Repeatedly broken branches

I found a guesthouse to stay in. It's in a town, so the guesthouse isn't as luxurious as those in the city, but it's simple and comfortable enough. I was so tired that I didn't care about the environment. Just having a chair to lie down and rest was already a blessing.

Here, nestled amidst mountains and waterfalls, the inn is backed by endless deep mountains, flanked by cascading waterfalls on both sides, occasionally shrouded in mist, with the sound of water gradually fading away.

The innkeeper said that if you open the window during the day, you will see a waterfall as fine as smoke, like a thin veil or a piece of silver.

Unfortunately, it's nighttime now, so we can't see such a beautiful sight.

Exhausted from the day, Xiao Mu fell into a deep sleep accompanied by the thunderous sound of the waterfall. Unlike usual, she slept exceptionally peacefully tonight, without nightmares or insomnia. It turns out that sleeping soundly after a long day can be so sweet.

The palace was in complete chaos. The Empress had gone out in the morning and it was already dark, but she had not returned yet, causing controversy throughout the palace. Yu Yanjing even dispatched the imperial guards to search for her. They would not stop until they found the Empress.

You Xin was filled with anxiety. With her here, who would dare to lay a hand on the Empress? How could she have made so many enemies?

Two-thirds of the palace's troops had been taken by Shen Ruoxuan to search for Zhou Tingxi and his men, so one-third remained. This third was to leave the palace today with the imperial guards to search for the Empress. Yu Yanjing ordered that no one be told, so as not to damage her reputation.

Yu Yanjing understands Xiao Mu's personality; she doesn't like being restricted, so he never forbids her from going out like Zhou Tingxi did. But why is she still so willful? He knows she yearns for freedom... but isn't she free enough?

Could something have happened, like being robbed? Or...?

Yu Yanjing immediately summoned Xiao Shao and Ruan Cifeng to the palace. After questioning them for a long time, Xiao Shao finally confessed that Xiao Mu was with Xie Huai...

His expression grew increasingly grave. Xie Huai… that scoundrel, that unreliable guy, what if he takes Xiao Mu to a dangerous place?

"Your Majesty, the Empress will be alright. Xie Huai is not as unreliable as we think."

Ruan Cifeng knew that everyone's first impression of Xie Huai was that he was unreliable, irresponsible, and irresponsible, but he also knew that Xie Huai was actually a very loyal and responsible person.

Yu Yanjing lowered his eyes, waved his hand, indicating that the couple could leave. He leaned back weakly in his chair, looking up at the wooden ceiling. No one knew what he was thinking.

Seeing that Ruan Cifeng showed no sign of worry, Xiao Shao couldn't help but ask on the way back, "Cifeng, why aren't you worried about the Empress at all?"

“The Empress will do everything she can to get things done. This time, she stayed out all night with Xie Huai, which means they have their own things to do. What’s the use of us worrying? The Empress is not the kind of person who is weak.” When Xia Yunzhi was mentioned, Ruan Cifeng’s usually calm eyes suddenly flickered.

Xiao Shao saw it all, but she didn't say anything. However, she was a little bothered. They had been married for a long time, but they had never consummated their marriage, had never had any intimate contact, and had barely exchanged a few private words. During the day, Ruan Cifeng was at the clinic, and Xiao Shao was at the teahouse. By the time they returned home at night, they were both exhausted and fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. They had no time for themselves.

But why is it that Ruan Cifeng, who treats everyone else with such gentleness and warmth, is so cold and uninteresting towards himself?

Wei Lan brought over a bowl of ginseng soup, a hint of sadness in her eyes. How could a man like the Emperor lose his appetite over a woman? He was the ruler of the country, the hope of the people of Chaoyang. Why was he always so heartbroken and troubled because of the Empress?

Is such an empress truly worthy of the emperor?

"Your Majesty, please rest for a while and have some ginseng soup. You're not eating or drinking here, and we haven't been able to find the Empress. If you exhaust yourself, how will you attend the morning court tomorrow?"

