The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 141 - Performance

Unfortunately, Han Zhi would never make it to the next day. The gentle spring breeze drifted floral scents towards him, yet he stood there like a statue—motionless, expressionless—a stark contrast from his previous confident arrival into the city.

Behind him, Guanshan's legs were trembling slightly as he stared in shock at the disarray in the courtyard. After a moment, he snapped out of it and quickly ordered people to search in every direction, but there was no trace to be found. Judging by the state of the place, it was clear someone had thoroughly ransacked it, leaving only a few guards sprawled out in corners, still sound asleep as if they were dead. Ma Wangkun was nowhere to be seen.

Guanshan's hand gripped his sword hilt unsteadily, struggling to contain his shock and fear as he roughly kicked awake those who were still unconscious. He dared not look back at Han Zhi, knowing how hard it had been to kidnap Ma Wangkun. Originally, they had planned to use this person as leverage against Song Chuyi in tomorrow's negotiations, but now the man had vanished. He could only imagine the wrath Han Zhi would unleash once he came to grips with what had happened.

Wei Yanxi, by contrast, remained remarkably calm. After inspecting every room, he came out and, in a neutral tone, reported to the expressionless Han Zhi, "He's gone. Looks like someone took him."

Taken?! Who could have the audacity to take him from here? Although Han Zhi had gone to Tongzhou, he hadn't left this place unguarded; the men he had stationed here were all seasoned veterans from his father's forces, far more effective than ordinary constables.

Yet, under their watch, the very leverage he had prepared against Song Chuyi had been spirited away...

Han Zhi clenched his fists, the cracking of his knuckles audible. After a long silence, he let out a few cold laughs. Impressive indeed—for someone to dare play these tricks right under his nose.

This time, however, he didn't lose his temper as he usually would. His gaze, sharp as an arrow, shot towards the neighboring residence before he turned and ordered Guanshan and Wei Yanxi, "One of you, wake these useless fools up and find out exactly who took him. The other, take people to gather information outside. It's only been a day, and they had to move an injured man; they can't have vanished without a trace! Get answers, and report back to me!"

Relieved that Han Zhi hadn't flown into a rage like the last time, Guanshan quickly responded and efficiently led his men out.

Left alone, Han Zhi felt a pounding headache. He kicked over a stool in frustration, then sat under a tree, lost in thought.

Who could have rescued Ma Wangkun? Song Chuyi? But he had placed people to watch her closely; neither she nor any of her servants could leave without being under his watch. He had even stationed people around the Cui family estate in case she sought their help. Besides, Song Chuyi hadn't visited the Cui family at all. Occasionally, a maid or two went, but the Cui family had shown no unusual activity. The Cui family's influence in the capital was limited; any movement would have left traces.

Could it have been one of Song Chuyi's people, acting independently without her knowledge? But if this were an unauthorized rescue, how could they have known to strike today, of all days, when he was away in Tongzhou?

As he replayed Song Chuyi's behavior from today, his expression gradually shifted from a cold sneer to intense anger. If his suspicions were correct, then it was a true waste for Song Chuyi to remain merely the daughter of a Marquis. Her ability to switch faces so seamlessly was truly perfected to an art.

The person gnashing his teeth in anger was, at that moment, relaxing in a private room at Zhongyin Pavilion. Lai Chenglong, meeting her for the first time, couldn't help but express his surprise, "You're much younger than I imagined."

Although Cui Shaoting had repeatedly asked him to look out for his young niece due to her age, seeing a young girl in front of him, he still felt she was much too young.

Yet he also found it hard to believe that this small girl, barely in her teens, had the courage to ask him to snatch someone from Young Master Han's hands. What was more unsettling was that the information she provided had been accurate—the Shizi had, in fact, been absent that day, leaving only some minor guards behind.

"Uncle Lai is just as I imagined," Song Chuyi replied with a smile, her dimples making her appear charmingly innocent. "My uncle said you're a good person, and it seems he was right."

Lai Chenglong found this young girl rather peculiar. If you said she was innocent, she had managed to corner Han Zhi to this extent; if you thought she was deeply calculating, she still came out with remarks that left people both laughing and speechless.

"How can you judge a person's character just by their looks? I've never heard of anyone thinking the Jinyiwei are good people," he said, gesturing for his men to step into the next room. Frowning, he asked, "Who exactly was it I helped you rescue? Could it be that you really had them commit a murder?"

Since Cui Shaoting had vouched for Lai Chenglong's reliability, Song Chuyi wasn't the least bit intimidated. She gave a mischievous smile. "Though appearances can be deceiving, Uncle Lai is certainly better than Chen Xiang. That said, Uncle Lai, you're not really helping me with every request just because I ask, are you? Han Zhi's people have been combing the capital for days, and I don't believe the Jinyiwei haven't caught wind of it. It's only because Chen Xiang has been taken care of that the Jinyiwei are conveniently 'looking the other way.' But you, Uncle Lai, surely can't be kept in the dark..."

Currently, Chen Xiang's authority had been split in half with Lai Chenglong, as the Emperor, wary of the Xingfu incident, had promoted Lai Chenglong to take charge of the Northern Administrative Court, clearly to balance Chen Xiang's influence.

Two rivals of equal standing were bound to know each other's movements, especially in their line of work.

Lai Chenglong's willingness to act quickly may very well have been his way of delivering a subtle blow to Chen Xiang.

Rather than being irritated at her accurate insight, Lai Chenglong laughed heartily. "You really are a clever little spirit—it's no wonder Han Zhi let you lead him by the nose. But don't forget, Han Zhi isn't a fool. Even if he only had half a brain, he'd figure out that since he went to Tongzhou with you, then right after, the person vanished—it clearly has something to do with you. That man's a mad dog when angered, so be careful, my dear niece."

As the opera began outside, Song Chuyi listened briefly, then raised her cup and clinked it with Lai Chenglong's. "Likewise, Uncle Lai, be careful of any tricks Chen Xiang may pull on you."