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Unable to contain her temper, Wen Yao took two quick steps forward and punched the steward in the face, angrily demanding, “Where have you taken our master?! Speak up, or I’ll make you regret it!”
“Wrongfully accused—truly, I don’t know!” The elderly steward winced in pain, pleading for mercy.
Wen Yao intended to settle both old and new grievances, but Rui’an and Zhong Xu simultaneously held her back.
“Miss Wen Yao, please don’t act rashly,” said Rui’an.
“Do not harm him!” added Zhong Xu.
Wen Yao glanced at the two of them, feeling that their behavior was remarkably similar to their master’s. She snorted coldly and reluctantly released the steward.
The steward, as if pardoned from a great calamity, didn’t even bother to ask further questions and immediately ran away.
“Miss Wen Yao, interrogating like this won’t yield any results,” said Rui’an.
“Then what should we do according to Your Highness?”
“Allow me to investigate.” Rui’an cleared his throat and stepped out of the guest room first.
Wen Yao and Zhong Xu followed him out. After leaving the room, they each began their own tasks. Zhong Xu, with his swift pace, went into the mountains to search, while Wen Yao headed to the surrounding ten-mile peach forest.
Rui’an, on the other hand, leveraged his good looks and affable nature to stay within the mansion and gather information. He was highly efficient and by noon had already gathered all sorts of gossip about Yangchun Manor’s affairs.
It turned out that there were three main courtyards within Yangchun Manor, along with six smaller ones. Two of the large courtyards housed the eldest son’s wife and second son’s wife and their children. The Grand Madam, the original wife of Yangchun Shanren, who was over ninety years old, lived in the same courtyard as the eldest son’s wife. One large courtyard remained empty, originally meant for the second son’s family, who had long since moved far away and hadn’t been heard from in over a decade.
Five of the six smaller courtyards were vacant, left behind by relatives who had come and gone. The remaining small courtyard housed the kitchen staff and a few cleaning women, so the entire Yangchun estate was now home to only a dozen people, astonishing in its desolation.
By lunchtime, the three regrouped in the guest room of the eldest son’s wife’s courtyard.
“Your Highness, did you discover anything?”
“Of course!” replied Rui’an. “I’ve learned that all major and minor affairs within Yangchun Manor appear to be under the control of the eldest son’s wife, but in reality, she defers to the Grand Madam.”
“Oh? How did Your Highness find this out?”
“Just casually asking around made it clear.” Rui’an smiled, and as he looked up, his gaze instantly softened, making everyone feel goosebumps.
Following his line of sight, Wen Yao noticed that even the maids sweeping in the corridors blushed and appeared shy, seemingly interpreting his affection as directed towards themselves. In truth, he was merely casting a wide net, willing to hook anyone.
Wen Yao couldn’t help but repeatedly express admiration, saying, “Your Highness has remarkable skills!”
“Overpraised, overpraised. These are just trivial matters. For Master Di, even seducing the Grand Madam would be something I’d gladly endure and willingly sacrifice myself for!”
Upon hearing this, Wen Yao shuddered involuntarily, imagining Rui’an sitting next to the Grand Madam, one hand on her shoulder and the other feeding her grapes while whispering softly in her ear: “Madam’s skin is as smooth as peeled grapes!”
This wasn’t a prince—it was practically a male courtesan!
Wen Yao stifled a laugh, though she didn’t voice these thoughts. Seeing how much the prince cared for their master, she felt deeply grateful.
That day, aside from some trivial bits of gossip, they couldn’t extract any other useful information.
The gloom hanging over them grew heavier. First, Shuxiang and Zhuchai disappeared, then the master vanished without a trace, an utterly baffling situation…
As time passed, their worry deepened.
On the second day, Wu Rui’an paced back and forth in the Jian Su Medical Clinic, pondering the clues from the past two days. Wen Yao stood beside him, anxiously staring at Zhong Xu, who sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his soul temporarily astral-projected.
At the hour of Chen today, under the dual pressure of Wen Yao’s scolding and his own guilt, Zhong Xu resorted to his sect’s supreme technique, sending his spirit out to search for Di Jiang.
Though this method risked his life, he seemed unconcerned. He simply stated, “If Di Jiang can return safely, even if I lose all my cultivation, it will be worth it.”
Perhaps at this moment, his concern for Di Jiang outweighed his concern for himself.
Zhong Xu relied on intuition to sense her presence and encountered two ghost officials along the way. When they heard Zhong Xu inquiring about the clinic’s master, they frowned and quickly shook their heads, saying, “We don’t know.”
Zhong Xu’s spirit wandered around Jiudu River for nearly two hours. Upon returning to his body, he felt a sweet taste in his throat and immediately spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Seeing Zhong Xu finish his meditation, Wen Yao ignored his pain and promptly asked, “Master Zhong, what did you find? Have you located our master?”
