Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

Shang Congwen frowned deeply, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the excessive force.

He was extremely anxious. An hour had passed, and he had sent out all his guards to search for Mu Qin, but the result was disappointing.

"Leave some people in the city to continue the search; we can't overlook any possible location. The rest of you, come with me out of the city to search!" Shang Congwen's voice carried an unquestionable authority.

After receiving the order, the guard quickly got up and left, his movements swift and decisive, and he soon disappeared from the room.

Mu family.

Shang Congjian safely escorted Wu Zitong back to the Mu family.

Zhou and Wang Cuiying went to Tianshan Temple to pray for blessings at the invitation of Madam Shang, and were not at home.

Shang Congjian was well aware that Wang Qing'er's pregnancy was not going well and was afraid of disturbing her. After much thought, he finally went directly to Princess Jinxuan.

"Zitong, don't panic, tell me slowly, what exactly happened? How could Muqin disappear?" Princess Jinxuan asked Wu Zitong anxiously.

Shang Congjian looked at the little girl in front of him, who was crying uncontrollably, her words becoming somewhat incoherent.

He then told Princess Jinxuan everything he knew about the matter.

Princess Jinxuan's expression turned very serious after hearing Shang Congjian's account.

She took a deep breath, composed herself, and then decisively gave an order to her personal maid, Cuibi: "Cuibi, immediately send someone to summon the Duke of Protectorate and the Prince Consort back!"

Mu Xiao is on duty in the palace today, while Mu Nan has gone out on business.

Wu Zixuan and Wu Zixu have also gone to other places and probably won't be back for a while.

After a moment's thought, Princess Jinxuan instructed Steward Zhang, "Steward Zhang, take some men out to search. Search secretly and be very careful. Don't let anyone know that Muqin is missing."

She knew that if this matter were to spread, even if Mu Qin returned safely in the end, her reputation would be greatly affected.

A kidnapped girl, no one knows what she will encounter during this time, and people will inevitably have all sorts of speculations and associations.

After arranging everything, Princess Jinxuan turned around and walked to Wu Zitong's side, gently embracing her and softly comforting her, "Zitong, don't cry, Muqin will be alright. Believe me, we will definitely find her."

"Second sister-in-law, it's all my fault. If I had gone with my cousin, she wouldn't have disappeared."

Wu Zitong's face was streaked with tears, and she was crying so hard that she looked like a heartbroken person. Her voice was so choked with emotion that it was hard not to be moved by what one heard.

She cried and blamed herself: "What will I do if something really happens to my cousin? How can I explain it to my aunt?"

Princess Jinxuan felt a pang of sadness seeing Wu Zitong so heartbroken.

She gently patted Wu Zitong's shoulder, comforting her: "It's alright, it's not your fault. Nobody knew something like this would happen."

Princess Jinxuan knew her sister-in-law quite well. Wu Zitong was rather well-behaved and sensible, and she often reminded Muqin of things. If it weren't for Wu Zitong, her sister-in-law might have done many unexpected things.

After hearing Princess Jinxuan's words, Wu Zitong calmed down a bit, but still said with some worry, "But what about my sister-in-law? She'll definitely be anxious if she doesn't see us return."

Princess Jinxuan thought about it and felt that Wu Zitong made sense. If Wang Qing'er knew about this, she would definitely be very worried.

"I won't tell my sister-in-law yet. I'll think of a way to tell her later."

After Princess Jinxuan comforted Wu Zitong, she turned to Shang Congjian and said, "Young Master Shang, about today's events..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shang Congjian quickly said, "Princess, please rest assured, I will absolutely not tell anyone about what happened today."

Shang Congjian naturally understood Princess Jinxuan's meaning. He knew that this matter was of great importance and absolutely could not be leaked, so he assured Princess Jinxuan without hesitation.

After Mu Nan and Mu Xiao returned and learned what had happened, they immediately organized a team to search quietly throughout the capital.

Wang Qing'er was also getting a little anxious while waiting in the room.

She and Muqin had agreed that she would send someone to inform her after returning from the street.

As time passed, Wang Qing'er still hadn't received any news, which made her start to worry.

"Ping'er, go and see if the young ladies have returned yet?" Wang Qing'er finally couldn't hold back and instructed the maid beside her.

Ping'er responded and was about to go out to check on Muqin's courtyard when a commotion came from outside the door.

She looked up and saw Princess Jinxuan walking in with a group of servants.

"Princess." Ping'er and the other maids in the courtyard quickly bowed.

Princess Jinxuan smiled and nodded, then directly stated her purpose: "I've come to see my sister-in-law."

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Qing'er hurriedly came out of the room to greet her, a smile on her face: "Sister-in-law is here."

Princess Jinxuan smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law, I just came to tell you that Muqin and Zitong met Conghua on the street, and the two of them went to the shop with Conghua. They heard that the epiphyllum that Conghua was growing might bloom tonight, so she specially invited them to her home to see the epiphyllum. Muqin and Zitong couldn't refuse, so they had to go."

This excuse was actually something she and Shang Congjian had discussed beforehand. Shang Conghua did indeed grow a few epiphyllum flowers, and every year she would invite some of her close friends to the mansion to enjoy the flowers together.

Wang Qing'er also knew about this matter. Knowing that Mu Qin and Shang Conghua had a good relationship, she no longer suspected anything.

"This must be Mu Qin's idea again." Wang Qing'er immediately thought of Mu Qin when she heard this. She had a lot of headaches with her sister-in-law, feeling that she was too lively and active.

However, this time Wang Qing'er wronged Mu Qin.

At this moment, Mu Qin was locked in a dark and damp room, silently shedding tears, her body trembling slightly.

She kept rubbing against the ropes binding her hands, trying to rub them off.

Due to prolonged friction, her hands were already raw and bleeding, staining the rope red.

Time passed by, and night gradually fell.

"How is the situation?" In the woods outside the city, Shang Congwen, dressed in a black night suit, stood tall and straight, his hands behind his back, blending into the surrounding darkness.

His face was icy cold, sending chills down one's spine.

"Reporting to Master, Qi Ye and his men found a girl tied up in a courtyard. Please go and identify her." Yi Ye knelt on one knee and reported to Shang Congwen.