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Meanwhile, at the Southern Frontier post station, after Xuanyuan Tianyi and his companion left in the morning, the delegation set off for the border, where the Dali wedding delegation was already waiting. Dali Crown Prince Duan Ming personally exchanged credentials with Bao Zheng and solemnly handed over his sister, Princess Qingyuan, to the Song Dynasty's welcoming delegation. After everything was completed, Duan Ming looked at Leng Moyan, who had remained constantly by Bao Zheng's side, and smiled, "Why are you alone? Where is your master?"
Leng Moyan curled the corners of his lips, revealing his signature mocking smile: "My master is not someone you can just see whenever you want."
Duan Ming knew Leng Moyan's temperament and was not offended by his rudeness. He smiled and said, "I'll treat you to a drink sometime."
"Are you trying to get me drunk again?" Leng Moyan raised an eyebrow, amused as he looked at Duan Ming, who was awkwardly touching his nose because of his words.
"Pour you in? I wouldn't dare. Last time, I was bedridden for three days." Duan Ming's self-control was quite remarkable; he didn't even blush or skip a beat when he revealed his embarrassing moment in front of the delegations from both countries.
However, while he didn't mind, others couldn't help but. At this moment, the officials from both countries' delegations stood awkwardly to the side, listening to Duan Ming and Leng Moyan's seemingly oblivious conversation. The Dali official felt that his crown prince was behaving inappropriately for the country, so he stepped forward to remind him, "Your Highness, it's getting late. We still need to rush back to the palace to report to the Emperor."
Duan Ming smiled and exchanged some pleasantries with Bao Zheng and the others before leading his delegation away. Before leaving, he reminded Leng Moyan to make sure Duan Qingyuan was safely escorted back to the capital. Only after receiving Leng Moyan's affirmative answer did he leave with peace of mind.
The Song Dynasty delegation, due to the long journey, was in no hurry to reach the next post station and temporarily returned to the Southern Frontier post station. They would set off together after Xuan Yuantian and his companion returned. That night, Li Jie specially added hidden sentries outside Duan Qingyuan's door, fearing another accident. If something happened to Duan Qingyuan in Song territory, Dali would likely not let it go easily. Nothing happened that night.
The next morning, Bao Zheng was discussing the matter of returning to the capital with Li Jie when Luo'er, the palace maid assigned to serve Duan Qingyuan, ran in in a panic: "My lord, the princess... the princess is missing."
"Oh?" Bao Zheng and Li Jie exchanged a glance, and Bao Zheng said softly, "Don't rush, tell me slowly."
Luo'er steadied herself before speaking, "Last night, we wanted to leave someone in the princess's room to keep watch, but she refused, saying she wasn't used to it. Not only us, but even the maids she brought from Dali weren't left. When the princess went to sleep, we tucked her in ourselves, and we didn't notice anything amiss at the time. But this morning when we went to wake her, she was no longer in her room." Luo'er, being a palace maid, though nervous, still recounted the events with remarkable clarity. Bao Zheng nodded in approval.
"Where are the princess's two maids?" Bao Zheng knew that Duan Qingyuan's disappearance was no accident, but he hadn't expected them to act at this time. Last night, Li Jie had placed hidden sentries outside Duan Qingyuan's room. If Duan Qingyuan had been kidnapped, it was impossible not to alert them, unless there was an inside agent. And this inside agent was, after all, someone from this post station. The only way was to investigate secretly. Thinking of this, Bao Zheng looked at Li Jie, who was also looking at him, probably thinking the same thing as Bao Zheng.
"They are currently guarding the princess's room." Luo'er's voice had returned to calm.
Bao Zheng turned to Li Jie and said, "Vice Commander Li, let's go check on the princess." After receiving Li Jie's affirmative answer, Bao Zheng took the lead and walked towards Duan Qingyuan's room.
When Bao Zheng entered Duan Qingyuan's room, he smelled a faint fragrance and frowned slightly. He glanced at Qing Ning and Sa Qi, who were guarding the bedside. The two bowed and stepped aside, revealing the hidden passage exposed by the lifted blankets. Bao Zheng asked in a deep voice, "Who discovered this?"
Qing Ning gave a slight bow and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir, it is Young Master Leng."
After listening to Qing Ning's words, Bao Zheng looked around the room and asked, "Where is he?"
"Let's go down." Qingning pointed to the entrance of the secret passage.
Bao Zheng nodded: "Does anyone else know that the princess is missing?"
"Reporting to you, my lord, we reported to you immediately after we discovered it. Apart from Young Master Leng, no one else knows about this." Qing Ning knew that this matter should not be publicized, so she had instructed several maids to be careful with their words beforehand.
