Seeing Lin Jingchu’s group leave, the arrogance on Shuxiang’s face cracked instantly.
He hurried back to report everything to Lu Qingyu.
Lu Qingyu’s expression darkened.
“You didn’t tell her that I was inviting her to dine?”
Shuxiang’s heart trembled.
“This servant… forgot…”
Lu Qingyu grabbed the teacup from the table and hurled it straight at Shuxiang’s forehead.
Scalding tea, tea leaves, and streaks of blood mixed as they streamed down his face.
Shuxiang didn’t dare move.
He knew exactly how ruthless his master could be.
Immediately, he dropped his knees and kowtowed frantically.
“This servant knows his mistake! Master, spare me! Master, spare me…”
“Useless trash.”
Lu Qingyu’s voice was ice-cold as he rose and walked away.
Shuxiang collapsed limply onto the floor, face ashen.
In the past, relying on Lin Jingchu’s affection for Lu Qingyu, he had committed many mistakes. Yet Lin Jingchu would always plead on his behalf because he was Lu Qingyu’s personal attendant.
Over time, he had nearly forgotten just how vicious his master truly was.
This time, even if he survived after returning—
He would at least lose a layer of skin.
Meanwhile—
The servants sent to find Lin Shuyi had yet to return.
Suddenly, Lin Jingchu remembered the scene she had once overheard near the artificial mountain in the Marquis Manor.
She had watched too many palace dramas.
Now everyone looked suspicious of her.
Any desire to continue shopping vanished instantly.
At that moment, two servants came running toward her in panic.
“Something terrible has happened! Eldest Young Lady has been detained!”
Lin Jingchu frowned.
“Detained by whom?”
The servants were so anxious they practically gestured with both hands and feet, attracting attention from passersby nearby.
Lin Jingchu lowered her voice sharply.
“Quiet.”
Nanny Fei panicked.
“What do we do now?”
One servant hurriedly explained between breaths:
“Earlier, while Eldest Young Lady was shopping, a maid suddenly approached and spoke to her for a few moments. Then Eldest Young Lady went to Tianxiang Tower. We originally followed behind, but those guards stopped us. There’s still been no news from her, so we feared something had happened and came to ask Second Young Lady for instructions.”
Everyone turned to look at Lin Jingchu.
Her mind raced rapidly.
The most likely culprit was clearly the First Prince she had encountered before.
But this sort of matter absolutely could not become public.
If the affair grew too large, the only one who would suffer would be Lin Shuyi.
By nature, Lin Jingchu was the type to bury her head in the sand and avoid trouble whenever possible.
But this was ancient times.
If something happened to Lin Shuyi, her own fate would not end well either.
After hesitating briefly, Nanny Fei suggested,
“This servant brought Madam’s calling card when we left the manor. Perhaps we should seek help from the Imperial City Directorate.”
“Not yet. We’ll find her first.”
Lin Jingchu made her decision.
The matter absolutely could not be blown out of proportion.
Outside Tianxiang Tower stood a large osmanthus tree whose branches covered nearly half the roof.
Though it wasn’t flowering this season, the building itself remained elegant and refined. Colored wooden flower ornaments representing the four seasons hung from the windows and partitions.
One servant glanced toward the entrance.
“All the guards have withdrawn.”
The restaurant manager hurried forward to greeting them.
Lin Jingchu asked directly,
“Which is your finest private room?”
Based on her experience, powerful and wealthy people always occupied the best rooms.
“Our finest private chambers are all on the third floor,” the manager replied. “There are five in total. Two are already occupied, leaving three available.”
Lin Jingchu gave no response.
Understanding immediately, Nanny Fei stepped forward.
“One private room. And bring several signature dishes.”
The manager respectfully escorted them upstairs.
Each chamber on the third floor occupied a vast amount of space. Even the corridor outside a single room stretched twenty to thirty paces.
Above the staircase hung a blue wooden plaque inscribed in elegant calligraphy:
Boya Hall.
Inside, the sound of a pipa drifted through the air.
Even someone like Lin Jingchu, who knew nothing about music, could hear the endless tenderness and sorrow woven into the melody, as though countless unspoken emotions longed to pour forth.
“Third Young Master, you’re late today! You should punish yourself with three cups of wine!”
“Exactly! Lady Zhou waited for you forever. Just listen to her pipa playing—she practically wants to hang herself on you!”
