Before Bal and the others could react, they were all subdued and pinned to the ground by Lu family servants and several guards, unable to move.
Barr struggled for a moment, but finding it futile, he glared fiercely at Lu Lao Er and asked, "What do you mean by this?"
Lu Xiaoyang answered for Lu Lao Er: "They dared to attack us within the territory of Bei Yan, and they still have the nerve to ask what we mean by that?"
He scoffed and said to the Lu family servants, "Take them back."
Bal anxiously looked at Zhang Lanxiang, only to find that Zhang Lanxiang wasn't even looking at him. Instead, she was talking to Liu Yuexiang about how happy she was that she would soon see her parents.
"Lan'er! Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Barr collapsed and roared, unable to believe that the feelings Zhang Lanxiang had shown him all along could not possibly be fake!
What explanation can I give the kidnappers?
Zhang Lanxiang rolled her eyes, her attitude changing completely.
"Then between us..."
Zhang Lanxiang interrupted, saying, "There's nothing between us. I'm just being controlled by others and compromising my principles."
Liu Yuexiang also said, "I advise you to think about how to give us, Bei Yan, an explanation. Bei Yan and Xi Teng have finally established their current friendship, but you have openly attacked us. Just wait, we, Bei Yan, will seek justice from Xi Teng, and your entire family will not have an easy time."
This was to be expected. Although they were not envoys sent to Xiteng, the nature of their mission was similar, since they had gone through official channels with the emperor and the emperor would also benefit from it.
Furthermore, this is clearly a good opportunity for Bei Yan to strike at Xi Teng, and the emperor will not let it pass.
What Barr feared most was that the matter would escalate into a conflict between the two countries, which would make his family traitors to the nation.
"I'm willing to apologize!"
He had absolutely no backbone and immediately spoke up, shouting at Zhang Lanxiang, "Lan'er, I apologize to you, okay? I just love you too much. You can do whatever you want with me, but please don't implicate Xiteng and my family!"
Zhang Lanxiang didn't want to hear his voice at all. She got into the carriage with Liu Yuexiang, and the group headed straight for the Lu family.
Their parents arrived in the capital a few days ago and are currently staying at the Lu family's residence; they will be able to see them when they return.
Their parents were originally supposed to come to the city gate to greet them, but they thought that there would be too many people and too many eyes at the city gate, so they decided to wait at home instead.
Lu Xiaoyang walked with Lu Lao Er. Lu Lao Er saw that he was much stronger than when he left home, and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Good lad, you have done a great job this time."
Although they were kidnapped, they escaped unharmed, with no one injured. Except for the person who betrayed them along the way, everyone else returned safely.
"Hehe, it's nothing. In the past few years of traveling, I've gained a lot of knowledge and grown a lot."
Lu Xiaoyang felt a little embarrassed. It had been a long time since she had seen these relatives, and she had a strange feeling in her heart.
“It’s good that you’re growing. Hurry up and go. Your third grandparents were worried about you. They’ve been looking forward to your arrival since early this morning. Your parents-in-law are here too. You should go and pay them a visit.”
Lu Xiaoyang nodded and smiled, "Hehe, I know, I brought them gifts!"
Lu Lao Er thought the kid was a good man, but deliberately teased him, "Will I get a gift too?"
"Yes! Of course! Everyone in my family has one!"
Lu Xiaoyang gave him a reassuring look, and the two went back chatting and laughing.
The Lu family was already bustling with activity. Early in the morning, Mr. Kang, Qin Jian, Prince Jing, and others came to join in the fun. The Lu family members were also busy preparing food for the meal.
Today, Mrs. Yu personally took charge of the cooking, and the aroma whetted everyone's appetite.
Madam Sun, however, was still somewhat uneasy and quietly asked Jiang Jiuniang, "Do you think this matter will go smoothly? I'm a little worried!"
Heaven knows how anxious she was when Jingwei brought back the message. The people Lu Xiaoyang took out were all people who had a good relationship with her family. Besides, there were Zhang Lanxiang and Liu Yuexiang, both daughters of the county magistrate. If something really happened, how could she explain it?
As for Lu Xiaoyang, he used to be a troublemaker, but hasn't he learned his lesson? He's helped the family solve a lot of big problems, and this time in Xiteng, he opened many shops, trained many talents, and generated countless revenues for the family.
In short, no one can be missing from this team.
Jiang Jiuniang patted her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, the children survived such a dangerous situation before. Now that your second brother is going to pick them up personally, and Jingwei is protecting them, there's absolutely no chance of anything going wrong."
“They have grown up and have their own ideas and ways of solving problems. As elders, we only need to lend a hand at crucial moments and watch over them at other times.”
Jingwei has already written back about what happened. It can be said that Jingwei's visit was just icing on the cake. Even if Jingwei hadn't found them, they could have gained Baal and the others' trust on their own and escorted them to Jingzhou.
Once they arrive in Jingzhou, Magistrate Zhang will surely use the same method to capture them.
In other words, from the moment Baal and his group agreed to escort this group to Jingzhou, Lu Xiaoyang and his companions had already won the whole affair.
However, after being found by Jingwei, they were able to return to the capital smoothly and their safety was guaranteed, which made them feel much more at ease and bold in their actions.
Mrs. Sun felt that her third son's wife was right; the children had grown up, and the elders should let go.
"Let's go, Ms. Sun, let's go to the entrance to greet them. They should be here by now."
Jiang Jiuniang took her arm, and the two went out together to greet her.
The parents of the Zhang and Liu families had been waiting at the door for a long time. When they saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law come out, they all bowed.
"Don't be so polite, we'll be family from now on."
Sun smiled and helped the person up. Zhang's mother said, "I'm really sorry this time. It was my Lanxiang who caused trouble and made the ladies worry."
Zhang's mother's eyes were red. She hadn't slept well for a single day since receiving her daughter's message. After that, she rushed to the capital to wait for news together, and she lost a lot of weight in a short time.
Madam Sun felt a pang of sadness and, holding Zhang's mother's hand, said, "Madam Zhang, please don't say such things. This matter cannot be blamed on Lanxiang!"
As she spoke, Madam Sun looked at Jiang Jiuniang, hoping she would say something.
Jiang Jiuniang did not disappoint her and said directly, "Madam Zhang, those people came for the Lu family. Lanxiang was the only single girl in the group, so she became their target. In other words, even if Lanxiang hadn't gone with us, this would still have happened. So please don't blame yourself. It is our Lu family that has wronged you and Lanxiang."
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