NOVEL WEB
Chapter 94
Xu Yi lowered his head and walked in, dared not look straight into the anger in Yuwen Hao's eyes, “Your subordinate has been following the Princess these past two days. Today she dressed as a man and went to Qingcheng Pavilion to listen to music. She met Marquis of Huiding there. When she left, the Marquis's carriage blocked her way. Your subordinate didn't hear what he said, but the Princess replied a couple of sentences before leaving. I secretly followed all the way, but unexpectedly, the Marquis's carriage sped by in a flash. Shortly after, the Princess disappeared. Your subordinate suspects she was kidnapped by the Marquis of Huiding.”
“Dressed as a man? Does she think she can fly?” Yuwen Hao was extremely furious. Doesn't she know that dangers are all around her? How dare she dress as a man and run around outside?
Such a person is useless even if not dead.
“Forget about her, let her die,” Yuwen Hao said in a cold tone.
Tang Yang advised, “My Lord, now is not the time for rash words. You know what kind of person the Marquis of Huiding is. Now that the Princess has fallen into his hands, death may be the lighter punishment.”
“She brought it upon herself, who asked her to run around for no reason.” Yuwen Hao suddenly narrowed his eyes, “No, did she go to get close to the Marquis of Huiding on her own initiative? For her sister's marriage?”
Tang Yang was shocked by his bold speculation, “That can't be! The Princess wouldn't be so reckless.”
“She doesn't have the guts, but she's foolish,” Yuwen Hao said angrily.
Xu Yi asked, “What should we do now? Should we go directly to the Marquis's manor to look for her?”
“No!” Yuwen Hao said coldly.
Tang Yang also said, “My Lord, it's too risky to take people to the Marquis's manor now. After all, it's just Xu Yi's guess. If the Princess is not there, it would be hard for you to step down. You have just taken over as the Prefect of Jingzhao. If anything goes wrong, His Majesty will punish you, and that's the end of your prefectship. What's more important is the future.”
Xu Yi's face turned deathly pale, “Then the Princess is in big trouble this time.”
Yuwen Hao paced back and forth irritably and angrily, filled with rage and at a loss on how to calm down and think carefully.
Xu Yi and Tang Yang looked at each other. How should they decide?
After marrying the Princess for a year, His Majesty has shunned the Prince for a year, not even allowing him to go to the army. He finally got the position of the Prefect of Jingzhao. If anything goes wrong, what can he do in the future?
Yuwen Hao stopped pacing and looked at Xu Yi, “Xu Yi, gather all the guards of the manor. Tang Yang, pass on my order to the participating military officials of the departments under Jingzhao Prefecture to prepare fifty guards, together with the manor guards, go to the Marquis of Huiding’s manor.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Yang was shocked, “My Lord, you can't do that. Taking just the manor guards would be fine, but you can't use the people from Jingzhao Prefecture. With the manor guards, it would at most seem like personal vengeance. But once Jingzhao Prefecture is involved, it becomes an investigation. If the Princess cannot be found, it would be false accusation and insult to the meritorious Marquis. That would be a serious crime.”
Yuwen Hao said in a deep voice, “Use only the manor guards. The Marquis can deny it and refuse to provide records. Besides, the Marquis has capable and valiant guards and attendants. The manor guards won't be able to break in. But if I go as the Prefect of Jingzhao to investigate, he would have no reason to obstruct. Any obstruction would mean he looks down on the law of the state.”
“On what grounds?” Xu Yi asked.
Yuwen Hao was silent for a moment, then said, “Just say someone reported seeing the Marquis of Huiding abducting the Princess of Chu in broad daylight.”
Tang Yang was horrified and speechless for a long time.
“My Lord, have you thought it through clearly? If this spreads, yours and the Princess's reputations will be ruined.”
Yuwen Hao's mind was slowly becoming clearer. “I know what Lady Yuan wanted to do. She doesn't care about her reputation, so I shouldn't worry too much either. Although reckless, she has taken the first step and provoked someone she shouldn't have. No matter her reasons, the point is, she did what I always wanted to do but didn't dare.”
He lifted his head and commanded, “Less nonsense, go do it now.”
“Yes!” The two took their orders and left.
Yuan Qingling was taken by carriage to the Marquis of Huiding’s manor.
On the way, she had slowly calmed down and started talking to the Marquis, “You just took me onto your carriage like this. Don't you want to know who I am?” The Marquis looked at her wickedly, “Since I've taken a liking, why bother asking where you're from?”
Yuan Qingling said, “You are the Marquis of Huiding, right?”
The Marquis was not surprised at all that she knew him. He just moved closer to her and said coldly, “Scared?”
His face was right in front of her, the flames in his eyes leaping wildly, a flame that he thought was particularly amusing. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, not resembling a smile at all, but rather mocking and malicious, even violent.
This man was full of violent factors from head to toe.
It would be a lie if Yuan Qingling said she was not afraid, but she trembled her lips and said, “Scared, of course I'm scared with you so close.”
She clasped her hands in her sleeves, hoping to open the medicine box and take out something for self-protection.
However, the Marquis had noticed. He glanced coldly at her hands and sneered as he grabbed her wrist and jerked hard. Yuan Qingling swiftly took out a handkerchief and waved it playfully in front of him.
The Marquis pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were filled with unrestrained cold laughter, “Princess of Chu, what teachings do you have for this Marquis after coming with me for a few days?”
This time, Yuan Qingling was truly shocked. He knew her identity?
The Marquis knew her identity yet still dared to openly abduct her. Heavens! This man was actually so arrogant!
Yuan Qingling had thought her investigation was very covert. She hadn't expected it to draw his attention long ago. She couldn't help but laugh bitterly to herself. Overconfidence could be life-threatening.
“Or,” his grip on her chin tightened, almost crushing her jawbone. The danger in his eyes grew, “Did the Prince of Chu send you?”
Yuan Qingling endured the pain and said with difficulty, “It has nothing to do with the Prince. I wanted to come see for myself what kind of man my future brother-in-law is.”
“Brother-in-law?” The Marquis was slightly stunned, then remembered, “Ah yes, I'm about to marry the second daughter of Marquis Jing Manor.”
Hearing this, Yuan Qingling knew he didn't take this marriage seriously at all. Marquis Jing, you shameless old bastard, you really don't care if your daughter lives or dies.
The Marquis let go of her chin, but lightly patted her cheek, “Don't worry, with this relationship, I’ll be gentle with you.”
Facing such a madman, Yuan Qingling didn't put on the attitude of an empress to intimidate him, knowing it would be useless, and even laughable.
He knew her identity yet still dared to abduct her, clearly not putting Yuwen Hao in his eyes.
But how did he dare to be so arrogant?
“The Marquis forcibly took me away, aren't you afraid of offending the Prince?” Yuan Qingling asked.
“Who saw it?” He sneered coldly, “Even if someone saw, the Prince of Chu barely managed a comeback and is now lying low. Would he dare offend me?”
Yuan Qingling was completely disheartened. What the Marquis said made sense.
Even if Yuwen Hao knew she was in the Marquis's hands, he probably wouldn't sacrifice his prospects to save her. The Marquis was one of the Chu clan, and the Chu clan had the person Yuwen Hao loved most and dared not offend.
It seemed that to escape this time, she could only rely on herself.