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He certainly wanted to bring down Prince Heng and bring Jiang Wanzhi back to his side, but not in this way!
The Night Hawk Pavilion is ruthless. If Jiang Wanzhi, a weak woman, falls into their hands, the consequences will be unimaginable!
Moreover, this move would be like adding fuel to the fire, pushing all the conflicts to extremes and being extremely detrimental to his current plans.
"We must stop them!" Zongzheng Zhaoran ordered without hesitation. "Does Ghost Face know the exact time and location of their attack?"
"The news came quickly. All we know is that the plan is for today, and the target should be when Jiang Wanzhi goes out, but the exact location is not yet clear." The information provided by Mr. Ghost Face was limited.
"Today?!" Zongzheng Zhaoran's heart sank; time was of the essence!
"Immediately mobilize all available manpower, divided into two groups! One group will secretly search all possible routes around the Prime Minister's residence, and immediately raise the alarm and try to stop any abnormalities! The other group will investigate abandoned strongholds of the Night Hawk Pavilion that may be hiding people in the suburbs of the capital, with a focus on the southern part of the city!"
He was extremely anxious, his mind constantly flashing through the dangers that Jiang Wanzhi might encounter. He absolutely could not let that happen!
"Your Highness, this move may expose our informants in the Night Hawk Pavilion, as well as some of the forces we have been secretly cultivating..." Ghost Face warned.
"We can't worry about that now!" Zongzheng Zhaoran said decisively, "We must protect Jiang Wanzhi! Go now!"
The hidden forces of Prince Zhao's mansion were quickly mobilized, flowing like a silent stream to all parts of the capital, attempting to intercept the dangerous signal before the Night Hawk Pavilion's conspiracy succeeded.
However, the Night Hawk Pavilion's actions were far more secretive and swift than King Zhao had anticipated. Instead of taking the usual route, they bribed a second-class maid in charge of laundry at the Prime Minister's residence. As the maid delivered the clothes to the back door, they used a sleeping potion to instantly incapacitate the accompanying maid and maid. With lightning speed, they abducted Jiang Wanzhi, who happened to be nearby checking on the newly arrived flowers, and stuffed her into a carriage that had been prepared in advance and looked no different from an ordinary water cart. They then drove away silently from the back alley of the Prime Minister's residence.
When King Zhao's men searched the back street of the Prime Minister's residence, they found only a few unconscious servants and a small, inconspicuous beaded flower belonging to Jiang Wanzhi, which Zongzheng Zhaoran recognized.
"It's still... too late..." Upon receiving the report, Zongzheng Zhaoran's face turned deathly pale. He staggered and had to hold onto the table to steady himself.
A profound sense of powerlessness and anger overwhelmed him. He knew it all along, yet he still couldn't protect her!
Meanwhile, at the Prince Heng's residence.
A bodyguard appeared like a ghost, his voice more urgent and grave than ever before: "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Miss Jiang... has been kidnapped in the manor! There are traces of sleeping potion at the scene. The perpetrators were very professional; it must have been premeditated!"
Zongzheng Hengyu, who was deep in thought while gazing at the map of the northern border, suddenly turned around. His sharp, eagle-like eyes seemed to instantly lower the temperature in the entire study.
"Who did it?" His voice was terribly low, each word sounding as if squeezed out from a crack in the ice.
"For now... it's still unclear. But the scene was clean and tidy, something that ordinary criminals couldn't have done."
"Investigate! Use all available resources, even if you have to search the entire capital and dig three feet into the ground, find him for me!"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but the killing intent in his voice became even more solid:
"Pass down the order: the capital region camp is on high alert. Close all four city gates; entry is permitted, but exit is not! Strictly check all vehicles and pedestrians! Anyone who obstructs the process will be executed without mercy!"
His gaze drifted out the window, as if he could see through the layers of buildings to the enemy hidden in the shadows.
"Whoever dares to touch her... I will make you pay a thousandfold price!"
…………
Jiang Wanzhi regained consciousness amidst a jolting motion and a strong musty smell. A sharp pain shot through the back of her neck, and all she could see was suffocating darkness, with only a faint ray of light filtering through the cracks in the wooden planks, vaguely outlining that it was a small, shaky space.
The carriage was a horse-drawn carriage, but it had obviously been specially modified to block out most of the light and sound.
She tried to move her hands and feet, only to find herself bound by rough ropes and her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and fear overwhelmed her like a cold tide.
Kidnapping! Who is it? The remnants of the Ming King's faction? Or those who have been hiding in the shadows, always wanting to deal with Zongzheng Hengyu?
She forced herself to calm down, took deep breaths, and suppressed the sobs in her throat.
Don't panic! It's precisely in times like these that you need to stay calm!
She began to listen carefully to the sounds outside. Besides the rolling wheels of wheels and the sound of horses' hooves, there seemed to be the faint sound of flowing water and the more noisy sounds of people in the city. They seemed to be crossing a bridge and were still in the city.
At the same time, the orders from Prince Heng's residence were relayed with astonishing speed. Soldiers from the capital's military camp quickly took control of the four city gates, rigorously checking all vehicles and pedestrians entering and leaving.
The secret guards of the Prince Heng's Mansion, as well as all the overt and covert forces that Zongzheng Hengyu could mobilize, began to radiate outwards from the Prime Minister's Mansion like a comb, frantically searching for any suspicious traces.
The atmosphere in the capital suddenly became tense. The people were talking about it, not knowing what had happened, but they could all feel the grim atmosphere that permeated the air.
