Chapter 31 Arrogant and conceited, refusing to admit defeat until faced with dire consequences…
As soon as the Wang family patriarch entered, he saw Fu Yun sitting to the side and his eyes lit up immediately: "Young Master Su has also arrived?"
She approached General Qian, gave a graceful bow, and then sat down in the main seat, saying with a beaming smile, "My humble abode is truly honored by your presence today! It is a rare privilege for you two to come all this way. Please sit down and have some hot tea to rest. I will have someone prepare some food for you to stay for dinner!"
General Qian resolutely refused: "No need for formalities, you should know the purpose of our trip."
The head of the Wang family looked surprised, then chuckled and shook his head: "General, you flatter me. I have no idea why you have come to visit me so suddenly."
General Qian's face turned cold, and he stopped talking. He glanced at the attendants outside the hall, signaling them to go and find the person directly.
The attendants nodded and, ignoring the obstruction of the royal servants, scattered to begin the search.
Seeing this, the head of the Wang family gave the steward a wink, then looked at General Qian, who had a cold face, and asked with a smile, "What does this mean, General?"
General Qian didn't even glance at the head of the Wang family. He looked at Fu Yun, signaling him to follow, and then strode out of the hall, heading straight for the backyard.
Fu Yun understood General Qian's actions; she was preparing to find the person herself, so she quickly got up and followed her.
The head of the Wang family frowned and had no choice but to get up and follow behind General Qian, saying as they walked, "General, would you like to visit the kitchen?"
As she spoke, she looked troubled and slightly embarrassed: "To be honest, General, the food in my kitchen is all low-class and unpalatable. I'm afraid it will offend your eyes."
General Qian ignored her and continued on his way, checking the kitchen but not finding the person he was looking for.
She then went to the storage room and the woodshed, checking every single room thoroughly.
Fu Yun didn't sit idle either. He went to the innermost side room and carefully checked it, but found no suspicious people.
After inspecting the kitchen, General Qian went to the east and west wing rooms in the backyard and checked them one by one. He found that apart from some servants walking back and forth, he did not see a single man who looked young and handsome.
When the attendants returned to assemble after the inspection, General Qian looked terrible, his gaze was frighteningly cold, and there was obvious anger between his brows.
Fu Jun already had a clear idea of what was going on, so he didn't waste any more time and stood there waiting.
The search yielded nothing, which could only mean that someone had tipped off the Wang family head on the way here. Now, not only Lu Zhisheng, but even those young husbands have gone into hiding.
The people had already been moved, so there was no point in staying here. General Qian, Fu Yun, and the others could only return to the main hall for the time being.
General Qian, too lazy to deal with the Wang family head, cut to the chase: "Where is Young Master Lu? I heard that you brought him here while he was setting up his stall."
Seeing that they couldn't find any fault with him, the head of the Wang family responded with a smile: "General, you are too kind to me. How could I trouble you with such a small matter? I originally intended to personally escort Young Master Lu back, but he insisted on being polite to me and refused to let me. I couldn't force him, so I let him go on his own."
"Bang!" General Qian slammed his hand on the table beside him: "How dare you openly deceive me!"
The head of the Wang family laughed and said, "General, why do you say that? I have great admiration and respect for you, so how could I deceive you?"
With a sharp "swoosh," General Qian drew his sword from his waist, strode up to the Wang family patriarch, and pointed the sword at her chin. Looking down at her, he coldly said, "Do you really think this general wouldn't dare to touch you?"
The servants of the Wang family had never seen such a scene before, and they were immediately terrified, their faces turning pale and their legs trembling.
The Wang family patriarch's expression changed slightly, but he still managed to calm himself down and said coldly, "Although you are a great general of the country, you still need to have evidence in everything you do. It would be inappropriate to torture innocent people in private without evidence if word got out."
Fu Yun stood up and walked to General Qian's side: "There were plenty of eyewitnesses on the way you kidnapped Lu Zhisheng. If we really go to court, as the instigator of the kidnapping, you can't get away with it completely."
The head of the Wang family fixed his gaze on Fu Yun, his eyes unreadable, yet revealing a glint of calculating cunning: "Didn't Young Master Su hear what I just said? He has already left our place on his own. If anything happens afterward, what does it have to do with me?"
Fu Jun frowned slightly: "If you don't want anyone to know, then don't do it in the first place. Every deed you've done will leave a trace. I'll give you one more chance. Hand over my friend Lu Zhisheng. Otherwise, when I find his whereabouts, that's when you'll be begging for mercy on your knees. The shady things you've done aren't completely secret either. I have plenty of ways to find out their identities."
Upon hearing Fu Yun's words, the head of the Wang family's eyes flickered slightly, and his composed expression softened a little, but he still clung to his guns and refused to back down: "Young Master Su, you are mistaken. I have never done anything immoral. Your accusations, made without any evidence, are truly unjust."
