59. Pearl

◎The feeling of losing and regaining◎

Chapter 59

The people who were doing the action were two strong men. Jiang Qiuye's body's resistance to drugs did not make her faint. She only felt that they tied her hands in front, covered her eyes with a black cloth, and carried her onto the back of a horse.

You Niang said in a panic, "Then I'll leave this little aunt to you. I have to go back to the house quickly to avoid being discovered."

One of the strong men said hello, and You Niang quickly left the place. The strong man saw the little beauty and felt itchy, so he stepped forward and touched Jiang Qiuye's face, which immediately made her feel disgusted.

When she wakes up, I will definitely chop off this man's hand!

Seeing this, another burly man with a rougher voice slapped him and said sternly, "What are you doing? The master hasn't touched it yet, and you want to touch it? Aren't you afraid that the master will chop off your hand?"

"What's the big deal? God, the earth, you and I all know it. It's just a touch." He looked nonchalant, as if he had been stared at by that person for a long time. He could only say, "I know, I know. I won't touch her. The adults are waiting for us. Let's go."

After saying that, the two of them led the horses out of the house.

It is now the end of winter, and the ice and snow are gradually melting. Jiang Qiuye can hear the sound of horses' hooves stepping on the snow and water. Then several people seem to be walking into the mountains and forests, taking a shortcut to avoid the government's open search.

They passed a field of Sedge Grass. The wind was so strong that sand was blown onto their faces, causing some stinging. Then they passed a pond.

It was an hour later when we finally arrived at our destination.

…

At the same time, the secret guards in the mansion suddenly discovered that the aunt had disappeared, and immediately sent someone to inform Tian Qu.

Ji Ci rushed back as soon as he knew about it. As soon as he stepped into the mansion, You Niang came to the main courtyard with her eyes lowered, holding the freshly made osmanthus cake in her hand and a smile on her face.

She deliberately dressed up in the style of her aunt, wearing a lotus-pink silk skirt, a gold hairpin and jade pendant on her head, and she also squeezed her chest hard.

After entering the main courtyard, she raised her eyes, squinted at Ji Ci, and said delicately: "Young Master..."

"Someone come here--" Ji Ci was looking at the note left by Jiang Qiuye, his fingertips trembling, and he looked at You Niang with anger and coldness in his eyes.

You Niang suddenly felt a chill invade her whole body. She was unable to move and stammered, "Young Master?"

Tian Qu rushed into the main courtyard. Before he could salute, Ji Ci shouted, "Lock this woman up and send two men to watch her! Immediately send all the remaining guards to go find her with me!"

"yes!"

Ji Ci withdrew his gaze from You Niang, crumpled the paper in his hand into a ball, and rushed out of the main courtyard. Then a large group of guards followed his steps and went out in an orderly manner.

You Niang lost all her strength in an instant, collapsed to the ground, and the osmanthus cake shattered to the ground.

It was easy for them to find the dilapidated house they had just started from, but after leaving that house, they had no idea where Jiang Qiuye had gone. Ji Ci was anxious and angry, and he had everyone search everywhere for any clues.

After a while, a guard came forward and clasped his fists, saying, "Your Highness, I found this item on the way to the back forest."

Ji Ci took it from the guard and saw that it was a pink pearl. He remembered that when he first entered Huaixi, he bought all the pink pearls in a jewelry store, a total of about 300.

This stupid woman!

He raised his head and said sternly, "Follow the direction of the pearl and continue searching!"

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

…

The sturdy man dragged Jiang Qiuye off the horse and carried her on his shoulders into the house. The room seemed very spacious, with voices echoing, a strong aphrodisiac fragrance wafting in, and the sound of gurgling water.

The strong man lifted the bead curtain, placed Jiang Qiuye directly in a shallow pool of warm water, and then knelt down.

"Your servant greets you, sir. This is the young aunt of Ning Jiu's family."

There was no sound for a long time, until the bead curtain on the other side was forcefully opened. The man walked closer and seemed to be squatting in front of her to observe her carefully. A heavy breath was felt on her cheek.

After a moment's silence, he suddenly burst into laughter and clapped his hands, saying, "Good! Good! Good! This is truly a stunning beauty, a top-notch item. It's a pity she's not a virgin, but it's truly rare to see someone like her."

He stood up and turned around towards Jiang Qiuye twice, splashing water everywhere, landing on her face and hair.

