Chapter 323: Prince Su Learns That Luo'er Is Missing!

The comer rustled and muttered.

"Damn Sha Lei, that day I clearly saw him sneaking back with a sack, but once inside he vanished..."

"I searched for two days before finding this mechanism."

"Turns out, there's also a hidden chamber here that I didn't know about."

"There must be something fishy going on!"

"Well then, today I'll see what treasure you're hiding!"

A shadowy figure sneaked in.

Li Qingluo felt the long‑absent brightness and couldn't help raising a hand to shield her eyes.

After adjusting, she lowered her arm and locked eyes with another pair.

This person was none other than the chief steward of Prince Su's Manor, Wu Gonggong.

Wu Gonggong saw the detained great beauty; before he could even cry out, in Li Qingluo's widened eyes he was knocked unconscious by a stick swung from behind by Sha Lei.

Sha Lei stepped forward, shoved another pill into Li Qingluo's mouth, then silently stuffed Wu Gonggong and Li Qingluo each into a separate burlap sack.

Before Li Qingluo could lose consciousness, she vomited up the pill she had just swallowed amid the jostling.

She had just caught her breath when she heard a curious attendant ask Sha Lei.

"Guard Lei, you've just returned—why aren't you resting before heading out again?"

"What is this?"

"Do you need my help?"

Sha Lei: "No need."

"This belongs to Your Highness; if you don't know, don't ask. Moreover, you must not mention it to anyone else—understand?"

The attendant replied tremblingly: "Yes. I'll clear the way for you."

Sha Lei: "... Fine. We'll take the little path where no one will run into us today."

Li Qingluo had a bad premonition; after only a few steps she was set down on the ground.

Seizing the chance, Li Qingluo quickly pulled out the silver chain hidden in her collar with the last of her strength.

From the chain hung a solid silver lock; opening the lock released a solid core that unfolded into a sharp pocket dagger.

This was Li Qingluo's last means of self‑defense; fortunately Sha Lei hadn't noticed it, so it wasn't confiscated.

She slit the sack before her with a single stroke, looked up, and saw Sha Lei killing the attendant who had guided him and dragging the body into the bushes.

Li Qingluo saw this and thought: "As expected! He's silencing witnesses!"

Li Qingluo had no time to mourn the attendant; she crawled out of the sack using her hands and feet.

Hearing the movement, Sha Lei turned, saw Li Qingluo regain her freedom, and immediately flung a flying dagger from his waist—

Li Qingluo rolled on the ground, frantically dodging.

Then she snatched up the flying dagger from the ground and bolted.

Although her hands and feet were weak from hunger, she still managed to draw a breath and vanished around a corner from Sha Lei's sight.

Sha Lei stalked off angrily; he hadn't anticipated that Li Qingluo would leave a countermove, so he hadn't even tied her hands and feet.

However, in Prince Su's Manor, aside from the four—Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Electricity—who knew her, she thought no one else could save her.

Today, only he had returned to the manor.

Your Highness was still in a village fifty li outside the city.

So, no matter what, she couldn't escape his grasp today.

Sha Lei took the soft whip from his waist, first threw Wu Gonggong into the nearby room and locked him up, then hurried after the direction Li Qingluo had disappeared.

Li Qingluo ran, all the while searching for someone.

She opened her mouth several times, but still couldn't make a sound.

Moreover, Prince Su's Manor was like a labyrinth; she twisted and turned, and soon was completely lost.

Only when she ran into a dead‑end courtyard did she finally bump into a few servant women and boys.

They were also startled upon seeing her.

"Who are you?"

The old woman shouted loudly, grabbed her broom, and came at her.

But at that moment Sha Lei also approached, wielding his long whip.

Seeing this, Li Qingluo quickly darted behind the old woman.

Sha Lei's eyes gleamed cold and sharp: "This female assassin intends to plot against Your Highness; she has already killed someone in the West Garden just now. If you value your lives, you had better all clear out at once!"

The old woman shrieked in terror, and Li Qingluo actually seized Sha Lei's flying dagger and held it to the old woman's throat.

The old woman, near tears, pleaded: "Guard Lei, please save this old servant… I don't want to die…"

Although Li Qingluo couldn't speak, she stared at Sha Lei and gave a cold smirk.

Li Qingluo pulled the old woman backward as she retreated.

Although it was already a dead end, she had never imagined she could easily escape his grasp today.

She reached out and clamped her hand hard around the old woman's waist.

The old woman let out an anguished cry.

In no time, the once‑quiet courtyard was surrounded by many servants.

Isn't he trying to kill and silence witnesses?

If he's capable, let him kill all these servants of Prince Su's Manor who have seen him today!

Whether he kills them or not, this commotion is hardly trivial, is it?

Seeing her little scheme, Sha Lei's eyes flashed with contempt: "Without him, that's all you're capable of."

This 'he' naturally refers to his own master, Prince Su Duan Rongshi.

He always thought that Li Qingluo could have today only thanks to Duan Rongshi's help.

So, without Prince Su, she naturally is nothing.

Li Qingluo stubbornly bit her lip, hatefully staring at Duan Rongshi with dead eyes.

It seems that his contempt, even she cannot refute.

"Where can you still escape to?"

Sha Lei let out a fierce shout, raised the long whip and lunged at Li Qingluo.

That old woman let out a miserable scream, covering her face in shock.

However, Li Qingluo did not take her as a meat shield; instead, at the instant the whip swung, she shoved the old woman against the wall.

