Chapter 433: Prince Su Wants to Bury Luo'er with Him?

Three days later, at the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu.

"Luo'er hasn't come back?"

"Then where did she go?"

Pei Lao Furen rose upon hearing this, her face full of anxious surprise as she looked toward Duan Rongshi.

In just a few days, how could Prince Su still have even a hint of the bearing of Jinling's most handsome man?

His chin was covered in stubble, and his clothes were all wrinkled and disheveled.

He who once stood upon the altar, able to freely control others' lives and deaths;

That man, the noble prince with an otherworldly bearing like a god or Buddha, naturally aloof, now also became like an ordinary mortal, so unkempt and fallen.

What difference is there between him and that drunkard on the street?

Pei Lao Furen also sighed in her heart.

Duan Rongshi refused to believe, and asked again: "Old general, do you really not know where Luo'er went?"

"She hasn't sent any word back?"

Pei Lao Furen: "This old subject still wants to ask Your Highness for a person!"

"Luo'er these days hasn't been eating well or sleeping well."

"If it weren't for having offended Your Highness Prince Su, she wouldn't have to endure day after day, nor would she have gotten into these troubles."

"Your Highness, do you know that Luo'er has fallen gravely ill?"

"In order not to delay Your Highness's important affairs, she has stayed up all night, all night, fearing that if she falls asleep she may never wake again."

"Even we are kept in the dark; she sits alone in her room for an entire night."

"That night she rushed out again in the middle of the night, and it's been several days since she's shown herself."

"I thought she was helping Your Highness Prince Su with affairs, merely not returning home, but it turns out she's actually missing!"

"Your Highness Prince Su, I know you now hold high rank and great power, but to me... Luo'er is the most important thing in this world."

"As for me, I have only Luo'er."

"If Luo'er means nothing to you, then please return her to me."

Duan Rongshi's face turned dark as iron.

Not only was his face a patch of bluish-black, but his lips were also pallid, devoid of color.

He seemed to have suffered a serious illness.

His eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

"Old general, perhaps you don't believe..."

"But as for me, I only have Luo'er."

"It's my fault."

"I don't know what suffering she has endured these days."

"It's all my fault..."

"I shouldn't have kept that matter from her."

"It's because she was too disappointed in me that she hid herself."

"It's all because I was too arrogant."

"It's all my fault..."

"But I, I am also cherishing a young lady for the first time."

"If something really happens to her..."

"I will give my life to accompany her."

He muttered under his breath, then turned and stumbled away, walking off with large steps.

Behind him, Zhui Yu, Po Feng, and Leng Dian hurriedly followed.

"Your Highness—"

"Your Highness, at least take care of your health!"

"Your Highness—"

"If you keep going like this, you'll collapse before you even find the young lady!"

Zhui Yu burst into tears.

Que'er, hiding to the side and watching everything, looked reluctant.

After the people of Su Wang Fu had all disappeared, Zhang Mama and Zheng Mama then turned their gazes to Pei Lao Furen.

"Old Lady, why don't you tell Your Highness the truth?"

"The young lady has already sent word back..."

"Saying she is in Yangzhou?"

Pei Lao Furen, with a righteous expression, said: "How would I know whether it's true or false?"

"That girl hasn't avoided deceiving me before; last time she said she was going to Yangzhou, but actually went to the mountains to hide her illness."

"What if this time she's deceiving me again?"

Zhang Mama nodded repeatedly: "Mr. Nangong and Luo Shen Yi have both rushed to Yangzhou."

"Once the news is confirmed, we'll send a letter back to you, Old Lady."

"If by then the young lady is indeed in Yangzhou, should we send a letter to Su Wang Fu?"

Pei Lao Furen let out a humph: "What does it matter if he worries a few more days?"

"Will it just be a bit less flesh, or will he lose ten or twenty catties?"

"If he doesn't care more this time, who knows how much suffering Luo'er will endure following him in the future!"

All those damn men in the world are the same!

When you don't have it, it's a cinnabar mole on your heart.

Over time, it becomes mosquito blood that can't be wiped off.

What's more, who can say what fortunes Prince Su will have in the future?

In the future, that inner court probably won't stay clean.

If Luo'er cannot be the one he holds most dear, the one he can't bear to part with, given Luo'er's temperament…… they probably won't last long.

Zheng Mama wiped the corner of her eyes: "But Old Lady, the young lady's ailment of not being able to wake up can't be cured; how can we talk about the future?"

Pei Lao Furen was startled all over.

What are you waiting for?

Hurry up and pack, this old body wants to go see Immortal Yunhe!

Soon, Zhui Yu of Prince Su's mansion got a slip of paper in hand.

The mute servant of Guiyuan gestured: "It was sent by Miss Que'er beside the young lady, saying it's very important."

Que'er?

Zhui Yu hurriedly opened it, seeing only two words written on the paper: Yangzhou.

Yangzhou?

Could the young lady be in Yangzhou?

Leng Dian came over and glanced; seeing Zhui Yu about to go in and report to Prince Su, he hurriedly grabbed him.

What are you going to do?

Tell Your Highness, Your Highness will immediately go to Yangzhou; what about Jinling?

Zhui Yu shoved Leng Dian aside: "What about Your Highness then!?"

Do you really want to watch helplessly as Your Highness loses the young lady?

Didn't you hear today that the young lady fell seriously ill?

Although this world is important, Your Highness is more important!

In Your Highness's heart, he himself will decide what he truly wants.

We cannot choose for Your Highness, nor can we become his stumbling block!

Leng Dian, don't forget Sha Lei.

