Chapter 117

Jiang Mingyu’s eyes narrowed, his hand freezing halfway through the document as he stared in shock at the servant, then rose to his feet and asked anxiously, “What? Miss Liu has vanished? What happened?”

The servant, drenched in sweat, replied with a trembling voice, “My lord, the young lady disappeared suddenly last night—we searched the entire Liu residence but found no trace. The household is in chaos; please hurry and handle this!”

Jiang Mingyu’s expression grew even more grave; just as he was about to order his men to investigate, hurried footsteps sounded and Zhang Jiani rushed in.

She cried out in distress, “You corrupt official, I heard Yifei is missing—this is suspicious, someone must have kidnapped her! Send people to search immediately, if anything happens to her…”

Jiang Mingyu regarded Zhang Jiani with a long look and softly reassured her, “Rest assured, we will spare no effort to find Miss Liu. Have you noticed any suspicious traces?”

Zhang Jiani shook her head frantically, her eyes filled with worry: “It’s snowing heavily outside—how could there be any traces? I only saw the room in disarray, with drag marks on the floor—she was definitely taken by force.”

Even at this critical moment, Zhang Jiani still referred to Jiang Mingyu as “corrupt official,” her tone dripping with clear disdain.

Jiang Mingyu did not argue with her now but seriously considered the possible reasons behind Miss Liu’s disappearance: “Jiani, you and I both know you’ve grown up with Miss Liu—you’re close friends. Do you know if the Liu family has had any feuds or enemies within Shangmu?”

Zhang Jiani thought for a moment, then quickly dismissed it: “No, that’s impossible. Yifei is gentle and kind—she never quarrels with anyone. How could she have enemies?”

“And Master Liu is renowned throughout Shangmu as a good man, generous and charitable—he’s never had a dispute with anyone. I truly can’t imagine who would hold a grudge against the Liu family.”

Jiang Mingyu nodded after hearing this: “Indeed, Master Liu has always been respected in Shangmu for his virtue and benevolence—I’ve heard of his reputation. With no bandits or thieves left in Shangmu, then who could have kidnapped Miss Liu?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiani became even more frantic: “Lord Jiang, come up with a plan quickly—we must find Yifei as soon as possible! We have no idea if she’s safe!”

At that moment, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she remembered something: “I just recalled—there is one person who might be the Liu family’s enemy—the lecher who harassed Yifei on the street, Zhu Tianxiang!”

“Yifei told me about it herself, and you were there that day—you witnessed the whole thing, surely you remember clearly?”

Jiang Mingyu suddenly understood and nodded: “Ah, you mean that scoundrel Zhu Tianxiang! Yes, I clearly recall the incident—this is very likely the work of him and his uncle Huang Chaoran!”

Zhang Jiani clenched her lips, her eyes blazing with anger and anxiety: “Yes, yes—it must be those two beasts! Save Yifei! Her life is in grave danger—I’m terrified for her!”

Jiang Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then nodded firmly: “Alright. I will dispatch men to search without limit—no matter the cost, we will bring Miss Liu back safely.”

Jiang Mingyu said sternly: “Whoever dares kidnap Miss Liu under my very nose will face proper punishment!”

Zhang Jiani grew even more agitated: “Enough with the grand words—right now, we must rescue Yifei quickly! Do you have any plan?”

Jiang Mingyu nodded and called out loudly: “Tukesiluo, are you there? Come here at once!”

From the back kitchen came a rustling sound; Tukesiluo rushed out, half a bun still in his hand: “My lord, what’s your order?” Seeing Zhang Jiani present, he paused in surprise: “Why is Miss Zhang here too? Is the situation urgent?”

Jiang Mingyu cut straight to the point: “No time for explanations. Take men immediately to the city garrison and mobilize fifty thousand troops to search for Miss Liu. Thoroughly inspect every stretch of the road to Dezhou—even if you turn over every inch of earth, find her!”

Tukesiluo looked bewildered: “Miss Liu is missing? What happened?”

Zhang Jiani couldn’t hold back: “Stop wasting words—Yifei was kidnapped last night! Why are you still standing there? Go!”

Tukesiluo immediately dropped the bun: “Yes, my lord! I’ll prepare at once—I’ll spare no effort to rescue Miss Liu!” He then leapt away with lightness skill, vanishing from sight in moments.

Watching Tukesiluo disappear, Zhang Jiani grew even more anxious: “Lord Jiang, do you think Yifei might be in danger?”

