The palace wall was dilapidated, and the woman holding a cat in front of her was beautiful facial features, which was Yan Jihua.

When Yingying saw this face, she forgot her name in the familiarity. After a while, she spoke: "Are you... Princess Huale?"

After the words came, Yingying quickly changed her words: "Concubine Hua."

It’s no wonder Yingying couldn’t recognize her, mainly because her outfit was too simple and clean, which was too far from her previous luxurious and gorgeous appearance. If the previous Princess Huale was a flame red lotus, then the Empress Hua in front of her was an overly clean white lotus. She was obviously the same person, but the difference in temperament between the two was too big.

Yan Jihua lowered her head. When the wind passed, her skirt swayed, making her body look slender and thin. Maybe she didn't know what to say, but she explained a little crampedly: "I heard you were looking for a cat, and I didn't know it would come to me."

Yingying was a little confused when she heard this: "You live here?"

Yan Jihua nodded, bent her lips slightly and said, "Yes."

She had a very beautiful face, and with the identity of Princess Nanyin, she was gentle and weak after being ill, so Emperor Wucheng favored her very much. A few days ago, the series of incidents between Prince Qing and Nanyin Kingdom were too big. Yingying also knew that Emperor Wucheng took his anger on Yan Jihua, making her life uncomfortable, but Yingying never thought that Emperor Wucheng would let her live in such a broken palace.

"For you." Yan Jihua handed the kitten in her arms to Yingying, without any discomfort on her face.

Yingying was surprised at how Yan Jihua could tolerate such a place, and took the cat over. When she touched a piece of plush, Yingying felt much more at ease. She looked at Xiaobao who was licking her hair in her arms, and scolded her angrily and helplessly: "Didn't you hear me calling you just now?"

"The heartless little white-eyed cat, do you know how long I have been looking for you? Is the palace the place where you run around? If something happens to you, how can I explain to Yan Ning!"

Xiaobao meowed a few times, heartless and heartless as if he couldn't feel Yingying's anger, so he found a comfortable position in her arms and closed his eyes.

Yingying couldn't beat him and scold him, but she didn't listen. She really couldn't help this white cat. Looking at the cat, she suddenly realized Qin Rong's sense of powerlessness towards her in her previous life. She angrily rubbed Xiaobao again, and Yingying muttered, "I'll settle the score with you when I go back!"

Yan Jihua saw this scene in her eyes, but laughed silently and didn't interrupt.

The cat only found one, and there was no news about Abei. Yingying thought the other one was also in the palace, but Yan Jihua shook her head and said, "I haven't seen Abei come over, I only saw Xiaobao when I came out."

To be on the safe side, Yan Jihua searched around the palace with Yingying. Seeing that the sky was getting late, she worried, "It may be even harder to find after nightfall."

Unlike the snow-white and eye-catching little baby, Abei is black all over and she always likes to sleep in the corner. It takes enough patience and eyesight to find it. Yan Jihua and Yingying did not find Abei's trace from here. They have not found the cat yet, but Youyang led the people to find Yingying.

When he saw Yingying, Youyang was obviously relieved. He stepped forward and said respectfully: "Empress, Your Highness asked you to go back earlier. He will send someone to find the two cats for you."

This is the second time Qin Rong has sent someone to urge her. If she doesn't go back for a long time, it's hard to guarantee that Qin Rong will not come to find her in person with handcuffs. But Ah Bei...

Seeing Yingying's hesitation, Yan Jihua whispered: "That cat is raised by my emperor brother after all. If the empress can trust me, I can go out and help you find it."

Yingying had no choice but to respond like this first. Fortunately, one of the two cats had been found. Yingying sent additional personnel to order people to continue looking for the cat, while she carried Xiaobao back to the East Palace first.

“…”

When Yingying returned to the Eastern Palace, Qin Rong was lying in the bedroom to read a book.

It was completely dark at this time, and the lights in the dormitory were brightly lit. Yingying settled Xiaobao and ran to Qin Rong, hugged his neck and asked, "What are the third brother looking at?"

Qin Rong turned the book in his hand one page. He was reading a military book, with dense fonts on the pages.

Yingying was dizzy after watching for only a moment, and couldn't help but admire Qin Rong's patience. She was a little hungry and didn't want to move at this moment. She lay on Qin Rong's shoulder and felt a little sleepy, with her eyelids drooping and she was about to fall asleep soon.

Listening to the breathing in his ear, Qin Rong patted her hand and said, "Eat something before sleeping."

Yingying was still unwilling to move. She rubbed her head against Qin Rong's neck, her voice soft and weak: "...so sleepy."

