Missing Dust Purifying Noble

. It was inevitable that she would be secretly deprived of her allowance by Lady Wang. Although she had saved some money herself, it wasn't much. Apart from Elder Madam and Master, only Third Miss cou...82. The Dust-Dispelling Scholar Goes Missing

82. The Dust-Dispelling Scholar Goes Missing

Ye Li did not care about what condition the Sick Bookworm had put Master Liang in; she simply told him to be careful and not kill him while dragging him along behind him. Although the Sick Bookworm was certainly no saint, neither was Master Liang a good person either. After hearing Ye Li's words, the Sick Bookworm merely harrumphed with disdain but did not say anything else. If he wanted someone to stay alive, then that person would simply be unable to die, even if they wished for it. However, from the look on his face, Ye Li knew that he had probably not learned what she was looking for from Master Liang's mouth. After all, if it were so easy to get information out of him, she wouldn't have needed to follow them all the way down south to Nanzhao in the first place. That said, the Sick Bookworm wasn't completely without gain. At least he had waited until they received that complete token as promised. Ye Li took a quick glance at it from afar—it was a jade plaque carved with odd patterns. Since the Sick Bookworm didn't plan on sharing his findings, Ye Li did not go over to inquire further. The group carefully avoided those sent by Luo Yi tribe to follow them and continued their journey towards Nanzhao's capital city without stopping.

Chu Capital—Ding King Manor

"My lord, the duchess has written back," said a servant as he handed over a letter. It was already late April; the sun was warm and bright in the garden outside. Looking out through the window, he could see several peonies blooming brightly in full glory. Mo Xiuyao stared blankly at the flowers before remembering that it had been around this time of year when he first met A-Li last year. Back then, he would never have imagined that a forced and humiliating engagement by Emperor Moxing Qi would bring him such an extraordinary wife. Now, within the city of Chu Capital, those loyal to the emperor were almost in open warfare with those loyal to Prince Li. And Ding King Manor was still locked up tight, refusing to engage itself in the political turmoil—expressing their disapproval of the emperor's actions by remaining silent and allowing him to fight it out against Prince Li without stepping in as they had always done in support of the emperor.

"Bring it here!" Mo Xiuyao snapped his gaze away from the garden, turning towards Feng Zhiriao who stood at the door.

Feng Zhiriao was standing at the entrance with a thick scroll tightly sealed up in hand. He said with a grin, "Speaking of which, A-Yao, our duchess is really heartless; she's only written back after nearly two months on the road."

Mo Xiuyao frowned and waved his hand; the scroll was sucked towards him by an invisible force. "Where are they now"

"The duchess' whereabouts aren't easy to track," Feng Zhiriao said with a shake of his head, "the letter was received by one of our Dark Guards who were stationed somewhere in the borders of Luo Yi tribe's territory. However, none of them saw the person who delivered it. Along the way, no matter whether it is our people or others, no one has seen any trace of the duchess. In fact… shouldn't they be quite easy to find Our men know where she is after all."

Mo Xiuyao frowned, "Then this proves that there weren't five of them traveling together in the first place. And A-Li's disguise skills are really good. The Dark Guards stationed across different places haven't seen any of them and would find it hard to recognize them even if they were seen."

And since they knew where the Dark Guards were positioned, avoiding detection was not difficult.

Mo Xiuyao opened the scroll which contained a sparkling item as well as another letter. Mo Xiuyao held that accessory in his hand—it was made of gold and set with several intricately crafted sunflower-patterned gemstones. Feng Zhiriao said in surprise, "Our duchess actually sent you an accessory" However… hadn't something gone wrong here Mo Xiuyao looked at the piece of jewelry for a moment before setting it down on one side table. He then opened another letter and stared at himself written there as his brows slowly knitted together.

After quite some time, he said, "Find someone who understands Nanzhao's language."

Feng Zhiriao gave him a strange look, "Aren't you familiar with the language of Nanzhao"

"It is different," Mo Xiuyao frowned. "This should be an ancient script of Nanzhao." Feng Zhiriao picked it up to take a glance at those twisted and odd-looking characters on the paper which made him feel his head throb, "it looks like the language of Nanzhao, but… it's hard for me to make sense out of them. How did our duchess manage to understand such strange script"

Mo Xiuyao looked at another letter that was much shorter in length and said, "She doesn't know how to read this language; she memorized those characters before writing it down."

