Li Li was preoccupied with who had kidnapped Mu Wanyu, and he didn't hear the steward's calls at all. He spurred his horse out of the Grand Scholar's residence and headed towards the Jokhang Temple in the suburbs.

Liu Xinqi was sitting in his room reading when the door was suddenly kicked open violently. He sat upright at the low table, the book in his hands motionless, his phoenix eyes narrowed, a cold light shooting directly at the disheveled and crazed stranger.

He calmly withdrew his gaze and continued reading. Li Li stepped forward and snatched the book from his hand. Catching her breath slightly, she immediately demanded, "Did you hide Yu'er?!"

Liu Xinqi raised an eyebrow. Mu Wanyu has disappeared. What happened?

"Who are you?" He suppressed the unease and panic welling up inside him, stood up, and stared at the man before him. The man's bloodshot eyes seemed to want to devour him, showing how much he cared about Mu Wanyu. Could this man be Mu Wanyu's husband, Li Li?

"Who do you care who I am? Just tell me, where is she?" Li Li shouted angrily at Liu Xinqi, rubbing his hair haphazardly with both hands.

Liu Xinqi flung his sleeves and walked out of the room, his bodyguards immediately following, unaware that Di Jingcheng's bodyguards had already witnessed everything. Li Li anxiously caught up and grabbed him, saying, "Stop! Where did you take my Yu'er?"

"Please let her go, I beg you, I'll do anything for you."

Liu Xinqi glanced sideways at the man clinging tightly to his clothes, his face full of pleading, who seemed to truly love the woman he spoke of.

"She actually married such a useless man?" Liu Xinqi's eyes were filled with disdain and mockery.

She flung the person off her: "Get off me. If you still want to save her, then go back to where you were."

Li Li's hands slid to her sides, as if her soul had left her body, and she stared blankly as Liu Xinqi left.

Liu Xinqi grew anxious, but his face remained as calm as a mountain, demonstrating his exceptional mental fortitude. As soon as he descended the mountain, four bodyguards appeared behind him, kneeling in unison on one knee: "Master!"

"Has anything happened these past two days?" He continued walking, disguised, and headed towards the city with his men.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual in the palace, except that Cheng San, who serves Emperor Jingcheng, entered the palace yesterday. As for the Grand Secretary's residence, Emperor Jingcheng has been keeping watch over it, and we haven't been able to get any useful information."

Liu Xinqi pondered silently for a while before speaking: "Cheng San has been ordered to monitor the Grand Secretary's residence. Did he bring any people or items with him when he entered the palace yesterday?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. We were unaware of his presence. We do not know when he entered the palace, but we do know that he was discovered by our men when he came out of the animal garden with the chief eunuch beside Emperor Jingcheng."

"Useless! Go investigate now. What did they do at the animal park? Mu Wanyu was kidnapped in the middle of the night, it must be related to this." Liu Xinqi felt that the people he had trained were all bark and no bite. They had failed in previous missions and now they didn't even have any useful information.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. We will go immediately." The guards disappeared behind him, and Liu Xinqi walked towards the Grand Secretary's residence. A dejected Li Li led his horse over absentmindedly.

Liu Xinqi stepped forward and coldly called out to him as he was about to enter: "Lord Li, please wait."

Li Li looked at Liu Xinqi, who was disguised as an elderly man with gray hair, and a surge of anger rose up again. Was this guy playing him? Why didn't he explain things clearly just now? What was he doing here now?

He turned around impatiently: "What is it?"

"Regarding what just happened, I'd like to cooperate with you." Liu Xinqi felt that this person could be used; he wasn't particularly intelligent, but his feelings for Mu Wanyu were probably genuine.

Li Li hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the servants at the door and left with Liu Xinqi.

"What do you want?" Li Li could tell from Liu Xinqi's words that Yu'er was not kidnapped by him. Then who could it be? He was very annoyed.

"I presume Lord Li is aware of my identity, otherwise he wouldn't have come to me," Liu Xinqi said calmly.

“Yes, I know that Yu’er is secretly seeing you.” He suddenly stopped and glared fiercely at Liu Xinqi beside him. “But no matter what you’re up to, if Yu’er is harmed in the slightest, I will kill you at all costs, no matter who you are.” His gaze was filled with unprecedented power and bloodlust, completely different from the cowardly Li Li of the past.

Liu Xinqi met his gaze, his expression indifferent as if it were none of his business, but inwardly he was somewhat moved, not expecting this man to be so devoted. He suddenly chuckled softly, and Li Li, looking inexplicably annoyed, gritted his teeth, looked away, and clenched his fists.

What exactly do you want to do?

Liu Xinqi whispered a few words in his ear, and Li Li's face turned pale with fright. He pointed at Liu Xinqi with trembling hands and said, "You... I may not have any outstanding talents, but I would never betray my country! Forget about it."

Liu Xinqi revealed a sinister smile: "Lord Li, don't you want to rescue Miss Mu? My spies in the palace tell me that Miss Mu has been captured by your emperor."

Upon hearing this, Li Li shook his head in disbelief: "Impossible, why would the Emperor arrest her? Stop trying to sow discord, I would never betray my country." He turned to leave in anger.

"How can you bear to let your beloved wife, who is frail and pregnant, suffer?" Liu Xinqi asked, his gaze stiffening as he looked at the man's retreating figure.

Li Li stopped in his tracks, stiffly turned around, and slammed his fists hard against the wall beside him, drawing blood and leaving a bloody mess. He cried out in pain, "Are you sure you can get her out of here?"

Liu Xinqi slowly approached him: "Don't worry, my feelings for her are no less than yours."

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