She just wants to sleep now.

Qin Rong let Yingying lie on her body, and didn't care about her anymore. After waiting for a while, he felt his shoulders sink, and he turned his head and saw Yingying sleeping against him.

"Yingying?" Qin Rong called her, and saw that she should not have to put down the book in her hand and help her. When she was holding her to the bed, Yingying struggled to wake up and instructed: "Three brother... look for a cat."

Qin Rong wrote down and touched her little face when she put the person on the couch: "Don't eat anything before sleeping?"

Yingying completely lost her voice and wrapped her quilt tightly and fell asleep exhausted.

Finding a cat is not only about working hard, but also tempering one's character and patience.

Yingying had been looking for a cat for half a day, but she was still looking for a cat in her dream. Qin Rong sat at the table and listened to Yingying's murmurs, stood up and lit the incense on the table, took off her coat and put the couch on her arms.

"The cat will find it for you." Qin Rong gently followed her hair, and his voice was calm and soothing.

Lifting her chin, Qin Rong felt relieved when she saw the bruises dissipated. Seeing that Yingying was still sleeping uneasy, he bowed his head and kissed Yingying's forehead, and his lips brushed against her cheeks and fell on the corners of his lips. Only a deep breathing sound was left in the quiet room. Qin Rong looked at Yingying's sleeping little face and couldn't help but peck it a few more times.

Soon, the knock outside the door broke the tranquility of the room, Qin Rong covered Yingying's ears and spoke in a low voice; "What's the matter?"

Youyang heard something from his master's voice. He coughed dryly and said, "The cat has not been found yet. It is not advisable to make too much noise late at night. Should I let them come back first?"

Qin Rong frowned and glanced down at the tired girl in his arms. He didn't want Yingying to wake up and continue to look for the cat. He put Yingying's lips in his mouth and rubbed it gently. Qin Rong's voice came out in a vague way: "Send more people to continue looking for it."

You Yang felt that it was inappropriate and wanted to say something. At this time, Zuo Zhu hurried over and reported: "Your Highness, Concubine Hua asked to see the Empress."

Perhaps the voice of her speech disturbed Yingying. In her sleep, Yingying whimpered and turned around and consciously pressed towards the heat source. In the dream, she was still looking for two kittens, hugging Qin Rong's waist and shouting vaguely: "Abei, Xiaobao... don't run away."

Qin Rong hugged her and patted her gently, lowered her voice and asked, "What are she going to do?"

Zuo Zhu frowned and said, "Concubine Hua said she found Abei and wanted to return the empress to her in person."

"No."

Qin Rong didn't know when Yingying had something to do with Yan Jihua again, so she refused mercilessly: "The Crown Princess is already asleep. You go out and let Hua hand over the cat directly to Xiaodai."

Zuo Zhu took the order to search for Xiaodai, and Youyang also left.

At this time, outside the East Palace, Yan Jihua was standing in the shadows in a wide cloak. The cold wind was cold outside. She was holding the cat and followed only a maid. Under the cold wind, she shrank her shoulders and hooded and coughed a few times.

When the footsteps approached, Yan Jihua raised her face and looked at the sound. She didn't wait for Yingying but waited for Yingying's personal maid. When she saw Xiaodai, Yan Jihua was stunned and asked, "Where is Ying... Niangniang?"

Xiaodai bowed and said coldly: "The Empress is unable to sleep, so your Highness asks you to hand over the cat to the slave directly."

After following Yingying for many years, how could Xiaodai not know what Yan Jihua did before? Today, her kindness made Xiaodai feel strange. She thought that Yan Jihua wanted to use Yingying to get back to power after she was down, so she didn't have a good attitude towards her.

"I thanked Empress Hua for the Crown Princess. It's late at night, so Empress should go back soon." After taking Abei from Yan Jihua's hand, Xiaodai didn't look at Yan Jihua again, and turned around and left.

Xiaodai is not stupid. It’s not that she doesn’t know how to leave a way out for herself, but she knows very well that Yan Jihua can’t get up. As long as she still has the identity of Princess Nanyin, Emperor Wucheng will not give her a chance to get close to her. Xiaodai is devoted to her master and does not want Yingying to get too close to this princess.

When Yingying woke up, Abei and Xiaobao had already found them. When she went to see them, the two cats were curled up in the corner and sleeping, probably because they were afraid that they would be frozen. Someone covered them with a small blanket and surrounded a soft lie for them to lie comfortably.

"I'm sleeping so well." Yingying looked at them with her knees, and she didn't have time to put on her clothes even after getting up from the couch.

