Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

After leaving the mansion, Yiyun easily found a bookstore using the map given to her by the Empress's people.

She looked around to make sure no one was there, then walked to the outer wall on the left side of the bookstore's main entrance and touched it with her hand.

Soon, a hole was found at about the height of a person. The edges of the hole were smooth and clean, clearly indicating that it was made by man.

Without hesitation, she pulled out the wooden hairpin from her hair and inserted it, still somewhat afraid, her hands trembling.

She then checked carefully and confirmed that she could only see something inside by standing on tiptoe and looking carefully. Only then did she turn around and look around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she immediately turned and left.

As she approached the bookstore, she suddenly stopped and peered inside.

After thinking for a moment, I went inside and looked around.

The waiter hurriedly came forward: "What book would you like, young lady?"

"I'd like to see if there are any interesting stories or anecdotes about Juzhou or the Dali Kingdom, and... do you have any maps?"

"Yes, yes, please wait a moment."

The waiter rummaged around and quickly retrieved a book and a hand-drawn map for her.

Evian opened it and looked at it, "How much?"

"Twenty cents."

Yiyun gave him twenty coins, put the things in her pocket, and left.

As she stepped out of the shop, a man in his thirties emerged from inside.

"Shopkeeper," the waiter said with a fawning smile.

What did that woman buy?

"It's just a collection of miscellaneous essays and maps."

The shopkeeper nodded: "Her accent sounds like she's from Gongzhou."

The waiter was taken aback, and the shopkeeper gave him a wink: "Go outside and take a look."

The waiter immediately ran outside, stood on tiptoe to peek over the wall, and hurried back into the shop, nodding to the manager: "It's her."

The shopkeeper frowned: "The people from Prince Yong's residence haven't made a move yet, so why was she sent here?"

Waiter: "Perhaps they can't contact anyone in the manor? After all, they're just using a temporary gardener's job, so it shouldn't be very effective."

The shopkeeper frowned: "A map? Are you trying to escape?"

He thought for a moment and said, "Go and retrieve the things tonight."

"Yes."

The commotion at the bookstore had long been secretly observed by others.

Yiyun returned to the palace in a panic, not daring to go directly to the princess, and went back to her own courtyard first.

When Yin Tao saw her return, she quickly followed.

"how was it?"

"I met the man, and he gave me a map and a book so I could learn about the situation first. But if we want to leave and live in seclusion in another country, we need fake calling cards and travel documents, which takes time and money."

Yiyun took the items out and gave them to Yintao.

Yin Tao was overjoyed and took the book, flipping through it: "But, the Empress must also have people watching us. How can we make them lower their guard?"

Yiyun: "We have to make the Queen feel that we are working for her."

"But……"

Yiyun stood up: "I just returned from the palace, so I should report to the Princess so that she will think we are obedient and will no longer be wary of us."

Yin Tao agreed: "Great idea. Go quickly."

Yiyun successfully met Gu Hua.

She was a little anxious: "Your Highness, I wonder if anyone from the Prince's residence is following us? I looked around just now but didn't see anyone. I went there and found it was a bookstore."

Gu Hua nodded: "Yes, you also bought a book of miscellaneous essays and a map."

Yiyun was taken aback: "How did you know?"

They quickly realized that someone must have seen them.

She breathed a sigh of relief: "Then we can catch them, right?"

Gu Hua smiled and said, "Let's wait for the wooden hairpin to reappear, and then you can see what's inside."

Sure enough, someone took action very quickly.

Yiyun, holding a book, asked with some surprise, "Looking for me?"

The maid who came to deliver the message nodded: "The princess wants you to go quickly."

Yiyun quickly put down her book and followed the maid.

Upon arriving at the main room, Yiyun immediately spotted the bookstore's waiter and was startled.

Are the people at the bookstore the Empress's people?

Oh no, she bought a map from him. Will he suspect she's trying to run away?

She forced herself to remain calm and walked over, bowing to Gu Hua: "This servant greets Your Highness, the Princess."

Gu Hua smiled and said, "It just so happens that the bookstore found the books I was looking for. When they delivered them, they said you also had a book you were looking for, so they delivered it to you as well."

The waiter smiled and handed over a book wrapped in cloth with both hands: "Miss, the other day you said you wanted to find the most complete cookbook in southern Xinjiang, and the shopkeeper has gone to great lengths to find it for you."

Yiyun and he exchanged a glance, both understanding each other without saying a word. Yiyun took the book but did not open it.

"Thank you, so what's the money?"

