Chapter 242 – Mo Fuyao Escapes the Palace

Chapter 242 - Mo Fuyao Escapes the Palace

Mo Fuyao's wails grew louder.

"I don't believe it! Father said Mother would come back!"

Mo Cangyan's face turned cold. "Your mother isn't coming back. You need to behave from now on. Otherwise, I'll send you to the Grand Tutor's house so he can teach you proper manners."

Mo Fuyao was terrified of the Grand Tutor. He assigned loads of homework every day, and anyone who failed to complete it would be punished. Everyone in class feared him.

"No, I don't want the Grand Tutor, Father is mean..."

She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her little face turned red from crying, a pitiful sight.

Mo Cangyan felt a pang of guilt seeing her cry, but he knew his daughter had been spoiled rotten. If he didn't teach her a lesson, who knew what trouble she might cause in the future.

"I'll give you one more day. Go apologize to Xu Ziheng properly, or don't blame me for sending you to the Grand Tutor's."

Mo Fuyao ceased her sobs, letting out a rebellious and aggrieved cry.

"I won't apologize! Father doesn't love me anymore, and I don't need him either! I'm going to find Mother!"

With that, she wiped away her tears and ran out.

Consort Li had just entered the Zijin Hall when she saw Mo Fuyao's retreating figure, still with tears on her face.

"Your Majesty, how could you say such things to Fuyao? She's just a child, what does she understand?"

Mo Cangyan stood with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at Consort Li.

"Consort Li, her spoiled nature is half your fault!"

Consort Li gritted her teeth. "Your Majesty, Fuyao lost her mother at a young age. I only wanted to protect her from being bullied, to keep her from sadness. Is it wrong for me to care for her?"

"Although she appears happy every day, she secretly cries in the night thinking of her mother."

"And now you've scolded her over Xu Ziheng and told her Feng Xiyao isn't coming back. Do you know how much pain that causes a child?"

"..."

Hearing this, Mo Cangyan slumped onto the dragon throne, falling into a long silence before he spoke up.

"Feng Xiyao might not return. I just don't wish for her to have too much hope."

He had eagerly awaited Feng Xiyao's return, only to be met with disappointment time and again.

The bitter taste of anticipation followed by disappointment was a feeling known only to him.

"..."

Seeing the sadness and desolation in his eyes, Consort Li was at a loss for words.

Feng Xiyao was, after all, a source of pain for both father and daughter.

And waiting was indeed a torturous affair.

...

Under the veil of night,

Once all the palace maids were sound asleep, Mo Fuyao stealthily sneaked out of Fengchun Palace with her small bundle in hand.

During her previous outing with Cousin Pearl, she had noticed a dog hole in the palace that led straight to the outside world.

She could crawl through it and escape the palace walls. Once outside, she would find her way to Mother.

Recalling her father's words, she pouted, on the verge of tears once more.

"Father said Mother won't come back, but I refuse to believe it."

Despite this, she understood that her father doted on her, and his words were merely born from frustration and his longing for Mother.

Determined not to cry, she held back her tears.

When she brought Mother back, Father would be overjoyed.

The next morning arrived.

A piercing scream echoed through the Fengchun Palace.

"Someone, hurry! The princess is missing, the princess is gone!"

The alarmed palace maids and eunuchs rushed to search every nook and cranny of the palace, almost turning it upside down in their panic.

The commotion was so great that it reached the Empress Dowager's ears. She promptly ordered her attendants to join the search.

When Consort Li learned of the situation, she also heard from her own maid that the princess might have crawled out of the palace through a dog hole.

Fu Yao, with her petite frame and endearing appearance, was bound to catch the eye of traffickers.

At this thought, Consort Li's breath hitched, and she nearly fainted.

Gathering all her strength not to collapse, she held Ruyi's hand tightly.

"Quickly... send someone to search outside the palace... hurry up..."

In another part of the scene.

Mo Fuyao was entirely unaware that her escape had thrown the entire palace into chaos.

Exiting the palace, everything she saw appeared novel and intriguing.

She had ventured out of the palace before, but only to visit her aunt's residence, never truly exploring the bustling streets.

Now, as she gazed at the crowded, lively avenue, a wide grin spread across her lips.

Her delicate and adorable face drew countless admiring glances from passersby.

It was the first time they had encountered such a charming and porcelain-like child, captivating everyone's attention.

Fascinated by the novelty of the stalls, Mo Fuyao was oblivious to the gazes directed at her.

Hearing the vendor calling out for sugar-coated hawthorn skewers, she recalled her aunt's mention of their deliciousness. Her eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she ran towards the stall.

"Uncle, I want a stick of sugar-coated hawthorn!"

A man in his forties, around forty years old, looked down upon hearing the voice and couldn't help but smile at the sight of the lovely child.

The man glanced behind her. "Little girl, where are your parents?"

Mo Fuyao's eyes were fixed on the ice sugar gourd as she shook her head.

"I don't have any, I'm all by myself!"

Upon hearing this, and judging from her attire that didn't resemble an ordinary person's, the man inferred that she might be a young miss from a wealthy family who had sneaked out.

He plucked a string of the candy and handed it to her. "Eat quickly and go back home. It's dangerous outside!"

Mo Fuyao happily took the gourd, completely ignoring the man's warning.

She took a bite, savoring its sweet-and-sour taste.

From her pouch, she pulled out a large pearl.

"Thank you, Grandpa. Here, this is for you!"

The man waved his hand. "No need, grandpa gave it to you to enjoy!"

Mo Fuyao shook her head. "No, no, you can't just take someone else's things for free. Sister Ruyi said that when you buy something, you have to pay for it."

The man was amused by her adorable yet earnest demeanor, assuming that as a child, she couldn't possess anything valuable. He stretched out his hand to accept the item.

"Well then, Uncle will accept it. Thank you, little girl!"

Mo Fuyao smiled and left with her sugar-coated haws.

Watching her retreating figure, the man looked at what he held in his hand—a large pearl rested in his palm, stirring a shock in his eyes...

Unbeknownst to Mo Fuyao, her generosity had successfully caught the attention of two men.

They had been observing her for quite some time. With her remarkable appearance, they figured that if they captured her and sold her in a brothel, they would earn a fortune.

Zhang Si noticed the expensive attire on the young girl, deducing that she must come from an affluent family. This made him somewhat apprehensive.

"Brother, that girl's background is likely complicated. If we capture her and her family finds out, won't we end up with nowhere to be buried?"

Zhang San replied, "What are you afraid of? As long as that girl is in our hands, her family wouldn't dare do anything to us."

"Besides, she's young and wouldn't know who captured her."

Observing Zhang Si's hesitation, Zhang San lashed out with a slap.

"That little girl could casually produce such a large pearl; she must have more treasures on her."

"When we catch her, we'll strip her of all her valuables and sell her to a brothel. We'll have money to spare for the rest of our lives."

"How can you not desire those piles of money?"

The prospect of endless wealth overpowered Zhang Si's fear. He nodded. "I want it."