She looked for a cat that had been in her dream for a night last night, but she was not in good spirits at this time.

Her hair was messy and her collar was slightly tilted to her shoulders. She yawned and looked at the two cats who were sleeping soundly, so she reached out and poked the little white cat that was balled into a ball.

"Sleep, you still have the face to sleep."

"Do you know what you have tortured me?" Although Yingying scolded them, she was not serious. Unexpectedly, the little white cat in her sleep had a very bad temper. She immediately raised her claws and slapped Yingying, and opened her mouth to bite her.

"Ah." Yingying's center of gravity was unstable. When she took back her hands and realized, she was already sitting on the ground.

"What's wrong?" Qin Rong happened to walk behind her and put on a piece of clothing.

Yingying put her back on Qin Rong's leg, raised her head and complained, "Xiaobao is so fierce, I scolded her and she still wanted to bite me."

"Is that right?" It's rare to see Yingying acting coquettishly. Qin Rong lowered her eyes and saw Yingying's aggrieved face. Her lips curled up and her voice smiled, "Is Yingying injured?"

Yingying shook her head, and then went to provoke the little white cat if she was not convinced.

The persimmon needs to be picked and pinched. Yan Ning, the little white cat's bad temper, told her earlier, so Yingying quickly shifted her target to the gentle Abei and took it out of the nest without fear.

"Where have you gone?" The little black cat's hair was covered in black and smoothness. Yingying put it in her arms and rubbed it a few times.

Seeing that Abei was not resisting at all, she clicked its head and rubbed its hair and scolded: "You dare to run out to stay at night or not, do you know it's the hardest thing to find?"

As he said this, Yingying reached out and scratched its chin again, and soon found a small white bell tag hanging around its neck.

Yingying picked it up and looked at it, asking in confusion: "What is this?"

Qin Rong glanced and explained: "The sign was engraved with the East Palace and their names. When they ran out, someone would send them back."

Not only did Abei have a sign on her body, but there was also a black bell tag hanging around Xiaobao's neck. Looking at the majestic word "East Palace" on the sign, Yingying seemed to have seen a layer of protective cover. She felt much more relieved and leaned against Qin Rong's legs and spoke: "Did this come up with the third brother?"

It only takes one lesson. Qin Rong said lightly, leaning forward to raise Yingying's armpit and pulling the person up from the ground.

Yingying stood up with his strength, turned around and hooked his neck and praised, "The third brother is so smart."

"By the way, where did Abe find it, and who was the one who found it?" Yingying had not forgotten the reward he had proposed before.

Qin Rong didn't say anything, so she lowered her eyes to help Yingying tidy up her open collar. He downplayed the topic: "When will Yingying release her third brother?"

As the prince, he could not live in the Eastern Palace for a long time and did not leave. After resting, he still had a lot of things to be busy with.

Yingying also knew that his health was almost in good condition and was easily diverted by him. She thought for a while and replied: "On the last day, Yingying will hand over the key to the third brother tonight."

Qin Rong's eyes were dark, and she picked up Yingying's little face and kissed her. He smiled so hard that he was confused: "Then tonight, the third brother is waiting for you."

Yingying blinked blankly, and when she realized that Qin Rong had already gone to the study.

...Tonight? Wait for her?

Yingying's cheeks turned red. She thought tonight that it was the day when the lover whispered again, and she couldn't help but think a little wrongly. While Qin Rong was away, she quickly went to flip through the key in the sachet. She wanted to take out the key and hide it under the jade pillow in advance, but she flipped left and right but couldn't find the key from the sachet.

Not only that, she also found that a gap was exposed when the sachet was disconnected, and a lot of dried flowers and shattered fragrance fell, and even the tail beads disappeared.

...This sachet was given to her by Zhaoshi.

Although she decided not to interact with each other, she saw that the sachet was broken and missing, and Yingying said she didn't feel sorry for her. Thinking that she was accidentally scratched by a branch when she was looking for a cat yesterday, she guessed that the key and the tail drop should have fallen outside.

"Xiao Dai, call Cui'er to accompany me out to find something." Yingying hurriedly went out and searched for the lost things with Cui'er and Xiao Dai.

Walking the road of yesterday again, Yingying searched for the remote woods all the way, and soon found the tail drop on the sachet near the old palace, but Yingying still couldn't find the key. She saw that Yan Jihua lived in front of her, so she hesitated for a while to go in and take a look.

"Empress!" Xiaodai also found this place soon.

She left a little anxiously and asked with breath, "Can the Empress find the tail drop and the key?"
To be continued...