Finest Servant

Chapter 478 Did You Bully My Master?

"Husband, what task are you sending Gao Qiu off for? It seems like a significant matter; can he handle it alone?" Qin Xian'er asked, puzzled as she watched Gao Qiu move swiftly, agile as a civet, disappearing like a wisp of smoke into the distance.

"He's off to commit a bit of thievery; there's no need for a crowd," Lin Wanrong chuckled, looking pleased. "Brother Gao is highly skilled in martial arts and smart to boot. He's the perfect man for the job."

Seeing that he was beating around the bush and still not revealing what he had sent Gao Qiu to do, Qin Xian'er rolled her eyes in resignation and fell silent. The surroundings were eerily quiet; not a sound to be heard. Across the way, the royal mansion stood in deep tranquility, punctuated only by the occasional distant noise of patrol drums, sounding piercingly crisp in the stillness of the night.

Gao Qiu's form was concealed in the dark corner of an alley, still as a gecko on a wall. Unless someone like Lin Wanrong and Qin Xian'er were specifically looking, nobody would notice him there.

The alley was separated from the royal mansion by only a few dozen feet. Heaven only knows how many pairs of eyes were watching simultaneously. Lin Wanrong's heartbeat quickened; a crucial moment was approaching. Success or failure hinged on the next move.

After a long silence, Gao Qiu suddenly sprang into action. Swift as smoke, he crossed the alley in the blink of an eye and pressed himself against the tall wall of the royal mansion.

‘Good!’ Lin Wanrong thought, exhaling softly. Gao Qiu hid in the shadows beneath the wall, looked around, and, seeing nothing amiss, vanished as he scaled the wall.

Seeing that Gao Qiu had successfully infiltrated the place, Lin Wanrong finally nodded, gripping Qin Xian'er's little hand, which was already sweaty. Half of the mission was now complete; all that remained was to wait for Gao Qiu's signal.

Leaning back, Lin Wanrong took a deep breath. Just as he was about to flirt with the flower-like Qin Xian'er beside him, he heard a swish-sound twice. Flares burst in the distant sky, cutting through the pitch-black night, blindingly brilliant.

Signal arrows?! Lin Wanrong was shocked. Something's gone wrong with Old Xu!

Before his thoughts could settle, hurried footsteps echoed from below. Several guards rushed up, shouting, "Sir Lin, Sir Lin, something terrible has happened!"

Lin Wanrong recognized two of them as Xu Wei's personal guards. Both were covered in dust and sweat, seemingly having just arrived.

"What's the matter?! Speak!" A sense of dread intensified within Lin Wanrong as he lowered his voice and spoke sternly.

"Sir," the guard at the front clenched his fists, his face filled with regret, "Something terrible has happened. The main target... he has escaped!"

"What?!" Lin Wanrong's face turned pale with shock. He slapped the arm of his chair, intending to stand, but forgot about his injury. A searing pain shot through his leg, and he broke into a cold sweat, collapsing back into his seat.

"Be careful, Husband!" Qin Xian'er cried out softly, quickly helping him sit back down and gently wiping the sweat from his brow.

He had escaped?! Lin Wanrong was indescribably horrified. How could Xu Wei, so astute a man, make such a basic mistake, allowing Prince Cheng to escape right under his nose? Not only were days of preparation ruined, but given Prince Cheng's cunning and deceit, his escape could bring untold calamity upon the Empire.

His grip tightened, and his face wore an unmistakable grimace. Seeing his distress, Qin Xian'er hurriedly took his hand. "Husband, don't worry. We'll find a way."

Lin Wanrong grunted, forcing himself to calm down. Yet his eyes involuntarily sharpened as he fixed his gaze on the guard. "Tell me exactly what happened," he said in a low voice.

The guard saluted. "Sir, the prisoner has been meditating at the Grand Prime Minister Temple, showing no signs of disturbance. We had brothers disguised as monks inside, making rounds near his room every half hour. Today, after Lord Xu Wei returned, we intensified our vigilance, assigning more men to watch him. At first, everything seemed normal; he stayed in his room. But about half an hour ago, we found the room empty; the man had disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Lin Wanrong looked perplexed. "You're saying that under our watchful eyes and thorough security, he vanished without a trace?"

The guard nodded, visibly ashamed. "His disappearance was highly unusual; there were no warning signs. Lord Xu immediately sealed off the area surrounding the temple and initiated a search—"

"What good would searching do now? If the Prince had orchestrated this escape so meticulously, he would surely have foolproof plans. Did he grow wings and fly away? Xu Wei is no fool; how could someone slip through his fingers?"

"As we searched the room, we found a tunnel," the guard continued.

"A tunnel?" Lin Wanrong's expression shifted. "Where does it lead?"

"It appeared to have been dug recently and led to a civilian house within the city. Near that house, we found another tunnel leading to a forest ten miles outside the city."

"Hold on, slow down," Lin Wanrong interjected. "So, you're saying these two tunnels aren't connected? Were they dug at the same time?"

The guard shook his head. "The tunnel from Grand Prime Minister Temple to the city is fresh; it seems to have been dug recently. The other one leading out of the city is older, with dry soil. They likely hadn't had time to connect them." Ŕα𐌽ÖΒĘȘ

"Tunnels, of course! Damn it, why didn't I think of that?" Lin Wanrong slapped his forehead, frustrated. No wonder the Prince was so audacious; he'd already prepared an escape route.

"What does Lord Xu plan to do now?" Lin Wanrong sighed, seemingly resigned.