Yu Yanjing lowered his eyelashes, concealing the lost light in his eyes. Was he sad because Xiao Mu longed for freedom and didn't tell him anything, or was he sad because she traveled with Xie Huai and didn't come home at night...?

He clearly had plenty of time, so why did she seek out Xie Huai instead of her? They were clearly husband and wife.

"Your Majesty?" Wei Lan called to him softly.

Yu Yanjing lazily lifted his eyelids, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "What is it?"

Wei Lan picked up the ginseng soup, knelt in front of him, and whispered, "Your Majesty, please have something to drink. The Empress will be back."

"She...maybe she doesn't want to come back at all."

A hint of surprise flashed in Wei Lan's eyes. How could she not want to come back? This was the imperial palace, and her husband was such a good emperor. Her not wanting to come back could only be attributed to her ungratefulness.

She had followed Yu Yanjing for so many years, and no woman had ever appeared by his side. Even Shen Shanshan hadn't caught his eye much. So why did an empress suddenly appear and steal the emperor's heart? In her mind, the emperor had no emotions in his eyes and was always so decisive and resolute in everything he did.

Yu Yanjing didn't sleep all night, afraid of missing the news of Xiao Mu's return. However, none of the soldiers he sent out returned, because he had been told that they were not allowed to return without news of the Empress.

He began to reflect on himself. Had he been too busy lately and neglected her, or had he been cold to her? No… Then why didn’t she come back? Had something happened to her?

Yu Yanjing could no longer sit still. After changing his appearance, he put on a white, straight-collared robe with gorgeous patterns embroidered with black silk. He carried a long sword on his back and rode his horse toward the palace gate.

Wei Lan and Rou Rou spread their arms to block Yu Yanjing's horse. Wei Lan's eyes were red. "Your Majesty, you can't go out! All the officials are waiting for you to attend court!"

Rou Rou said, "Yes, Your Majesty, if you go, they will start gossiping again. Didn't you already send people to look for the Empress? I believe they will be found soon!"

Yu Yanjing raised his eyebrows and drew his sword from his back. The sword flashed and slammed into Wei Lan's face. He said coldly, "Do you want to die?"

Wei Lan knelt down, holding the long sword, two streams of hot tears streaming down her face. She said in a sobbing voice, "Your Majesty, so many people outside are already looking for the Empress. You can't even skip the morning court session. Otherwise, they'll say you're a tyrant again."

She simply didn't want those people to slander the Emperor anymore; she was just worried about his health.

Seeing this, Rou Rou quickly knelt down and tried to dissuade him, saying, "Sister Wei Lan is right, Your Majesty cannot go out. Your Majesty, please don't be so willful!"

Yu Yanjing was extremely annoyed. He sheathed his long sword, tightened the reins, and his eyes flashed with cold light. He disregarded Wei Lan kneeling in front of him, rode his horse over her head, and left the palace gate without looking back.

Wei Lan was heartbroken. Watching his departing figure on horseback, she could no longer get up. The Emperor was never one to ignore advice.

Sure enough, Yu Yanjing did not attend the morning court session, and those old fogies began to gossip again, claiming that the princess from the Western Regions was simply a bewitching empress who had the emperor so infatuated that he neglected important matters of state and even mobilized two-thirds of the palace's troops in order to find the whereabouts of her former husband.

He couldn't care less about anything else. All he knew was that Xia Yunzhi was his wife. Who could sit still after learning that their wife had been missing for a night?

……

I woke up at noon. Maybe I was too tired yesterday and slept very well, but I woke up with a sore back and aching waist.

Xiao Mu and Xie Huai had already used the two taels of silver they earned yesterday to pay for their lodging. They also needed to quickly raise the remaining travel expenses, otherwise... they wouldn't be able to return next year.

Yu Yanjing must be extremely anxious. He's probably sending people everywhere to look for him, and he's eager to get back, but unfortunately, they're penniless right now.

The more nonchalant Xie Huai acted, the angrier she became. If it weren't for him sending the driver back, none of this would have happened.

