There is a painting inside.
The painting only has a few simple strokes.
However, after Yun Zhuo looked at it, his pupils shrank.
Ye Qingxue shuddered as soon as she glanced at it.
Chu Xianyun noticed their strange behavior, leaned forward to look at the painting in Yun Zhuo's hand, and his heart tightened suddenly.
The black ink outlines the severed hands and splattered blood. The hands are short and chubby, like lotus root segments, and belong to a child.
The painting was sent by the Xuan Prince's Mansion, and with the news that Jing Tian just reported, everything points to one conclusion—Xiao Bao is indeed in the hands of the Xuan Prince and his wife!
For a fleeting moment, Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue's breathing stopped.
Chu Xianyun asked the steward, "Besides instructing that this painting must be delivered to His Highness and the Crown Princess, did the people from the Xuan Prince's Mansion say anything else?"
The atmosphere was tense, and the butler was also nervous. He shook his head vigorously: "No more."
Ye Qingxue suddenly felt like laughing, laughing at how she had once cursed the heavens, all for the sake of Xiaobao's safe return.
Now that Xiao Bao has truly returned, he is kidnapped by the Xuanwang couple at this crucial moment. Is this Xiao Bao's destined fate?
Is this what Mo Yuan meant by "going with the flow"?
"Don't be nervous!" Chu Xianyun was a little nervous, but he forced himself to remain calm. He dismissed the steward before continuing:
"If the little prince really falls into their hands, they won't easily harm Xiaobao. A hostage who is intact is easier to negotiate with. If the hostage is really missing a hand or foot, they'll have to worry about us giving up and causing trouble!"
Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue both looked at Chu Xianyun.
Chu Xianyun closed his folding fan in his palm and said, "So in my opinion, the purpose of the painting sent by the Xuan Prince's Mansion is to tell us that the young prince is indeed in their hands, and that if he does not obey their demands, they will cut off his hands. That should be it!"
Yun Zhuo looked at Jing Tian: "Quickly arrange for people to quietly go to the Xuan Prince's Mansion for a final confirmation, to confirm whether Xiao Bao is really in their hands!"
It's also possible that news of Xiao Bao's disappearance was leaked to the Xuan Prince's Mansion, so the Xuan Prince and his wife seized on this matter to deliberately disturb their peace of mind.
Jing Tian cupped his hands in acknowledgment and replied, "Yes!"
After Jing Tian left, Chu Xianyun said, "Now let's wait and see what the Xuan Prince's Mansion will do next. Even if the worst happens, let's see what they demand of us first. Before that, don't panic!"
That day, Ye Qingxue and Yun Zhuo did not go out to search for Xiao Bao.
As night fell, there was still no news from Jingtian.
She continued to wait, agonizingly waiting, sitting on the steps under the eaves in the courtyard. Every time Ye Qingxue looked up at the sky, she felt that the sky tonight was darker than usual, and in this deep darkness, she could hardly see any light.
Yun Zhuo held her hand again and again.
As dawn approached, Jingtian returned and said, "Our men searched the entire Xuanwang Mansion, but found no trace of the young prince."
Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue exchanged a glance. So, it was very likely that the Xuanwang Mansion was just scaring them, and Xiao Bao was not in their hands.
Not long after, the Xuanwang Mansion sent another painting, with the same style as yesterday, except that this time it depicted a child's legs, which had been cut off and blood splattered on them.
This painting was like a sharp blade, cutting into the hearts of Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue. The couple felt a chilling wind and could hardly breathe.
Ye Qingxue said, "The fact that our people couldn't find Xiaobao at the Xuan Prince's Mansion only means that Xiaobao isn't there, but it doesn't mean that he's not in the hands of the Xuan Prince and his wife."
Yun Zhuo said, "You mean, they hid Xiao Bao somewhere else? From the beginning, they were preventing our people from going to Prince Xuan's mansion to look for Xiao Bao?"
Chu Xianyun said, "That's about it. If they dare to hide the young prince in the Xuan Prince's mansion, we can go there to demand his return and then say that they kidnapped the young prince... They don't dare to take such a crime, so not hiding the young prince in the Xuan Prince's mansion is the safest thing to do."
He paused for a moment, then added, "However, these are all just our guesses, and they may not be true. We need to observe further!"
However, Ye Qingxue felt that this matter was almost certain; Xiao Bao was indeed in the hands of the Xuan Prince and his wife, because Jing Tian had said that people from the Xuan Prince's mansion had appeared at the place where Xiao Bao disappeared.
The Crown Prince's residence had kept the news of Xiao Bao's disappearance a closely guarded secret, but the Xuan Prince's residence sent over two paintings at this time...
Ye Qingxue reached for the whip at her waist, her fingers slowly clenching tightly, but then slowly, she loosened her grip.
The sky was overcast, as if it were about to rain, but after rumbling thunder for most of the hour, not a single drop of rain fell, and the heat was unbearable.
Night fell again, and Jingtian returned, this time bringing something with him: a piece of sleeve.
“This is the sleeve of the clothes the little prince wore on the day he left,” Jing Tian said. “The people from the Xuan Prince’s Mansion knew we were looking for the little prince, so they deliberately sent this sleeve to us.”
This time it's really confirmed, Xiao Bao is now in the hands of the Xuan Wang couple!
The atmosphere in the study was incredibly tense. Under the dark night sky, dark clouds rolled in and thunder roared.
Chu Xianyun said, "Since the Xuanwang Mansion allowed Jingtian to get the little prince's sleeve, it means they will be coming to negotiate terms soon."
Yun Zhuo sat in the chair, his face grim, and grunted, "Hmm? Have you received any news about the theft and robbery of grain during the canal construction?"
Chu Xianyun replied, "It should be soon. Your Highness need not worry too much. When our people go to investigate, I will also arrange for people to be on guard."
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