Chapter 111 The maid was captured

When Ji Shu will be found is still unknown, not to mention whether she is alive or dead.

If the wedding is held as scheduled, but the bride is not present, wouldn't the Pei family become a laughing stock in the whole world?

Pei Yanzhi put down his bowl and chopsticks, slightly raised his eyelids and glanced sideways at the window, his voice devoid of emotion: "Mother, the wedding will proceed as planned."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Changming's voice rang out from outside, urgent: "My lord, there's news! There's news!"

Zhang Zi, who had been expressionless just moments before, seemed to suddenly come alive. He turned his head and whispered to Madam Pei, "Mother, please have your meal first. I'll go out for a bit!"

Without waiting for Madam Pei's reaction, he stood up and strode to lift the beaded curtain. The curtain made a crisp, rapid clanging sound, and his figure disappeared outside the door.

Madam Pei and Granny Chang were left looking at each other, both of them seeing surprise and doubt.

Upon reaching the man, Lu Changming took something out of his sleeve, bowed, and handed it to him, saying, "My lord, the secret guards who were stationed at the various pawnshops have sent word that they have discovered this item."

Pei Yanzhi took it, looked closely, and his heart skipped a beat. An overwhelming joy surged through him. It was her earring.

He personally selected a pair of gold and jade earrings for her from his private treasury, feeling that the jade color suited her best at the time.

Thinking of this, he asked in a deep voice, "Where was it found? Who pawned it?"

Lu Changming immediately said, "The secret guards have been following them all the way, and news should be coming soon."

"However, that person was a woman!"

Pei Yanzhi slowly sat down on the stone chair in the pavilion. His mood was a mix of heaven and hell.

It remains to be seen what news awaits him next.

Within half an hour, news came back again.

Lu Changming listened carefully, a look of surprise flashing across his face, which he quickly concealed. Pei Yanzhi, meanwhile, was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.

The anxiety of the past few days had kept him awake for several days, his eyes were bloodshot, and his brows were furrowed with exhaustion.

Upon hearing the noise, Pei Yanzhi suddenly opened his eyes, his hawk-like gaze no longer showing any sign of drowsiness.

Lu Changming dismissed the guards. At this moment, Wu Yang also received the news and rushed back from outside, with the maid who had gone to the pawnshop behind him.

The two waited quietly to the side. The maid was Qing'er. She had gone to the largest pawnshop in Yang County at noon as instructed by the madam.

After signing the death pact, he wanted to return to the manor, but before he even reached the manor, he was knocked unconscious on the way and brought here.

Pei Yanzhi narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Qing'er, who was kneeling and trembling.

"Is this the person who was her possession?"

When the man sitting at the head of the table asked a question, Qing'er, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled even more violently.

Wu Yang recounted the events truthfully: "When I arrived, I interrogated her severely. She was a maidservant of Wei Langjun's concubine. She was ordered by her master to pawn this item."

"The Wei family residence?" Pei Yanzhi's expression changed drastically. He had planned everything, but he never expected that Ji Shu would be hidden in the Wei family mansion, which was only five miles away from the Pei family residence!

He searched almost the entire Yang County from top to bottom, but couldn't find any trace of her. It turned out she was in the Wei family.

He raised his hand, impatiently interrupting Wu Yang, "That's not what I want to hear. Where are they?"

Wu Yang's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and grabbed Qing'er's arm tightly, demanding sharply, "Speak! Where is Madam Ji? Since you took her things, why are you nowhere to be seen?"

Qing'er screamed in pain, her forehead beaded with cold sweat. "This servant... doesn't know the Lady Ji you're talking about. This is what my mistress told me to do."

She felt the force on her arm getting heavier and heavier, almost crushing her bones, and she was in so much pain that she almost fainted.

She gritted her teeth and said, "A few days ago... Madam did see a woman, but I don't know if she is the person you are looking for!"

Upon hearing this, the restraints on her arm suddenly disappeared. Qing'er collapsed to the ground, clutching her throbbing arm. Even if it wasn't broken, it was probably dislocated.

Upon learning that Ji Shu was imprisoned in the Wei residence, Pei Yanzhi could no longer contain his raging anger and kicked over the stone bench.

He paced anxiously for a few steps, then suddenly turned around, his cold and gloomy gaze looking down at Qing'er: "I ask you, is she injured?"

"Did Wei Ziming kidnap her?"

Qing'er looked at the anger in the man's eyes with trepidation, though she tried her best to restrain herself, even for a moment.

If you conceal even the slightest thing, what awaits you is utter ruin, perhaps a thousand times worse than death.

"Yes...Young Master, the Young Master somehow forced that woman here and locked her in the Wei family's library..."

"Wei Ziming! Good, very good!"

Pei Yanzhi's neck veins bulged. He knew about the Wei family library all too well; he had even visited it with his grandfather when he was young.

Even from his vantage point, he could see a corner of the suspended eaves of the Wei family library. The person he worried about day and night was imprisoned in such a nearby place.

The hatred burning in his heart made his internal organs ache.

"Wei Ziming, you have some nerve!"

He strode out and sternly ordered, "Send men to surround the entire Wei family. Not even a fly is allowed to escape!" His words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Wu Yang and Lu Changming exchanged a glance and accepted the order in unison, thinking to themselves: I'm afraid it's going to be another bloody battle. Of all people to take a fancy to, why does this young master of the Wei family have to mess with the powerful?

Such audacity is truly unheard of.

The Wei residence is five miles away.

Wei Ziming leaned back in his recliner, with fruits and melons on the table. Geng Er stepped forward and reported, "My lord, Geng Da is back!"

A hint of interest flashed in his eyes, and he waved for Geng Da to come in.

After entering, Geng Da bowed and said, "My lord, the matter you asked me to investigate has yielded some results."

Wei Ziming said with great interest, "Oh, tell me about it!"

“While I was in Chongzhou these past few days investigating the Marquis of Yan’s affairs, I discovered that Prince Pei was also in Chongzhou. However, I noticed that the Prince looked quite worried, which suggests that things are not going well for him.”

"In addition, I have also found out that Marquis Yan and that woman seem to have known each other since their time in Chongzhou, but the woman seemed rather unwilling."

"It seems that the Marquis of Yan forcibly brought him back to Yanzhou."

Wei Ziming had already guessed this outcome, but after it was confirmed, he couldn't help feeling a little depressed. However, when he heard that Pei Xingjian was also in Chongzhou, he asked, "Didn't he notice anything unusual?"

He then muttered to himself, "Could it be that Marquis Yan deliberately sent him away? That's interesting."

Thinking that this month was originally supposed to be the wedding day of Marquis Yan and Ji Shu, but now that she was in his hands, Wei Ziming couldn't help but feel a little smug.

Once this storm has passed, Ji Shu's thorns will be completely removed, and then she'll be at his disposal.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave."

Geng Da bowed his head and withdrew.

At this moment, Wei Ziming was unaware that his self-righteous cleverness was dragging the entire Wei family into utter ruin.

He closed his eyes, completely at ease, unaware that the entire mansion was surrounded.