When Luo Tan was found, she was in an almost abandoned alley in the western part of Dingjing City. The alley connected to several hutongs, with a twisted and difficult-to-navigate path. It was only because someone on Azhi’s side of the city guard was extremely familiar with every corner of Dingjing City that Luo Tan’s whereabouts were discovered.

However, although Luo Tan had been found, the situation was far from reassuring. Luo Tan had been stabbed deeply near her waist, close to her abdomen. The wound was extremely deep, and because it had taken time to find her, by the time she was brought back to the Shen residence, she was already at death’s door.

Several physicians came one after another, but looking at Luo Tan’s injuries, they could only shake their heads repeatedly, saying there was nothing they could do to save her. This angered Shen Xin so much that he nearly drew his sword. It was Luo Xuegan who said, “Since they’re all mediocre doctors, why not use Axin’s token to request Imperial Physicians from the palace? Aren’t they all supposed to have miraculous healing abilities? Whoever cures Tan’er, the Shen family will surely reward them generously.”

Shen Qiu ordered his subordinates to take Shen Xin’s token to the palace to request an Imperial Physician. Everyone gathered around Luo Tan’s bedside. Luo Xuegan’s eyes were red as she asked, “Who did this? How could they be so ruthless and vicious?”

Luo Ling’s gaze was also somber. Luo Tan was his cousin, and with her life hanging in the balance, he naturally felt distressed. However, what was even more unsettling was that while Luo Tan had been found, there was still no news of Shen Miao’s whereabouts. If Luo Tan had ended up in such a state, with the culprits showing no mercy, they were extremely vicious individuals. No one dared to imagine what Shen Miao might be experiencing.

The Shen family’s soldiers were searching tirelessly throughout Dingjing City but couldn’t find even the slightest clue. Those people seemed to have vanished into thin air. They had already searched every commoner’s household, and almost every street and alley had been investigated. They couldn’t possibly search the residences of officials—even if they wanted to, they didn’t have that authority.

The room fell into a terrible silence.

Shen Miao knew nothing about what was happening outside. By the time she woke up, she had no idea what time it was.

Her hands and feet were bound and immobile. Shen Miao slowly opened her eyes. Her captors had forgotten to blindfold her, or perhaps they felt it was unnecessary.

This was a spacious secret chamber with a desk, a cabinet, and a bed. She didn’t know where it was, but it appeared to be a secret room in someone’s mansion. Shen Miao couldn’t move, so she could only observe quietly.

There was no sound from outside, and she couldn’t hear anything. Shen Miao had been knocked unconscious earlier and had no idea what had happened. She didn’t know if Luo Tan had escaped or if her message had been delivered to Xie Jingxing.

Currently, Shen Xin was a figure that everyone in Dingjing City had to be wary of, especially with the envoys from Qin and Da Liang still present. Because Emperor Wenhui needed to rely on Shen Xin, his status had been rising steadily, and with the return of his military authority, ordinary people wouldn’t dare to cross Shen Xin. Yet someone had acted so recklessly now. Such boldness and disregard for consequences—Shen Miao could guess who it was even without much thought. Apart from Princess Mingan, who else would use such a simple and brutal approach?

But she hadn’t expected Princess Mingan to find accomplices in Dingjing City so quickly. Princess Mingan wouldn’t act personally, and even Huangfu Hao wouldn’t allow Princess Mingan to use such foolish methods. The people who had abducted her had managed to blend in with Feng’s guards, showed familiarity with the Feng family, and seemed well-informed about her and Feng Anning’s movements. Especially when they drove the carriage away quickly, losing Feng’s guards and entering a deserted alley—everything indicated one fact: the accomplice Princess Mingan had found was very familiar with all the routes in Ming Qi, obviously a native of Dingjing City.

Someone as self-important as Princess Mingan wouldn’t associate with insignificant figures. But if it was someone with an official position and status, why would they risk themselves to help Princess Mingan abduct Shen Miao? They must know that if Shen Xin discovered their identity later, he certainly wouldn’t let the matter rest. Ming Qi officials had always been opportunistic, and they definitely wouldn’t do something so dangerous.

