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墨書 Inktalez
She was not tall, only as high as Yin Luo when sitting, and her hands holding the snowball were frozen red. When Yin Luo saw her small palm turn over, a Red Plum appeared, but due to her clumsiness, it was easily discerned that the Red Plum had come from her sleeve.
Ruo Ling originally intended to conjure a whole bouquet of flowers, but due to a mistake, she ended up leaving the stem in her sleeve, and only a few scattered petals lay in her palm.
The small petals resting in her palm made Ruo Ling feel frustrated as she scratched the back of her head and said, "Oh no, I messed it up again."
Yin Luo almost laughed out loud. She patted Feng Ruoling's head and for a moment felt that this time was truly enchanting.
Having been used to fighting and killing in the past, she had never experienced such peaceful days. This month of recuperation had allowed her to enjoy this rare tranquility, and she found herself longing for such a life.
"Princess, I heard that Cousin Miss fell ill last night. I don't know how it happened, but she suddenly developed a high fever that won't go down. Prince has been with her all day today and even threw a fit at the Purple Pavilion."
At the moment Yin Luo heard this, she was by the pond in the garden feeding fish. Without raising her eyebrows, she replied, "As long as she doesn't come looking for trouble with me, her matters have nothing to do with me. Let's pretend we don't know."
Su Yi nodded and said, "Although she hasn't caused trouble for the princess recently, Cousin Miss has her thoughts set on you. Having liked Prince for so many years, she definitely won't let you off easily. So the princess should still be cautious of her and not let her guard down."
Yin Luo nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on her."
This Ye Qingge didn't even know what illness she had; she had been sick for three or four days straight.
Mu Changqing had invited Eleventh Master to personally treat her, but even he couldn't cure her. In no time at all, the entire royal residence seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds.
Originally, Yin Luo had always kept herself out of it because she and Ye Qingge did not interfere with each other. Therefore, she completely ignored the existence of this person within the residence. However, one day after class, when Ruo Ling did not return for a long time, Yin Luo asked Su Yi to inquire about it and learned that Ruo Ling had actually been taken to the Purple Pavilion.
The reason was that on her way back from class, Ruo Ling accidentally bumped into a maid who was serving medicine to Ye Qingge. At that moment, she didn't pay attention and collided with her. Immediately, that maid slapped her across the face. It was unclear whether the medicine that night was too important or if the maid simply disliked Ruo Ling, but she took it upon herself to bring Ruo Ling away. Since then, there had been no news of her.
Upon hearing this news, Yin Luo immediately stopped delaying and hurriedly went to the Purple Pavilion with Su Yi.
That night, Mu Changqing was busy with something and hadn't returned to the residence yet. When Yin Luo arrived at the Purple Pavilion, apart from the strong smell of medicine and maids coming and going to serve, there wasn't even a trace of Ruo Ling. Su Yi informed Yin Luo that she indeed asked around and confirmed that Ruo Ling was here; however, it seemed like she wasn't here at all right now.
Yin Luo weighed the pros and cons and went to find the person who told Su Yi about this. That person told Yin Luo that if Ruo Ling was indeed taken away by someone here, he saw it with his own eyes.
Yin Luo immediately stopped delaying and headed straight for Zixuan Pavilion.
When she arrived again, Mu Changqing had surprisingly returned and was feeding medicine to Qing Ge.
The servant at the door did not allow her to enter, so Yin Luo barged in directly.
Seeing her enter in such a manner, Mu Changqing's expression darkened: "Get out."
Yin Luo glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "I am here to take someone. Once I have taken the person, I will leave."
"What person?"
Yin Luo directed her gaze towards Qing Ge: "You should ask Ms. Qing Ge about that. Someone said they saw Ruo Ling being brought to Zixuan Pavilion by your maid. I wonder if Ms. Qing Ge could return her?"
After a few days apart, Qing Ge indeed looked much more haggard, but it was merely haggardness; who could tell if she was truly ill or just pretending?
"I wonder which young lady the princess saw bringing her here?"
Yin Luo paused. The old servant only mentioned that Ruo Ling was taken into that room but did not describe who took her out in detail.
Her gaze turned cold as she said, "Someone saw it with their own eyes. Ms. Qing Ge, please do not be confused and return Ruo Ling to me."
