"Your Highness, the head steward lives in this room. He's probably asleep by now," said the man named Hu Song.
"You, go up and knock on the door. Tell him to get up and that you have something to discuss with him," Fourth Master said. He was no longer holding the knife to the man's neck, but the man no longer dared to disobey Fourth Master, because from the moment the knife was held to his own neck, he felt that this man was not to be trifled with.
Hu Song nodded and, restrained by Ling Feng, walked to a door. He made a gesture, indicating to Ling Feng that he didn't need to restrain him anymore and that he wouldn't do anything. Fourth Master nodded, and Ling Feng released him this time.
The man named Hu Song straightened his clothes and walked to the door of the head steward's room, pretending to be very anxious, saying, "Head steward, head steward!"
The room was completely silent; clearly, the person inside was fast asleep and hadn't woken up at all.
"Master, why don't we just barge in and capture him? Why do this?" Ling Feng whispered to Fourth Master.
"Let's wait and see. If they don't open the door, we can barge in. It's best not to disturb anyone else," Fourth Master said in a low voice.
Hu Song continued knocking on the door, and finally there was an echo from inside.
"Manager, it's me, Xiao Songzi. I have something urgent to tell you. Please open the door quickly!" Hu Song said hurriedly.
Fourth Master gestured for Ling Feng to stand over there, while he himself stood over here. When that person came out, they could attack from both sides and capture him.
"Wait a minute!" A rustling sound came from the house, along with the sound of something hitting the ground, like someone walking and bumping into a bench or something similar.
"Hey kid, what's going on? What are you doing here so late at night!" The head steward yawned and unlatched the door. Just as he was about to say a few more words, two arms suddenly shot out from the outside and yanked him out of the house. Then someone pressed a cold knife against his neck.
"You!" The head steward was shocked, but when he felt the chill on his neck, he dared not shout anymore and could only obediently let Ling Feng lock his hands behind his back.
"Enough with the nonsense! If you don't want your entire family to be implicated, cooperate with us immediately. Otherwise, you'll be committing treason alongside that prefect!" Fourth Master said without giving him a moment to catch his breath.
“Yes, Steward, don’t hide it from us. This is a prince, and the Prefect is only a fifth-rank official. How could he possibly be higher than a prince?” Hu Song also chimed in.
The head steward is not Hu Song, but an outsider. He is the brother of the third concubine of the prefect. It is because of the third concubine that he has the opportunity to manage this villa.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Fourth Master said, "You don't believe me? Then I can kill you right now!"
"No, no, I'll cooperate, I'll cooperate!" the head steward immediately said. Compared to his relationship with the prefect, his own life was more important.
“Three days ago, Wang Hui ordered three people to be sent here, didn’t he? Two women and one man. The man was a eunuch,” Fourth Master said.
"Yes, yes, these three people have been sent over," the head steward hurriedly replied.
Fourth Master was overjoyed and immediately said, "Quick, take us to see them. He said the key is with you."
The man quickly replied, "Yes, yes, it's with me. Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I'll go in and get the key, and then I'll take you there immediately."
Fourth Master nodded to Ling Feng, signaling him to take the head steward inside to retrieve the key. He and Hu Song waited outside.
“Your Highness, this head steward is the prefect’s brother-in-law. That’s why he was able to become the head steward here,” Hu Song said.
"No wonder Wang Huiling entrusted him with important people, while you're only in charge of trivial matters?" Fourth Master sensed the sourness in Hu Song's words.
"Alas, I shouldn't have deceived Your Highness. If Your Highness allows me to serve by your side in the future, I will certainly follow you to the death," Hu Song said. His intuition told him that this person was definitely an official of much higher rank than a prefect, but the aura surrounding him and the royal air he exuded made Hu Song believe his judgment.
Fourth Prince was surprised that this person dared to flatter him at such a time, and said, "As long as you cooperate with me to find my concubine and then help me do one thing, I will take you back and let you work by my side. How about it?"
Hu Song immediately nodded and said, "We'll talk about it after we rescue the concubine."
At that moment, the head steward was pushed forward by Ling Feng again.
"Did you get it?" Fourth Master asked.
"Yes, I got the keys. He wasn't behaving himself just now, so I hit him," Ling Feng said.
"If he doesn't behave, cut off one of his ears, then one of his eyes," Fourth Master said grimly.
Immediately, the head steward showed a hint of fear and hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'll take you to the secret room where those people are being held."
After saying that, he glared at Hu Song, and then led Fourth Master and a few others to the house where Prefect Wang Hui was staying at the villa.
Because it was night, everything was quiet. The four of them arrived at the prefect's residence like ghosts. Wang Huiling hadn't been here for a while, so no one lived there.
"Follow me, the secret room is inside!" the head steward said.
The four men followed the head steward as he pushed open the door and went inside. Hu Song led the way, carrying a lantern, followed by Ling Feng escorting the head steward, with the Fourth Master bringing up the rear. They went directly through the courtyard corridors to Wang Huiling's study.
"It's in the study," the head steward said.
When they arrived at the study, Fourth Master lit the candlesticks in the room with a tinderbox, and the whole room was immediately illuminated.
"Where is the secret room?" Fourth Master asked immediately.
"It's behind that row of bookshelves. Move those books aside, and you'll find the secret room," the head steward said.
Fourth Master couldn't help but immediately remove the books he was pointing to, and sure enough, there were indeed hidden mechanisms inside.
"The key!" Fourth Master realized that a key was needed to open the mechanism.
"Quickly give the keys to our master!" Ling Feng pushed the head steward and said.
"Here, here!" The head steward was already too frightened to be angry, and hurriedly took out the Lan Na key from his sleeve and threw it to the Fourth Master.
Fourth Master inserted the key into the keyhole of the mechanism, and sure enough, the entire bookcase began to move.
Fourth Master stepped back, and saw that the wall that was originally a bookshelf in front of him moved to the left and right, revealing a door.
"Your Highness, the secret room is inside!" Hu Song said immediately. "However, this door is very heavy; one person can't push it open. Brother, could you please come and help push it open?"
Ling Feng immediately raised his hand and slapped the head steward on the neck. The head steward staggered and fell to the ground.
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