeting.

Chen Ji still had an angry look on his face, "If you're here to plead for Fang Xiang, there's no need."

Ma Da lowered his head and replied: "I just want to ask, should we send someone to track down the whereabouts of Madam Han and King Hexi?"

Chen Ji said nothing. After learning that Madam Han and her son were missing, he certainly wanted to send someone to track them down. However, Si Rong had finally agreed to enter the palace. If he ordered someone to look for her now, wouldn't that be like catching a fugitive? In that case... the matter of being crowned queen would probably be even more distant.

Ma Da added: "I just went to Yongfu Palace and found a secret underground passage."

Chen Ji nodded. He had expected this. "Go on."

"This secret passage is very hidden. There is a well in the backyard of Yongfu Palace. From the top of the well, there is a bottom. Five steps away from the well, there are weeds and there is a mechanism under the weeds. When the mechanism is turned on, the well becomes a deep hole. There is another mechanism under the deep hole that can close the bottom of the well. This hole leads directly to the outside of Jiankang Palace."

Chen Ji smiled helplessly, "Such a secret tunnel, how come it was discovered so quickly today? Why wasn't it discovered before?"

Ma Da replied, "If I had gone directly to Yongfu Palace, I would not have been able to find this secret passage. I first discovered similar mechanisms and secret passages in Han Jing's villa, and then I followed their example and found the secret passage in Yongfu Palace."

"Han Jing's villa?" Chen Ji didn't quite understand.

"Han Jing bought this villa last year. I heard a little about it at the time, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Because most of the old officials of Yongchang were granted residences by Chengzong, and many of them bought other houses for long-term planning.

After you abolished the Protectorate, Han Jing moved his family to the other courtyard, which was natural. Today, when I heard that Madam Han and the King of Hexi were missing, the first thing I thought of was to go to Han Jing's other courtyard. As expected... it was already empty.

I remember that Han Jing had a large family, so it would be a conspicuous thing for him to leave the city. But when I asked the soldiers guarding the city, none of them had seen Han Jing leave the city. So I led people to search the small courtyard, and found a child's plaything next to a dry well behind the house, which seemed to have been left behind in a hurry.

I carefully checked the well. Han Jing's courtyard was not as messy as Yongfu Palace, so it was much easier to search. I found the traps and secret passages, which were exactly the same as those in Yongfu Palace. The courtyard was not far from the city wall, and the secret passages led directly to the outside of the city.

Chen Ji listened quietly, his eyes widened. "Isn't the city wall right next to the river? How easy is it to build a secret passage under the river? How can he do it without anyone noticing? How is this possible?"

Ma Da bowed his head and asked in a low voice: "Do you think that a woman can dig a tunnel from Yongfu Palace to the outside of the palace wall in just a few days?"

"You mean to say that these two secret passages were built when Chengzong was still alive?" Chen Ji frowned and put one hand on the table, feeling more and more upset.

Ma Da replied, "Based on the time Han Jing bought the villa, the construction started quite early, and it was definitely not done after Chengzong became seriously ill. Chengzong should have anticipated everything that might happen after his death, even the details such as you would lock people up in Yongfu Palace."

Chen Ji clenched the memorial he had just read in his hand, and the tighter he clenched it, the more resentment he felt. If Si Yuan could be healthy and live a long life, he would probably have to live his whole life with his tail between his legs.

He couldn't help but laugh, with endless hatred: "Great! That's great! It turns out that people can freely enter and exit the palace walls and the city walls. Then what's the difference between my palace and a vegetable market? This is really the best gift that Chengzong prepared for my ascension to the throne!"

After saying this, the memorial in Chen Ji's hand was thrown heavily to the ground.

Ma Da didn't dare to say anything, he just bent down to pick up the memorial on the ground and put it back on Chen Ji's desk. As he picked it up and put it back, he vaguely saw Si Rong's name on the memorial.

Perhaps out of curiosity, Mada unconsciously took another look at it, and it seemed that the content should be an advice to stabilize the palace as soon as possible.

