In the Jiang manor at this moment, everything was in complete chaos.

Tong’er had been sent back to the manor. That blade strike from the assassin had been truly shocking. A physician had come to rebandage her wound and written a prescription. The kitchen was currently brewing medicine.

Jiang Yuanbai had already gone out to have the authorities thoroughly investigate all of Yanjing. When Old Madam Jiang received this news, she directly fainted. Lu Shi was busy taking care of Old Madam Jiang. Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou were also ordered not to leave the manor. All of Yanjing was in a state of panic—these murderers who had suddenly appeared and randomly hacked and killed looked like part of a conspiracy. It was said the Emperor also knew of this matter and flew into a great rage, ordering his officials to find the murderers’ whereabouts at all costs.

At this time, no one was paying attention to Baixue instead.

Baixue kept watch by Tong’er’s bed. She was at a loss, not knowing what she could do. After sending Tong’er back to the manor, Baixue had been unwilling to give up and had run back to that street, walking it over and over several times, even searching all the shops along the street—but it had all been in vain.

She was certain she had indeed lost Jiang Li, and her heart was filled with self-blame. When Jiang Li had first kept Baixue by her side, it had caused many people to find it strange. Baixue wasn’t pretty and couldn’t speak well. She only had great strength. They thought great strength could protect Jiang Li, but Baixue discovered that when real danger came, not only had she failed to protect Jiang Li, she couldn’t even compare to the petite Tong’er—at least Tong’er had blocked a blade for Jiang Li.

She should have run along with Jiang Li. If that assassin had followed, she could have blocked the blade for Jiang Li. That would have been better than now, with Jiang Li’s whereabouts unknown and no idea where she was.

As she was thinking, the person on the bed stirred. Tong’er slowly woke up.

She awoke suddenly, her face still very pale. The wound on her hand seemed to hurt terribly—she bit her lips. The first thing she did upon opening her eyes and seeing Baixue was ask, “Where is Miss? Is Miss alright?”

Baixue couldn’t speak. She truly didn’t know what to say. Should she say she had lost their young miss? That her life or death was now unknown?

“Why won’t you speak?” Seeing her silence, Tong’er grew anxious and asked, “Miss is alright, isn’t she?” Probably because her movements while speaking were too large, pulling at her wound, Tong’er made a hissing sound, sucking in cold air.

Baixue quickly said, “The physician said your wound hasn’t healed. You need to rest quietly for a few days. Don’t get agitated.”

“Tell me quickly—is Miss injured or not?” Tong’er still pursued the question.

Baixue shook her head and said in a low voice, “I don’t know… Miss has disappeared.”

Tong’er was stunned. “What do you mean Miss has disappeared?”

“After you blocked that blade for Miss, the assassin was still coming. I pushed Miss down from the carriage and told her to run quickly. Miss ran into the crowd… then the City Guard troops came, and those assassins ran away. I searched for a long time at the scene but couldn’t find any trace of Miss… The master found out and has already sent people to search for Miss’s whereabouts.”

“How could you let Miss run away alone!” Tong’er said angrily.

Baixue mumbled, moving her lips. “I’m sorry…”

Seeing her self-reproaching appearance, Tong’er’s heart softened. She knew that right now Baixue’s heart probably felt terrible too, so she said, “Forget it. This matter doesn’t blame you. If you hadn’t pushed Miss off the carriage, that assassin would have eventually caught up and killed Miss.” Thinking of that critical moment earlier, Tong’er still felt lingering fear. “The master has sent people to find those assassins and search for Miss’s whereabouts. They’ll definitely find her. After all, Yanjing is only so big…” She seemed to be comforting herself as much as Baixue, chattering on about many things.

But in fact, both of them had coincidentally thought of the same thing—back then, Jiang Youyao had also suddenly disappeared. Jiang Yuanbai had sent people to search but couldn’t find her no matter what. Finally, with great difficulty, they had found her in Princess Yongning’s private dungeon, but she only had one eye left.

Princess Yongning’s private dungeon was gone, but who could guarantee that among so many households in Yanjing, there wasn’t someone else secretly keeping a private dungeon in their manor? If Jiang Li had also been imprisoned in a private dungeon… they simply didn’t dare imagine it.

“It’ll be alright,” Tong’er said softly. “Miss has heaven’s protection. She’ll surely turn danger into safety.”

In another part of the Jiang manor, in the Third Branch’s quarters, Yang Shi and Jiang Yuanxing had also received this news.