Jiang Mingyu spoke with confidence: “Rest assured, Miss Liu will be safe. If the kidnappers meant to kill her, they would have done so last night. And with Miss Liu’s intelligence, she must be buying time. I believe we’ll recover her soon.”

Zhang Jiani felt slightly relieved but pressed on: “But it’s already been a full night—can we still catch up to her?”

Jiang Mingyu explained: “We owe thanks to last night’s snowstorm—the abductors couldn’t move quickly with her. Moreover, Miss Liu may be deliberately delaying them. I believe that with full-scale military search, we’ll recover her soon. Please, trust me, Jiani.”

Though still uneasy, Zhang Jiani had no choice but to accept Jiang Mingyu’s judgment. She nodded solemnly: “Then I entrust her to you. I will assist fully—I won’t let those villains win!”

Jiang Mingyu said approvingly: “Good. Let’s depart at once—time waits for no one.”

In the snow-covered city of Shangmu, an unusual quiet reigned.

Outside the city gate, Jiang Mingyu directed Tukesiluo and the soldiers in their search; the cold wind howled, their figures flickering faintly through the white expanse, like heroes lost in mist.

Jiang Mingyu’s gaze was resolute—he would not lose even an ounce of determination to find Liu Yifei in this blizzard.

Tukesiluo’s team scoured the outskirts, nerves taut, ready to spot any suspicious trace.

Residents of Shangmu spontaneously joined the search, their hearts heavy with worry for Liu Yifei; beneath the silence, an undercurrent of dread flowed.

At the city gate, Zhang Jiani stood anxiously aside, several times attempting to join the search parties, only to be stopped by Jiang Mingyu.

Jiang Mingyu looked at her tenderly and whispered: “Don’t worry—we’ll find her soon.”

Zhang Jiani’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she held them back, refusing to become a burden at this critical moment.

She knew that waiting was now the only choice.

Tension and anticipation hung over every alley and street of Shangmu.

Snow-covered rooftops, fluttering streamers along the lanes—all seemed to silently pray for Liu Yifei’s safety.

In the long wait, time stood still; the people’s spirits grew heavier.

They began to wonder in their hearts: Had Liu Yifei suffered some misfortune? Could she still return safely?

At the city gate, Jiang Mingyu and Tukesiluo and others continued their search steadfastly; snowflakes danced in the wind like countless tiny wishes drifting afar. They endured the cold, as if lighting a spark of hope for Liu Yifei in this freezing winter.

“My lord, no traces found here,” Tukesiluo reported, a thin layer of ice already coating his forehead.

Jiang Mingyu nodded, his gaze distant and lost: “Yifei, where are you?”

Zhang Jiani paced anxiously, her eyes filled with deep concern: “It’s been so long—no word at all! I’m terrified for Yifei’s safety! This snow has erased all traces—corrupt official, don’t you have any other plan?”

Jiang Mingyu sighed, his tone serious: “I understand your anguish, Miss Zhang, but with the freezing cold, our soldiers can only do their best. Rest assured—I will bring Yifei back.”

Tukesiluo added: “Miss Zhang, please have faith—we will search every possible place until we find Miss Liu.”

On the Shangmu road, a light carriage moved through the vast, snow-blanketed landscape.

Inside sat the kidnapped Miss Liu, shivering with terror.

The night’s ordeal felt like a nightmare—just hours ago, she had been asleep in her warm, comfortable bed.

Then, in the darkness, intruders burst in, knocked her unconscious, and dragged her away.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in this jolting carriage, being taken to an unknown destination.

The kidnappers were all tall and formidable—she didn’t recognize any of them.

She repeatedly demanded to know who they were and where they were taking her, but they gave no answers, leaving her filled with despair.

The kidnappers watched Miss Liu with hungry, expectant eyes.

She sensed their lecherous intentions and froze with dread, curling herself tightly.

Finally, the kidnappers halted the carriage on the road to rest.

A man with a repulsive appearance rose and approached Miss Liu, wearing a smile that terrified her.

“W-what are you going to do?” Miss Liu whispered, her voice trembling.

“Little beauty, you’ll find out soon,” the man hissed, reaching out a rough hand toward her.

Liu Yifei recoiled in terror, tears welling in her eyes: “You beast, let me go! Someone will come to save me!”

The man sneered: “Ha? Call all you want—I doubt anyone will hear you. The louder you scream, the more excited I get, ha ha!”

With that, he lunged forward.

“Don’t touch me! Help!” Liu Yifei screamed in despair, the world spinning around her.

“Stop!” At that moment, a commanding voice rang out from behind the man.