CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: TAKING ADVANTAGE

Tang Jiaojiao hasn’t returned yet.

She was invited to the Pingyang Princess’s Villa today, supposedly for a religious service or something similar.

Tang Ziqian personally took her there, and under normal circumstances, someone would send a message for Tang Ziqian to pick her up before she returns.

However, as the sky darkened, Tang Ziqian became a bit worried: "Judging by this rain, it won’t be a small shower. If the person sent back with the message gets delayed, Jiaojiao will be anxious waiting for me. I better go early!"

With that said, he took his rain gear and headed out.

Less than a quarter-hour after he left, a "boom" startled Tang Xiaobai, who looked outside to see pouring rain.

"Brother probably hasn’t reached the Princess’s Villa yet..." Tang Xiaobai murmured.

She wasn’t worried that Tang Jiaojiao would rush out in the rain; Miss Tang wouldn’t allow herself to be in such a disheveled state.

It was Tang Ziqian, who was already halfway there, that was more concerning.

Cheng Zi noticed and comforted her, "On the way to the Princess’s Villa, there are many families, borrowing a roof to take shelter from the rain shouldn’t be a problem."

Only then did Tang Xiaobai feel a bit more at ease.

Unexpectedly, just a quarter-hour passed, and the rain was still heavy, when Tang Ziqian returned with Tang Jiaojiao.

When they got back, Tang Jiaojiao was relatively fine, only getting a bit wet around the edges of her clothes when disembarking, but Tang Ziqian was extremely disheveled, looking as if he had been fished out of the water.

Both their expressions were grim.

Tang Jiaojiao’s face was pale, her lips pressed tightly, turning white.

Tang Ziqian was even more furious, and after directing the servants to help Tang Jiaojiao off the carriage, he harshly wiped the rain off his face, snatched the sword from Ah Yuan’s arms, his eyes sharply cold: "Xiaobai, stay with your sister, I’ll be right back!"

"Where are you going!" Tang Jiaojiao held onto him firmly, her demeanor resolute, "It’s such heavy rain, no one knows where he’s run off to!"

Tang Ziqian sneered, "In such a heavy rain, where could he hide? I’ll search the forest; I refuse to believe I can’t find him!"

Just then, another thunder clapped.

Tang Xiaobai shivered and quickly grabbed her brother’s arm too: "You can’t go! With this thunder, entering the forest could attract lightning!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Jiaojiao held Tang Ziqian even more tightly.

Tang Ziqian still gritted his teeth, furious beyond measure.

Tang Xiaobai held back her questions and advised, "Brother, you’ve gotten soaked, hurry and go change your clothes? If you alarm mother—"

Tang Ziqian’s expression shifted slightly, and he finally decided to go inside.

...

"What happened?"

As soon as she asked, Tang Jiaojiao’s face, which had just softened a bit, turned solemn again. She forcefully placed the half-finished ginger soup on the table, the splash almost hitting Tang Xiaobai’s sleeve.

Tang Xiaobai dodged as she muttered, "At this age, can’t control your emotions?"

Tang Jiaojiao cast a cold glance at her.

Tang Xiaobai immediately amended, "If you encounter someone worse than a beast, anyone would lose control of their emotions!"

Tang Jiaojiao snorted coldly, her right hand unconsciously gripping the corner of the table, teeth gritting, "Scoundrel! He better not fall into my hands, or else—"

Even though she didn’t finish her threat, the murderous aura was palpable.

Tang Xiaobai’s expression tightened, "What exactly happened?"

...

Today’s situation should have been as Cheng Zi predicted, with Tang Jiaojiao held up at the Princess’s Villa due to the heavy rain, and Tang Ziqian finding a place to take shelter on the way.

The unexpected event occurred with Tang Jiaojiao.

She was kidnapped at the Princess’s Villa.

"Li Yao, that good-for-nothing!" Tang Jiaojiao cursed bitterly, "In the renowned Princess’s Villa, not only did an intruder break in, but when I suddenly got into the carriage to leave, she didn’t suspect anything was wrong at all!"

