“Who else could it be but Prince Liao?” Dou Zhao said coldly, her hand involuntarily clenching into a fist.
“Prince, Prince Liao?!” Duan Gongyi gaped in disbelief. “That’s impossible! Wouldn’t he fear offending the young master? Besides, princes are forbidden from associating with court officials. What would it mean for him to kidnap you and the young master? How could he possibly resolve this?” His face paled as he continued, “They don’t care about the Second Master’s life… Could they be planning to harm you and the young master?”
Chen Xiaofeng’s face turned ashen as he listened. “We’ve all come inside. If they intend to… they could just set fire to the place…”
With powerful crossbows surrounding them outside, they would have no escape!
Dou Zhao’s expression changed dramatically. “Is there any way to notify the young master?”
Once Song Mo knew, he would surely find a way to rescue them.
The people in the room exchanged glances.
Staying here was dangerous, but trying to break out and report would be even more perilous under the threat of fifty powerful crossbows.
Duan Gongyi smiled and said, “I’ll see if I can find a chance to slip out.”
“No,” Chen Xiaofeng grabbed Duan Gongyi. “You’re the most skilled and experienced among us. If you leave, who will protect the lady and young master? Let me go!”
Seeing this, several guards clamored:
“Master Duan, let me go! My lightness skill is the best!”
“Let me go! I’m small and less likely to be noticed.”
“Stop arguing, I should go! I’m the middle of three brothers and unmarried…”
The room fell silent.
“None of us are going anywhere!” An old woman’s voice suddenly rang out. “We’ll stay right here! Live together, die together!”
“Elder Madam!”
“Grandmother!”
All eyes turned to Grandmother.
She was gently patting the sleeping Yuan’er. Though her voice trembled slightly, her expression was resolute. “I may be a village woman who hasn’t seen much of the world, but I understand the situation from what you’ve said. They must have come in secret. Dawn is only two or three hours away. Surely they can’t keep surrounding us then? We just need to hold out for those few hours. I won’t allow anyone to go to their death! Isn’t everyone born of parents?” The last two sentences were directed at Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
How could she bear to watch others lose their lives?
But if everyone remained trapped here, they might all face certain death.
The thought flashed through her mind, and she had an idea.
Why hadn’t she thought of it before?
Her eyes lit up as she turned to Duan Gongyi. “Is it possible they only want to kidnap Yuan’er and me?”
If they wanted to capture them alive, they wouldn’t risk harming her and Yuan’er, and thus wouldn’t resort to extreme measures like setting fire to the place.
The guards perked up at her words.
If that were the case, they only needed to hold out until dawn to escape their predicament.
Duan Gongyi immediately said, “I’ll try to find out!”
Dou Zhao nodded.
As Duan Gongyi cautiously approached the door, he called out loudly, “I’m Lady Dou’s guard. I have some questions for you!”
The other side replied in a smooth yet polite voice, “Lady Dou may ask directly.”
Duan Gongyi exchanged a glance with Dou Zhao and said, “Our lady asks, if she and the young master go with you, will you spare the elder madam?”
Grandmother was about to speak, but Dou Zhao quickly signaled her to remain silent.
“We have no intention of harming the lady, young master, or elder madam,” the other side replied without hesitation. “However, we can’t immediately send the elder madam back to the city. She and the lady’s guards will have to stay here for a few days.”
In other words, they believed that within a few days, the matter of kidnapping mother and son would be resolved.
Dou Zhao was shaken to her core and couldn’t help but cry out softly, “This is bad.”
Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Even Duan Gongyi forgot he was talking to the other side as they all held their breath and listened intently.
“It’s Prince Liao!” A flash of terror crossed Dou Zhao’s eyes. “He’s made his move… He wants to kidnap Yuan’er and me to use as hostages against the young master… Because in just a few hours, or even less than a few days, the outcome will be decided…”
By then, with his ascension to the throne, all obstacles would cease to be obstacles.
The lives of the elder madam and Song Mo would no longer be an issue for Prince Liao.
That’s why they so readily agreed to Duan Gongyi’s conditions.
“How could I be so stupid!” Dou Zhao berated herself, filled with regret and anger. She couldn’t help but mutter, “With so many changes in this life, how could I still be blinded by the events of my past life, unable to distinguish between fact and memory…”
She stomped her foot in frustration.
Duan Gongyi didn’t understand.
But he didn’t need to understand.
He had been in the capital for two or three years now, and the complexities of court politics were beyond the comprehension of a simple martial man like himself. He was better off focusing on the task at hand.
He asked, “My lady, what should we do now?”
Dou Zhao snapped out of her reverie.
What was the use of dwelling on this now? The urgent matter was to contact Song Mo, not only to get him to send reinforcements to rescue them but also to inform him of the situation here so he could devise a strategy… The fear was that changes might have occurred in the palace as well, leaving Song Mo overwhelmed…
At this thought, she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.
If things were as she predicted, they would have to save themselves.
