Chapter 387 Missing
The perpetrators acted swiftly, clearly having planned it in advance.
Wang Shibalang's mouth was also covered. She stared intently at Princess Taiping, who had been tucked under the arm of the villain. Wang Shibalang knew that only if Princess Taiping lived, and lived well, could she and the Wang family have a chance to reduce their punishment.
But the villains didn't give Wang Shibalang any time. With the unconscious Princess Taiping tucked under his arm, the villains looked around the room and, seeing that all the young girls were under control, raised their hands and made a gesture.
Wang Shibalang reacted quickly and took the opportunity to pull off a bracelet from her right wrist and throw it under the round table in the room. Then she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and immediately lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, the second program on the stage downstairs had just begun. The festive music, combined with the chatter of the people sitting in the lobby watching the performance, created such a noisy environment that no one noticed that someone was missing from the private room on the second floor.
As for Princess Taiping's guards, they had long been sent to their deaths by traitors who had bribed their way in.
A pot of poisoned tea wiped out Princess Taiping's armed forces in one fell swoop.
However, these were only the guards in name only. The guards who were secretly following Princess Taiping immediately spotted the maids who came out to deliver the rewards. The people in the first-floor hall also noticed that although the windows on the second floor were open, no one was looking out.
When the guards rushed the maids into the room to check, there was no one there.
"Oh, where is my fourth son?"
Just then, Zhang Silang's servant, who was carrying a tea tray upstairs, opened the door and found no one inside. He immediately collapsed to the ground by the door.
Princess Taiping's maid was also flustered at this moment, because that was Princess Taiping!
That was Emperor Wu's favored youngest daughter, a member of the palace. Princess Taiping was the only one who could get Emperor Wu to give in after she acted coquettishly!
The maid's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her face turned pale. In just a few breaths, she had become like this.
"Shut up!"
The sergeant of the Imperial Guard barked a low rebuke to the servant lying on the ground, then turned to the maid and coldly shouted, "Wake up! If you're going to die, wait until we find the princess!"
The maid, snapped out of her daze by the sergeant's reprimand, wiped her face and scrambled to her feet, leaning against the wall: "Yes, yes, we must find the princess."
"The Prince Xiang took the princess out of the palace today. I'm going to the Prince Xiang's residence to ask him to send someone to look for her. I'll go right now."
The squad leader nodded. "I'll send someone to take you there. I also need to report this to my superiors and see what the palace says."
"Shut up, all of you. You know best what you should and shouldn't say."
The squad leader sent a soldier with a maid to the Prince of Xiang's residence to look for someone. The squad leader had already seen fifteen or sixteen guards who had died, vomiting blood, in the back courtyard.
The five or six guards who were lucky enough not to have tea are now lying on the ground, their throats slit after being ambushed.
The sergeant felt a chill run down his spine. This person, who could poison the guards and succeed in doing so, and then quietly abduct the princess and so many sons of officials, must have a very grand scheme in mind!
The sergeant raised his hand and slapped himself across the face. The sound of the slap stunned all the soldiers following behind him.
"Damn it, why did I have to compete with Old Wang for this job of escorting the princess?"
Even if you regret it in your heart, you still have to do what you have to do when something really happens.
The squad leader sent someone to take the maid to the Prince Xiang's residence, left someone to watch over the dead guard, contacted the owner of Yunshao Courtyard, gathered the information, and then sent someone to report to his superiors.
Meanwhile, the Li family was enjoying their meal and strolling around the West Market. Lu Zhu'er had short legs and was tired after a long day, so Li San Niang carried her as they walked and looked at the lanterns hanging outside the shops.
Dewdrop held a sugar cake in her left hand and a colorful windmill in her right. Her eyes kept glancing at the lanterns, then back at Li San Niang, then at Li San Niang's mother behind her, and finally she had to look around.
That wasn't all; she also wanted to eat a sweet cake and shake the windmill, keeping the little one very busy.
"Haha, this little dewdrop has been quite busy tonight. She's exhausted from all the back and forth, her eyes are practically popping out of their heads."
Sister-in-law Li could tell that Li San Niang's arms must be sore from carrying her for so long that she couldn't carry her anymore, so she reached out to take the dewdrop from Li San Niang's arms while talking to her.
Li San Niang was truly exhausted. Although Lu Zhu'er was only three years old, the Li family never skimped on the child's food. Lu Zhu'er's weight of several dozen kilograms was quite heavy, and after walking for half an hour, Li San Niang's arms really couldn't take it anymore.
Dewdrop didn't make a fuss at all. After all, when Li San Niang was on duty and not at home, it was mostly Li's mother and Li's sister-in-law who took care of her. She was very familiar with Li's sister-in-law's embrace.
"Aunt, Pearl can walk by herself."
"Oh dear, let your aunt enjoy Zhu'er for a while. Once we get to the carriage, Zhu'er can get off and walk by herself, okay?"
The Li family ultimately decided to drive their carriage to Anhua Gate to see the giant lantern wheel. As Li Er said, "This is only possible because it's in Chang'an, and the Emperor's birthday was just a few months ago, hence the grand spectacle."
If we don't go see it this time, who knows when we'll get another chance?
So the group left the West Market and drove their carriages toward Anhua Gate.
Because there was no curfew tonight, the streets were crowded. Only Li's father and mother, Doctor Liang, Li's eldest sister-in-law who was holding Luzhu'er, Li's second sister-in-law who had Xiao Wulang wrapped in her pocket, and Qin Niangzi got into the carriage. Nineteen drove the carriage, while the rest of the people just walked around it.
However, due to the large number of people and the fact that it was the inner city, the journey was still very slow, even with patrolling constables and Imperial Guards directing the traffic.
Li San Niang thought it was a good idea: "We can also look at the lanterns on both sides, isn't that a win-win situation?"
But before they even reached Anhua Gate, Li San Niang noticed something amiss as she looked at the street.
Li San Niang leaned close to Qiu Xiang and whispered in her ear, "Qiu Xiang, I feel something is wrong. Although it's a holiday, there should be more constables and soldiers patrolling than usual, but I just counted, and there are more than twice as many soldiers on this street as usual."
Has something happened?
At this moment, Brother Li leaned closer to Brother Li and whispered something in his ear. Brother Li frowned, his expression changed, and he walked solemnly toward Li's father in the carriage.
Brother Li immediately noticed something amiss on the street: there were too many soldiers, and they were very vigilant.
It's not that the soldiers who usually patrol are not alert, but it's obvious that these soldiers have received some news, as they are intently scanning back and forth in the crowd, as if they are looking for someone.
If it were a regular patrol, directing traffic, or checking for criminals, the look in their eyes wouldn't be like searching for someone.
Brother Li knew that something must have happened.
So, that's what Brother Li said to Brother Li Er earlier. Their whole family is out here, with children in tow, which is inconvenient. It would be best to turn back to Changshoufang before leaving the city.
Upon hearing what Li's second brother said, Li's father nodded without hesitation, "Then let's just turn around and go home at the intersection ahead."
Let's skip the lanterns; the kids have played all day and are tired. Let's go home.
Father Li glanced at Lu Zhu'er, who was already asleep in Sister-in-law Li's arms, and then spoke to Second Brother Li in this manner.
Except for Xiao Silang, who was a little unhappy, everyone else had no objections. The Li family members turned around at the intersection and went back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com