Chapter 137: Dilemma

Princess Jing was walking outward with the Little County Princess when she ran into Qi Huan.

"Mother Consort, what happened at home? I just saw Eldest Brother riding off like he was flying."

Princess Jing couldn't help but glance at her daughter.

Qi Hong shot her brother a glare and hurriedly explained, "I was urging Eldest Brother to hurry and save Ah Hao and the others."

"What, something happened to Ah Hao—" Meeting the shocked gazes of his mother and sister, Qi Huan slapped his mouth. "That was too surprising; it just slipped out when I was talking to Little Sister."

Qi Hong couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Princess Jing was used to her youngest son's flighty nature, so she wasn't surprised by the explanation. She instructed, "Then arrange the household hands and go help look for them immediately."

Two girls as beautiful as flowers; the longer they remained in the hands of villains, the more dangerous it would become.

"Your son will go at once."

By the time Princess Jing brought Qi Hong to the General's Manor, the place was in chaos.

The guards prepared to search for the girls had already assembled and were ready to depart, yet only the Old Madam was standing there.

Upon asking, Princess Jing learned that the moment Lady Lin heard her daughter was in trouble, she had ridden off on horseback.

Hearing this, Princess Jing felt something was amiss, but she couldn't quite place it for the moment. She suppressed the strange feeling and comforted the Old Madam, "Do not worry. The two children are blessed; they will surely be fine. Shuo'er and Huan'er have also taken men and are rushing there—"

Princess Jing's voice faltered as she finally realized: Shuo'er had also left at the very first instance. How was his behavior so similar to that of their biological mother?

Despite her daughter's explanation, it still felt strange.

Hearing Princess Jing's comfort, the Old Madam managed a forced smile. "Thank you, Princess."

"We are neighbors; it is only right."

Seeing that the General's Manor party was about to set off, Qi Hong couldn't help but speak up, "Mother Consort, I want to go along."

Princess Jing was stunned.

The Old Madam spoke up first, "I understand the County Princess's intentions, but it is too chaotic there. It is better to wait for news at home."

"I will be fine following Brother and the others. Miss Chen and the others are all there; I can't just stay home alone. Mother Consort—"

"Then go, but you are not allowed to wander off alone." Although Princess Jing was unwilling to let her daughter take risks, since her daughter had put it that way, she had to respect her.

Children of this age cared about face and loyalty; this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

As the people from the Prince Jing's Manor and the General's Manor joined in, the search party grew larger and larger. However, the nearby Misty Green Mountains were a problem; once someone hid inside, it was like a bird disappearing into a forest—it was far too difficult to find them.

Qi Shuo stopped at one spot, crouched down, and felt the grass.

"Eldest Brother, did you find something?" Qi Huan leaned in to ask.

Qi Shuo stood up, his gaze directed toward the valley, and said in a low voice, "The villains likely didn't just kidnap a random girl. Their target is Miss Lin!"

If that were the case, what was their purpose?

And how would they treat Ah Hao, who had actively chased after them and fallen into their hands?

The question caused a dull ache in his chest.

"Eldest Brother, where are you going?"

"Into the mountains. With so many people searching, taking two young women dressed in fine clothing anywhere would be too conspicuous. The only way to be safe is to hide in the mountains."

"What on earth do they want? Even if they want a ransom, they should at least leave a message," Qi Huan wondered.

At this moment, Lin Hao was also wondering.

Both she and her sister had been gagged and their hands and feet bound; they could neither speak nor move.

Worse still, her sister had fainted.

They were in a cave. The two masked men were sitting at the cave entrance a distance away from them, their backs turned.

Lin Hao wondered about the identity and purpose of her captors.

If it were for lust, the man had only wanted to shake her off when she chased after her sister; clearly, the target was only her sister, and they had not shown any lewd intentions so far.

If it were for money, shouldn't these two have sent word demanding a ransom?

Thinking it over, she could only guess it was related to Prince Wei. Her sister was a prospective Princess Consort; if these two had kidnapped her, they were most likely aiming for Prince Wei.

Lin Hao pondered their purpose to judge their situation. Were they merely using them as hostages to exchange for something, or would they kill them to silence them?

Even if they weren't harmed and were released after some time, their reputations would be ruined. The world would surely speculate about what they had endured while in the hands of villains.

She could not care, but what about her sister, the prospective Princess Consort?

Lin Hao did not know yet that destroying Lin Chan's reputation was the true objective.

In truth, the two men who had acted were also confused. One of them looked back, saw that both young girls had their eyes closed, and complained softly to his companion, "Why are the instructions from above so strange? They only said to take the elder sister, and that we mustn't harm her, then release her after a night. What's the point?"

"Who cares what the higher-ups think? We just do as we're told. I'm more worried that because we caught an extra one, we'll be blamed."

Thinking of Lin Hao, both men felt a bit of a headache.

This girl was too persistent, and her legs were exceptionally quick; they had tried to shake her off for a long time without success, so they had no choice but to bring her along.

"Anyway, they're all being released eventually, so there shouldn't be any blame. I must say, these two sisters are quite beautiful."

"Don't think about nonsense. This isn't something we can mess with."

"They're unconscious; if we just touch them once, they won't find out—"

A sudden muffled whimpering interrupted their conversation.

Both men turned their heads simultaneously to look at the panicked, struggling girl.

The girl's mouth was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back. Though she was struggling, she could only produce broken whimpering sounds from her throat, looking pitiful and helpless.

One of them walked over.

The girl's feet were also tied together; she looked up at him in terror, moving backward with all her might.

The man couldn't help but laugh. "You were chasing us before, and now you know how to be afraid?"

He crouched down to confirm once more, "She is the elder sister, and you are the younger?"

Lin Hao hesitated, then nodded.

She had called out "Big Sister" while chasing them; these two must have heard her. The fact that they were specifically asking her now showed their concern for the kidnapping target, which meant her guess was likely correct.

The other man walked over. He was more burly than the first and half a head taller. "Don't talk to her too much."

"Should we give them some water?" the shorter man whispered. "These delicate, high-born ladies might not hold up if they go without food or water for a long time."

Seeing his companion nod, he held a water flask and warned Lin Hao, "I am going to take the cloth out of your mouth now. You are not allowed to cry or scream loudly. If you are unwise, you'll suffer for it, understood?"

Lin Hao nodded repeatedly.

The man reached out and removed the wad of cloth. Lin Hao's mouth was freed, and she took several deep breaths.

Seeing that Lin Hao did not cry or make a scene, the man was somewhat satisfied and held the flask toward her. "Drink."

"Can you untie my hands?" Lin Hao asked tentatively.

Despite her pale face and exhausted appearance, the man refused flatly, "No!"