Chapter 114: Where Did Xiao Youlan Go?

Wu Zhui was truly stunned for quite a while.

In his long-held memory, Nan Xueyin had always been absolutely loyal to the Duan Prince Mansion.

This all stemmed from the Duan Prince's life-saving grace toward her, as well as their subsequent time spent together; of course, Wu Zhui also knew that Nan Xueyin held a certain fondness for the Duan Prince... well, Nan Xueyin liked the Duan Prince.

Yet now, Nan Xueyin was saying she wanted to leave the Duan Prince Mansion.

Wu Zhui was truly bewildered, "This is... why?"

Nan Xueyin's expression was cold, "Because it has no meaning anymore."

"No meaning?" Wu Zhui still didn't quite understand. "Although it is said that as a Prince or an Imperial Son, only by becoming the Crown Prince and ascending the throne does everything have meaning, but... if one cannot succeed, then being a Prince is not bad either. The Prince treats you and me... quite well, so why leave the Duan Prince Mansion?"

Nan Xueyin thought to herself, but Xiao Mingyu knew you were in the Eastern Palace and was unwilling to save you.

However, thinking about it again, Wu Zhui had sincerely followed Xiao Mingyu for so many years and even felt the Prince treated him well; if he learned of what Xiao Mingyu had said, he would be heartbroken regardless.

After a moment of silence, Nan Xueyin softened and turned her face away, saying, "The Duan Prince doesn't treat you and me all that well."

Wu Zhui was confused.

"You and I can be considered veterans of the Duan Prince Mansion, yet the room you and I have in the mansion is so small that it can only fit a bed and a wardrobe; if a few more people were inside, we wouldn't even be able to turn around. Have you seen the rooms of those in the Eastern Palace? They are spacious and bright; you and I simply cannot compare. Furthermore, our stipends are truly pitifully low, only a few taels of silver each month, and we never see the Duan Prince bestow any rewards at the end of the year. In the Eastern Palace, even the low-ranking attendants have stipends twice that of ours."

Wu Zhui was taken aback, "Is it because of this?"

"This is very important," Nan Xueyin glanced sideways. "Running errands for the Duan Prince is important, but staying alive is also important. Without silver, how will you take a wife in the future?"

Wu Zhui was somewhat persuaded and looked at her twice, "I suppose that's fine, but... why do you want to leave the Duan Prince Mansion? Didn't you say the Duan Prince saved your life..."

Nan Xueyin's brows were cold and clear, "He did save my life, but I have already died for him once in the Dali Temple Prison."

Wu Zhui paused.

That was true.

He knew of the torture methods used in the Dali Temple Prison.

Since the Duan Prince had delayed for so long without coming to her aid, she must have suffered immensely.

If not for her special constitution, she would likely have already died in the prison.

Whatever life-saving grace there was, it had already been repaid in that one instance.

Wu Zhui scratched his head and sighed, "Leaving the Duan Prince Mansion is for the best."

He looked at Nan Xueyin, "But... both of us have been planted with Gu Poison, and we must take medicine every three months to suppress its onset. If we leave rashly and lose the pills used for stabilization, the Gu Poison will surely flare up, and even with your special self-healing constitution, you wouldn't be able to withstand days of torture."

Not to mention that Wu Zhui didn't even have such a constitution; he would likely be tortured to death on the very first day it flared up.

Nan Xueyin nodded slightly, "I know, so I must go find the Duan Prince and make him give us the antidote."

She frowned again, "Additionally, I have one very important item left at the Duan Prince Mansion."

Wu Zhui thought of it immediately, "That White Jade Guanyin Pendant your parents left you?"

Nan Xueyin nodded.

The Nan Family was poor, and her parents had only this one valuable item; they had originally intended to leave it to her along with the few taels of silver they had saved, to be used as her dowry when she married in the future.

Now, that silver was of course gone, and only this pendant remained as Nan Xueyin's sole memento of her parents.

When she left the Duan Prince Mansion, Nan Xueyin thought she would always return; after all, she was posing as Doukou, and carrying such a pendant would inevitably arouse suspicion, so she had left it in her small room at the Duan Prince Mansion.

