Chapter 136: Farewell

Lin Chan was gagged by a masked man and swiftly dragged away.

Lin Hao bolted after them, shouting as he ran, "Let go of my eldest sister!"

Chen Yi, who had also been pulled along by Lin Hao just moments ago, froze at the sudden turn of events before screaming at the top of her lungs, "Someone help! Stop that criminal!"

Unfortunately, the scene was too chaotic; the air was filled with panicked people fleeing and high-pitched screams. Both Lin Hao's shouts and Chen Yi's cries for help were swallowed by the din.

Zhu Jiayu and the others, who had realized what was happening a step too late, also began to cry out, "Help! Someone is kidnapping people!"

Two guards from the Prince Jing Mansion had rushed over to protect Qi Qiong as soon as the commotion began, and they were now being urged by Qi Qiong to go save the person.

"County Princess, it is too dangerous here. We cannot leave your side."

Qi Qiong was both anxious and angry, her face turning pale with frustration. "What danger could there be here? With so many people, can you not even stop a wild boar? Go quickly and save the eldest Miss Lin!"

Ultimately, one guard stayed to ensure Qi Qiong's safety, while the other chased after the kidnappers.

"Caught them! We caught them!" A cheer suddenly erupted as the running wild boar was finally beaten to death with clubs.

As the initial shock subsided, a sense of relief washed over the crowd, as if they had survived a disaster.

Once the immediate danger to themselves had passed, the crowd realized that a young lady had been abducted by a masked man amidst the chaos, prompting many to join the search.

"Who was the one taken?" a young girl asked curiously.

Most people shook their heads.

It had been too chaotic just now, and since they were strangers, no one knew for certain who had been snatched.

"What should we do? If people find out it was Sister Chan who was taken, it will be very bad for her reputation," Tao Qing whispered, her face turning white.

Zhu Jiayu stamped her feet in anxiety. "At a time like this, who cares about reputation? The person is what matters most!"

"But Sister Chan is the future Princess Consort..."

This left Zhu Jiayu stunned as well, and she couldn't help but look toward Qi Qiong and Chen Yi.

Chen Yi's face was devoid of color, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs. "And there's Ah Hao... Ah Hao was the first to chase after them. Could she have fallen into the hands of the criminals as well...?"

Qi Qiong gritted her teeth. "We'll deal with the trouble later. Finding the person is the priority. Let's go look for them together!"

With so many people present, the identity of the abductee would surely not remain a secret for long.

"Alright!" the group responded in unison.

The servants who had come with them had long since been dispatched to search, leaving only one guard from the Prince Jing Mansion to accompany the ladies as they searched in the direction Lin Hao and her friends had fled.

Just as Qi Qiong suspected, a noble lady revealed Lin Chan's identity: "It seems the one taken was the eldest Miss of the Lin family from the General's Mansion."

"Was it really the eldest Miss Lin?"

The noble lady nodded hesitantly. "It should be. I also saw the second Miss Lin chasing after them. It was just too chaotic then, so I didn't see clearly."

Another young girl spoke up, "I saw it too. It was both the Lin sisters."

Now, things were getting interesting.

"Isn't the eldest Miss Lin engaged to Prince Wei? To think someone would be bold enough to kidnap her!"

"Perhaps they just wanted to kidnap anyone at random, and the eldest Miss Lin was unlucky enough to run into them."

Almost all the young girls sent their servants away to join the search party. Since they couldn't contribute much physical labor, they huddled together to discuss the matter heatedly.

The emotions among the girls were complex—there was worry, terror, and even a hint of excitement.

"Baozhu!" Qi Qiong spotted Baozhu, who was being helped up, and hurried over. "Baozhu, what happened to you?"

Baozhu's eyes were tightly shut, and she showed no response to the young County Princess's call.

The guard standing beside Qi Qiong stepped forward to examine her. "She's unconscious. It seems she took a heavy blow to the back of her neck."