“Well done, young lady. Before finding the princess, have someone impersonate her and tell everyone that she is unwell and should not travel, and that Master Gongsun will come to check her pulse morning and evening.” Bao Zheng knew that Duan Qingyuan would not be found so easily, and everything could only wait for Leng Moyan to return. Before leaving, Bao Zheng instructed Qing Ning and Sa Qi to be on high alert to prevent anyone from using the same trick again and harming the person impersonating Duan Qingyuan.
Back in the room, Bao Zheng saw Li Jie seated before speaking: "What does Vice Commander Li think of this matter?"
When Bao Zheng asked, Li Jie didn't deny it and directly stated his thoughts: "Just now, there was a scent of datura in Princess Qingyuan's room. Datura has always been a material used by the people of Southern Xinjiang to extract aphrodisiacs. Princess Qingyuan must have been drugged and taken away." Bao Zheng glanced at Gongsun Ce standing beside him, who nodded. Li Jie paused and continued, "The secret passage in Princess Qingyuan's room must have been prepared long ago. Yesterday, when the princess arrived at the post station, she decided to stay in that room because she saw a large patch of poppies at the entrance. This shows that the person who kidnapped Princess Qingyuan must have been very familiar with her preferences. Dali is different from our dynasty; the people are more open-minded. Although Princess Qingyuan is of noble birth, she often travels among the common people. There should be quite a few people who know about her preferences. But even so, they can't guarantee that Princess Qingyuan would stay in that room. To be able to pinpoint Princess Qingyuan's room and succeed in one fell swoop, there must be an inside accomplice."
What Li Jie said was exactly what Bao Zheng had thought of, and he nodded in agreement: "What does Vice Commander Li think of Princess Qingyuan's two maids?"
Knowing Bao Zheng's suspicions, Li Jie pondered for a moment before speaking: "Saqi is simple and straightforward, with slightly dark skin, so she must be from a place with long hours of sunshine. Moreover, her Mandarin is a bit stiff. On the other hand, Qing Ning exudes the delicate temperament of a Han Chinese woman in every gesture, and she is calm and composed, with refined speech. She must have quite a background."
Bao Zheng smiled slightly: "Vice Commander Li is truly observant; no wonder he is the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard."
"You flatter me, Lord Bao. Investigating cases is your forte, and I am merely showing off my limited skills before an expert," Li Jie said modestly after hearing Bao Zheng's words, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, at the exit of the secret passage, Xuan Yuan Wuji, dressed in men's clothing, was carefully examining the traces at the scene, with Leng Moyan and Xue Yuan standing beside him: "Uncle Leng, the tire tracks here are very messy, it should be deliberately done to confuse people."
"There was the scent of datura in Qingyuan's room. On the surface, it seems that Qingyuan was drugged and taken away, but upon closer inspection, there are flaws. Qingyuan has practiced martial arts since childhood. Even if she only learned a little about the martial arts of the Dali Duan family, she would be able to protect herself. Moreover, datura is everywhere in Dali. Qingyuan is extremely familiar with it. It is impossible that she was not at all vigilant and fell for it so easily." Leng Moyan nodded and said thoughtfully.
Seeing that he could see nothing more, Xuan Yuan Wuji stood up and said, "Uncle Leng, do you suspect that the tunnel in the room and the messy tire tracks here are a deliberate deception?"
Leng Moyan didn't speak, but simply nodded.
"But the post station was heavily guarded last night, and we had people watching outside. How did they manage to bring Qingyuan out of the post station?" Xuan Yuan Wuji asked, puzzled.
"I'm afraid Qingyuan is still at the post station. I never imagined such a small post station would have so many intricacies. It seems they already anticipated that the Xuanyuan family would secretly assist the delegation. The purpose of creating this illusion is not the delegation, but the Xuanyuan family's secret guards." After Leng Moyan finished speaking, a playful smile appeared on his lips. He hoped that Tianyi would gain something from this trip.
Picking up where Leng Moyan left off, Xuan Yuan Wuji continued, "Those who kidnapped Qingyuan never imagined that the datura fragrance they used to distract us would instead reveal their true intentions."
"Originally, this two-birds-with-one-stone strategy was quite ingenious. The incident at Qingyuan not only provoked a war between Song and Dali, but also allowed Lord Bao to be punished for his incompetence, and at the same time, the Emperor's arm was severed. However, they shouldn't have plotted against the Xuanyuan family." Leng Moyan's voice had already turned cold. "Wuji, arrange for someone to investigate the backgrounds of everyone in the delegation as soon as possible. Also, investigate the people at the post station."