"Reward! You two, and that County Magistrate Liu! Reward them all!"

The two strong men immediately smiled at each other and said happily, "Thank you for the reward, sir."

"Then I will withdraw and not disturb your pleasure."

"Go ahead, go ahead. Wait, go to the back and pick out some top-quality goods. I want to share them with you."

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, don't forget to feed the medicine before bringing it back." The man paced back and forth excitedly, seeming to be impatient.

There was another sound of leaving footsteps. The two strong men left the house, probably to take away the high-quality goods that the man mentioned.

Jiang Qiuye pretended to have just woken up, coughed a few times, and then slowly sat up with some difficulty.

Seeing this, the man immediately stepped forward and removed the black cloth covering her eyes. Only then could Jiang Qiuye see her surroundings clearly and the man's appearance.

This was an extremely luxurious bedroom, with a glazed ceiling, draped with glazed bead curtains, a giant gilded python statue below, and screens made of golden silk all around. In the center lay a square, shallow, warm pool, with warm water flowing slowly from the mouths of twelve snakes around it, surrounded by mist.

She looked up with a frightened and shy expression, stunned. Although the man was not young, over fifty, he could still see the handsome and heroic spirit of his youth. However, his eyes were really vulgar, and the bright red palace flower on his head obscured the only trace of his heroic spirit.

He squatted down and looked at Jiang Qiuye, without touching her, and said in a carefree manner: "Don't panic, young lady. Come to my place, you can eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks. It's much better than staying with that lowly merchant."

Since he calls himself "this official", he must be a person of higher rank than County Magistrate Liu. Could he be the person behind County Magistrate Liu?

Jiang Qiuye acted as if she had no bones, and trembled as she said, "Who are you? Let me go now. How much money do you want? My young master will definitely give it to you."

He laughed out loud again, shook his head at her, and sighed that this young aunt was indeed simple and naive, no wonder she was deceived. He was not in a hurry. After the batch of high-quality goods arrived, he would play with them in front of this young aunt. He had many tricks.

When she is extremely scared, I will hold her neck in this warm water pool and watch her burst into tears. That is the real pleasure of heaven.

Thinking of this, he could no longer bear the heat in his body.

But why did those two people go away for so long and still not come back?

He was angry, so he lifted the bead curtain and walked out. He stood at the door of the hall, craning his neck to look, and became more and more impatient.

Jiang Qiuye regained her expressionless face. She slowly stood up and, with a slight push, the rope on her hand snapped. She casually wandered around the hall and couldn't help but admire the person who designed it.

Extremely extravagant! Extremely lavish!

She casually picked up a jade ruyi from a table and walked towards the man standing at the palace gate. The man immediately turned around when he heard her footsteps and asked in surprise, "What are you..."

Before he could finish his words, Jiang Qiuye raised his arm and smashed the jade ruyi on his forehead without any emotion. He used 30% of his strength and the jade ruyi shattered and fell to the ground.

The man stared with blood flowing from his forehead, blocking his eyes. He suddenly fell to the ground. Before he fainted, he was still staring at the harmless-looking concubine with disbelief.

Jiang Qiuye clapped her hands and was about to walk out when she heard the sound of horse hooves, and there was more than one. She frowned and immediately hid behind a screen.

When the sound of horse hooves got closer, she quietly stuck her head out. When they got closer, she found that it was Ji Ci who looked a little panicked and was turning his head around to look for her.

I didn’t expect Ji Ci to come here so quickly.

"Ah——" Jiang Qiuye cried out in surprise, and immediately ran down to the bedroom with her wet skirt lifted up.

At the same time, Ji Ci also saw Jiang Qiuye running towards him, and his heart finally relaxed, "Ye'er——"

He squeezed the horse's belly hard and galloped towards her. He dismounted a few feet away from her, ran a few steps, and hugged her tightly in his arms, rubbing her into his body.

The feeling of regaining something that was lost comes naturally.

All around him were his subordinates who were constantly searching everywhere, all with their heads down, wishing they could poke their eyes out.

After holding her for a long time, Ji Ci finally let go of Jiang Qiuye. She was soaking wet, and even her brocade clothes were soaked with water. He looked at Jiang Qiuye, who was like a water ghost. After calming down, he was immediately filled with anger.