General Qian smiled coldly: "It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin. If what you say is true, then why did my men go all the way there but not find any trace of Young Master Lu returning?"
The head of the Wang family smiled sinisterly, then said innocently, "That's a question for your men, General. How did they find the person? Could it be that they didn't put in any effort at all and were just going through the motions?"
"Insolence!" General Qian was furious. He took a step forward, pressing his sword against the neck of the Wang family patriarch, its blade gleaming with a chilling light: "If you want to die, this general will grant your wish!"
Fu Yun's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward and grasped General Qian's wrist: "Don't get agitated. She can be arrogant for a while, but she can't be arrogant forever. It's not worth ruining your lifelong reputation for her."
General Qian was slightly taken aback, his gaze unconsciously falling on the forearm. The hand covering it had distinct joints, was fair and slender, and was very eye-catching. For a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off it.
It wasn't until a warm sensation came from his palm that she came to her senses, and her anger subsided considerably in an instant.
She composed herself, loosened her grip on the Wang family patriarch, and said coldly, "A mere merchant dares to be so arrogant. The government office in Lingzhou City needs a good overhaul."
A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the Wang family patriarch, followed by a disdainful sneer at the corner of his mouth.
General Qian took in the subtle changes in her expression and knew that she must have someone protecting her, which was why she was so fearless.
She snorted coldly and sheathed the sharp blade.
He coldly swept his gaze over the crowd, then addressed the pale-faced servant, who was sweating profusely, saying, "I'll make this clear today: if anything happens to Young Master Lu, I will make the entire Wang family pay the price, and those who harbor him will be punished equally."
After General Qian finished speaking, he stopped looking at the trembling servants and focused his gaze on Fu Yun: "Let's go. I will report the situation of Young Master Lu to the Empress truthfully. Don't worry."
Fu Yun nodded, indicating his understanding: "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, General."
General Qian waved his hand: "There's no need for us to stand on ceremony."
She gripped the sword hilt with one hand, spun it around, and stood it upright at her side with the tip pointing upwards, walking out of the hall with a heroic air.
As she was about to leave the Wang residence, she left behind words that would unsettle the entire Wang family: "This general wants to see whether your Wang family head is more capable or whether this general has more power. You will soon find out what the consequences of arrogance will be."
Several attendants followed behind General Qian, glancing back at the servants who were bowing their heads and not daring to utter a sound. Some of them cursed resentfully, "They're all snakes and rats in the same den. They'll never have a good end. Sooner or later, their heads will roll."
Fu Yun saw that the servants, with their shoulders hunched and heads bowed, were clearly terrified, their legs trembling.
Having made up his mind, he didn't linger any longer and followed his entourage out the door.
He was naturally unaware that the head of the Wang family had been watching his back until he disappeared through the gates of the Wang family compound.
Those eyes held undisguised greed and an unwavering determination to succeed.
After leaving the Wang family, General Qian offered to take Fu Yun back, and Fu Yun did not refuse, because he had something to say to General Qian.
General Qian's expression remained grim throughout his journey in the carriage, clearly angered by the head of the Wang family.
Fu Yun bluntly stated his thoughts: "We can't get anything out of the Wang family head, so we can start with those timid servants. When one of them is alone, we can interrogate him thoroughly, and he should confess."
General Qian nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking too."
As she spoke, she lifted the carriage curtain, whispered a few words to the attendants outside, and then lowered the curtain.
She said, "I sent them to cast the nets; we should have news soon."
Fu Yun nodded, indicating that she understood.
When they arrived at Lu Zhisheng's house, Su Mang and Lu's mother were waiting anxiously at the door. They were both stunned to see the General's Mansion carriage parked at the door, and then quickly came to greet them.
Su Mang bowed and said, "Greetings, General."
Lu's mother followed suit and bowed as well.
General Qian smiled and said, "No need for such formalities."
Fu Yun got off the carriage and asked, "What exactly happened when you were setting up your stall today?"
Mother Lu immediately recounted the events: "This morning we went to our usual spot to set up our stall. My son sold tea and drinks there, just like yesterday. Miss Su and I went to the nearby inns and taverns to serve them tea and drinks. When we returned, the tea and drinks were nowhere to be found, nor was my son. We assumed he had sold out and gone home, so we came back as well, only to discover that you two were nowhere to be found."
After confirming that Fu Yun was alright, Su Mang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Young Master, did you run into Young Master Lu?"
Seeing Lu's mother's anxious expression, Fu Yun couldn't bear to tell her directly that Lu Zhisheng had been kidnapped. Instead, she comforted her, saying, "I heard that someone took a liking to our tea drinks, so we asked him to come to our house to help make some for the family. He should be back soon."
Somewhat worried, Lu's mother asked, "Which family is it?"
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