Hua Yi had initially been worried, thinking that her mistress's entrance through such a scene of hysteria would surely displease the Prince of Qin's heir. To her surprise, after interacting with him, she found him to be a very amiable person. The way he looked at the baby, with genuine affection and care, proved that his regard for the child was sincere.
She felt he was completely different from the rumors circulating in the capital, concluding that gossip could indeed be misleading. This realization brought her a great deal of relief.
With an additional mistress in the household, the Prince of Qin's manor seemed largely unchanged from before. The only differences were the increased number of people coming to collect meals and another person who enjoyed tending to the flowers and plants.
The steward had initially been concerned, expecting her to turn the Prince of Qin's manor upside down. He never imagined that she would instead be quietly occupied in the flower beds with the Prince of Qin's heir.
As long as she wasn't causing him trouble, he decided to let her be. Every time he passed by their courtyard, he could hear cheerful laughter emanating from within. Instead of feeling comforted, the steward found himself growing increasingly indignant.
He was constantly inquiring about the situation on the front lines, keenly aware of how difficult the lives of the Prince and Princess must be. A single misstep could mean utter ruin for the entire family. Yet, this oblivious woman and the heir seemed like a perfect match, entirely unconcerned with such matters, living happily in their own little world.
Huangfu Yunkun, however, paid no mind to the steward's thoughts. His days were occupied not only with fussing over flowers with Wu Caiwei but also with visiting the Emperor in the palace to chat and, quite incidentally, offer suggestions regarding weapon improvements.
It was at this point that the Emperor began to realize that his heir was not entirely without merit. He couldn't help but inwardly mock the Prince of Qin and his wife for discarding a valuable gem for a pebble. If they had treated their heir better and maintained closer contact, the current war would not have been so arduous for the court. By all indications, the conflict would conclude within another half a month.
In truth, Huangfu Yunkun had his reasons for acting this way. After discussing it with Wu Caiwei, they concluded that only by demonstrating his value to the Emperor could he secure his own survival later.
Though they appeared to be merely playing in the garden, the flowers they collected were all for a purpose. Back in their rooms, they would meticulously prepare them, crafting numerous medicinal pills. To ensure his safety, Wu Caiwei insisted that he take a few of each kind daily.
Naturally, the more precarious the situation within the Prince of Qin's manor became, the more Wu Caiwei needed to intensify her training. This was essential to provide a layer of security for their safety. Huangfu Yunkun, being a master in this regard, facilitated her rapid progress through their combined efforts.
One day, as they were collecting flowers in the garden as usual, Hua Yi rushed in, flustered, "Madam, the young master is missing."
Upon hearing this, both of them immediately stood up. Wu Caiwei calmly replied, "Don't panic. Tell us what happened from the beginning, and we'll find him together."
Her composure seemed to infect Hua Yi, who began speaking more coherently. "We were playing with the young master in the courtyard just now, and his kite accidentally flew into a tree. We got a bamboo pole to try and get it down. Everyone was looking at the kite, and when we turned back, the young master was gone. We've searched the entire courtyard, but we can't find any trace of him."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "We were afraid the young master, being so small, might have fallen into the pond, so we sent some people to search there. We haven't heard anything yet, so it seems he's not in the pond at all. But where could such a young child have gone?"
"Steward, find the steward!" Huangfu Yunkun reacted first, giving Wu Caiwei a meaningful glance.
Wu Caiwei immediately hurried towards the front courtyard, while Huangfu Yunkun followed at a slower pace, his physical condition preventing him from moving any faster.
"Steward, my son is missing. Please dispatch some people to help me search." Having been here for some time, Wu Caiwei was well aware of his standing in the manor. Regardless of whether he acknowledged it or not, she was now a mistress of the Prince of Qin's household, and she began to issue commands directly.
The steward looked at her with a hint of mockery. The Prince of Qin's manor had been surrounded by the Imperial Guard a few days prior, and he understood the implications. He had never been pleased with the heir or this concubine, nor did he recognize their status. Despite being the apparent masters, everyone took their orders from him. In this situation, why should he obey them?
Seeing the steward standing motionless, Wu Caiwei knew he was unwilling to help, and her heart sank.
"I know you don't have any respect for the heir. In your mind, the Prince and Princess are your true masters, and your masters are on the verge of ruin. That's why you're acting so recklessly. We can't do anything about you. If we're not mistaken, you probably have a backup plan, don't you? If you don't help us today, I will go directly to the Emperor and accuse you of planting your own men in the Prince of Qin's manor with treasonous intent," Wu Caiwei said with a half-smile.
The steward's expression changed drastically. He never expected her to know such a closely guarded secret. This woman could not be allowed to live.
Wu Caiwei knew exactly what he was thinking. If she hadn't been pushed to her limit, she wouldn't have revealed such crucial information. She hadn't neglected any of the tasks she needed to do in the past few days. She had secretly visited the study and even climbed onto the steward's roof, searching for a long time before uncovering some secrets.
"Fine, you win," the steward said, gritting his teeth and glaring at her.
"I'll stand right here. In fifteen minutes, I expect to see my son. Otherwise, I will immediately go and report you," Wu Caiwei declared, crossing her arms with a triumphant air.
Huangfu Yunkun arrived to find the two of them at each other's throats. He quickly stepped in front of Wu Caiwei. She seized the opportunity to relay the conversation they had just had to him. The steward, seeing the heir's unastonished expression, realized he was aware of the situation and felt utterly disappointed. Even at this critical juncture, he was still defending the woman before him.
In reality, Huangfu Yunkun knew nothing of these machinations. He simply didn't believe the steward would surrender so easily. Besides, after experiencing so much, what surprises could there be? To him, this was all child's play, and therefore, nothing to be astonished about. However, to others, it appeared quite different.
Indeed, with the steward's assistance, the child was soon brought before them. It turned out he had slipped away unnoticed by the adults, but then he had gotten lost and simply found a room to sleep in.
At the same moment, a commotion erupted from the front of the manor. "You can't enter! You can't enter..."
Despite the resistance, the Imperial Guards swiftly broke in. The guard offered the steward an apologetic look. The steward politely approached him, "General Liu, how have you been? The war is not over, and the Emperor has not yet passed judgment on us. Your forceful entry now is perhaps rather improper."
The general snorted and cast him a stern glance. Wu Caiwei, holding her son, quickly led the way. The steward watched them head towards the direction of the secret passage, his mind racing for a solution. He looked at Wu Caiwei with an exceptionally venomous gaze.
As quick as lightning, he moved to Wu Caiwei's side while everyone was distracted, reaching out to snatch the child from her arms. The baby began to wail in terror.