Chapter 121 — Setting the Scheme (Bonus update for 1,200 pink votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
He could only pray that the Fourth Miss was right!
Otherwise, in this storm of blood and wind, he feared that even she would be dragged into it, her life in peril!
In the silence, Dou Yan was likely the only one utterly certain.
In her previous life, whenever people spoke of the Duke of Dingzhen, they would speak of the ten-thousand-character petition in blood that the people of Fujian had submitted on the Jiang family's behalf after the Duke's death.
Since that approach had failed, there was only one other way.
Perhaps things could be changed.
As for Yan Che, he felt he could not bear to remain a moment longer.
He must tell the Madam of this possibility as soon as possible, so that she could consult the household's advisors at once and settle on a course of action.
A sense of panic seized him, as though time were slipping through his fingers. He could not help calling out sharply, "Young Master!"
But before Yan Che's voice had died away, Chen Yanzhou, who had been sitting in silence, suddenly rose to his feet, and echoing the cry of "Young Master!" he bowed with clasped hands and said, "At present we can still tell the world that the young lady found your movements suspicious and took you for kidnappers carrying off some great family's child in flight, while you, seeing us so many and all skilled in martial arts, believed you had fallen among bandits. The young lady wished to rescue the child, you wished to escape—and so a misunderstanding arose. But once reinforcements arrive, I fear the affair will be hard to hush up. Better that I go with you to the capital, and you send a man to accompany our young lady back to Zhending. When the people come to collect the child, we will hand him over to them directly..."
Though he did not know the reason, he keenly sensed the change in Song Yan and Yan Che.
Since there had been a change, then the Fourth Miss must be sent back to the Dou household at once!
He resolved to throw another log on the fire, and stepped forward at the right moment...
Dou Yan was somewhat startled by Chen Yanzhou's decisiveness, but the words were already out of his mouth. She could hardly say anything more.
Yet Song Ke was an ordinary man—would he truly accept it? She had no confidence, and could not help glancing toward Song Yan.
For a moment, everyone's eyes fell upon Song Yan.
* * * *
The rain poured down in torrents, and the sky was black and heavy, as though it might collapse at any moment.
In the woods not far from the Dou family's estate, two men in bamboo hats and straw rain capes stood on a slope gazing toward Dou Zhiwei's estate. One was powerfully built, the other of neat and even figure; behind them stood in silence some thirty-odd sturdy men in black water-tight garments with black cloth masking their faces, who from a distance looked like so many charred stumps.
A boy of twelve or thirteen leaped nimbly to the side of the man of even figure, light as a grasshopper, and reported respectfully, "Sixth Master, I've made contact with the Young Master's people. But the situation is not good—the child has been taken hostage, and the Young Master and Mr. Yan are negotiating with the other side."
"How is that possible!" The powerfully built man raised his head in astonishment, revealing a face that was regular but wholly unremarkable. "Who took the child hostage?"
"The owner of the estate!" said the boy. "I hear the people guarding the child were struck by Pear-Blossom-in-the-Rain needles, and everyone is helping pull them out."
The man of even figure gave an intrigued "Oh?" and asked in wonder, "There are still people with such things in their possession nowadays? And who is this estate owner?"
The boy glanced at the powerfully built man and said in a low voice, "It's the Dou family estate—seems they've run into the Fourth Miss..." His voice trailed off.