The village chief hastily waved his hands at the two women. "How could that be? If you can stay at my residence, it would truly bring honor to my humble dwelling. I would be delighted, how could I possibly dislike or make things difficult for you?"
"It's not often that we can invite both of you over," he added.
Zhao Jiaqi saw that the Wang couple was resolute. If she continued to object, it would be too much, and she also feared revealing their true intentions.
"Since that's the case, we shall trouble the village chief."
Zhao Jiaqi's words concluded the topic, and immediately after, the village chief went to arrange for a carriage.
Soon, the carriage was prepared. This was all arranged by Wang Yuanzhi in advance. When everyone came downstairs, under his arrangements, they quickly boarded the carriage.
Zhao Jiaqi and Wang Tangshi sat in the same carriage. Both had something they wanted to say, but they were afraid that speaking too much would expose them, so they could only think of talking properly once they reached their destination.
The carriage slowly drove towards Gangshang Village. After they left, Huangfu Xi stood on the street in front of the restaurant, watching the departing carriage, so angry that his eyeballs almost fell out.
He truly hadn't expected that in this desolate place, such harmful things would be hidden. No wonder Fan Zehao always liked to inspect the people's lives when he was emperor; there was a certain logic to it.
What he had seen was merely the one-acre-and-three-tenths of the imperial palace. Coming out and seeing this truly shocked him. It was a good opportunity to take advantage of this, and he also wanted to thoroughly inspect the people's lives and see if these officials who were eating the state's grain were acting outrageously.
Time ticked by, and the carriage soon entered Gangshang Village. At the village entrance, a designated person came to lead the way.
Fan Zehao and Wang Zhen settled Zhao Jiaqi. Seeing that everything was going smoothly for the two women, they left with the village chief, their eyes filled with reluctance.
Zhao Jiaqi smiled at him. They had an understanding, both worried but compelled to act separately.
After the village chief led them away, the courtyard was guarded from the outside. Zhao Jiaqi then took Wang Tangshi and hid inside the house, closing the windows and doors.
"Sister-in-law, are those people truly so audacious?"
Zhao Jiaqi dropped her pretense of a smile, her entire demeanor becoming melancholic. She shook her head slightly. "When people are desperate, their courage grows. Especially tonight. Regardless, we must be vigilant tonight. It has benefits and no drawbacks."
Wang Tangshi had never disagreed with this matter, nor had she ever encountered such a situation. In this regard, she was indeed inferior to her sister-in-law. She pulled Zhao Jiaqi to sit on a chair, intending to talk.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, someone knocked on the window. The two women exchanged a glance and were about to ask who it was when the person outside spoke.
"Mistress, your subordinate is the Chief."
Chief?
Zhao Jiaqi immediately opened the window and looked at the person outside. The anxiety in her heart finally subsided. They spoke through the window. "Why are you here?"
The Chief was cautious, guarding against anyone who might suddenly appear, and said, "My master sent me to protect Mistress. I am in the vicinity. If anyone approaches, I will appear. Mistress, do not be afraid or panic."
Hearing this, both Zhao Jiaqi and Wang Tangshi showed a relieved smile. She said, "Good, our safety depends on you. Thank you for your hard work."
The Chief shook his head. "This is my duty. There is also one more matter that needs to be told to Mistress."
"Wang Hui ran away from home in the middle of the night and was captured by our people. She is currently being held separately. After things here are settled, we will see how Mistress intends to deal with her."
Zhao Jiaqi was surprised. "Captured?"
She hadn't expected Wang Hui to be captured by the Chief's men. This time, she wouldn't be able to escape even if she wanted to. Fate played its hand.
"Do not make things difficult for her. Ensure she is well provided for in terms of daily life. Remember, she must not have any contact with anyone outside."
The Chief understood and made a gesture to Zhao Jiaqi before hiding himself.
The moon hung high in the trees, and the outside was quiet.
The bright moonlight shone on the ground, stretching people's shadows long. At that moment, the woods were already densely packed with people.
Fan Zehao and Wang Zhen followed the village chief into the mountain. After walking for a while, they encountered guards. Wang Zhen, who had years of experience in warfare, knew at a glance that whatever was in this mountain must be extremely important, otherwise, such a strict deployment would not be in place.
No wonder the Prince would use such methods to capture people. Wang Zhen now understood completely.
Up ahead, the men were engaged in schemes and plots. Behind them, the women, consumed by worry, could only worry. Even though they knew they were protected, their hearts could not be put at ease.
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, more than an hour had gone by. The room was silent, but there was movement outside. The two people on the chairs quickly stood up, listening to the commotion outside with trepidation.
The sound grew closer, and now the two could clearly hear the commotion outside.
Wang Tangshi was so scared her palms were sweating. She whispered to Zhao Jiaqi, "Sister-in-law, it's the sound of swords clashing. They're fighting outside."
Compared to her fear, Zhao Jiaqi was much calmer and had more thoughts. She comforted Wang Tangshi, "Don't be afraid, we have people protecting us. And listening to the sound, it's already much quieter than before. I imagine those people will be controlled soon."
Although she said this, she was not truly certain in her heart. She was just cheering herself on.
As the sounds outside grew louder, the two women in the room also became tense. Following the sound of clashing blades, the sounds of killing and shouting erupted, ceaseless.
After about fifteen minutes, the sounds outside finally subsided completely. No sounds of fighting could be heard.
The window and door were knocked upon, and the Chief's voice came through, "Princess Consort, please rest assured and go to sleep. His Highness is safe. The entire village is now filled with our people, and the villagers have all been dealt with. His Highness is currently handling the remaining matters and will not be back for some time."
Hearing that Fan Zehao was safe, Zhao Jiaqi realized at that moment that her legs felt weak. She opened the window and saw the blood on the Chief's face, which was quite shocking.
"I understand. You must also be careful."
After Zhao Jiaqi spoke, Wang Tangshi quickly asked him, "How is my husband? Is he well?"
The Chief glanced at the General's wife and nodded slightly at her. "The General is very well. There is no need to worry. After the cave's contents are cleared out at dawn, he will return."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Tangshi's tears began to fall.
After the Chief left, Zhao Jiaqi handed her a silk handkerchief and comforted her, "It looks serious, but it was actually easier than fighting on the battlefield. There will be no danger, so don't worry."
Wang Tangshi wiped away her tears and sighed softly. "Every time he goes to battle, I worry. Now that the fighting has finally stopped, my heart has also been put at ease. But even now, when we go out, even though I know there's no danger, I still can't help but worry. It's unavoidable; I'm used to it. Sister-in-law, please don't laugh at me."