Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 106

As soon as Xia Heng climbed through the window, she told Mo Qing to hurry and throw her back onto the wall.

They had gone to such trouble to rescue Cang Chuli. They could not let themselves be caught now.

Before Mo Qing could move, Xia Heng felt an arm circle her. By the time she recovered her senses, she was already standing outside the wall.

Her mouth fell open into an O.

She turned and, sure enough, saw Cang Chuli withdrawing his hand.

“The general really is outstanding! Mo Qing said he couldn’t carry me!” Xia Heng exclaimed admiringly.

Cang Chuli glanced at Mo Qing.

“Extra training when we return.”

Chaos had erupted in front of Ruyi Courtyard. Xia Heng said anxiously, “All right, we need to find Yaqing quickly! We still don’t know what happened to her.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Yaqing had waited in the room for a long time, but the maid who had gone to fetch clothes never returned. Only then did she sense that something was wrong.

She reached for the door and discovered that it had been barred from the outside. Her hand dropped in frustration.

What was going on? This was her first visit to the Wang Family. Who would want to harm her?

No matter how she thought about it, Xiao Yaqing could not understand.

She tried pushing the window, only to discover that it too had been sealed shut.

With no other option, she picked up a stool and hid behind the door, preparing to strike first the moment anyone came inside.

After crouching there for a while, she finally heard what sounded like voices outside.

Mo Bai and Chuqing had made their way to the side-room wing. There was not a single guard in sight, yet one of the doors had been barred from the outside. The two exchanged a look.

This had to be it!

Chuqing kept watch while Mo Bai removed the bar.

Xiao Yaqing charged out with the stool raised over her head, forcing Mo Bai to dodge aside.

Only then did Xiao Yaqing see who had come. Delight lit her face.

“Mo Bai?”

Chuqing poked her head in through the doorway as well.

“Miss Xiao! We finally found you!”

“Chuqing!”

Seeing how excited both women were, Mo Bai hurriedly said, “We should leave first.”

Xiao Yaqing nodded and followed them without even stopping to worry about the damp mess on her back.

“Not good. Someone is coming from ahead,” Chuqing warned when she heard approaching footsteps.

Mo Bai abruptly changed direction.

“This way.”

The two women followed him around the side of the building. Before Xiao Yaqing could react, Mo Bai had seized her and tossed her onto the top of the wall.

Mo Bai leaped to the other side and called up to her, “Miss Xiao, jump down.”

Chuqing climbed over as well. Holding out both arms, she said, “It’s all right, Miss Xiao. The wall isn’t high. Jump down—I’ll catch you!”

Xiao Yaqing looked at her, then at the distance to the ground.

She closed her eyes and jumped, landing squarely in Chuqing’s arms.

The three quickly straightened themselves up and hurried away.

Xia Heng and the others were already rushing in Xiao Yaqing’s direction.

Fortunately, the evening banquet was being held in the front grounds, so there were few guards or servants along their route through the rear courtyard.

Whenever they encountered one or two, Cang Chuli and Mo Qing knocked them unconscious with swift chops and laid them beside the path.

Who knew how anyone would feel if they happened upon the scene?

“It’s Yaqing!” Xia Heng cried excitedly at the sight of three furtive silhouettes up ahead.

Xiao Yaqing saw them too, and the two groups quickly converged.

Xia Heng immediately asked in alarm, “How are you? Are you hurt?”

Her mind told her that Chuqing and Mo Bai were certain to bring Xiao Yaqing out safely.

Even so, Xia Heng could not stop worrying. What if she had arranged things wrongly?

“I’m fine. Chuqing and Mo Bai arrived just in time!”

Only after hearing that did Xia Heng relax a little.

Standing nearby, Cang Chuli noticed the stains down Xiao Yaqing’s back.

“Change your clothes first.”

“But changing my clothes was the excuse they used to lure me here! It’s my own fault too. How did I not think of that?” Xiao Yaqing said, bitterly annoyed with herself.

