Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Mei'er then realized that Mr. Hua was dead, and her patron was gone. For a moment, she wanted to faint again, but when she looked up and saw the Prince of Ding'an staring at her, she shuddered in fright and ultimately did not faint.

"Tell me, where did that Jiu'er go?"

"Your Highness, this servant truly does not know where she is. Could she have been harmed by villains?"

"Hmph, she was framed. With her skills, how could she have been framed so quietly? Besides, there was a disguise on her bed." Prince Ding'an snorted coldly, his tone chilling.

At that moment, a deep male voice suddenly came from outside.

"Your Highness, I led men to surround the inn where Madam Wang was staying, but the innkeeper said that Madam Wang left the day before yesterday and has not returned."

The deputy general who had just been sent out strode in, and by the time he entered the hall, he had finished speaking. He simply clasped his hands in a respectful bow to the prince.

Upon hearing that Lady Wang was missing, Prince Ding'an's heart tightened once more. Consort Lu, standing beside him, also felt a wave of dizziness. She knew all too well how important Lady Wang was to the Prince's plans. How could she disappear at such a crucial moment? Did she leave on her own, or did she encounter some unexpected situation?

"Did she bring luggage with her when she left the day before yesterday?" Consort Lu suddenly remembered to ask the adjutant.

"What I find strange is that, according to the people at the inn, they didn't take any luggage with them when they went out. But when I went into the room to search just now, I found that all the luggage was gone."

"But have the people from the inn gone into hiding?"

"I have already interrogated them, and it wasn't them; they wouldn't dare to do that."

Another general in armor walked in from outside the main hall of the "Prince".

Prince Ding'an looked up and saw that the man's face was filled with anxiety.

"Your Highness, Zhao Bei has begun his attack on the city and has already set up siege ladders."

Zhou Ji closed his eyes and looked down at Mei'er, who was still trembling on the ground.

"Guards, lock her in the dungeon and interrogate her properly."

As soon as he finished speaking, two men dressed as servants came in and dragged Mei'er out like a dead dog.

Then, Prince Ding'an donned his armor, took his sword, and led his men on horseback toward the city gate. Before they even got close, they heard the sounds of horns and war drums signaling an attack from outside the city.

Upon reaching the top of the city wall and looking down at the dark mass of enemy troops, a sense of fear, barely perceptible to others, welled up within him.

Mr. Hua is gone, and his newly acquired money pouch is also missing. At this moment, Zhao Bei attacks. Everything seems so coincidental. Dingcheng isn't a pass like Jialing Pass, easily defended and difficult to attack; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken it so easily in the first place. Now, seeing the enemy troops trying to climb up using ladders, he has a gut feeling that this time, he might not be able to hold it.

After a moment's thought, Prince Ding'an immediately appointed his generals and redeployed the defenses. They planned to open the city gates and let the enemy in for street fighting, which would increase their chances of victory. It must be said that Zhou Ji possessed considerable military talent; however, in recent years he had placed too much importance on Mr. Hua, consulting him on everything before making decisions. Therefore, Mr. Hua's sudden passing was a significant blow to him.

Only two captains were left to lead troops to resist on the city wall, while the rest were all withdrawn to make arrangements and prepare for street fighting with the enemy.

Dingcheng was not a crucial pass, and even with the valiant resistance of the soldiers on the city walls, Zhao Bei led his black-armored warriors to break down the city gates. The soldiers behind the gates were all killed by the surging black-armored warriors. Seeing the situation was dire, the two captains on the city walls led the way, dropping their weapons and surrendering.

Zhao Bei didn't attack those who had already surrendered. He simply ordered them to be trapped and then sent men to take control of the city gates. Perhaps the city gates were breached too quickly, and even Zhou Ji, with his excellent tactics, didn't have time to prepare.

Zhao Bei's Black Armor Army advanced with unstoppable momentum, quickly disrupting Zhou Ji's plans. However, within Dingcheng, Zhou Ji's 100,000-strong army remained, and soon the two sides clashed in the streets of Dingcheng. For a time, the city was filled with the deafening sounds of battle and the clashing of weapons. The blue ceramic tiles on the streets were soaked in blood, the walls of Dingcheng were stained red with blood, and rivers of blood flowed through the city.

The battle raged until the afternoon, finally ending with all the remaining soldiers surrendering.

The people in the city cowered in their homes, afraid to make a sound or go out, lest they be killed by the bloodthirsty soldiers.

"Reporting to General Zhao, we have not found any trace of the Prince of Ding'an in the city. It seems he has already escaped."

"Hmm, I heard he took a concubine in Dingcheng. I wonder if that concubine is still alive?"

"Reporting to the General, the concubine is still in the Prince's residence. I have already sent men to surround the residence."

"Alright, let's clean this street first, in preparation for welcoming the princess into the city," Zhao Bei instructed again.

"Yes, the general will take your orders."

The main street was quickly cleared, and the soldiers knocked on the doors of the houses on both sides, fetched plenty of clean water, and washed away the bloodstains on the street. While it wasn't completely clean, at least people wouldn't have their shoes stained with sticky blood when they walked on it.

Xia Yu quickly entered the city by carriage. This time, she did not go anywhere else, but had the driver take the carriage directly to the former residence of the Prince of Ding'an.

Consort Lu, who was tied up and kneeling in the front hall, saw a group of women suddenly enter. She stopped struggling and stared intently at them.

"Madam Wang, Jiu'er..." She immediately spotted Madam Wang, whom she addressed as a sister, and Jiu'er beside her. Both of them were dressed in close-fitting clothes, like maids. The woman walking at the front, in a plain dress, was elegant and refined, possessing a graceful and ethereal air.

Consort Lu recognized her at a glance. She had seen her once before when she was serving Lady Wang. The reason she remembered her so clearly was because her temperament was so ethereal. Even now, she still remembered what she thought at the time: Lady Wang was really careless, actually keeping such a beautiful maid by her side. Wasn't she afraid that her husband would have other ideas?

But what's going on here? Why is the maidservant from before now the mistress? And why is Madam Wang following behind in the manner of a servant? Just who is the woman in front of her?

Xia Yu walked to the main seat and sat down, looking down at Consort Lu, who was staring at her with wide eyes, and smiled gently.

"Consort Lu, we meet again. I wonder where the Prince is right now?"

Xia Yu's voice was gentle, but Lu Min'er didn't think she was an easy person to talk to.

She glanced at Xia Yu but didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Madam Wang standing to the side, tears streaming down her face.

"Sister, I sent someone to the inn to look for you today, but the people there said you haven't come back since you left the day before yesterday. I've been worried about you, afraid that something might have happened to you?"

"Consort Lu, please don't worry about me. I only went out of the city with the princess for two days. Also, please don't call me Madam Wang or 'elder sister' anymore. My name is Twelve, and I am the princess's guard."