Bai Yuwei endured the scorching pain on her cheek, glaring at the two n with hatred: "How dare you! Do you know who I am? My grandfather is the Miao King. If you dare to sell , my grandfather won’t spare any of you!"
The man who had slapped her earlier looked at her with a mocking smile: "You? The Miao King’s granddaughter? Then I must be the Supre Emperor’s grandson. Besides, what kind of status does a Miaojiang heiress have to co to a dump like this workshop?"
So this place was called a workshop.
Xun Yu had taken her sightseeing in the Capital City for several days, yet she had never heard of a place called the workshop.
She could only bla herself for wearing a maid’s outfit, which made her blend in too inconspicuously.
His companion said, "Enough. Stop wasting ti talking to her. Is there any knockout drug left? Give her so more. It’ll avoid trouble on the way when we send her over."
The man pulled out a packet of knockout drug from his chest, poured water into a bowl on the table, sprinkled the powder in, stirred it with fingers of questionable cleanliness, and brought it to Bai Yuwei.
Bai Yuwei felt a wave of nausea and gagged violently.
The man raised his hand as though to strike her again, but restrained himself for the sake of the potential profit she represented.
Bai Yuwei didn’t want to drink it, but helplessly, she had no strength left to resist. Her chin was gripped tightly, and the entire bowl of drugged water was forcibly poured down her throat.
"My grandfather... won’t let you off... My grandfather will find this place soon... None of you will escape..."
The drug’s potency was overwhelming, and Bai Yuwei passed out as soon as she finished speaking.
The man who had administered the drug, the sa one who slapped her earlier, felt a sudden chill run down his spine: "Hey, Lao Zheng, could this girl really have so background?"
His companion replied, "With her looks, she could easily fetch two thousand taels at minimum."
The man gritted his teeth: "Then it’s worth the risk!"
-
Steward Cen went to the Imperial Palace to inquire with the guards whether a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl had co seeking the Miao King. The answer was no.
He told Wu Ge’er, who was driving the carriage: "You hurry over to inform the Young Madam. I’ll head to the palace to find the Grand Commander and the Miao King."
"Got it!"
Wu Ge’er whipped the horse into action, speeding back to the Governor Mansion.
Upon hearing the report from Wu Ge’er, Liu Qingyun’s face turned serious. She said to Bai Qingchen, "It seems she went looking for you. Does she carry your tracking Gu on her?"
Bai Qingchen thought for a mont: "Yes, she does have one."
Liu Qingyun stood: "Take to the places you visited before."
ng Qianqian offered: "Mother, I’m quite familiar with the workshop. I’ll go with you."
This ti, Liu Qingyun didn’t refuse.
The three of them, accompanied by a team of Miaojiang guards, had just left the Governor Mansion gates when Tan’er dismounted from her horse and bounded over cheerfully: "Big sister! Han Ci has arrived!"
Clad in armor, Han Ci led hundreds of Imperial Guards and saluted the trio with clasped hands.
Liu Qingyun glanced sideways at ng Qianqian: "You summoned him?"
ng Qianqian nodded: "General Han is a native of the Capital City, and his subordinates are all elite soldiers familiar with the city’s layout. With his help, the chances of finding my younger sister are much higher."
Steward Cen’s information had barely arrived before the Imperial Guards showed up. Such a coincidence was impossible; clearly, she had planned everything well in advance.
"No wonder my son wants to marry you."
Liu Qingyun muttered as she mounted her horse.
ng Qianqian handed a portrait of Bai Yuwei to Han Ci, showing her dressed as a maid from the Governor Mansion.
"Are you sure she’s dressed like this?"
Han Ci asked.
Such an attire hardly seed fitting for a Miaojiang heiress.
ng Qianqian replied, "One of the maid’s outfits from the courtyard is missing. Take half of the guards and follow us to the workshop."
Han Ci asked, "What about the other half?"