Therefore, it could only be someone with a certain official position who was still extremely eager to climb higher, someone who didn’t even care about their own life. Among Ming Qi’s officials, who was such a person? Shen Miao couldn’t think of anyone at the moment.

However, since Princess Mingan was involved, many of Shen Xin’s actions would inevitably lead to complications. For some reason, the first person Shen Miao thought of was that if Xie Jingxing took action, he should be able to find her quickly. Come to think of it, Xie Jingxing also had the Fengxian Pawnshop. The intelligence network of Fengxian Pawnshop was extensive, and if her abductors were familiar with Dingjing City, Fengxian Pawnshop had been doing business in Ming Qi for many years with connections everywhere—how could they possibly fail?

In her heart, Shen Miao could only hope that Xie Jingxing would discover her quickly.

She struggled to move her hands into her sleeves. Her captors had bound the ropes very tightly, and Shen Miao had nearly rubbed her wrists raw before she managed to reach the hairpin in her sleeve.

It was a hairpin she had specifically made. Since her rebirth, to avoid various accidents, she had specially made this hairpin. The tip was bent into a hook, which, in a critical moment, could be used to blind an opponent. This was a technique she had learned in the palace in her previous life. But now, it could also be used to wear down the ropes binding her hands and feet.

Just as she was about to start, she heard footsteps outside. Shen Miao quickly tucked the hairpin back into her sleeve, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.

The door opened, and people seemed to enter from outside. Judging by the footsteps, there was more than one person.

One of them said, “The Shen family is making too much noise. If this continues, when will we be able to move her out?”

The other replied, “What’s the rush? Right now, we have her in our hands. We can send her out after the commotion dies down.”

So there were two people. Shen Miao calculated in her mind. From their tone, it seemed they were only temporarily avoiding attention here, but eventually they would send her away. Where Princess Mingan would send her was certainly nowhere good. The slightly comforting thought was that Shen Xin had acted very quickly, and now the entire city was on high alert. With so many eyes watching, it would be difficult for them to get her out of the city. At least for a short while, she wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

But Shen Miao was puzzled—why did these two voices sound somewhat familiar? Since she was pretending to be asleep, she couldn’t open her eyes to look.

Sensing a gaze falling on her, Shen Miao heard one person hesitantly say, “Why isn’t she waking up yet? Did the men handle her too roughly earlier?”

“Second Brother, at a time like this, you’re still concerned about whether she’s awake or not?” the other person said. “Don’t worry, even if Shen Miao never wakes up, the Princess will only be pleased. You’ve seen the Princess’s attitude—the more miserable Shen Miao is, the better. It doesn’t matter whether she lives or dies.”

“I’m just worried,” the one called “Second Brother” replied, his voice indeed containing some concern, “if Father discovers this…”

“So what if Father discovers it? Don’t forget, you and I are Father’s biological sons. Since that little bastard died, Father only has us two brothers to rely on in the future,” the other man said. “Besides, the Xie family and the Shen family have never gotten along. Do you think Father would report his biological sons for the sake of the hostile Shen family?”

Xie family? Xie family?

In the corner, Shen Miao’s eyelashes trembled slightly, unable to hide her shock.

She hadn’t expected that the people who had abducted her were actually from the Xie family. One man called the other “Second Brother,” so without a doubt, these two were Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao.

Shen Miao could hardly believe it. She never thought that the ones who had allied with Princess Mingan would be Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao. Although Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao had always been dissatisfied with Xie Jingxing, from her previous life, they had seemed to be patient people like their master Fu Xiuyi. How had they become so arrogant and reckless in this life, willing to risk themselves to commit such crimes of abduction?

The Linan Marquis Household was one of Ming Qi’s prominent families. Even a concubine-born son was superior to many officials’ legitimate sons. If what Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao had done was exposed, the entire Linan Marquis Household would be ruined. Had these two gone mad?