“What matters is that you’re safe. This time, we’ll go with you!”

Xia Heng draped her little flowered padded jacket around Xiao Yaqing’s shoulders and looked at Cang Chuli.

She had no idea where they could find suitable clothes, but since Cang Chuli had said it, he was sure to have a way.

Cang Chuli led them toward the Wang Family’s main courtyard.

Only two people were guarding it.

Mo Qing and Mo Bai each dealt with one, then the group strolled brazenly into Madam Wang’s room.

The moment Xia Heng entered, she began rummaging through the wardrobe without the slightest hesitation.

Who cared anymore?

Who knew how many people the Wang Family intended to plot against in a single night?

Propriety? She had none!

She yanked out the dress made of the finest fabric she could feel and handed it to Xiao Yaqing.

“This one! It’s probably the most expensive!”

Cang Chuli stepped forward, took out a different dress in lake blue, and passed it over.

“This one is the most expensive.”

Xia Heng examined it. The embroidery did indeed seem finer than that on the one in her hands.

She hurriedly stuffed her first choice back into the wardrobe and handed Xiao Yaqing the lake-blue dress.

“Then this is the one we’re wearing!”

The others were about to leave for the outer room so Xiao Yaqing could change when Cang Chuli handed Xia Heng the first dress she had taken out.

“Your padded jacket is unwearable too. Put this on.”

Xia Heng felt a little uneasy. She had draped her jacket around Xiao Yaqing just now, and some soup had gotten onto the inside, but it was not exactly unwearable.

“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate? Madam Wang is a madam, after all…”

Xia Heng scratched her head. She was only a maid. Would they beat her to death for this?

“If this general says you can wear it, then you can wear it.”

With that, he pushed her inside too and dropped the curtain.

“General, look at this!”

Frowning, Mo Qing handed over the banknotes in his hand.

“Fifty thousand taels.”

Cang Chuli’s gaze flickered as he thought of Madam Xu’s habit of never acting without profit.

“Put them away.”

“Yes!”

—

“Was the man sent inside?” Huyan Lie asked his attendant when he reached the side room.

“Yes, First Prince. He was dead drunk. Even Miss Xiao should be able to knock him down with ease.”

Only then did Huyan Lie nod in satisfaction.

Everyone’s attention was on the banquet tonight.

He had bribed servants of the Wang Family and arranged this entire performance so he could play the hero rescuing the beauty and win Xiao Yaqing’s favor.

But he had no intention of letting her truly lose her chastity. How else could she remain worthy of him?

He straightened his clothes and strode forward.

When he reached the door, he heard only thunderous snoring inside.

That was not right. Could he have arrived too late?

He shoved the door open.

A man lay fast asleep on the bed.

Huyan Lie took several steps inside and swept his gaze around the room.

There was no sign of Xiao Yaqing anywhere.

“Where is she?” he demanded furiously.

The man woke in a foul temper at the disturbance.

“Who is it?”

Still half asleep, he opened his eyes and saw the figure before him.

“F-First Prince!”

Half his drunkenness fled in fright.

What was going on? He had merely drunk too much and found somewhere to sleep for a while. How had he managed to summon the First Prince of Tujue?

Huyan Lie asked darkly, “Were you alone when you came in?”

The man did not understand what he meant. Of course he had been alone. Who else would there have been?

But he did not dare answer so bluntly. Instead, he said cautiously, “Yes, this humble scholar was indeed alone. May I ask whom Your Highness is seeking?”

Only then did Huyan Lie accept that Xiao Yaqing had truly escaped.

“Hmph!”

His face livid, he turned and left.

The man was as baffled as someone confronted by the proverbial towering monk whose head was out of reach; he had no idea what the First Prince of Tujue had meant.

His head was still spinning, so he lay down again.

He rolled over and promptly went back to sleep.