Rui Fu felt a burst of unease in his heart, unconsciously he

opened his eyes, tossing and turning on his bed he couldn’t sleep, he just got

up and put on his clothes, the young eunuch guarding outside Tong Hai was just

dozing off, seeing Rui Fu up and about he jumped in fright, he busily stood

straight saying, “Why are you up?”

“Xiao Hai ah, how can you sneakily sleep like this,

certainly like raising a pig.” Rui Fu hmphed, reaching out to pinch Xiao Hai’s

chubby cheeks, “Your adoptive father me body has been weak recently, should I

stew you to supplement myself?”

Tong Hai laughed hehe, puffing out his cheeks he said,

“Adoptive father, do you want to eat now? So long as you say it I will go to

the meal room right away, quickly take off my clothes and allow the chef to

stew me.”

“Little brat, getting more and more brazen!” Rui Fu looked

at Tong Hai’s shameless manner, he couldn’t help laugh.

Tong Hai laughed hehe helping Rui Fu make himself

presentable, and covered him in a thick grey fox skin overcoat, then did he

follow behind to leave.

Just as they left they felt a peal of cold air a.s.sail their

noses, Rui Fu covered his face as he walked, his mind still thinking about the

emperor’s situation, recently His Majesty really wasn’t easy to get along with.

First disregarding him indescribably making the left and right commander of the

Embroidered Uniform Guards to go arrest women called Zhang Hong…, moreover last

night he didn’t want them guarding him as he slept, sending out the hidden

guards who were always in the shadows, every night the hidden guards secured

the bedroom, no one was allowed in, even if he wasn’t allowed.

What confused him even more was, a person inevitably had to

answer the call of nature, even if the emperor previously did not frequently

get up in the night, but nevertheless he went once, but ever since he had sent

the hidden guards outside, the bathroom has been clean, not used at all, it was

like as if he already no longer needed to eat or drink, these things were like

a riddle Rui Fu could not see clearly.

Rui Fu believed he was loyal and devoted to the emperor, but

he also knew the emperor was distrustful, opening his heart to very few, but

recently moving him outside of him it still made him have feel a bit of

indescribable defeat.

“Who is it?” Rui Fu had just reached the doorway when he saw

a person dressed in black dragon robes, a hidden guard wearing a gold long

sword walked out with two palace Imperial bodyguards, he asked with a dignified

gaze.

“Lord An, an eminent person has short memory, how can you

not even recognise me.” Rui Fu asked in good humour.

“Oh, so it’s head manager Li.” An Wen Yao relaxed a lot

seeing that it was Li Rui Fu, lacking a bit of precaution from just now,

saying, “it’s so late why aren’t you asleep?”

At that moment, a sudden roar could be heard from the

direction of the emperor’s sleeping quarters, shocking those present to pale in

complexion, An Wen Yao reaction seemed to be immediate, Rui Fu only blinked and

An Wen Yao had disappeared, like a shadow of a ghost, speeding towards the

bedroom, his heart had still not settled down, when another bitter yell could

be heard!

Rui Fu heart thudded, deathly pale, this voice was the

emperor’s! He was absolutely certain!

***

The moon hung in the sky, emitting a round l.u.s.tre, setting

off in contrast the white snow making it feel as if it was daytime, a mule cart

stopped at outside an abandoned temple on the outskirt of the capital city.

“Lady Zhao, I’ll go in with you.” Chen Rong helped Zhao Jin

Yu down from the mule cart.

Zhao Jin Yu also knew this was not the time for her to be

reckless, at first she had thought because it was night they couldn’t hurry on

with their journey…, maybe Chen Rong saw her anxiousness, and had taken the

initiative to rea.s.sure her, it was no more than a two hour journey, moreover

this was near to the capital city, very few problematic bandits roamed about,

as for the common thugs she was not concerned with them, that’s why there was

nothing to fear, going as they pleased, Zhao Jin Yu seeing Chen Rong’s fair and

reasonable mind was naturally happy, ten thousands thanks, hurrying all the way

they returned to the small temple.