Xie Changwu spat and asked, “Is this place safe?”

“Of course it’s safe,” Xie Changchao said proudly. “Who would think that the Shen family’s young lady would be hidden in our mansion? And even in this mansion, only you and I know about this secret chamber. Even if Shen Xin somehow obtained the Emperor’s decree and was divinely inspired to search our mansion, I guarantee he would leave empty-handed.”

“That’s good,” Xie Changwu sighed in relief and said, “This matter, whether it succeeds or fails, is determined by a single thought. We cannot make the slightest mistake. Once the commotion outside dies down, send her out quickly.”

Xie Changchao nodded, took out water and rice from a basket, walked over to Shen Miao, and placed the two bowls in front of her.

“Wake her up to eat now? We can’t just let her starve to death,” Xie Changwu said.

“No need,” Xie Changchao said. “She’s tied up, but she still has a mouth. Don’t you think that making a young lady from a noble family eat like a dog would greatly please Her Highness the Princess? When the time comes, if the Princess is pleased, she might speak favorably of us to His Highness.”

Xie Changwu then said, “That’s good. Third Brother, you’re very thoughtful. Since that’s the case, let’s leave first to avoid suspicion.” After speaking, the two of them left.

After there was no more sound outside, Shen Miao slowly opened her eyes.

Two bowls were placed on the ground in front of her: one with clear water, the other with rice. Fortunately, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao hadn’t brought anything more disgusting for her to eat.

Shen Miao sighed inwardly.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t eaten such food before. In the cold palace, she had consumed leftover meals that included spoiled food. What of it? To survive, one’s dignity could be temporarily set aside. As long as there was a day when she had the opportunity, she would take her revenge.

However, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao’s words had made her gradually furrow her brow.

This was a secret chamber in the Linan Marquis Household. If that was the case, it would be very difficult for Shen Xin to find this place. First, without Emperor Wenhui’s decree, it would be impossible to search an official’s residence unless there was concrete evidence. But for no apparent reason, the Xie brothers and Shen Miao had no previous interaction, so how would anyone think they were the kidnappers? Second, even if Shen Xin did obtain a decree, as the Xie brothers had said, this secret chamber was very secluded. If even Xie Ding didn’t know about it, how would Shen Xin find it?

The Xie family had taken a different approach: the most dangerous place was the safest place. This made the situation more troublesome.

Shen Miao looked at the clear water in front of her.

Could Xie Jingxing find her?

Meanwhile, at the Shen residence, the Imperial Physician from the palace had finally arrived.

The newcomer was dressed in white robes, holding a folding fan, and if not for the medicine box he carried on his back, he would have looked more like a refined young nobleman coming to appreciate flowers rather than someone coming to save a life.

This young Imperial Physician was Gao Yang.

Luo Xuegan and Shen Xin exchanged doubtful glances. Although Gao Yang’s medical skills were renowned in the palace, his patients there were concubines and other women. Women often favored superficial things, so who could say whether it was just because Gao Yang was handsome that everyone praised his medical skills? Moreover, people generally believed that the older the doctor, the more excellent their medical skills, while young ones only knew the basics.

Shen Xin hadn’t expected that the Imperial Physician summoned from the palace would be Gao Yang, but it was too late to reject him. If they were to send for someone else, it would waste precious time.

The famous Dr. Gao seemed quite worldly. After being welcomed in with great ceremony, he went to the unconscious Luo Tan’s side and checked her pulse.

Everyone was watching him intently. After a while, Gao Yang shook his head and sighed, “Weak breathing, disordered pulse. The wound is too deep, affecting the internal organs, and she’s lost a lot of blood. Difficult.”

Luo Xuegan immediately said, “So he’s another mediocre doctor. Qiu’er, take your father’s token and go request another physician.”

