As the weather grew hotter, Tongjia Lanzhu noticed that her father was coming home later and later.
There were several times when she had already had dinner with her mother, yet her father still hadn’t returned.
By early June, in the first year after the mourning period for Empress Xiaocheng, Lanzhu finally learned what her father had been busy with lately.
On the third day of June,
The mourning period for Empress Xiaocheng had ended after a year, and her son, the Seventh Prince, had just turned one year old. Suddenly, an imperial decree was issued in the Forbidden City, appointing the Seventh Prince as the Crown Prince, followed by a general amnesty across the nation.
Lanzhu felt the long-lost lively atmosphere of the capital and couldn’t help but smile.
The capital had been suppressed for so long, it was time for some excitement.
The next morning, Lanzhu went to the main courtyard early: “Mother, can I go out today?”
It had been four months since Lanzhu last went out. In the blink of an eye, it was already summer, and if she didn’t go out soon, the year would be over before she knew it.
“Go ahead, but take more people with you today.” The mourning period for Empress Xiaocheng was over, and Hesheli Shi was not comfortable with her daughter going out with just two maids.
Even though she knew that Liu Xia, who was by Lanzhu’s side, was quite skilled, she still wasn’t at ease.
Although the capital was under the Emperor’s feet, it didn’t mean it was absolutely safe.
Especially as Lanzhu grew older, her beauty became more striking, making her mother even more worried when she went out.
“I understand, Mother.”
“I plan to go out with Wenyuan, so you don’t have to worry.” Since the New Year’s Eve banquet last year, Lanzhu hadn’t seen Wenyuan for almost half a year, so it was a good time to invite her out.
“Go ahead.”
“It’s just as well that Longkodo’s school is on break today, let him go out with you.” Her son had been talking about it for a long time, and this time it just happened to work out.
“Where is my brother now?”
“He should be here soon, just wait a bit.” Hesheli Shi estimated the time and said.
Just as she finished speaking, Longkodo’s loud voice came from outside the door: “Mother! I’m here!”
“Is Sister here yet?”
Hesheli Shi felt a headache coming on: “What a little rascal!”
“Why are you shouting so loudly!”
“Be careful not to scare your sister.” Hesheli Shi glared at her youngest son who had just entered the door.
At seven or eight years old, he was truly at the age where even cats and dogs found him annoying, and Hesheli Shi often got headaches from his antics.
“Brother’s loud voice shows he’s healthy, Mother should be happy about that.” Lanzhu shielded her brother behind her.
Hesheli Shi said, “You just spoil him.”
“I only have one full-blooded brother, who else would I spoil if not him?” Lanzhu said.
This made Longkodo behind her lift his head even higher, his little face full of pride.
“I’m Sister’s dearest brother, Mother, you’re just jealous that Sister treats me well.” With that, Longkodo made a face at his mother.
Hesheli Shi said with exasperation, “Then ask your sister if she likes you more or Mother more.”
Longkodo wasn’t a two or three-year-old child, he naturally wouldn’t fall for his mother’s trick.
After all, he was Sister’s closest brother, her one and only brother!
“Alright, alright.”
“Lanzhu, hurry and take him out, just looking at him makes my eyes hurt.” Hesheli Shi didn’t understand, clearly their family was of a humble nature, so how did Longkodo turn out so unruly, and she didn’t know who he inherited this rebellious nature from.
“I’m heading out now.” Lanzhu smiled at her mother’s expression.
“Go on.”
Lanzhu took her brother out, first going to the Guarjia Residence to find Wenyuan. She hadn’t been out for a long time either, and was overjoyed to see Lanzhu.
Because of the Crown Prince’s appointment, all the schools in the capital were on break today, including Wenyuan’s brothers.
Originally, Lanzhu only planned to invite Wenyuan, but in the end, they also brought along Wenyuan’s twin brothers.
In the carriage, Lanzhu and Wenyuan sat together, even Longkodo was squeezed into the carriage behind them.
“Lanzhu, where are we going today?”
Lanzhu turned her head: “Where do you want to go?”
“Today, I’ll listen to you.”
Wenyuan’s eyes lit up: “Really?”
“Of course.”
“My brother said there’s an acrobatics show on the street today, let’s go see it.” Wenyuan looked at Lanzhu eagerly.
But that place was sure to be very noisy, Lanzhu wasn’t sure if she wanted to go.
Lanzhu hesitated a bit: “Are you talking about West Main Street?”
The East Main Street, where the dignitaries were, didn’t have such acrobatics shows, those were only on West Main Street.
Today was the second day of the Emperor’s general amnesty, there were bound to be many people on West Main Street.
However, since Lanzhu had agreed, she couldn’t go back on her word.
Besides, both she and Wenyuan had brought guards with them today, so they could go to West Main Street.
“Yes, yes, let’s go.”
“Alright.”
“But once we’re there, you can’t run around.” Lanzhu, who was almost fourteen, admonished Wenyuan, who was also almost fourteen, making the scene somewhat amusing.
“Got it!”
“I’ll definitely hold your hand tightly, Lanzhu.” Wenyuan nodded her head repeatedly when Lanzhu agreed.
West Main Street
Lanzhu and the others got off the carriage at the entrance. Today, West Main Street was bustling with people, so crowded that even the carriage couldn’t pass through.
