novelhk Chapter 117 Is it worth it?
Chapter 117 Is it worth it?
Wen Shuyao, who was kidnapped, was also extremely surprised.
Unexpectedly, she actually became their target.
She sat in a spacious, bright room, with a table of exquisite dishes in front of her.
But the scene in this courtyard was too ordinary, and for a moment, she couldn't tell where she was.
At that moment, the door was opened.
The maid was completely veiled in black. She glanced at the untouched dishes on the table and sighed inwardly.
This is terrible.
She walked up to Wen Shuyao and said in a gentle voice, "Your Highness, please eat something. It's been a whole day. If you don't eat soon, your body may not be able to take it."
Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao simply shook her head slowly, her voice icy cold: "Who knows what other wicked schemes you're plotting?"
The maid's face turned somewhat unpleasant, feeling that Wen Shuyao was ungrateful.
Looking around, who else who has been forcibly abducted is treated to good food and drink?
Wen Shuyao couldn't see her face through the veil, and her gaze only lingered on her for a moment before she looked away.
“Tell your master that I do not have what he wants.”
The maid was taken aback when Wen Shuyao spoke.
Clearly, she didn't understand what Wen Shuyao meant by those words.
However, since Wen Shuyao said so, she naturally had to relay it.
Before leaving, she looked at Wen Shuyao with a complicated expression: "Prince Jing has already surrounded the Liu family, the Dong family, and the Gan family for you."
She whispered, "You're really lucky. I've never seen anyone leave here alive."
The maid left without looking back, and naturally did not see Wen Shuyao's astonished expression.
Wen Shuyao clenched her fists secretly, her heart filled with disbelief.
Xie Jinghan was actually willing to lead troops to threaten those aristocratic families for his own sake?
How could this be? She had never imagined that Xie Jinghan would treat her like this. She had been thinking carefully about how to escape from here, but Xie Jinghan's actions made her hesitate.
Perhaps... she could try to trust Xie Jinghan just this once?
However, she quickly dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed her mind.
No matter what situation you are in, the only person you can rely on is yourself.
Her eyes flickered, and finally her gaze settled on the room.
……
The imperial guards at the gates of the three houses still hadn't left by the next morning.
They obeyed Xie Jinghan's orders. Xie Jinghan's words were military orders, and military orders were as solid as mountains. They guarded the door without leaving for a moment, and even if servants went out to buy things, they were all stopped and sent back.
Minister Liu, who wanted to go to court, was blocked at the gate by the Imperial Guards' spears.
Although the Imperial Guards did not hold high official positions, they directly protected the emperor, and they did not even care about the words of Minister Liu.
In this world, they only obey the Emperor and Xie Jinghan.
Minister Liu slammed the door shut, his face ashen, his eyes filled with malice.
"Has there been a reply?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Upon hearing this, the servant trembled and said, "We haven't received a reply yet."
At this moment, Minister Liu frowned deeply, his mind filled with many guesses, and finally his gaze fell on the open space in the courtyard.
"Oh no..." he muttered, "If what I guessed is true, then my words probably won't have any effect."
He had never received this news before. If he had known they were going to do something so foolish, his first reaction would have been to stop them. No wonder they didn't inform him in advance.
But the three families are tightly bound together. If something happens to them, the Liu family will also be implicated! Everyone would think that the three families joined forces to kidnap Wen Shuyao to coerce Xie Jinghan.
Thinking about it this way, he felt a splitting headache.
"No!" he gritted his teeth. "I want to see Prince Jing!"
The servant was taken aback upon hearing this, and then explained with a pale face: "Master, Prince Jing's attitude is very tough right now. You can tell by looking at the imperial guards at the gate. If you don't know the whereabouts of the princess, you probably won't be able to see him."
Upon hearing this, Minister Liu closed his eyes.
He said bitterly, "If that's the case, then send another letter to them! Tell them that losing one or two Hanlin scholars is not a big deal, and now is not the time to clash with Prince Jing!"
Xie Jinghan held considerable military power and enjoyed the emperor's deep trust. If he were to actually go so far as to massacre three families, the emperor would at most reprimand him and demote him to a fiefdom—a punishment that was neither serious nor painful.
But for these three families, it meant the destruction of their ancestral foundation, which had lasted for hundreds of years!
Thinking about it this way, Minister Liu felt a chill run through his body.
The servants already knew how much Minister Liu valued this matter, and after nodding repeatedly, they quickly ran outside.
Looking at the gloomy sky outside, Minister Liu felt as miserable as the weather.
How could someone as wise as him choose these two foolish allies?
Si Qing noticed that the Liu family was frequently sending messages out.
He anxiously reported the news to Xie Jinghan and suggested, "Why don't I arrest the messenger? Maybe the letter will contain the whereabouts of the princess."
The thought of Wen Shuyao being kidnapped right in front of him made him feel extremely distressed.
Although he wasn't close to Wen Shuyao, it was a task Xie Jinghan personally assigned him, yet he still failed to protect her.
He felt extremely guilty.
Xie Jinghan, with a stern face, rejected his suggestion.
"The Liu family was not involved in this matter."
Upon hearing this, Si Qing was taken aback: "But those three families..."
“Even if these three families are as close as one family, there will be times when their ideologies clash,” Xie Jinghan said calmly. “Among the leaders of these three families, only Minister Liu is a smart man. As for the Dong family and the Gan family… they are all short-sighted fools.”
Si Qing was puzzled, but since it was Xie Jinghan's request, he naturally had to comply.
"Then, Your Highness..."
"Go and arrest the younger generation of the Gan family first," Xie Jinghan ordered. "The Gan family has few descendants; in this generation, there are only two sons. Go and arrest them."
"Then tell the Gan family that if the princess doesn't return for a day, cut off one of their fingers."
According to the regulations of this dynasty, people with disabilities are not allowed to serve as officials in the court.
Losing a finger is tantamount to losing one's career.
The future of the Gan family rests entirely on these two.
Xie Jinghan's actions completely exploited the Gan family's weaknesses.
"Tell the Dong family again," Xie Jinghan sneered, "If they don't stop, I will wipe out all their businesses in Jiangnan."
Duke Dong was extremely greedy, and Xie Jinghan's actions had seized upon his very lifeline.
Si Qing nodded as she walked out.
But halfway there, he suddenly asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, is it worth it?"
For the sake of Wen Shuyao, who has little affection for him, he is willing to become an enemy of the three great families.
Won't Xie Jinghan regret it?
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinghan only gave him a sharp glance.