Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

“Many people will definitely come back to inquire. Instruct the people who went out to buy things early in the morning to spread the word to anyone who asks, saying that something happened to the young mistress.”

Zhou Zhilan replied, "This servant understands, and will give the order immediately."

The old lady swept her gaze around the high walls: "Chunyu, guard the Duke's mansion well, and do not let the slightest mistake occur."

Zhou Chunyu agreed and immediately went to make the arrangements.

Yi Niang helped the old lady up, saying, "Madam, it's late and the dew is heavy. You should go back to your room to rest."

"No need, I'll be waiting in the main hall. I want to see which deity is the first to lose patience and try to barge into my Duke Yong's mansion!"

The old lady strode out.

……

The night at the Prince of Ping'an's residence was far from peaceful.

Jiang Ruoxi waited until late at night but her brother did not return. She ordered someone to go to Yichun Courtyard to inquire, but unexpectedly found a large group of black-armored guards surrounding Yichun Courtyard.

Jiang Ruoxi was shocked to hear this. Had the matter been exposed?

The informant then reported seeing the patrol officers and Black Armor Guards searching the entire city, which put her mind at ease.

So the kidnapping was successful, but it's unclear whether they managed to kidnap two people.

"Go check on the Duke of Yong's mansion again. If the two women have been kidnapped, the Duke of Yong's mansion will surely be in chaos."

After giving instructions, Jiang Ruoxi was still somewhat uneasy.

Soon, the people who went to the Duke of Yong's mansion returned and said that the Duke of Yong's gate was tightly closed, there was no one guarding it, and nothing seemed amiss.

Jiang Ruoxi looked outside and saw that it was almost dawn.

If things go according to plan, the Gu sisters will be stripped naked and thrown into the street, which will make things much easier.

She and her brother can simply deny knowing anything.

Once things have calmed down, my brother can kill those thugs and everything will be fine.

The question is, did they rob two or one?

If one is missed, kidnapping Gu Wanru would be fine, but if it's Gu Hua who is kidnapped, it would be easy for people to associate it with her.

"Go and find a way to stake out the Duke of Yong's mansion again. Try to ask those who go out to buy things early in the morning."

The person who received the order quickly ran off.

In less than half an hour, the person returned, excitedly telling her that the servants of the Duke's mansion said that the young mistress had been kidnapped.

Jiang Ruoxi was thunderstruck.

How could they have kidnapped that useless Gu Wanru?

"Quickly help me change my clothes. I'm going to check on the Duke of Yong's residence."

"Princess, you're so anxious! This matter hasn't spread to the common people yet. If you find out and rashly go to the Duke's mansion, wouldn't that confirm that it's related to you?" Her maid quickly pulled her back.

Jiang Ruoxi was discouraged.

"Am I just supposed to sit here and wait to die?"

“The Duke’s mansion can’t keep the news under wraps; it’s all out in the open now, isn’t it? If that Gu Wanru is thrown out, it proves that you, the county princess, weren’t involved, and you have no grudge against the young mistress. We can immediately spread the word that her sister, Gu Hua, disregarded her sister’s life or death…”

Her personal maid whispered in her ear.

Jiang Ruoxi's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Even if that little bitch escapes this time, her reputation will be ruined. Go do it now."

The maid smiled and said, "Yes, I'll go right away."

After a short while, Jiang Ruoxi couldn't stand it anymore and called over the servant who usually ran errands: "Go and see if you can find the person who usually contacts my brother. Tell him that they arrested the wrong person and that his men must keep their mouths shut!"

The servant hurried off.

But as soon as he took a step out, he was startled and turned back.

A man in black wearing a silver half-face mask appeared behind him, grabbed the man, and with a swift chop, the man collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Ruoxi was so frightened she almost screamed.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her throat, causing her face to turn red with fear as she stared at those sinister eyes.

"Dare to make a sound, or you'll be dead in the blink of an eye." He parted his thin lips slightly, and his cold voice sent a chill down Jiang Ruoxi's spine.

She nodded with difficulty.

Ji Xuanyu released his grip and pushed her onto the bed. Jiang Ruoxi frantically grabbed the blanket to cover herself, shaking her head in a trembling voice, not daring to utter a sound.

Ji Xuanyu leaned closer and sneered, "With looks like yours, you think I'd even look at you?"

