After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

"I overheard some noises coming from the academy, so I came in to check. I never expected that Miss Xue would be enjoying the snow in the academy so late at night."

Murong Xun glanced at Xue Ruanruan with a half-smile and teased her.

"Your Highness also came to the academy to enjoy the scenery in the middle of the night. I came here because my younger brother has not yet returned to the manor, so I came to the academy to see if he is there."

Intimidated by the other party's imposing presence, Xue Ruanruan dared not speak her anger and had to put on a smiling face for fear of offending him.

"Has Xue Li not returned to the manor yet?"

Murong Xun's smile vanished, and he frowned, glancing thoughtfully at the school.

"No, my younger brother has always been well-behaved and sensible. Even if he is kept behind by the teacher for tutoring, he will send someone back to the mansion to inform his grandmother and mother so as not to worry them. I don't know what happened today, but he has not returned until now."

I thought my younger brother had been kept behind by the teacher for extra tutoring, but I forgot to send someone back to the mansion to deliver the message.

But the academy gates were locked, which chilled her to the bone.

"Miss Xue, don't worry, I'll go with you to look for it."

After Murong Xun finished speaking, he whistled a strange whistle into the dark night sky, and soon a group of men in black appeared out of thin air on the snow.

Xue Ruanruan's eyes widened in surprise; she almost forgot that the Regent was protected by shadow guards.

"The young master of the General of the State has gone missing. Go and find him."

"Yes, Master."

With each echo of agreement, the shadow guards dispersed in all directions, disappearing into the dark snowy night.

"Thank you for your help, Your Highness. I will repay you handsomely once I find him."

Xue Ruanruan was filled with gratitude towards Murong Xun, and couldn't understand why she, in her previous life, would have avoided such an upright person like the plague.

"Okay, we'll talk about it once we find them."

Murong Xun didn't mind. Miss Xue had treated his illness and provided so many scarce resources, which was already a great honor for him. Helping her out was only right.

Xue Ruanruan continued searching through the various classrooms of the academy, but after searching all the classrooms, she still found nothing.

I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. What if my younger brother had already left the academy and had an accident on his way back home?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Like a headless fly, Xue Ruanruan searched the entire academy, including its vast outdoor archery range, pavilions, buildings, and even ponds and gardens, but still found nothing.

Her eyes reddened with anxiety. She paced around the academy several times. Murong Xun, fearing something had happened to her, searched for her from a short distance away.

As they followed her toward a corner of the courtyard, they suddenly heard a faint cry for help coming from ahead.

He stopped and listened carefully, confirming that the faint, almost inaudible sound was coming from the outhouse to his left.

Suddenly, he leaped up and headed straight for the outhouse. Xue Ruanruan thought he had discovered something and was about to follow when she looked up and saw that it was the outhouse.

Her face flushed slightly, and she began searching elsewhere.

Murong Xun ignored him and walked straight into the latrine, gripping his sword tightly in his hand, ready to deliver a fatal blow if danger arose.

"Help! Big sister, where are you? Please save Li'er..."

Xue Li was tied up to a chinaberry tree next to the latrine. Due to his violent struggle, his brocade robe was torn and he had many abrasions on his body, which kept oozing blood, staining the white snow beneath him red.

The little one had exhausted a lot of energy from the violent struggle, and with his arms tied behind his back to the tree, he was unable to break free and had fallen into a semi-conscious state.

His strong will to survive kept him calling for help even when he was on the verge of falling into a coma.