In the blink of an eye, the child was gone without a trace.

She even tried circling the area a few times, listening to see if anyone had picked up the child and taken it home.

However, the result was deeply disappointing; she saw no sign of anyone having found a child.

Now, even she had no idea of the child's whereabouts.

Xiaolian's heart was a mix of shock and elation.

She hadn't expected this matter to actually be accomplished.

Yet, she also felt some fear. If the Grand Princess discovered this, her own life would likely be forfeit.

"Young lady, my apologies," Lady Yao apologized to Xiaolian, but Xiaolian seemed not to see her at all, merely walking hurriedly in another direction.

Lady Yao looked towards the direction from which Xiaolian had just returned, somewhat puzzled.

That young lady seemed to have just come from outside.

Moreover, the clothes she wore resembled those of a maid from this mansion today.

Thinking this, Lady Yao didn't dwell on it further and quickly went off to continue searching for people.

Lin Ziyi went to the gatehouse to inquire if anyone had seen several children leave.

"No children have been seen leaving the mansion today," the gatekeeper stated with certainty.

"Brother, I wonder, besides the main gate, were any side gates or smaller doors open today?" Lin Ziyi slipped the gatekeeper some silver pieces and asked again.

"Madam, none of the guests who came today have left. The smaller gates in our mansion usually have dedicated matrons guarding them, and they generally wouldn't let children out either," the gatekeeper, having accepted the silver, replied very dutifully.

Hearing this, Lin Ziyi felt somewhat disappointed, but still thanked the gatekeeper and went back to find Li Zhiwei and Lady Yao.

"Have you found the children?" Lady Yao asked breathlessly, looking at Li Zhiwei and Lin Ziyi, her eyes full of hope.

"No. Has Lady Xie's side had any news either?" Li Zhiwei asked Lady Yao anxiously.

"I didn't see any trace of the children over there," Lady Yao shook her head, her heart in turmoil. Where on earth could the children have gone?

They had searched everywhere possible in the Grand Princess's mansion but hadn't caught a glimpse of any of them.

In the past, they weren't the type to hide like this. Why, of all days, when trouble occurs at the Grand Princess's mansion, would they choose to disappear?

Thinking this, Lady Yao's eyes reddened. If anything happened to the children, she feared she would never forgive herself.

"I just inquired at the gatehouse; the children haven't left the mansion," Lin Ziyi quickly added.

"If they haven't left, then they must still be inside. Let's search again—the lake, the lotus pond, places with wells—let's check them all," Li Zhiwei said through gritted teeth, voicing her worst fears.

"That can't be. There are three of them; they wouldn't possibly go to such dangerous places without calling for an adult," Lin Ziyi hurriedly tried to reassure Li Zhiwei.

Just as the group was about to resume their search, they found their way blocked.

"Well, if it isn't the future An Princess Consort? What a pretty face, no wonder she's managed to bewitch Prince An so completely."

Just as they were about to set off, a group of women, accompanied by a crowd, walked over and blocked their path.

Li Zhiwei looked at the group; she didn't recognize a single one.

Yet, she could clearly sense their ill intentions.

"Miss Li, I've long heard of your fame!" The woman was dressed lavishly, the pearls and jade in her hair further signifying her noble birth.

Li Zhiwei frowned inwardly. Could this be another admirer of Xu Heming?

"Greetings, Ninth Princess Consort." Lady Yao, guessing that Li Zhiwei might not recognize the woman before them, quickly stepped forward and performed a curtsey.

Lin Ziyi gently tugged at Li Zhiwei, and together they curtseyed to the Ninth Princess Consort.

"Greetings, Ninth Princess Consort."

Li Zhiwei hadn't expected this person to be the Ninth Princess Consort.

But if she is the Ninth Princess Consort, why is she targeting me?

"Lady Xie, Lady Wei, a moment ago, this consort thought you hadn't seen me," Chang Wenyin said with clear displeasure.

After all, she had seen them from afar, but these people had acted as if they hadn't noticed her at all.

Furthermore, the position of Vice Minister of Revenue was originally meant for her elder brother, Chang Shixiu.

Who would have thought that Li Tianyou would swoop in and snatch it away halfway?

No wonder Chang Wenyin also bore a deep grudge against Li Zhiwei. And now, these two women were gathered around this merchant's daughter.

Chang Wenyin felt compelled to come and stir up trouble to feel satisfied.

"Ninth Princess Consort, you jest. I was just about to come over and pay my respects to you!" Lin Ziyi quickly put on a smiling face and said.

Inwardly, she was cursing her bad luck. The Ninth Prince had little capability, but this Ninth Princess Consort loved putting on airs.

In the past, out of courtesy, they hadn't bothered with her, but who would have thought this woman truly considered herself important?

How dare she throw her weight around in front of Sister Li? Where exactly does she get her confidence?

"What Lady Wei says is correct. We were just about to come and greet you," Lady Yao, though her expression wasn't great, quickly followed Lin Ziyi's lead.

Li Zhiwei didn't join in, but she understood that this person likely looked down on her status.

However, Li Zhiwei didn't feel her own status was inferior to anyone else's.

She was just worried about the children and had no desire to argue with this person.

"What expression is that, Miss Li? Could it be that you, as the future An Princess Consort, feel no need to regard me with any importance?" Chang Wenyin asked Li Zhiwei unhappily.

"My apologies, Ninth Princess Consort. I didn't recognize you immediately, hence the lapse in manners," Li Zhiwei sighed inwardly, feeling rather annoyed.

She was mentally cursing Xu Heming for being like a social butterfly, constantly attracting admirers.

And these people always ended up causing trouble for her.

Do I really look like an easy target, a soft persimmon to be squeezed?

If she weren't in a hurry to find the children, she wouldn't mind playing along for a bit. But right now, she truly had no energy to debate with her.

"It's no surprise that a 'noble lady' like Miss Li wouldn't remember this consort. Who let Miss Li have not only a wealthy and influential father but also the impending status of An Princess Consort?" Chang Wenyin's words, both overt and implied, mocked Li Zhiwei as nothing but a foolish woman who relied on her father first and now on Prince An.

She even mocked Li Tianyou for being "wealthy and influential."

This was what displeased her the most. She had heard that Li Tianyou had recently donated another large sum of silver to the court.

So much silver, given to the court just like that.

Wasn't it just to show off his wealth?

After all, he comes from a merchant background, reeking of the smell of money. Does he truly think this will win the Emperor's trust?

Zhu Jingchen: Yes, it can! I quite like Beloved Minister Li's 'smell of money'!

"Did the Ninth Princess Consort stop me just to say this? Or perhaps, before marriage, the Ninth Princess Consort didn't rely on her father, and after marriage, doesn't regard the Ninth Prince as her heaven? Is everything the Ninth Princess Consort has today earned solely through her own efforts?" Li Zhiwei knew that with someone like this, if you were polite, she would only become more impolite.