Dou Zhao paced around the room several times before her mind settled.
She stood in front of the kang bed, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the guards who had followed her from Zhending to the capital.
The guards unconsciously straightened their postures, their expressions growing solemn.
Now, they could only band together to have any chance of overcoming this crisis!
People all have their selfish desires. This desperate decision might put her in danger, but it might also give her the ability to fight with her back against the wall.
Dou Zhao turned back, glancing at Yuan’er and Grandmother.
Grandmother didn’t know what she was planning, but with her simple wisdom, she understood that the situation had reached a critical point.
She nodded firmly at Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile before turning back, straightening her spine, and saying, “There’s something the young master and I have been keeping from everyone…”
She calmly told everyone in the room about Prince Liao’s strange behavior.
Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng had their suspicions and remained silent, but the others showed looks of terror. It took them a while to recover, but when they did, they understood Dou Zhao’s intentions.
After a moment of silence, someone said, “My lady, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Since we’ve followed you in pursuit of a better future, it’s only natural that we should give as well as receive. We’ve been nurtured for a thousand days to be used in one. I’m at your disposal, my lady!”
The others grew excited as well.
“My lady, whatever you need us to do, just say the word!”
“That’s right! Since we can’t end this peacefully, what’s there to fear? If you and the young master are in danger, how could we escape anyway? If not for you earlier, we would have already died under their crossbows!”
“Let’s fight one more time! Even if we die, we’ll take someone down with us!”
“When the time comes, please tell our families that none of us who came out have disgraced Zhending!”
Tears welled up in Dou Zhao’s eyes, her chest filled with an indescribable emotion. She felt strength coursing through her body. “Good! Let’s face them head-on! I refuse to believe we can’t overcome these cowardly traitors who hide in the shadows. At worst, I’ll lead you all to Tianjin. The young master still has a shipyard there!”
Her last improvised sentence further boosted everyone’s morale.
Dou Zhao continued, “Their boldness surely means they’re at a critical juncture. My greatest concern now is that something might have changed on the young master’s side as well. I fear they might use our safety to intimidate him, causing him to lose the Crown Prince’s trust. Then we’d truly be in a precarious position. We must find a way to contact the young master!”
They still needed someone to break out and inform Song Mo!
Perhaps because the current situation involved changes in the court, making the guards feel they were serving the country and its people, no one hesitated. Several people stepped forward, and someone suggested, “Why don’t we split into two groups, one obvious and one hidden? Whoever manages to escape should find a way to meet the young master.”
This was the best plan they could think of at the moment.
Duan Gongyi said, “A few of us will stay here to protect the lady and young master, while the others try to sneak out in different directions.”
Chen Xiaofeng stared at Duan Gongyi for a long time.
If they failed, those people might vent their anger on Dou Zhao’s guards, putting Duan Gongyi in great danger. If they succeeded, Duan Gongyi would only be seen as fulfilling his duty as a guard, his contribution seeming insignificant.
Duan Gongyi understood this all too well. He smiled and patted Chen Xiaofeng’s shoulder, saying, “I’m getting old. I just want to stay by the lady’s side. You’re all still young, go and make your fortunes!”
Chen Xiaofeng’s eyes grew moist. He turned to the others and asked, “Is everyone ready?”
“We’re ready!” They didn’t dare speak loudly, but their expressions were resolute.
Chen Xiaofeng nodded.
They arranged themselves in groups of two or three and began slipping out in order.
Within moments, someone was discovered.
The other side shouted “Stop!” and mercilessly shot to kill.
A piercing scream rang out, and a figure fell from the wall, twitching in the corner before quickly falling silent.
Dou Zhao’s vision blurred instantly.
Chen Xiaofeng’s voice grew colder: “It’s your turn. Be careful.”
Three guards nodded and silently climbed out the window.
Grandmother tightly grasped Yuan’er’s hand.
Another muffled sound was heard.
Song Han’s pig-like squeals came from outside: “Help! I’m the second son of Duke Ying’s household… Sister-in-law, it’s Prince Liao who wants to kidnap you. Don’t resist needlessly. Prince Liao has already secretly entered the palace under the Empress’s arrangements…”
In the palace.
Song Mo was on duty today.
The bed was too hard, the blanket had an indescribable smell, and the food was nothing more than boiled water and salt. He longed for daybreak so he could go home and rest for a day.
But the night was long, and there was little to do in the palace. After returning from his patrol, he decided to practice his calligraphy.
Estimating it was nearly time for the third watch, he put down his brush, took out his pocket watch to check the time, and walked toward the door.
The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and a cool breeze blew gently.
Song Mo took a deep breath.
The chief clerk of the Imperial Guard, who was on duty with Song Mo, hurried out from the tea room next door upon hearing movement. He spoke softly, with eagerness yet respect: “Commander, are you going on night patrol?”
Song Mo grunted in affirmation and began his inspection along the daily established route.
The chief clerk and several Imperial Guards followed on his left and right.