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

The injured maid sobbed, "I was attacked as soon as I entered the room. There were three people hiding inside. One of them came to tie me up. The other two fought with the madam. But they were very skilled in martial arts, and they knocked the madam unconscious, put her in a sack, and took her away."

Zhou Chunyu was heartbroken upon hearing this: "She's injured, she's injured!"

Chi Yan walked in quickly.

Gu Hua said urgently, "Speak quickly."

Akabane turned around. "Bring him up."

A person, bound hand and foot, was thrown in.

This man is the gatekeeper of the Zhou residence.

Chi Yan said coldly, "He let the thieves in while everyone was at the Prince's Mansion to pick up the bride. He even led the thieves to hide in the bridal chamber."

Zhou Chunyu was furious. He grabbed the man by the neck and roared with bloodshot eyes, "I've treated you well, why are you like this! Speak!"

Mu Junyan grabbed his hand: "Interrogate him properly, but don't kill him."

He turned back to Chi Yan and asked, "Have you investigated?"

Chi Yan nodded: "I have already ordered the city gates to be sealed off and have gone to check each gate. I will have news back soon."

The man nearly suffocated. Zhou Chunyu released his grip and kicked him hard in the stomach.

It struck right in his ribs, and he screamed in agony, his whole body trembling.

It hurts, but it won't kill you.

Gu Hua asked urgently, "Hurry up and speak! You're a veteran of the Yong Prince's Mansion, why would you betray Steward Zhou and cause Zhilan to be kidnapped!"

Ignoring the pain, the man cried, "I was forced into this! My whole family has been captured. If I don't comply, they will all die. I only have one son, and my parents are old and can't bear to suffer."

Gu Hua was startled and looked at Mu Junyan.

Mu Junyan immediately ordered the generals around him: "Immediately order the elite cavalry to split into three teams and pursue along the three routes of the southern border. Do not overlook even the slightest clue."

The general clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes!"

After exiting the south gate of Juzhou, there are three directions leading to the three countries in the southern border region.

Upon hearing this, Gu Hua wondered if someone was impersonating the Dali Kingdom to do this.

Half an hour later, the scouts returned with their reports.

It was confirmed that a group of people had secretly left the city through the tunnel and headed straight for Dali.

Gu Hua was stunned: "A tunnel? How could there be a tunnel?"

The scout replied, "It's the tunnel built by Yifengtang, which was discovered in the Jiaofangsi after Zhuohua was captured. We sealed it off at the time, but we don't know when it was reopened."

Gu Hua suddenly felt a chill run down her spine; she realized that the enemy had been doing so much in secret.

If we can kidnap Zhou Zhilan today, wouldn't it be easy to kidnap other people?

Mu Junyan's face darkened.

Zhou Chunyu has regained his senses. Although he is extremely anxious, he remains relatively calm.

He frowned: "Even if the tunnel is breached, with the intelligence network of our Mu family army's scouts and the defenses of the city's garrison, they might not succeed. So why did they take the risk just to capture Zhilan?"

"This is the question I've been pondering."

"Your Highness, a message has arrived by carrier pigeon."

A guard walked in carrying a carrier pigeon.

Mu Junyan took the thin roll of paper, unfolded it, glanced at it, and handed it to Gu Hua.

Gu Hua frowned: "Xuanxuan said that Duan Yu did not send anyone to kidnap people, which is strange."

Zhou Chunyu clasped his hands in a fist salute: "My lord, no matter what, I will personally go and rescue Zhilan."

Gu Hua: "Where are you going to rescue them? If it weren't for Duan Yu's actions, we wouldn't even know where they're hidden."

Zhou Chunyu burst into tears: "I can't just wait like this!"

Gu Hua gritted her teeth: "I'll go."

Mu Junyan grabbed her arm: "Where are you going?"

"I'll have Duan Yu send people to search. After all, it's their territory; he can't just ignore it!"

After saying that, Gu Hua was about to leave.

