Chapter 34 : Stuck

Faer took more than an hour to send him off.

Song Ying had already prepared tea for her, and saw the little maid come running back, face drenched in sweat.

Song Ying first wiped the sweat off her face, then handed her a teacup.

Faer gulped down a few big sips, drank two cups in a row, and after a short rest said, “Master Huo went straight back to the general’s mansion. I wandered around outside a few times and didn’t see any dog holes he could sneak through. Then I asked a farmer who delivers vegetables to the mansion. I can confirm that General Huo is not at the general’s mansion.”

She poured herself another cup of tea and continued, “Then I went to the city gate to ask around and ran into the old beggar I usually see. He said that while he was peeing at night, he saw a caravan leaving the city.”

Song Ying asked, “When?”

Faer replied, “Three days ago, on a dark and windy night.”

Song Ying sat back in her chair and was silent for a while. “Have you found out whether Yang Hu and Mo Qi are still stationed at the camp outside the city?”

Faer scratched her head, “Uh… I forgot about that. When I was coming back, I ran into Guard Yu. He asked what I was doing. I said you sent me out and I was just wandering around. Then I came back.”

Song Ying said, “Good girl.”

Faer asked, “Miss, should we go look for General Huo?”

Song Ying replied, “Do you know where the military camp outside the city is?”

Faer: “I’ll go find out right away.”

The little maid moved quickly and was gone in a flash.

An hour later, Faer returned and said, “They really are stationed at the suburban military camp, in the southwest, about ten miles from the capital.”

Song Ying paced back and forth a few times in her room, then decided: “Call Xiaomi. We’ll head to the camp tomorrow morning.”

Faer: “Miss, do you think General Huo is there?”

Song Ying shook her head: “No. His father wouldn’t send him somewhere I could find him easily. Now go get ready.”

Faer: “Okay!”

Huo Leiming wanted to stop Huo Zhen from having any thoughts, so he would definitely send him somewhere Song Ying couldn’t easily reach perhaps even to the border…

Of course, Song Ying wasn’t foolish enough to go storming into the general’s mansion or chase after him to the far frontier. She just needed to verify things.

The next morning, Song Ying and Faer dressed up as men, and Xiaomi drove them to the suburban camp.

“Let’s wait here,” Song Ying said to Xiaomi. “You go first and say you’re a servant from the general’s mansion, here to see Yang Hu and Mo Qi.”

Xiaomi: “Yes, I’ll go right away.”

Song Ying and Faer waited in the carriage. About half an incense stick’s time later, Xiaomi returned with Yang Hu and Mo Qi.

Mo Qi: “Miss Song.”

Yang Hu: “Sister-in-law.”

Song Ying got straight to the point: “Do you know where Huo Zhen is?”

Mo Qi and Yang Hu looked at each other, confused, and shook their heads. “What’s wrong with Brother?”

Faer quickly chimed in, “General Huo hasn’t climbed my lady’s wall for days now.”

Song Ying: “…”

Yang Hu scratched his head. “Then he’s probably just tired of jumping walls. Ouch—”

Mo Qi had smacked him on the head. Yang Hu glared, “Why’d you hit me?”

Mo Qi rolled his eyes, “Idiot. Don’t you get it? Something’s wrong with Brother.”

Yang Hu: “Oh!?”

Song Ying briefly explained Huo Zhen’s disappearance. Yang Hu was stunned. “Wow, that’s so like our big bro.”

‘Punch!’ Mo Qi hit him again.

“Miss Song, what do you want us to do?” Mo Qi asked, clearly the more dependable of the two.

Song Ying said, “Only you two can reach him. I just want him to give me a clear answer.”

Mo Qi nodded. “Understood. Don’t worry, Miss Song. The old general wouldn’t send Brother off to nowhere. He’s just trying to distract him. If you ask me, he probably transferred him to another garrison. Even if it’s far, it’s probably still at the border.”

Yang Hu patted his chest and said, “Sister-in-law, Miss Song don’t worry. We’ll definitely find him and bring him back to see you.”

Song Ying said, “No need to bring him back. I just want him to say clearly what he wants.”

Huo Zhen was stuck at the first hurdle with his father. If he regretted it, then they would part ways and Song Ying would move on with her life.

If Huo Zhen still insisted, then she would wait for him.

After finishing the discussion, they headed home.

Just after Song Ying had changed out of her men’s clothing, the steward,  Butler Hu Bo, arrived, he had come on Song Jinzhuo’s orders to take Song Ying back home.

As soon as she entered the mansion, Song Ying ran into Zhou and Song Ruoer.

The mother and daughter were both stunned when they saw Song Ying, but then Zhou smiled and stepped forward. “Ying’er is back.”

“Greetings to the Princess, and to Mother.”

Song Ruoer looked at Song Ying with a look full of longing. “Sister, I haven’t seen you in so long.”

Song Ying glanced at her flat belly and replied with a faint smile, “Yes, it has been a while.”

Zhou said warmly, “The Regent was very thoughtful and specifically instructed me to go to the palace to care for Ruoer. Now Ruoer has come to fetch me personally, she’s pregnant but still so careless.”

Song Ruoer spoke coyly, “I just missed Mother and Sister too much.”

Song Ying responded, “Yes, and being careless isn’t good. You’re carrying the Prince.”

Song Ruoer pouted a little, “Sister…”

On the surface, everything seemed harmonious but only they knew the truth behind the smiles.

Hu Bo said, “Young Lady, the Marquis are still waiting for you.”

Song Ying bowed and said, “Princess, Mother, I will go greet Father first.”

Zhou said, “Go on, then. Don’t keep the Marquis waiting, or he’ll be unhappy again.”

After taking leave of the mother and daughter, Song Ying went to Song Jinzhuo’s study.

“Father.”

“You’re here,” Song Jinzhuo replied, standing in front of a potted plant, leisurely tending to the new sprouts on it.

For Song Ying, anything out of the ordinary meant something was wrong.

The more relaxed Song Jinzhuo appeared, the more serious the situation tended to be.

When he had told her to marry Yue Shaozhi, he had been catching crabs by the pond.

Who knows what he was planning this time?

Song Ying stood there quietly, waiting for him to speak.

After he carefully adjusted the tender new shoots on the plant, Song Jinzhuo finally turned and looked at his well-behaved daughter.

“Young Marquis Wen went to Yongzhou. Did you know?”

Song Ying replied truthfully, “I didn’t know.”

Song Jinzhuo gestured for her to sit down and said, “The young marquis is unpredictable and temperamental, but no matter what, he wouldn’t dare act recklessly in the capital. So you shouldn’t be overly sensitive.”

That was exactly what Song Ying took issue with. Song Jinzhuo had clearly heard about her public confrontation with Wen Jun in the streets.

He was likely criticized by his peers, so now he came to remind her not to stir up trouble.

“Your daughter gets along well with the young marquis. Since he plays with me, naturally I play along with him too.”

Song Jinzhuo just smiled faintly, already knowing the kind of answer he’d get from her. “You’re just like your mother, always full of commentary.”

Song Ying thought silently: ‘Have you ever considered why my mother turned out that way?’

But outwardly, she remained respectful and obedient. “Father is right.”

Song Jinzhuo continued, “Has Huo Zhen come to see you recently?”

There it was, this was the real reason he called her in.

Song Ying asked, “Why does Father bring him up?”

Song Jinzhuo glanced at her calmly, picked up his teacup, gently blew the floating tea leaves aside, and said with meaning, “There is no mistress in the general’s mansion now.”