Kidnapped

Barely a month remains now, though I can no longer count the exact days. I grow weaker by the day, coughing up blood from time to time. Zi'er wept and begged to fetch a physician, but I stopped her again and again.

Rumors began to fly thickly throughout the Prince Xuan Manor—how the legitimate Princess consort had fallen out of favor, how she had supposedly been cast into the cold palace, and the like. Each time Zi'er returned in a fury, I could only urge her not to argue with people. Both Afu and Aling had been sent to Fantian Pavilion by Li Yexuan, which served as a warning to me; the one now by my baby's side was Shimo.

One day, I wished to go out for a walk, but Zi'er stopped me. After questioning her for a long time, I learned that I had practically been placed under house arrest by Li Yexuan in the Qingran Abode. No wonder I had not seen the baby for many days; Zi'er admitted she had deceived me, claiming the baby had gone to the imperial palace.

Li Yexuan was always so capable, able to seize my greatest weakness and corner me with no way out. I was almost beginning to admire him.

In the night, Zi'er and I kept each other company in the Qingran Abode.

"Take this." I handed a sachet to Zi'er. "I made this myself. When the time comes, take it and go to Fantian Pavilion to find Afu. If you do not wish to remain a maid in this manor, it is not a bad place to go."

"My Lady..."

"Just take it. We have shared a bond of mistress and servant, and following me has only brought you hardship."

"My Lady, please do not say such things..."

The door was suddenly thrown open. Both Zi'er and I were startled by the abrupt noise. Li Yexuan stepped inside; his footsteps were somewhat unsteady, yet with a flash, he was at my side, seizing me by the collar.

"Huangfu Zijun..."

His entire person reeked of alcohol.

"Your Highness, let go of my Lady! Let go of my Lady... Ah..."

"Zi'er..."

Zi'er was shoved to the ground by the force of Li Yexuan's palm wind.

"Let her go!"

"Get out!"

Zi'er tried to speak further, but was quickly escorted outside by Shiyan, who had just stepped in, and the door was shut tight.

"Speak! Why did you not want the child? Why do you scheme day and night to leave? You left once five years ago, and now, five years later, you are plotting to leave once more. Speak!"

I was pressed against the corner of the wall, turning my head away to avoid looking at Li Yexuan.

"Huangfu Zijun, speak!"

"You are drunk."

What awaited me was Li Yexuan's descending kiss.

The pain of that night was in no way inferior to a nightmare, yet as I lost consciousness, I heard a single sentence: Zijun, do not leave me.

I truly could not tell whether these words were spoken by Li Yexuan or were merely a dream of my own.

After sleeping for a long time, upon opening my eyes, the first person I saw was Zi'er with her eyes red from weeping.

"Why are you crying again?" I said, attempting to sit up, but Zi'er pressed me back down.

"My Lady, do not move. Zi'er has already changed your clothes."

"I have put you to trouble." I truly did not wish to move even the slightest bit.

For a full ten days, I saw neither Li Yexuan nor the baby. I thought to myself that perhaps by the time I died, I would never see my child again, but as facts proved, I had been wrong.

"My Lady! My Lady, something is terribly wrong!" Zi'er cried as she burst through the door. She was usually composed, so a major event must have occurred.

"What is it?"

"The Young Lord is in trouble."

"What has happened?"

"Yesterday, the Prince took the Young Lord to Prince Consort Yun's residence. For some reason, Princess Lanxin fell ill, and the Prince went to visit her. During that time, the Young Lord disappeared. This servant only just heard it from a little maid who follows Shimo."

"Zi'er, remain here. No matter what happens, claim you have no idea where I went. Remember this."

"My Lady, what are you going to do?"

"Just remember my words."

I walked over to the window, turned the silver bracelet on my left wrist, and sent a signal up into the sky.

It was the most vital signal of Fantian Pavilion, one that had never truly been used before.

Within moments, two figures approached from a distance—doubtless the members of Fantian Pavilion stationed closest who had seen the signal. I removed the imperial jade pendant from my person.

"Greetings, Pavilion Master."

"Take me away."

"Yes."

Silently and without a sound, I thus easily departed the Prince Xuan Manor. In truth, I could have left all along; the influence of Fantian Pavilion had long since claimed no small footing in the Yuehua Kingdom—it was merely that my heart had been unwilling to leave. What is passion? What is love? I no longer knew; I had grown numb.

The backyard of the largest brothel in the Yuehua Kingdom.

Qinglong, Zhuque, and Xuanwu arrived at the very first moment.

"Subordinates pay respects to the Pavilion Master. Baihu remained at headquarters."

"Send men immediately to search for the young master's whereabouts. Furthermore, activate the frontline secret agents. Notify the lords of the other three pavilions as well."

"Yes."

All three withdrew, leaving only me behind.

The frontline secret agents of Fantian Pavilion were scattered through nearly every official's household. These people were never to be employed unless in dire emergency, and once used, every effort must be made to ensure their safe withdrawal. The most covert pawns could usually only be used once.

My child, your mother has no other way left; I can only wait here. Dongfang Qingyu, Guteng, and Zijun will surely not be kept in the dark for long.

An hour and a half later, Zhuque brought news, saying the baby was believed to be locked up in an abandoned residence.

Regardless of how much my body could endure, I had Zhuque lead me straight there.

