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墨書 Inktalez
The man let out a muffled groan and suddenly released his grip. In the blink of an eye, blood had soaked his entire sleeve. He felt dizzy and unsteady, watching helplessly as the delicate beauty lifted her skirt and nimbly turned around before entering a Silk Shop. His accomplice caught up and rushed into the Silk Shop, but the Beauty had already vanished without a trace.
“Damn it!”
The man, tall and slim, gritted his teeth and tore off his sleeve, wrapping it tightly around his arm several times. His face turned pale as he glared fiercely in the direction where Qin Yaru had disappeared.
“What should we do? The Yamen people are probably on their way.”
His companion also looked uneasy. “They’re just a bunch of useless drunks; how could they react so quickly? Why be afraid of them? Let’s keep chasing. I refuse to believe that a mere Wife can escape our grasp!”
The tall and slim man was unwilling to give up either. He stomped his foot in frustration and followed his companion into the Silk Shop, exiting through the back door and running off.
Once the sound of their footsteps faded away, Qin Yaru circled back from the back door of the Silk Shop. She hadn’t fled; she had simply hidden behind a piece of door paneling, relying on her slender figure.
After emerging from her hiding place, Qin Yaru found a nearby inn and requested a room. She wrote a letter asking the innkeeper to deliver it to Elder Ji.
Firstly, Da Lang was home alone, and she feared that if the robbers couldn’t catch her, they might seek out Da Lang instead. She wanted Elder Ji to take someone with him to bring Da Lang to Ji Ren Tang.
Secondly, she needed Elder Ji to report the incident so that the Yamen could send someone over. It would be best if they could capture this group of people; otherwise, Qin Yaru would be living in fear for quite some time.
At this moment, those few men were busy tracking her whereabouts, so she figured there was still time to send the letter.
After sending off the letter, Qin Yaru changed into a coarse linen outfit, wrapped her hair with a cloth, and asked an inn attendant to buy some rouge and powder for her. After applying it carefully, her once stunningly beautiful face became plain and ordinary.
Once she was disguised, Qin Yaru didn’t dare to leave immediately. She quietly exited through the back door of the inn and chose a bustling restaurant that looked lively. She stayed in a quiet private room on the second floor for quite a while.
Before long, she indeed saw through the window that the group of robbers who had just walked away returned again. They searched along the street for quite some time and lingered at both ends of the street for a while.
It wasn’t until they spotted a group of Yamen Runners hurrying over from a distance that they reluctantly withdrew completely.
Qin Yaru happened to see that leading the Yamen was Constable Xu Meng. She quickly had one of the attendants deliver a message to him. After seeing him lead his men in pursuit of the fleeing thieves, she finally left the restaurant.
She is a woman, and the fewer people who know about her being kidnapped, the better. She did not meet with the group of Yamen Runners and was hesitant to return home. The people who kidnapped her were clearly not ordinary criminals; if she went back and happened to encounter them again, she might not be so lucky to escape unexpectedly.
Qin Yaru thought for a moment, and the first place that came to mind was Elder Ji's Ji Ren Tang. Elder Ji was quite reputable in Wudang County, and Ji Ren Tang was located in a bustling area, where there were many people coming and going, which might provide some safety. Although Qin Yaru felt that if such an incident could happen even near the county office, Ji Ren Tang was not entirely safe either, she had no other place to go.
After hiring a carriage, Qin Yaru arrived at the entrance of Ji Ren Tang but found it empty inside; there were no patients or even an assistant to prepare medicine. She was taken aback and quickly got out of the carriage, just in time to see Su Tu coming out to close the door.
"Su Tu, what’s going on? Did you receive my message? Where is Da Lang?"
Su Tu was startled and stared at Qin Yaru for a while before recognizing traces of Consort Qin on her ordinary face. "Oh my, Consort Qin, what are you doing here?"
He jumped up in disbelief and exclaimed, "Weren't you kidnapped? That Marquis was just furious; he almost demolished your Four Seasons Alley. Master was so scared he nearly fainted."
A barrage of questions poured out, giving Qin Yaru a headache. She quickly waved her hand to stop him and asked, "Never mind that for now; where is Da Lang?"
Su Tu hurriedly opened the door and welcomed Qin Yaru inside. "Da Lang is in the backyard; Meng Ge is with him. They were afraid of scaring the child. Only Master missed him and wanted him to come over to play."
Qin Yaru finally breathed a sigh of relief and calmed her breathing. At such a time, there was no need to panic. She had someone fetch hot water to wash her face clean and asked an assistant to inform Elder Ji that she was safe before following Su Tu into the house.
Upon entering, she indeed saw Da Lang sitting on a chair playing Go with Meng Ge.
Previously, Meng Ge would give Da Lang nine stones and still win easily, leaving the child in tears. But now the situation was quite different; Meng Ge had made several bad moves and lost two out of three games, making Da Lang grin from ear to ear.