Mu Junyan grabbed her arm: "What if their target isn't Zhou Zhilan?"

Zhou Chunyu's face turned pale: "Yes, my lord is right. The princess cannot go."

"Please remain calm. The elite cavalry has already been dispatched, and they are faster than you."

Chi Yan continued, "I have already ordered scouts from Dali and several other countries to conduct secret investigations. Don't worry, news will come back in a little while."

The group could only wait anxiously.

As dawn broke, news from all sides began to arrive.

The group that secretly fled to Dali was caught up by the elite cavalry, but they did not find Zhou Zhilan.

Zhou Chunyu had almost pulled out all his hair, then jumped up and ran outside.

Gu Hua had already changed into riding clothes and ran after them upon seeing this.

Seeing this, Mu Junyan followed closely behind.

The three of them quickly mounted their horses and galloped toward the south gate, with Chi Yu and Chi Yan, along with their guards, following closely behind.

Unexpectedly, not long after the group rode their horses out of the south gate, Gu Hua, who had fallen behind, suddenly saw a pile of red and green things under a large tree not far away.

Startled, she immediately screamed, "Look to the west!"

Having said that, she spurred her horse and galloped off in that direction.

Her voice was carried away by the wind and could not be heard by the people in front of her.

Mu Junyan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Gu Hua had changed direction, and then heard the guards behind him calling for the princess. He quickly turned his horse around and followed Gu Hua.

Zhou Chunyu also reined in his horse and saw the pile of colors.

It was the same color as the wedding dress Zhou Zhilan was wearing.

A chill ran through him, and he immediately turned his horse around and followed.

Gu Hua dismounted and stumbled over, crying as she ran.

Zhou Zhilan's wedding dress was embroidered by her own hands, bit by bit. How could she not recognize it?

Gu Hua rushed over and scooped up the person curled up on the ground. That pale face was none other than Zhou Zhilan's.

"elder sister!"

Gu Hua hurriedly helped her gather her clothes, then burst into tears.

Zhou Zhilan was not wearing a wedding dress; instead, she was stripped naked, and the wedding dress was merely draped over her body.

She had lost consciousness, but the marks on her body and the blood beneath her made it clear that something terrible had happened.

Gu Hua wrapped her in her clothes, hugged her tightly, and burst into tears.

Mu Junyan dismounted, his eyes bloodshot, his fists clenched, his anger blazing.

Zhou Chunyu hadn't seen what was happening yet when he heard Gu Hua's heart-wrenching cries, and he was so frightened that he lost his mind.

He tumbled off his horse and scrambled over, only to see a bruised hand sticking out from under his clothes. He felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and the world spun around him.

It felt like an invisible hand was gripping my throat, preventing me from making a sound, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

He reached out his trembling hand and gently grasped her bare, cold wrist, his fingers quivering as he touched her pulse.

"She's not dead."

Upon hearing this, Gu Hua quickly stopped crying: "Take my sister back quickly."

Suppressing his grief, Zhou Chunyu embraced Zhou Zhilan, who was dressed in her wedding gown.

Akabane and the others helped him onto his horse, and the group hurried back to the city.

Shen Li and Doctor Shen were busy for more than an hour before they finally left the room.

Gu Hua asked anxiously, "How is it?"

Shen Li's face was ashen: "Most of them are superficial injuries, just fractures in both thighs, and..."

She looked up at the group of men, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

From inside the room came Zhou Chunyu's suppressed yet desperate, trapped-beast-like cries.

Gu Hua's heart clenched.

He pulled Shen Li aside and asked in a low voice, "How serious is it?"

Shen Li, usually indifferent, was now filled with rage, gritting her teeth: "Sister Zhilan was assaulted, and her thighbone was fractured. She lost too much blood and will probably have a hard time standing up. But that's not the worst part, it's..."

She choked up and couldn't continue.

Gu Hua was stunned.

Was it an infringement?

What kind of torment did Sister Zhilan suffer!

Those beasts! She will never let them get away with this!