“Wait,” Gao Yang said, displeased, “I only said it was difficult, not incurable. You invited me to examine her, but now you’re looking for another doctor? What is your intention, General Shen?”

“Can you truly save Cousin Tan?” Shen Qiu stepped forward and asked.

“If we delay any longer, I will be helpless too,” Gao Yang replied.

“Very well,” Shen Xin said. “Trust those you use, and use those you trust. I believe you. If Dr. Gao can cure Tan’er, the Shen family will certainly reward you generously.”

Gao Yang laughed and said, “I wouldn’t dare. A physician’s heart is like that of a parent. There’s no need for silver. Miss Luo’s life is hanging by a thread and can’t be delayed. I must first administer acupuncture for Miss Luo. Please wait outside.”

Luo Xuegan was still hesitant, but Shen Xin had already started walking out. Having traveled far and wide, he knew that talented people often had peculiar habits. Moreover, medical skills were closely guarded secrets, and it seemed Gao Yang was afraid of others observing his techniques.

Shen Qiu and Luo Ling closely followed Shen Xin. Seeing this, even though Luo Xuegan was worried, she had no choice but to leave as well.

Only Gao Yang and the unconscious Luo Tan remained in the room. Gao Yang put down his medicine box, opened it, and muttered to himself, “What does this have to do with me? I’ve become the one doing all the work.”

He took out a cloth package and spread it open, revealing dozens of gold needles of various sizes and shapes.

Gao Yang said, “Pleasing Shen Miao is one thing, but now I have to please her family members too?” He shook his head, reached out to undo Luo Tan’s robe, and said rather reluctantly, “Forgive me. I don’t want to do this either. If you want to hold someone responsible, go to the Rui Prince’s residence—the one wearing the mask is the culprit.”

Time passed quickly, and two days went by.

In these two days, the Imperial Physician Gao Yang indeed demonstrated his exceptional medical skills. When all other doctors were at a loss, Gao Yang administered acupuncture twice and had people brew medicine for Luo Tan, which she drank two bowls of. Luo Tan’s breathing gradually stabilized, and her pulse became much stronger than before. When another doctor came to examine her, he said that at least her life had been saved.

Completely changing her previous doubtful attitude toward Gao Yang, Luo Xuegan now treated him as an honored guest. Fearing that Luo Tan’s condition might worsen midway, and since Gao Yang still had two more acupuncture sessions to complete his treatment, Luo Xuegan had Gao Yang stay at the Shen residence to conveniently check on Luo Tan’s condition daily.

While Luo Tan’s condition had stabilized, there was still no good news regarding Shen Miao.

When Emperor Wenhui learned of this matter, he was furious. Setting aside his prejudice against Shen Xin, someone had abducted an official’s legitimate daughter right under the Emperor’s nose, especially while the envoys from Qin and Da Liang had not yet left. Didn’t this demonstrate that there were villains causing trouble in Dingjing City, preventing citizens from living in peace? Therefore, he tacitly approved of Shen Xin’s grand display of searching for his daughter.

But even after turning Dingjing City upside down, they still hadn’t discovered Shen Miao’s whereabouts.

It was as if those people had vanished into thin air. Every commoner’s household had been searched, and the next step would be to search the residences of officials in Dingjing City. But the relationships between officials were complex and intricate, and one misstep could cause a great deal of chaos, which Emperor Wenhui was unwilling to risk.

Thus, they had reached an impasse. Soldiers patrolled the streets daily, greatly improving Dingjing’s security, but for the Shen family, it was like being roasted on a fire, making them even more anxious.

In the study of the Linan Marquis Household, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao were conversing.

Xie Changwu said, “The Shen family is watching too closely. We have no way to move Shen Miao out. If this continues, Princess Mingan will likely blame us.”