Gu Hua: "The manor gave it to us."

Yiyun hurriedly said, "How can that be? I'll pay for the books myself."

"You are the prince's man, so whatever you want to buy will naturally be paid for by the prince's mansion."

Yi Yun was taken aback, and the next moment her eyes reddened slightly. Gu Hua was helping her.

She quickly curtsied and said, "This servant thanks Your Highness. This servant will take her leave now."

Gu Hua nodded: "Mm."

Yiyun quickly returned to the courtyard with the book in her arms, and Yintao followed. The two opened the cloth bag to reveal a book inside. Upon opening it, they found that the book was hollowed out and a wooden hairpin was lying inside.

Yin Tao eagerly grabbed the wooden hairpin, opened it, and sure enough, there was a small roll of paper inside.

Pull it out and unfold it; inside are five words: Mu Junyan's whereabouts.

Yiyun's brow twitched.

Yin Tao frowned: "Does this mean they want the whereabouts of Prince Yong?"

Yiyun was also at a loss: "We can't even see the Prince of Yong, how can we find out his whereabouts?"

"You can't see the Prince Yong, but you can see the Princess."

Yin Tao slowly said, "The prince dotes on this princess so much, and she's pregnant with her third child. Wouldn't it be valuable if her whereabouts were revealed to the empress?"

Yi Yun glanced at her quickly.

Yin Tao looked at her intently: "The princess has been treating you very well lately."

Yiyun seemed flustered, lowering her eyes: "She's testing us too. Isn't she doing the same thing with you?"

Yin Tao tilted her head and looked at her: "Didn't you say you were going to find someone you knew? So, the Empress has someone else outside! What else are you hiding from me?"

“It’s not that I’m hiding it from you, it’s just that the Empress gave me instructions. She said that if we can’t make contact with the spies in the mansion, we can go to another place in the city. But the Empress forbids me from telling anyone. How could I dare to disobey the Empress’s orders?”

Yin Tao stood up abruptly, furious, and approached Yi Yun: "What? I'm going to live and die with you, and you're just using me as a stepping stone?"

Yiyun was so frightened that she backed away: "You, you, I didn't. I dare not disobey the Empress's orders."

Yin Tao moved closer to her: "You're trying to please the princess while simultaneously contacting outsiders. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Yiyun shook her head vigorously: "No, no, I don't know anyone here. Only my sister came with me. We must help each other."

Yin Tao grabbed Yi Yun by the collar and glared at her fiercely: "Let me tell you, if you dare to do anything behind my back, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Yiyun asked tremblingly, "I dare not, I absolutely won't. But, sister, what should we do now?"

Yin Tao let go of her: "Take me to see the person who gave you the book."

Yiyun thought for a moment and said, "We can only go out if the Princess Consort gives us permission."

"Go and find a way to get the princess to allow us to go out together."

Yiyun said with a wronged expression, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

As she stepped out of the courtyard gate, her sorrowful expression vanished, and she quickened her pace towards the main courtyard.

After listening to her words, Gu Hua asked, "What do you plan to do?"

“This servant can spread false information. Whatever the Princess wishes me to spread, this servant will spread.”

Gu Hua nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll ask the Prince first and then tell you. As for Yin Tao, you can take her with you when you leave the manor."

Yiyun was overjoyed and quickly curtsied, saying, "Yes. Then this servant will take her leave."

"Wait a minute, I have something to show you."

Gu Hua handed her a letter: "Take a look, I'm in a rush, I can't write much."

When Yiyun unfolded it, there were only six words: Yun'er, be well, don't worry.

Her eyes immediately filled with tears: "It's my father's handwriting, it's my father's handwriting."

She suddenly raised her head: "Your Highness, this..."

Gu Hua said softly, "Our people saw him yesterday, and you and your daughter will soon be reunited."

Yiyun knelt down with a thud, kowtowed heavily, and cried, "Your Highness, I am willing to serve you like a beast of burden."

“Du Yun, I can’t save your father by myself, and you don’t need to be a slave to me. We are doing this for the sake of all living beings. You should go back first. Don’t let Yin Tao become suspicious; she is an ambitious woman.”

Gu Hua gestured to Sui'er to help her up.

Yiyun walked along the road crying, thinking about what Gu Hua had said. Suddenly, she felt that her desire to save her father was so insignificant.

She seemed to understand.

Wiping away her tears, she lifted her head and let the wind blow on her face, allowing her tear-stained eyes to gradually heal before walking back to the courtyard.