Chapter 457 Qian Duoduo and his servant are imprisoned
The Qian residence's steward hurriedly bowed deeply to Lan Xiyue, almost bowing to the ground. "Princess Regent, thank you so much! This old servant, I will quickly return to report to the master that the eldest daughter is not in the Regent's Palace! The eldest daughter is not in the palace... This, this... The master is probably going crazy with worry!"
Thinking of Master Qian's reaction, he became even more anxious. After taking his leave, he stumbled down the steps and climbed into the carriage. The coachman whipped the carriage, and it sped away, quickly blending into the dark night.
Lan Xiyue stood in front of the palace gate, the night wind blowing her clothes, and a cold aura emanated from her body.
Chuxia looked at her mistress worriedly and whispered, "Princess, don't worry too much. Miss Qian is blessed with good fortune and will be fine. An Yi has already investigated and will have news soon. Chuchun has prepared dinner and placed it in the main courtyard. Please enjoy your meal first, Princess."
Lan Xiyue was silent for a moment, her tightly pursed lips revealing her inner anxiety, and finally she nodded slightly: "Yeah." She turned around and walked towards the main courtyard with slightly heavy steps.
In the inner room of the main courtyard, Chu Xia stepped forward and carefully took off Lan Xiyue's cloak and hung it on the sandalwood hanger next to her.
In early spring, exquisite dishes have been placed on the round rosewood table, with steam rising and the aroma filling the air.
Lan Xiyue sat down at the table and picked up her chopsticks. However, facing a table full of delicious food, she had no appetite. She just symbolically picked up a few vegetarian dishes with her chopsticks and stirred in the bowl a few times, but she had no taste.
Chuxia and Chuchun stood by, watching her barely touched bowl and cup, their eyes filled with worry, but they dared not say anything, only waiting silently. For a moment, the vast main courtyard was filled only with the subtle crackling of the burning wick and the heavy, awaiting silence.
Chuchun's delicate brows furrowed in worry, and she couldn't help but ask softly, "Princess, are the dishes tonight not to your liking? I saw that you barely touched your chopsticks..."
Chu Xia gently tugged at Chu Chun's sleeve and said in a low voice, "The princess doesn't complain about the food, she's just worried about Miss Qian. That's why she can't eat."
"Miss Qian?" Chuchun's eyes widened in surprise when she heard this. "What happened to Miss Qian?"
"Just now, the Qian Mansion's housekeeper said that Miss Qian hasn't returned home since she went out to look for the princess this morning."
"What?" Chuchun was shocked when she heard that.
Lan Xiyue didn't respond to the two girls' whispers. She felt a heaviness in her chest, like a stone pressing down on it. She stood up wearily, shuffling over to the small couch by the window with a slightly unsteady gait. She lay down fully dressed, one hand unconsciously pressing against her throbbing temples, the furrow between her brows never relaxing.
Upon seeing this, Chu Xia hurried over, half-knelt beside the couch, and comforted her gently: "Princess, don't worry, An will definitely be able to find Miss Qian's whereabouts soon. Miss Qian is a lucky person, maybe... maybe she was too playful again, and found a secluded place to secretly have a drink, and she may have forgotten the time." She tried hard to find a reason that was not so worrying.
Chuchun also quickly agreed: "That's right, Miss Qian has always been free and unrestrained..."
Lan Xiyue closed her eyes and gently waved her hand, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hoarseness and weariness: "Let's go, I really don't have much of an appetite."
Chuchun and Chuxia looked at each other, not daring to say anything more. They walked silently to the table and skillfully removed the exquisite dishes that were almost untouched one by one.
Lan Xiyue forced herself to close her eyes and rest, but her mood was like the water in a pond stirred by a strong wind, and it was difficult to calm down.
She silently waited for news from An Yi. If... if that girl really just hid somewhere and got drunk, causing her so much worry, she would definitely teach her a lesson when she found her!
Meanwhile, on a bumpy carriage far away from the bustling Kyoto...
Qian Duoduo and Xiaohong, master and servant, are now imprisoned, isolated from Lan Xiyue's worries and the warm lights of the palace.
Xiaohong huddled in the corner of the dim, swaying carriage, her body trembling slightly from fear and cold. Uncontrollable sobs escaped intermittently from between her tightly clasped fingers: "Wuwu...Miss...What...What should we do..."
Qian Duoduo had long lost his usual lively and energetic demeanor. His face was pale, and beneath his forced composure he could not conceal his panic.
She moved her hands and feet, which were tightly bound with rough hemp ropes, trying to find a chance of loosening them, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Xiaohong, don't be afraid..." These words were more to encourage herself than to comfort the maid.
After parting with Lan Xiyue today, the great confusion and curiosity brought about by the "living person" trick scratched her heart like a cat's claws.
As if by some strange coincidence, she returned to the Baihua Theater for the afternoon show, and even took the initiative to fight for it. Finally, she was chosen as the "lucky audience member" to cooperate with the performance on stage.
She fully believed that by entering the mysterious box, she would be able to uncover the secret of the magic trick.
However, as soon as she stepped into the small, dark space, she felt dizzy, her vision quickly blurred, and her consciousness dissipated like the ebbing tide.
When he woke up again, he was in this speeding, airtight carriage, with his hands and feet tied tightly behind his back. Xiaohong beside him had suffered the same fate.
Qian Duoduo twisted his body hard and moved closer to Xiaohong. He lowered his voice to a very low level, filled with the fear of surviving a disaster: "Xiaohong, we... are we in a carriage? How long have we been running? Where are they taking us?" The darkness magnified the fear of the unknown.
Xiao Hong tried hard to stop sobbing, and whispered in a tearful voice, "Miss, I just woke up not long ago, I don't know anything... I only remember you going on stage and getting into that box. Later, when the show was over, I searched all over the backstage but couldn't find you. I hurriedly went to the theater manager to argue, but just as I finished speaking...
Someone hit me hard on the back of my head from behind..." She recalled the sudden pain and darkness, and her body shuddered again, "When I opened my eyes again, I was tied up here with you, my lady..."
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