Qi Guze patiently explained the answers to each riddle to Xu Yuehuai, while Xu Yuehuai excitedly chose her favorite lantern. Their laughter echoed in the night sky, as if even the moon was moved.
As they walked, a group of familiar faces appeared before them.
Qi Zixin and Qi Ziang ran over excitedly: "Father! Why are you back?" Their faces were filled with surprise and joy.
Tie Chunsheng also ran over and called out affectionately, "Grandpa!"
Tie Xiong and Yan Qing bowed respectfully: "Your Highness!"
Zhou Wan, Jiang Shichen, and others also bowed in succession, their eyes filled with undisguised excitement.
Qi Guze smiled and waved his hand: "No need for formalities, let's all stroll through the lantern festival together."
So, a large group of people joined the procession to admire the lanterns.
The Tie Xiong family of four seemed exceptionally harmonious, and Xu Yuehuai, looking at them, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That's great, Zhou Wan and Jiang Shichen have finally found a really good home.
Not long after, Qi Zi'ang, Qi Zixin, Tie Chunsheng, and Jiang Shichen excitedly ran to the riverbank to release lanterns. Holding the lanterns in their hands, they carefully placed them into the river and watched them drift slowly away with the current.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze sat in the pavilion by the river, chatting with the other adults.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
Jiang Shichen came running up, panting: "Something terrible has happened! Zixin has been kidnapped! Zi'ang and Chunsheng have gone after them!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yuehuai, Qi Guze, and the others stood up in shock.
"Zixin!" Xu Yuehuai cried out, her face turning pale instantly.
Qi Guze quickly calmed down and comforted Xu Yuehuai, saying, "Don't worry, we'll send more people to search together."
He turned to Tie Xiong and Yan Qing and said, "Go and gather the secret guards and the palace guards. You must find Zi Xin!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Tie Xiong and Yan Qing immediately accepted the order and left, and the others also set off.
They split up and searched for Zixin in the crowd. However, they couldn't find her even after searching for a long time.
Xu Yuehuai waited anxiously, her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes filled with worry and unease.
Qi Guze stayed by Xu Yuehuai's side the whole time, holding her hand tightly as if conveying a sense of strength. He comforted her, "Don't worry, we will definitely find Zixin."
Night fell, and the lantern festival was drawing to a close. However, they still hadn't found any trace of Qi Zixin.
Xu Yuehuai was filled with despair and pain; she didn't know how to face this cruel reality. However, Qi Guze stayed by her side, sharing everything with her.
Ultimately, there was indeed no news, and it was already very late. They could only return to the Regent's Palace with heavy hearts.
Xu Yuehuai lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Her mind was filled with images of Qi Zixin. She wondered where Qi Zixin was now, and whether such a young child would be afraid.
Qi Guze sat on the edge of the bed, holding her tightly. "Don't be afraid. They won't do anything to Zixin just because they kidnapped her. Let's just wait for them to come and make their demands." His voice was like a warm breeze in the night, soothing Xu Yuehuai's anxiety.
"Okay." Xu Yuehuai dug her fingernails into her flesh to keep herself calm.
As night deepened, Xu Yuehuai gradually fell asleep with Qi Guze's comforting words. However, she still couldn't let go of Qi Zixin; even in her dreams, she was filled with Qi Zixin's every smile and gesture.
She knew they had to find Zixin as soon as possible to put her mind at ease. This night was destined to be a long and anxious one.
After several more long days, the sunlight danced on the glazed tiles of the Regent's Palace, but it could not dispel the heavy atmosphere inside.
"call out--!"
Finally, a sharp whistling sound shattered the deathly silence. An arrow, carrying a fierce momentum, landed firmly on a pillar beside the palace gate. A letter was tied to the arrow, swaying gently in the breeze.
Yan Qing, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed this unusual scene. He strode forward, carefully took the letter, and rushed to the study.
Inside the study, Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze were frowning as they discussed countermeasures. Seeing Yan Qing rush in, they both looked up, their gazes falling on the letter in Yan Qing's hand.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, there's news." Yan Qing's voice carried a hint of nervousness.
Qi Guze asked in a deep voice, "What content?"
Yan Qing handed over the letter, and Qi Guze quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter. Xu Yuehuai leaned closer, and the two read it together.
The letter was brief and direct: "Your Highness and Your Highness, if you want your daughter to live, come to this place. Remember, only the two of you can come."
After reading the letter, both of their expressions turned serious. Qi Guze crumpled the letter into a ball, his eyes flashing with a sharp and cold light: "We must go."
Xu Yuehua nodded, but her face was grim. "However, we must proceed with caution. Zi'ang and Chunsheng have been missing for a long time, which is probably related to this matter."
Qi Guze nodded and turned to Yan Qing: "While I am away, the safety of the palace is in your hands. Be sure to take precautions and do not give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage."
Yan Qing cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my utmost."
Xu Yuehuai added, "At the same time, continue searching for Zi'ang and Chunsheng; they may have been captured by other forces."
After arranging everything, Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai disappeared quietly into the night at the Prince's Mansion. Following the instructions in the letter, they embarked on a journey to find Qi Zixin.
The night was as heavy as ink, like a giant curtain between heaven and earth, swallowing up all the light.
In the deep darkness of the night, Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai walked side by side through the dense forest.
The surroundings were so quiet that the only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the breeze and their heavy breathing.
Qi Guze gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes sharp as he warily scanned his surroundings. His gaze was piercing, as if he could see through all the secrets hidden in the darkness.
His every movement was so steady, as if he had long been accustomed to such life-or-death moments.
Xu Yuehuai followed closely behind, her eyes gleaming with determination, her sword ready to be drawn at any moment.
Although her steps were light, each one was so firm, as if no matter how many enemies appeared in front of her, she would never back down.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a sudden chill swept over them from all directions, as if even the surrounding trees were trembling in the cold.
Immediately afterwards, a group of men in black emerged from the darkness like ghosts, wielding sharp swords and with bloodthirsty glints in their eyes, and surrounded the two.
The men in black exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine, and their eyes were filled with cruelty and malice.
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