Chapter Forty-Four: Mount Taiyi and Zhongnan—Clouds Gather from All Directions (Part Seven)

At the foot of the mountain, they immediately tied up their horses. Not even a single guard was left behind; the entire group dismounted at once.

But Li Wei and his retinue of guards were left at a loss. The weather had been fair for some time, which wasn’t ideal for farming, but it meant the roads were dry and the number of people out enjoying the spring had increased. Sightseers were everywhere, covering the mountains and fields; even minor, nameless hills echoed with laughter and merriment. With Mount Zhongnan being so vast, how could they hope to find just nine people?

One of the visitors said, “Your Highness, do not worry. My name is Liu Hansan. Fearing something might go awry, I brought along a companion—Zhong Dazhui. This morning, while I was out searching for Your Highness to deliver a message, Zhong Dazhui kept an eye on those people.”

Only then did Li Wei realize he hadn’t even asked the man’s name until now. He clasped his hands in salute. “I am ashamed.”

“Your Highness is benevolent. It’s what any subject ought to do,” Liu Hansan replied as he walked to the roadside, examined the trees, and found a small strip of cloth tied to a pine. “We should go this way.”

“Why?”

“Your Highness, do you see? The knot on that cloth strip points in the direction they went.”

So the group followed the mountain path into Mount Zhongnan. It was a proper road, leading directly to the Preaching Platform. Of all the routes, this one was the most crowded, filled with young men and women in bright, festive attire. There were even a few stunning beauties among them, but Li Wei was in no mood to admire the view. As he walked, he scanned the crowds, searching for his quarry. It was difficult, with so many people, but at least their group of nine was not too small or too large a target.

When they reached the Preaching Platform, there was still no sign of their people. Fortunately, every fork in the road was marked with a strip of cloth, which eased Li Wei’s anxiety somewhat. At another fork, they turned into an unnamed valley where a cluster of bamboo grew.

All of Mount Zhongnan was alive with the clamor of people and the neighing of horses, but this secluded valley had its own unique charm. A clear mountain spring trickled down from the summit, wildflowers dotted the scene, the surrounding peaks were lush and green, and because it was quieter here, many birds had gathered, their crisp songs like delightful little nocturnes.

But Li Wei and his guards had no mind to appreciate it. As members of the Eastern Palace, their fates were bound to their master’s. Several of the guards had accompanied Li Wei on previous outings. They quickly approached the edge of the bamboo grove and saw several young girls and a male servant standing before the thicket, looking lost. Most were strangers to them, but the young lady from the Xu family, whom they’d parted with only days before, was instantly recognizable. Striding over, Li Wei asked, “Miss Xu, where is Miss Yang?”

Xu Li had long forgotten about Li Wei deliberately making things difficult for her at the East Market. Now she was panic-stricken. “Your Highness, why are you here? Just now, Sister Min entered the bamboo grove with her maid Shuer to answer nature’s call, and they’ve been gone for ages. We sensed something was wrong and went in to look, but found nothing. Sister He sent her family’s servant, Dazhu, to report to the authorities.”

“When did this happen? And why did you come to such a secluded spot?”

“It’s been nearly half an hour. We were at the Preaching Platform, but it was too crowded and uncomfortable. Sister He mentioned it, and another young lady overheard and said the scenery here was pleasant, so we all came together.”

So you just went along with it? But these girls were all quite young; who would imagine such a thing could happen in broad daylight? He asked again, “Where is that young lady now?”

“When she learned someone was missing, she got scared and left.”

Li Wei shook his head. No wonder even graduate students could be abducted by traffickers in the past. He was usually mild-mannered, but in a crisis, he stayed cooler than most. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Half an hour—they can’t have gone far. Besides, this is hilly terrain with no carriage access; they’d have to carry their captives and avoid others, meaning they’d stick to hidden paths. They shouldn’t be far.”

His words brought some relief. Now all depended on whether Liu Hansan’s companion had left any clues. Liu Hansan, sweating with anxiety, paced through the dense bamboo, where visibility was poor. After a while, he said, “They went northeast.”

Northeast would lead out of Mount Zhongnan, and that direction was more rugged, with few travelers—just as Li Wei had surmised. No one thought it odd; the Crown Prince’s reputation for being fierce and unorthodox was well known.

With a direction established, Li Wei ordered his guards, “Spread out in a fan formation and search ahead. The terrain is rough, and those men are carrying two people. They won’t be moving quickly.”

He then told Xu Li and her companions, “You’d better come with me.”

He was furious. What Helan Minzhi had done was a public slap in the face before the court. The man was utterly mad, and his accomplices just as bad—otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared take on such a job. If they were desperate, there was no telling if they might harm the girls, too.

“Yes, Your Highness,” they replied.

The group hurried northeast. At this point, there was no longer a proper path, but Zhong Dazhui, aware of the difficulty, had tied strips of cloth even more frequently. Some took turns carrying the captives; others chased unencumbered. Soon, they saw six men halfway up the mountain, furtively carrying two large sacks and running downhill.

Captain Xu Yue shouted, “Halt!”