Princess Mingan was already angry. Although the Xie brothers had successfully abducted Shen Miao, Princess Mingan now hated Shen Miao to the bone, wishing she could see Shen Miao fall into a brothel that very day, living a life worse than death. Who would have thought that because Shen Xin had made such a scene outside searching for her, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao would not dare to act rashly? Shen Miao had been kept in the secret chamber of the Linan Marquis Household all this time, and Princess Mingan, with her impatient temperament, could not tolerate this. Early that morning, she had sent someone to warn Xie Changwu that if they didn’t send Shen Miao out soon, their previous deal would be void.

With Shen Xin’s subordinates ruthlessly checking house by house at the front, and Princess Mingan blindly pressing from behind, even the shrewd Xie Changwu couldn’t help but feel a headache.

“Don’t rush, Second Brother. Since Shen Xin is checking so thoroughly, we naturally need to ensure we’re not exposed first,” Xie Changchao said.

“I’m not rushing, but the Princess is pressing urgently,” Xie Changwu said, and couldn’t help but complain, “She doesn’t consider that at a time like this, if something went wrong, she wouldn’t escape consequences either.”

“Enough,” Xie Changchao said. “What the Princess wants to see is nothing more than Shen Miao being humiliated. Although we can’t send Shen Miao out, we can bring people in. The Linan Marquis Household is hiring some laborers, buying people from the matrons—that’s not illegal, is it? And not suspicious either?”

Xie Changwu was stunned. That’s right! All Princess Mingan wanted to see was Shen Miao being humiliated. Since the situation outside was tense and they couldn’t send Shen Miao out, why not bring outsiders in? Turning Shen Miao into a plaything—would that not also satisfy Princess Mingan’s desire?

“Third Brother, you…” Xie Changwu said, “You’ve already thought of this?”

“Father has a social engagement today with a minister from the Ministry of Revenue. You and I can’t both be absent, or it would arouse suspicion,” Xie Changchao said. “Second Brother, you go first. I’ll have the housekeeper buy some laborers, and after the deed is done, we’ll report to the Princess.”

These past few days, because they had been constantly focused on Shen Miao’s situation, Xie Ding had rarely arranged social engagements, and they had both made excuses to decline. If this continued, it would be too abnormal. So Xie Changwu said, “I understand. Third Brother, be careful too. Don’t leave any evidence.”

Xie Changchao agreed. After Xie Changwu left, Xie Changchao took out the key to the secret chamber from his sleeve, his eyes flashing with a strange light.

Shen Miao had been in the secret chamber for two days. Although she didn’t know exactly how much time had passed, she could guess from the number of times meals were delivered. Her heart sank—it had been two days already. Since these people hadn’t harmed her, it meant Shen Xin’s search was indeed intense. But the fact that such a commotion hadn’t led anyone to find this place only confirmed that the Xie brothers’ strategy was correct—it was very unlikely that anyone would think to look here.

Just as she was pondering this, she heard footsteps outside, and the door was pushed open.

In the dim light, the person met Shen Miao’s gaze and seemed momentarily stunned, then smiled, “These past few days, you always pretended to be asleep when I came. Why aren’t you pretending today?”

Xie Changchao resembled Xie Changwu somewhat, but compared to Xie Changwu’s restraint, he seemed more impulsive. Now he approached Shen Miao, looked at the half-finished water and rice that Shen Miao had consumed, clicked his tongue a couple of times, and said with apparent regret, “Not just the Princess, but I also wanted to see what a young lady from a noble family would look like eating like a dog. Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Shen Miao looked at him coldly.

For a moment, Shen Miao felt she could understand why Xie Jingxing so disliked these two half-brothers, just as with Shen Qing and Shen Yue. At least Shen Qing and Shen Yue tried to conceal their malicious intentions, but Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao displayed the faces of absolute villains, not even bothering to hide their viciousness.

Seemingly provoked by Shen Miao’s contemptuous gaze, Xie Changchao suddenly grabbed Shen Miao’s chin, forcing her to look at him. Xie Changchao said, “Does Miss Shen know? General Shen and Madam Shen are now searching the entire Dingjing City for your whereabouts, offering a reward of ten thousand gold taels. But unfortunately, no one has claimed it yet. If I were to send you out, would I receive ten thousand gold taels?”

