strictlysupreme Chapter 2172 Farewell
Chapter 2172 Farewell
The mornings in Rongzhou are always shrouded in a thin mist, like a soft white veil, draping the upturned eaves of the Su family mansion.
Su Zhenhai got up before dawn, dressed in plain clothes. As a prince, he couldn't make a big show of seeing them off. He planned to take his children with him and go quietly, then return after seeing them off for a while.
Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu are leaving this time, and it is unknown when they will meet again. Although they cannot be extravagant, their farewell sentiments must not be lacking.
But as soon as he reached the gate of the courtyard, the smile on Su Zhenhai's face froze.
"This..." Su Jingzhuo also sensed something was wrong, stepped forward, and peered into the courtyard. "Why is no one here?"
Su Zhenhai strode into the courtyard and saw that the furnishings in the house were still the same, with the tables and chairs arranged neatly. However, the bedding on the bed was folded into a square, and the comb that Yan Ruyu had used was still in its original place on the dressing table, but there was no trace of human life.
He reached out and touched the teacup on the table; the cup was already cold, indicating that its owner had been gone for quite some time.
“Father, look here.” Su Jingzhuo pointed to the table, where a stack of neatly folded letters lay.
Su Zhenhai strode over, picked up the letter, and Huo Changhe's strong and powerful handwriting came into view, each stroke revealing his composure and meticulousness.
The letter began by thanking the Su family for their hospitality over the past few days, and then proceeded to explain the follow-up matters one by one: the evidence of the Liu family's crimes had been compiled into a book.
Although the remaining members of the Liu family have been eliminated, it is still necessary to send people to secretly monitor them for ten days to prevent any escapees from launching a counterattack.
The safety precautions that need to be taken into account recently are clearly written down, covering every detail.
The more Su Zhenhai looked, the more mixed his feelings became.
"They... left last night." Su Zhenhai's voice was a little hoarse, and the letter in his hand was slightly crumpled from his grip.
Su Jingzhuo stood to the side, looking at his father's reddened eyes, and said softly, "They didn't want us to be sad, so they left quietly."
Su Zhenhai nodded, took a deep breath, carefully folded the letter, and put it away close to his body.
"It is my blessing to have met such a person. I only hope that they will have a safe journey and that everything will go smoothly in Youcheng."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and Xiao Tao, Su Shengsheng's maid, rushed in, panting and her face full of panic: "Master! Something terrible has happened! Miss is missing!"
"What?" Su Zhenhai turned around abruptly, his brows furrowed. "What happened?"
Xiao Tao was so anxious she was almost crying: "This morning when I went to wake Miss up, I found the room empty. There was a letter on the table, telling me to give it to you, Master, right away."
As she spoke, she took a letter from her sleeve and handed it over.
Su Zhenhai's heart sank. He quickly took the letter, unfolded it, and was so angry that his face turned pale. He almost tore the letter to shreds.
"Father, I know that the Prince and Princess are going back to Youcheng. I also want to go and see what it's like to experience it with them."
You don't need to look for me. I've already set off with the Prince and the others. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself!
"That girl!" Su Zhenhai paced back and forth angrily, his voice rising several decibels. "She's incredibly audacious! What kind of place is Youcheng? It's far away and fraught with danger. What was she doing going there to join in the fun!"
Su Jingzhuo quickly advised, "Father, please calm down. Shengsheng must have already made up his mind to secretly follow them."
The prince and princess will surely find her and take care of her, so please don't worry too much.
"How can I not worry?" Su Zhenhai sighed, both angry and helpless. "This child has been disobedient since she was little, and this time she even dared to run away from home secretly! When she comes back, I'm going to give her a good scolding!"
Even so, he knew in his heart that there was no use in being angry now that things had come to this. He could only hope that Huo Changhe and the others would take good care of Su Shengsheng and ensure that he arrived in Youcheng safely.
Xiao Tao stood to the side, trembling, and said, "Master, should we send someone to chase after them?"
Su Zhenhai shook his head and waved his hand: "No need. They've been traveling all night and have long since left Rongzhou City. We can't catch up with them anyway."
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "You can leave now. Don't let this matter be made public."
Xiao Tao quickly replied "Yes" and withdrew.
After much deliberation, Su Zhenhai decided to write a letter to Huo Changhe.
Meanwhile, on the official road outside Rongzhou City, a group of people were hurrying along.
Yan Ruyu sat on horseback, dressed in a plain-colored outfit, with a hint of solemnity between her brows.
Last night, the abbot sent word that not only Huo Zhongmao's spice shop in Youcheng, but also the Qian family's shop is experiencing the same situation, with more and more people returning their goods, all saying that the spices smell bad.
This is really bizarre.
Huo Zhongmao has been making incense for decades and his skills are superb. He has never produced a substandard product. The Qian family's incense shop is also a well-established brand in Youcheng. How could such a thing suddenly happen?
Moreover, with so many different types of incense, it's impossible for them all to have problems at the same time, let alone all of them to turn into a foul smell.
Those who returned the goods included both wealthy and ordinary people. They were strangers to each other, and no one encouraged them, yet they all returned the goods without prior arrangement, and their reasons were all the same.
There must be someone up to something behind this.
She thought of the First Madam's condition again, and her anxiety grew even stronger.
The First Lady has a problem with her sense of smell and is always sleepy. Doctor Cao examined her but couldn't find anything wrong.
She always felt that the First Madam's condition was inextricably linked to the strange events at the spice shop.
There must be a reason behind anything unusual.
The First Madam is caught in the middle and in a precarious situation; she must return as soon as possible to find out the truth.
Along the way, the group traveled non-stop, stopping almost constantly except for necessary rest and meals.
As dusk settled, the setting sun painted the sky a vibrant orange-red, and the distant mountains were bathed in a golden glow.
After walking for about an hour, a post station finally appeared ahead, with two red lanterns hanging at the entrance, which looked particularly conspicuous in the twilight.
Huo Changhe reined in his horse and gestured for the group to stop: "Alright, let's rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."
Everyone reined in their horses and dismounted.
Yan Ruyu also dismounted, stretched her stiff legs, and looked up at the post station.
The inn wasn't large, but it looked clean and tidy. Several waiters were greeting guests at the entrance, and a few horses were tied up in the courtyard, indicating that other travelers were staying there.
Just then, Yin Ding quickly walked to Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu's side, lowered his voice, and reported seriously, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I think someone is following us."
Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe exchanged a glance, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes.
Huo Changhe glanced around calmly. The area around the post station was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional bird calls from afar. There seemed to be nothing unusual.