The villain had been able to hide in the carriage beforehand, which showed he had already investigated Ah Hao’s identity. He should therefore know that ten thousand taels of ransom money wasn’t a problem for the General’s Mansion.

So what was the purpose of the other party giving a three-day deadline?

The delay of time was a double-edged sword. While it could give the other party time to arrange an escape route, it equally gave the General’s Mansion time to prepare a rescue.

If he were the villain, he would prefer to demand the ransom immediately and catch the General’s Mansion off guard—unless the time delay offered them even greater advantages.

What could that be?

Qi Shuo couldn’t think of it for the moment, but one thing was certain: preventing the enemy from getting their way was the right approach.

And setting aside rational analysis and speaking only of personal feelings, he also couldn’t bear to wait until three days later.

He couldn’t leave Ah Hao’s safety to the villain’s discretion. Entering the deep mountains to search for Ah Hao was imperative.

“Going in with great fanfare to search for her certainly won’t work. I’ll only take two or three guards with superior martial skills into the mountain to search quietly. As long as we’re careful enough, we won’t alert the villain.” Qi Shuo said calmly.

His composure convinced the old madam: “Indeed, we cannot let the villain lead us by the nose. Three days is too long—too many variables could occur. Let’s do as the heir suggests. We’ll arrange for three or four people to quietly enter the mountain to search, while also preparing for what’s to come in three days. However, Heir, you shouldn’t enter the mountain. There are too many dangers in the deep mountains.”

“Old Madam need not worry. If entering the mountain would only cause trouble, I wouldn’t have spoken up. Let the General’s Mansion prepare according to the villain’s demands, while my side quietly enters the mountain to search. Making preparations on both fronts will maximize our chances of ensuring Ah Hao’s safety.”

“This—” The old madam hesitated slightly, but with her granddaughter’s safety at stake, she didn’t have much time to deliberate. “Then Heir, please consult with the prince and princess consort first.”

Before leaving, Qi Shuo called over Baozhu, whose eyes were swollen from crying: “Tell me everything about what happened after Ah Hao left home in complete detail. Don’t leave anything out.”

Though Baozhu’s emotions were on the verge of collapse, her mind was clear. Choking with sobs, she recounted everything starting from when Lin Hao left.

“So Ah Hao accompanied the Wen father and son to the clinic to see a doctor, and only left after seeing Old Master Wen home?”

Baozhu nodded. Seeing that Qi Shuo was about to leave, she urgently called out to stop him: “Heir, may this servant enter the mountain with you to search for Miss?”

Facing the little maid’s pleading eyes, Qi Shuo refused decisively: “The villain has seen you.”

Baozhu’s eyes dimmed, tears flowing uncontrollably: “Heir, you must rescue Miss!”

Qi Shuo didn’t turn back, nor did he respond to Baozhu’s words. He strode out of the General’s Mansion.

“What? Ah Hao has been kidnapped by a villain, and you want to enter the mountain to search for her?” After hearing Qi Shuo’s words, Princess Consort Jing was greatly alarmed.

“Yes.”

“No, I don’t agree!” Princess Consort Jing’s first reaction was refusal. “It’s not that this mother is being unreasonable. You’re right to care about Ah Hao, but your health has never been good. What if you go into the mountain and end up trapped there yourself? Both the prince’s mansion and the General’s Mansion have plenty of people with excellent martial skills. Wouldn’t picking a few outstanding ones to search be better than you rushing in recklessly…”

Qi Shuo listened silently to the end, then said calmly: “Has Mother forgotten that my health only became ‘poor’ after arriving in the capital?”

Princess Consort Jing was stunned.

Too much time had passed, making her forget that her son had been feigning weakness.

This still couldn’t make Princess Consort Jing change her mind: “But you have a heart condition. Just last year we had a famous physician examine you.”

“I later asked Doctor Zhu for a follow-up examination. The heart condition has recovered.”

“When did this happen?” Princess Consort Jing first felt joy, then suspicion.