Feng Zhiriao did not believe him. "You mean… with just these twisted characters She can remember them all"

Mo Xiuyao looked at him coolly, causing Feng Zhiriao to scratch his nose and said, "Okay then… We have quite a few experts who understand the language of Nanzhao. But for ancient scripts… I believe that's something no longer used in Nanzhao around two hundred years ago."

Back then, although Nanzhao was still under the rule of China's previous dynasty, they had many different tribes and languages. It wasn't until after founding their own kingdom that Nanzhao started using a unified language for all its people. This letter could possibly be written in the script of one of those old tribes, but who would know which

Mo Xiuyao said with a frown, "In Chu Capital, perhaps we should find Mr. Su; he might be able to decipher what this is."

Feng Zhiriao continued, "But… Mr. Su is still an official of the court. If it truly concerns some major secret, wouldn't he have to report back to Moxing Qi"

Mo Xiuyao frowned and shook his head. "Mr. Su has never had a good impression of Nanzhao; he's not familiar with their ancient language."

Feng Zhiriao thought for a moment before asking, "A-Yao… aren't you forgetting someone important"

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and looked at Feng Zhiriao warningly. Feng Zhiriao laughed and said, "Don't forget where our duchess came from; there is no family more knowledgeable than the Xu Family in Chu. If the Xu Family can't decipher this item… we won't be able to do so either."

Mo Xiuyao looked at a short letter with only a few words written inside and picked up the accessory on the side table again, examining it closely. "What do you think Is this something that looks like an accessory"

Feng Zhiriao was puzzled, "Isn't it" Mo Xiuyao touched the obvious scratches on its backside and said, "This should be a decoration that has been forced off from some other object. And… do you remember which tribe in Nanzhao had sunflower as their family emblem"

Feng Zhiriao frowned and thought hard, "Sunflowers are also called 'Lotus Looking at the Sun'; they thrive well under warm weather but don't tolerate drought. They're not suitable for growing in the climate of Nanzhao. Therefore… I can't remember which tribe uses them as their emblem. On the other hand… do you recall an imperial princess who once married a tribal leader from Nanzhao"

Mo Xiuyao remained silent for some time before saying, "An emperor's daughter of the previous dynasty—Emperor Gaogong's Princess Chaoyang." Feng Zhiriao said with a smile, "That's right; this princess was given a name containing the character 'sunflower'."

"Then… A-Li bringing along this item means that it is not some ordinary ancient relic. Could it be related to an imperial princess from the previous dynasty The imperial princess from the previous dynasty had been married for more than two hundred years when her empire fell, right"

Feng Zhiriao shook his head and said, "Who knows."

Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment before saying, "Send this item to Yunzhou secretly; if the Dark Guards in Nanzhao find A-Li, tell her not to pursue this matter further." Feng Zhiriao was taken aback as he folded up the letter and said, "The duchess has done well. If we were to continue investigating further, I'm sure many secrets of Nanzhao will be revealed; why stop now We can send more people to help our duchess."

Mo Xiuyao stared at the accessory with a frown and said coolly, "Mr. Su may know what this means but he's an official from the court; if it really concerns some major secret, he will have to report back to Moxing Qi."

Feng Zhiriao scratched his nose and shrugged his shoulders helplessly before saying, "Alright… as you wish." Feng Zhiriao took the items out of the room with him. Mo Xiuyao was left alone in the room again, staring at the letter in his hand for a long time.

Leaving without any delay, Ye Li and her companions rushed towards the capital city of Nanzhao within less than seven days. Once they arrived, Bing Shusheng immediately dragged Liang Laoye away without hesitation as soon as he entered the city. Han Mingxiu could not help but curse out loud, "What's his meaning Is he going to cut off our bridge" Ye Li glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Even if he intends to do so, what can you do about it" Tian Yi Pavilion has people in Nanzhao; as does the Hell Gate. Tian Yi is an intelligence organization while the Hell Gate is a killer group. Even if they are unhappy, who could they possibly hurt Bing Shusheng Han Mingxiu crossed his arms and said with a sneer at her, "Don't you want to obtain that medicine for longevity or resurrection Letting him go like this… would he still come back obediently

Ye Li smiled and said, "If he insists on following him, he won't necessarily comply with you. If he doesn’t come to me, wouldn't he go find someone else" She had not come to the Southern Frontier for that sick scholar or his 'Bie Luo Hua'. It was impossible for her to stick around him all the time. However... it wasn't necessary for her to handle everything personally.

