"I have nothing to say."
Li Nian heard her still saying this and gave up asking any further questions helplessly.
She looked at Xiaohong and said, "Take her out through the secret passage. Sisi and I will stay behind to cover your retreat."
Li Sisi added, "Take her to the mountain behind the temple in the western suburbs. There's someone waiting for her in the woods."
Just as he finished speaking, someone knocked hard on the door.
Li Sisi urged: "Hurry up! If anything unexpected happens, take her and flee all the way to the northwest."
"Yes!" Xiaohong looked at Li Nian worriedly. "Madam, you must be careful. I'll hand her over to the contact and come back to you immediately."
After saying that, Xiaohong immediately dragged Wen Luoxin towards the master bedroom.
At the same time, the knocking on the door stopped abruptly, followed by a loud "bang!"
The door was violently kicked open from the outside.
Qi He rushed in aggressively with several guards. His cold eyes first looked around and then fixed on the two men.
He asked coldly, "Where is Wen Luoxin? Where did you hide her?"
Li Nian raised his voice and asked, "General Qi, this is a strange question. Isn't Wen Luoxin your wife? Why did you come to us and ask for her?"
Qi He's eyes glared. "There's no need to play dumb. The Xiao and Qi families have always been on good terms. I advise the two ladies not to ruin the relationship between the two families because of irrelevant people."
Li Sisi shouted, "We said no, and that's it!"
Qi He sneered and waved his sleeves: "Search!"
The guards behind him immediately dispersed.
Li Nian opened his arms to stop him: "General Qi, you've trespassed into our house. Do you think my mansion is deserted?"
“Get out of the way!”
Qi He's arm swept across without any hesitation, and Li Nian was caught off guard and was knocked against the stone table beside him by his rough force.
Li Sisi quickly rushed over to support her, looking at her waist with concern: "Are you okay?" As she said that, she put her hand on her waist.
Li Nian held his waist: "It's nothing serious."
Li Sisi supported Li Nian with both hands and glared at the culprit: "Qi He! Do you really think we're easy to bully? You can search us, but bring out the search warrant!"
Qi He sneered, completely ignoring her attitude.
"This general personally witnessed a suspicious individual enter your courtyard. The enemy's spies have been rampant in recent days. To protect the safety of the capital, and to safeguard the reputation of the two ladies and the Marquis Xiao's mansion, this general advises the two ladies to cooperate with the search."
Having said this, he strode towards the two of them, his scrutinizing gaze moving back and forth between them.
"The two ladies left their spacious and comfortable beds in the Marquis' Mansion and came to this desolate house in the west of the city. Are they doing something shameful?"
Li Nian's expression was cold: "General, be careful with your words!"
Li Sisi protected Li Nian behind her, straightened her body and met Qi He's scrutinizing gaze, saying bluntly, "This is our private matter, it has nothing to do with you... What's it?"
Li Nian walked over to stand beside Li Sisi and explained, "I'm usually out checking accounts, and for convenience, I just found this quiet house to stay for two days."
She paused and asked, "General Qi, why are you so concerned about our whereabouts?"
Qi He pressed the issue, "General, I was just asking casually. Madam, you chose the right time to rest somewhere else these past two days?"
Li Nian asked back, "Why can't it be two days? Is there something special going on during these two days?"
Before he finished speaking, a scream suddenly came from the inner room.
A guard emerged from the master bedroom, clasped his fists, and respectfully said, "General, we discovered a stone slab flipped up under the bed in the master bedroom, revealing a dark secret passage."
"Madam, what else do you have to say?" Qi He's face changed when he heard this. "You're hiding a secret passage and harboring suspicious individuals. Do you really want this general to equate you with spies from the enemy country?"
He waved his hand, "Come here! Take these two back to the Qi Mansion!"
"Who dares!" Li Sisi took out the sword from her waist, "Qi He! If you dare to touch us sisters today, my husband will definitely kill you in the court tomorrow..."
"What happened?" The voice of the Fourth Prince came.
The hem of his black clothes swept across the door panel that was kicked to pieces by Qi He, and his eyes fell directly on the people in the yard.
Qi He clasped his fists in salute, lowered his head to hide the anger in his eyes, and said respectfully, "Your Highness, the two ladies of the Xiao Mansion have been acting suspiciously. They may have set up a secret passage and are suspected of doing something fishy. I am planning to bring them back to the mansion for a thorough interrogation."
"Just based on a secret passage, you can conclude that the women in the Xiao family are spies?" The Fourth Prince interrupted him, looking at him with displeasure.
"General Qi, have you forgotten that Marquis Xiao is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue? It's perfectly normal for him to need a secret location when auditing accounts. Besides..." He approached slowly, lowering his voice and sneering, "The Xiao Mansion and the Imperial Family are closely connected. By touching them, are you questioning my father's poor management of personnel?"
Qi He's expression suddenly changed, and he swallowed his retort with a rolling sound of his Adam's apple: "I dare not!"
The Fourth Prince snorted and laughed.
At this time, the princess came with several guards.
Her eyes fell directly on Li Nian. Seeing her holding her waist with one hand, she hurried forward and asked, "Niannian, are you injured?"
Li Nian replied, "There was a misunderstanding with General Qi, and I fell during the argument."
Li Sisi said indignantly, "It was Qi He who pushed me! I think he did it on purpose!"
Hearing this, the princess looked at Qi He with anger in her eyes.
His tone was slightly cold: "General Qi is really so powerful now. Do you think the women of Marquis Xiao's mansion can be bullied at will?"
Qi He was extremely angry, but in front of the two princes and princess, he could only swallow his anger.
"It was my carelessness that caused me to injure Madam. I beg your forgiveness."
Li Nian said coldly, "Since this is a misunderstanding, please General Qi, take your people out of my house."
Qi He was silent for a long time, thinking again and again.
Wen Luoxin’s matter cannot be made a big deal for the time being. Qi He cannot afford to lose face like this!
Although he was extremely reluctant, Qi He had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it, and leave with his men.
The people brought by the princess were assigned to repair the gate.
The Fourth Prince came to the entrance of the secret passage discovered by Qi He's men and ordered his men to go down and investigate.
The princess was worried about Li Nian's injuries and said softly, "Let me see how you are. Do you want to ask a doctor to take a look?"
Li Nian's attention was focused on the secret passage.
Qi He had already been sent away, but the Fourth Prince came again.
What kind of thing happened that made Qi He and the Fourth Prince pay attention to Wen Luoxin's whereabouts?
"Nian Nian? Nian Nian?"
"Ah?" Li Nian's thoughts were brought back to reality by the princess's repeated calls. "What's wrong?"
"Let me see your injury?" asked the princess.
Li Nian shook his head: "It's just a bump, I'll just apply some medicine when I get home."
Feeling the princess's concerned gaze, he saw that the Fourth Prince's men had already gone down and said secretly.
Li Nian suddenly knelt down on his knees in front of the princess.
The princess was startled: "Niannian, what are you doing?"
Li Nian's attitude changed from the casual one he usually had when they were together, and he said respectfully, "I have something I would like to ask for your help, Princess."
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