With unwavering severity, ng Qianqian said, "Secure all four city gates, and don’t let anyone leave. Additionally, tonight, no brothels or pleasure houses in the Capital City are permitted to receive guests!"
At these words, everyone glanced at ng Qianqian, even Bai Qingchen.
While they focused solely on searching for Bai Yuwei, she had already considered the worst possible scenarios within such a short tifra and devised decisive counterasures.
Having spent ti with ng Qianqian, Han Ci understood her ticulous nature better than Liu Qingyun or Bai Qingchen.
"Understood."
Han Ci distributed the portraits and assigned their respective tasks.
The group split up to comnce operations.
Finding soone in the vast sea of the Capital City was like searching for a needle in a haystack—especially if they hoped to locate Bai Yuwei before anything happened to her.
"What kind of place is this workshop?"
On the way, Liu Qingyun asked ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian tightened her reins: "A chaotic mix of all sorts, frequented by people from various factions across the martial world. It’s a place beyond the court’s jurisdiction—or more accurately, one that the court doesn’t bother to control."
Liu Qingyun’s expression darkened further.
Once the group arrived at the workshop, Han Ci imdiately led his n to seal off the entire street and began searching house by house.
Bai Qingchen, ng Qianqian, and Liu Qingyun went to the inn where Bai Qingchen had t his two guests.
The shopkeeper of the inn emphatically denied having seen the girl in the portrait.
Bai Qingchen said, "Bring out all your waiters."
The shopkeeper hesitated: "But this..."
Han Ci drew his sword and slashed through the shopkeeper’s robe.
The shopkeeper, pale with fear, cried out: "Didn’t you hear the official’s order? All of you, get out here now!"
The inn’s waiters gathered in the main hall.
Bai Qingchen gave Chang Teng a signal.
Chang Teng walked past the assembled waiters one by one, then shook his head at Bai Qingchen: "Young Master, I didn’t see the one who delivered wine in the corridor."
The shopkeeper was stunned: "But, Young Sir, you’ve rented out the second floor without other guests, and I didn’t dispatch anyone to deliver wine!"
His deanor didn’t seem deceitful. If soone had indeed disguised themselves as a waiter, it was highly likely they had taken Bai Yuwei. Perhaps she had caught soone’s attention as soon as she entered the workshop—or maybe even before.
At this mont, Han Ci’s Imperial Guards finished searching all the shops.
Han Ci frowned: "No luck."
ng Qianqian’s gaze swept over the shopkeeper and his staff: "Your lips are impressively tight."
The shopkeeper hurriedly said, "Madam, we are innocent! We truly haven’t seen the person you’re searching for..."
ng Qianqian, radiating authority, declared: "My younger sister is extraordinarily beautiful. I refuse to believe that not a single one of you rembers her. She wouldn’t disappear unnoticed."
The shopkeeper raised his hand in oath: "I swear to heaven, no one in this inn has seen her!"
ng Qianqian asked, "Who oversees this workshop?"
The shopkeeper’s expression shifted ever so slightly.
ng Qianqian arched a brow: "So there is soone in charge."
The shopkeeper gave a resigned sigh: "You’re tricking , aren’t you."
"I know who to look for."
ng Qianqian said, turning and leaving the inn.
Liu Qingyun and Bai Qingchen continued questioning the inn staff while Han Ci accompanied ng Qianqian.
To Han Ci’s surprise, she walked directly into a gambling den.
The den’s staff turned pale at the sight of her and imdiately tried to flee.
With a re glance from ng Qianqian, Han Ci caught one of them.
The man awkwardly turned back and plastered on a smile. Looking at the two of them, he said to ng Qianqian: "Madam, what wind has blown you here?"
ng Qianqian got straight to the point: "I want to see Fourth Master."
The man grinned: "Fourth Master isn’t here."
ng Qianqian raised her hand and pointed at the elegantly dressed man amidst the crowd: "Then I’ll gamble with him."
The man gestured deferentially: "Upstairs, please."
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