“Young Master Xue, don’t tease this servant. Song of the Frontier tells the story of Wang Zhaojun leaving for the frontier. But since Young Master Zhang arrived late, he truly deserves punishment wine.”
“Then today’s wine is on me! I’ll punish myself with three cups first!”
Clearly, this room contained a gathering of noble young masters.
Cross it off the list.
Passing Boya Hall, only one remaining chamber still had guards stationed outside.
That became the final target.
No sounds came from inside.
Lin Jingchu paused, trying to listen more carefully, but one of the guards immediately stepped forward to block her path.
Nanny Fei quietly reminded her that these guards were Imperial Guards from the palace itself. After exchanging glances with the servant who brought the message, they confirmed this was indeed the place where Lin Shuyi had been detained.
Lin Jingchu frowned deeply, desperately considering how to rescue her.
Then she selected the room adjacent to the house.
After the servant leading them downstairs departed, she pressed her ear against the wall and twisted her body into a bizarre angle to get even closer.
The maids and matrons stared silently.
…
She couldn’t hear anything.
Lin Jingchu turned to Nanny Fei.
“Go buy a few large hammers.”
Stretching her arms out to measure the wall, she gestured seriously.
“The wall is hollow. And it’s not load-bearing.”
People dining here were either wealthy or powerful.
Hollow walls helped soundproof conversations and prevented sensitive discussions from leaking outside.
Nanny Fei returned with four strong servants carrying iron hammers wrapped carefully in black cloth.
Lin Jingchu pointed toward the neighboring wall.
“Smash it.”
Nanny Fei blinked.
“…What?”
“I heard you all once served in the military. How long would it take to bring down this wall?”
One older servant answered cautiously,
“If it were just me, less than half a quarter-hour. But if the wall supports the rafters, the entire building could collapse.”
Lin Jingchu pointed around the room.
“I have checked it already. The support pillars are three chi away from all sides. This wall only serves as a partition.”
Honestly, she couldn’t think of any brilliant strategy.
Whether they could save Lin Shuyi now depended entirely on luck.
The servants still hesitated.
“The walls of Tianxiang Tower… are probably very expensive.”
All of them came from poor families. They had spent decades in the military before receiving the Marquis’s favor and being allowed to work security at the manor.
Everyone in Bianjing knew Tianxiang Tower’s reputation.
“Tianxiang” means gathering the finest fragrances of all things.
A single dish here costs more than their annual wages.
If Lin Shuyi had ordered them, they would obey immediately.
But this was the Second Young Lady.
Rumor had it she didn’t even get along with the mistress of the manor.
What if they smashed the wall and she later refused responsibility?
Lin Jingchu sighed helplessly.
“Smash the wall and you’ll all be heavily rewarded once we return to the manor. Hurry.”
Still, she didn’t blame them for doubting her.
Workers had it hard enough already.
Clarifying who would pay the bill was indeed important.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring chamber—
Zhao Jin smiled leisurely while holding a wine cup.
“Shu’er, I merely wished to invite you here for some wine and conversation. Why so suspicious?”
Hidden within her sleeves, Lin Shuyi’s nails dug deeply into her palms. Her eyes shimmered red like autumn water.
“Your Highness, please mind your words. A man and woman alone in the same room already violates propriety. I ask that you allow me to leave.”
All her attendants had been removed by Zhao Jin somehow.
Now the entire room was filled only with his people.
Zhao Jin smiled gently, completely at ease.
“What’s there to fear? I’ll take responsibility for you.”
Lin Shuyi felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.
Even now, she dared not provoke him directly.
“Matters between men and women should rely on mutual affection. This subject daughter is but a weak willow. Your Highness is a dragon among men. We are entirely mismatched.”
Zhao Jin slowly set down his wine cup.
The dark-blue python robe he wore shimmered luxuriously as he walked behind her.
A pair of large hands landed on Lin Shuyi’s shoulders.
She immediately sprang to her feet.
Turning around—
Slap!
She struck Zhao Jin across the face.
Finger marks instantly bloomed red across half his face.
Yet Zhao Jin merely smiled more beautifully than before.
“This is the Shu’er I know.”
Seeing his reaction, Lin Shuyi trembled with rage.
This Zhao Jin was completely insane.
All she could do now was pray that the attendants she had secretly sent away earlier had successfully delivered word back to the Marquis Manor—
and that someone would come save her.