"By the way, Uncle Leng, this was intercepted by Thirteen yesterday." Xuan Yuan Wuji said, taking out a slip of paper from his pocket and handing it to Leng Moyan.
Taking the note, Leng Moyan glanced at it before handing it back to Xuan Yuan Wuji: "Siyi's reach is quite long."
“Uncle Leng, I’ve already arranged for people to monitor the post station. That person who kidnapped Duan Qingyuan will definitely contact his accomplices. We’ll be able to find the spies in the shadows based on the clues.” Seeing Leng Moyan nod, Xuan Yuan Wuji continued, “In addition, I’ve arranged for people to keep a close eye on the movements in the court. Since they’ve been planning for so long, they certainly won’t stop after kidnapping Duan Qingyuan. There will definitely be people in the court operating in the shadows. It’s better to find out their strength once and for all.”
"Oh, right, don't forget to send a message to Tianyi." Leng Moyan saw Xuan Yuan Wuji nod before turning and walking towards the post station.
When Leng Moyan entered Bao Zheng's room, Bao Zheng was questioning Qing Ning. There was no one else in the room except Gongsun Ce.
"Is Miss Qingning a Han Chinese?" Bao Zheng looked at Qingning, who was dressed in Miao clothing, and his voice carried a hint of authority.
With a slight bow, Qing Ning lowered her head and replied, "In response to your question, sir, Qing Ning is originally a Han Chinese."
"When did you come to Princess Qingyuan's side, young lady?" Bao Zheng asked, his eyes fixed on Qing Ning, who answered politely. Although she was a maid, her answers were clear and logical, and her attitude was neither arrogant nor humble. On the other hand, Bao Zheng had a feeling that Sa Qi, who was also a maid of Princess Qingyuan, must be someone of extraordinary status.
"Replying to Your Excellency, Qingning... came to the princess's side a month ago." Qingning hesitated for a moment. She knew that after saying this, she would become the prime suspect. However, without the head of the family's orders, she could not easily reveal her identity.
"Oh?" A month ago, when Dali received the Song Emperor's letter agreeing to a marriage alliance, Bao Zheng frowned slightly. "Why did you come to the princess's side, young lady?"
Qing Ning looked up, her eyes calmly meeting Bao Zheng's: "My lord, Qing Ning knows that I am the prime suspect right now, but..."
“She’s from the Xuanyuan family.” Before Qing Ning could finish speaking, Leng Moyan, who had just entered the room, interrupted her. The situation was urgent, and Leng Moyan knew that he shouldn’t waste time on his own people. “Tianyi and Qingyuan are good friends.”
Bao Zheng didn't mind Leng Moyan's unauthorized entry into the room. When Leng Moyan spoke, he knew that what he said was true. Since it was arranged by Xuan Yuan Tianyi, this person must be trustworthy. Therefore, he didn't avoid the question and instead asked Leng Moyan, "Do you have any clues?"
"The tunnel's exit is in the suburbs, and the tire tracks are very messy, so they must have been prepared in advance. I've already sent people to investigate." Leng Moyan didn't tell Bao Zheng his speculation, not because he didn't trust him, but because he didn't want to alert the enemy.
Bao Zheng knew it wasn't advisable to use the Imperial Guards within the delegation to search for Duan Qingyuan's whereabouts at this time. Firstly, the matter shouldn't be publicized to avoid unnecessary trouble; secondly, the Imperial Guards were unfamiliar with the southern border, and acting alone risked them falling into a trap. Using the Xuanyuan family's secret guards would save a lot of trouble. Thinking this, Bao Zheng nodded: "Any news from Tianyi and Guard Zhan?"
"Not yet." Leng Moyan crossed her arms and looked at Bao Zheng. "But I've already arranged for someone to inform them. Bai Yutang is with them too, so they should be fine." Leng Moyan calculated the time; barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xuan Yuan Tianyi should receive the news by evening.
Bao Zheng was quite satisfied with Leng Moyan's arrangements. However, based on his years of experience handling cases, Bao Zheng had a nagging feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed, and that Duan Qingyuan's disappearance was far from the enemy's objective. If the Southern Frontier was merely seeking to break free from the court's control, then someone should be negotiating with the delegation by now; after all, it would be incredibly impractical for the Southern Frontier to wage war given its limited strength. Yet, the unusually quiet atmosphere seemed to hint at an impending crisis. Bao Zheng dared to assert that behind this matter lay a shocking case, but some things were too early to judge; everything required evidence.
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