As soon as they entered the capital of Nanzhao, Han Mingchi pulled Ye Li to go straight to the best restaurant in town to reward himself for his hard work lately. After a sumptuous meal and some sake, he retired to his room and declared that no one was allowed to disturb him unless there was an emergency like a fire outbreak within two days. He left Ye Li and An Three speechless as they watched him stagger upstairs. "Young Master Han doesn’t seem anything like Mingyue," commented An Three rarely.

Ye Li looked at him with amusement, “Do you really think he is sleeping upstairs I bet he won't sleep until midnight tonight.” It was already evening now. An Three frowned but said nothing. Ye Li waved her fan cheerfully and said, "Let’s go out for a walk and see the night scene here."

Compared to the imposing Chu capital, Nanzhao's capital city was much smaller and not as prosperous either. Everyone there wore the attire of the Southern Frontier. Ye Li and An Three stood out in their Central Plains outfits.

"Young Master." A surprised exclamation came from behind them. Both Ye Li and An Three turned around to see An Two, who they had not seen for a long time. Ye Li was slightly taken aback as she did not intend to find her brother immediately upon arriving in Nanzhao. "What are you doing here Is my brother also here"

An Two looked exhausted and spoke hoarsely, "I have failed Young Master's instructions. First Young Master XU... first Young Master Xu is missing."

"What" Ye Li was shocked. “When did this happen”

“About half a month ago,” An Two said quietly. “Young Master Xu went missing two days before we arrived in the capital of Nanzhao.”

"So many days passed! Who else knows about it" Ye Li asked, frowning.

An Two replied softly, "It was rumored that Qingchen Young Master left instructions to return after five days. Initially, no one paid attention. Only when he didn't show up on the sixth day did everyone realize something was wrong. My team and I have been investigating secretly but there's been no news. We've already sent a message back home, but since Lord had taken precautions with his movements, we haven’t received any response."

Ye Li’s face darkened at the thought of Xu Qingchen's safety. "Who was my brother with before he went missing"

An Two replied, "He was with Princess An Xi of Nanzhao. She is the elder sister of Xiqia Princess and will be the next ruler of Nanzhao. She and Young Master Qingchen are friends; since coming to the Southern Frontier, he has been staying at the princess's residence."

Ye Li nodded and instructed, "Have someone bring over information about the capital of Nanzhao as soon as possible. I also want to meet Princess An Xi." An Two replied with a nod, "I understand, but... how will Young Master present himself before Crown Princess" Although it was a small country, meeting with the crown princess wasn’t something anyone could just do.

Ye Li smiled and said, “Miss Chu Liuyun of Yunzhou, engaged to Qingchen Young Master!”

An Two and An Three’s faces went blank. Was she ruining her own reputation or damaging Qingchen's

Ye Li kept a calm expression as she watched the two, smiling gently at their stunned expressions. "What else can we do Should I go see my cousin under the name of King Ding’s consort" She continued, “An Two, you will accompany me from now on. An Three, keep investigating and if Han Mingchi looks for me...”

An Three interjected, “I understand. I won’t make Young Master suspicious.”

“Then it’s settled. There's no need to pay too much attention to him as long as you ensure he doesn't get close to me. Let’s go back and prepare for our visit to Princess An Xi tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

The next day, after spending a night reading through documents and reports, Ye Li got up feeling refreshed when she heard someone knocking softly at the door. An Three was slightly stunned seeing the woman smiling charmingly at him by the door. He had gotten used to her dressing like a man in recent days and almost forgot that she was still a teenage girl. It seemed as if she made a more lasting impression on them since they left the capital less than two months ago compared to their time there over half a year before. At this moment, Ye Li was dressed in soft yellow robes embroidered with green plum blossoms, her hair neatly tied into a small bun with delicate silver steps adorned with four butterflies, her forehead partially hidden by a thin fringe which made her face look even more petite and exquisite. The fine silver butterflies trembled slightly on her hair, adding to the youthful and mischievous charm that didn't quite resemble the composed and elegant Consort of King Ding in the capital city. An Three couldn’t help but admit that her disguise skills were indeed extraordinary.