These little rogues, or even street thugs, had dared to kidnap the Crown Princess. Of course, they didn’t know that; someone had paid them handsomely, emboldening them to take the risk. But they were also terrified—this was the Cold Food Festival, with people everywhere. If caught kidnapping someone of status in broad daylight, the authorities would surely punish them harshly.

Startled by Xu Yue’s shout, the men dropped the sacks and fled.

Liu Hansan bowed. “Your Highness, I have not failed you. Now, I take my leave.”

Though he had rendered great service, he knew better than to linger. With such high stakes—a prince, a duke, and even Empress Wu Zetian’s nephew involved—he risked not reward but a royal silencing.

A clever man.

Li Wei gave a deep bow. “Hero Liu, I owe you a great debt.”

“I dare not accept such honor from Your Highness—it would be the death of me,” Liu Hansan replied, stepping aside and quickly descending the mountain in the opposite direction.

“What a righteous man,” Li Wei sighed. If not for his warning, Yang Min might have been taken to Helan Minzhi’s estate and disgraced. Even if Li Wei killed Helan Minzhi afterward, the shame would always remain.

“After them!” he commanded.

A dozen men scrambled and tumbled down the slope. Li Wei opened one of the sacks and found his “consort” gagged with a cloth and bound with rope. He untied her as Bie’er and Xu Li arrived, breathless. Bie’er rushed to untie Shuer, the maid, while Yang Min threw herself into Li Wei’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

They were all terrified.

“It’s all right now,” Li Wei soothed, patting her back.

Between sobs, she asked, “Your Highness, how did you know I was in danger?”

“It was two righteous men from Wu Minzhi’s estate. They couldn’t bear his actions and came to warn me.”

“Duke Zhou—why would he do this?” Yang Min asked. Xu Li and Pei Yuhuo echoed her.

“I don’t know,” Li Wei replied—not because he truly didn’t, but because he couldn’t say. “But the truth will come out in due course.”

He looked down the mountain. No orders were needed; ten guards split up—five stayed to protect Li Wei, while Xu Yue led the other five in pursuit. They only needed to catch two of the thugs; once interrogated, everything would come to light.

Xu Li, Pei Yuhuo, and Yang Qian clutched their chests, though in Pei Yuhuo’s case, she had only just begun to develop. Now that the girls were safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Wei’s true nature emerged; with the beautiful Yang Min in his arms, he grinned at another girl. “Miss Xu, have you thought of an answer?”

“You are no gentleman,” Xu Li retorted, emboldened by her father’s indulgence and Li Wei’s kindly face. She spat lightly in his direction.

“Perhaps not,” Li Wei said, touching his nose. He might not be a sage, but he hadn’t crossed the ultimate line with even the gentle, obedient Bie’er—one could say he was at least a little virtuous.

“Hmph!” Xu Li snorted twice more. Having been teased at the East Market and then scolded by her father, she couldn’t help but feel aggrieved. Yet curiosity won out. “Hmph, so what’s the next line?”

“You mean the couplet with Your Highness?” Yang Min turned in Li Wei’s embrace, eyeing Xu Li warily. No wonder she’d been snorting since the prince was mentioned earlier.

Realizing she’d let something slip, Xu Li quickly covered her mouth, then uncovered it awkwardly. “I don’t know—I only just learned who the prince was.”

The more she explained, the more suspicious Yang Min became. Li Wei touched his nose again; what should have been a cause for celebration now filled the air with a faint sourness. He changed the subject. “Miss Yang, were you harmed?”

“I was only frightened, but I’m truly happy Your Highness came,” Yang Min replied, nestling into his arms while flashing an expression of blissful sweetness at Xu Li, honeyed enough to drip.

“Hmph!”

Bie’er reminded them, “Captain Xu should be catching up to them now.”

They all turned to look down the mountain. The fugitives were swift, but Xu Yue’s men, handpicked from the personal guard, were faster and closing in.

At that moment, a group of hunters appeared at the foot of the mountain. There were many hunters in Mount Zhongnan; the locals lived off the land. Xu Yue called out, “Brave men ahead, assist us in apprehending imperial criminals!”

Though not an official, these men had dared kidnap the Crown Princess—being called “imperial criminals” was no exaggeration. Depending on how the case was handled, it might not only cost them their heads, but also bring ruin to their families.

But as soon as Xu Yue finished, the hunters drew their bows. Even Li Wei thought they were lending a hand—until, in a sudden turn, the arrows were loosed upon the fugitives. In a blink, all six fell.

Things had taken a grim turn. Had Liu Hansan’s warning been leaked? Had Helan Minzhi sent assassins disguised as hunters to silence everyone? With his power, keeping a dozen death-sworn men was no challenge.

Li Wei felt both anger and pity. Such madness—half owed to his own mother, half to his never-met grandmother. Yet, thinking further, his grandmother was over ninety and still lively; his father was indecisive, forever vacillating between seizing and relinquishing power. His mother had been his grandfather’s woman, then his father’s. Strictly speaking, this Helan was his own cousin—mad indeed. And then there was a cousin who’d died, who’d once vied with his mother for his father’s affection.

What a family!