Inside the Prince Zhao's residence, Zongzheng Zhaoran paced anxiously. The Ghost-Faced Man delivered another secret report, confirming that Jiang Wanzhi had been taken to the south of the city. The exact location was still under investigation, but the Night Hawk Pavilion seemed to have also sensed the situation and was preparing to relocate or silence her.
"No! We absolutely cannot let anything happen to her!" A resolute glint flashed in Zongzheng Zhaoran's eyes. "Have our men create chaos in the south of the city—fires, brawls, anything! Delay their evacuation! Also, find a way to inadvertently leak the information about several abandoned Night Hawk Pavilion strongholds in the south of the city to Heng Wang's men!"
He was taking a risky gamble. On one hand, he was delaying the Night Hawk Pavilion, and on the other hand, he was guiding King Heng to rescue people. Even if this would expose his partial knowledge of the Night Hawk Pavilion, and might even make King Heng suspect his motives, he couldn't care less at the moment.
...
Inside the abandoned dye house cellar.
Jiang Wanzhi was roughly dragged off the carriage and shoved into an even darker, damp space. The air was thick with the pungent smell of dye and mold. The gag in her mouth was removed, but her eyes remained blindfolded.
"Who are you? What do you want?" She tried to keep her voice calm.
She was met with a resounding slap, and a burning pain instantly engulfed half of her face.
"Shut up! I'll slash your face if you make another sound!" a rough male voice threatened menacingly.
Jiang Wanzhi bit her lower lip, tasting the metallic flavor of blood. She knew it was pointless to reason with these desperate criminals. She had to find a way to save herself, or leave behind some clues.
She quietly moved her hands, which were tied behind her back, trying to feel her way to the ground beside her. Her hands touched cold, damp soil and gravel.
She carefully scratched the ground with her fingernails, hoping to leave some mark. At the same time, she concentrated, trying to distinguish the sounds outside.
There seemed to be the rustling of mice, and faintly the sound of a night watchman's clapper. The distance seemed quite far, but that meant this place wasn't completely isolated from the world.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and hushed conversations came from outside.
"Boss, something's wrong! Martial law has been declared in the city. Heng Wang's men are searching like madmen, and all four city gates are closed!"
"Damn it! How could it be so fast?!" the gruff voice cursed. "Our location must have been exposed! We can't stay here any longer, let's move!"
"But...bringing this woman along would draw too much attention..."
After a moment of silence, the man referred to as "the leader" said coldly, "The sect leader has ordered that if things cannot be accomplished, then... clean up the mess and leave no survivors!"
Jiang Wanzhi's heart sank to the bottom. They were going to silence her!
Fear gripped her again, but the instinct for survival sent her mind racing. What to do? How could she buy herself some time?
...
Prince Heng's Mansion.
"Your Highness! We have a lead!" Yan Cheng strode in. "Our men have spotted several suspicious individuals in the south of the city, seemingly scouting the locations of several abandoned workshops. In addition, several small fires and disturbances have just occurred in the south of the city, which is quite strange."
Zongzheng Hengyu's eyes were sharp as knives: "South of the city... abandoned workshops... riots..." These clues, when pieced together, pointed to a very clear direction.
"Focus the search on all abandoned dye houses, kilns, and warehouses in the south of the city! Especially places near water sources where it's easy to hide and move!" He suddenly stood up, grabbed his sword, and said, "I will go myself!"
"Your Highness, it may be dangerous for you to go in person..." Yan Cheng tried to dissuade him.
“Danger?” Zongzheng Hengyu sneered, his whole body radiating murderous intent. “Those who touch her should know what danger is!” He said no more and strode out, his black royal robes fluttering behind him like a vengeful demon about to descend.
…………
In the southern part of the city, several inexplicable riots and fires have caused considerable panic and chaos. City patrol guards and officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture have been drawn into the fray, and the running and shouting of the crowds has added to the tension. This chaos, however, has provided cover for some actions while hindering the efficiency of others.
The secret guards of Prince Heng's mansion and the elite troops of the capital's military camp, like hunting dogs that have smelled blood, accurately pounced on one suspicious abandoned stronghold after another amidst the chaos.
Zongzheng Hengyu took the lead, his dark figure moving like a ghost in the night, the air seeming to freeze wherever he went. He didn't need a map; relying solely on intuition and his knowledge of the city's layout, he pinpointed several of the most likely hiding places.
"Your Highness, in the third alley ahead, at the abandoned 'Zhang's Dyehouse,' one of our brothers has discovered fresh tire tracks at the back door, and there are signs of sentries operating nearby!" A guard rushed in to report.
Zongzheng Hengyu's eyes sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation, he ordered, "Surround the dyehouse! Don't let a single fly out! Yan Cheng, take a team and come with me!"
…………
Inside the dyehouse cellar.
Jiang Wanzhi heard hurried footsteps and growls coming from above, different from before, and knew that the final moment was probably approaching. The "boss" seemed to have made up his mind, and heavy footsteps were approaching the corner where she was hiding.
"Damn it, you're just unlucky!" The rough voice was filled with malice.
At this critical moment, Jiang Wanzhi used all her strength to roll to the side!
She had secretly rubbed the rope on her wrist with gravel. Although it didn't completely break it, it had loosened it a bit. This roll allowed her to avoid the fatal stab that was coming straight at her. The tip of the knife grazed her arm, bringing a burning pain and warm blood.
"Still trying to hide!" the kidnapper roared, raising his knife again.
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