Wang Yuan had no patience for the two men’s nonsense.
Snapping off a thick branch from a nearby tree, he charged forward.
He had assumed that with a blade in hand, there would be no issue.
However, this unexpected opponent who had appeared out of nowhere was quite skilled in martial arts.
The two men were soon howling in pain, unable to even hold onto their blades.
Seeing that they stood no chance, one of them grabbed the woman on his shoulder and threw her toward Wang Yuan.
Seizing the moment while Wang Yuan was busy rescuing her, the two men fled.
The master and servant who had been hiding nearby stepped out.
“Miss, isn’t this the little princess of Prince Mu’s household?”
With her wish fulfilled, Xue Wanyi’s anxious heart finally settled.
As long as this little princess was alive, Princess Consort Mu would not succumb to depression and die.
This young lady was of distinguished birth—the younger sister of the Duke of Wei.
The Duke of Wei commanded three hundred thousand troops, stationed year-round in the northern borderlands, his reputation awe-inspiring.
He was Princess Consort Mu’s pillar of support within the prince’s household and even throughout the entire Yun Dynasty.
Xue Wanyi nodded. “Feicui, can you carry her?”
“Yes, miss,” Feicui replied, turning her back. “Come, this servant has plenty of strength.”
Wang Yuan looked proudly at the woman he loved, helping Xue Wanyi place the little princess onto Feicui’s back.
Meanwhile, a quarter of an hour earlier.
Princess Consort Mu saw the bloodied young maid rush in.
“Princess Consort, the little princess has been kidnapped.”
Hearing this, Princess Consort Mu nearly fainted from shock.
Gripping the armrest of her chair tightly, she gritted her teeth and said, “What happened? Quickly, send people to search.”
Her personal guard swiftly left to carry out the order, while she questioned the maid in detail about what had occurred.
Trembling with fear, the maid recounted the events.
Learning that her daughter had been abducted by two men, Princess Consort Mu could barely contain her fury.
Although the Yun Dynasty had relatively liberal customs regarding men and women, the kidnapping of Prince Mu’s little princess by two men would still damage her reputation.
With a cold gaze, she looked at the maid before her. “Take her away… and bring her back to the estate.”
She had initially intended to have the maid beaten to death, but then remembered that this was a sacred Buddhist temple—how could she commit such a sin here?
Once they returned to the estate, the maid would be executed without fail.
Failing to protect her mistress, she was of no use alive.
The people sent out searched the area around Lingyun Temple discreetly, without drawing attention.
It was only when they discovered a group of people at the side gate, with one of them carrying their little princess, Xie Liaoliao, on her back.
“Release the little princess!”
The prince’s guards stepped forward, drawing their blades and pointing them at Feicui, who was carrying the little princess.
Seeing this, Wang Yuan took two steps forward, shielding the woman he loved.
“We saved the little princess and brought her back. How can you draw your blades without even asking for an explanation?”
The guard frowned, scrutinizing the three of them.
It was said that the little princess had been kidnapped by two men, but here were two women and one man. It seemed what they said was true.
He sheathed his blade swiftly but offered no apology.
“Please hand the little princess over to me. Since you saved her, we will naturally report this to the princess consort.”
Feicui looked at Xue Wanyi.
Seeing her nod, Feicui turned around and handed Xie Liaoliao over to the guard.
As the guard took the girl, his gaze fell on Xue Wanyi. Her attire and demeanor suggested she was the one of highest status.
“May I ask how to address you, miss?”
Xue Wanyi replied, “The Xue family of the Ministry of Works, Vice Minister’s household.”
The guard was momentarily taken aback but quickly nodded in understanding.
“Miss Xue the Second, thank you.”
Indeed, gratitude was due. If they had failed to find the little princess, they would have faced punishment as well.
Watching as the other party carried the little princess away, Wang Yuan was still seething.
“They are truly rude. We saved their princess, yet they drew their blades…”
The thought of that blade pointed at Feicui made Wang Yuan's blood boil.
