Picking up from before, both were overjoyed, and even the usually composed Lian Musu couldn’t help but be uncontrollably happy - Hu Miaomiao had been found, and seeing Lian Hua was now a possibility, fulfilling the whole family’s wishes! Moreover, with the capture of the villain Guo Neng, they no longer had concerns for the future. Today was a day of great celebration!
Hu Miaomiao was extremely excited, eager to take Lian Musu back immediately, accomplishing two major feats at once, the thought alone thrilled him.
However, Lian Musu asked him to wait a moment, as there was an Attendant Student nearby, and he also needed to stop by his home to inform his family.
Upon hearing this, Hu Miaomiao became even more excited, pressing on whether all the relatives were still complete and safe. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel[f]ire.net
Learning that not one was missing, a great weight lifted from his heart. Beauty Lian and her relatives were exceptionally fortunate. Despite such circumstances, they had all survived; only the eldest brother was crippled, which was a very favorable outcome. This news would surely delight His Majesty immensely.
But Hu Miaomiao faced a dilemma as both Guo Neng and Guo Shun were major offenders, cunning and devious, requiring days of careful pursuit before finally being captured. He couldn’t afford to be careless or stay outside for long, to avoid any complications.
Lian Musu saw his predicament and informed Hu Miaomiao where he was staying.
Finally, after discussing, Hu Miaomiao decided to take the prisoners back first, leaving two Shadow Guards to protect Lian Musu, and once he reported back, he would immediately come out to search for the Lian family.
Thus, they parted ways, each feeling jubilant and joyful.
Dizziness came in waves; after listening to the palace maid before her, Lian Hua looked up at the sky, wondering why it was black...
The crack in her mind completely split open, and darkness overwhelmed her, threatening to completely engulf her.
Through the darkness she perceived, Lian Hua saw only shadows; beneath the gloomy sky, a little girl was nervously hidden by her uncles and aunts, tucked away in the dark haze. Then, one day, the little girl climbed over the wall that sheltered her, following the traces of her family.
She had found them, seen her father, her mother, and her three brothers, but upon waking, she found herself alone in a dark, hole-ridden place, a vast night without a trace of her family, with only the lonely sounds of wind and insects, and the endless darkness enveloping her...
"Doesn’t Beauty Lian want to know how the Noble Consort harmed you?" Qing Ya envisioned ecstatic fulfillment; her master’s wish might be achievable. Beauty Lian was unaware that her family was harmed by the Noble Consort’s cousin. Now, she just needed to incite a bit more, and her plan would succeed!
Pulled back from the darkness, the sky before her eyes was still so bright. Lian Hua, clinging to the last vestige of reason, looked down emotionlessly at Qing Ya and said coldly, "Take the two of them to Canglan Court, hand them over to Nanny Qi."
"Yes," the Shadow Guard immediately pushed Qing Ya back down, tying her up to be taken away.
The other Shadow Guard then took another palace maid who had been forced to the ground away.
Seeing Lian Hua’s reaction, which was completely different from what she had imagined, Qing Ya was utterly shocked. Seizing the last opportunity, she hurriedly said, "Beauty Lian, you have long been a thorn in the side of the Noble Consort, a trouble in her flesh. She wants not only to harm you but also to destroy the imperial heir in your womb. She is your real enemy; I know all too well the harms she has inflicted on you and who her people are in this palace. My death is of no consequence, but do you really want to keep being passive, to repeat the past? Beauty Lian... mmph mmph..."
Her mouth was covered by the Shadow Guard, and until the very moment she was taken away, Qing Ya tried to persuade Lian Hua, her eyes wide, continuously observing Lian Hua; but the colder her heart felt, the more hopeless she became, until she was completely taken away.
From the direction of Qianqiu Hall came the hurried footsteps, the voice arrived before the person did: "Nannan!"
It was the voice of the Emperor.
After exiting Taiji Hall, he headed straight for Qianqiu Hall. Before reaching it, he saw Xiao Jizi and a few others all wearing anxious expressions, running towards the Imperial Garden behind Qianqiu Hall. Urgent drumbeats and opera singing emanated from the eastern theater, signaling the start of a new performance.
Knowing something was amiss, urgency flooded the Emperor’s heart. He intercepted them directly; these few usually inseparable from his Little Concubine, and now just these few without his Little Concubine, surely indicated that something had happened. Where exactly was she?
Learning that she was right behind Qianqiu Hall, the Emperor could no longer care for decorum; he strode forth with his followers, driven by the thought that as long as she was alright, other issues could be addressed later.
Finally, he saw from afar a figure with its back turned to him. He couldn’t help but call out, yet his Little Concubine did not turn around.
In increased anxiety, the Emperor called out again, "Nannan," disregarding all protocols and breaking into a mad sprint.
A glance over Lian Hua’s shoulder, noticing a Shadow Guard protecting her, made his heart skip a beat. He had told her before, to call to the sky in urgent situations to summon the protective Shadow Guard down. Considering the scene, something was definitely amiss. He quickened his pace and rushed forward.
As he got closer, the figure finally turned around, her expression somewhat icy. When her eyes fell on him, a smile suddenly bloomed, just like old times.
Lian Hua drifted in a hazy world of gray shadows, desperation, relentless pursuers, a beggar in tattered clothes, eyes shaded and malicious, voices, wind, water, and the roar of waves...
"Where are parents and brothers? Nannan is so tired; why don’t they want her with them? Days without them are truly hard..."
Darkness in her mind assaulted her like whirlpools. She vaguely remembered someone had promised to accompany her. She longed to see that person once more, very much so, and with that thought, she tensed up, refusing to let the darkness consume her entirely.
A familiar and anxious voice calling "Nannan" jolted her slightly awake. She remembered the voice; it belonged to someone very important...
A bit of confusion clouded her heart; this person was neither her parents nor her brothers, but she only knew he was very important and she very much wanted to see him. Yet, why did his voice sound so urgent?
She didn’t want him to be sad or heartbroken. This thought, like a lifebuoy in a drowning situation, she clung to tightly.
Then another, even more anxious "Nannan" reached her, pulling her abruptly back to reality—it was His Majesty’s voice!
His Majesty! That’s right, she remembered now. His Majesty had said he would come to be with her. Today was the Longevity Event, His Majesty’s birthday. She must see His Majesty no matter what; she had promised. But she was nearly at her limit...
Cold sweat broke out on Lian Hua’s forehead, and she bit her lip, battling the dark whirlpool fiercely. Simultaneously, a stirring came from her belly, her stomach jittering nervously as if the baby inside sensed her distress, kicking her, urging her to wake up. Her hand instinctively moved to her belly, feeling each movement of the fetus.
Managing to suppress the dizziness in her mind, she felt somewhat better, turned around, and upon seeing that jade-faced, mannerly figure rushing towards her, she felt a moment of disorientation followed by a smile blossoming. She couldn’t be cruel enough to just drift away today...