Chapter 9: The Prince is a Woman (9)

"What is my lady thinking about?" Li Bianxing asked. A smile played on his lips as he took Ning Yuwan’s hand to comfort her. "Are you worried about Father-in-law?"

Ning Yuwan withdrew her gaze from the carriage window and met Li Bianxing’s gentle, watery eyes. Her heart warmed slightly, and she let out a soft "Mm." Only she knew how much sincerity was truly in that response.

They say a father’s love is like a mountain, but to her, her father was merely a mountain—one that had never offered her any affection. When she heard that her father had lost his mind, she didn't feel much sorrow, though she dared not show it. On the surface, she still put on a worried facade, arranged for people to visit him, and later, when her husband had time, she accompanied him to the Prince’s mansion to see him once.

According to the physician, her father’s physical health was fine, but his madness was likely incurable.

In her father’s eyes, his daughters were merely tools to consolidate power. As long as it benefited him, it didn't matter who the other party was; they had to marry.

Take her second sister, for example. If not for A-Zhen visiting her, she might have died during one of her beatings. She knew a little about her second sister’s situation, but there was nothing she could do. Her father didn't care, so what could she do? Had her second sister not sought her father’s help? She had. But what did her father do? He sent her back and warned her to obey her husband’s family and not to be willful or cause trouble.

With her father taking such an attitude, what did the Jiang family have to fear?

If you asked her, her father’s madness was a blessing—a very good thing.

Thinking of her husband, Ning Yuwan felt fortunate. When she first married, she had been anxious, filled with an indescribable fear of the future. Fortunately, she had met a good man.

"My lady need not worry. We are going to the temple to pray sincerely this time; Father-in-law will surely recover soon," Li Bianxing comforted her.

The Li family had indeed been part of Prince Ning’s faction, but they had not participated in the incident at the Pingshan hunting grounds. If Prince Ning had succeeded, the Li family would have certainly stepped forward to support him; if he failed, they would simply act as if nothing had happened.

They had assumed that since Prince Ning had lost his mind, the Prince’s mansion was finished. Yet, that unremarkable Ning Zhen had some tricks up her sleeve and had caused such a stir for the Jiang family. Outsiders didn't think this was entirely Ning Zhen’s doing; it was mostly because Jiang Changtong had been too arrogant and had displeased that person, who then took the opportunity to deal with him.

Li Bianxing didn't pay much attention to his brother-in-law. He figured the last encounter was just a coincidence; Jiang Weiming was trapped in that situation and couldn't escape, and the other party might not have cared about the sisters at all. Otherwise, why would they only act now? Why hadn't they shown any concern for the sisters before?

The carriage slowly turned onto a mountain road. After an unknown amount of time, it came to a sudden halt. Ning Yuwan nearly stumbled out, but Li Bianxing caught her with quick reflexes.

The two exchanged a look, both confused.

"I'll go see what's happening." Li Bianxing patted Ning Yuwan’s wrist. "My lady, stay here and don't worry."

Li Bianxing picked up his sword and lifted the carriage curtain. Before he could move, a blade was pressed against his neck, and he was dragged out.

Inside the carriage, Ning Yuwan heard Li Bianxing’s voice from outside: "Good men, you can have as much silver as you want. Can you spare my wife and me? Even if you only let my wife go, that would be fine. You can do whatever you want to me."

Ning Yuwan’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could even feel moved by his words, someone burst into the carriage...

Time passed, and Ning Yuwan woke up. She had been knocked unconscious when the bandits broke in. Li Bianxing was beside her, still unconscious. Both of them were bound hand and foot, and their mouths were gagged. She could only hum and struggle, trying to nudge her body to wake Li Bianxing.

Perhaps her movements were too loud, as Li Bianxing also woke up.

Their eyes met, and Li Bianxing gave her a reassuring look, but it did little to help.

Sorrow welled up in Ning Yuwan’s heart. Were they, a married couple, to meet such a tragic end today? Regardless, at least they hadn't killed her husband outright; that was a small mercy. But thinking of what might happen next, she was filled with despair.

*Bang—*

The door was suddenly pushed open. Ning Yuwan’s heart jolted as a masked man walked in. She trembled with fear.

"What a fine, pretty little lady."

The masked man glanced at Li Bianxing. "Is that pale-faced weakling your husband? He looks like a coward. Can a spineless wretch like him satisfy a lady?"

"Angry? Furious? It’s useless to be angry. I just love watching you pale-faced weaklings look so pathetic."

The masked man’s words were filled with insults. Li Bianxing’s face turned bright red. Because his mouth was gagged, he couldn't speak, but anyone would assume he was furious.

However, A-Zhen, hiding on the rafters, clearly saw that Li Bianxing was excited. His reddened eyes were filled with anticipation; there was no anger to be found.

Ning Yuwan, trapped in her despair, naturally didn't notice.

Ying Fang, beside A-Zhen, looked shocked. Li Bianxing was actually a cuckold fetishist? There were many people with strange habits in the capital, and as a guard for the Prince’s mansion, she had heard of many, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.

It was disgusting.

Below, the masked man had already removed his outer garment. Still masked, he walked toward Ning Yuwan. He continued to spout insults at Li Bianxing, while Li Bianxing remained excited and expectant. That face, which usually looked refined, now appeared utterly filthy.

Just as the masked man was about to make his next move, the door was suddenly kicked open. It was A-Zhen.

She had flipped down from the rafters before kicking the door open.

Neither the masked man nor Li Bianxing had reacted in time. A-Zhen drew her blade and swung it at the masked man, shouting, "You wretched bandit! How dare you kidnap a decent woman? Fortunately, I sensed something was wrong and followed, otherwise..."

She glanced at Ning Yuwan’s position. "Otherwise, my sister would have suffered today."

The masked man hadn't intended to fight. In his current situation, if a fight broke out, it would be fine if he won, but if he lost, he would be ruined.

Little did he know, A-Zhen had come specifically for him.

A flash of cold light, and A-Zhen struck. It was a feint; the masked man guarded his upper body, forgetting to protect his other vital points.

"Ahhh—"

The masked man screamed. With his vital point injured, he lost all ability to fight. He rolled on the ground in agony, screaming and wailing, leaving a trail of blood.

"Where is the dog?" A-Zhen asked toward the door. "I remember bringing the dog when I left."

"Your Highness, the dog is here." Ying Fang led a large wolfhound inside. The dog caught the scent of blood and immediately rushed forward.

The room suddenly went quiet...

After a long while.

A-Zhen gently stroked the head of the large wolfhound beside her. The dog wagged its tail obediently, looking so docile that one would doubt if it was the same ferocious beast from before.

"Xiao Guai, you’ve been wronged," A-Zhen said. She instructed Ying Fang, "Quickly, bring out Xiao Guai’s food to wash away the bad taste."

The masked man on the floor, nearly fainting from the pain, was filled with rage and humiliation, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The large wolfhound was named Ning Xiao Guai, a name that didn't fit its image at all.