He couldn't help but get furious, blurting out, "Are you being stupid again? I scolded you just a few days ago about that Wangyou Tower incident. I think I shouldn't have brought you to Huaixi. You're running around without taking your own safety seriously. Didn't I tell you to stay home and not go anywhere during this period? Why didn't you listen? You knew that Youniang was a spy sent by County Magistrate Liu, and you still dared to go out with her?"

Jiang Qiuye was startled, pursed her lips, blinked her eyes, and looked at him in frustration without saying a word.

"Speak!" Ji Ci became even more angry when he saw this.

"I'm waiting for you to finish scolding me."

“…”

"Brother Jian Xi, are you done scolding me?"

"...I'm done cursing."

He gritted his teeth and didn't even finish scolding his ignorant little wife!

Just looking at her soaking wet, pitiful and weak appearance, how could anyone bear to continue scolding her.

Seeing that he stopped talking, Jiang Qiuye immediately stepped forward and hugged his thin waist flatteringly, saying with a playful smile: "Brother Jian Xi, don't be angry with Ye'er. I also want to help you solve this case quickly. I am not at all guilty, am I?"

Ji Ci took a deep breath and stared at her fiercely: "..."

"Brother Jian Xi." Jiang Qiuye took his hand and shook it gently. Seeing that he didn't respond, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss on the lips.

Ji Ci didn't know what to do with this daring little wife. He couldn't get angry at all and could only swallow his anger. She was completely unaware of the fear that would follow.

Feeling that she was cold all over due to being soaked, he immediately took off his cloak and covered her with it, then picked her up and quickly walked into the bedroom to change her into clean clothes.

The bedroom was warm and moist because of the hot spring water. After finding a clean skirt from the cabinet and throwing it to Jiang Qiuye, he strode away without even looking at her.

Jiang Qiuye had no choice but to slowly put on her new dress and then walk out of the bedroom to look for him.

This man is so angry!

Ji Ci stood at the door of the bedroom and did not leave. When Jiang Qiuye came out, he saw Tian Qu arriving.

"Your Highness." Tian Qu stepped forward and bowed. "Princess Anyang has been found. She is being held captive with other abducted girls."

"I know."

Jiang Qiuye's eyelids twitched, and she immediately asked, "Husband, can I go see those people together?"

Ji Ci didn't expect that she would be interested in this, but he still ignored her and asked Tian to lead the way while he followed to see Princess Anyang.

Seeing that he didn't stop her, Jiang Qiuye shamelessly followed him.

The so-called goods were locked in a warehouse, windowless, dark, and without any charcoal. The entire warehouse was cold, damp, and extremely dark. A group of girls, seemingly around fourteen years old, dressed in identical white clothes, huddled together and shivered.

There was a pretty girl in the corner, hugging her knees tightly. The guards surrounded her in a circle, but no one dared to get close. As soon as they got a step closer, the girl would start crying and making a fuss, not only scratching people but also hurting her own arm.

The guards in the warehouse were helpless and walked towards Ji Ci and the others with a troubled look on their faces: "Your Majesty, Princess Anyang seems to have been greatly upset. No one can get close to her."

Ji Ci looked at the frightened Princess Anyang, frowned, and thought about how to take her away.

"Husband, let me try." Jiang Qiuye stood up and said calmly. Seeing that he had no objection, she walked gently towards Princess Anyang.

As she was about to approach, Princess Anyang began to scream and waved her hands in the air. A ray of light shone on her from the warehouse door, and the dust particles in the air also became restless as she waved her hands.

Jiang Qiuye squatted in front of her, and without stopping, he grabbed her flailing hands, hugged her, and whispered in her ear: "It's all over, Niao Niao."

Niao Niao was Princess Anyang's nickname. She seemed to have regained her sanity and began to cry, biting her lip. Jiang Qiuye did not let her go, but simply said, "Every day in the future will be better than today. Everything is over."

Princess Anyang calmed down completely and just cried silently. She became tired after crying for a while and slowly fell asleep.

Jiang Qiuye turned his head slightly and glanced at the girls in the warehouse. Each of them had a look of fear and anxiety about the future. They were thinly dressed and sat together shivering.

She suddenly thought, if someone had hugged her and said, "It's okay, Ye'er" when she was sold.

Perhaps her whole life would not have been as disgusting to her as it later became.

These girls were luckier than her. They could keep each other warm without having to kill each other or kill their companions who brought them warmth in order to survive. Most importantly, they were redeemed before everything got any worse.

It’s great that there’s still time for everything.

In an instant, she suddenly understood a little about what Ji Ci had been doing and his kindness.