Mu Changqing turned his gaze towards Qing Ge, who suddenly covered her mouth and began coughing incessantly. Seeing this, Mu Changqing quickly reached out to pat her back, saying, "Take it easy, there's no rush."
After a while, Qing Ge finally managed to stop coughing but ended up tearing up from the effort. With tearful eyes, she looked at Mu Changqing and said, "Cousin, do you think I would keep a small child locked up in Zixuan Pavilion looking like this?"
She then turned to Yin Luo: "Since the princess insists that I have hidden Ruo Ling and brought her here, why don't you search for yourself? Zixuan Pavilion is not that big; go ahead and see if Ruo Ling is here."
Yin Luo furrowed her brows but said nothing as she directly entered the room to investigate.
Su Yi followed her, cautiously whispering in her ear, "Princess, I feel that something is amiss. If Cousin Miss really hid someone, why would she so boldly let us search? I think that if Ruoling is not here, she must either be hidden away by her or has been moved!"
Yin Luo nodded slightly, her hands still moving as she confirmed that there was no sign of Ruoling. Only then did she come out of the room, her expression serious. "It seems we came here for nothing today."
The two of them went outside together, and Ye Qing Ge looked at them weakly and asked, "Did you find anything, Princess Sister?"
Yin Luo glanced at her, her gaze sweeping over Mu Changqing before she replied coolly, "If it weren't for your interference, I would apologize. But if I find out that Ruoling has been hidden by you, regardless of who protects you, I will make you pay the price!"
"Enough! Qing Ge is ill; I do not wish for anyone to disturb her," Mu Changqing immediately ordered.
He then instructed someone to "see them out," and a servant came to escort them away.
Once Su Yi and Yin Luo were outside in the courtyard, Yin Luo seemed to think of something and said, "Perhaps that servant made a mistake. If Ruoling is truly not with Ye Qing Ge, then the most likely scenario is that she hasn't returned yet. Let's go out and check the academy."
Su Yi nodded and hurried back to grab a cloak before leaving the royal residence with Yin Luo.
The night had grown quite deep. For people in ancient times who had little nightlife, most were already asleep at this hour.
They made their way to the academy but searched everywhere without finding Ruoling. For a moment, Yin Luo felt anxious; how could a perfectly fine person just vanish into thin air?
Returning to the royal residence empty-handed, Yin Luo couldn't sleep. She sought help from the steward, who immediately arranged for people to search. However, by the middle of the night, there was still no news.
Ruoling was missing! How could a child just inexplicably disappear like this?
She had originally suspected Ye Qing Ge, but having seen her illness firsthand, how could Ye Qing Ge have the energy to harm anyone while being sick?
Throughout the night, Yin Luo couldn't sleep and went to find the teacher who taught Ruoling. The teacher informed her that Ruoling left right after class and hadn't stayed at the academy at all.
In this way, the entire matter became impossible to investigate. So, has Ruo Ling gone missing?
Yin Luo found the servant again who claimed to have seen Ruo Ling being taken into the Purple Pavilion that night. However, this time the servant changed his previous statement, saying that it was too dark to see clearly.
As a result, the final conclusion drawn was that she had never returned to the royal residence. But if she didn't return to the royal residence, where could she have gone?
Ruo Ling had been missing for three days, and they had almost asked everyone they could find, yet there was not a single piece of news!
During these days, Yin Luo was so anxious that she couldn't eat or sleep, and Su Yi was very worried but felt helpless.
That night, she accompanied Yin Luo until deep into the night. When she saw Yin Luo fall asleep, she finally dared to leave. However, just as she was about to return to her room, she suddenly saw a shadow running off into the distance. The height looked exactly like Ruo Ling's. Without hesitation, Su Yi immediately chased after it.
Yin Luo had a nightmare in which both Ruo Ling and Su Yi were covered in blood while Mu Changqing stood by, watching coldly.
She woke up from the nightmare and realized that Su Yi was no longer there. Letting out a sigh of relief, she knew it was just a dream. However, when she looked at the candlelight on the table, she couldn't help but worry about Ruo Ling again.