There were five of them, with only ten guards. Lanzhu looked at the crowd on West Main Street and instantly felt her scalp tingle.
She naturally didn’t like being close to strangers, but the situation in front of her was indeed difficult.
“Wenyuan, why don’t we find a restaurant to watch from?” Lanzhu really didn’t want to take that step.
Wenyuan also didn’t expect West Main Street to be so crowded today, it seemed like the entire capital had come out.
“That’s fine.” They were all noble ladies from prestigious families, except for those who particularly loved excitement, who would willingly dive into such a crowd?
However, Lanzhu saw several familiar faces being escorted by guards into the crowd.
Could it be that not going out for a long time changes a person’s curiosity?
Anyway, she wouldn’t squeeze in!
Under the protection of the guards, Lanzhu and her group entered a relatively upscale restaurant, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The people who had been suppressed for a whole year were truly terrifying.
Lanzhu and her group got a private room near the street. Although the decor wasn’t as good as on East Main Street, it was still decent.
Wenyuan leaned close to Lanzhu. The two stood by the window facing the street: “Lanzhu, is that Shushu Jueluo Shi over there?”
“And over there, the illegitimate daughter of the Niohuru family, they usually act so aloof, looking down on legitimate daughters, but today they don’t even care about their image.”
Lanzhu followed Wenyuan’s direction and indeed saw the two people she mentioned.
These two were from families of moderate status, both illegitimate daughters, and had no interaction with them. They had only seen them once or twice at banquets before, and the impression they gave wasn’t good.
It was said that they were more favored at home than the legitimate daughters, otherwise they wouldn’t be brought to banquets by the lady of the house.
Lanzhu glanced over and suddenly noticed something amiss: “Wenyuan, doesn’t it seem a bit strange around them?”
The two of them stood in a corner, holding themselves with dignity, where there weren’t many people, and everyone’s eyes were on the performance on the stage. So the few people slowly approaching them seemed particularly conspicuous.
Lanzhu’s words also caught the attention of the three people behind her.
But it was the young Longkodo who first noticed the problem: “Sister, they should all be trained fighters.”
Lanzhu turned to ask, “How can you tell?”
“The master who teaches me martial arts is similar to them.” It must be said that Longkodo had a talent for martial arts, at least Wenyuan’s two brothers behind them didn’t notice anything.
Apart from thinking those people were more robust than ordinary people, they could only see a hint of something from their expressions.
“Lanzhu, but we’re too far away, even if we send someone over, it would be too late.” While they were talking, several strong men quickly covered the mouths of the noble ladies and quietly retreated into the darkness.
Lanzhu’s eyes sharpened: “Quick!”
“Have the guards notify the command office!” Although she didn’t have much interaction with the noble ladies below, Lanzhu couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.
The noble ladies from respectable families, if they were taken away for too long, how could they maintain their reputation!
And today was the second day of the Emperor’s general amnesty, yet someone dared to act in the capital, these people were not ordinary!
“Gege, this servant will go right away!” Liu Chun naturally knew the urgency of the situation and quickly ran to the door to relay the instructions to the guards outside.
The guards outside didn’t dare delay either, and ran out swiftly.
Inside the room
Wenyuan patted her chest in fear, her face pale: “It’s a good thing I listened to you and didn’t insist on going, otherwise I might have…”
“You see, those people have a purpose, their targets are clearly the noble ladies from official families.”
“And they act quickly and with discipline, it seems they are not simple.” Even though Lanzhu was deep in the boudoir, she understood that ordinary guards or others couldn’t have such discipline.
Unless they were from the military!
The street was filled with noise, and with the cheers from the acrobatics performance, even if they wanted to shout a warning, they probably wouldn’t be heard. It would also alert the enemy and further endanger the noble ladies’ lives.
After all, Lanzhu saw those people looked like desperados.
In the anxious wait, the maids beside the noble ladies in the crowd began to notice something was wrong.
They had lost their own noble ladies!!
It was over!
With the maids’ loud cries, the crowd began to stir.
Everyone instinctively tightened their grip on their children’s hands, but looking around, they found no children missing, instead, it was the young ladies who were gone!
Before long, officials in uniforms came running.
After quickly dispersing the crowd, they found the families of the missing people, and upon inquiry, they were all relatives of court officials.
Now they understood everything.
This was a targeted abduction!
To provoke at the critical moment of the Emperor’s general amnesty, this wasn’t just a slap in the face of the Nine Gates Command Office, it was a slap in the face of the Emperor!
The leader pulled someone over: “Report this immediately!”
“I will go right away!”
Then the leader instructed others to notify the soldiers at each city gate to temporarily conduct strict checks on people entering and leaving the city.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to close the city gates, but with his position, he couldn’t order the soldiers guarding the city to close the gates.
The man looked at the whispering citizens around him and muttered to himself: “I just hope nothing big happens.”
Otherwise, he might have to go home and fend for himself, and if things went wrong, he might even lose his head!
Author’s Note:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrient solution between 2035-05-15 05:00:00 and 2035-05-15 35:85:14~
Thank you to the little angel who watered me with nutrient solution: Qiangym 1 bottle;
Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!