The news of Meng Zhelan's disappearance was covered up.
Although the Empress Dowager looked solemn, she remained calm and composed.
She methodically directed everyone in the palace to continue to properly entertain the guests attending the wedding banquet, so as to avoid causing unnecessary panic and chaos.
Upon learning this news, the emperor was furious. This matter was far too serious. If it were to spread, it would not only greatly damage the face of the imperial family, but could also trigger a series of unpredictable and terrible consequences.
However, the emperor knew he could not act impulsively at this moment. He could only suppress his raging anger and secretly order his trusted confidants to find Meng Zhelan's whereabouts as soon as possible.
At the same time, Prince An led his men to search almost every corner of the entire palace.
They meticulously searched every house, every garden, and even the most secluded nooks and crannies.
After a long and thorough investigation, the previous suspicions were finally confirmed—someone had indeed infiltrated the food delivery team and, while everyone was busy, successfully kidnapped Meng Zhelan!
Time passed by, night gradually fell, and the once lively wedding banquet came to an end.
Although the guests had all left, the search for Meng Zhelan continued.
But even after nightfall and the wedding banquet had completely ended, no clues about Meng Zhelan had come forward.
Sweetie felt extremely guilty. If she hadn't left the room, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.
Just when everyone was at a loss, an old servant from the Prince's mansion stepped forward.
The old servant said tremblingly, "Today, I saw a strange face outside the Prince's courtyard, acting suspiciously. I wanted to investigate, but that person drugged me with a strange powder. When I woke up, I heard that the Princess was missing. The powder had a strange fragrance, like the spices used by people from the Western Regions."
Upon hearing what the old servant said, Prince An's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "Those spices from the Western Regions are extremely rare; we're sure we can find some clues."
So he immediately sent people to investigate all the shops in the city that sold goods from the Western Regions.
Sweetie cheered up and went along too.
They arrived at the largest Western Regions trading post, where the owner recalled, "Today, a suspicious person did buy a large quantity of those spices with a strange fragrance. He looked like a thug from some gang. He was dressed in black with a small red flower embroidered on his cuff."
Just as everyone was wondering which faction the symbol belonged to, a mysterious person suddenly delivered a letter.
The letter said that Meng Zhelan was in their hands, and if they wanted to save her, they would have to exchange her for Li Xi!
Prince An was extremely anxious, but Li Xi was currently unconscious, and she was still his father's most valued and capable woman; he would not agree to it...
At this moment, Tian Tian stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I have a solution."
She was about the same height as Li Xi, and conveniently had a face to show for her. All she had to do was disguise herself as Miss Xi and then take the opportunity to rescue Miss Lan.
Chaos reigned inside Tingfeng Courtyard.
Upon hearing the news of Meng Zhelan's abduction, Meng Zhong was so enraged that he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Fortunately, Hongying was there, and after some emergency treatment, Meng Zhongyou slowly woke up.
Meng Zhong was emotional, his eyes filled with pleading and anxiety: "Senior, please save Lan'er, she is my only child, I can't lose her!"
Looking at Meng Zhong's haggard face, Hong Ying felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
She gently patted Meng Zhong's hand and comforted him, "Doctor Meng, don't worry, I have a way to find her. However, in the meantime, I will need to trouble you to take good care of Xiao Xi."
Meng Zhong raised his head and quickly replied, "Please rest assured, Xiao Xi is not only your darling, but also my adopted daughter. I will take good care of her out of both affection and reason."
Last night, Qin Xiaolin said he was going to find a medicinal herb that could wake Xiaoxi.
She also realized that the two men were not ordinary people, but as a mortal, she understood that her abilities were limited.
Therefore, all she could do was silently stay by Xiaoxi's side, constantly monitoring her condition in case of any unexpected situation. Even the slightest change had to be noticed and addressed promptly.
She had Chu Ran bring over the two wolves. Wolves have an exceptionally keen sense of smell and can be used for tracking.
After taking them to Prince An's residence and smelling Meng Zhelan's belongings, the two wolves ran straight out of the city.
Prince An and his men followed on horseback, while Hongying rode a golden eagle to follow from the air.
It was completely dark, and three hours had passed since Meng Zhelan disappeared.
On this chilly night, the wind carried a biting cold, as if even the air itself had frozen.
Looking out at the dark night sky, Meng Zhong felt as if a thousand-pound stone was pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
He turned to look at Li Xi, who was still unconscious on the bed, and then thought of Meng Zhelan, whose whereabouts were still unknown. Overwhelmed with grief, he sighed, "Xiao Xi, you're still not awake, and Lan'er is gone again. What am I supposed to do?"
Ling'er brought in a bowl of ginseng soup. Seeing Meng Zhong standing to the side, she comforted him, "Father, go and rest for a while. I'll watch over Xiao Xi."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhong simply shook his head. How could he possibly let go of such a heavy burden in his heart after just a short rest?
Ling'er felt a pang of sadness: "Godfather, don't worry, Lan'er is a lucky person, she will be alright."
However, despite saying this, Ling'er was actually not confident, as the current situation was far from optimistic.
Just then, Li Xi, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly moved her fingers almost imperceptibly.
But the two people inside were deep in thought and didn't notice her subtle movement at all.
It was late at night, and Ling'er patiently persuaded Meng Zhong to go back to his room to rest, while she stayed here to watch over Xiao Xi.
At this moment, Ling'er stared at Xiaoxi's bloodless face, tears welling up in her eyes.
She stroked Xiaoxi's forehead, every time she saw Xiaoxi injured and unconscious like this, and now Lan'er's whereabouts were unknown...
"Why? Why does Xiaoxi always have to suffer like this?" Ling'er murmured to herself, her voice filled with helplessness and sorrow.
Meng Zhelan didn't know when she fell asleep; she only felt her consciousness becoming increasingly blurred, as if she had fallen into a state of chaos.
In that hazy state, she suddenly felt an unusual heat rising from within her body, as if a fire was burning inside her.
This feeling made her very uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but frown, trying to come to her senses.
She subconsciously looked down and gasped – her left wrist had been cut open, and blood was slowly flowing out.
The wound didn't look deep, but it was still shocking to behold.
In the darkness, the crimson blood, seemingly summoned by some mysterious force, slowly gathered into a thin stream, dripping down her fingers to the ground...
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