Chapter 257 Missing
Seeing Xia Chunyu walking away, Ye Jiayao also turned and walked towards the imperial kitchen. Just as she walked out of the corner door, she almost bumped into a young eunuch who was walking in a hurry. Ye Jiayao hurriedly made way for him, and the eunuch lowered his head and passed her by. Ye Jiayao thought this was just a normal thing and did not feel the slightest sense of impending crisis until she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Only one thought popped up in her mind... It's bad, and then she knew nothing.

Lu Yiming waited and waited but Ye Jiayao didn't show up. Almost half an hour had passed since the agreed time. Lu Yiming didn't dare to delay any longer. He ordered his men to get ready while informing the eunuch in charge of the imperial kitchen.

The chief eunuch immediately sent someone to Princess Aruan's residence to look for Ye Jiayao, but Princess Aruan said that Ye Jiayao had already gone to the imperial kitchen. The chief eunuch felt that something was wrong and quickly went to report to the Queen.

The queen was shocked. How could a living person disappear just like that? Ye Jinxuan was the main person in charge of today's wedding banquet. If something happened to her, it would be a mess.

On the one hand, she ordered the eunuch in charge of the imperial kitchen to send someone to look for him, and on the other hand, she went to report to the emperor in person. This matter was of great importance and she could not keep it to herself.

When Xia Chunyu got the news, he couldn't believe it. When he and Yaoyao separated, Yaoyao was still fine.

Concubine Shu also rushed over after hearing the news, and everyone was extremely worried.

"Your Majesty, could Ye Jinxuan's sudden disappearance be related to what happened yesterday? I have already warned her to be careful." Concubine Shu guessed.

The Queen said, "That's just the nonsense of a servant who doesn't know the rules. Who dares to disrupt Prince Yu's wedding at this time?"

Last night, Concubine Shu made a big fuss. The Empress knew exactly who she was targeting. Now that Concubine Shu brought up the old matter again, it was obvious that she wanted to divert the Emperor's attention in that direction.

"But she is indeed missing. How do you explain this? It's rare for Ye Jinxuan to enter the palace, and she has no enemies with anyone. Who would do this to her? She is here for Prince Yu's wedding..." said Concubine Shu sadly.

Eunuch Wei asked cautiously, "Could it be that he got lost?"

Xia Chunyu said in a calm voice, "That's impossible. I've walked this road from Princess Aruan's residence to the imperial kitchen several times before, and I have a very good memory, so the possibility of getting lost is zero."

The emperor hesitated for a moment and ordered, "Xia Chunyu, I order you to do your best to find Ye Jinxuan. You must find her before the wedding banquet begins."

Xia Chunyu took the order solemnly. He was more anxious than anyone else. Others were anxious because they were afraid of delaying the wedding banquet, but he was worried about Yaoyao's safety. Yaoyao must have fallen into someone's hands. Any longer delay would put Yaoyao in greater danger.

According to Xia Chunyu's analysis, none of the guards at the four palace gates had ever seen Yaoyao leave the palace. At the very least, Yaoyao did not walk out on her own, so the most likely possibility was that Yaoyao was kidnapped.

Xia Chunyu ordered that all people and carriages leaving the palace must be searched carefully. He asked if there were any carriages leaving the palace during this period, only carriages entering the palace, so that he could be sure that people were still in the palace. He ordered people to start searching the road from Aruan's residence to the imperial kitchen to see if anyone had seen Yaoyao along the way, or discovered any suspicious people or things. At the same time, he expanded the search area, especially to those remote and quiet places that were not very noticeable.

It has been almost an hour since the incident, and Xia Chunyu is extremely anxious.

Helian Jing arrived at the palace a little late today. After receiving the news, he immediately rushed to find Chunyu.

"Brother Chunyu, is there still no news about Yaoyao?"

Xia Chunyu shook his head solemnly. His men searched almost the entire palace, but could not find Yaoyao. The inner panic tortured him to the point of going crazy. The last time he felt this kind of panic was at Black Wind Hill. After a night of fighting, he could not find Yaoyao. It seemed that he had lost her forever. But he could not go crazy or panic. He had to keep a cool head. Yaoyao was still waiting for him to save her.

Helian Jing comforted him, "Brother Chunyu, Yaoyao will be fine. We can't let her get hurt. We must find her even if we have to dig three feet underground."

In the Empress Dowager's palace, Yi De and You Shi were also anxious. No one had expected such a thing to happen on such a happy day.

The Queen Mother said sarcastically, "When Ye Jinxuan was appointed to host the wedding banquet, I was not optimistic about it, and sure enough, something went wrong."

Yu Shi felt uncomfortable after hearing this, but she did not dare to refute the Queen Mother's words.

Yide was suspicious: "Where did Ye Jinxuan go? Who is so bold and reckless? Isn't this deliberately ruining Prince Yu's wedding banquet?"

Liuli said casually: "Maybe the second sister-in-law heard those rumors and was afraid of the trouble, so she hid on purpose."

You looked at Liuli with an unhappy look. Everyone was worried because of Jinxuan's accident, but Liuli was still making sarcastic remarks. It was really inappropriate. She said coldly, "Your second sister-in-law is not such a tactless and irresponsible person."

