30. Looking for Things

 Because tomorrow is a day off, Zhao Yao kept a good mood and went to class all day. In the afternoon, after practicing the piano and going home, he left Wende Hall like the wind and couldn't wait to return to Kunde Hall.

  "Mother, I will come back after dinner tomorrow." Zhao Yao asked while packing his things, "Mother, what do you want? I will buy it for you?"

  "Mother doesn't want anything. Instead, I will buy whatever you want." Liang Zhaoyi said, and she warned Zhao Yao with a stern face, "Don't eat too much. Be careful not to get an upset stomach, okay?" Liang Zhaoyi was worried that her son would keep eating and get an upset stomach after leaving the palace. After all, this kind of thing has happened before.

  "Got it."

  "Really got it?" Liang Zhaoyi didn't quite believe her son's promise, poked his forehead and said, "If you get an upset stomach again this time, you are not allowed to leave the palace for the next three months."

  "What?" This punishment was very serious for Zhao Yao, so he raised his hand and swore, "Mother, I swear I will never get an upset stomach." Well, this time when he left the palace, he would take it easy and not eat too much.

  "It's better this way." Liang Zhaoyi warned again, "Be careful."

  Zhao Yao patted his chest and assured Liang Zhaoyi, "Don't worry, mother, I will be careful." He said, "I told my dear that I will sleep all day tomorrow, and told him not to come to me."

  "Mother, you should also tell the second mother and the others that I will catch up on my sleep, and tell them not to come to me." Liang Zhaoyi and Zhao Yao did not tell Yu Meiren and the others that there was a secret passage in the cold palace that could lead to the exit of the palace. It was not that they did not believe Yu Meiren and the others, but the secret passage in the cold palace was too secret, and the fewer people knew about it, the better.

  Liang Zhaoyi nodded and said, "Okay."

  Zhao Yao put on his shoulder bag, "Mother, I'm leaving now."

  "Be careful." This was not the first time that her son had left the palace through the secret passage in the cold palace, and Liang Zhaoyi was not worried that he would get into trouble.

  Zhao Yao asked Lai Wang and the others to look after the house, and then took Tongxi to the cold palace.

  Lai Lu and the others were waiting for Zhao Yao, and when they saw him coming, they all wagged their tails happily.

  [Yaoyao, we will accompany you out of the palace.

  Zhao Yao touched Lai Lu's head and said with a smile: "You continue to train, don't be lazy. I will check when I come back."

  Lai Lu said a little disappointedly: [Okay, we will train well.] "

  When you are trained, it will be Lai Man and the others' turn." Lai Man is the dog guarding Pei's house now. There are many cats and dogs in Pei's house. They and Lai Lu and the others in the cold palace take turns guarding Pei's house. "I will bring you delicious food when I come back."

  When they heard that there was delicious food, Lai Lu and the others' eyes lit up: [We want to eat meat and big bones.]

  "No problem." Zhao Yao stood up and told Tong Le to take good care of and supervise Lai Lu and the others.

  After explaining the matter, Zhao Yao took Tong Xi to the secret passage.

  The entrance to the secret passage is under Concubine Pei's bed. Before entering the entrance, you have to move a few things first.

  With a click, the entrance to the secret passage opened, and Zhao Yao jumped into the entrance with Tong Xi.

  The secret passage was dark. Zhao Yao took out a tinder from his bag and lit a candle. What came into view was a rugged secret passage.

  This secret passage was not wide and could only accommodate one person. Zhao Yao guessed that this secret passage was originally dug for Concubine Pei. Although Concubine Pei escaped from the cold palace through the secret passage, she ultimately could not escape the fate of death.

  Fortunately, Zhao Yao and Tongxi were not fat and could pass through the secret passage.

  Tongxi walked in front with a candle, and Zhao Yao followed behind him. This secret passage was very long, and it took Zhao Yao and his team more than half an hour to get out.

  The exit of the secret passage was in a firewood room in Pei's mansion, which was very inconspicuous.

  Zhao Yao knocked on a wall at the exit of the secret passage. After a while, the door of the exit slowly opened. Zhao Yao walked out of the secret passage with Tongxi.

  Before entering the secret passage, Zhao Yao and Tongxi changed their clothes and put on tattered clothes. The two also deliberately messed up their hair and deliberately smeared black on their faces, looking like beggars.

  Zhao Yao and his friends deliberately made it like this because they didn't want to attract attention. After all, no one would look at beggars.

  Laiman and his friends had been waiting for Zhao Yao at the exit of the secret passage. When they saw him come out, they jumped towards him happily.

  Zhao Yao sat on the ground, hugging the cats and dogs guarding the Pei Mansion.

  [Yaoyao, you are finally here. We missed you so much.] Laiman said, licking Zhao Yao's face with his tongue.

