Chapter 32

No one knew why the woman who suddenly appeared wanted to kidnap Zhao Yougong. At this moment, the Xie Fang Lou was crowded with people, and the news of Zhao Yougong's kidnapping quickly spread.

In the Chu Wang's residence, although Muru and Musnow usually made decisions, they were at a loss when they heard that the young prince had an accident. The two sisters fell onto the bed as if they had lost their souls. Although they had sent people to monitor the young prince, if he were to die, would they still be of any use? A pair of women past their prime, would they have to return to the palace as concubines?

"Sister, what should we do now? Should we report it to the Kaifeng Prefecture?"

"No need. The Kaifeng Prefecture must have already received the news. Musnow, send out everyone in the residence who can be of use, and find the young prince at all costs!" Muru, being older, was still able to force herself to calm down despite her panic.

"Okay!"

After Musnow left, Muru did not continue sitting. She sighed, got up, and went to the side courtyard. The side courtyard was abnormally quiet, and the chaos of the residence seemed not to have reached here. Through the window, a candle could be seen, and under the pale yellow candlelight, Su Ying was sewing a piece of clothing. Su Ying was very focused, but for some reason, she felt uneasy, as if something had happened.

"Hmm..." She frowned, and the unfinished clothing fell onto her lap. She sucked on her index finger, which had been pricked by the needle, and showed a bitter smile. What was wrong with her today?

While she was thinking, Muru's voice came from outside the door, "Su Manager, can I come in?"

Why did Muru come at this time? From her voice, Su Ying could tell who it was. If it were Musnow, with her arrogant nature, she would never speak so softly.

Putting the clothing on the table, Su Ying opened the door. Seeing Muru's anxious and uneasy appearance, she asked suspiciously, "Muru, why did you come so late?"

"Su Manager, I know you have grievances against my sister and me, but this time, you really can't ignore it..."

How could Su Ying not have grievances against Muru and Musnow? Since they entered the residence, they not only failed to advise the young prince but also incited him to do things that would ruin the family. She was always angry, but since Muru had spoken, Su Ying could not be unreasonable. She moved to the side and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, come in and talk about it."

Muru did not move. She bit her lip and said softly, "No, I'll leave after I finish talking. Tonight, the young prince went to Xie Fang Lou, and during the banquet, he was kidnapped by a female bandit. His current status is unknown..."

"What?" Su Ying felt a wave of dizziness, almost collapsing. She leaned against the wooden door, trembling slightly. Although she had secretly vowed not to get involved in the residence's affairs, could she really ignore the young prince's situation?

After more than ten years of affection, the young prince was no longer just a master to her. Even if she had grievances, were they worth holding onto now?

Muru had not moved, but Su Ying had already rushed out. In her heart, the young prince was the only person she cared about.

The candle in the room flickered, and looking at the blue fabric on the table, Muru frowned. It was a man's clothing, indicating that Su Manager could not let go of the young prince.

It was almost the end of the tenth hour, and the imperial study was brightly lit. Emperor Zhezong sat in his chair, his brows slightly furrowed, and it was hard to tell if he was pleased or angry.

Yang Jian, Gao Qiu, Liang Shicheng, and others were waiting in the imperial study. The kidnapping of the Yongning Prince was a significant matter for the royal family. According to the rules, they should immediately start a search, but this Yongning Prince was a special case. Who knew if the emperor really wanted him to return alive? Because they were unsure, they all came to the palace to wait.

After spending a long time in politics, one would summarize some rules. Sometimes, doing something with good intentions could turn into a bad thing, but doing nothing would certainly not cause harm.

After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Zhezong tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Gao Qiu, the task of rescuing the Yongning Prince is entrusted to you. I will give you a handwritten order, and the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Gongfeng Office will all follow your command!"

Emperor Zhezong said much but did not mention that the rescue should be based on ensuring Zhao Yougong's life.

Gao Qiu and the others were smart. From Emperor Zhezong's words, they could sense some implications. The Gongfeng Office, also known as the royal office, was called "Six-Fan Men" by the people. The Six-Fan Men was formed by the court recruiting some capable people from the martial arts world. They would only be dispatched for major cases. For a simple kidnapping, why send the Six-Fan Men? The emperor's decision was intriguing, and it seemed that using the Six-Fan Men to rescue was a pretense, while the real purpose was to put on a show.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will rescue the Yongning Prince!" Gao Qiu's words were very carefully chosen. He only said he would rescue the Yongning Prince but did not specify whether he would be alive or dead.

With just one sentence, Emperor Zhezong knew that Gao Qiu understood his meaning. He got up, rubbed his aching forehead, and waved his sleeve, "All of you may leave. I am feeling tired."

"We will take our leave, Your Majesty!"

The favored ministers left together, and outside the palace, they exchanged bitter smiles. Although this time the target was Zhao Yougong, they felt a chill in their hearts.