"Zhuo Jing" Ye Li arched an eyebrow looking at the guard who seemed lost in thought.

After regaining his composure, An Three said, "Y-Your guess is correct. Young Master Han left the inn last night and hasn’t returned yet. Shall I..."

Ye Li waved her hand with a smile, “You’ve worked hard. Go back to your room now. I’ll go down myself.”

"Yes."

In good spirits, Ye Li went downstairs where An Two was waiting in the lobby. They had rented two separate rooms last night, and since their rooms were sandwiched between hers, no one would suspect that they belonged to the same person. After checking out of the hotel, all she needed to do was leave a trace indicating they arrived in town shortly before evening yesterday and stayed at this inn overnight.

With An Two in tow, they headed straight for Princess An Xi’s residence.

After waiting outside the palace gate for some time, an attendant came out to invite them in. The architecture of Nanzhao was very different from that of Central Plains but had similarities with the capital city. However, compared to King Ding's vast and magnificent palace, the princess’s residence was much smaller, roughly equivalent to a prime minister's mansion in Ye Li’s era. The buildings blended features of both regions, creating an odd yet fascinating impression.

Ye Li and An Two were led into a spacious hall where they saw a tall woman dressed in blue embroidered robes sitting there. Her outfit was not the usual straight-sleeved type but had neat arrow sleeves with intricate embroidery representing Nanzhao royalty on both her cuffs and hemline. A silver sash accentuated her slender figure, making her look even more agile and spirited. Compared to her sister, Xiqia Princess, who was considered Nanzhao's most beautiful woman, she lacked the same beauty but her radiant eyes made her stand out.

As Ye Li entered, Princess An Xi looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny. Ye Li frowned slightly and raised her chin arrogantly, “Why don’t you ask us to sit down”

Princess Anxi frowned and looked at Ye Li, asking, "Please sit down. May I ask what this young lady's name is"

Ye Li replied, "I'm Chu Liuyun, here to look for Brother Qingchen."

"Brother Qingchen" Princess Anxi's eyes darkened slightly as she shook her head and said, "Sorry, I don't know who this Brother Qingchen is."

"You're lying to me!" Ye Li glared at her angrily, accusingly saying, "Brother Qingchen said he was coming here for a visit and to see his friends. He's my friend, how could he not have come Did you hide him" Princess Anxi frowned harder as she looked at the tearful girl before her, asking, "What are you to Brother Qingchen"

"I... I'm his fiancée. Waaah... Brother Qingchen said he would be back in three months and marry me then. But now... waaah, there's been no letter from him for a long time. Aunt Xu is very worried about him, waaah... He must not want to marry me anymore... If I can't find Brother Qingchen, I won't live!" Princess Anxi's eyes darkened as she looked doubtfully at the crying girl and said, "Are you really Brother Qingchen’s fiancée Why hasn’t he mentioned it before" Ye Li lifted her head up and gazed at her resentfully. "Our women from Central Plains value our reputation. How could Brother Qingchen talk about me in front of his friends Look, this jade pendant is what Brother Qingchen gave me last year as a token of affection. If you are really his friend, you should have seen it before. He said he had worn it for many years and it protected him."

Princess Anxi looked at Ye Li with a complex expression on her face; she seemed somewhat shaken. She didn't know whether the jade pendant was Brother Qingchen's but the old tassel attached to the jade pendant did look like what he used often, even down to the matching colors and threading style. "Sorry, Miss Chu, I offended you earlier. Just, why would a woman from Central Plains be here in Nanzhao" Princess Anxi returned the pendant to her gently as she asked this question. Ye Li bit her crimson lips lightly, staring at Princess Anxi stubbornly. "Brother Qingchen hasn't been back for a long time. My second sister said that Brother Qingchen no longer wants me. I... I need to find him and ask why! Waaah, if he truly doesn’t want me anymore, I... will kill myself!"