Jiang Ruoxi was so angry that her face turned ashen, but she dared not show her anger.

This person was his brother's most capable assistant. On ordinary days, he would entrust his subordinates with tasks that were inconvenient for the Prince's residence to handle.

Jiang Ruoxi had never met him in person, but she felt that he was ruthless.

"Are your men sure they've arrested the young mistress of the Duke's mansion?"

He and his men had just tried to sneak into the Duke of Yong's mansion, but found it was so well-guarded that not even a fly could get in.

He had no choice but to go to the Prince of Ping'an's residence.

Jiang Ruoxi and her brother set up this scheme, and since she is the younger sister of the late Lady of the Duke of Yong, she might have some information.

Jiang Ruoxi glared at him irritably: "Don't you know who you arrested? You bunch of idiots, you messed things up and now you're questioning me!"

Startled by the sinister gaze from beneath the silver mask, Jiang Ruoxi immediately changed her tone.

"Whether or not you arrest Gu Hua is a small matter, but if you are discovered, it will implicate my brother and the Prince's Mansion. That little bitch must have seen you; she must die. I can reward you brothers with another hundred taels of gold to kill her, how about it?"

Ji Xuanyu suddenly turned around, his gaze as cold as a knife.

Jiang Ruoxi shrank back in fright when he stared at her like that: "I'm doing this for your own good."

Ji Xuanyu drew his sword and slashed the neck of the servant lying on the ground. With a snap, the neck broke, and the head rolled away, leaving only the skin on the back of the neck.

Jiang Ruoxi was almost scared to death. She quickly pulled the blanket over her head, clenched her teeth, and dared not cry out.

The blanket was ripped off, and she was immediately met with a pair of fierce eyes.

"You dare touch her! If even a single hair on her head is stolen, your whole family will die!"

A flash of cold light appeared before her eyes, and a tuft of Jiang Ruoxi's hair was cut off. She opened her mouth to scream in fright, but was too shocked to speak.

A warm flow gushed out between her legs, wetting her bottom. She was filled with grief and indignation, and wanted to cry but had no tears.

Ji Xuanyu looked disgusted, straightened up, pointed at her nose and warned, "Don't even think about doing anything funny. If I find out, I'll burn your palace down and throw you to my bunch of evil brothers to eat!"

Jiang Ruoxi huddled under the covers, trembling, and watched helplessly as the person quickly left.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she shouted at the man's back: "Maybe you've captured Gu Hua."

The man paused, then turned and stared intently at her.

Jiang Ruoxi was furious: "She slept in Mu Junyan's bed, that's why Mu Junyan is so worried about her. If you had arrested Gu Wanru, Mu Junyan would never have personally conducted a night search of the capital, causing such chaos."

Sure enough, the man came rushing back like the wind and grabbed her by the neck.

His eyes were bloodshot, like a demon crawling out of hell.

"How dare you slander her!"

Jiang Ruoxi's eyes widened. He was so nervous about Gu Hua. Did he know her?

She suddenly felt that her guess might be right, and a sense of schadenfreude arose within her.

Suddenly she laughed, and said with all her might, "I slandered her? Don't you know why I arrested her? I am the one who was to betroth her to Mu Junyan and make her the Duchess of the State. Mu Junyan dared to defy the Empress Dowager's decree to marry her because he wanted to take her as a concubine."

Ji Xuanyu unintentionally increased the force of his grip.

Jiang Ruoxi couldn't breathe, her face turned red, and she tried to pry his hand away, but to no avail.

"If...if you've really arrested the wrong person, then you're the one who killed her. Dawn is about to break, and that little bitch is going to be ruined!"

A metallic taste suddenly welled up in Ji Xuanyu's throat. He shoved the man away violently, turned around, and ran away as fast as he could.

Jiang Ruoxi coughed violently, so angry that she pounded the blanket and screamed, "Help! Where are they all dead?!"

She was absolutely furious.

Mu Junyan protected the little bitch, and even cold-blooded and ruthless people who didn't know her protected her.

What kind of bewitching magic does that little bitch Gu Hua possess that has bewitched people's souls?

Ji Xuanyu went out the door, leaped onto his horse, whipped it wildly, and galloped back towards Xinghua Tea House.