"Lord Xu instructed us to inform you immediately. He has already left the city to marshal forces for a search."

Although the tunnel leading out of the city extended ten miles, Xu Wei had already pulled the stationed troops back twenty miles, as per Lin Wanrong's instructions. The Prince would surely be aware of this. Would he still run into the trap? Lin Wanrong fell silent for a moment, as if recalling something, then asked, "How far apart are these two tunnels within the city?"

The guard hastily said, "They're located in two different households, separated by a small alley."

Qin Xian'er pouted as she listened. "If they're so close, why not just connect the two tunnels?"

Lin Wanrong's eyes lit up, and he eagerly grasped Qin Xian'er's hand. "Exactly, why not connect them? Xian'er, if you were in this situation, knowing there's an army outside, would you rush into the trap?"

"I'm not that foolish," Xian'er giggled. "I would think of a way to divert them first, and then make my move."

Forgetting they were in public, Lin Wanrong passionately planted a kiss on Xian'er's cheek. "Oh, you're so clever, Xian'er!"

"Stop it!" Xian'er playfully scolded, her cheeks flushing, her beauty radiant.

"Sir, what should we do next?" Seeing that Lin Wanrong seemed much improved and even found time to flirt with the princess, the guard hurriedly seized the opportunity to inquire.

Lin Wanrong whispered a few words into Qin Xian'er's ear, and she nodded with a smile. Quickly, he instructed a servant to fetch ink and paper. After a few swift strokes, Lin Wanrong glanced over the letter, signed his name, and handed it to the guard. "Take this letter to Lord Xu and tell him to increase the search efforts. Make as much noise as possible; the bigger, the better. Tear the sky open if you can."

"Understood!" The guard acknowledged and hurriedly left.

Qin Xian'er watched as everyone dispersed and whispered, "Husband, how sure are you?"

"Not sure at all," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "If your royal uncle isn't foolish, he should still be in the city. Nobody's better at these kinds of tricks than he is."

"I don't consider him my royal uncle," Xian'er retorted, smiling coquettishly. "Husband, I see you're not much worse at these tricks."

"You're too kind," Lin Wanrong flirtatiously grazed his hand over her curvaceous rear and chuckled lasciviously.

Xian'er let out a soft cry, her cheeks flushed. She whispered, "Husband, answer me honestly about something."

"Absolutely, I'll be honest," Lin Wanrong replied eagerly, captivated by her allure.

"Don't lie to me. Have you ever done anything bad to my master?" Qin Xian'er bit his ear, her fragrant breath warm against his skin, and she gritted her teeth on the last few words.

Startled, Lin Wanrong tensed up and shook his head vehemently. "No, no, absolutely not. Xian'er, if you don't trust me, at least trust your Master. She's always the one mistreating me; when have you ever seen me mistreat her? Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Really?" Xian'er snorted, her expression enigmatic. "Who was it that said they would take care of the 'little demon' before dealing with the 'big demon'?"

He had thought the matter was behind them, but it seemed she had held it in her heart all along, seeking to settle the score with him now. He chuckled and said, "I was just speaking thoughtlessly, how could you take it seriously? Besides, you're not some little demon; you're my sweet and obedient fairy wife."

As cheesy as the words were, even making his own skin crawl, Miss Qin seemed to be quite pleased. Her face immediately softened, and she giggled, "Husband, there's something I haven't told you. When I was in Sichuan, my Master would constantly criticize you in front of me—calling you glib, a womanizer, and shameless."

"So, Master An knows me so well, listing all of my virtues. How humbling," He responded, unabashed but grinning from ear to ear. "Now you can rest assured. How could I dare to take advantage of her when she speaks so poorly of me?"

Miss Qin hummed and sighed, "You don't understand my Master's character. Although she appears unrestrained, she's actually quite dignified deep inside. To her, all men are insignificant, hardly worth her interest. She may criticize you, but you're the first man she's ever mentioned in all the years I've known her. Doesn't that mean she cares for you?"

What a unique vixen, expressing her emotions in such a peculiar way. Lin Wanrong felt a warmth in his heart, but he dared not reveal a hint to Qin Xian'er. He feigned ignorance, "Really? That's quite special. When I meet Master An again, I'll ask her myself. But discussing this now seems inappropriate, Xian'er. As you know, I'm a man of integrity; there are certain things beasts may do, but I cannot."

She hummed again, "Don't think I don't know that you pride yourself on being worse than a beast."

"How did you find out?" He was truly surprised; he had never told her this saying.

Xian'er smirked, "What you keep hidden will be known, unless you don't do it at all. Sister Xiao told me about what happened between you two in Hangzhou. When will you take me to draw a marriage fortune stick? I want you to explain it for me!"

"Uh, well—" He was sweating buckets, at a loss for what to say. He recalled how the two ladies had been at loggerheads back in Hangzhou. It was Qin Xian'er's sword that had nearly pushed the Eldest Miss to jump into West Lake. Times had changed, and now these two got along so well that even such secrets were shared. Would they exchange notes on the different positions he used with them in bed?

Seeing him with such a lascivious smile, Qin Xian'er twisted his arm in annoyance, "You're not allowed to take advantage of my Master anymore. Let me tell you, she's not one to be trifled with. If you anger her, she might cast a spell on you that will make you impotent for life. You'll regret it then."

"Really?" His tongue felt heavy with fear. Come to think of it, given that sly vixen's character, anything was possible. Xian'er herself showed hints of her. Would a single intimate encounter with Master An condemn him to her control for the rest of his life? What should he do?

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