"An assassin!"
Xiang Song drew his sword and leaped to shield Xiao Jingzhao behind him.
Xiao Jingzhao narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, "They've finally arrived."
Only after hearing his master's calm tone did Xiang Song belatedly realize that the voice was coming from the doorway, not from an assassin.
It's all because he's too worried about the Emperor's safety. Even if Song Yunzhi is ruthless, she wouldn't dare to assassinate him.
There were no yamen runners in the capital, but there were guards outside, and a large group of civil and military officials waiting for news. Just based on the emperor's skills, ordinary people could not get close to him even a little bit.
Xiang Song quickly sheathed his sword and strode to the gate, where he saw an arrow with a piece of paper attached to it, the arrow's fletching still trembling.
"Your Majesty, it's a letter." Xiang Song dropped the arrow and presented the letter.
Xiao Jingzhao took the letter and quickly unfolded it.
The letter read:
"If you want your loved ones to live, you'll have to exchange them for two members of my Song family. I've already taken them out of the capital. You send the people I want to the border of Liang, and I'll naturally send your loved ones back. Don't try to pull any tricks, or I'll destroy everything in the process."
The signature was clearly written as Song Yunzhi.
Xiao Jingzhao scoffed, "Hmph! Overestimating themselves, they think they can reclaim the throne just by colluding with the third prince of Liang?"
Upon hearing the news, Prefect Lu and the guards rushed into the main hall. "Your Majesty, where is the assassin?"
The officials came to see the Prefect of Jingzhao, but Xiao Jingzhao had no intention of meeting them. He asked Prefect Lu to go out and explain to everyone what had happened that night.
After asking his questions, Prefect Lu realized that something was wrong in the atmosphere of the main hall. The guards, seeing that the emperor was unharmed, withdrew.
The emperor stared at the tattered piece of paper in his hand with a dark expression, while Xiang Song looked anxious beside him.
Prefect Lu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
“Minister Lu, you’ve come at the right time. Take a look at this. Song Yunzhi said the person has already left the city, but I don’t believe it.” Xiao Jingzhao said, pushing the letter in his hand forward.
While Prefect Lu was reading the letter, Xiang Song also joined in.
He glanced at it quickly and said confidently, "Your Majesty, Song Yunzhi is just putting up a smokescreen to cover up the truth. The city guards were personally selected by me. Once the time to close the city gates arrives, absolutely no one will let anyone pass without authorization."
After reading the letter, Prefect Lu shook it and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, this is evidence of Song Yunzhi's crime of murdering the princess. I implore Your Majesty to entrust this case to me."
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly. "Minister Lu, please keep this letter for now. There's still no news. Could it be that she has really left the city?"
It is said that concern leads to confusion, and Xiao Jingzhao was restless. He looked at Prefect Lu.
Prefect Lu carefully put away the letter, his expression solemn, and said, "Your Majesty, I have already sent a team to search the Princess's residence. I am certain that she is still in the city."
Xiao Jingzhao rubbed his temples. As time passed, his anxiety grew.
If Song Yunzhi cannot be found before dawn, closing the city gates is not a long-term solution.
"Minister Lu, please read aloud the places you have searched. I will check if there are any places I have not found."
Xiao Jingzhao composed himself and looked at the city defense map again.
Prefect Lu cleared his throat and began to read out the places he had inspected one by one.
"Restaurants, inns, residences, vacant houses, woodlands, wastelands..."
Xiao Jingzhao's gaze moved quickly across the city defense map, and when Prefect Lu mentioned the wasteland...
He looked up. "Does the wasteland include the lakeside in the city?"
Prefect Lu paused for a moment, then nodded and shook his head.
Seeing that Prefect Lu's expression was unusual, Xiao Jingzhao asked, "What does Minister Lu mean by this?"
"Your Majesty, I seem to have overlooked the lake. The local people by the lake are releasing lanterns. The officials have already checked them all. The pleasure boats on the lake are all the families of my colleagues enjoying the lake and the moon. It was my oversight."
"How big is that lake?" Xiao Jingzhao asked, looking up as he noticed the numbers on the city defense map were somewhat blurry.
Prefect Lu swallowed hard. "The largest lake in the capital is Lianwu Lake, which is more than twice the size of the entire imperial palace."
He paused and then said, "At night, fog rises from the lake, resembling a lotus flower, hence the name Lotus Fog Lake."
Xiao Jingzhao slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Guards, I will personally lead a team to investigate."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! The enemy is in the shadows, while we are in the open. What if someone shoots an arrow from the shadows..."
"Sir, someone outside has come to provide clues."
The report from outside interrupted Prefect Lu's words.
"Stop arguing, let me in to see the Emperor. My master has discovered the villain's hiding place."
It was Qiuju's voice. Xiao Jingzhao rushed towards the palace gate.
Qiu Ju and another unfamiliar woman rushed in despite the guards' attempts to stop them.
"Let her go!"
Xiao Jingzhao walked up to Qiuju, suppressing his excitement, and asked, "Miss Qiuju, you just said you discovered the villain's hiding place? Is it still in the capital?"
In her haste, Qiuju forgot to bow and hurriedly replied, "Yes, Lianwu Lake. Miss said that there is fog on the lake at night. The lake is very large and is a natural barrier."
Du Yutong was, after all, a lady from a prominent family, and the rules were ingrained in her very bones.
After Du Yutong finished speaking, she bowed to Xiao Jingzhao and lowered her eyes, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty. Sister Jiang has already gone alone. Please send someone to follow her as soon as possible. Sister Jiang is not available, and I am afraid that she may be in danger."
As soon as Du Yutong finished speaking, she felt a gust of wind brush past her, and when she looked up, the person in front of her had vanished without a trace.
Governor Lu chased after them outside the palace and shouted into the air, "Your humble servant will follow with men!"
Qiu Ju only felt a blur before her eyes, and the Emperor vanished on the spot, followed by another dark shadow passing by.
Seeing Prefect Lu turn around, Du Yutong gave a graceful bow, "Greetings, Uncle Lu. Now that the letter has been delivered, I will take my leave."
Prefect Lu and Du Zhong had a very good relationship; their families were old friends. Of course, he knew Du Yutong.
He gave Du Yutong a thumbs-up and praised her, "My niece is so righteous. Go and tell your father that your uncle has to go first."
The fact that a young lady from a wealthy family would come out late at night to accompany someone to the government office to deliver a message shows that her relationship with the woman she mentioned, Sister Jiang, and the princess was quite special.
"Yes, Uncle Lu, it's important to hurry and save the princess and Sui Sui."
Prefect Lu assumed that the Sui Sui Du Yutong mentioned was a palace maid by the princess's side, and without thinking too much about it, he nodded and hurried away.
...
At this moment, the fog on the lake surface increased, and the distant lights began to become hazy.
At the window above the pleasure boat, a cloth bag the size of a fist was hanging from a rope and slowly lowered down, shaking with each movement.
"Madam, it's foggy. What if the Emperor doesn't believe us and we can't get away tomorrow?"
A window on the floor below was pushed open, and a woman's voice came from inside.
A ray of moonlight shone into the cabin, where Song Yunzhi sat at a table, with her personal maid standing behind her.
Sitting opposite Song Yunzhi was the man who called himself the leader of the Qingyi Sect. Behind him stood several men dressed in ordinary silk clothes. Through the dim moonlight, one could see the greed in their eyes.
"What's the panic? He's in my hands, what can he do to me?" Song Yunzhi said dismissively.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, and a strange fragrance lingered around my nose.
Song Yunzhi jumped to her feet. "What's that smell?"
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