The Queen Mother disagreed and said, "What Liuli said makes sense. People's hearts are hidden in their stomachs. Who knows what she is thinking?"

Yide said: "I also believe that Jinxuan is not that kind of person, but everything we say now is just speculation. If we can't find this person and delay Prince Yu's wedding, Prince Yu will not be the one who suffers the most!"

The empress dowager's face darkened and she couldn't help feeling upset. Yi De was right. What happened last night had already made the emperor very unhappy. Although the emperor didn't say anything, no one could be sure what he was thinking. The ones who suffered the most were naturally the people who were suspected, and weren't these people who were suspected the empress and the prince?

Liuli's eyes flickered, but she said nothing more.

Ye Jiayao woke up slowly, her eyes were dark, and the back of her neck was aching, reminding her that she had just been attacked. Ye Jiayao suddenly woke up, where was she?
She moved her body and luckily she was not tied up. She felt around and felt a slightly damp stone wall. The ground beneath her was also wet, with stones and mud. The space she was in was very small and could only accommodate two or three people.

A bad thought emerged in my mind, this is a dry well.

She looked up suddenly, and saw a faint light coming through the cracks in the stone slab above her head. Damn, which bastard knocked her out and threw her into the abandoned well. No, she had no broken bones or bruises on her body, she was not thrown in, otherwise, if she fell from such a high place, she would have broken several bones if she didn't die.

She reached around her waist and felt a rope.

So that's how it was. She was lowered down by someone hanging on a rope.

Uh...wedding banquet.

Ye Jiayao woke up completely. How long had she been unconscious? What time was it now? The wedding banquet was at night, and there was still light above, not moonlight, so it should still be daytime. However... the wedding banquet might be delayed!

Is this why she was robbed?

Ye Jiayao stood up by holding onto the wall of the well and shouted upwards: "Is there anyone there? Is there anyone there? I am Ye Jinxuan..."

I shouted like this for a long time, my throat was sore, but there was no response at all.

Ye Jiayao was extremely anxious. Normally, if she was missing, the Queen would definitely send someone to look for her, and Chunyu would also look for her and dig deep underground to find her. However, who would have thought that she was thrown into a well? There was no response even after shouting like that. It seemed that this place was very remote!
How to do how to do?
Ye Jiayao held her breath and listened to the movement above, shouting every once in a while. She had to conserve her strength.

Xia Chunyu and Helian Jing have already started their third carpet search. As long as the person is still in the palace, they will not be able to find him.

"Brother Chunyu, we must think about it again, think carefully, we must have missed something." Helian Jing felt that this blind search was not a solution.

Although Xia Chunyu tried hard to calm himself, it was really difficult to do so. He could hardly think.

Looking at the vast houses, his heart ached. He was so useless. When Yaoyao needed him the most, he didn't even know where she was.

Helian Jing felt the same way as Xia Chunyu, but he believed in Yaoyao. She was not an ordinary woman. She had experienced life and death, and she was extremely intelligent. She would definitely find a way to protect herself and would definitely find a way to give them information.

"Brother Chunyu, I don't think Yaoyao is hidden in any palace." Helian Jing analyzed.

"You think, the main purpose of this man kidnapping Yaoyao should not be to deal with Yaoyao, but to target Prince Yu's wedding banquet. He wants to disrupt Prince Yu's wedding banquet."

"If they were hiding in the palace, they would have been found long ago given our search efforts. Moreover, it would also be easy for the kidnappers to reveal their true identity."

Xia Chunyu had a flash of inspiration in his mind, but he just couldn't grasp it.

"You go on."

Helian Jing said: "I think that as long as she is still in the palace, she must be hidden in a very remote place, and even if she is found, there is no way to suspect anyone."

"You mean, it's an ownerless place." Xia Chunyu pondered the thought that just flashed through his mind, trying to grasp this inspiration.

"Well, that should be the case. Then is there some place in the palace that is remote, quiet, and not easy to be found? Even if it is found, we don't know who did it." Helian Jing nodded.

Xia Chunyu repeated Helian Jing's words over and over again, his mind racing. Suddenly, his dark eyes shone with a star-like brightness, and he patted Helian Jing on the shoulder: "Thank you."

Helian Jing was surprised: "Did you think of it?"

Xia Chunyu did not answer, but loudly ordered the guards who were searching around.

"Everyone, listen carefully. Give up searching the house and start searching the Imperial Garden, the rockery and the well near the Cold Palace..."

Helian Jing was right. These places were the best choices for the mastermind. Even if Yaoyao had been killed, that person would not let the body emerge so quickly. Therefore, there could not be only wells or those hidden rockery caves in the lake.

Thinking of this, my heart ached again. Yaoyao, I hope nothing happens to you. If I lose you, what is the meaning of my life?
Helian Jing cheered up: "Brother Chunyu, let's split up. I'll lead people to search the Imperial Garden, and you lead people to search the Cold Palace."

The two men quickly split into two groups and began a new round of search.

Ye Jiayao was almost in despair. Almost an hour had passed since she woke up, and she hadn't heard any movement outside.

Chunyu, you often say that we have a telepathic connection. So, do you hear me calling you? Ye Jiayao looked up at the faint light coming through the cracks in the stone, and silently called Chunyu's name over and over again.

(End of this chapter)