After the arranged marriage, I pampered the sickly regent.

The guard stopped talking abruptly when he saw Ye Qingwu.

"What happened?"

Ye Qingwu was puzzled and asked the guard.

"Your Highness...Your Highness, Ye Qingzhu has disappeared."

"what?"

"Were other parts of the Prince's mansion searched? How could someone just disappear? Could she have stolen from the mansion? But if that were the case, the guards at the gate would have reported it."

Leng Feng found it increasingly strange and looked at Ye Qingwu, "Your Highness, what do you think should be done about this?"

"Go and ask anyone in the manor who has seen Ye Qingzhu, and where the last place they saw her was."

Today is the day the curse will come true, and she had long anticipated that Ye Qingzhu would not sit idly by and wait for her doom.

Rather than saying he vanished into thin air, she was more inclined to believe that he had somehow managed to escape.

"Subordinate, go right away."

Just as Leng Feng was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and said, "Your Highness, what about the Prince...?"

"Don't worry, I'm here, nothing will happen."

Hearing this, Leng Feng felt much relieved. Ye Qingwu looked around. It was already afternoon. As long as today ended, those rumors related to the curse would disappear.

Zhan Sijing, you must wake up quickly.

Half an hour later, Leng Feng and the guard returned. "Your Highness, we found Ye Qingzhu's headdress behind the bamboo grove on the east side of the palace."

"What else was discovered besides these?"

"This..." The guard paused, unsure whether he should continue.

Finally, Leng Feng spoke first. He stepped forward and said to Ye Qingwu, "Your Highness, there is another dog hole, but although it is called a dog hole, it is big enough for one person to pass through."

"No one has been to that bamboo grove for a long time, and the area around the wall is overgrown with weeds. I never expected that someone would come here."

"You mean Ye Qingzhu left the palace through this dog hole?"

Leng Feng nodded. "Judging from the size of the jewelry and the dog hole, that's certainly true."

Ye Qingwu chuckled. This Ye Qingzhu is really interesting; she's capable of anything to leave.

"Your Highness, I have already ordered the cave entrance to be sealed. As for what to do with Ye Qingzhu?"

Even if she escaped from the Prince's mansion, she would have no one to rely on except the Duke's mansion.

Leng Feng was taken aback, then said, "Your Highness, do you mean Ye Qingzhu is at the Duke's mansion?"

"I will have Commander Wang lead his men to the Duke's mansion and bring Ye Qingzhu back."

"No need."

Ye Xuan is, after all, an important official of the court. If he goes there rashly, he might not only fail to find Ye Qingzhu, but also achieve the opposite effect.

"You just need to strengthen the guard around the Prince's Palace, and the person will definitely come back."

More than Ye Qingzhu's whereabouts, she was concerned about whether Zhan Sijing could wake up.

Given the current situation, the one in the palace seems intent on making everyone pay the price for Zhan Sijing.

Even if it is confirmed that Zhan Sijing's condition is not serious, there are still unpredictable things that can happen while he is unconscious and in the public eye.

Just then, another guard came over and respectfully said to Ye Qingwu, "Your Highness, your father, Duke Ye, has arrived."

"Ye Xuan?" Ye Qingwu couldn't help but find it quite interesting. His presence meant that Ye Yuanfeng's complaint had worked.

"Your Highness, if you do not wish to see me, I may go and refuse on your behalf?"

Leng Feng looked at Ye Qingwu and knew that after the last visit home, the princess had no further connection with the Duke's mansion.

Yet, in front of outsiders, this Duke Ye still refers to himself as the Princess's father, the purpose of which is truly despicable.

"They've come in person; if we turn them down, we'll lose the fun."

Ye Qingwu curled her lips into a smile. She not only wanted to see Ye Xuan, but also wanted to know the purpose of his visit.

"Take Duke Ye to the pavilion, and I will follow shortly."

Although the Prince's mansion has been heavily guarded these past few days, there are no rules against letting people in, except for preventing people from leaving the mansion.

"Your Highness, shall I accompany you?"

Leng Feng spoke with concern, reminding the prince that he had promised to protect the princess's safety.

Moreover, this is especially true when it is clear that the other party has ill intentions.

"If you leave, who will protect the prince's courtyard?"

Ye Qingwu said that she understood that Leng Feng was worried about her safety.

“This is the Regent’s Palace. Ye Xuan wouldn’t dare to do anything rash. Even if he did, I have ways to deal with him.”

She wasn't the original owner of this body, passively accepting whatever treatment the people from the Duke's mansion gave her.

After hearing this, Leng Feng didn't know what else to say, and could only nod and say, "Your Highness, please be careful."

Ye Qingwu gave a soft "hmm" and headed towards the pavilion she had just mentioned.

Ye Xuan, led by his guards, arrived at the pavilion. He looked around and was particularly displeased when he did not see Ye Qingwu.

Where is Ye Qingwu?

"Reporting to Duke Ye, the Princess Consort only instructed me to bring you here, but did not mention when you would arrive."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan was immediately enraged and shouted, "I think she's clearly putting on airs for me on purpose."

“I really don’t know how high the sky is and how high it is!”

Ye Xuan felt puzzled when he recalled Ye Qingzhu's repeated requests to return to the manor first while in the carriage.

If it weren't for this, he would have arrived at the Regent's Palace much earlier, and wouldn't have been delayed by half an hour on the way.

Although we don't know what happened, Qingzhu's unusual behavior must be related to Ye Qingwu.

When he sees this wretched girl, he will definitely teach her a lesson.

"Who is Your Excellency accusing of putting on airs?"

Just as Ye Xuan was venting his dissatisfaction to the guards, Ye Qingwu's voice came.

Ye Xuan was taken aback, and as he turned around, he saw Ye Qingwu walking towards him.

Before he could speak, the guard from before quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Ye Qingwu.

"Your Highness, Duke Ye just said a lot of things that were unfavorable to you."

When Ye Xuan heard these words, his face turned red with anger. He never expected that a mere guard would dare to tell Ye Qingwu all those things in front of him.

This behavior instantly embarrassed Ye Xuan.

Ye Qingwu simply raised her hand and said to the guard, "You may leave now."

"But this Duke Ye..."

Even though he was just an outsider, everything he said—from the path from the mansion gate to the pavilion to the words spoken by this Duke Ye—expressed his dissatisfaction with the princess.

If there were no one else around, who knows what might happen.

"Your Highness, are you sure you don't want to send more guards over?"

The guard asked with concern and unease.

"Go back."

Ye Qingwu said.

"Yes." The guard had just agreed, but then added, still feeling a little uneasy.

"Your Highness, we and others are nearby. If you encounter any trouble, please call us."

The guard raised his voice a few decibels, not bothering to avoid Ye Xuan as he spoke.