After finally managing to sleep until the next morning, Yin Luo woke up but did not see Su Yi anywhere. She fetched water herself to wash up, but Su Yi still hadn't come. Just as she found it strange, there was suddenly a knock at the door.
Yin Luo thought it was Su Yi and said directly, "The door is not locked."
However, the door did not open immediately. The knocking continued once more until finally someone outside spoke up; it was a man's voice: "Princess, I am He Xin. On Prince's orders, I request you to come to the pond in the backyard."
He Xin? What could possibly be happening at the pond so early in the morning?
Yin Luo felt something was off and approached to open the door. She saw that He Xin's expression was equally strange. An uneasy feeling surged within her as she asked, "What happened?"
He Xin lowered his gaze and seemed troubled: "You'll know when you go see."
Yin Luo changed into an outer robe and followed He Xin out of Cold Jade Garden. Along the way, servants who saw her had odd expressions on their faces, intensifying her sense of foreboding.
Finally, they arrived at the pond.
A crowd had gathered around a certain spot by the pond, and Mu Changqing stood out particularly among them. Yin Luo spotted him at once.
At the same time, Mu Changqing took a few steps forward, blocking her line of sight. He gazed deeply at her and slowly said, "You need to be mentally prepared."
Yin Luo looked at him in confusion and glanced behind him. If she hadn't been mistaken, among the people behind him were some servants and a doctor. Two of the servants were wearing wet clothes, which meant they had been in the water.
She looked back at Mu Changqing, her face pale. "Who did you pull up? Is it Ruoling or Su Yi?"
Mu Changqing's gaze hardened as he slowly replied, "It's Su Yi. She fell into the pond last night and drowned."
Yin Luo's legs went weak, nearly causing her to stumble. Mu Changqing reached out to steady her and said, "You don't have to be too upset; everyone has to die eventually."
Yin Luo gradually lifted her head to look at him. What met her eyes was a cold, expressionless mask that seemed eternally grim. Her gaze turned icy as she bypassed him and walked toward those behind him.
On the ground lay a person covered with a white cloth, but the shoes peeking out from underneath were instantly recognizable to Yin Luo.
Her face turned pale as she took several steps forward, taking a long time to reach the body. Finally, trembling, she slowly pulled back the cloth covering the person's head. In an instant, she shuddered and abruptly closed her eyes.
After a while, she opened her eyes again to see Su Yi lying there peacefully.
Her heart twisted painfully. Su Yi was still wearing yesterday's clothes; just last night, she had been comforting her to eat, and now she lay on this cold ground.
Was it because of her? Was it because of those around her that they suffered one after another? Who was it? Who didn't want her to be well?
Was it... Ye Qing Ge?
Her fingers clenched tightly. Ye Qing Ge was still ill...
"Who is it? Who exactly is it?"
She heard her own voice filled with determination, and the crowd dared not respond. Mu Changqing turned his gaze toward her and said, "No one did this on purpose; she fell into the river and drowned by herself."
"Are you trying to fool a three-year-old?"
Yin Luo suddenly stood up, her eyes cold as she looked at him. "If Ling is missing and cannot be found, and now Su Yi has suddenly encountered an incident, don't tell me this is just a coincidence! This is the back courtyard of the prince's residence, where no one usually comes. Last night, Su Yi left only after serving me, and I went to bed at the hour of Hai. This means she left at the earliest during that time. But what was she doing in the back courtyard late at night? Doesn't this raise any suspicion?"
Mu Changqing narrowed his eyes. "These facts do not prove that she did not accidentally fall into the water. I will investigate this matter thoroughly and will provide you with an explanation."
"An explanation for me?" Yin Luo seemed to have heard the biggest joke, her face as cold as frost. "No need for that. I will investigate this myself. But when the time comes, regardless of who it turns out to be, I hope the prince will not show favoritism or cover up for anyone."
"If it truly is man-made, I will not let it go unpunished."
"Good! Based on your words, I will definitely get to the bottom of this."
Yin Luo turned and walked toward the steward beside her. "Zhong Bo, please take care of Su Yi's funeral arrangements and look after her family."
The steward slightly bowed and said, "Princess, please rest assured. This matter will be handled properly by me."
Yin Luo pressed her lips tightly together and walked silently to Su Yi's side, reaching out to hold her hand, vowing in her heart that she would avenge her!
