“Don’t worry, let’s go see Dun’er first.” Lieguo Duke took his wife’s hand and led her to find their son.
As soon as the couple entered the room, they saw their son kick an embroidered pillow across the floor and drag the entire silk quilt down, stomping on it wildly.
He lay sprawled on the ground like a puppy rolling around, his legs thumping loudly against the blue brick floor, his face smeared with snot and tears.
“I want my sister! Dun’er wants my sister now!”
Two maidservants attending to him tugged at his arms until their faces flushed red, but they couldn’t pull him up.
“Yuchi Dun! What kind of behavior is this? Sit up properly at once!” Lieguo Duke scolded his son sternly.
Hearing his father’s voice, Yuchi Dun grew a little afraid. He sat up straight with a “gulu” sound, then scrambled to his feet and walked over to his mother.
“Mother, I want my sister.”
Zhao Yurun took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away his tears.
“Mother told you before, didn’t she? Your sister is gone, she went to the heavens and turned into a star, watching over you every night.”
“Mother is lying! I saw my sister just yesterday!” Yuchi Dun pouted, on the verge of crying again.
But seeing Lieguo Duke’s eyes glaring like bronze bells, he pursed his lips and held back his tears.
Zhao Yurun shot her husband a reproachful look and continued gently questioning her son, “Did you mistake Yun Fei and the others for your sister?”
“No.” Yuchi Dun shook his head vigorously, his mind vaguely flashing with Yan Zhuxing’s face.
“Hide-and-seek, sister!”
“It was my sister! I want my sister!”
The more Yuchi Dun spoke, the more agitated he became, gripping his mother’s hand with increasing force as tears began to fall again.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.” Zhao Yurun winced in pain.
Seeing this, Lieguo Duke quickly slapped away his son’s hand and tenderly massaged his wife’s hand.
Suddenly, Zhao Yurun had an idea: “Aside from the ladies from the Weining Marquis Estate, the only other young lady Dun’er saw yesterday was the eldest daughter of the Dingyuan Marquisate! Do you think he mistook her for Xi’er?”
“You know, that’s quite possible.” Lieguo Duke nodded.
“Wahhh, I want my sister.” Seeing his parents ignoring him, Yuchi Dun beside them started crying again at the top of his lungs.
“Stop crying! If you keep crying, you won’t get to see your sister. You’re the older brother—what kind of example are you setting by crying all the time?” Lieguo Duke’s voice boomed even louder.
At his roar, Yuchi Dun quieted down, looking at his father with a pitiful expression.
He stopped crying aloud, but tears continued to stream silently down his face, making the sight even more heartbreaking.
Lieguo Duke, after all, still felt for his son. He turned to his wife and said, “How about we send someone to invite her over now? That way, Dun’er won’t keep crying like this.”
“Alright.” Zhao Yurun naturally had no objections.
She also wanted to know why her son had mistaken Yan Zhuxing, whom he had only met once, for his sister.
Soon, the steward of Lieguo Duke’s Mansion drove a carriage to the Dingyuan Marquisate to fetch her.
Upon hearing that someone from the Duke’s Mansion had arrived, Wen Rushuang was startled.
Could it be that the rumors she had spread had angered the Lieguo Duke’s family?
With her heart racing anxiously, Wen Rushuang received the visitor from the Duke’s Mansion.
“This humble servant greets the Marquess of Dingyuan’s Wife. Is the eldest daughter of your esteemed household available? The Duke and his wife wish to see her.”
Hearing this, Wen Rushuang frowned slightly, her expression hesitant.
If Yan Zhuxing were to meet the Lieguo Duke’s family alone, she would surely say something reckless.
But now, with Prince Yong’an’s people guarding her, she couldn’t easily intervene.
Moreover, Yan Zhuxing’s courtyard had its own small kitchen, and she never ate anything from the Main Kitchen. Wen Rushuang couldn’t even find an opportunity to drug her food to silence her.
For a moment, Wen Rushuang found herself in a dilemma.
The steward of Guogong Fu noticed the unease on her face and cautiously inquired, “Has something happened to the young lady?”
Wen Rushuang turned the question back on him: “I wonder why the Duke and his wife wish to see my daughter?”
The steward replied impeccably: “How would we servants know our masters’ thoughts? However, before we left, the Duke gave a strict order that we must see the young lady of your household today.”
With things put so bluntly, Wen Rushuang naturally couldn’t refuse.
She ordered her personal maid, Jihe, to lead a dozen servants to Yulan Courtyard to deliver the message.
Seeing such a large commotion, Shuangli immediately spread her arms and stood protectively in front of Yan Zhuxing.
“What do you want? Lord Pei is still coming today to ask questions, and the sister from Yong’an Prince’s Mansion is also here. Don’t you dare harm the young lady!”
Unexpectedly, Jihe paid no heed to her threat. With a slight wave of her hand, all ten servants rushed forward.
Yan Zhuxing took half a step back. Was Wen Rushuang still not giving up? Here she came again.
Instinctively, she braced herself for defense.
To her surprise, the servants didn’t lay a hand on her. Instead, they charged straight at Shuangli.
They seized Shuangli, twisted her arms behind her back, and pinned her to the ground.
Jihe smiled faintly: “Young lady, the mistress asked me to relay a message. If you want to keep this maid alive, you’d better think carefully about what to say and what not to say when you go to Guogong Fu.”
Yan Zhuxing clenched her teeth, her eyes turning cold in an instant.
So, they had been targeting Shuangli from the start.
They didn’t dare touch her, but a mere maid could be killed off under any pretext.
A surge of murderous intent churned within her. Yan Zhuxing spoke word by word: “If I don’t see Shuangli safe and sound when I return, I will not spare anyone in Dingyuan Marquisate.”
Hearing this, Shuangli’s tears streamed down her face instantly.
She choked back sobs, trying to speak, but no words came out.
“Young lady, please,” Jihe gestured.
“If I’m going to Guogong Fu, I naturally need to freshen up and dress properly. What’s the rush?” Yan Zhuxing replied coldly, her mind racing through the events of the previous day.
Since Prince Yong’an was on her side, he must have taken Yuchi Dun away and explained clearly to the Duchess that she wasn’t at fault.
Therefore, today’s summons to Guogong Fu might not necessarily be to assign blame.
Moreover, she trusted the character of Lieguo Duke. He would never be the type to punish someone based solely on rumors.