The heavy impact caused the old woman to faint on the spot.

Li Qingluo raised her hand and forcibly caught the whip; her arm instantly went completely numb and lost sensation.

She quickly, sensing the situation, threw away the flying dagger in her other hand and surrendered.

Sha Lei neatly bound her hands and feet.

With a sharp and icy gaze, they looked at the servants all over the courtyard.

These servants, even if all killed, would not be a problem.

But the trouble is, two of the little servants actually belong to His Highness's household.

Those whom His Highness is used to, if suddenly changed, would surely make His Highness suspicious……

Sha Lei suppressed the killing intent in their heart.

"His Highness, these days, because of the water‑control affairs, has numerous matters and is vexed beyond endurance."

"Whoever dares to gossip and bring this to His Highness's ears, provoking His Highness's annoyance and vexation, do not blame me for striking first!"

Everyone trembled in unison: "Yes……"

Li Qingluo was once again stuffed into a sack.

To prevent her from causing trouble again, Sha Lei simply knocked her out once more.

What Sha Lei did not notice was that the hand Li Qingluo had hidden behind her, the one struck numb by their whip, still had unclotted blood on the index finger, and had already stained their waist with specks of plum‑red.

The heavy rain in Jinling finally ceased completely in the afternoon of the fourth day.

Because of the evident success in water control, although many houses outside the city were damaged, the number of people who died in this natural disaster was considerably lower than in previous years.

Moreover, thanks to timely repairs, the continuous labor of the Water and Military Departments also saved much farmland and crops.

Although floodwaters still flowed everywhere, dams still broke from time to time, and mudslides still occurred occasionally.

But the Water Department had already embarked on the proper disaster‑relief track, beginning to issue various relief orders in an orderly manner.

The Crown Prince and Duan Rongshi returned to the court one after another.

This was the first major undertaking after the Crown Prince regained his position as Crown Prince.

The achievements earned basically all fell on his shoulders.

Although the Water Department personnel were dissatisfied, they were all suppressed by Duan Rongshi.

"He wants it; just give it to him."

"He is my elder brother; how could I, the prince, compete with him for credit?"

"Just regard it as all his doing; I, the prince, don't mind."

The Minister of Works, Yin Qi, escorted Prince Su to the city gate; hearing these words of Prince Su, Yin Qi could only endure in silence.

"Your Highness, over these years you have made outstanding contributions to water control; clearly every water‑control success is yours, yet each time it is either given to this one or that one……"

Duan Rongshi gave him a glance.

"Don't you understand that whoever His Majesty wants it to be, it belongs to that person?"

Yin Qi choked up, unable to say a word.

Duan Rongshi was on horseback, about to enter the city gate.

A figure who had been waiting long at the city gate saw him, and, face full of anxiety, immediately ran over.

"Prince Su, Your Highness! Prince Su, Your Highness——"

"I am Wu Quan of the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu; Your Highness, do you still remember me?"

Zhui Yu and Leng Dian exchanged a glance.

"Could it be that something has happened at the Jiangjun Fu?"

"How come the people beside the miss are still specifically waiting here?"

Duan Rongshi had not gotten proper sleep for several days straight.

Already exhausted to the extreme, seeing Wu Quan appear caused his heart to tighten inexplicably.

But what urgent matter does she have?

Just like when her grandmother had an accident, she had first gone to the Gui Garden, and had never before sent people directly to the city gate to await his return in such haste.

She has met with an accident!

His body involuntarily leaned forward: "I, the prince, remember you. But what has happened?"

Wu Quan said: "Your Highness, our miss has been missing for several days already."

"We implore Your Highness to lend a hand and help the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu find our miss——"

"The Old Lady said, whether alive or dead, we must see a person!"

Duan Rongshi's expression instantly showed an uncontrollable lapse, his face full of disbelief: "What are you saying?"

"Who is missing?"

Wu Quan wept: "It is our miss, Your Highness; our miss went to the Gui Garden that day, and then went to the Jinling magistrate's office."

In the prison of the Jinling yamen, he was chased out by Vice Minister Qu, and after confronting the Qu family, he vanished on the way home.

Not only that…… Que'er and Deng Mama also disappeared together, with no word.

As of today, the three of them still have not a bit of news.

Zhui Yu and Leng Dian also looked shocked, their faces full of astonishment.

How could this be possible?

Why don't you hurry up and come look for Your Highness?

Wu Quan: "In recent days, anyone leaving the city gate must have their waist tablet and travel permit checked; if there is no urgent matter, the city gate soldiers will stand firm and not allow anyone to come and go at will, saying it would disturb the government's flood control."

Although we went to look for Your Highness, we kept missing each other.

Our people can't even go out of the city in force to search, and the young lady doesn't even know whether she is alive or dead now—

Your Highness, please, for the sake of the Old Lady who once fought on the battlefield for the country and the people, earning meritorious service with her blood and sweat, please save our young lady—

Wu Quan knelt on the ground, kowtowing with a 'thud-thud' sound.

After just a few kowtows, his forehead was covered in blood.

Duan Rongshi's face was dark and gloomy, his heart surging with a fierceness and urgency he had never felt before.

He cried 'giddyap!' and the black horse surged forward like lightning into the city gate.

Zhui Yu, seeing this, immediately shouted: "Everyone, rush to the aid of Xiuli Jiangjun Fu!"

Then he and Leng Dian quickly helped Wu Quan up and chased after them.