Perhaps it is because there are fewer people with such vicious hearts as her in this world, so that the darkness of the world can be brighter.

Jiang Qiuye slowly stood up, handed Anyang to the guard beside him, and left the warehouse with Ji Ci.

Outside the house, it was early spring after the snow had melted. It was slightly chilly but not biting. The glazed tile roofs were glowing faintly, and the surrounding woods seemed to be sprouting new buds.

As they walked along, Ji Ci glanced at Jiang Qiuye beside him and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What did you talk about with Anyang?"

Jiang Qiuye smiled and glanced back at the awkward man, then said delicately, "I told the princess that her tall, handsome, and brave Ninth Prince is here to pick her up."

Ji Ci couldn't help but look embarrassed, and his ears were a little red. He didn't believe what his smooth-talking wife said. He turned his head away from her and said with as much expression as possible: "What nonsense..."

...The truth.

She looked at the corners of his lips that were slightly raised, and took the opportunity to step forward, took his hand and shook it, "Husband, are you not angry anymore?"

He glanced at her sideways and then immediately looked away, his mouth still stubborn, "When have I ever been angry? Don't slander me. Am I such a petty person?"

She was having trouble holding back her laughter and tried to control it for a long time. Knowing that she needed to give him face in front of her subordinates, she could only nod in agreement with difficulty.

After all this was done, the man who had been knocked unconscious had woken up. The gorgeous flower on his head had been crushed, and his face was covered in blood, making him look utterly miserable. He and his men were all tied up and forced to kneel on the ground.

Ji Ci walked forward, looked at the man coldly, and said sternly, "Bianzhou Governor Gao, how is your plundering business going?"

Governor Gao had no idea that Ji Ci knew his identity, and he couldn't figure out how he had found him. The Lotus Palace was purposely built deep in the mountains, making it impossible for outsiders to find it.

He endured the pain on his forehead and said unwillingly: "How did you find this place?"

Ji Ci didn't answer him. It seemed that when he mentioned this, his eyes were filled with anger again. Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Qiuye said, "I have been awake all the way."

Awake? But even if she was awake, how could this young aunt deliver the message with her eyes blindfolded and her hands tied?

Seeing the doubt in Governor Gao's mind, Ji Ci simply pulled out a purse from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Qiuye, "Your three hundred pearls."

Jiang Qiuye took it with a smile. At the same time, Governor Gao also realized that the concubine had thrown away the pearls on her body all the way, which made the child come here looking for the pearls.

Governor Gao raised his head and stared at Ji Ci, still unconvinced, and shouted, "You little brat from the Ning family, you know I'm the Governor of Bianzhou and you still won't let me go. People shouldn't fight against officials. Believe it or not, I can make your Ning family's life in the whole of Dajin unbearable!"

Ji Ci ignored Governor Gao's words and sneered, "Gao Governor Gao is becoming more and more brazen. He even dared to kidnap Princess Anyang of the Great Jin Dynasty. Your Excellency, don't worry. Just wait until he returns to the capital for trial."

"What Princess Anyang?" He was obviously unaware of this, and he stared and shook his head.

Jiang Qiuye chuckled, hugged Ji Ci's arm and said, "Your Highness, this governor doesn't even know that he has kidnapped Princess Anyang."

Prince?

What prince? Isn't this kid the young master from the Ning family in Jiangnan?

Ji Ci nodded, looked back at Jiang Qiuye, tucked the messy hair behind her ears, and said, "Well, the governor didn't even know that he had kidnapped the Princess of Qi."

Unexpectedly, Ji Ci suddenly imitated her and acted like a prankster. This sudden change caught her off guard.

Governor Gao's face looked as if he had eaten dirt. The Princess of Qi? So the person before him wasn't some young master of the Ning family at all, but Prince Ji Ci of Qi. No wonder he had so many capable guards.

But I don't know what he was thinking about. After a moment, he was no longer afraid but laughed instead.

"Your Highness Prince Qi, is that so? My Lord, there are some things I cannot speak of openly, but I would like to remind you that if you bring some things to light, you will end up hurting yourself."

Ji Ci paused after hearing this, and the hand holding Jiang Qiuye's shoulder unconsciously tightened. Jiang Qiuye turned her head to look at him in pain. But his expression remained unchanged, which made her really confused. She just felt the hand on her shoulder tightening and trembling slightly.

"Husband?"