Qin Yaru chuckled, "Meng Ge, you can't even beat a three-year-old; Elder Ji should teach you a lesson."
"Mother!"
Da Lang looked up at the sound and immediately opened his arms to leap into her embrace. "I won several games against Meng Ge!"
Qin Yaru patted his head. "Da Lang is really impressive; keep it up! But you've been playing for quite a while now; hurry up and go study."
Da Lang obediently nodded and followed an assistant to the study.
Meng Ge was stunned for a moment before a look of wild joy appeared on his face. "Consort Qin, are you alright?"
Qin Yaru shrugged and smiled. "I'm curious, how did you know something happened to me?"
Although her abduction was not particularly secretive, it had taken place at home, and the actions were quick, making no significant noise that would alert everyone. When she escaped on the street, it did cause some commotion, but it was hard to believe that her relatives and friends could connect it to her in such a short time.
Moreover, the letter she sent to Ji Ren Tang was deliberately brief, lacking any context; it merely instructed Elder Ji to help take care of the child and inform the Yamen about a few kidnappers lurking on the streets.
At that time, kidnappers were particularly despised. Whenever they appeared, the Yamen runners were the quickest to respond.
Elder Ji had also heard the news and rushed over. Seeing him, an elderly man, so anxious that he was sweating profusely made Qin Yaru uneasy. She hurriedly helped him sit down and poured him a cup of hot tea.
Elder Ji held Qin Yaru's hand, looking her up and down. When he saw that she was unharmed, he finally sighed in relief. "Ah, it's that Marquis again. More than an hour ago, he barged into our Ji Ren Tang with your hairpin and immediately asked if you had come here. He said someone had kidnapped you. He came quickly and left just as fast, but he scared me quite a bit. Just when I was at my wits' end, I received your letter."
Su Tu rolled his eyes and muttered, "That scoundrel really doesn't know how to behave, making such a fuss in the street and frightening everyone."
Meng Ge defended him slightly. "I used to think Lord Pang was just a lecherous scoundrel, but now seeing how anxious he is for Consort Qin makes it seem genuine."
Qin Yaru shook her head—how did Pang Yuanying know she had been kidnapped? She took out the jewelry she had removed and examined it carefully; indeed, one Plum Blossom Hairpin was missing. It seemed those people had taken it from her head when they abducted her. With this thought, Qin Yaru frowned and whispered, "Could these people be after the Marquis?"
Taking a deep breath, Qin Yaru dared not think too much about it for now. She looked up at Su Tu and said, "Brother Su, since the Marquis knows I’ve been kidnapped, please send someone to inform him that I am safe."
Even though she found that debauched Marquis displeasing, Su Tu nodded and instructed a servant to make the trip.
"And let Lai San Ye know as well. In my panic earlier, I sent him a letter too; I wonder how chaotic things are right now."
Just thinking about that rough man made Su Tu shiver involuntarily.
Elder Ji paid no attention to this; he was only concerned about Qin Yaru being frightened. He personally checked her pulse and prescribed a calming herbal medicine for her to take before resting in the guest room.
Qin Yaru was indeed exhausted—not just physically but mentally as well. Although the kidnapping incident happened quickly, it drained her more than spending three nights in the pharmacy preparing herbs.
Feeling drowsy, just as she was about to fall into a deep sleep, Qin Yaru heard the sound of hooves outside. Before long, a Lady-in-Waiting entered and shook her awake vigorously.
"Consort Qin, wake up quickly! Butler Du from the Marquisate is here. The Marquis has been captured, and the kidnappers want to exchange you for him."
Qin Yaru was momentarily stunned; her first thought was—what merit did she have that her life could be compared to that of the esteemed Marquis?
Hastily changing her clothes, she stepped out only to find Meng Ge waiting at the door, holding a large, bulging bundle with an anxious expression. "Consort Qin, why don't you take Da Lang and leave? I see that Du Jiu doesn't come with good intentions; he really wants to use you to exchange for the Marquis. Oh dear, as a weak woman, if you fall into the hands of those bandits, there will be no good outcome!"
Qin Yaru couldn't help but smile wryly and pressed her forehead—if she wanted to escape, how could she possibly outrun the elite soldiers of the Marquisate? Moreover, if she truly fled, what would happen to the Marquis? Not only would the entire Wudang County suffer, but she would also bear the brunt of the blame!
Although feeling anxious inside, Qin Yaru still followed Meng Ge to the main hall of Ji Ren Tang.
Du Jiu stood at the entrance, his usually calm face now looking extremely grim, exuding a chilling aura like a snake lurking in the shadows.
Qin Yaru sighed and bowed slightly. "Butler Du, if there is any way to save the Marquis, please feel free to command me."
She knew she couldn't confront the Marquisate head-on. Since she had no choice but to comply, it was better to lower her stance from the beginning and cooperate earnestly; perhaps there would still be a chance for survival.
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