Zheng Ke’s expression turned solemn. "Since that is the case, I shall return to report to the Prince…"
With a flick of his wrist, a puff of white smoke instantly enveloped Liu Rumei.
Liu Rumei was caught off guard, clearly not expecting that Zheng Ke, her father's trusted aide who had watched her grow up, would suddenly attack her.
She didn't even have time to cry out before her body swayed a few times, and with a thud, she collapsed onto the table.
After incapacitating Liu Rumei, Zheng Ke stood up, walked to the entrance of the reception hall, and shouted to the outside, "Liu Ce, come here."
Hearing his name called, Liu Ce hurried over. Zheng Ke pointed to Liu Rumei and said, "I am taking the young lady back to the capital. You will manage affairs here for now. The second young master will arrive in a few days to take over everything."
Liu Ce looked hesitant. "Brother Zheng, aren't you afraid the Prince will punish you for taking the young lady away like this?"
Zheng Ke's face darkened. He cupped his fists and gestured towards his northwest.
"The Prince gave me a strict order to bring the young lady back, no matter the method. I had no choice but to resort to this."
"But what about the Grand Tutor…"
Zheng Ke raised his hand to stop Liu Ce. "I am aware of the situation. I will report it to the Prince truthfully. Thank you for your hard work."
With that, he beckoned.
A man in black brought over a carriage. Zheng Ke directed people to help Liu Rumei inside, then called for her two personal maids, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, to join her in the carriage.
"Brother Liu Ce, take care." With that, Zheng Ke and his men leaped onto their horses, escorting the carriage slowly out of the back gate of the Liu residence.
Liu Rumei was the backbone of the household. With her gone, chaos immediately ensued throughout the Liu mansion.
A few young men surrounded Liu Ce, chattering incessantly.
"Brother Liu, lead us to charge and rescue the young lady."
Liu Ce glared. "Nonsense! Brother Zheng was sent by the Prince. What do you call it if you try to snatch the young lady?"
He then looked at everyone present. "Everyone, be careful for the next two days. Make sure nothing goes wrong. Once the second young master arrives, we will return to the capital."
"But Ma Xiaoyi and the others are still at Qingniu Mountain," someone suddenly shouted.
This remark reminded Liu Ce. Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang were still keeping watch at Qingniu Mountain. Fine, he would go to Hetou Village tomorrow to handle this matter.
At this time, Chen Xiaobo, driving a donkey cart, had turned off the main road. A few more miles ahead and they would reach Hetou Village.
Chen Ping gestured to Sun Gui and Sun Qing, and the two jumped off the cart.
"Xiaobo, you can go back on your own. I'll return when it’s later."
Chen Xiaobo understood the feud between Chen Ping and Chen Xiaobei, so he didn't say much more and drove the donkey cart away.
After Chen Xiaobo was out of sight, Chen Ping pointed to a small grove of trees nearby. "We'll rest here for a bit and head into the mountain when it gets dark."
Alright, heading into the mountain after dark suited Sun Gui and Sun Qing's intentions.
Sun Qing chuckled. "Great! I brought some food and wine. We can have a meal first."
Sun Qing and Sun Gui truly knew how to enjoy life.
After eating and drinking their fill and enjoying a good sleep, night had fallen.
Seeing that it was completely dark outside, Sun Qing stood up. "Brother Chen Ping, let's head into the mountain."
"Certainly, certainly, into the mountain."
Chen Ping lit a torch and walked ahead, with Sun Gui and Sun Qing following behind. The three took a small path from outside Hetou Village towards Qingniu Mountain.
At this time, Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang were still staking out outside the village. They saw a light approaching.
Liu Ziliang quickly called out to his brother in a low voice, "Big brother, it looks like someone is coming."
The two stared intently at the approaching figures, their hearts filled with excitement.
They didn't recognize everyone, but they did recognize Sun Gui, who was quite a prominent figure on Cangying Mountain.
Seeing them reveal themselves, the two were thrilled. They had been watching for days and had finally found the tracks of these people.
However, as they saw Chen Ping leading them towards Qingniu Mountain, the two began to hesitate about whether to follow them up the mountain.
Finally, Liu Ziming made the decision. "Brother, we'll just stay at the foot of the mountain. He'll have to come out eventually."
Having made up their minds, the two quietly left their hiding spot and moved towards the foot of Qingniu Mountain.
Sun Gui and Sun Qing followed Chen Ping into Qingniu Mountain. After walking only three or four miles, Sun Gui suddenly pointed ahead. "It looks like there are people."
Sun Qing feigned surprise and quickly said, "Quick, hide!"
Chen Ping, not understanding, was ushered by the two into a nearby grove of trees.
"Where are they?" Before Chen Ping could finish his sentence, he felt a heat in his abdomen.
The next instant, Sun Gui clamped a hand over his mouth. Su Dan Novel Network
Chen Ping was suddenly jolted awake, but it was too late.
The world around him grew darker and darker, and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.
Watching Chen Ping fall, Sun Qing spat viciously.
"Hmph, don't be so talkative in your next life."
With that, he wiped his short knife on Chen Ping's body and sheathed it.
Sun Gui waved his hand. "Alright, alright. He's dead, let's get back quickly."
At the foot of Qingniu Mountain. Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang had just found a good spot when they saw torches flashing. Sun Gui was coming down the mountain. However, three had gone up, and only two were coming down, one missing.
Returning so quickly, the two couldn't quite figure out what these two had done in the mountain.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was keeping track of them and not losing them.
Sun Gui and Sun Qing were completely unsuspecting. Holding their torches, they left Hetou Village and headed onto the main road towards Xiaojia Town.
This made it extremely convenient for Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang to follow, as they only needed to keep an eye on the distant lights.
They tracked them all the way back to Xiaojia Town.
Seeing the two enter an inn, Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang felt relieved.
They had found Sun Jian's whereabouts and needed to report back quickly.
Meanwhile, fifty miles north of Qingniu County. Zheng Ke and his men had stopped in a dense forest. To avoid revealing their tracks, he dared not stay in an inn and could only choose to rough it outdoors for the night.
Looking at Liu Rumei, who was still unconscious, Xiao Qing asked worriedly, "Uncle Zheng, can you wake the young lady up? Let her eat something, or she'll starve."
Zheng Ke thought for a moment, ordered a rope to be brought, and bound Liu Rumei. Then he took out a small white porcelain bottle from his怀, waved it in front of Liu Rumei's nose.
Before long, Liu Rumei groaned and stirred.
Squinting to adjust her eyes for a while, Liu Rumei finally looked up at Xiao Qing. "I'm hungry. I want something to eat."
There was no crying, no scolding, not even any strong reaction. She was as calm as if she were at home.
This, however, made Zheng Ke feel a pang of guilt. He stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Young lady, I apologize, I…"
Liu Rumei offered him a smile. "It was my own immaturity that caused Uncle Zheng such trouble."