"Your Highness, the rest of the men have begun searching the mountains." Lu Yi was waiting at the inn when the guards sent by Prince An returned and ordered him to gather his men to begin the search.
"Understood. Report any leads to me immediately." Prince An held Meng Zhelan's medicine box tightly in his hand.
Upon receiving the order, Lu Yi immediately set off to continue searching for Doctor Meng's whereabouts.
Soon after, Da Niu led the young and strong villagers up the mountain to help with the search. "Young Master An, where is Brother Li? We haven't seen him."
Prince An replied, "He went down to rescue people."
Upon hearing this, Da Niu's face showed a look of astonishment. "What? Brother Li is too impulsive. There's no rush to go down after I get the rope."
He quickly tied a secure knot in the rope on the tree, and then carefully slid down the rope.
Meanwhile, others were searching for the missing person in the nearby woods.
Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the damp soil.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of trees and the damp smell of earth, and occasionally the chirping of birds could be heard from afar.
They walked cautiously, afraid of missing any clues.
Da Niu slid down the rope, feeling a little nervous. Although he was a brave man, he couldn't help but feel some fear in the face of such unknown danger. However, thinking of his brother Li's safety, he resolutely continued to slide down.
Below the cliff lay a lush bamboo forest, its leaves rustling softly in the breeze. He lingered nearby for a long time, but still couldn't find Li Xi. Suddenly, the distant clanging of weapons drew his attention.
Da Niu immediately tensed up and cautiously groped his way toward the source of the sound.
He walked through a dense bamboo forest, and suddenly the view opened up before him. The people there seemed to be forging weapons, with half-finished swords and knives placed on anvils.
Da Niu's heart pounded wildly. He dared not alert the enemy, and quietly hid in the bamboo forest to observe.
At this moment, a man who appeared to be the leader stood up, brandishing a hammer and loudly reprimanding his men.
He dared not be careless in the slightest. He tiptoed back to the bottom of the cliff, gripped the rope tightly, and began to carefully climb up. If he were discovered by these people, the consequences would be unimaginable.
When they climbed up, Prince An sat to the side waiting, and told him what he had seen at the bottom of the cliff.
"Young Master An, what should we do now? Should we report this to the authorities?" Although Da Niu grew up in the village, he knew that such behavior was not allowed by the imperial court.
Just then, Lu Yi hurriedly returned, holding something in his hand, and said, "Young Master, is this Doctor Meng's personal belongings?"
Prince An took it and examined it. It turned out to be an exquisite handkerchief with the character "Meng" embroidered on it, clearly belonging to Doctor Meng, whom he had seen before.
That plain blue handkerchief, like her personality, was simple and unpretentious.
"Take me there," he said firmly. Just then, the people who had gone out to search returned one after another. "Da Niu, you lead the villagers back first. I already have some guesses about where Uncle Gu and Doctor Meng are."
Since things had come to this, Da Niu and the others all went down the mountain.
Da Niu had to go take care of Gu Cheng; Old Master Gu hadn't come home, and he was probably worried sick.
“Your Highness, there is a hidden path here, obscured by straw mats, as if it were deliberately concealed.” Lu Yi pointed to the ground, where he had previously found the handkerchief.
Prince An unfolded the geographical map and observed it closely, discovering that the place was not far from the cliff.
The cliff is surrounded by mountains, making it seem like an excellent hiding place.
This led him to suspect that Meng Zhelan had likely been taken away by those people and was hiding in this dangerous place.
Perhaps they were discovered by the other party while gathering herbs on the cliff edge. At this moment, from this angle, the scene on the cliff edge is faintly visible.
He snapped his fingers, and his bodyguards immediately appeared beside him. They were dressed in black, with cold, stern faces, like ghosts.
"Your Highness, what are your orders?" the guards asked in unison.
"Go in along this path and find out what's going on inside. Remember, don't alert them," he whispered the instructions.
The guards nodded, their figures flashing by like ghosts in the wind.
He stood at the crossroads, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Prince An sat on a large rock, his eyes deep and focused, his gaze fixed on the unfolded map.
He ordered, "Lu Yi, give the signal to gather everyone here and await orders."
Meanwhile, Meng Zhelan and Grandpa Gu were imprisoned in an underground dungeon.
They were captured by a group of unidentified people at the edge of a cliff. These people were dressed in ordinary coarse cloth shorts and had rugged appearances.
Taking advantage of their inattention, she left some items as markers, hoping to attract attention and perhaps someone would be able to find them.
She was in a dark and gloomy dungeon, feeling somewhat down. "Uncle Gu, I'm so sorry. I've dragged you into this mess. If I hadn't come here to gather herbs, you wouldn't be in this situation."
Having long since adapted to this harsh environment, Grandpa Gu didn't take it to heart and instead comforted her, "Dr. Meng, you're too kind. You came here because of Cheng'er's illness; we've dragged you down with us."
Meng Zhelan shook her head and said nothing more.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the dungeon; someone was coming.
The cell door was opened, and in the dim light, a strange man came in carrying two bowls of rice.
His face was gloomy, and his gaze swept over the two people in the cell before finally settling on Meng Zhelan, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
He placed one bowl of rice in front of Meng Zhelan and the other in front of the man, then turned and sat down beside him, and then listened to him speak, "What are you two doing at that cliff edge?"
Could it be that they planted those fragrant herbs? Meng Zhelan couldn't help but wonder.
After a moment's thought, she replied, "Brother, to be honest, this old man, my sister, and I are all here looking for medicinal herbs. I am a doctor."
"Indeed, esteemed sir. I am Old Man Gu from Liangshi Village. The reason Doctor Meng came here to collect medicinal herbs is entirely for my grandson's illness. Please forgive any shortcomings in my treatment." Old Man Gu's tone was calm yet firm.
"Gathering herbs?" The man frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over Meng Zhelan.
“Exactly.” Meng Zhelan nodded, her gaze open and fearless as she met the man’s eyes.
The man was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, before turning to the two and saying, "Where did you come from? I'll investigate to see if it's true. If it is, I'll let you go; if not, then..."
The man left after saying that, leaving the two of them staring at each other in bewilderment.
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