Hongye and Jiang Ye immediately stepped forward and took Zheng Huiyi from Gu Qinlan's hands.
The three prepared to leave with Zheng Huiyi.
However, the thugs still refused to let them go and surrounded them.
Gu Qinlan's face darkened, and she coldly questioned, "Are you planning to go back on your word?"
"Retreat, let them leave."
With a hoarse voice, Luo's mother slowly walked out of the pavilion.
She stared at Gu Qinlan, scrutinized her carefully, and said in a serious tone, "You'd better have the information you brought that is absolutely true, otherwise, I will never let you off easily."
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly and replied easily, "I'm ready to answer your questions at any time. But I'm afraid you won't have that opportunity. Also, I must remind you, don't blindly resist, otherwise, you and he will never be able to meet again."
Madam Luo's eyes flickered slightly as she instantly grasped the deeper meaning behind Gu Qinlan's words. She knew in her heart that if the Third Prince learned the secret of the child's whereabouts, her and the child's fate would be in grave danger.
She knew better than anyone else how cold and cruel the Third Prince was.
However, she absolutely refused to let Gu Qinlan look down on her, so she sneered, her tone filled with disdain: "You should worry more about your own safety. I've returned this useless piece of trash to you, but if I catch her again next time, don't expect to have this trump card again."
After saying that, she quickly led her men away.
As soon as Zheng Huiyi saw those people leave, the tension in her body dissipated instantly. She relaxed her body helplessly and then fell into a coma.
Jin Tianming and his wife rushed over with servants from the Duan Prince's Mansion. The group hurriedly lifted Zheng Huiyi onto the carriage, untied the ropes binding her, and removed the rag from her mouth.
Aunt Lian softly suggested to Gu Qinlan, "I have some medical knowledge; would you like me to examine this young lady?"
Gu Qinlan pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Then I'll have to trouble Aunt Lian."
She knew in her heart that no matter what hardships Zheng Huiyi suffered, the Prince Duan's mansion would always find a way to cover for her. But understanding the seriousness of the situation was the only way for her to formulate a response strategy in advance.
So Gu Qinlan got out of the carriage and stood by the carriage shaft to wait.
Soon, Aunt Lian's voice came: "The inspection is complete, please come in."
Gu Qinlan got into the car, and Aunt Lian said with a smile, "She's fine."
This is undoubtedly the best news.
Gu Qinlan felt a sense of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
The carriage did not return directly to the city, but instead headed towards a villa of the Prince Duan's residence located in the suburbs.
As night fell and the city gates closed, Madam Luo, relying on the Third Prince's influence, naturally had ways to enter and leave the city. The Prince Duan's residence had similar methods, but they were too conspicuous. Therefore, Gu Qinlan chose to leave the city during the day, under the pretext that the Princess Duan and the seriously ill Zheng Huiyi were going to a separate residence to recuperate, and secretly led a group of people out of the city.
If she and Luo's mother and others returned to the city at almost the same time, it would inevitably arouse speculation among others.
The carriage traveled for more than an hour before finally arriving at the villa.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Princess Duan rushed over anxiously: "How is it? Were the person successfully brought back?"
Gu Qinlan lifted the carriage curtain and calmly said, "Have all irrelevant people leave first."
There were many people and eyes in the villa, and she didn't want to fail at the last moment.
During the day, she had Li Xia pretend to be the seriously ill Zheng Huiyi and be carried into the villa.
After ensuring that no one was around to disturb them, Gu Qinlan then signaled Hongye to carefully help Zheng Huiyi up so that she could lie horizontally on Hongye's back.
Upon seeing Zheng Huiyi's disheveled state, Princess Duan couldn't help but burst into tears.
Gu Qinlan said in a calm but undeniable tone, "If Mother wants to make this public, she can cry out loud."
Princess Duan's sobs suddenly froze in her throat, as if suppressed by an invisible force.
"Please rest assured, Madam. The young lady in our household has only been frightened and has taken medication that causes weakness. In addition, she has not slept well for several days, which has led to her unconsciousness. She will naturally wake up once she recovers her strength."
"I will prescribe some medicine to calm her nerves and replenish her energy. After a few days of recuperation, she will surely recover her vitality."
A middle-aged man dressed in a simple robe, with a kind face, spoke respectfully to Gu Qinlan.
In order to conceal Zheng Huiyi's true identity, Gu Qinlan specially asked Jin Tianming to find a trustworthy doctor in advance, pretending that her own maid was sick.
Gu Qinlan gave the doctor surnamed Cui a grateful smile: "Thank you for your help, Doctor Cui. This woman was originally a maid who came with my mother's family as part of my dowry. I do not want my reputation to be affected by her, so I hope that Doctor Cui will keep this matter a secret."
Doctor Cui solemnly clasped his hands and promised, "Madam, you can rest assured, I would never dare to reveal a single word to anyone."
These doctors, well aware of the secrets of wealthy families, have always kept their mouths shut to avoid trouble.
Although he could tell at a glance that the so-called "maid" was not a real maid, he had no choice but to obey since his master had said so.
After Dr. Cui left, Gu Qinlan allowed Princess Duan to enter.
The reason I stopped her earlier was that no old lady would personally look after a maid.
Princess Duan stepped into the room and went straight to the bed. She tightly grasped Zheng Huiyi's hands and burst into tears.
“My son, what suffering have you endured? Since your birth, you have never suffered even the slightest hardship. How could you have become so miserable today?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, knowing full well that these words were directed at her.
However, she had no intention of arguing with Princess Duan, and turned to leave with her maid.
For days, she had been unable to eat or sleep properly, her mind preoccupied with Zheng Huiyi, and constantly dealing with Luo's mother, leaving her utterly exhausted.
She would rather spend the time that would otherwise be spent arguing lying down and taking a good rest.
Back at her temporary residence, Gu Qinlan didn't even have time to wash up before collapsing onto the bed and soon falling into a deep sleep.
With tender care, Fuyu gently tucked the blanket around her and softly called Hongye to quietly leave the room together.
When Gu Qinlan opened her eyes again, the sunlight was already streaming into the room, announcing that it was the afternoon of the second day.
This night's sleep seemed to infuse her with new vitality, making her feel refreshed.
She couldn't help but sigh softly; youth is indeed a precious gift.
Looking back on her past life, she had devoted herself to paving the way for Ji Yinli. In the later years of her life, peace at night became a luxury, and two hours of restful sleep was a rare blessing.
In this life, she is determined not to repeat the same mistakes, and cherishing sleep is a small but important aspect of her life.
After slowly getting up and tidying her clothes, Gu Qinlan summoned Fuyu and Hongye in: "Prepare the meal first. After we finish eating, we will set off back to the city."
Zheng Huiyi has returned safely, and she will now pretend to be recovering at the manor. Gu Qinlan has no patience to waste time here.
She needs to go back to the city to take care of her own affairs.
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