Tang Jiaojiao was abducted while she was alone in the Princess’s Villa, then discreetly taken to her own carriage by the kidnappers, who demanded her immediate departure.

Without bidding farewell to the host herself, just boarding the carriage to leave on her own, especially with the rain about to start, was bizarre beyond comprehension.

Would the Pingyang Princess tolerate such rudeness from anyone else?

But this was Miss Tang!

Who dares to provoke when you’re usually so arrogant that even the Princess is afraid?

Of course, Tang Xiaobai dared not say this out loud, only agreeing, "It’s not like it’s your first day knowing the Pingyang Princess; don’t you understand her disposition?"

Tang Jiaojiao hummed lightly and continued, "After leaving the Princess’s Villa, the scoundrel only let me head home. It started pouring heavily midway, when my brother came to get me—" she laughed coldly twice, "Brother immediately sensed something was wrong, and that cowardly dog-companion knew our brother was formidable and fled out of fear!"

"In weather like this with thunder, may the lightning strike him dead!" Tang Xiaobai cursed, then checked over her sister with concern, "That cowardly dog-companion didn’t hurt you, did he?"

Tang Jiaojiao’s face suddenly flushed with anger, "How dare he!"

Tang Xiaobai was startled.

They kidnapped you, what wouldn’t they dare to do?

It’s not like every kidnapper is on some special mission, like the ones she encountered.

Even if on a special mission, that one still held a big knife to her neck, right?

Thinking of this, Tang Xiaobai leaned forward to check her sister’s neck, only for Tang Jiaojiao to reflexively cover her neck, "What are you looking at?" She was extremely wary.

Tang Xiaobai replied innocently, "Wanted to see if there are any marks..."

Tang Jiaojiao touched her neck and said irritably, "He didn’t use a knife on my neck!"

"Then how did he kidnap you?" Tang Xiaobai asked, curious.

"By strangling!"

"What! Was the strangling severe?" Tang Xiaobai immediately thought back to that time with Zhao Jing, the two dark fingerprints that lingered for quite a while.

Tang Jiaojiao paused, lost in thought.

Was it severe?

Probably not too severe?

She unconsciously caressed the skin around her throat, as if still feeling the deliberate friction of those fingertips—

Disgusting!

Tang Jiaojiao fiercely rubbed at the spot the person touched, then removed her hand, tilting her head to let her sister inspect, "Is there a mark left?"

Tang Xiaobai looked at the newly created redness, like peach blossoms diffused on snow-like skin, incredibly striking.

So...

Could it be that her beautiful sister was being taken advantage of?

...

"...The person who kidnapped my younger sister had considerable skills; has Your Highness’s men taken note?"

After washing up, Tang Ziqian went to find Li Mu.

The Crown Prince was considering withdrawing from Zhongnan Mountain, having made many arrangements in the area; if there were any foreign powers, they would certainly take notice.

Li Mu lowered his gaze, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

From the shadows, a person emerged, reporting, "Last night, one person infiltrated, identity still unknown."

Li Mu’s brow furrowed slightly, "Where are they now?"

"To the west at Baili Ridge."

Baili Ridge spans thousands of acres; it can’t be surrounded from the outside, and with the heavy rain, mountain searches are impossible.

Tang Ziqian swallowed his anger, "Thank you, Your Highness!" He straightened his face, "This person’s background is unknown; Your Highness must remain vigilant to avoid any upheaval!"

Li Mu quietly observed him for a moment before suddenly asking, "Has Duke Yan ever considered sending me to Liangzhou?"

Three years ago, when Duke Yan Tang Shigong returned to the capital, he secretly contacted him for the first time, suspecting that he had accumulated poison in his body, leading him to seek renowned doctors and leave the Crown Prince Mansion, all orchestrated by Tang Shigong.

However, the decision to leave the capital and clear his name was the idea of Commandery Prince Li Mingyi.