Zhong Xu shook his head apologetically, “Her presence is still near Jiudu River, but I still can’t find her… I only know… her presence seems to be weakening…”
“What! After two days, all you can tell me is that our master’s presence is weakening?!” Wen Yao grabbed Zhong Xu’s collar, furious. “You took our master away, yet you can’t bring her back safely!!”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” Zhong Xu clenched his fists tightly, unable to speak for a while. According to past experiences, anyone he sought—even ghost officials—would show him deference. But today… it seemed ineffective.
Wu Rui’an stopped pacing and turned to look at Zhong Xu. “Is this how you protect her?” His words lacked Wen Yao’s impulsiveness; his eyes were clear and devoid of much reproach, yet they left a bitter taste in one’s throat.
Zhong Xu felt even more self-reproachful, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
“It seems extraordinary measures must be taken,” sighed Wu Rui’an. With decisive action, he left the pharmacy and headed straight for Jingzhao Prefecture, where he requisitioned three hundred men. They marched grandly into Yangchun Manor.
“Gather everyone in the front courtyard, and bring those two coffins too!” Wu Rui’an issued the command, and the soldiers immediately complied, dispersing to carry out the order.
Soon, everyone in Yangchun Manor was assembled in the courtyard. Even the long-disabled Grand Madam was wheeled out by the authorities and left trembling in the cold wind.
The winter sun hid behind the clouds, not particularly intense, but it still caused the Grand Madam to tremble uncontrollably. Her form resembled an old ghost living in darkness being exposed to sunlight, soon to dissipate into nothingness.
Moments later, she let out three consecutive hiccups, followed by convulsions, and fainted with blacked-out eyes.
“Grand Madam! Are you alright?” The eldest son’s wife rushed forward, checked her breathing, and screamed, “Doctor, fetch a doctor quickly!!”
The soldiers exchanged glances, looking toward Wu Rui’an, who remained expressionless and unmoved.
“Your Highness—please spare us!”
“Spare you?” Wu Rui’an sneered. “If I spare your lives, who will save Master Di? Today, if you don’t produce Di Jiang, no one leaves this courtyard!”
The soldiers roared fiercely several times, causing the more timid individuals in the courtyard to faint immediately.
However, Rui’an paid no further attention. He simply said indifferently, “Let them sleep on the ground. They will wake up eventually from the cold.”
The people of Yangchun Manor finally realized they were in big trouble, a bigger problem than Zhang Siyao.
Initially, they tried to suppress Zhang Siyao’s issue, but unexpectedly, it led to an even greater matter. Now, facing this predicament, no one knew how to resolve it.
Silently standing in the courtyard, everyone prayed for the same thing: for whoever committed the offense to quickly hand over the person and relieve them of their collective responsibility. Otherwise, standing here indefinitely would either freeze them to death or starve them.
Thus, Wu Rui’an, accompanied by government officials, searched the mansion day and night, turning Yangchun Manor upside down within a dozen miles, yet still found nothing.
Another two days passed. Altogether, Di Jiang had disappeared for five full days, with Shuxiang and Zhuchai missing even longer...
During these five days, the entire Yangchun Manor ate meals in this one courtyard, and even using the restroom required accompaniment by two or more constables. They had stood in the courtyard for two days without sleep.
“Your Highness, such actions cannot convince the public!” The eldest son’s wife staggered upright and stepped out of the crowd, angrily declaring, “Though our Yangchun Manor comprises merchants, we cannot allow you to trample upon us without cause!”
“Without cause?” Wu Rui’an sneered. “Your testimonies contradict each other. How can we trust you? Today, I accuse you of abducting innocent women. I doubt I’m wrong! Even if you didn’t commit this act, the fact that someone disappeared here means you bear responsibility!”
“If Your Highness insists, this humble woman has nothing to say. Let us innocent civilians perish alongside Miss Di!”
“You are not innocent at all.” Wu Rui’an countered again, loudly stating, “From the beginning, you insisted that Miss Di had disappeared. How could you know that Master Di hadn’t returned home?”
After he spoke, everyone’s expressions turned somewhat strange.
He continued, “And how can you be certain she disappeared specifically within Yangchun Manor?”
“Because... because this manor isn’t clean!” A maid in green hastily spoke from the crowd. “Many people have died recently. Many, many... they haunt us day and night, demanding our lives!”
“Nonsense! Don’t push this onto supernatural explanations,” Wu Rui’an interrupted. “Master Zhong confirmed multiple times that there’s nothing strange here. You’re obviously crying wolf!”
“How can we trust the words of an unknown Taoist priest?” The old steward urgently interjected.
“Oh?” Wu Rui’an raised an eyebrow and sneered. “If Master Zhong’s words are unreliable, perhaps I should summon the current Imperial Preceptor to shut your mouth?!”
“This humble citizen dares not...” The old steward lowered his eyes, not daring to speak further.
Wen Yao, standing behind Wu Rui’an, didn’t hide her admiration for him. She felt that this man was unparalleled, incomparably authoritative.
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