Chapter 343: Big Brother Is in Danger

Chapter 343

Xu Mo was late coming home from selling lychees at the front gate of the Imperial City. Jiang Sheng's first reaction was that it was the Liao family: "Could it be they want to change who the specially supplied lychees go to next year, so they made a desperate move?"

But before she could feel happy about that prospect, she remembered that her eldest brother still hadn't returned, and her face fell again.

The three siblings hurried along. Fortunately, when they had first rented the small courtyard it was so that Xu Mo could attend the Imperial College, so even on foot it only took about the time needed to drink a cup of tea before they arrived at the gates.

It was already past class dismissal time. Large groups of students were leaving, with only a few lingering to chat with friends.

Chang Yan grabbed a student he recognized and asked, "Are there still any students inside who haven't left class?"

"None," the baffled student replied, but still answered: "Almost everyone has gone."

This meant Xu Mo was not inside the Imperial College.

So where could he have gone? And who was he with?

Chang Yan thanked the student, then turned with Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun to leave.

At a time when both his older brothers were not present, it was up to this youngest brother to hold everything up.

"Fifth brother, where are we going?" Jiang Sheng panted as she asked. "Fengjing City is so big. Do we need to split up and search separately?"

Chang Yan halted abruptly in his tracks.

She was right. Fengjing was so vast, with wine shops, brothels, teahouses and inns everywhere. With just the few of them, it would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

"Or perhaps we can ask Grandmother for help," Jiang Sheng suggested softly.

Wen Zhiyun nodded lightly. "I could also ask the Princess Gong's Eldest Son's Consort."

It wasn't just them. If they asked the Jiang, Qi, Zhao, even the Zhu families, they would surely turn all of Fengjing City upside down to search.

Finding Xu Mo didn't seem to be a difficult matter after all.

So just what was the person behind this after?

Chang Yan didn't believe anyone in the world was bored enough to abduct Xu Mo purely for amusement.

Aside from fools, normal people made choices and took actions for a reason.

"If it's the Liaos, it means they want the lychee business. Eldest brother would only be leverage, they wouldn't harm him." Chang Yan analyzed slowly. "If it's someone else..."

They didn't have many enemies in Fengjing. Aside from the Liaos, there was also the covert Fang family, biding their time.

After fighting business battles for so long, everyone had overlooked that the Fang family still eyed the civil service examinations like a tiger watching its prey.

The two teenage boys flushed red in awkwardness, nodding before leaving.

If their speculations regarding these contemptible methods were true, then to let everyone find Xu Mo faster, the Fang family definitely wouldn't have picked a spot too far away from the Imperial College. It probably wouldn't be too hard to locate either—they might even intentionally leave clues behind.

Following that logic, Chang Yan sent Jiang Three and Jiang Four to check the nearest brothels for any young men who seemed to have been brought in by force.

"Let's go help search too!" Jiang Sheng said eagerly.

Wen Zhi Yun chimed in as well: "Right, there is strength in numbers. We can help look too."

Chang Yan's vision dimmed. He seemed to see the two wandering helplessly amidst the sea of flowers.

"No need," he refused in a lowered voice. "Just wait here for us."

Jiang Sheng looked puzzled. "Fifth brother, are you afraid we'd drag you down?"

"That's right, little Fifth," Wen Zhi Yun said aggrievedly. "We want to help find eldest brother quickly too."

But there were some places truly not fit for either of you.

Chang Yan pretended not to hear.

About the time needed to drink a cup of tea later, Jiang San came rushing back in a fluster. "Young Master Five, you guessed right. It's in that...brothel, the third room on the second floor."

A brothel?

Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhi Yun shut their mouths in unison, nearly wilting in embarrassment on the spot.

It was also difficult for Chang Yan. Lowering his voice, he asked: "Any sounds from inside?"

"No sounds. But I had Jiang Four squat beneath the window as lookout. If anything seems off, he'll directly break down the window and take Young Master out."

But with the mixed crowds frequenting brothels, perhaps even esteemed officials, too loud a commotion from breaking windows would surely attract attention. That wouldn't bode well for Xu Mo.

"Let's head over first." Chang Yan's brows furrowed. "If nothing else works, we can only set a fire to cause a scene and escape amidst the chaos."

Just as they hurried over by carriage, a tail suddenly latched itself behind them, furtively following, not too near yet not too far either.

"Miss, Young Master, there's someone behind us," Jiang San quickly noticed. "Should we shake them off? Or catch them?"

Chang Yan was in no mood to play cat and mouse. "Catch them and beat them up."

The carriage slowed. Jiang San loosened the reins and used the carriage footboard to leap over in ambush. He had assumed it would be easy to catch a petty thief, but the person reacted swiftly as well. The two grappled for three to five moves before tumbling together to the ground.

"Stop stop stop! Don't hit me! Little Jiang Sheng, don't hit your brother, don't hit me!" The person yanked at their throat as they yelled.