"Let's think about how to get back now. The Empress of Chaoyang Kingdom is trapped in the mountains because she doesn't have enough money to rent a carriage. Does anyone believe that?" Xiao Mu said with a helpless self-deprecating laugh.

Xie Huai joked, "Anyway, I don't believe it. Look at your outfit, who would believe you're the current empress?"

Xiao Mu looked down at her coarse clothes and realized that she didn't have anything of value on her body except for the bracelet that Yu Yanjing had given her. Of course, no matter what, she would never sell the things he had given her!

"It's all your fault." Xiao Mu walked out of the inn. The mountain air was so fresh. She took a deep breath and immediately felt refreshed and less uncomfortable.

Xie Huai followed behind her and said slowly, "Instead of blaming me, you should go find something to do and earn some money for the journey back as soon as possible!"

"Do you need to tell me?" Xiao Mu glanced at him and gritted her teeth. "I'll deduct your wages when I get back. Also, you promised to let me have contact with my relatives in the Western Regions, don't go back on your word!"

Xie Huai was taken aback. When did he agree to that?

"Did I agree?" He pretended to have forgotten, scratched his head, and continued, "They're not easy to get along with. They're all ruthless and extremely cunning. You're too naive; you won't fit in with them!"

Xiao Mu suddenly turned around, blinked her eyes, and threatened, "I'll deduct your wages! Also, I'm not naive, you just think I am."

Xie Huai laughed out loud. "If you weren't so naive, how could I have tricked you into coming here? If you weren't so naive, how could you not know that I had hidden a jade pendant..."

He had ulterior motives; he just wanted her to spend more time with him. He wouldn't cross any lines; he just wanted to stay with her for a few more days, nothing more.

"Xie Huai, look... there's a small boat over there!"

He sighed helplessly, "I saw it, but that's a fishing boat, they won't let you ride it... Don't forget we're here to earn money, not to swim!"

Xiao Mu scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on him, smiling brightly. "So what? Can you swim?"

Xie Huai frowned. "No, so what?"

She said regretfully, "What a pity! I'm a very good swimmer, and I love swimming! Do you want to watch me swim?" After saying that, she rolled up her sleeves and made a motion as if she was about to enter the water.

Just then, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, like being stabbed with a knife, circling around her lower abdomen. Her lips turned white from the pain, and her vision seemed to be double... She clutched her stomach and squatted down, pressing hard on her lower abdomen with her hands, which finally brought her some relief.

"What's wrong?" Xie Huai looked down at her, his eyes full of concern. He squatted down and patiently asked, "Did you eat something bad? Your face looks pale from the pain..."

Xiao Mu bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. After a long while, she felt much better in her lower abdomen, but she still felt a slight pain. She started to panic. Could she be sick? She was thinking about swimming. What if she suddenly felt pain in the water?

This is the third time this has happened, and each time it's more painful than the last. What's wrong with her? It doesn't feel like menstrual cramps, and besides... she's forgotten when her last period was...

Could it be that she's pregnant? Impossible... I've never heard of a baby having stomach aches... What could it be?

"What's wrong? You look much better, what happened just now?"

Xie Huai looked at her, his brows furrowed and his expression serious.

Xiao Mu Nuonuo shook her head. "I probably ate something bad. I was going to show you how to swim... Never mind, let's wait until we get back to the palace... no, let's find a clean lake outside the palace and I'll perform for you, okay?"

Xie Huai raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm afraid you'll need me to save you then."

She stuck out her tongue and said frankly, "I'm a very good swimmer; I've saved Zhou Tingxi twice!"

Xie Huai stood up, shielding his eyes from the glaring sunlight with one hand, and looked around. In this sweltering weather, and with Xiao Mu in that state just now, what else could they possibly do? If all else failed, they might as well pawn the jade pendant and go back.

But isn't it bad to take it out after so long? Did we make her suffer all that for nothing?

"Xie Qing, Xie Xiaomu?"

One of the burly men who had been hoeing the field with them yesterday, I think his name was Wang Ning, stood behind the two of them and greeted them with a grin.

"It's you, Wang Ning." Xie Huai said with a forced smile.