It was said that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger. They thought the emperor was indecisive, but today they realized how foolish that thought was. The emperor was not indecisive; he just cared too much about his reputation. This time, the plan to kill through a third party was brilliant. If the Yongning Prince died at the hands of the bandits, who could say anything? In the end, the Yongning Prince was a thorn in the emperor's side, and if there was an opportunity, the emperor would not be merciful.

Gao Qiu adjusted his purple official robe and frowned. He had to make the Yongning Prince die without anyone being able to say anything. This was a tricky task.

At the third hour of the night, the Kaifeng Prefecture was on high alert. The kidnapping of the Yongning Prince in the capital was a great embarrassment to the officials. The current Prefect of Kaifeng, Zong Ze, had hurriedly gotten out of bed upon receiving the news, intending to immediately dispatch a search. However, before he could give the order, he received a command from the Grand Marshal Gao.

Sitting in the main hall, Zong Ze was frowning. What did Grand Marshal Gao mean? The Yongning Prince was kidnapped, and instead of immediately searching for the culprit, why was he holding back? As for the reason given by Grand Marshal Gao, Zong Ze found it ridiculous. Was it necessary to hold back to avoid provoking the bandits?

Zong Ze's appointment as Prefect of Kaifeng was partly due to luck. According to the rules, this position should have been filled by Zhao Huan, but Emperor Huizong favored his third son, Zhao Kai. After much deliberation, he followed Cai Jing's advice and appointed Zong Ze, the Prefect of Dengzhou, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Prefect of Kaifeng. Without those changes, Zong Ze would have had to wait several more years to become Prefect of Kaifeng.

Su Ying rode to the Kaifeng Prefecture and found no activity. All the officials and soldiers were still guarding the prefecture. Seeing this, Su Ying was furious and rushed to the main hall.

"Lord Zong, why has the Kaifeng Prefecture not dispatched a single soldier to help the prince?"

Su Ying's presence was intimidating, making Zong Ze feel embarrassed. He got up and spoke kindly, "Su Manager, I have no choice. Grand Marshal Gao has already given the order. The Gongfeng Office has taken over the case, and the Kaifeng Prefecture cannot act rashly."

Zong Ze, being over fifty and the Prefect of Kaifeng, did not need to be so humble. However, according to the rules of the Song Dynasty, the rank of an official was determined by their position in the court, not by their specific duties. As a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zong Ze was only a fourth-rank official, not much higher than Su Ying, the manager of the residence.

"Hmm? The Gongfeng Office?" Su Ying looked at Zong Ze, puzzled. What was the emperor planning by sending the Gongfeng Office?

In the capital, the various offices were under immense pressure due to Zhao Yougong's kidnapping, while Zhao Yougong had already been taken out of Bianliang.

Before the dawn, the sky was already lightening. The morning breeze was cool, even a bit chilly. A tall black horse was moving slowly. The horse was completely black, except for its hooves, which were as dark as ink. On the horse was a woman in black, with her hair tied in a simple bun and a black veil covering her face, making it impossible to see her features. However, in the mist, her tall and graceful figure could still be seen.

In addition to the woman, a young man was lying on the horse's back, unconscious. With each step the horse took, the man's legs would rise and fall, making him look quite ridiculous.

Finally, Zhao Yougong regained consciousness. His first sensation was cold, followed by pain. He felt so nauseous. Looking down, he saw his stomach pressing against the horse's back, which had no soft saddle, only the hard spine of the horse. The hard bones were pressing into his stomach, making him feel very nauseous. He wondered how long he had been jostled.

Just as he tried to move, a cold sword pressed against the back of his neck.

"Don't move, do you want to die?"

"Uh..." Zhao Yougong shivered, feeling even more miserable. Despite his intelligence, he could not figure out when he had offended this female bandit. Of course, he was not afraid. If he really wanted to escape, it would not be difficult with his skills. The question was whether it was worth exposing his abilities in this situation.

"Miss Hero, I won't move, I won't move. Can you tell me why you want to kill me?"

"Hmph, who is your sister? What a shameless person!" The woman's voice was like a nightingale, beautiful but emotionless.

The woman frowned, feeling extremely annoyed. This man was so shameless, calling her sister. She had never met such a smooth-talking person in her life.

"Then... Miss Hero?"

Zhao Yougong thought he had offended the woman, as women often cared about their age. However, as soon as he spoke, he felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. The horse then jolted, and he was thrown off the back. Without any preparation, he fell hard onto a stone by the roadside. He felt as if his buttocks were about to fall apart. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he involuntarily thought of the song "Chrysanthemum Withered."

Chrysanthemum withered, buttocks injured. Turning his head and lowering it, Zhao Yougong looked sad. Why was he so unlucky? A sharp stone was right there, and he had landed on it. How could it not hurt?