Shen Miao remained silent.

“Unfortunately, I’m working for someone else, so naturally, I can’t let you go so easily,” Xie Changchao smiled again. “Don’t worry, after today, your days will be a little better. The Princess originally planned to sell you to a low-class brothel, but unfortunately, General Shen’s pursuit was too intense, so we can only bring the brothel to the Marquis Household.”

Shen Miao’s gaze darkened.

Seemingly very satisfied with Shen Miao’s demeanor, Xie Changchao moved closer to her, almost whispering in her ear in a strange tone, “This morning, I ordered the housekeeper to hire a few men to watch the courtyard, the kind of strong farmhands. Tell me, after tonight, will you still have the strength to glare at me?”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes, but her hand in her sleeve secretly felt for the hairpin with the hook. These two days, she hadn’t been idle, every day using incredible determination to slowly wear away at the ropes on her hands and feet from behind with the hairpin. She estimated that by now, the ropes on her hands and feet had only a small part still connected, and a light struggle would break them. Then, she would use the hairpin to blind Xie Changchao.

All paths in this world are walked by oneself. What people call dead ends are merely situations where they lack the courage to try.

Xie Changchao said, “But I’m unwilling to hand over a delicate beauty like you to others. A tender and delicate legitimate daughter of an official family,”—he heavily emphasized the words “legitimate daughter”—and smiled, “I might as well enjoy you first.”

“Back then, that little bastard Xie Jingxing seemed to have some unusual feelings for you,” Xie Changchao smiled lewdly. “That person—I’ve been his brother for over a decade and know him all too well—the relationship between you two is probably not ordinary. How about it? Is Miss Shen Xie Jingxing’s mistress?”

Xie Changchao’s words were so offensive that even Shen Miao showed a hint of anger. However, this anger seemed to please Xie Changchao, and he laughed loudly, “It doesn’t matter if you’re his mistress. For so many years, that little bastard has suppressed my brother and me in the Linan Marquis Household. Today, I’ll sleep with his woman, and the feeling won’t be a loss.” He smiled wickedly, “Miss Shen should thank me. Your first time will be given to a young master from an official family like me, which is much better than those rough peasants who roll in the mud. After me, you’ll know what true roughness means.”

He suddenly turned Shen Miao’s head, his thumb caressing her face, his expression becoming somewhat intoxicated, which was truly disgusting.

Shen Miao’s gaze was calm, but she was calculating when to stab the hairpin into Xie Changchao’s eye, and how to blind his other eye afterward. With both his eyes ruined, let’s see how he could act so arrogantly!

Xie Changchao’s gaze slightly cleared. He suddenly frowned, looked at Shen Miao, and said, “Why aren’t you afraid?”

Shen Miao looked at him.

Xie Changchao frowned, seemingly very displeased with her indifferent reaction, and asked, “Why aren’t you afraid? Are you still waiting for someone to save you?”

Shen Miao said, “What exactly do you want?”

Xie Changchao suddenly leaped forward. Shen Miao couldn’t avoid him and was pinned to the ground. At this point, she could no longer care about anything else. She broke the ropes binding her hands and feet, but before she could reach for the hairpin, Xie Changchao began frantically biting at her. He seemed to have gone mad, shouting wildly, “Who are you waiting for to save you? Could it be that dead Xie Jingxing?”

Shen Miao finally managed to grasp the hairpin. With Xie Changchao’s back to her and his face buried in her neck, just as he was about to tear open her clothes, Shen Miao’s gaze turned cold. She raised her hand, ready to stab him in the back—

But then she stopped, catching something in her peripheral vision.

“You think Xie Jingxing will come to save you?” Xie Changchao shouted. “That little bastard has been skinned and beheaded, dead without even bone fragments left!”

A calm voice, carrying restrained but immense anger, softly echoed in the spacious secret chamber.

“Is that so?”