  "I miss you too." Zhao Yao kissed Laiman and his friends, "I have to study. I don't have time to see you on weekdays. I can only come to see you during holidays."

  [Yaoyao, you have worked hard in studying.]

  "By the way, has anyone been wandering around the Pei Mansion recently?"

  [A few days ago, someone ran in.]

  "Run in?" Zhao Yao asked in surprise, "Several people ran in. What did they come in for?"

  [Four people came in. They searched all the rooms, as if they were looking for something.] Laiman said, [However, they didn't find anything, and then they never came in again, nor did they wander around.]   

  "Looking for something?" Zhao Yao asked with a puzzled look on his face, "What are they looking for?"

  [They kept talking about that thing, that thing, but they didn't say what it was.] Lai Man said, [From their looks, the thing they are looking for is very important.]

  "Important things?" Zhao Yao was getting more and more confused, "Is there anything important in Pei's mansion?"

  [No, there is nothing in Pei's mansion.]

  If there is really something important in Pei's mansion, Lai Man and the others would not be unaware of it.

  "Then what are they looking for?"

  [I don't know.] Lai Man tilted his little head and said, [Those few people are very strange. When they ran in, they were wearing black clothes and covering their faces, making them look like they were not allowed to see anyone.]

  "Strange, it's really too strange." Zhao Yao said to Lai Man and the others, "You continue to keep an eye on Pei's mansion. If those weird people enter Pei's mansion, you must tell me as soon as possible."

  [Okay.] Lai Man had just finished speaking when he suddenly thought of something and said, [By the way, Yaoyao, those people left the capital. ]

  "Leaving the capital?"

  [That night, after those people left Pei Mansion, I followed them quietly. They lived in the Ping'an Guest House in the west of the city. They left early the next morning. ]

  "Then where did they say they were going?"

  [No, they all looked ferocious, and you couldn't tell who they were. ] Lai Man is a very smart dog who understands human nature. Over the years, it has been wandering in the capital, met all kinds of people, and has long been trained to observe words and expressions.

  "It seems that I have to go to the Ping'an Guest House to inquire tomorrow." He has to find out where these weird people came from and see if they are dangerous.

  Tongxi saw that it was dark outside the window, and reminded Zhao Yao: "Your Highness, it's dark, we should leave, otherwise the second master will be waiting anxiously."

  "Lai Man, come with us." Zhao Yao stood up and patted his butt, and told the other cats and dogs that he would send them some delicious food later. Lai

  Man wagged his tail and happily followed Zhao Yao and others out of Pei Mansion. It ran out first, then looked around to make sure there was no one, and returned to inform Zhao Yao and the others.

  Zhao Yao and the others left Pei's house and ran into the alley closest to Pei's house. When they got out of the alley, there was a lively scene outside.

  Passersby didn't even look

  at the two beggars and a dog that suddenly appeared. Zhao Yao smelled the fragrance of the roadside snack stall, and suddenly felt hungry, and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

  The owner of the snack stall saw Zhao Yao, the beggar, staring at his stall with his eyes, and waved his hands at him in disgust: "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

  Zhao Yao pretended to be scared and ran away quickly.

  Then, he took Tongxi and Laiman around many turns and came to a dark alley. At the entrance of the alley, a young man looked around and stretched his neck to wait.

  When he saw two beggars with a big yellow dog coming, his face lit up and he hurried forward.

  "Second uncle, I'm here." Zhao Yao saw the young man and ran towards him happily.

  Liang Run hurried forward and hugged Zhao Yao.

  "I miss my second uncle so much."

  "I miss my second uncle too." Zhao Yao rubbed Liang Run's face.

  "Let my second uncle take a good look." Liang Run looked at Zhao Yao carefully and found that his cute nephew's face was thinner. "Why is he thinner? It must be because studying is too hard."

  "Yes, studying is hard... Gurgle gurgle..." Before Zhao Yao finished speaking, his stomach growled with hunger.

  "You are hungry, second uncle will take you home for dinner." Liang Run said while holding Zhao Yao and walking home, "Second uncle made hot pot for you, and made all your favorite dishes."

  "Second uncle is the best." Zhao Yao said sweetly.

  "How is your mother these days?" Liang Zhaoyi is Liang Run's sister. He has been attached to Liang Zhaoyi since he was a child. At the beginning, when Liang Zhaoyi entered the palace for the selection, he cried for a long time.

  "Mother is very good. She eats well, drinks well, and sleeps well."

  "She hasn't been bullied, has she?"

  "No."

  Liang Run didn't quite believe it: "Really?"

  "Really." Zhao Yao said seriously, "Mother is very smart. How could anyone bully her? She won't let anyone bully me either." His mother is the smartest concubine in the palace.

  (End of this chapter)