Subsequently, Lin Yong also arrived and discussed the specific details of the rescue in detail.
He naturally supported the Sword Guard's act of disguising themselves as government officials, and carefully analyzed, "The key to this plan lies in the timing and location of the arson. We must ensure that it causes a large enough disturbance, but at the same time, we cannot expose our intentions too early."
"In addition, those who are disguised as government officials must pay extra attention to their clothing and behavior, and must not give themselves away. I will have my men demonstrate this for you."
Su An paced back and forth, clutching his hands, still feeling a vague sense of unease as he watched the scene unfold.
Is it really that easy to deal with a scumbag boyfriend who won't stop harassing you?
As night fell, darkness descended.
The plan proceeded smoothly. Under Lin Yong's leadership, the sword guards disguised themselves as yamen runners and used the pretext of a fire to attract attention in the suburbs.
Like black shadows, the guards stealthily made their way to the courtyard where Li Guihua was imprisoned under the cover of night.
Su An watched the guards set off, unable to sit still any longer. He quickly turned to Fu Zhun and said, "I'm going too. I'm really worried about Mother. If anything happens, I can help out."
He Cheng wanted to deal with her; if all else failed, he could use her as a hostage in exchange.
But Fu Zhun looked at her seriously for a moment and said, "No, you have no martial arts skills. This trip is too dangerous. If something happens to you, how can I explain it to your mother, and how can I explain it to myself?"
Su An wanted to speak, but the guards had already quickly slipped inside and disappeared into the night.
Helpless, they could only wait with Fu Zhun not far behind the courtyard for the guards to return after rescuing the people.
However, after An Yi led the way and successfully infiltrated the seemingly heavily guarded mansion according to plan, they were surprised to find that the house was empty.
Li Guihua, who was supposed to be imprisoned here, was nowhere to be found. Only an empty room and some messy ropes remained, and even the defenses had been completely removed!
An Yi sensed something was wrong and quickly ordered his men to search the surrounding area. They searched every corner but found no trace of Li Guihua's departure.
"Go back and report to the Prince immediately!"
at the same time.
At the clinic, the peaceful night was shattered by a sudden burst of gunfire and swordplay as a group of guards quickly surrounded and stormed into the clinic.
Su Jiang's three children were huddled together for warmth in the clinic while waiting for news. Before they could even see clearly, they were grabbed by several figures, their mouths covered, and they were forcibly abducted.
Unable to hold out against the enemy, An Si had no choice but to grit his teeth and quickly slip away to find Fu Zhun.
"Your Highness, Miss Su, the clinic has been attacked. My men couldn't hold them off, and the three children have been captured!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhun's face suddenly turned cold, and he gripped the armrests tightly with both hands: "A diversionary tactic, deserving of death!"
Su An was struck dumb, standing there frozen, his face drained of all color.
"How could this happen! Children..." Su An's voice involuntarily turned to tears, filled with self-blame and remorse, and her figure staggered.
She had been feeling uneasy all along! She should have realized it sooner; how many despicable tricks had He Cheng, that treacherous and cunning man, used before?
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to sit up and go back.
"Xiao An, calm down—!"
Before Fu Zhun could finish speaking, a loud commotion suddenly came from the courtyard ahead, and a dozen figures could be vaguely seen walking out in the darkness.
Among them, He Cheng's figure slowly emerged from the darkness. Beside him, Li Guihua, tightly bound with ropes and her mouth gagged, sobbed angrily and anxiously.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Mudan, holding Su Jiang and three other children hostage, also appeared in everyone's sight.
The three children had bloodshot eyes and were also tightly bound and gagged.
"Peony?!" Su An's mind went blank for a moment. "How...how is it you?!"
When Peony saw Su An, a hint of guilt flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness. She clearly shouted, "Su An, as a demoness, you have harmed countless people and committed an unforgivable crime. Quickly confess your crimes and submit to the law!"
Su An's eyes reddened as she stared intently at the peony, unable to believe her ears.
"Peony, are you even human?! How have we, the Su family, treated you? How have our children treated you? And yet you betray us?!"
Su An's pupils constricted and trembled with shock and anger. She never imagined that the one who attacked the clinic and kidnapped the child was this woman she had always considered a sister!
Peony felt a stab in her heart from her gaze, lowered her head slightly, and dared not meet her eyes. She said as calmly as possible, "Su An, I had no choice but to do this."
"This is His Majesty's order. As the leader of the Shadow Guard, I am His Majesty's man and naturally cannot disobey it."
The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, piercing Su An's heart.
Standing to the side, He Cheng saw Su An's pale and swaying appearance and couldn't help but reveal a vicious and triumphant smile on his face, which looked particularly wild and ferocious under the moonlight.
"Su An, you're at your wit's end today. Surrender obediently and stop struggling in vain, so as not to implicate your innocent family!"
After saying that, he suddenly reached out, grabbed Li Guihua's hair, and pulled it back forcefully.
Li Guihua's body was forced to lean back, her eyes flashing with pain and anger, but because her mouth was gagged, she could not make a sound and could only let out a "woo woo" scream.
"Stop!" Su An roared, his eyes instantly turning red.
She bit her lower lip until it bled, staring intently at He Cheng, saying each word clearly: "As long as you release my family, I'll do whatever you want with them!"
"But I want to declare that I am not a witch, nor have I ever done anything heinous! My compromise today is not to submit to the crime of being a witch, but merely a hostage exchange! If you dare to break your promise and harm my family, I will haunt you even as a ghost!"
He Cheng immediately flashed a set of gleaming white teeth and said, "Alright, then you—"
However, Fu Zhun spoke up to stop him: "No!"
He leaned forward slightly in his wheelchair, his dark eyes revealing a chilling murderous intent. "Take a look around. My men have already surrounded this place."
"If you dare to lay a finger on the Su family, you will all be buried with them here today!"
Fu Zhun's voice was deep and cold, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.
He Cheng was startled by the murderous look in that eyes and unconsciously took a small step back.
But he quickly regained his footing, sneered twice, and shouted with a fierce but weak voice, "Fu Zhun, you better not do anything rash. I am acting on His Majesty's orders. If you dare to lay a hand on me, his envoy, His Majesty will certainly not let you off."
"Su An is now regarded as a witch, and His Majesty will surely punish her severely. At that time, even if you are the Prince of Zhenbei and exonerate the witch, you will not be able to protect yourself and the entire Su family!"
This wasn't the first time the other party had invoked the emperor's authority, but these words caused Fu Zhun's facial muscles to twitch slightly, his expression turning ashen, yet he couldn't refute them.
He pursed his lips for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice: "In that case, use me as an exchange to release Su An and the Su family."
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