Zi Yuan knew what he was referring to and nodded, saying, "Yes."
Ye Jingyu strode out, closing the door behind him.
In the courtyard.
Lin Lang knelt in the center, her body ramrod straight, her gaze fixed on the door of the room.
Seeing Ye Jingyu emerge, she asked anxiously, "How is the young mistress?"
Ye Jingyu stopped beside her. "The one who attacked her at the Marquis's mansion today was from Southern Xinjiang. You are also from Southern Xinjiang. Do you know that on this basis alone, I can arrest you and convict you?"
Lin Lang's body stiffened slightly, and she clenched her fists tightly. "If Your Highness wishes to kill me, I have no complaints. I only beg to see my mistress one last time before I die."
She had made too many mistakes during this period. She didn't seek her mistress's forgiveness, but at the very least, she had to see her mistress safe with her own eyes.
Ye Jingyu said coldly, "Given your remaining loyalty, I will not kill you. You may leave."
Lin Lang shook her head and continued to kneel.
The wounds on her back had stopped bleeding, but her wet clothes clung to her body, the bloodstains spreading everywhere.
A cold wind swept through, chilling her to the bone.
Ye Jingyu said no more and walked away.
Inside the room.
Su Yun Mo was still wrapped in a quilt on the bed, shivering.
Zi Yuan chuckled and shook her head, then stepped forward to pull the quilt off her. "Mistress, His Highness Prince Yu has already left. You don't need to be afraid."
The little dumpling breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from the quilt, huffing, "Who's afraid of him? I'm just giving him face."
"Yes, yes, you fear nothing," Zi Yuan said, taking some wound medicine and applying it to her fingers.
Su Yun Mo sat up.
Zi Yuan carefully pulled down her shoulder clothing, applying the medicine while murmuring, "Mistress, you should be more careful in your actions from now on. The people from Southern Xinjiang are not easy to deal with. You must be cautious."
The mistress usually disliked bringing servants when she went out. The General's mansion had specially sent Ghost Brake to be her hidden guard, but this guard spent his days guarding the cages of mice and foxes.
Today, she had noticed another gray rabbit in the rabbit cage. She didn't know when it had been added, and the mistress didn't seem to care.
The little dumpling sniffled and cast her an aggrieved glance. "Can you stop talking about me? I'm dizzy."
"Dizzy?" Zi Yuan quickly reached out to touch her forehead. "You don't have a fever."
It must be from being soaked. The chill had not yet been dispelled.
"I'll get you a bowl of ginger and brown sugar water. Wait here." Zi Yuan finished bandaging her, helped her put on her clothes, and then tucked the little dumpling back into the quilt.
The little dumpling sneezed and hugged the pillow.
Zi Yuan tucked the quilt around her and went out.
Su Yun Mo rubbed her face against the pillow, smoothing down the hair that Ye Jingyu had ruffled into a mess. Then, her gaze fell on the door.
She wondered if Lin Lang had followed. She still wanted to ask her about the Rebirth Flower.
Should she go out and look for her?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a pair of dark, annoyed eyes appeared before her.
The little dumpling shivered and retracted her head.
Perhaps it was better to forget it. She would wait until Ye Jingyu calmed down.
Su Yun Mo had never been so obedient. She indeed stayed in the room for the entire afternoon.
Zi Yuan, following Ye Jingyu's instructions, brought her paper and ink to copy books.
She couldn't copy for long and was afraid Ye Jingyu would be angry when he returned, so she hid under the quilt, closed her eyes, and pretended to sleep. After a while, she genuinely fell asleep.
When Ye Jingyu returned, she was fast asleep, with ink still on her hands that hadn't been wiped clean.
Ye Jingyu shook his head helplessly, walked to the bedside, and placed his hand on her forehead.
It wasn't very hot.
It was good that she didn't have a fever.
Ye Jingyu didn't leave, fearing she might feel unwell again at night. He stayed there all night, and fortunately, she didn't fall ill.
She woke up the next morning feeling energetic, even eating half a bun more than usual.
Ye Jingyu confined her to the room to practice the zither.
The little dumpling sat dejectedly before the zither, tediously repeating the same movement over and over to practice her fingerwork.
After a while, her patience began to wear thin. "Have those Southern Xinjiang people been caught?"
Hong Tong had been captured alive, and Ye Jingyu himself had interrogated him yesterday. She wasn't afraid he wouldn't confess.
The guards of Prince Yu's mansion were swift. They would surely capture the remaining Southern Xinjiang people.
Ye Jingyu sat aside, handling official documents, without lifting his head. "This is not something you need to concern yourself with. Practice your zither well and recover from your injuries."
Although the Southern Xinjiang people had been apprehended, they were merely following orders. They had no idea who their master was, what they were thinking, or what their plans were.
Hu Xue was the leader who brought them out this time. Only he knew the specific mission. However, it was reported that Hu Xue had entered the Marquis's mansion last night and had not returned since.
He must have guessed that their hiding place was not safe, so he never returned.
The capital city was neither very large nor very small. It was not easy to catch someone whose whereabouts were completely unknown.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Su Yun Mo could roughly guess.
If there was any significant news, he would definitely inform her. The fact that he wasn't saying anything now suggested that nothing had been extracted from the interrogation.
In fact, she hadn't held out much hope.
No matter what the Southern Xinjiang royal family intended to do, as long as they didn't come to the capital, it had little to do with her. The emperor was far away, and her influence didn't extend that far.
Ye Jingyu said, "Continue playing. Don't get distracted."
"Mmm~ I've been playing all morning. Let me rest for a bit," Su Yun Mo pouted and acted spoiled.
She said aggrievedly, "I've been very obedient today and stayed here the whole time. You should let me relax my spirits."
Ye Jingyu frowned.
She had been sitting here obediently, but she kept asking for food and drink, complaining of headaches. The actual practice time was very little. At this rate, when would she be able to play a complete piece?
"It's stuffy in here. I'm going to get some air, then I'll continue playing." Su Yun Mo always found an excuse when she wanted to slack off.
Without waiting for Ye Jingyu's consent, she quickly went to the window and pushed it open.
A cool breeze flowed in from outside.
She couldn't help but shiver, and at the same time, she saw the person kneeling in the courtyard.
"Lin Lang? When did she get here?"
Ye Jingyu shifted his gaze back to the official documents in his hands. "Yesterday."
Su Yun Mo was shocked. "She knelt here all night?"
She was still injured.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Ye Jingyu turned a page of the document. "She chose to kneel. It has nothing to do with me."
Su Yun Mo sighed, knowing he was still resentful of Lin Lang's previous actions against her.
"Can I go and see her?"
Ye Jingyu didn't look up. "I told you yesterday, you cannot leave this room without my permission."
Su Yun Mo cursed him silently for being petty. She walked over like a kitten, slid into his embrace, and playfully punched his shoulder with her small pink fists, acting obsequious.
"Aren't I asking for your permission now? You are magnanimous, don't hold grudges against her."
After all, Lin Lang had been deceived by Lin Yu Ning at the beginning.
Southern Xinjiang was thousands of miles away from the capital.
How could she have known that the true legitimate daughter of the Marquis's mansion had already died, that the current legitimate daughter was a replacement, and that she herself had reincarnated into a child?
Wasn't it using such a sinister method that Hu Xue and the others found her?