Chapter 160: Kidnapped Out of the Capital

**Chapter 160: Abducted from the Capital**

"Half a month... so long?"

A Yuan had been knocked unconscious and had no idea how long she had been out, thinking the kidnapping had only happened the day before.

"Then where are we now?" she asked anxiously.

Chun Tao shook her head. "I don’t know either. I counted the meals to figure out how long we’ve been kidnapped."

"I see."

A Yuan frowned. Clearly, the kidnappers didn’t want them to know their location. Now it came down to who took them.

The two matrons led the mistress and servant to a large, luxurious carriage. Submissively, they lifted the curtain, their earlier arrogance completely gone.

"My Lady, we’ve brought them."

As the curtain was drawn aside, the person inside was revealed.

Shen Qiuyu had changed into a silver-white ermine cloak, which made her sharp face look even gaunter.

"Well, well... long time no see," Shen Qiuyu said.

"Shen Qiuyu?"

A Yuan never imagined it’d be her, but upon reflection, no one else would bother to go through all this trouble.

Dread coiled in her stomach as she eyed her warily. "What the hell do you want?"

She had never wronged Shen Qiuyu, yet the woman had always had it out for her—both in the past and now.

"What do I want? Ha!" Shen Qiuyu hissed.

She shifted forward slightly in the carriage. Beneath her cloak, her body was horrifyingly emaciated. If anyone were to tear open her clothes, they would see her ribcage visible beneath crisscrossed whip scars.

And all of this was because of A Yuan.

If A Yuan hadn’t stolen Wei Xun away, he wouldn’t have jilted Shen Qiuyu at the altar. She wouldn’t have been deceived by Prince Jing, becoming his slave, subjected to his whips and humiliation.

Four years of torment had twisted Shen Qiuyu’s bitterness into something monstrous. As she stared at A Yuan’s heavily pregnant belly, she wanted to skin her alive and gnaw her bones.

But she couldn’t—A Yuan still had more use to her.

Suppressing her hatred, Shen Qiuyu said coldly, "You’ll find out in a few days."

A Yuan flinched under the pure hate in her stare. Shen Qiuyu truly wanted her dead.

She just didn’t know why the woman had changed her mind.

A Yuan and Chun Tao were once again escorted back to the carriage by the matrons. This time, they weren’t separated, but they were no longer allowed to leave.

Food was delivered daily. A Yuan, already uncomfortable due to her advanced pregnancy, suffered through nearly half a month of confinement. By the time they reached the imperial mausoleum, she looked half-dead.

"We’re here, Lady Xie. Out you go."

The two matrons tied a black cloth over her eyes and guided her out.

A Yuan trudged what felt like miles before finally stopping in front of a chamber.

When the blindfold was removed from her eyes, the man before her made her pupils contract in shock.

"Prince Jing..."

"What? Are you surprised to see me, Lady Xie?"

Prince Jing had been relentlessly pursued by Xie Zheng's forces for two months, leaving him deeply frustrated.

The incompetent soldiers he had painstakingly nurtured proved utterly useless—his ten thousand men couldn’t even defeat Xie Zheng’s force of fewer than a thousand.

Now, Prince Jing was trapped in a dilemma. He could no longer return to the capital, for if news of his private army reached his father, the emperor, he faced either exile or execution.

The Su family had already been exterminated, and his mother had been confined to the inner palace. Prince Jing couldn’t risk relying on his father’s mercy.

His only path to survival now was to win Xie Zheng over and make him serve his cause.

With the valiant General of the Valiant Cavalry and his undefeated Xie family army, taking the capital and claiming the throne was no longer a fantasy.

Moreover, he held A Yuan as leverage—Xie Zheng would have no choice but to obey.

Prince Jing’s long-gloomy face finally cracked into a smile. He glanced at Shen Qiuyu and said, "You’ll be rewarded!"

Shen Qiuyu’s tense heart eased slightly. Though she feared Prince Jing, ingratiation had become instinctive.

"It is A Yu’s honor to serve Your Highness."

"Hmph."

Had these words come from a beautiful young woman, Prince Jing might have been pleased. But Shen Qiuyu, pale and gaunt like a vengeful spirit, only filled him with disgust.

"You’re dismissed. Go."

Shen Qiuyu knew her appearance repulsed others. Lowering her gaze, she concealed her hatred beneath her lashes and pressed on despite his disdain. "What does Your Highness intend to do with Lady Xie?"

"That is none of your concern."

Prince Jing had no intention of involving Shen Qiuyu—this woman was nothing but a jinx.

He had already decided to send word to Xie Zheng about A Yuan’s abduction. If Xie Zheng wanted to save his sister, he would have to submit. Otherwise, Prince Jing would make him watch as he and his ten thousand soldiers violated her.

Her face twitched, her eyes flashing with humiliation, but she bit back her anger for the sake of her plans.

"She is pregnant. The smallest misstep could lead to a miscarriage. If Your Highness wishes to use her to threaten Xie Zheng, you must first ensure her safety. Otherwise, not only will Xie Zheng refuse to yield, but he’ll turn against you."

Her head remained bowed, hiding her expression—and the ruthlessness in her eyes—from Prince Jing.

"Then see to it that she’s well cared for. If even a hair on her head is harmed, I will hold you accountable!"

Prince Jing’s face darkened as he glared at Shen Qiuyu and snapped the command.

His goal was Xie Zheng. Once Xie Zheng was under his control, how could A Yuan escape him?

"Your Highness need not worry. A Yu will *‘take good care’* of her!"

Shen Qiuyu’s gaze fell upon A Yuan, making her shiver.

A Yuan didn’t believe for a second that Shen Qiuyu would spare her. But if they intended to use her to threaten her brother… did that mean her brother was safe?

......

In a farmhouse a hundred miles from the imperial mausoleum, Wei Xun had already joined up with Xie Zheng.

"Although Prince Jing has a lot of men, they're just a bunch of rabble. That said, they do have some underhanded tricks, so we need to be careful."

Xie Zheng told Wei Xun how his men had been ambushed. Regardless of their past, Wei Xun had come to rescue him now that he was in trouble, and Xie Zheng acknowledged the favor.

"That's all he's got—cheap tricks."

Wei Xun snorted contemptuously and turned to Chang Yuan. "Go find someone to make masks—ASAP!"

As soon as he spoke, Xie Zheng understood what he meant.

Prince Jing might have knockout drugs, but without a doctor among them, there was no way to make an antidote. With masks, however, those drugs would be useless.

"Didn’t know you had a brain in that head," Xie Zheng gave him a sideways glance.

Wei Xun huffed. "Obviously sharper than someone who fell into a trap."

"You—"

Xie Zheng had long known how sharp-tongued he was—no wonder A Yuan couldn't stand him.

Unaware that he'd once again offended his brother-in-law, Wei Xun was still bickering when Chang Feng approached with a grave look.

"Boss, Prince Jing took Mistress Xie."

"What?" Wei Xun shot to his feet, his face stormy.

"Where's A Yuan?"

"She's at the imperial mausoleum, boss. Mistress Xie is already seven months along. If Prince Jing harms her, how would she survive?"

As master and servant spoke, Xie Zheng was completely lost. Hearing that his sister had been taken made him more anxious than anyone, yet he was puzzled by Chang Feng’s words.

"What do you mean, seven months?"

Chang Feng stiffened—oh shit. Young General Xie had no idea his sister was knocked up again!