Sha Lei, thinking he was helping, actually harmed the young lady, harmed Your Highness, and even killed himself.

Moreover, if it weren't for Sha Lei, the young lady wouldn't have become enemies with Zongzheng Wuheng.

Furthermore, none of today's events would have happened.

Leng Dian dazed for a moment, and Zhui Yu had already rushed into the room.

Po Feng stood aside with his arms crossed, saying nothing.

Leng Dian looked at him: "You're not going to stop him either?"

Po Feng: "Stop what?"

If we can't find the young lady, do you think Your Highness would still want anything of the world?

As long as Your Highness wants it, when can the world not be taken?

Even if it's truly lost, given Your Highness's nature, there would absolutely be no regret; at worst, he could just conquer another realm.

But there is only one Princess of Yaoguang in the world.

Leng Dian shivered, and then he understood.

He broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he himself had almost walked Sha Lei's old path.

However, the news of Princess of Yaoguang's disappearance quickly spread throughout DaLiang.

This Princess of Yaoguang is Prince Su's consort-to-be.

After the incident at the West City Gate, now most of DaLiang's power is already in Prince Su's hands.

Overnight, Prince Su, whose rear residence's inner court was still empty, became the most sought-after bachelor in Jinling.

All the clans have long eyed Prince Su with tiger-like greed.

Who wouldn't want to hurriedly marry their daughter off to Prince Su's mansion?

Even though his fierce reputation spreads abroad, he has now added even more killing karma to himself; the title of Killing God Yama is truly deserved.

But so what?

Everyone pursues high office and admires strong power.

All the clans have long looked forward, hoping to have a place for their own bloodline in Prince Su's inner court.

So, if Prince Su's consort disappears, everyone naturally scrambles to take her place.

Soon, this news reached a small village hundreds of li away.

Liu Qiongzhu, in a sorry state, was crouched in the kitchen stove, burning fire.

Hearing the outside conversation mention Li Qingluo's name, her ears perked up involuntarily.

Maybe even if she died, no one would know.

Now Prince Su's fortunes are not like those of the former unfavored prince; what if he no longer wants a consort with such a tainted background?

Isn't that so? There's an exiled father and mother, a disabled brother. That's nothing glorious.

Moreover, nowadays is different from before; with Prince Su having a consort of such background, who could still hold their head high?

You mean…… Prince Su cast aside his consort-to-be……?

A few officials sat under the tree, drinking burnt liquor and bragging.

From time to time, loud 'hahaha' laughter drifted in.

There was the sound of broken bowls in the courtyard.

Immediately after came a scolding: "Trash! You damn it, can't you pour wine with one hand?"

"You don't believe I'll destroy this arm of yours?"

"I'll beat you to death!"

Soon, Li Kechuan's miserable cries came in.

Qu Shi's startled cry also rose: "Sirs, please, stop hitting—please stop!"

"Chuan'er didn't do it on purpose, he really didn't do it on purpose!"

"Let me pour your wine, let me—let me shine your shoes, wash your feet, please don't hit me—"

Liu Qiongzhu sneaked to the door and looked into the courtyard.

Those officials now increasingly abused them without restraint.

They ordered them around like slaves.

At the slightest mistake or disobedience, they would be whipped.

Each beating left Qu Shi and Li Kechuan barely able to endure.

Besides that, they dared not do anything worse.

Moreover, along the way they had already encountered several assassination attempts.

Each time, three masked men came to their rescue.

Liu Qiongzhu understood in her heart that they must be Li Qingluo's people.

Even once, when she almost suffered assault from those officials, the masked men intervened to stop it.

"We cannot tolerate filthy things in our sight!"

"We can ignore other matters."

"But if you dare to commit such vile acts again, watch your own heads!"

Those officials then restrained themselves, no longer daring to target Liu Qiongzhu.

To keep those eyes off her, Liu Qiongzhu deliberately made herself look filthy every day.

Other than that, they merely served these officials' daily needs along the way.

Nowadays, washing clothes, cooking, and sweeping have become trivial chores for Liu Qiongzhu.

As long as they don't torment her over that, she can still get a hot meal if she works quickly.

But for Qu Shi and Li Kechuan, who had never served anyone before, it was a torment worse than death.

Li Kechuan, with only one leg and one arm, inevitably makes mistakes in his work.

Therefore, mother and son have endured many beatings along the way.

As for Li Chao Jing, there's no need to mention him.

What can you expect from an idiot?

Each day he is bound by only a rope.

When walking, he is led by Liu Qiongzhu's hand.

When resting, he is tied to stones and trees.

As long as he doesn't run around or cause trouble, it's fine—just say 'Amitabha'.

As for the other two branches of the Li family, they now stay as far away from Liu Qiongzhu and her group as possible.

They treat them like a plague, unwilling even to speak to them.

Simply because the women of those two branches caught up with them midway.

Moreover, as soon as they arrived, they handed over most of their possessions to those officials.

They also occasionally sent over tasty food as a tribute.

Over time, the officials became increasingly courteous toward the second and third branches.

Even if they caused no trouble and had no thought of fleeing, the officials left the second and third branches alone all along.

For example, today, as they passed through this village, they thought of borrowing lodging for the night.

The second and third branches themselves went to the neighboring house, paid a few dozen wen, and borrowed a spacious little courtyard.

Meanwhile, Liu Qiongzhu and her three companions could only stay in the cowshed.

Moreover, they still had to serve those few officials.

Thus, over time, Qu Shi and Li Kechuan once again harbored resentment in their hearts.