Su Yi was carried away by those arranged by the steward, and everyone else dispersed.
Mu Changqing also left, leaving her standing alone by the pond.
Who could it be? The only person she could think of who held a grudge against her was Ye Qing Ge, but Ye Qing Ge was clearly ill. If it were truly her, then how terrifying must this woman's schemes be!
She had never investigated a case before and did not know how to do so, especially since last night was late at night when all the servants in the residence were resting. Finding eyewitnesses would be no easy task.
But she couldn't let Su Yi die unjustly, so she had to try!
She was alone, with no one to help her. She feared that Ruo Ling might share the same fate, so she had to act quickly. Therefore, during the day, she went out.
She bought some essential items and, by midnight, after a thorough disguise, she headed to the Purple Pavilion.
As night deepened, the Purple Pavilion was naturally quiet. Yin Luo used a sleeping gas to knock out the maid on watch, then disguised herself and proceeded to Ye Qingge's room. Facing the sleeping figure, she suddenly reached out and pressed her hand against Ye Qingge's neck.
Ye Qingge, who had been in a deep sleep, felt something on her neck and instinctively opened her eyes. What she saw was an extremely horrifying scene.
A female ghost sat before her, hair disheveled, fingers resting on her neck!
Ye Qingge screamed, "A ghost... there's a ghost! Help... someone!"
She jumped up from the bed with remarkable agility. Yin Luo suddenly reached out to grab her, but Ye Qingge struggled and scratched at her wildly, managing to pull off her mask.
As the mask fell away, Yin Luo's true face was revealed. Ye Qingge's eyes lit up as she stared at her. "It's really you, Nie Qingcheng... I knew you would come!"
Seeing her true face revealed, Yin Luo was not afraid at all; instead, she tightened her grip on Ye Qingge. "Tell me where Ruo Ling is! Did you have a hand in Su Yi's death?"
Ye Qingge's face flushed as she struggled. "I won't tell you even if I die... If I die... I'll take Feng Ruoling with me..."
Yin Luo loosened her grip slightly but still held onto her shoulders tightly. "Tell me where Ruo Ling is!"
Finally freed from the grip, Ye Qingge coughed violently for a few moments before suddenly having a glimmer of light in her eyes. She shouted, "Lingxiang, what are you waiting for!"
Yin Luo turned around and saw someone suddenly darting out from a corner behind her. The person threw something directly at her eyes.
There was no time to dodge; pain shot through her eyes and she could see nothing. Then she heard a desperate cry for help as she rushed for the door.
Soon, her vision restored, Yin Luo hurriedly chased after her.
Ye Qing Ge's route unexpectedly led straight to Mu Changqing's study.
Since she stopped sleeping in the Cold Jade Garden, Mu Changqing had been staying in the study. At this moment, as she rushed towards the study, the answer was obvious.
Yin Luo watched the direction she left and suddenly narrowed her eyes with determination.
Su Yi was already dead, and if Feng Ruoling was missing, she was still just a child. Yin Luo absolutely could not allow Ye Qing Ge to harm Feng Ruoling!
Ye Qing Ge was definitely ruthless; she showed no hesitation when it came to killing. She would not spare Feng Ruoling simply because she was a child. Now that Yin Luo had been schemed against and trapped in her trap, once Mu Changqing learned of her methods against Ye Qing Ge, her fate would not be any better. Therefore, for now, regardless of the outcome, she had to rescue Ruoling first!
With her mind made up, she moved her fingers and felt the gun at her waist. Yin Luo gripped the gun and immediately aimed at them, then quickly pulled the trigger. Two deafening gunshots rang out, and the two people running ahead fell to the ground.
In other aspects, she couldn't compare to her past life due to the difference in her body, but when it came to marksmanship, even with her eyes closed, she could still aim accurately. Therefore, it was absolutely precise.
It hurt, but it wouldn't be fatal!
She knew that Mu Changqing's people would arrive soon; she had to buy time.
She quickly moved forward, pointing the gun at Ye Qing Ge's head and coldly said, "Tell me where Feng Ruoling is! If you don't speak, I will definitely kill you before the prince arrives!"
