Chapter 346: Returning, Blood
The people by her side disappearing without rhyme or reason, no matter who, all won’t be in a good mood. This while, the air pressure around Jing Wan’s body was all very low.
Because Bai Shao and Hei Mei possessed martial art skills, taking down three or five ordinary men completely not a problem, occasionally they would personally go buy some things Jing Wan used, and also won’t bring along guards. For the most part, they were just two little servant girls, and moreover, they all carried on them something that represented Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor. Those with the ability to do something to them also won’t make a move. After all, if using them to deal with Jin Qinw.a.n.g, just a servant girl, that’s all, they completely didn’t have that weight, and one would even offend Jin Qinw.a.n.g for no reason. No matter how one calculated, it was all the gains not making up for the losses.
Because of these various reason, Jing Wan was also very rea.s.sured with them taking out two little servant girls from time to time. Sometimes, Qing Zhu and them would also go together too.
Because there were situations before where they would go out for more than two hours before returning, and moreover, Bai Shao has always been steady, there wasn’t anything to worry about, so even if the time was a little longer, no one thought anything of it either. However, after being out for four hours, already reaching noon, yet still haven’t returned, how could one still sit still? Jing Wan immediately sent people to search.
What Bai Shao was buying, they naturally knew, so the first destination naturally was just that direction, and the result of course was not finding her.
First letting a guard return to report, while the rest continued searching for clues in the area. Bai Shao, in addition to two little servant girls, three whole living person, and moreover their appearance not ordinary, it was impossible for no one to notice. If they continue searching, regardless whether it getting caught by someone, or meeting with some mishap and going somewhere on their own, there will certainly be clues.
Jing Wan was calm on the surface, even somewhat terrifyingly calm, but never mind Li Hong Yuan, even the others by her side all knew she was angry. Anger that showed on the surface was still better. As long as it was vented out, for the most part, one will feel better. The longer one retrains, when it erupts, the aftermath certainly will be even more serious.
Hei Mei naturally didn’t need to be mentioned, that was her twin older sister, so naturally she was fretful and restless. However, she also remembered her own duties, and didn’t throw a tantrum in front of the masters. The other servant girls and mamas, because of Jing Wan, this master, were all very harmonious, and internally, there didn’t exist any dirty scandals, everyone just like one family, so it was definitely impossible for them to not worry. Even the most lively Qing Ju, this while, was all exceptionally quiet, the anxiousness on her face unable to be covered up.
Li Hong Yuan squeezed Jing Wan’s hand, “How about just directly sealing the city gates to search for the person?”
Jing Wan expressionlessly glanced at him. This man really did have the potential to be a muddled ruler, “Sealing the gates a few days ago already caused quite a panic, and now, sealing the city gates again, w.a.n.gye is disdaining that the disturbance isn’t big enough? Besides, if really done by someone with ulterior motives, perhaps have already left the city. Sealing off the city to search would only hold up the time.”
Moreover, to just seal off the city on a whim, even the Emperor wasn’t able to casually do something like this either, so what did she count as? If really were to let the one on the throne find out that she, for the sake of a servant girl by her side, just sealed off the city, don’t know how angered he will be, and don’t know what kind of consequences will be brought about. Not just herself, she’ll even implicate the Luo family, and also this man by her side. One was consumed by l.u.s.tful desire, and one was a disaster-causing demoness, practically just heheh.
Did Li Hong Yuan not know these? Naturally no. But, if Jing Wan really wants to seal the city gates, he also won’t hesitate to give the order. To say he was a muddled ruler, alright, he was precisely a muddled ruler. Unfortunately, his darling was too rational, completely not giving him the opportunity to be a muddled ruler. In this lifetime, don’t know whether or not there will be such an opportunity.
After having Li Su Yan who was relatively skilled at such matters all sent out, the rest was just waiting.
Waiting was always something that made one anxious, especially when concerning someone’s safety, a pure young girl’s safety. It was true that Bai Shao’s martial art skills were good, but in certain areas, she was still at a disadvantage, even very much fatal.
Jing Wan was all very calm, but majority of the times, it was just napping with her eyes closed.
Because of her care towards others, Li Hong Yuan naturally was jealous again, but at this time, he won’t display it. It couldn’t be helped, she ultimately needed people serving by the side.
This wait lasted all the way until nighttime, and from the tracked down clues, it was indeed having already left the city. Moreover, it was getting taken away by someone, and the other party was even a woman.
This conclusion more or less made one somewhat unable to comprehend, but carefully thinking it over, it wasn’t impossible either. Bai Shao possessed martial art skills, and also once wandered from place to place in dest.i.tution, perhaps experiencing all the highs and lows of human relations, yet she never really experienced too much of human treachery before, so for her to get schemed against by a woman, thereby getting taken advantage of, it really wasn’t impossible. Moreover, women, often times made one easily put down one’s guard, or easily make one underestimate the enemy. Regardless whether one was a man or woman, it was all like this.
Although knowing from which direction they headed out in, but less than twenty li after exiting the city, several forks in the road just appeared. Which direction the person would head in was just very difficult to say.
But even so, they still needed to search, and for the sake of Bai Shao’s safety and reputation, they can’t search with great fanfare either.
Because of not knowing who the other party was, and due to what reason, if by chance the movement was too big, making the other party kill the hostage, how can that be good? And this reputation, perhaps, wasn’t just Bai Shao’s, but also Jing Wan’s. If truly a meticulous scheme, letting ‘the plum tree wither in place of the peach tree[1]‘, having the kidnapped person said as Jing Wan, the consequences will be even more severe. Regardless of how Li Hong Yuan suppress the news on this side, and regardless whether the majority of people believe it or not, as long as one person believes, for instance, that one on the throne, believing that Jing Wan had gotten kidnapped for a day, losing her purity, then everything…………..
Li Hong Yuan at first didn’t think of this bit, or should say, he simply didn’t care. If he can’t even protect his own wife, then he also didn’t need to continue living. And if a certain someone wants to touch his wife, at worst it was just the same as that time when scheming to take her as a wife, kicking his old man down from the dragon throne in advance.
Jing Wan wasn’t in the mood to eat dinner, and Li Hong Yuan didn’t force her either, but the dark clouds inside grew increasingly dense.
That night, Jing Wan also didn’t sleep very well, her entire person all very muddled, waking up from time to time, “Has Bai Shao returned?”
Li Hong Yuan’s complexion was darker than the bottom of a pot, yet he still patiently consoled Jing Wan. This time, regardless of who it was behind the scenes, once he catches them, he’ll definitely crush their bones and scatter their ashes.
Unknown as to when, “w.a.n.gfei, Bai Shao has returned.”
The half-asleep and half-awake Jing Wan immediately sat up, getting up, grabbing a piece of clothing and draping it on, before hurriedly heading out.
Very soon, she saw Bai Shao, but it wasn’t just her alone. Bai Shao was also carrying a woman covered in blood, and Bai Shao herself also wasn’t any better.
[1] This idiom just means subst.i.tuting one thing for another.
T/N: I kinda laugh inside at how Le Cheng Emperor’s address lately is just reduced to ‘that one on the throne’. It’s much more noticeable for me as I’m translating. Also I love how LHY always just resorts to rebelling in advance if something goes wrong.