Muttering under his breath so only they could hear, he said, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have saved her."
Xue Wanyi smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and led the two back to her own quarters.
Feicui poured tea for Xue Wanyi and handed a cup to Wang Yuan.
"Princess Consort Mu has a son and a daughter: the heir, Xie Jun, and the young lady, Xie Liaoliao."
She took a light sip of the warm tea and said with a smile, "The young lady was born when the Princess Consort was over thirty. She has been pampered since childhood, cherished by the entire household. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she is the Princess Consort's very life."
"So it's understandable if her behavior is a bit extreme."
**
Seeing her daughter return safely, Princess Consort Zhao hurriedly summoned the household physician for an examination.
Her daughter's clothes were neat, and there were no signs of assault on her exposed skin. Only then did her heart settle slightly.
After a detailed diagnosis, the physician stood up to report.
"Princess Consort, the young lady was drugged with a knockout potion. It is not life-threatening; she will likely wake up by evening at the latest."
The Princess Consort's expression softened a little. "Nothing else?"
Her meaning was clear to the physician.
"Reporting to the Princess Consort, the young lady's pulse is steady. She has not suffered any misfortune."
The nature of this "misfortune" was understood by both.
Waving her hand, the Princess Consort approached the bedside, looking at her daughter with tender affection.
A matron entered. "Princess Consort, it was the second young lady of the Xue family who saved the young lady."
Princess Consort Mu raised an eyebrow. "The one betrothed by imperial decree?"
"Exactly," the matron replied. "The guards found two people dead in a mountain hollow about three li behind the back hill."
"Dead?" Princess Consort Mu's voice turned cold. "Did Miss Xue kill them?"
"This old servant does not know," the matron shook her head. "But the guards who found the young lady said it didn't seem so."
Princess Consort Mu lowered her gaze to look at her daughter, tucking the blanket around her.
Leaving maids to attend carefully, she walked out with the matron.
"Since she is my child's savior, invite her to meet me."
"Be careful not to be abrupt."
Soon, the messenger departed.
**
Upon hearing Princess Consort Mu's summons, Xue Wanyi naturally would not refuse.
Whether she received a reward or was silenced, she could accept any outcome.
Bringing Wang Yuan and Feicui to the courtyard where Princess Consort Mu resided, she saw a woman in splendid attire, noble in bearing, seated at the head of the room as soon as she entered.
She slightly bent her knees in a curtsy. "Xue Wanyi of the Xue family pays her respects to Your Highness."
So it was indeed the one betrothed by decree.
The betrothal of the Duke of Zhenguo, Ye Zhuo, had already spread throughout the court.
If her daughter weren't still young, she would likely have been anxious too. What use was a duke with a broken leg, a ruined face, and even cut off from having heirs?
"Miss Xue, thank you for saving my child."
The Princess Consort gestured for her to take a seat.
Xue Wanyi said, "Your Highness is too kind. This humble girl went to the back hill for leisure and noticed something unusual. Investigating it was only natural; I never expected to accidentally save the young lady."
The Princess Consort frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"Oh? You merely drove them off?"
Her words also caught Xue Wanyi's attention.
With a hint of hesitation in her tone, she replied, "Indeed, I drove them off. This humble girl only had one guard with her. Those two were somewhat lacking in martial arts, but their escape skills were good, so we couldn't stop them."
Xue Wanyi's expression and words did not seem false, and the Princess Consort felt this girl was unlikely to lie.
If she didn't kill them, then who did?
"You saved my child; a token of gratitude is certainly not something you can refuse."
With that, her personal matron came forward and placed an exquisite box, about the size of two palms, before her.
"This is a token of my gratitude prepared for you. Please do not refuse."
The Princess Consort was indeed sincere—the items inside had all been personally reviewed and selected by her.
While not exactly priceless, they were all imperial gifts bestowed over the years.
It was a gesture that fully honored her dignity.