Chapter 26: Prey

Fangzhou had long known this day would come.

No one was closer to or more familiar with the young lady than she.

Every time the young lady left Lengxiang Residence at night and returned at an unknown hour, it was Fangzhou who provided her cover.

No matter how slow-witted she might be, she knew the young lady could not possibly be out strolling the streets at night.

Then what was she doing?

She had guessed the answer long ago.

And all she could do was follow the young lady's instructions, even if it meant risking her very life.

She also wanted to avenge Uncle Chen, who had treated her like a daughter.

"Miss, what can I do?" Fangzhou asked, clutching Qiuheng's hand.

She gripped so tightly that she caused Qiuheng pain.

"Listen to me. If I do not return today, take Qingluo to Dafu Temple first thing tomorrow morning to offer incense. On the way to Dafu Temple..."

As Qiuheng gave her detailed instructions, Fangzhou nodded from time to time.

"Have you memorized everything?"

"I have."

"Then I am leaving."

"Miss—" Fangzhou couldn't help but cry out, her eyes reddening.

She wanted to say, *You must come back*, but she feared placing too much pressure on Qiuheng.

Qiuheng squeezed Fangzhou's hand. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I still have many things to do."

"We will do them together."

Only after Qiuheng left did Fangzhou weep silently.

*Cai Fangzhou Xi Du Ruo.*

When the young lady had named her, she said it was a line from a newly learned poem, and that *Du Ruo* was *Du Heng*.

From then on, A-Heng and Fangzhou would always be together.

Taking courtesans on outings was a popular pastime for literati, scholars, and profligate youths alike. The Dai Mountains outside the West City were gentle and vast, with large expanses of roses and azaleas in full bloom, making it an ideal destination for leisure this season.

Han Ziheng had not suffered at all while in prison, but to him, it had been an immense hardship and grievance. Seeking to dispel the bad luck and vent his frustrations, he arranged to go to the Dai Mountains with several close friends to relax.

With servants, guards, female courtesans, and beautiful maids, along with tents and tables set up, the large, boisterous group occupied a significant amount of space.

"Ziheng used to always bring Hanfang; have you changed people?" one man asked, his gaze drifting casually over the beauty leaning against Han Ziheng.

Han Ziheng smiled and pinched the beauty's cheek. "It's boring to always have the same one. New faces are fresher, aren't they?"

"Indeed, indeed."

The group burst into laughter.

Zhilan allowed Han Ziheng to pinch her face and touch her waist, silently refilling his cup whenever it ran dry.

She remembered the words on the paper crane clearly. She didn't need to do much, only ensure that Han Ziheng drank as much wine as possible.

Could it be that the person who made the paper crane was among these people, intending to get Han Ziheng drunk to find an opportunity to strike?

Zhilan observed everyone discreetly, but it didn't seem likely.

Was it among the tourists?

Occasionally, a passerby would walk near them, and Zhilan couldn't help but cast a glance, but it also seemed impossible.

Despite the relaxed and casual demeanor of Han Ziheng and his companions, a circle of domestic servants and guards stood by, preventing ordinary people from approaching.

Zhilan's mind raced with various speculations, but her expression remained unchanged as she diligently refilled his wine, cup after cup.

Unknowingly, Han Ziheng had consumed much more than the others.

With a stomach full of wine, he stood up. "You all keep drinking; I'm going to relieve myself."

The others didn't pay much mind, casually saying, "Come back soon."

Han Ziheng walked toward a patch of dense shrubbery, and a guard silently followed him.

Having chosen a spot, Han Ziheng waved the guard off. "Just wait here."

The guard stopped.

Han Ziheng walked behind the bushes and reached down to undo his belt.

As he relieved himself, the sounds of laughter and joking drifted over, along with birds startled by his movements, flying up toward the high trees or the sky.

Just as Han Ziheng fastened his belt and was about to turn around, a hand covered his mouth and nose from behind.

It was all too sudden. The cloth covering his face had a strange scent; before Han Ziheng even had the chance to scream, his vision went black and he lost consciousness.

After waiting a while without Han Ziheng emerging, the guard called out tentatively, "Young Master—"

There was no response.

The guard's eyes tightened, and he immediately strode over.

There was no one behind the bushes, only a puddle on the ground proving that Han Ziheng had indeed been there.

"Something has happened to the Young Master!" the guard shouted.

Hearing the cry, the Han family guards rushed over.

"Where is the Young Master?"

The guard pointed. "The Young Master went here to relieve himself and hasn't come out for a while. I called out because I was worried, but there was no response. I came to look, and the Young Master is gone..."

"Go find him, quickly!"

At this moment, Han Ziheng's friends also arrived. Upon hearing he was missing, they hurriedly ordered the servants to join the search.

"How could he just vanish?"

"Could he have run into bandits?"

"But Brother Han was only gone for a moment, and he had a guard with him. How could bandits succeed?"

The more they spoke, the more perplexed they became.

The courtesans brought along had long since been ignored. Standing among them, Zhilan pressed her hand hard into her palm to suppress her racing heartbeat.

Han Ziheng was gone!

The owner of the paper crane must have taken him!

That meant the owner of the paper crane had been hiding somewhere here all along, patiently waiting for Han Ziheng to be alone.

No wonder she was told to make him drink more wine; the person was truly bold and clever.

In Zhilan's mind, the owner of the paper crane was a witty, composed, and highly skilled mysterious man; she even had an intuition that he must be very young.

She would take this secret to her grave.

As the crowd split into several groups to search everywhere, a figure silently climbed a large tree not far from the bushes, lying in wait.

About an hour later, the search parties began to return one after another, all with grim faces.

"This won't do; we must report the Young Master's disappearance to the Master!"

Originally, the group had held onto the hope that they could find Han Ziheng in time. But the mountains were vast, and beyond the Dai Mountains lay even more ranges; if they delayed any longer, it would become even harder.

Two people were sent back to the city to report the news, while the rest continued the search.

The young dandies, accustomed to a life of luxury, could not endure searching the mountains on foot, yet they could not simply leave, so they each sent servants home to deliver the message.

Upon receiving news of his son's disappearance during an outing, Han Wu, the Commander of the Palace Guards, immediately led a group of imperial soldiers out of the city and headed straight for the Dai Mountains.

"Commander Han is here!" someone waiting at the original site shouted.

Soon, Han Wu arrived with his men. His sharp eyes swept over the crowd as he asked, "What happened?"

One of the dandies said, "We were drinking together, and Ziheng went to relieve himself..."

"Where is the guard who went with Ziheng?" Han Wu asked sternly.

Another dandy said nervously, "He went to look for Brother Ziheng and hasn't returned..."

"Where did Ziheng relieve himself?"

Everyone already knew the spot, so they immediately led the way for Han Wu.

Passing the dense shrubbery, the puddle on the ground had almost dried, but the exact location was firmly remembered by everyone.

"Commander, it was here."

Han Wu instinctively took a step forward, wanting to see if any other traces had been left behind.

Not far away, on a tree with lush foliage, a thick branch steadily supported a person.

That person drew a bow and notched an arrow. The moment Han Wu stepped forward, she released the string.

The true prey she had been waiting for had finally appeared.

(End of Chapter)