The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 26

Xi Gui rushed back to the Regent’s Mansion, panting heavily. “Master, master!”

Lu Zhao was sitting in the courtyard, drinking and admiring the moon with Wen Yuan. Tapping the table, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did you escort her home?”

Xi Gui clutched her chest, anxiously exclaiming, “Master, it’s terrible! Third Miss Xu, Third Miss Xu seems to have been taken to the back hills of the General’s Manor!”

Lu Zhao shot to her feet in shock, knocking the cup off the table with a sweep of her hand. “What?! How long has she been there? Quickly, come with me to the General’s Manor!”

Wen Yuan, startled by Lu Zhao’s sudden movement, stood up and followed, casually remarking, “Hey, hey, hey, Lu Xiaozhao, who is this Third Miss Xu? Isn’t the captivating Nian Nian enough for you? How come there’s another Third Miss Xu? With so many beauties around, couldn’t you spare one for your brother?”

Lu Zhao shot him a sharp glare. “Either shut up and come help rescue her, or get lost!”

Wen Yuan was intimidated by her stern expression and fell silent. After all, Lu Zhao was usually calm and composed, rarely losing her temper. Never before had she been so tense, as if struggling to suppress anger and anxiety.

Lu Zhao mounted her horse and hurried to the General’s Manor, urgently explaining the situation to General Song.

Song Qin stroked his beard, pondering for a moment before saying, “Regent, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. But the back hills have always been a forbidden area of our family. Over the years, almost no one who entered has survived. Moreover, the forest is filled with a labyrinthine maze even I might not be able to find my way out.”

Lu Zhao, growing more anxious, clasped her hands and said, “General, I dare not trouble you, but I beg you to assign a few seasoned soldiers to accompany me in the search.”

Gao Wen Yuan patted Lu Zhao’s shoulder, frowning nonchalantly. “Lu Xiaozhao, don’t worry. I’ll go through fire and water with you!”

Behind Song Qin, a masked youth stood motionless, his dark eyes fixed intently on Gao Wen Yuan. Before Song Qin could speak, the youth stepped forward, his voice rough and hoarse. “General, I am willing to accompany the Regent into the hills.”

Song Qin roared angrily, “Nonsense! Regent, I will assign others to go with you.”

The masked youth remained unmoved, staring fixedly at Song Qin as he bowed and insisted, “I beg the General to grant permission.”

Lu Zhao, unwilling to waste time on the youth, said to the livid Song Qin, “Please assign the soldiers, General. We must set off immediately.”

Song Qin waved his hand, grabbing the masked youth who tried to follow. “Deputy General Zhao, take ten men and accompany the Regent into the back hills!”

Lu Zhao hurriedly led the group out.

Wen Yuan gave the masked youth a curious glance before following Lu Zhao.

After everyone had left, the masked youth slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant, and said weakly, “Father, I only wanted to help rescue them. A Zhao and they are all my friends.”

Song Qin paced back and forth, pointing at the youth’s head in frustration. “Do you really want to save them? I think you still can’t let go of that Gao Wen Yuan! Has the wind at the border not woken you up? Reflect on this properly!”

“I brought you back to see your mother! Not to indulge in such filthy thoughts!”

With a loud “bang,” Song Qin stormed out and locked the door behind him.

Back when Emperor Shun’an used the imperial examinations as a pretext to target him, he soon sent men to Song Ziyan’s home to hang him. Fortunately, Song Qin discovered it in time and saved him, subsequently taking him to the borderlands for many years. Even Song Ziyan’s mother believed he had committed suicide back then, unable to bear the shame of being accused of cheating in the exams.

The young man’s slender, pale hand touched the cold mask, his face full of anguish. What was the point of living like this, hiding and sneaking around? He couldn’t see the one he loved, couldn’t return home, wouldn’t it have been better to have been truly hanged back then, at least bringing peace?

Song Ziyan gazed at the pitch-black sky, his heart growing increasingly restless. No! He had to save Wen Yuan! The back mountain was so dangerous if Wen Yuan died, what meaning would his own life have? He quietly got up and slipped out of the general’s residence under the cover of moonlight.

When Yunxia woke up, her entire body ached. As she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Groping around, she leaned against a nearby tree and stood up, fear spreading from the depths of her heart. Where was this? She clearly remembered getting into the carriage with Lady Yang and Ruoxiang, how had she ended up alone here? It must have been Lady Yang and Xu Ruoxiang!

Anger and fear intertwined in her heart as Yunxia struggled to discern her direction. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she trudged forward with difficulty under the faint moonlight filtering through the leaves. But the trees around her all looked the same, and she had no idea which way to go.

Even though it was a summer night, the temperature in the forest was unusually low. Yunxia shivered from the cold, terrified. There wasn’t the slightest trace of human presence around her, and she could vaguely hear something breathing heavily in the distance.

Biting back her tears, she told herself over and over again: Don’t cry, don’t cry. This was just an unknown forest if she kept walking, she would surely find her way out!

The trees in the forest were exceptionally tall and lush, standing silently like ghosts. The wind brushed past her ears, sending chills down her spine. Yunxia fought back the urge to scream.

With no sense of direction, Yunxia groped her way forward through the forest. Unnoticed, her foot caught on something, and she stumbled forward, her arm hitting a rock in the forest with a heavy thud.

She struggled to get up. Though she couldn’t see the condition of her arm clearly, she felt a piercing pain and her hand came away sticky. It must have been cut open!

The pain was so intense she couldn’t lift her arm, but it sharpened her mind. She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at herself: Xu Yunxia, oh Xu Yunxia, you’ve grown too comfortable living in the Regent’s residence! How can you not bear this little pain? Are you still the tough, resilient Xu Yunxia you used to be?

She couldn’t help but think of Lu Zhao, wondering if she had returned. If she really died here, would Lu Zhao be sad? Would she still treat others with the same kindness? Would she avenge her?

Yunxia gazed helplessly into the dark ahead and sighed softly, “She’d probably avenge me, right? After all, even that Yang woman died in prison It’s just I’m a little unwilling.”

Yunxia shook her head, forcing herself to stop overthinking, and continued walking. As she lifted her foot, she kicked something again. By the faint light, she finally noticed that the forest was littered with many white bones, gleaming eerily in the darkness, a chilling testament to the terror of this place.

A chill began to spread from the depths of her heart, and Yunxia truly realized this was no ordinary forest. Trembling, she picked up a rusty short knife and gripped it tightly in her hand, too afraid to move forward or retreat. It dawned on her that she had long been lost in these woods.

At some point, a fine, dense drizzle began to fall in the forest. Yunxia felt even colder. Crossing her arms, she found a large tree to sit beneath, curling herself into as small a ball as she could. By now, her elder sister must have noticed she was missing, right? Where would she even begin to search for her? If she were to die here, what would become of her sister in the future?

At some unknown moment, a heavy, ragged breathing sound arose from behind her.

In an instant, every hair on Yunxia’s body stood on end. A cold shiver ran down her spine, her breathing grew heavy, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Slowly, she turned her head and saw a young wolf, its eyes glowing green in the darkness, watching her silently from a distance.