"Baozhu, wake up!" Qi Qiong shook her.

Both Sister Chan and Ah Hao were gone, and Baozhu had been the one chasing most closely; she would surely know more than they did.

Baozhu's eyelashes fluttered. The moment she opened her eyes, she struggled to get up without even seeing who was there. "Miss!"

A wave of dizziness hit her, causing her to lose her balance.

Qi Qiong supported her, her voice anxious yet still gentle. "Baozhu, don't panic. Tell us clearly what you know first."

Baozhu blinked, finally seeing the people surrounding her: the young County Princess, Miss Chen, Miss Zhu, Miss Tao...

"There were two masked men... Miss was also captured! They went in that direction!"

Two?

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present grew even more grim.

Baozhu forcefully broke free from the hands supporting her. "I have to go find Miss!"

Though her head was still spinning, she stumbled forward, her pace quickening with every step.

Qi Qiong gritted her teeth. "Miss Chen, you all keep searching. I will go back and bring more people."

If there were two criminals, there could be three, or even four. With unknown enemies whose strength was a mystery, they might not be able to save the person even if they found them. It was better to go back and call for reinforcements.

"Please, go quickly, County Princess."

"You all stay safe as well. Do not get separated from the crowd," Qi Qiong instructed before hurriedly departing, accompanied by a guard.

There was quite a distance from the outskirts of the capital to the Prince's mansion. Finding the carriage too slow, she simply abandoned it and rode a horse.

The rhythmic clatter of hooves struck the bluestone road erratically, betraying her owner's urgency.

Although the streets in the city were wide, they were crowded with pedestrians, and those galloping on horseback inevitably drew curses.

Qi Huan, walking down the street, was caught in a gust of wind caused by a passing steed and couldn't help but curse, "Where did that wild girl come from—"

His words cut off abruptly. Qi Huan stared at the receding figure of the young girl, a look of suspicion crossing his face. "Strange, why does that wild girl look so much like my little sister?"

Impossible. Although his sister loved to bicker and eat in private, she still maintained the poise of a well-bred lady in public. There was no way she would be galloping wildly through the streets.

But she really did look like her!

Losing all interest in leisure, Qi Huan hurried home.

The Prince Jing Mansion was just ahead. Qi Qiong pulled on the reins and leapt off her horse, walking inside while giving orders to the guard. "Stop following me. Go to the General's Mansion and report the news immediately."

The guard handed the two horses over to the mansion's servants and turned toward the General's Mansion.

"Is my eldest brother home?"

"The Heir has only just returned."

Qi Qiong ran like the wind to Qi Shuo's quarters. "Brother, something has happened!"

Qi Shuo emerged from his study. Seeing his sister with her hair disheveled from running, his heart sank. "What happened?"

"Ah Hao and the others and I went to the outskirts to enjoy the spring today. Suddenly, a masked man appeared and kidnapped Sister Chan. Ah Hao chased after them and also fell into the hands of the masked man's accomplices..."

Qi Shuo's expression changed instantly. He immediately ordered Chang Ning and the others to organize manpower, but he couldn't afford to wait. He mounted his horse and galloped toward the outskirts of the city.

Before Qi Huan could even reach home, a person on horseback swept past him like a gale.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Just now, it looked like his little sister; now, this looked like his eldest brother. Why was everything so strange today?

By the time he entered the mansion and saw the guards gathered together, he was even more bewildered, so he hurried to find the Princess Consort of Prince Jing.

Qi Qiong did not rush back to her own quarters but went instead to explain the situation to the Princess Consort. "Something has happened to the Lin sisters. I have asked my brother to bring men to search for them."

The Princess Consort of Prince Jing hurriedly changed into her traveling clothes. "Let us go to the General's Mansion to check."

With her daughter's close friend in trouble, and the two families being neighbors, it would be inappropriate to remain indifferent.

(End of Chapter)