"That is, after all, an heirloom from your parents; there isn't a second one like it in all of heaven and earth."

Wu Zhui looked at Nan Xueyin, "In that case, you still have to make a trip to Lianzhou."

Nan Xueyin hummed in agreement, "I came to see you today to tell you these things. Since you cannot leave the Eastern Palace, I will be the one to retrieve the antidote for the Gu Poison. I will also find a way to go to Lianzhou and get that Guanyin Pendant back."

Wu Zhui was worried, "Will the Crown Prince agree to let you go to Lianzhou?"

Nan Xueyin thought to herself, I will probably have to kiss him intensely once.

If once isn't enough, then twice.

Thinking of the intense kissing, Nan Xueyin couldn't help but blush; she desperately tried to push those ambiguous fragments out of her mind and feigned seriousness, "I will always have a way."

Noticing that Wu Zhui seemed to have detected the traces of her blushing, Nan Xueyin hurriedly changed the subject, "Your injuries are mostly healed, right?"

Wu Zhui's train of thought was disrupted, "Better... much better."

He followed up with a sincere compliment, "I have to admit, the medical skills of the imperial physicians in the palace are truly superb."

"That's good," Nan Xueyin said, "Once you officially leave the Duan Prince Mansion, Xiao Youlan will have no reason to keep you imprisoned, and you will be able to leave, do what you want to do, and in the future, take a wife, have children, and enjoy the pleasures of family life."

—Of course, Xiao Youlan imprisoned Wu Zhui not just because Wu Zhui was a person from the Duan Prince Mansion; he wanted to use Wu Zhui to coerce Nan Xueyin into being obedient.

But now that he didn't need Wu Zhui, Nan Xueyin would still stay with Xiao Youlan.

As long as Xiao Youlan was certain of this, he would release him.

Wu Zhui smiled, "So you have already considered everything for me."

Nan Xueyin raised her eyebrows, "Aren't you going to thank me?"

Wu Zhui laughed out loud, just like the playful banter they shared in the past, and cooperated by bowing, "Many thanks, Miss Nan, long live Miss Nan."

The corners of Nan Xueyin's mouth curled into a happy arc.

She didn't have much to say, and after not staying too long, she set off to leave once she finished discussing leaving the Duan Prince Mansion.

However, she hadn't yet figured out how to bring up the topic of needing to visit Xiao Mingyu to Xiao Youlan.

Nan Xueyin returned to her room.

As soon as she approached, Nan Xueyin keenly sensed the door to one side swaying faintly; it was obvious that something was hiding behind the door.

She pretended not to notice and continued walking inside.

Just as she stepped into the room, a black shadow suddenly pounced out from behind the door, spreading its two little paws and lunging straight toward Nan Xueyin's feet, as if deliberately trying to scare her.

Nan Xueyin couldn't help but smile, bending down to scoop up the little black panther.

"Still trying to scare me?"

Nan Xueyin scratched its head, and the little black panther hummed and buried its head in her arms.

Looking at the little black panther, a flash of inspiration struck Nan Xueyin, and she suddenly thought of how to bring it up to Xiao Youlan.

She carried Xiaoyang over, but only Wei Nian was in the study.

Seeing her, his expression showed nothing, but his eyes were very complicated.

Nan Xueyin knew that Wei Nian had never liked her.

She felt that even if she asked where Xiao Youlan had gone, Wei Nian would not pay her any mind.

Therefore, Nan Xueyin did not speak, held Xiaoyang, and turned to leave.

"Miss Nan!"

To Nan Xueyin's surprise, Wei Nian took the initiative to call out to her.

Nan Xueyin stopped her footsteps and turned her head.

Wei Nian still had a complicated expression; he took a deep breath and asked, "Miss... are you here to look for the Crown Prince?"

Nan Xueyin gave a hum, her voice cold, "You know?"

Wei Nian nodded and said, "The Emperor has urgent matters and has summoned the Crown Prince."