Chapter 77.1

As soon as Jin Wang exited the gates of Zhaohui Hall, a maid who appeared to be at a loss came upon him.

It was Ah Xia.

Jin Wang was dressed in black with a red cloak over his shoulders. Instead of his past noble and elegant self, he appeared fiercer with a sharper temperament. His red eyes made him seem ruthless and bloodthirsty, like a peerless sword waiting to be unsheathed or a fierce beast eager to rush out the gate.

Seeing such a Jin Wang, Ah Xia was obviously startled. Controlling her panic, she stuttered, "Your-Your Highness, this servant has something to report."

Jin Wang stopped and looked at her.

Ah Xia's heart skipped a beat. She clasped her hands together and her original hesitation disappeared.

"Madam left the manor in secret. This servant couldn’t stop her no matter what and she also forbade this servant from telling anyone about it. She asked this servant to pass a message to a coachman at the stables to ask him whether he could take her out of the manor… This servant is really worried and afraid that something might happen, so this servant couldn't help but report it…" said Ah Xia as she sobbed quietly, seemingly anxious.

Jin Wang's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and Ah Xia could clearly feel his displeasure. Before she could say anything else, Jin Wang walked away with a group of people following him.

Only Fucheng stood by the door, looking at her with a weird gaze.

"Eunuch Fu, this servant will leave." Ah Xia didn't like Fucheng. Every time she bumped into him at Rongxi Courtyard, she would either avoid him or hide. His eyes were very deep, seemingly able to penetrate people's hearts. This feeling made her very uncomfortable.

"Mmm, troubled you."

"How is this any trouble? This servant belongs to Jin Wang Manor and is loyal to His Highness." After saying that, Ah Xia didn't want to stay longer, so she curtsied and left.

Fucheng smiled and looked at her back. She was a smart person, but it was a pity that His Highness didn't like smart people. 

Once Yaoniang was past the city gates, she was even more sure that she was doing the right thing.

Yuchan had told her that people were watching at the gates, but from what she could tell, there was no one at all. No one even came to inspect her cart.

She couldn't help but wonder if the people from Jin Wang Manor were even putting in any effort. It was obvious that everyone would be happy if Xiaobao disappeared for good.

Except her.

Her heart became even more sour and uncomfortable, yet her brain was clearer than ever.

She didn't know what would happen to her after this trip. She would most likely never see him again.

Estimating that they weren’t far from the agreed meeting place, Yaoniang asked Zhou Sheng to stop.

"Brother Zhou, please go back. Thank you for sending me here. I will walk the rest of the way by myself."

"Where do you want to go? We are in the middle of nowhere. I can't leave you alone."

"Zhou Brother, please leave. I'll be fine. Thank you very much for taking me this far." With that, Yaoniang jumped out of the cart.

Zhou Sheng jumped down as well and grabbed her sleeves. "No, if you don't make yourself clear, I won't let you go on your own."

"Big Brother Zhou…"

"Oh, where did this pair of mandarin ducks come from? If His Highness, Jin Wang were to find out that his woman was having an affair with a coachman, I’m afraid he’ll have no face to see people in the future."

Following this voice, about a dozen people on horseback appeared around them.

The horses were all huge while all their riders were dressed in blue. Their leader seemed to be a man with a beard. Playing with a whip in his hand, he gave off a strong sense of ridicule.

"Who are you?" asked Zhou Sheng as he guarded Yaoniang.

"You don't need to know who I am. It’s enough for the woman beside you to know."

"You’re the one who made me come out? Return my son. Where is Xiaobao?" Yaoniang was pale, but she insisted on remaining calm.

As soon as the bearded man waved his hand, the person behind him retreated, revealing a carriage behind him.

Through the carriage window, they could see that Xiaobao was being held by a woman. He seemed to recognize Yaoniang too and looked very excited.

"What do you want? Just say your conditions. I will do it if I can." Yaoniang worked hard to restrain herself from rushing over.

"Well, what if I told you to kill Jin Wang?" As the bearded man said this, the men next to him all laughed.

Some people even joked, "Little beauty, if you go and kill Jin Wang, we will return the child to you."

"Who are you guys? Give the child back to me!"

The bearded man’s face suddenly changed. "Enough, don't mess around. As for you, since you are all here, then don’t think about leaving. You’ll be coming with us." Once he said that he signalled with his eyes, and a man got off his horse to capture Yaoniang and Zhou Sheng.

At first sight, it was clear that these men were proficient in martial arts. Not a few lives were lost by their hands. Zhou Sheng couldn't help but step back.

Someone teased, "This coachman is quite bad. He doesn’t even know to be the hero who saves the beauty."

Zhou Sheng's face flushed.

Yaoniang said, "Since you lured me here, your goal isn’t the child. Let my son go and I will come with you."

"Not happening. This little thing needs to be taken back and you too."

Yaoniang dodged the hand of the man who was trying to capture her. "Who on earth asked you to catch us, mother and son? If I die, you should at least allow me to be an enlightened ghost right?"

"You talk a lot. Even if you know, it's useless. You’ll know when we arrive."

Yaoniang felt relieved after hearing this. This meant that she didn’t need to worry about her and Xiaobao’s lives for now, right?

To be honest, when she came out this time, she didn't plan to go back alive. Her thoughts were very simple. If she couldn't find Xiaobao, she’d rather accompany her son to death.

But it was definitely better to be able to survive. At least for now.

She gave up struggling. "I'll go by myself. Don't touch me."

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes on the road. The group of people looked at each other, got on their horses, and were about to leave.

Yaoniang was being pushed onto the carriage. Suddenly, with two whooshes, the person pushing her fell to the ground. Two black arrows stuck out from the forehead and eye socket. It was a terrifying sight.

She turned her head and saw Jin Wang, dressed in black with a red cloak, galloping towards them.

In a blink of an eye, he arrived in front of her. "You don’t trust this prince?"