Upon arriving at the abandoned estate, I discovered that the men of Fantian Pavilion had already surrounded the place, yet because the baby remained in another's hands, they dared not act rashly.

"Who is the one that kidnapped the child?" I asked Zhuque coldly.

"It is Yun Rong. She has declared that she wants you, Pavilion Master, to show yourself."

"Order everyone to remain concealed in the shadows."

"Pavilion Master, I shall accompany you." Zhuque took hold of my arm, and I nodded.

"I have come. Can you release my child now?" I walked inside, with Zhuque following close behind.

Yun Rong stood there, while the baby was tossed aside. His clothes were ragged, his mouth was sealed with a cloth, and his small eyes were brimming with tears; upon seeing me, he stirred with excitement. Around the baby stood roughly a dozen of Yun Rong's subordinates.

"Huangfu Zijun, you have finally come."

"State your demand."

"I want you to kneel and beg me to spare your son."

With that, Yun Rong snatched the baby up, pressing a dagger against the child's neck. The baby struggled, causing the blade to graze his throat.

I dropped to my knees with a thud: "I beg you, spare my son."

"Louder! I did not hear you!"

"I beg you, spare my son. I will agree to any demand you make."

"You said it yourself."

"Yun Rong, he is not only my son, he is also Li Yexuan's son. If you want me dead, that matters little, but if the child dies, do you truly think there is any hope for you and Li Yexuan in this lifetime?"

"Do you take me for a fool?"

Yun Rong tossed over a vial of medicine.

"I am not so easily deceived either. If you want him to be unharmed, swallow this."

Zhuque made to move, but was stopped by Yun Rong's cry.

"I advise you not to help Huangfu Zijun. The child is in my hands, after all."

I signaled Zhuque with my eyes not to move further. Yun Rong had indeed made thorough preparations this time; her people surrounded the area, and my men could not make a single move.

"Drink it quickly."

"Very well. Do you swear not to harm him?"

I had only a few days left to live in any case; taking the poison would merely hasten my end by a few days. Before Yun Rong's eyes, I drank the medicine down.

"Hahahaha! Huangfu Zijun, you truly are a fool. Did you really think I would spare this bastard?" Yun Rong laughed aloud.

Taking advantage of the moment she tilted her head back in laughter, I triggered the hidden mechanism on my bracelet, firing it directly toward Yun Rong.

To dodge the projectile, Yun Rong loosened the dagger pressed against the baby's neck. At the same time, I deployed my millenary celestial silk thread, pulling the baby away from Yun Rong's side, though I lacked the strength to draw him all the way to me. Zhuque sprang into action at that exact instant, catching the baby in one arm. I retracted the celestial silk, and Zhuque engaged in combat with the other.

Before I even had a chance to rise, something cold was pressed against my neck—it was one of Yun Rong's subordinates.

"Do not move."

The men of Fantian Pavilion, who had just rushed in, dared not take another step closer. Zhuque retreated step by step until standing between Qinglong and Xuanwu; at least the child was safe for now.

Yun Rong hauled me up, holding a sword to me with her own hand to take me hostage.

Almost at the exact same moment, Li Yexuan and Kong Yuelin forced their way in with their men.

"Let her go." Li Yexuan made to step forward, but was held back by Kong Yuelin.

"Do you take me for a fool? Even if I let her go, she has no days left to live anyway." Yun Rong pressed the sword closer as she spoke, and blood welled from my neck, trickling down into my collar.

I watched as the men of Fantian Pavilion untied the ropes from the baby's hands and removed the cloth from his mouth.

"Mother..."

"Xuanwu!" I shouted loudly, and Xuanwu pulled the baby tightly into his embrace.

"Ensure the young master's safety at all costs."

"Yes!"

"What, still issuing orders at a time like this? Are you so terrified others will not know you are the Pavilion Master of Fantian Pavilion?" Yun Rong did not forget to mock me right by my ear.

"I am merely a dying person entrusting orphans on my deathbed—is this not precisely what you wanted?"

"Yun Rong, just what is it you want?" Li Yexuan's expression was reaching its breaking point.

"What do I want? Li Yexuan, how I treated you all these years—you cannot possibly not know. Why are you constantly obsessed with this Huangfu Zijun? Do you love her that much?"

"Whom this prince loves has nothing to do with you."

"Fine! I want you to issue a decree to the entire realm proclaiming this child a bastard! I want you to divorce Huangfu Zijun and take me as your Princess Consort!"

Li Yexuan did not speak; instead, his hand tightly clamped down over my left wrist, knowing I had a hidden weapon there and refusing to give me any chance to fire it again.

"Stop!"

Yun Heng burst into the room.

"Rong'er, let her go at once."

Yun Rong dragged me back a couple of steps.

"Brother, why are you here?"

"Rong'er, do not keep making mistake upon mistake! Let Mufan go!"

"She is not that little maid Mufan from the general's estate! She is Huangfu Zijun! She is the wretched woman who stole my man!" Yun Rong was growing agitated, and the pain at my neck grew sharper.

"Yet she is also the one your brother holds in his heart!"

I did not know whether Yun Heng had been driven out of his senses by Yun Rong, to utter such words in an instant. Yet in the face of life and death, no one possessed the leisure of mind to care for such stale, dusty matters of romantic entanglements any longer.