After sending Jiang Yuyan away from the door, Yang Shi and Jiang Yuanxing returned to their room. Yang Shi said in a low voice, “It was Prince Cheng who made the move, wasn’t it?”

Jiang Yuanxing said, “I don’t know.”

After Yang Shi had learned in advance that Jiang Li was going out on this day, she had found a way to inform the Right Chancellor. She knew that recently Li Zhongnan and Prince Cheng had been somewhat unhappy with each other, so she had Li Lian pass on the message. She hadn’t expected that today when Jiang Li went out, she would disappear. Yang Shi didn’t believe this was a coincidence—clearly Prince Cheng had received the news and acted on it.

“Since Prince Cheng succeeded, we’ve now fulfilled one of Prince Cheng’s wishes. Compared to the Right Chancellor, Prince Cheng is even more generous with rewards. Husband, I think in the future you’ll rise rapidly in status, making even the First and Second Branches unable to catch up.”

But Jiang Yuanxing wasn’t as joyful as Yang Shi. Instead, he appeared somewhat irritable and gave a few perfunctory responses.

Yang Shi noticed his absent-mindedness and became dissatisfied. “What kind of miserable appearance is this? What—have you gone soft? Or are you afraid? Everything I do is for your own good!”

“She’s still our niece, and she’s just a young girl,” Jiang Yuanxing said.

“Your daughter is also a young girl!” Yang Shi said sternly. “Even if you feel sorry for Jiang Li, you have to think about Yu’e and her feelings as a concubine! And there’s also Yuyan. Yuyan also needs to find a match. Do you want her to be like Yu’e, becoming someone’s concubine? Or to marry some penniless scholar and struggle for livelihood every day, living fearfully in her husband’s family!”

Jiang Yuanxing fell silent.

Yang Shi looked at his dejected appearance, wanting to say more but stopping herself. Finally, she softened her voice and said, “You have to know that everything I do is for our own good. The Jiang family and we are not one family. We can only rely on ourselves.”

Jiang Yuanxing sighed deeply. “I know.”

……

From daytime to nighttime, all of Yanjing was in a state of panic, everyone feeling endangered. No one knew when those vicious assassins would appear again. Even on the streets there were almost no pedestrians, except for the soldiers still searching for Second Miss Jiang’s whereabouts.

Jiang Yuanbai returned to the manor. His expression was extremely weary, his eyes red—whether from exhaustion or anxiety was unclear. Old Madam Jiang had finally regained consciousness and asked if Jiang Li had been found. Jiang Yuanbai also shook his head.

Mingyue and Qingfeng received the news and immediately sent it back to Fangfei Courtyard. Baixue, keeping watch by Tong’er’s window, heard and couldn’t say a single word.

Tong’er immediately couldn’t help but cry. She said, “What will happen to Miss? Miss has never been separated from me. Those people who took Miss definitely won’t treat her well. It’s all my fault. If I had been more careful then, Miss wouldn’t have been lost.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine,” Baixue choked up too.

Mingyue and Qingfeng were both sorrowful. Everyone in Fangfei Courtyard was in low spirits. When Jiang Li was usually present, everyone felt like they had a backbone. Although she didn’t like to say much, without Jiang Li, Fangfei Courtyard became cold and strange.

“Do you think Miss is scared right now?” Tong’er said in a daze.

“No,” Baixue answered. “Miss is very brave.”

Tong’er was about to speak when her gaze suddenly fell on the windowsill. There sat a white porcelain whistle. Tong’er knew that every time Jiang Li blew the whistle, that baby-faced guard would appear. Later one day, Jiang Li had placed that whistle by the window, saying it wouldn’t be needed anymore.

Tong’er thought that probably that guard was no longer at the Jiang family, since they hadn’t seen that guard for a long time. But looking at this whistle, Tong’er suddenly remembered something—Zhao Ke was from the Duke’s manor.

She grabbed Baixue’s sleeve with her right hand and leaned close, saying, “Baixue, go quickly to the Duke’s manor and beg Duke Su to find Miss.”

Baixue was astonished.

“The person the master can’t find, Duke Su found at once. According to Miss, Third Miss was also discovered by him. For matters others have no solution for, Duke Su definitely has a way.” Tong’er’s tone became rarely calm.

Baixue said, “But Duke Su may not help Miss, and besides, Miss doesn’t know about this matter.”

“Listen, Miss trusts Duke Su,” Tong’er said. “Ever since we returned to Yanjing, I’ve understood that Miss never easily trusts anyone, but Duke Su is an exception. Miss believes in her. I believe in the people Miss believes in.”