Dark Two watched from the side as his master performed her role of a desperate girl leaving home for love perfectly, and couldn't help but marvel at it.

Princess Anxi clearly had trouble dealing with such an obstinate yet slightly spoiled young girl. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Brother Qingchen did stay in my humble residence for some days earlier on, but he left recently. Why don't I send someone to escort Miss Chu back to Central Plains If I see Brother Qingchen, I'll definitely have him write to you as soon as possible. What do you think" Ye Li stared blankly at Princess Anxi before bursting into tears, "I came here with guards and if we go back without finding Brother Qingchen first, my father will break both of my legs! Waaah... No, I don't want to go back, I need to find Brother Qingchen!"

Princess Anxi massaged her forehead. "Alright, alright… Miss Chu, how about you stay in my residence for a while When Brother Qingchen comes back, we'll return together, okay"

Hearing this, Ye Li immediately stopped crying and smiled, "Thank you Princess! You're so kind…"

Princess Anxi called her maidservant to lead Ye Li to a guest room. After the servant left, she looked slightly guilty at Dark Two and asked, "What do you think Could Princess Anxi become my big sister-in-law" What if this ruined Big Brother's marriage She didn't want to be the third wheel in such a cliché plot. Dark Two shook his head seriously and said, "Impossible. Even though the Xu Family doesn’t discriminate against other races, they’ve never married into another race for hundreds of years. Plus, as Princess Anxi is the Crown Princess of Nanzhao, it's unlikely that the next generation’s head would be a son-in-law from Central Plains. And lastly, based on Brother Qingchen's personality, if he actually liked Princess Anxi, he wouldn’t call her just friend."

Ye Li thought for a moment and nodded. If this ruined Big Brother's marriage, it would be too sinful. But to think that Princess Anxi was really not bad either. Having met so many princesses, the only young one who wasn't still in her teens was Princess Changle. And among them all, she thought that Princess Anxi seemed like the most reliable. If it were any of the other princesses, they might have been hostile towards her when learning about her relationship with their prince charming. She really did deserve to be Big Brother's friend.

"What are you planning" Dark Two asked.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Isn't staying in the Princess’s residence a perfect chance to find out more about Big Brother"

Dark Two replied, "But living here will be inconvenient. You won’t have much freedom of movement."

Ye Li shook her head and laughed, "Princess Anxi wouldn't imprison the fiancée of a friend, would she First things first, I need to find out about Big Brother’s whereabouts as soon as possible. After all, even Dark Two hasn’t been able to figure it out after so many days." Dark Two lowered his head and said shamefully, "It's my duty failure." Ye Li waved her hand and smiled, "How could this be your fault If everything was clear and obvious, there would be no such thing as a secret. I just hope... Big Brother is safe."

Thinking about the unknown whereabouts of Xu Qingchen, worry started to cloud her heart.

The Anxi residence wasn’t very big. Perhaps because Nanzhao didn't have strict gender boundaries, Xu Qingchen's room was in Ye Li’s courtyard as well. She didn’t hide her movements and asked for the location of his room before going there directly. The room she entered was clean and tidy; clearly someone had been cleaning it daily even though Xu Qingchen hadn’t been here for days. His belongings were still intact too. Ye Li carefully examined everything, finding his clothes, jade pendant, folding fan, and a travel journal inside the bag in the cabinet.

On one of the desks was a set of white porcelain blue-and-white tea utensils that Xu Qingchen liked along with neatly arranged books and calligraphy supplies. It was obvious he had been here for quite some time already. Ye Li walked to behind the desk, picked up a book from the table, and started flipping through it.

"Why are you here, Miss Chu" Princess Anxi’s voice rang out at the door. Ye Li looked up to see her standing by the door with a frown on her face, looking at her. She hurriedly stood up and said anxiously, "Sorry, I heard that Brother Qingchen used to be here before so I came to look around... To find some books."

Princess Anxi walked over and looked at the books on the table with a warm expression in her eyes as she asked, “You like reading too”

Ye Li lowered her head slightly and nodded shyly. "Brother Qingchen is peerless... I want to read more."