Her eyes were as sharp as a knife. Ye Qing Ge hesitated for just a moment before Yin Luo pulled out a hairpin and stabbed it towards her neck.
Blood oozed from her neck. No matter how well Ye Qing Ge had planned, she was frightened at this moment and immediately pleaded for mercy: "I'll tell you... she's outside the city, in a broken temple on Shili Slope... please don't kill me..."
Yin Luo retracted the hairpin, tucked the gun back into her waist without hesitation, and quickly turned to dash into the darkness.
Climbing over walls and escaping swiftly, she didn't know if it was heaven helping her. As she passed an alleyway, she heard horses neighing from someone's yard. Without hesitation, she used the hairpin to unlock the door and then mounted a horse, galloping away quickly.
The Ten-Mile Slope outside the city was not too far away, only ten miles from Lili. Yin Luo rode swiftly, disassembling her firearm as she traveled. Now that the gun had been exposed, she didn't want it to fall into Mu Changqing's hands. As she galloped, she tossed the disassembled parts in various directions.
Swamps, fields, ponds—no one would ever know of its existence again!
Light rain fell from the sky as Yin Luo raced along, finally reaching the Ten-Mile Slope.
Although Ten-Mile Slope was a place name, it was quite small and could be seen at a glance. Yin Luo found a dilapidated temple and immediately spotted Feng Ruoling lying on the ground inside.
She rushed over and picked Ruoling up, calling out to her, "Ruoling... Ruoling?"
Feng Ruoling slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing her, she instantly became alert and grabbed Yin Luo's hand, saying, "Sister, there are bad people. Run quickly..."
Yin Luo looked at her dirty face and took out a flower-shaped hairpin to unlock the iron chains binding her. "I know. You go first."
With little effort, she opened the lock. Yin Luo carried Feng Ruoling out.
The horse was still outside the dilapidated temple. Yin Luo placed Ruoling on the horse and took out a silver note from her pocket, stuffing it into Ruoling's arms. "Ruoling, Sister Su Yi is dead. So if you stay with me, it will only be dangerous. I can't protect you; you must protect yourself! Use this silver note when you reach a safe place. These things will be enough for your journey. Remember to leave Exiled Nation and never come back!"
She gave all her jewelry to Feng Ruoling, who was left stunned and stared blankly at her.
Yin Luo couldn't explain much; perhaps she shouldn't have brought her back from outside in the first place.
At this point, all she could do was let her go. She ultimately understood that only by being unattached could one take a bold leap.
She slapped the horse's rear, and it immediately galloped into the night. As Ruoling called out "Sister," her voice was drowned out by the rain. Yin Luo waved goodbye and smiled lightly.
Amidst the rain, the horse gradually disappeared into the distance. Soon after, five or six people appeared from down the mountain; Mu Changqing was nowhere to be seen, but He Ren and He Xin were clearly among them.
"Apologies, Princess!"
He Xin stepped forward and signaled her to mount the horse. Yin Luo did not resist; after sidling onto the horse's back, she glanced at the direction Feng Ruoling had left, relaxed her body, and suddenly fell off the horse, startling He Ren and He Xin into exclamations of shock.
When she woke up, it was night. Heavy shackles were on her feet, and the ground beneath her was cold. Dazed, she looked around and then closed her eyes again. Upon reopening them, she finally realized that she was in an iron cage, meaning she was in a dungeon.
After a while, she gathered some strength to sit up and leaned against the cold wall.
Her mouth was extremely dry, but there was no water in the bowl at the cell door. Yin Luo closed her eyes to calm herself and after a long time opened them again to see her surroundings clearly.
It was indeed a prison cell; however, both sides were empty. In the corner, there was another person locked up, but they were quite far away.
She closed her eyes again.
She knew she had a fever, but being in a dungeon meant there would be no comfort here.
As she drifted in and out of consciousness due to the fever, she fell asleep again. When she woke up this time, her limbs were still weak, but her mind had finally cleared somewhat.
She could see no one around except for a person locked up in the distance.
His figure appeared to be that of a man, but he had his back turned to her, so she could not discern his appearance.
In the broken bowl at the cell door lay a steamed bun and a little water; it must have been what the guard provided during her unconsciousness.
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