“Many thanks auntie Chen.” Zhao Jin Yu gratefully said.

Chen Rong vigilantly looked all around, hearing Zhao Jin

Yu’s words, with no expression on her face, she said, “Lady Zhao don’t be

courteous.” Then she even took the lead walking in front, ceasing with any more

superfluous words.

Zhao Jin Yu smartly followed behind Chen Rong, however she

discovered…, surprisingly  before she

could give her directions Chen Rong had lead her directly to the dried up well,

she was shocked, unable to not think, how does Chen Rong know about this place?

Could it be she actually followed her that afternoon? She suddenly felt

embarra.s.sed having been exposed.

Chen Rong however magnanimously said, “Since I accepted this

escort journey I have to ensure Lady Zhao’s safety, this place is desolate,

better to be safe than sorry, that’s why when Lady Zhao came here during the

day I took the liberty to follow here, however Lady Zhao please be at ease, I

was only aware of Lady Zhao’s safety, I don’t know anything else.”

Zhao Jin Yu facing this magnanimous and righteous Chen Rong

honestly did not know what to say…, her reasons were simply very adequate,

going into this long abandoned broken temple by herself was indeed somewhat

unsecure.

Now it was already very late at night, the caw of an unknown

bird could be heard from not too far away, it was even more strange in this

peaceful cold night, Zhao Jin Yu took a deep breath and used the moonlight to

look into the depth of the dried up well.

Through the entire journey Zhao Jin Yu went through trains

of thoughts, thinking of many scenarios when they reunite, the stone would

immediately curse her in a loud voice, or cry from fear, or maybe a sorry

appearance from restlessly move about in the jewellery box trying to escape but

unable to succeed, only she never thought she would see a box, gnawed and

bitten by rats, leaving behind only a frame, and there was no trace of the

stone, her complexion immediately paled, somewhat unbelievingly she rubbed her

eyes.

“It’s gone!”

Chen Rong’s face darkened, walking over to pat Zhao Jin Yu’s

slightly s.h.i.+vering body, saying, 

“Someone has been here before.”

“Who? Why would someone come to such a desolate place?” Zhao

Jin Yu was very frantic, thinking whether the stone had been sealed away by a

Taoist priest? Such a feeble stone spirit…, a person could just move a finger

and squeeze it to death, however seeing Chen Rong’s calm expression, a kind of

calm that would not change even if Mount Tai

collapses before her eyes, unconsciously her mind also calmed down, saying,

“Auntie Chen, can you find it? It is really important to me, really important!”

Chen Rong said, “Don’t worry.” Having spoken she began to

look all around, she appeared to know qinggong,

thick layers of snow, she stepped on it but only left faint footprints, in a

moment she looked at a large stone for quite a while, she immediately beckoned

at Zhao Jin Yu, saying, “Lady Zhao, come over here and take a look.”

Zhao Jin Yu walked over to take a look, her face paled even

more, there were many fragments beside the stone, even though they were very

small, she however picked it up carefully sizing it then was certain this was

the stone!

Could it be smashed to pieces by someone? It’s dead?

Chen Rong saw Zhao Jin Yu was about to cry, she faintly

sighed in her mind, supporting her shoulder she said, “Lady Zhao, let us

carefully look around, maybe something else can be found.”

Zhao Jin Yu held back the tears in her eyes with difficulty,

crouching on the ground looking for the stone fragments, but searching for a

while she only found bits and pieces, and no big pieces, a bit of hope again

rose in her heart, with a somewhat hopeful gaze she looked at Chen Rong,

saying, 

“Auntie Chen, can you find out where the people who pa.s.sed by went?”

Chen Rong was only in charge of Zhao Jin Yu’s safety going

down south, rus.h.i.+ng back through the night to take back the thing was

considered to be very hard, if they carried on it would be anything matter, she

could actually directly refuse, only the moon was full, Zhao Jin Yu misty eyes

were clear and bright, like it could penetrate your heart, she instinctively

thought of the child she had lost many years ago, thinking if she was still

alive, she would be Zhao Jin Yu’s age, whether she would have experienced such

a helpless situation…, Chen Rong’s heart burst with sadness, the deep-rooted

pain of being helplessly separated from her own flesh and blood rushed to her

heart, unexpectedly she unconsciously nodded her head saying, “I can try.”

