CH 56

Wei Liu could only answer the word “yes”.

Every year, the Lantern festival in the capital was bustling with people of all kinds coming and going in the streets. Peddlers selling lanterns were showing off their goods all along the streets, it was a very magnificent scene.

On this day, young girls in their prime would also release lanterns at the riverside and make wishes.

On the main street, across the restaurant, a stage had been set up in advance, with singers and dancers performing on it. There was also a competition to select the most beautiful girl.

The audience, mesmerized, was watching the performances when someone rushed over, out of breath, saying in a panic, “I don’t know what happened but the city gates have been sealed!”

The crowd couldn’t help but comment and debate on it.

“There wasn’t any curfew these past few days? Why are they sealing the city out of nowhere ?”

That person took a big gulp of cold water and went on to say, “I don’t know, my cousin coming from the countryside just a moment ago wanted to go home riding an oxcart, but she was blocked by the guards guarding the city, they said that without the crown prince’s permission, no one was allowed to leave the city.”

“Did something happen in the palace?”

“I heard nothing about it.”

“That’s really odd.”

Another person appeared and said mysteriously, “In my opinion, I think the crown prince encountered assassins and now they’re trying to catch the assassins.”

“I also think so.”

“You have a good point.”

They could not think of anything else that could have happened. Because the city gates had been sealed, the people who were watching the performances lost interest and quickly dispersed before the stage.

At the same time, the Ming family’s residence was being surrounded by the crown prince’s personal soldiers inside and outside. It was so tightly closed that not even a fly could fly out.

The Ming family’s eldest master who just had a drink and was in high spirits froze for a long moment after learning of what had happened, “This this this …… why did the crown prince surround the Ming residence?”

Could it be that his incompetent younger brother did something treacherous?

The Ming family’s eldest master was instantly frightened by his own speculation and sobered up.

He glared fiercely at his third little brother, pointing at his nose, he asked, “What did you do again!?”

The Ming third master simply wanted to scream out loud that he was being wronged ! After he had been dismissed from his job, he remained idle at home and led an honest life, he only went to have a drink with the girls at the brothel.

The servant boy on the side explained, “Master, it seems that something has happened to the fifth miss.”

The Ming eldest master’s head was about to split open from pain. He slapped the table in anger, “Will this little ancestor die if she doesn’t make trouble ? Can’t she behave a little more ?!”

She took advantage of the crown prince’s momentary favor to act as a tyrant, she shall see how he’ll deal with her in the future.

“Eldest master, it seems that miss Ming Zhu ran away ……”

“What did you say?” The Ming eldest master asked in disbelief.

“The fifth young lady is nowhere to be found.”

The Ming eldest master’s line of sight turned black, he almost couldn’t catch his breath and someone had to help him sit down on a chair to rest, “She…she…she is trying to kill our family ah!”

When the crown prince came to their door to ask for the person, Ming Zhu was extremely unwilling. After she became the crown prince’s outside mistress, the Ming family sent a letter to Ming Zhu, telling her nothing else but to serve well the crown prince and other words of the same kind.

Ming Zhu still refused and begged them in her reply to come take her home.

But the Ming family was never going to offend the crown prince for her.

The crown prince’s threat were still ringing in his ears.

If Ming Zhu really had ran away, their Ming family would definitely be implicated.

The Ming eldest master slowly stood up holding the armchair, “Quickly send people to find her and bring her back. After she’s found, send her directly to the crown prince’s other residence.”

By the time the city was sealed, Ming Zhu had already managed to leave the city in a carriage.

It was already completely dark, Ming Zhu originally wasn’t someone who dared to travel on the road at night, but her time was limited. Zhao Zhi would be back tomorrow from Changtai mountain, would learn that she had disappeared and would very soon dispatch people to catch up with her. If she was caught this time, she was really going to be finished.

Ming Zhu lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the dark sky, clenching her fingers silently, she said to the carriage driver, “Go to the dock, I’m in a hurry.”

The coachman refused, “Miss, where would you find a boat to leave at this hour?”

Ming Zhu gritted her teeth, “Won’t that be fine if I give them more money?”

The coachman swung his whip and went on forward, he kindly said, “It’s not a matter of money, the tide has risen these days, it’s not safe to travel by boat at night, you’d better go to the dock tomorrow morning to take a boat.”

Ming Zhu was still determined to go there, “You take me over there to see.”

The coachman had never seen someone so stubborn as her, so he took her to the dock, and as expected, there wasn’t even a boatman in sight.

The coachman advised her out of kindness, “Miss, it’s late, you’d better go to the relay station to rest for the night and then leave tomorrow.”

Ming Zhu said “mmh”, and then went to an inn outside the city to stay the night.