Searching Ah Du

Hearing this, the emperor nodded his head.

"This is the last warning I am giving you. If you repeat the same mistake in front of me or the Imperial Palace again, then I will kill you," the emperor warned. He threw the sword towards Eunuch Li, expecting him to catch it, and angrily walked away, leaving the ministers, officials, Eunuch Li, and Court Lady Mingxhe at a loss.

In the Huxia Palace, all the maids and guards were kneeling down, their bodies trembling, while Jin Yuchen looked at them with bloodshot eyes.

"How could you not notice her when she ran away from the Huxia Palace? What were all of you doing? Do I pay you all for this?" Jin Yuchen screamed.

The guards and maids trembled even more upon hearing Jin Yuchen's screaming.

Seeing their silence made Jin Yuchen even angrier.

"Kick all of the guards and maids out of the Huxia Palace and assign new ones right now," Jin Yuchen said and walked away from there.

Hundreds of guards and maids froze in their places. They were shocked. They didn't want to lose their jobs in the Huxia Palace, as it paid them more compared to other palaces in the Jin Dynasty.

Even more importantly, it was about trust. No master would be willing to let a maid or guard work for them until they gained their full trust. In the Huxia Palace, they had worked hard to gain the trust of the crown prince. If they were kicked out from here, they would be left without a place to belong.

They all started begging, pleading desperately.

"Your Royal Highness..."

"Your Royal Highness..."

"Your Royal Highness, please..."

"Your Royal Highness, please spare us."

All the maids and guards were screaming, but it didn't affect Jin Yuchen's decision. He ignored them and continued walking, followed by Zhong Shanshan and Court Lady Mingxhe.

Suddenly, a maid said, "I think I saw her escape, Your Royal Highness."

Jin Yuchen stopped in his tracks. He turned back to look at the maid who had spoken. Like him, all the maids and guards turned their heads to look at the maid.

The maid stepped forward and kneeled down even further, saying, "Your Royal Highness, I was in charge of supervising the loading of goods onto the cart. At that moment, a young lady approached me, asking about the destination of the cart and other questions. I didn't find it suspicious at the time since I was focused on my work. But now, I believe she might be the girl Ah Du, whom Your Royal Highness is searching for. She may have escaped from the palace by hiding inside the cart."

The maid was the same young maid who had been noting down the goods loaded onto the cart.

"If I had known she was trying to escape from the palace, I would have never let her near the cart. Please, Your Royal Highness, spare us. Please spare us," the maid requested, crying.

Giving final glance at the maid and guards, Jin Yuchen said, "Okay, this is your last warning. You can return to what you were doing. But remember, never repeat the same mistake."

The maids and guards expressed their gratitude to Jin Yuchen and went back to their duties, feeling relieved.

Jin Yuchen made his decision to not to dismiss all the maids and guards. He realized that they were not his specially trained guards. If Liu Wei and the other specially trained hidden guards had been present in the palace, Gu Hui would not have been able to step out from the Huxia Palace gate.

Today, he had assigned all the hidden guards a special task that was of utmost importance.

Now, only Zhong Shanshan and Court Lady Mingxhe remained in Jin Yuchen's chamber within the Huxia Palace. The room was filled with an air of tension and silence, broken only by Court Lady Mingxhe silent sobs.

"Mingxhe," Jin Yuchen called out, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment and frustration.

Court Lady Mingxhe raised her head, tears streaming down her face, and replied, "Yes, Your Royal Highness."

Jin Yuchen's gaze fixed into her, his voice cold and cutting. "How could you make such a mistake? How many years have you served in the Huxia Palace?" he questioned, his disappointment evident.

Court Lady Mingxhe's body trembled, feeling the weight of her mistake and the weight of Jin Yuchen's words. She knelt before him, her voice barely above a whisper, "Your Royal Highness, this servant is deeply sorry. I failed to keep an eye on Ah du"

Jin Yuchen sighed, his anger giving way to a mix of frustration and compassion. He understood Court Lady Mingxhe's dedication and loyalty over the years, and her failure weighed heavily on her. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke with a commanding tone, "Mingxhe, I know your loyalty and dedication to the palace. This mistake has consequences, and we cannot undo what has been done. However, I believe in redemption and second chances."

Court Lady Mingxhe's eyes widened with hope, still brimming with tears. "Your Royal Highness," she said, her voice filled with gratitude and relief.

Jin Yuchen continued, "I will not dismiss you from the Huxia Palace. Consider this a lesson learned, and let it strengthen your resolve to serve with even greater vigilance and care. But......"

court lady Mingxhe looked at Jin Yuchen waiting for his words.

" But you should be punished. Rest assured you will not be punished now, but you will be punished when Ah du comes back to the Huxia palace. Do you remember I said if she made any mistake you will be punished. She must see that I keep my words. so, she doesn't repeat the same mistake again in the future" Jin Yuchen said with a dangerous smile.

On the other hand Gu Hui was already about to reach the Gu province. Seeing the familiar area and the places which was on the way to her dynasty she felt happy, relief.