Two days later, at Tongzhou dock.

Zhao Jin Yu wore a white rabbit fur overcoat, Chen Rong

following beside her, the two people each carrying something in their hands

weaved through the crowd towards the tavern, they had arrived here yesterday, and

agreed to go down south in a turreted junk s.h.i.+p tomorrow, she had come out to

buy some essentials, after all later it would not be convenient to buy things

on the s.h.i.+p.

“Selling sugar-coated Chinese hawthorns,

lady buy one.” A young man came over carrying sugar-coated Chinese hawthorns on

his back, seeing Zhao Jin Yu was extremely young he thought the young lady

would like these, voluntarily stepping forward to peddle.

Zhao Jin Yu looked at the brilliant red sugar-coated Chinese

hawthorns, she couldn’t help swallow down her saliva, but in a blink she

gloomily shook her head saying, “I don’t want it.” Immediately she dejectedly

walked away.

Chen Rong followed behind, her heart was like a mirror, two

nights before the two of them had followed footsteps until they reached a small

village outside of the depths of a mountain, sadly even though that village

wasn’t very big, several tens of families lived there however, there was also

the small road leading to Liaodong, that’s why even though the population was

low, it was simply impossible to figure out who went to that rundown temple…,

in the end they had to return without any achievements, after that Zhao Jin Yu

seemed to feel very sad and blamed herself, not feeling like eating, and

without a smile on her face.

The two people did not say anything all the way, but having

set out a quarter of an hour later they saw a tavern, just as they were about

to go in they saw a person suddenly flash past, almost b.u.mping into Zhao Jin

Yu, before you knew it, Chen Rong who followed beside reached out pulling her

to her side, instinctively putting her in front, shouting, “Who are you?”

That person wasn’t tall, and of medium stature, wearing a

grey semi-old cotton-padded clothes, looking thirty-five or six years old, at

this moment he stood facing Chen Rong and Zhao Jin Yu smiling very politely.

“I mean no harm.” That man spoke up to here, rolling his

eyes, showing bright and s.h.i.+ny, “I just wanted to ask the lady, whether or not

you want to buy a talking stone as a pet?”

Zhao Jin Yu right away felt a ringing in her head, only a

while later did it settle down, very quickly she felt happiness rush into her

heart, thinking to herself, truly its looking for something sparing no effort, a

feeling of getting something without trying, somewhat impatiently she asked,

“What type of stone is it?”

Chen Rong at first glance thought he was a good for nothing

scoundrel, and saying there was a talking stone…, clearly he had seen Zhao Jin

Yu was young and innocent, wanting to swindle her, but once she saw Zhao Jin

Yu’s face light up, all of a sudden she was not so sure, having known each

other over the past few days, she noticed that although Zhao Jin Yu was an

official’s daughter raised to stay at home, she was also gentle and

good-natured, but she nevertheless acted properly, having her views, not

seeming like a person easily deceived like this, could it be…there was something

going on here?

That person had thought he would have to waste more words,

in the end at Zhao Jin Yu’s interested appearance, his heart exulted,

unconsciously he looked at Chen Rong, seeing that although her face was cold

and stiff, but made no other movements, agreeing tacitly, he hurriedly said, “Young

lady please follow me.”

Inside a guest room, that middle aged man took out a box

from inside cabinet, smiling he said, “Young lady, you can take a good look, it

really is a rare treasure”

Zhao Jin Yu was impatient, saying, “Quickly open it.”

That middle aged man seeing Zhao Jin Yu’s anxiety, felt more

and more proud of himself, this time he must demand an exorbitant price,

putting the box on the table he opened it up.

Inside was filled with black mud, a spotless white stone

quietly inlayed in the mud, like an unique beauty, growing out of the mud

unsullied, Zhao Jin Yu looked at it as a mist rose in her eyes.