"Have you found anything to do?" Wang Ning asked at the top of his lungs.

Xie Huai and Xiao Mu shook their heads in unison.

Wang Ning laughed out loud, "That's perfect, I have a job here that just needs two more people, do you want to come along?"

"What does she do? My sister isn't feeling well and might not be able to do any strenuous work."

Xie Huai looked at Xiao Mu, whose face still looked pale, with lingering fear.

"It's not hard work, just helping to dye cloth in the dyehouse. I get two taels of silver a day. Because they're in a rush to finish, the pay is extra high. But a lot of people have gone to work in the fields. The owner of the dyehouse is my aunt, and she asked me to help her find someone... I was just worried about that, and then I met you all!"

Before Xie Huai could refuse, Xiao Mu asked first, "Can we do it even if we have no experience in dyeing cloth?"

Wang Ning replied without hesitation, "Of course, it's not a difficult thing to begin with. Do you want to go? If you do, come with me!"

"Okay!"

Xiao Mu followed Wang Ning eagerly.

Xie Huai followed immediately. Who was it that said they weren't innocent? Why did they run off with someone after asking just one question?

Upon arriving at the dyehouse, Wang Ning introduced Xiao Mu and Xie Huai to his aunt, who was also the owner of the dyehouse and seemed quite shrewd.

Standing in front of Xiao Mu and Xie Huai, he carefully examined them from head to toe, and said seriously, "They don't look like they know how to work. Can they endure hardship?"

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Yes, my brother and I both come from poor families, and we can endure any hardship."

Wang Ning chimed in, "Yes, Auntie, Xie Qing and his sister worked with me all day yesterday hoeing the fields under the scorching sun. They're very hardworking."

The proprietress nodded in satisfaction. "Wang Ning, then take them to the yard and teach them how to dye cloth first, and then how to dry it."

The dyeing process wasn't particularly complicated, but it was physically demanding. You had to lift heavy white cloths and drop them into vats filled with various colors of dye. You'd stir them with a stick for a while before taking them out and drying them on racks. It was just a few steps, done back and forth. It was time-consuming and laborious, but you could earn a lot.

Xiao Mu and Xie Huai stood there watching for a while, and quickly learned the steps of dyeing cloth. Wang Ning then let them practice it themselves.

At first, the two of them were clumsy and didn't know how to use the right amount of force. When they threw the cloth into the dye vat, they used too much force and splashed dye everywhere, covering their clothes, shoes, and even their faces.

As they practiced, they developed a tacit understanding and were able to control the force with which the fabric was put into the dye vat. Each person would hold a stick and stir the fabric in the vat. After stirring, the two of them would work together to scoop out the dyed fabric and hang it on a rack to dry.

Looking at the dyed fabrics floating like ribbons in the yard, Xiao Mu couldn't help but feel incredibly proud. This was actually fabric she had dyed herself. All sorts of colors danced in the air like rainbows. It was really beautiful, and she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Looking at Xie Huai, who was leaning against the dye vat looking as tired as a puppy, Xiao Mu had a wicked idea.

She secretly reached her hand into the yellow dye vat, hiding it behind her back. She crept up to Xie Huai, pointed to a piece of purple dyed cloth with her other clean finger, and said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Xie Huai, what do you think of that purple one?"

He looked in the direction Xiao Mu was pointing and carefully examined the piece of fabric. Xiao Mu, quick as a flash, smeared the yellow dye on Xie Huai's fair face when he wasn't looking.

After doing her mischief, Xiao Mu covered her mouth and laughed triumphantly. Xie Huai belatedly looked away and stared at the girl in front of him who was laughing foolishly. His heart skipped a beat, as if fireworks had exploded in his heart... His heart trembled heavily.

"Xie Huai, you've turned into a yellow dog!"

"Ok?"

"I smeared yellow dye on your face, hahahahahaha..." Xiao Mu couldn't stop laughing.

Xie Huai's eyes brightened, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He awkwardly reached out and touched the dye that Xiao Mu had just applied. It was yellow, a very beautiful yellow...