Princess Anxi nodded and said, "Brother Qingchen loves books very much too, he always has a book in hand whenever he’s free. I only know some of your Central Plains’ language, so I can't understand what's written here." Ye Li put down the book she was holding and whispered softly, “I’ve heard Brother Qingchen mention you before. You’re Nanzhao Crown Princess, occupied with major matters. It’s natural for you to have no interest in poetry and articles.”

Princess Anxi smiled generously and replied, "I learned Central Plains’ language late, so I can only make out the gist of it. Even if I were interested, I couldn’t understand much. Miss Chu, you may take any books from here to read since all these books are bought by Brother Qingchen and just lying around."

Ye Li nodded, "Thank you, Princess. Princess..." Anxi Princess was about to say something but hesitated instead. Ye Li looked at her and the princess raised an eyebrow, indicating for her to continue. Ye Li whispered, "I want to find Brother Qingchen as soon as possible. He hasn't written a letter home in so long. Could you please tell me where he said he was going I would like to bring some guards with me to look for him."

Anxi Princess looked at her for quite a while before frowning and saying, "It's not that I don’t want to tell you his whereabouts; it’s just... I’m looking for him too right now."

Ye Li guessed with joy, "Then… has he already left the South Frontier and returned to Central Plains" Anxi Princess shook her head and said, "There are still many things unfinished in the South Frontier. He wouldn’t leave easily. Moreover, if he really had to leave the South Frontier, he would at least say goodbye to me or leave some word."

"Then… could there be any danger for him!"

Anxi Princess looked at her with a difficult expression and after a long while, shook her head and said, "It should... not. Mr. Qingchen is very clever; he can handle anything that comes his way."

"But… Brother Qingchen doesn’t know martial arts. He can’t even defeat Lin Han standing by me." Ye Li called out anxiously. Anxi Princess pulled her and comforted her softly, "Trust me, nothing will happen to him, I promise." Ye Li’s eyes flickered as she looked up at the princess with hope in her gaze, "Really You promise…"

Anxi Princess nodded firmly, "I swear as the Crown Princess of Nan Zhao, nothing will happen to him. All you need to do is wait quietly in your residence; soon enough, you will see Mr. Qingchen." Ye Li nodded, “Okay, I trust Senior Sister Princess. But, I also want to look for Brother Qingchen!” Anxi Princess looked at her helplessly and said, "You can only search within the city, don’t wander around. If Mr. Qingchen returns and can’t find you…"

“I understand, thank you Senior Sister Princess.”

The moment she stepped out of the guest quarters, Anxi’s smile gradually faded. As she walked towards her own courtyard, she turned back to ask the person following behind her, "Have we looked into Miss Chu"

The man beside her answered softly, “Princess, we’ve checked and learned that Miss Chu entered the city close to dusk yesterday. After entering, she went straight to the most famous inn in the capital city for accommodation. She left early this morning after checking out to inquire about Princess Manor’s location before heading here directly. However… it seems she wasn’t using her own identity but instead those of Xu Yun and Lin Han.”

Anxi nodded, "It's not unreasonable to use a pseudonym when traveling outside." She then asked, "Is that all"

The man shook his head and said, “That’s everything. To verify Miss Chu’s identity, we might need to send someone back to the Great Chu Empire; this would take at least a month.”

Anxi shook her head and replied, "We don’t have that much time. She definitely knows Qingchen intimately, so it's more important for us to find him quickly. The truth will be revealed once we locate him. For now, just keep an eye on them."

"Yes."

"Anything else"

The man hesitated before speaking, "When we looked into Miss Chu’s background, we found that three people from Central Plains had arrived at the inn yesterday. Their names are not particularly notable but might also not be their real identities."

“What does this have to do with Miss Chu”

"From what we can see so far, there’s no connection. They arrived two hours earlier than her, one of them had dinner and went back to his room for rest while the other two only returned after she checked into the inn; they haven’t met."

“In that case, just leave them be. It's normal to have people from Central Plains in the capital city from time to time. This is something the Captain of the Capital City Guard should handle. If we meddle too much, it will only cause trouble.”

"Yes."

“Princess, His Majesty has summoned you for an audience.”are you looking at Isn’t he just like the women back in Central Plains More womanly than a woman!" Honestly, Ye Li's disguise was impeccable; even though she appeared prettier than most women, no one...