“Go ahead, Empress,” Lin Haihai said. “If I can’t make it back in time, please light an incense for me.”

Noting her obvious panic, the empress asked, “What’s wrong?”

“He’s in danger!” Lin Haihai uttered in fear. She was certain that something must have happened to him. The red string told her so!

“Who?” The empress was still confused.

“Stop!” Lin Haihai jumped off the carriage. One of the guards hurriedly rode to her and asked, “What’s the matter, Consort Lin?”

“I have a stomach ache. Allow me to relieve myself.” With that, Lin Haihai ran off to the woods by the main road.

Face flushed in embarrassment, the guard hurriedly told Guihua to follow Lin Haihai. The maid ran into the woods calling Lin Haihai, but the princess consort was nowhere to be seen. Panicked, she dashed around looking for her, hollering, “Consort Lin, Consort Lin!”

No one responded. Something must have happened to her! Guihua stumbled back to the carriage, her face dark with fear as she blurted out, “Gone! Consort Lin is gone!”

Alerted, the guards rode into the woods looking for Lin Haihai, but they found no traces of her in the vast woods.

Earlier that Day

Yang Shaolun left the Prince Residence with Xiao Yuan and a large group of imperial soldiers. Halfway...