The accent was from the capital as well.
Wang Qingyao smiled at him with grace, her voice soft, "I never agreed to anything with you all; you decided this yourselves. What if someone were to covet my beauty, that of a delicate maiden, heavenly and beloved by all, and dare to harass me without anyone to protect me?"
Were these words fitting for the dignified Princess of Ding'an?
The kidnapper was so shocked he couldn't speak for a long time.
After a while, he finally managed, "We... we are not those kinds of people."
"Heh," Wang Qingyao sneered, "You can kidnap people, what else can't you do?"
The kidnapper felt insulted, "We have professional ethics."
"Hahahaha..." Wang Qingyao continued to sneer, "Don't you find that ridiculous? If kidnappers had ethics, they wouldn't be kidnappers."
The kidnapper: "..."
Why was he wasting so much time talking to a woman here?
Before he could speak, Wang Qingyao added, "Don't worry, I also have professional ethics. My people will only follow me from a distance. As long as you don't harm anyone, they won't act."
"What if I don't agree?"
"Then I'll just leave."
"Aren't you afraid we'll kill Young Master Xiao the Second?"
"Hahahaha," Wang Qingyao covered her mouth with a handkerchief and gave a fake laugh, "He's just Young Master Xiao the Second, not my husband. After he dies, there will be one less person to share my husband's inheritance with."
The kidnapper: "..."
Zhenzhu and Yinpiao: "..."
Seeing that Wang Qingyao was unyielding, the kidnapper hesitated for a moment and then agreed to her terms.
The mountains were winding and treacherous, filled with strange rocks and sparse trees, a perfect place for murder and plunder.
Wang Qingyao followed him through many twists and turns. Her sense of direction wasn't great, and soon she had no idea how to get back.
She glanced back at Zhenzhu, who gave her a reassuring look.
They stopped when they reached about halfway up the mountain.
Wang Qingyao hadn't expected to climb a mountain to meet a kidnapper. She had been shivering from the cold on the way up, but now her body was starting to warm up, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
"I can't walk anymore," she said, panting, leaning against a rock and resting on it ungracefully.
The kidnapper said, "We're here," pointing ahead.
Wang Qingyao followed his gaze and discovered a flat area with a dilapidated temple built against the mountain. Although it had been repaired, it still looked quite run-down.
The kidnapper told Zhenzhu and Yinpiao to stay put and not approach. He then led Wang Qingyao to the entrance of the temple but didn't let her enter. He went in himself to call someone.
The temple originally had no doors, but a thick curtain had now been added.
Wang Qingyao used her clairvoyant eyes to look inside. Although the interior was broken, it was tidily kept. There was a table, at which sat a man in similar black clothes but without a mask. Behind him stood—Wang Qingyao counted—a total of six people. Including the first kidnapper who had just entered and the person sitting who seemed to be the leader, that made eight.
Wang Qingyao reached behind her back and made a gesture for "eight," wondering if Yin Zhu and the others could see it.
At this moment, she sensed something was amiss. Why couldn't she see Xiao Mo?
The kidnapper who went in, referred to as Kidnapper One, whispered a few words to the leader. The leader then glanced towards the entrance. He stood up, took out a mask, put it on, and walked out.
The mask was a very ordinary child's ghost-face mask.
Wang Qingyao felt a toothache. These kidnappers were quite playful.
"Princess of Ding'an," the masked man said politely, "Forgive the intrusion. We have a few questions for you."
"Ask away."
"The Princess wrote a story some time ago. Where did you hear it?"
Wang Qingyao was momentarily confused, "What story?"
The masked man was silent for a moment, then said with a hint of shame, "The Secret History of Heartbreak in the Imperial Harem."
Holy crap!
The moment those words were spoken, Wang Qingyao knew this kidnapping had nothing to do with Prince Ding Nan.
It was the work of that old man, Grand Tutor Wei!
He was truly formidable. She thought he was going to find the "eldest prince," but instead, he came up with such a terrible idea to pry information out of Wang Qingyao!
Wang Qingyao pondered in silence.
The masked man didn't rush her.
The master had said this woman spoke nonsense, and this time, she must be made to tell the truth!
After a long pause, Wang Qingyao said, "This matter is of great importance and is highly unusual. I had intended to take it to my grave. However, since you have captured Xiao Mo, I have no choice but to speak. Before I do, I wish to see Xiao Mo and ensure his safety."
The masked man hesitated for a very subtle moment and said, "Very well. I will go in and give the order."
He went inside and, after saying something, another kidnapper quickly walked to a pillar. The others used ropes to tie him up and then put a sack over his head.
What kind of operation was this?
Wang Qingyao was dumbfounded!