Chapter 26 The Prey
Fangzhou had known this day would come.
No one was closer to or more familiar with the girl than she was.
Every time the young lady left Lengxiang Residence at night and didn't know when she would return, it was she who covered for her.
Even if she was slow to realize it, she knew that the girl couldn't possibly be going shopping at night.
So what are we going to do?
She had already guessed the answer.
All she could do was obey the girl's orders, even at the cost of her life.
She also wanted to avenge Uncle Chen, who had treated her like a daughter.
"Girl, what can I do?" Fangzhou asked, holding Qiuheng's hand.
She gripped him so tightly that it hurt Qiuheng's hand.
"Listen to me, if I don't return today, tomorrow morning you must take Qingluo to Dafu Temple to offer incense, on the way to Dafu Temple..."
Qiu Heng explained carefully, and Fang Zhou nodded from time to time.
"You've memorized them all, right?"
"I've got it."
"Then I'm leaving."
"Girl—" Fangzhou couldn't help but call out, her eyes reddening.
She wanted to tell Qiu Heng that she must come back, but she was afraid of putting pressure on her.
Qiu Heng squeezed Fang Zhou's hand: "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I still have a lot to do."
"Let's do it together."
After Qiuheng left, Fangzhou cried silently.
I gather fragrant herbs from Du Ruo on the islet.
When the girl named her, she said it was a line from a newly learned poem, and Du Ruo is Du Heng.
From now on, Ah Heng and Fang Zhou will always be together.
Taking courtesans on outings was a favorite pastime of literati and playboys alike. The gentle, expansive Dai Mountain outside the western city, with its vast expanse of blooming roses and azaleas, was a perfect place to visit at this time of year.
Han Ziheng didn't suffer in prison at all, but it was a huge hardship and injustice for him. He needed to get rid of the bad luck and vent his anger, so he invited a few friends to go to Daishan to relax.
The servants, guards, prostitutes, and pretty maids, along with the tents and tables, formed a large group that occupied a considerable space.
"Ziheng used to take Hanfang with him, has he changed partners?" A man held a wine glass, his eyes lightly sweeping over the beauty nestled beside Han Ziheng.
Han Ziheng chuckled and pinched the beauty's cheek: "It gets boring with the same one all the time. New faces are always more exciting, aren't they?"
"Indeed, indeed."
A group of people burst into laughter.
Zhilan let Han Ziheng pinch her face and touch her waist, and silently refilled his wine glass when it was empty.
She remembered the words on the paper crane: she didn't need to do much, just get Han Ziheng to drink as much alcohol as possible.
Could it be that the person who folded the paper cranes was among these people, trying to get Han Ziheng drunk so they could make a move?
Zhilan looked them over discreetly, but nothing seemed quite right.
Or are they among the tourists who come to visit?
Occasionally, tourists would walk by not far away, and Zhilan couldn't help but glance at them, but she also felt that it was impossible.
Despite Han Ziheng and his companions appearing relaxed and casual, a circle of servants and guards had actually been arranged to keep ordinary people away.
Zhilan had a thousand guesses in her mind, but she didn't show anything unusual on her face, and kept refilling her glass of wine.
Unbeknownst to him, Han Ziheng had drunk significantly more than the others.
After downing a bellyful of alcohol, he stood up and said, "You guys keep drinking, I'm going to the restroom."
The group didn't pay much attention and casually said, "Come back soon."
Han Ziheng walked towards the area with dense bushes, and a guard silently followed.
Having chosen a spot, Han Ziheng waved to the guards, "Just wait here."
The guards stopped.
Han Ziheng walked behind the bushes and reached out to unbuckle his belt.
When the water was released, laughter and chatter could be heard, and birds were startled by the noise and flew away to the tall trees or the sky.
Han Ziheng fastened his belt and was about to turn around when a hand covered his mouth and nose from behind.
Everything happened so suddenly. The handkerchief covering his mouth and nose had a strange smell. Han Ziheng didn't even have a chance to shout before everything went black and he lost consciousness.
The guard waited a while but Han Ziheng didn't come out, so he tentatively called out, "Young Master—"
No one responded.
The guard's eyes narrowed, and he immediately strode over.
There was no one behind the bushes, only a puddle of water on the ground, proving that Han Ziheng had indeed been there before.
"Young master, something has happened!" the guard shouted.
Hearing the shouts, the guards of the Han family rushed over.
"Where is the young master?"
The guard pointed and said, "Young Master relieved himself here and hasn't come out for a while. I was worried and called out, but there was no response. When I came over, he was gone..."
"Go find it quickly!"
At this moment, several of Han Ziheng's friends arrived. Upon hearing that Han Ziheng was missing, they hurriedly ordered their servants to go and search for him.
"How could it just disappear like that?"
"Could it be that we've encountered some thugs?"
"But Brother Han only needed to use the restroom for a short while, and with guards following him, the thugs still managed to steal it?"
The more they talked, the more confused they became.
The prostitutes she brought had long since been ignored. Zhilan stood among them, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly into her palms to control her rapid heartbeat.
Han Ziheng has disappeared!
The owner of the paper crane must have taken him away!
So, the owner of the paper crane had been hiding somewhere here all along, patiently waiting for Han Ziheng's chance.
No wonder she made Han Ziheng drink more alcohol; he's really bold and clever.
In Zhilan's mind, the owner of the paper crane was a witty, calm, and mysterious man with superb martial arts skills, and she even had a feeling that he must be very young.
She will keep this secret to herself forever.
As the group split into several teams to search, a figure silently climbed up a large tree not far from the bushes and lay in wait.
About an hour later, the people who had been searching for the missing person returned one after another, all of them looking grim.
"No, we must report the young master's disappearance to the master!"
The group had initially hoped they could find Han Ziheng in time. But the mountains were vast, and beyond Dai Mountain lay countless more; any further delay would likely make things even more difficult.
Two people were sent back to the city to report the news, while the rest continued the search.
The spoiled brats, used to a life of luxury, couldn't stand searching for people all over the mountains on foot, but they couldn't leave either, so they each sent someone home to deliver a message.
Upon receiving news that his son had gone missing while playing, Han Wu, the commander of the palace guards, immediately led a group of imperial guards out of the city and headed straight for Daishan.
"Commander Han is here!" someone shouted from the people waiting in the same spot.
Han Wu quickly arrived with his men, his sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd as he asked, "What's going on?"
One of the playboys said, "Let's drink together, Ziheng needs to use the restroom..."
"Where are the guards who accompanied Ziheng?" Han Wu asked sternly.
Another playboy said nervously, "He went to find Brother Ziheng, but he hasn't returned yet..."
"Where is the convenient place for Ziheng?"
Everyone already knew where Han Ziheng's place was convenient, so they immediately led the way for Han Wu.
After bypassing the dense bushes, the water stain on the ground had almost dried, but everyone remembered its exact location.
"Commander, this is the place."
Han Wu subconsciously took a step forward, wanting to see if any other traces had been left.
Not far away, on a large, leafy tree, a person was steadily supported by thick branches.
The man drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and just as Han Wu stepped forward, he released the bowstring.
The real prey she had been waiting for had finally appeared.
(End of this chapter)
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