Qi Shuo lowered his eyes. His bland tone inexplicably carried conviction: “Just before our family went to the General’s Mansion to propose marriage. I thought that if my heart condition showed signs of worsening, wouldn’t that be delaying someone else’s life? So I asked Doctor Zhu to examine me.”

“Truly?” Princess Consort Jing’s gaze burned as she stared at her son.

Qi Shuo nodded slightly.

Princess Consort Jing clasped her hands together, her face full of joy: “Heaven be praised!”

“Mother, please let me go.” Qi Shuo’s lashes trembled slightly, and the pain in his eyes finally couldn’t be concealed as it poured forth.

His Ah Hao’s fate was still unknown.

Princess Consort Jing saw this, and it was as if a tiny drumstick lightly tapped on the tip of her heart.

As a mother, how could she bear to watch her child suffer?

But that trace of wavering was quickly blocked by reason: “Even if your health is good, you cannot take this risk. Shuo’er, have you considered this mother? Have you considered your father?”

Qi Shuo’s gaze shifted from Princess Consort Jing to Prince Jing.

Princess Consort Jing quietly pinched Prince Jing, who hadn’t uttered a sound.

Their son wanted to disregard danger to search for someone—why was only she, the mother, standing at the front playing the villain?

Prince Jing coughed: “That’s right, Shuo’er, what are you thinking?”

“Father should know that I’m not an impulsive person. I will do my utmost to bring Ah Hao back safely. But if I don’t go this time, should anything happen to Ah Hao, it would leave me with regret for the rest of my life.”

He knelt on one knee, his words earnest: “I beg you both to understand—don’t let your son spend the rest of his life in regret. If it truly came to that, what would be the point of living to a hundred years old?”

Princess Consort Jing fell silent, clutching her handkerchief as her expression constantly changed.

After a good while, a sigh sounded: “So be it. You may go.”

“My lord!”

“Thank you, Father. Thank you, Mother.” Qi Shuo showed his parents a smile as bright as the moon, then rose and strode away.

Princess Consort Jing fiercely pinched Prince Jing and said reproachfully: “How could you just agree? What if something happens to Shuo’er?”

He was the son she had carried for ten months and given birth to. To her, his safe and healthy survival was most important.

“Didn’t you see how quickly Shuo’er left, afraid we would go back on our word?” Prince Jing looked at the swaying door curtain, the worry in his eyes no less than Princess Consort Jing’s. “Shuo’er is already an adult. He can’t possibly still listen to everything we say like a child. He has his own thoughts now.”

“But I’m worried he’ll be in danger—”

Prince Jing took Princess Consort Jing’s hand and gripped it tightly: “You must believe in Shuo’er. He’s a responsible child, not only toward Second Miss Lin, but toward us as well.”

Perhaps it was the somewhat rough large hand holding hers that was too warm. Princess Consort Jing struggled briefly but couldn’t break free, and nodded silently.

As Qi Shuo walked outside, he instructed Xuanyi: “Have someone watch Old Master Wen and his son, as well as that clinic.”

Xuanyi acknowledged the order and left.

Just as Qi Shuo was quietly entering the mountain with three guards, Lin Hao, who had been resting with closed eyes to conserve her strength, suddenly heard movement at the cave entrance.

She immediately opened her eyes and looked over.

The light at the cave entrance suddenly brightened, then dimmed again as a person stumbled and fell inside.

It was a woman. The man who had kidnapped Lin Hao followed close behind her, reaching out to pull up the woman who had fallen to the ground. Without a word, he walked toward Lin Hao.

Under the man’s dragging, the woman stumbled along, letting out pained whimpers.

Lin Hao stared intently at the woman drawing closer and closer, then suddenly her eyes widened.

It was actually Zhu Jiayu!

Zhu Jiayu was a close friend of Chen Yi, the eldest daughter of Earl Huai’an’s mansion, and had also become friends with Lin Hao. Seeing Lin Hao, she wore the same shocked expression.