Chapter 149 Imprisonment
The convoy drove onto the official road in a mighty manner.
Hongju leaned out of the car window and glanced back, her tone very excited: "Miss, His Highness is still at the archway!"
Hearing this, Song Lingyi's eyebrows knitted slightly, and she also leaned out to look. She saw a tall figure standing out from the crowd, standing beneath the colorful carved archway, his gaze fixed on this spot. The bright spring light fell on his shoulders, as if coated with a soft glow, like a delicate orchid and a jade tree, unparalleled in the world.
"I feel that His Highness treats you with great care. Despite being busy with state affairs, he still takes time out to give you a farewell banquet, and also gives us servants a treat." Hongqiu sat back in the carriage, smiling particularly brightly.
Song Lingyi turned around and gave her a sidelong glance: "You were bribed with just one meal. You're such a loser."
"Yes, yes, I must be ambitious. Your Highness the Crown Prince is in a high position of power. A meal is nothing to you. Perhaps good things will happen this year. I must follow you..."
"Follow me for what? Don't think too much."
Song Lingyi's face flushed slightly, and she quickly interrupted Hongju's teasing.
The carriage was filled with the laughter of the master and servant.
Under the archway.
Kong Hansheng walked out slowly, looked at the convoy that was moving further and further away, shifted his gaze slightly, looked at the 'Wife-Looking Stone' and smiled.
"If you don't want to let her go, why don't you keep her in Kyoto?" Kong Hansheng really didn't understand. Last year, in order to find her, he almost turned Kyoto and even the nearby counties upside down. After finally finding her, he let her leave Kyoto.
Due to the delay in going back and forth, it will take a long time for the marriage to take place.
"What do you know?" Xiao Mingyi retracted his gaze and said in a deep voice, "Pushing too hard will only backfire."
Kong Hansheng was suddenly surprised.
When a man has not been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes. It was unexpected that before this, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who knew nothing about love, had already started to tell him how to pursue a wife, and it seemed that he had quite some experience.
"Huaizhou City is so far away, yet so close to Danyang County. Are you really at ease?"
Xiao Mingyi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he glanced at him meaningfully, with a deep smile on his lips.
“…”Something’s wrong.
Kong Hansheng narrowed his eyes and was about to ask in detail when he heard the sound of horse hooves coming from behind the archway. Looking back, he saw a group of strong men in tight clothes and swords riding horses and stopping in front of Xiao Mingyi.
"Your Highness, we will set out immediately to escort Miss Song to Huaizhou City."
Kong Hansheng raised an eyebrow. So that's where his thoughts were.
"Go, if there is anything, please send a message in time and make sure to escort the person to Huaizhou City safely." Xiao Mingyi said.
"yes!"
At the command, this elite cavalry of more than ten people was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath. They whipped their horses and escorted the Duke's convoy at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
…
As the sun sets, the convoy arrives at the post station.
This post station is located at the foot of the mountain, with a few households scattered around it. Inside, there is only a two-story main building and a stable, which is simple but tidy.
The elite cavalry did not enter the post station, but instead camped in a nearby forest. The post station's courtyard was not spacious enough to accommodate all the carriages, so the Duke's guards could only take turns guarding the gate.
When it is time to light the lamps, lights are lit everywhere in the post station, and you can still hear the croaking of frogs and the chirping of birds in the spring night.
Hongju was afraid that her daughter would not sleep well, so she took out some calming incense from the cart. When she returned to the second floor, she found the door of the room was closed. She knocked for a long time but there was no response.
Knock knock knock——
"girl?"
The second-floor corridor was dimly lit by candlelight, and the lattice window at the end was wide open, letting in a cool breeze. Hongqiu had a vague feeling of foreboding.
Upon hearing the noise, several servants went upstairs to inquire about the situation. Seeing that no one answered from inside the house, they discussed and decided to break the door forcibly.
The door of the room was very strong. The two servants knocked on it four or five times before they managed to force it open.
Bang--
The noise of breaking the door was so loud that it spread into the forest.
The strong men sitting around the campfire stood up one after another, their eyes fixed on the post station outside the forest.
"Go and have a look."
A middle-aged man with a beard spoke, and then picked out a young and smart subordinate and asked him to go to the post station to investigate.
The post station was in chaos at this time.
The room on the second floor was empty, and there was no trace of Song Lingyi.
Hongju quickly emerged from behind the screen and said anxiously, "The luggage is still there, where can the young lady go?"
"Maybe he went out for a walk?"
"Impossible. I was in the lobby the whole time and didn't see the girl leave."
"Could it be possible that we encountered bandits?"
"I've been at the post station for decades, and I've never heard of any bandits nearby!"
Listening to everyone's chatter, Hong Ju's heart was in turmoil. She shouted, "Stop arguing! We just left Beijing and you've already lost the girl. How am I going to explain this to the emperor when we get back? Go find her now!"
Everyone immediately scattered and searched around the post station.
The young man who had been gathering information quickly returned to the forest, looking a little panicked: "Oh no! Miss Song is missing!"
The bearded man's eyes narrowed. "From the time they checked in to the time they disappeared, it only took an hour. The person who kidnapped Miss Song must not have gone far. Send a message back to the capital first. Second Brother, go to Yunhe Ferry immediately to mobilize more people. The rest of you, come with me to search."
Happy rain on a spring night.
The night rain fell heavily, and puddles of various sizes soon formed on the official road.
Not far from the post station stood a mountainside courtyard, surrounded by high red walls. Within the courtyard were numerous flowers and trees, including jasmine, jasmine, cinnamon, and hibiscus, along with a large grove of weeping crabapple trees, whose fragrance drifted in the breeze. Of the other courtyards, only the main courtyard was lit.
The rain hit the window frame, making a creaking sound.
The girl on the couch moved her fingertips slightly, and after a while, she slowly opened her heavy eyelids, and a chill ran down her spine and into her heart.
The first thing that caught my eye was a golden cage, hanging down from the beams of the room, enclosing all the furniture and blocking out the doors and windows. The room was large, and even with the golden cage inside, there was still plenty of room to move around.
Song Lingyi blinked very slowly, and after her thoughts came to her senses, she immediately sat up, with countless questions popping up in her mind:
Where is this?
What about Hongqi and the others?
How could she sleep here?
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She even had a headache. She sat cross-legged on the couch, rubbing her brows, and all kinds of emotions surged in her chest like raging waves.
In the past, she always talked about "canary" in movies and TV dramas, but she never expected that she would be able to experience a real canary in her lifetime.
There are so many guards in the post station, and there are not many people who can accomplish this task without anyone noticing, but it is definitely not Xiao Mingyi.
If Xiao Mingyi had such intentions, there would be no need to give her a farewell party. It would have been much easier to stop the convoy at Yunhe Ferry. Furthermore, with his methods, the Duke's Mansion would likely remain undetected for a long time.
Who could it be?
Thinking of this, Song Lingyi got up from the bed, walked to the golden cage, grabbed the golden railing and slapped it hard.
"Hello!"
"Is there anyone here?!"
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