Scarface's face darkened, and he said, "It seems those two boys really aren't masters. They might just be servants in this manor. Otherwise, why would there be no commotion in the manor when the two boys have disappeared?"
“Yes, brother, I don’t think those two kids are anything special. Why don’t we have their parents pay a ransom and let them go?” Da Lin said.
"Well, that's settled then. After this meal, buy some dry rations to take back, and have that kid write a ransom note." Scarface said with a hint of disappointment.
Meanwhile, the officials sent by the Prefect of the Capital went from tavern to tavern with portraits of Hongli and Hongzhou, asking if anyone had seen the people in the painting. Finally, their efforts paid off, and they found the tavern where Hongli and Hongzhou had been. The young waiter, who had received a considerable reward from Hongli, hesitated at first when he saw officials looking for the two boys. He was afraid they might be important people and he might get implicated because of Hongli's money. However, after observing for a while, he realized that these officials seemed to be looking for the two boys and were offering a large reward.
The young shop assistant was immediately intrigued and ran over, saying he had seen the boy in the painting. He was quickly brought before the Fourth Master of Tantuo Temple and Magistrate Zhao of the Capital.
"Quickly tell the magistrate and the prince what you know!" shouted Chief Constable Lei, the head constable under the Prefect of the Capital.
The young waiter, who had been so eager to collect the bounty, was now like a spineless shrimp, so frightened that he almost knelt down. He immediately said, "I noticed that those two young men were very generous with their bounty, so I paid special attention to them. Later, they got drunk and asked me to call them a carriage."
Fourth Master frowned and said, "Carriage? Which family's carriage? Can you still find this carriage?"
The young waiter dared not try anything further and quickly replied, "I know, that Xiao Lin always solicits customers here. I've done several business deals with him."
The Fourth Prince and the Prefect of the Capital exchanged a glance, and quickly selected a few men to follow the waiter to find the coachman.
But the coachman, Xiao Lin, was indeed Da Lin's younger brother, and he was no longer waiting for customers at the tavern entrance; he had vanished without a trace. After asking around and inquiring with people who knew him, everyone said they hadn't seen him since yesterday.
The search for the coachman continued into the night, but there was still no news. Just as the Fourth Prince and the Prefect of the Capital were leaving Tanzhao Temple with their men, they saw Lanqin arrive.
"Why have you come?" Fourth Master led Lanqin into the inner room and greeted the Prefect of the Capital.
"Your Highness, I have learned a clue and went to the Prefect of the Capital to look for you, but I didn't find you. So I rushed here without stopping. I wonder if Your Highness has any leads?" Lanqin said.
"I already know from the waiter at the tavern that the two brothers got into another carriage named Xiao Lin." Fourth Master knew that Lanqin must be anxious, so he didn't intend to hide it from her.
Lanqin was startled and opened her almond-shaped eyes wide, thinking to herself: Ulanara Xueying is indeed incredibly clever.
"I was also planning to have Your Highness check the taverns around Tantuo Temple, but I didn't expect Your Highness to have already started searching along this lead. So, has Xiao Lin been found yet?" Lanqin asked.
“No. Now, Lord Zhao and I suspect that Xiao Lin might be the one who took Hongli and Hongzhou away. The waiter at the tavern said that the man often solicited business around their tavern, so how could he have disappeared after picking up Hongli and Hongzhou yesterday? Clearly, he did something.” Fourth Prince said.
Lanqin felt a little relieved to finally know where Hongli and Hongzhou were, but she was still very anxious and asked, "Who exactly is this person? Could it be that he kidnapped Hongli and Hongzhou? But as kidnappers, they would definitely want a ransom. What if he isn't a kidnapper, but is deliberately targeting Hongli and Hongzhou?"
The Fourth Prince nodded, then turned to the Prefect of the Capital and said, "Lord Zhao, I'll trouble you to go back and investigate some idle people in the capital, especially those who make a living by driving carriages. We can't find them now, so we have to go back. Let's see if the person who kidnapped Hongli and Hongzhou will contact me."
The Prefect of the Capital quickly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will return immediately and thoroughly investigate all the idle people in the capital who make a living by driving carriages. If I find anything, I will immediately send someone to report to Your Highness at the Prince's residence."
The Fourth Prince nodded, then bid farewell to the Prefect of the Capital and the Abbot of Tanzhe Temple, before heading to the Yong Prince's Mansion with Lanqin. The Fourth Prince did not ride in his own carriage, but instead shared a carriage with Lanqin.
Although Lanqin was scared, she wasn't too worried about Hongli and Hongzhou's lives, because she had just guessed that no matter what the situation was, the two brothers would not be in danger. However, she still didn't know what the situation was.
If it's the first scenario, Lanqin thinks it's easy to handle. She has already earned countless amounts of silver, so if they want silver, she can just give it to them. But if it's the second scenario, Lanqin is worried. If the other party is Fourth Master's political enemy, then holding Fourth Master hostage is just a way to blackmail him, which is really troublesome.
"This is utterly outrageous! How dare they mess with me! I will capture this scoundrel and tear him to pieces!" Fourth Prince roared in anger.
"Your Highness, please calm down! Based on my estimation, Hongli and Hongzhou are probably not in mortal danger yet. We can go back and wait patiently; they will definitely send a message. Otherwise, there would be no point in them kidnapping Hongli and Hongzhou," Lanqin quickly advised.
"Yes, you're right. Let's go back and wait. Maybe we'll get news soon." Fourth Master had been busy all day and was a little tired, so he closed his eyes.
After the two returned to the manor, the Fourth Prince followed Lanqin back to the South Courtyard. They tacitly avoided mentioning Hongli and Hongzhou. The two daughters knew that Lanqin and the Fourth Prince would not be happy if they knew that their younger brother was missing, but seeing that they did not say anything, they did not ask either. They just stayed around Lanqin and the Fourth Prince. Even Wuxiha became well-behaved and stopped playing around.
After the maidservants helped Lanqin and the Fourth Master into bed, the two lay together on the bed, neither of them falling asleep.
"Your Highness, if Hongli and Hongzhou have truly been kidnapped by people with ulterior motives, what demands will they make of you?" Lanqin's mind was in turmoil.
"I will never agree to their unreasonable demands," Fourth Master said, his eyes wide open.
"Is there someone you've thought of, Master?" Lanqin asked.
"Who else is vying with me now? If it is him, I will never let it go. Even if Mother pleads for mercy, I will not show any mercy," said the Fourth Prince.
Lanqin knew, of course, who the Fourth Prince was talking about. If it really was him, then perhaps Hongli and Hongzhou's lives would not be in danger. But was it really the Fourteenth Prince?
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