Chen Ji supported his chin with his arm, raised his head and asked Ma Da: "What do you think should be done?"

Ma Da took a step back, bowed and replied, "I think we should send someone to chase them back. Han Jing and Madam Han have not been away for long, and there are many children. They can't run fast, and it's easy to reveal their tracks. If we send people out immediately, there will be a chance to find them."

Chen Ji smiled and asked, "But... aren't you afraid that Rong'er will know? She will be angry."

Mada felt that the tone of this sentence was a bit strange. He looked up and saw that Chen Ji's lips were slightly raised, and his smile was very strange.

"I will be careful and only send trusted people to investigate in secret."

Chen Ji nodded and asked with a smile: "What happens after we get him back? If Si Yan returns to the capital again, Rong'er will know sooner or later, right?"

Mada was stunned, not knowing what to do.

Chen Ji walked out from behind the desk, approached Ma Da, and whispered: "At least before the ceremony of the Queen's coronation, Si Yan cannot return to Beijing. But you still have to check their whereabouts immediately. After finding any clues, secretly track them and see where they are going..."

Ma Da could tell that Chen Ji had other plans. "Your Majesty, do you think it's more important to track where they are going?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "When I was in Yongchang, I saw that Madam Bai and Madam Han had a very good relationship. They are cousins, and Si Xiu and Si Yan are brothers. Even if they were suspected of competing for the throne before, now they should be united against the common enemy."

Ma Da understood: "I understand. I will do my best to avoid alerting the enemy and follow the clues to find the source."

Chen Ji smiled and nodded again.

Ma Da bowed and asked, "If I can find out the whereabouts of the King of Hexi, can the emperor release Fang Xiang?"

"You really still want to plead for him?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Chengzong's thinking is so meticulous that ordinary people can't predict it. Fang Xiang was indeed negligent in his duty, but the relocation of the Prince of Hexi and others to Yongfu Palace was decided by the court. No one thought of checking Yongfu Palace in advance. And then the hostages disappeared. How could it be Fang Xiang's fault alone?"

Chen Ji immediately stopped smiling, "According to what you said, it's my fault?"

"I dare not. I just think that this matter is of great importance and everyone in the court is responsible. Just like me, I didn't remember to pay attention to Han Jing's villa until I learned that the King of Hexi was missing today. Fang Xiang is young after all and lacks experience in everything. I beg the emperor to give him another chance to atone for his sins." At this point, Ma Da lowered his head, showing a look of shame, "If the emperor does not agree, I am afraid that today... I can't even go home..."

Hearing this last sentence, Chen Ji couldn't help but chuckle, "So you were forced to come here to beg for mercy? It seems that you are quite afraid of her?"

Ma Da replied, "Your Majesty is afraid of making Princess Si Rong angry, so I am naturally afraid of making Fang Qing angry as well."

Chen Ji stared at Mada again and again. As far as he could remember, this seemed to be the first time that Mada took the initiative to mention Fang Qing in front of him.

"Okay, go back and tell Fang Qing that you are all meritorious officials. I will not punish Fang Xiang lightly, but he cannot be released immediately. He must stay in jail for a few days and learn a lesson so that he can remember that he is now the chief guard responsible for the safety of the entire palace, not a small butler in the mansion!"

Mada didn't dare to plead any more, so he accepted the order and left.

Chen Ji sat alone at the table, still thinking about these things, silently pondering, wondering if Si Yuan had made any other arrangements before his death...

As he was thinking, Chen Ji suddenly thought of Meng Xue.

Since there was a secret passage in Yongfu Palace that could lead to escape, why did only Madam Han and Si Yan escape? Then Meng Xue was obviously also afraid of living in Yongfu Palace, so why didn't she escape? Didn't she know about the secret passage?

Before his death, Si Yuan left a will to Si Rong and Si Xiu, and arranged a way for Si Yan to survive. Did he not care about the posthumous child in Meng Xue's belly?