Seeing her anxious expression, her grandmother frowned slightly: "Xiaoxi, what's wrong? You look so flustered, has something happened?"
Li Xi took a deep breath and told her grandmother the whole story in detail.
After listening to Li Xi's account, the grandmother's expression became serious.
She pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Xiaoxi, this matter is of utmost importance. The purpose of those people is unclear, and we must proceed with caution."
“Grandmother, I know,” Li Xi said urgently. “I just want to find Lan’er as soon as possible and make sure she is safe.”
Grandmother nodded, then turned to her grandfather beside her and said, "Old man, let's have beggar's chicken tonight. Xiaoxi and I have to go out for a bit."
Wan Yue smiled and nodded at the grandfather and grandson: "Alright, be careful in everything you do."
Just then, the Empress Dowager arrived.
"Xiao Xi, is there any news about Lan'er?" the Empress Dowager asked urgently.
Last night, Lan'er was kidnapped after getting off the carriage, but she was escorted back to Prince An's mansion.
But he couldn't find peace in his heart, so he rushed back to the palace that very night.
The retired emperor and the emperor were discussing state affairs when they heard what the empress dowager said, and their expressions immediately became serious.
"I never expected that someone would dare to openly snatch someone away in front of Empress Dowager Jingyuan," the emperor said in a deep voice, his tone revealing a hint of anger.
But why was it Meng Zhelan who was kidnapped? Logically speaking, she had no power or influence, and was not a member of the royal family.
Could it be because of her medical skills?
The Emperor Emeritus frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "This matter is of utmost importance. We must find out the truth and locate Meng Zhelan."
He raised his head and looked at Emperor Wenyuan. "Your Majesty, you must immediately order the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to investigate this matter thoroughly."
The emperor nodded in agreement and immediately gave the order.
The Empress Dowager stood to the side, her heart churning with turmoil: "This matter must not be known to others. If the news of Lan'er's abduction were to leak out, it would be bad for her reputation, after all, she is a young lady."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I understand. You should go and rest now."
After much deliberation, the Empress Dowager went to Prince An's residence the next day, but Qi Yu was out and had not yet returned.
She turned around and went to Tingfeng Courtyard.
Meng Zhelan's absence all night naturally alerted Meng Zhong.
He was extremely anxious and did not hesitate to tell his servant to immediately ask the Imperial Physician for leave.
At this moment, he was extremely anxious: "Xiaoxi, how could Lan'er have been kidnapped so suddenly? What exactly happened?"
Meng Zhong's anxiety was palpable. He clenched his fists and paced back and forth in the hall, his eyes filled with worry and confusion.
"Godfather, don't worry," Meng Zexi comforted him softly. "I was just about to go out with my grandmother. We'll go see Brother Feng later. He has a wide network of connections, so I'm sure we'll get news of Lan'er soon."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhong calmed down somewhat.
He nodded, sat back in his chair, and said in a deep voice, "Xiaoxi, you're right. We can't panic, we need to think calmly... It must have been done by the group that captured me before; they've been looking for a master alchemist."
Li Xi also remembered this matter. "Godfather, you stay at home and wait for news. We're going out for a while."
After the two went to the Duke's Mansion to find Qin Xiaolin, they rode the golden eagle towards the direction of Yinxian Manor.
Yinxian Manor is located on a beautiful mountain peak between Mu City and Yun City.
The entire resort is built against the mountain, with its buildings arranged in a staggered and orderly manner, like a bright pearl inlaid among the green hills and clear waters.
Golden eagles spread their wings and soared high, skimming across the blue sky and white clouds.
Soon after, they saw the outline of Yinxian Manor in the distance.
The manor's gate stands majestically, with a huge golden plaque hanging above it, bearing the four characters "Hidden Sage Manor" in powerful and imposing strokes.
The golden eagle slowly landed on the deserted open space of the mountain villa.
The villa was lush with green trees, fragrant with flowers, with babbling brooks and birdsong, making it feel like a paradise on earth.
They walked along the cobblestone path deeper into the mountain village.
Qin Xiaolin put on a mask and encountered many disciples and servants of the manor along the way. They all bowed and greeted him when they saw him.
The main hall is spacious and bright, with carved beams and painted rafters, and is magnificent.
The three entered the hall and saw a masked man sitting in the main seat, sipping tea with an upright posture.
Upon seeing Qin Xiaolin, he immediately stood up and stepped forward, respectfully saying, "Master of the Manor."
Qin Xiaolin nodded slightly, then turned around and introduced the two people beside him: "This is Chu Liang, the deputy master of our manor, who is in charge of the daily affairs of the manor."
The two were of similar build, and he usually played the role of Feng Monian at the villa.
After all, Qin Xiaolin was sometimes too busy to be in two places at once, so in order to avoid arousing suspicion, he had to have Chu Yuan impersonate him.
Upon hearing this, Chu Liang stood up, bowed to the other two, and said in a steady and powerful voice, "I am Chu Liang, it is a pleasure to meet you all."
"Let Hongyu come over." Qin Xiaolin sat in the main seat and gestured for Li Xi and Hong Gu to sit down as well.
A moment later, a woman dressed in red strode into the hall. She had a beautiful face and her eyes sparkled with a lively light; it was Hong Yu. Upon seeing Qin Xiaolin and the others, she immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Master, Hong Yu is late. Please punish me."
Qin Xiaolin waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to be so polite. "Has the Red Lotus Sect been making any unusual moves lately?"
Hongyu immediately suppressed his playful expression and said seriously, "Reporting to the Master, the Red Lotus Sect has indeed been acting rather strangely lately. They seem to have intensified their activities in the martial arts world, not only recruiting new followers in various places but also frequently clashing with other sects."
According to information from our informants within the Red Lotus Sect, they seem to be preparing some major plan, but we haven't yet found out the specifics.
"Have they been recruiting doctors everywhere?" He remembered what Xiaoxi had just told him.
Hongyu was taken aback upon hearing this, and after a moment of thought, shook her head. "Master, we haven't received any information about recruiting physicians. The Red Lotus Sect has always expanded its power through force. Moreover, there are rumors that they have a strange and eccentric physician in their sect, whose poisons are said to be incurable."
However, this doesn't mean they won't suddenly change their strategy. I will immediately intensify intelligence gathering and find out the truth as soon as possible.
"Go and get back to work. While you're at it, call Yang An over."
Li Xi and Hong Gu sat silently to one side.
Meng Zhelan had already given up struggling.
She didn't know where she was; she only remembered riding in a carriage, being blindfolded when she got off, and then being taken to a very secluded mountain forest.
At first, she felt terrified and worried, after all, she had fallen into the hands of strangers and her life was uncertain.
However, as time went on, she gradually realized that these people didn't seem to have any intention of harming her, which relieved her somewhat. She just didn't know what their purpose was.
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