After completing his transaction with the higher-ups of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Zhao Ling intended to return to his manor.
Unexpectedly, as he walked out of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's mountain gate, he encountered a very luxurious carriage, followed by a contingent of about 30 soldiers.
After the carriage stopped, two servants emerged, then carefully helped a frail young boy, about five or six years old and dressed in luxurious robes, out of the carriage.
Upon seeing Zhao Ling, the frail young boy was first stunned, then his face lit up with joy, and he respectfully bowed to Zhao Ling.
"Qinghe greets foster father. I never expected to meet you even here at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan..."
Zhao Ling glanced at the child with an indifferent expression, shaking his head slightly.
"Crown Prince Qinghe, I told you long ago that I never agreed to be your foster father.
After that incident, I personally clarified with your imperial father that I resigned from my position as your Heaven Dou Enshrined Protector, and that I have no father-son relationship with you. Please, Crown Prince, do not humiliate yourself.
Now, my relationship with you is, at most, that of an employer and an employee. I promised to save your life if you ever encounter danger, and that is all."
Zhao Ling finished speaking and turned to leave immediately, disregarding the respectfully bowing Xue Qinghe.
After Zhao Ling had gone far, one of the servants looked up and unhappily said to Xue Qinghe.
"Crown Prince, look at that Demon Suppressing Doulou! If it weren't for his unfathomable strength, it's as if anyone would want to bother with him. You are the Crown Prince of our Heaven Dou Empire..."
"Silence! My foster father is not someone you can gossip about! Foster father can refuse to acknowledge me, but Imperial Father said that I must always treat him with the respect due to a father."
The five or six-year-old Xue Qinghe stared coldly at the servant, making the servant tremble all over. Despite his young age and his gentle, harmless appearance,
he was, after all, a Crown Prince of a nation, long accustomed to a high position. It would be a miracle if the servant wasn't afraid under his gaze.
"Return to the manor and receive thirty lashes on your own. If there's a next time, even this Crown Prince won't be able to protect you."
After a cold snort, Xue Qinghe walked towards the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's mountain gate, and the other servants and guards quickly followed his steps.
The gossiping servant was now filled with regret. Why had he spoken out just now?
When he returned to the Crown Prince's manor, those thirty lashes wouldn't necessarily kill him, but they would at least confine him to bed for half a month.
When Zhao Ling returned to his manor, he found the courtyard empty and was instantly bewildered. What, what was going on?
Why weren't his wives playing mahjong in the courtyard? Had they returned to their rooms?
So Zhao Ling searched room by room. Besides finding Tang Wutong lazily sleeping in her room, everyone else was gone from home.
So Zhao Ling picked up the soundly sleeping Tang Wutong, gently pinched her small nose, and said to her.
"Tong'er, Tong'er, wake up quickly..."
Sleepily, Tang Wutong woke up, lazily resting her head on Zhao Ling's chest, murmuring.
"What's wrong, husband? What happened? Tong'er is sleeping so soundly right now. Tong'er hasn't had much good sleep lately... I'm so sleepy."
Zhao Ling quickly asked his question: "Tong'er, where did your mom and maternal grandmothers go? Why aren't they home?"
Tang Wutong rubbed her eyes with her hand and replied lazily: "I don't know, maybe they went shopping..."
After speaking, Tang Wutong's snores resumed, and Zhao Ling suddenly understood.
Went out shopping? Hmm... possibly, very possibly. After all, staying home and playing mahjong every day wasn't a sustainable thing to do.
However, why were the mahjong tiles he had carefully crafted also missing? Did they even take the mahjong tiles with them to play on the street?
Although Zhao Ling was puzzled, he didn't dwell on it. He gently placed Tang Wutong back on the bed, covered her with the blanket, and then left the room.
Thus, even when dinner time came at around seven in the evening, Zhao Ling still didn't see the four women return from outside. Tang Wutong, who had gotten up for dinner, couldn't help but furrow her slender brows.
She whispered, somewhat puzzled: "Mom and maternal grandmothers wouldn't have fled because I threatened to tell husband about them deliberately giving him the cold shoulder, would they...?"
Zhao Ling's hearing was incredibly keen. He immediately turned his gaze to Tang Wutong beside him and asked in a serious tone.
"Tong'er, what exactly happened? Your husband hopes you'll confess for leniency, otherwise, if I find out the truth later, your husband will be very angry, and you might not be able to bear the consequences."
As his words fell, his eyes scanned Tang Wutong's delicate body like X-rays, making her feel somewhat unnerved.
She quickly recounted everything about the four women deliberately giving Zhao Ling the cold shoulder, and repeatedly stated.
"H-husband, Tong'er only said she'd tell you to scare them. I didn't expect them to actually get scared and run off. Now they're probably nowhere to be found. I'm, I'm sorry."
Zhao Ling's lips curved into a smile, but that smile made Tang Wutong feel very uneasy, fearing that he would use this to unleash his anger and thoroughly "deal with" her.
She quickly said to Zhao Ling in a timid tone: "H-husband, I'm sorry, Tong'er was wrong. If you want to punish Tong'er, can you let Tong'er rest for two days? Tong'er really can't take it anymore recently."
Zhao Ling raised his hand and gently stroked Tang Wutong's head, revealing a smile that made her feel as if she was bathed in a spring breeze.
"Silly girl, you're not wrong. It's your mom and maternal grandmothers who are wrong."
Zhao Ling had secretly made up his mind at this moment. Those four girls dared to flee to avoid punishment; their courage was growing! Did they think leaving home would be effective? Hmph, just you wait.
The scene shifts to Liu Erlong's house. After she brought Ah Yin, Xiao Rou, and Xiao Wu here, she felt relieved.
The entire Heaven Dou Imperial City had tens of thousands, even millions of people. In such a large city, no matter how powerful her husband was, he shouldn't be able to find the four of them in a short amount of time, right?
Impossible, absolutely impossible. So, they could safely stay here for a while. Once husband's anger subsided, they could naturally return to the manor.
Most importantly, staying here for a while was like a collective vacation for the four of them, without having to worry about being thoroughly "dealt with" by their husband every night.
As for how that girl, Little Qi, would be "harmed" by husband during their escape, that was none of their business. As the saying goes, "better to die a friend than a poor monk." The four women felt they were too clever.
But just as they were feeling smug, they all felt a chill rise in their hearts. As for the reason, they couldn't quite say...