The last sentence was rather… pregnant with meaning.
Xiao Yun felt a wave of nausea and kicked the man in the chest, sending him flying back over a meter.
"Are you out of your damn mind? What kind of eyes do you have to see this prince as a gigolo?"
The kick was truly vicious. The yamen runner lay on the ground, unable to get up for quite some time.
Xiao Yun, already filled with depression and grief over Xiao Mo's situation, had nowhere to vent his anger. This effeminate, simpering yamen runner had simply run into a loaded gun.
Still not satisfied with one kick, Xiao Yun stepped forward and delivered another, sending the man rolling several times on the ground.
At this moment, Wang Qingyao gracefully emerged from the room and said to the yamen runner, "I can bear children for the prince. Can you?"
The yamen runner, caught off guard by the appearance of a beautiful woman, was stunned. Upon closer inspection of her features, he realized she bore a striking resemblance, seven or eight parts out of ten, to the young Master Wang who had been so intimate with Xiao Yun these past few days.
He stared blankly at Wang Qingyao, suddenly comprehending.
Young Master Wang was a woman!
His mouth dropped open, appearing utterly dumbfounded.
Xiao Yun, seeing his foolish expression, felt his anger surge again. "Where are you looking?"
The yamen runner dared not stare at Wang Qingyao any longer, regretting his actions to the core.
He had assumed Xiao Yun was fond of men and that the young boy accompanying him on official business indicated a deep-seated preference.
Believing himself to be more attractive and capable of pleasing than this "Young Master Wang," he had harbored ambitions of gaining Xiao Yun's favor and rising in status.
He never imagined it was all a colossal misunderstanding.
Xiao Yun roared, "Yuanbao, Yuanbao! Drag this idiot out of here!"
Yuanbao, having witnessed the entire scene, suppressed his laughter. With one hand, he grabbed the yamen runner by the collar of his back and dragged him out, all the way to Tian Yu.
Tian Yu, unaware of what had transpired, looked utterly bewildered.
Yuanbao sneered, "This fellow is incredibly bold, daring to offer himself to the prince. The prince, out of consideration for Lord Tian, will spare his life. As for punishment, that will be up to Lord Tian. Lord Tian is upright and impartial, and I'm sure he won't show any leniency."
Tian Yu was momentarily stunned, and after a pause, he stammered, "Offered… offered himself? To the prince?"
He thought he had misheard and looked at the yamen runner in disbelief. "Xiao Qu, you…"
Why would you do something so desperate?
Xiao Qu blushed, lowering his head in shame.
Tian Yu's face also reddened, and he apologized to Yuanbao with shame. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, for startling the prince…"
It was truly embarrassing. Why would someone under his command do such a thing?
Yuanbao bowed to Tian Yu and departed.
Xiao Yun and the others did not inquire about how Tian Yu dealt with Xiao Qu. The next morning, they hitched a carriage and set off for Anmu Village, without seeking assistance from Tian Yu's men.
Anmu Village was a small hamlet under Changfeng City. After a stretch of the official road, it devolved into a series of narrow paths.
Xiao Yun and his companions were in a hurry, and after a bumpy ride of over half an hour, they arrived at Anmu Village.
Anmu Village was clearly different from Changfeng City, and even more so from the bustling capital city of Duanjing.
Wang Qingyao had lived in the capital since her transmigration and had never seen such a primitive village.
Most of the houses were stilted wooden structures. Children in thick cotton-padded jackets played in front of and behind their homes, while diligent farmers sat by their doors, sorting corn cobs and soybean stalks.
Upon seeing strangers enter the village, the villagers collectively turned their gaze towards them.
The village paths were even more winding and narrow. Xiao Yun and his group parked the carriage at the village entrance and proceeded on foot. Upon encountering villagers, they would approach and inquire.
"Excuse me, have you seen a man from out of town, roughly my age and height? He was wearing a light green outfit and had injuries…"
"He might have been accompanied, not alone…"
Xiao Yun described for a long time, using gestures and hand signals. A middle-aged man said, "The person you're looking for was arrested yesterday."
Xiao Yun, agitated, his voice cracking, exclaimed, "Arrested? By whom?"
"Prince Dingnan! This fellow abducted Prince Dingnan's precious granddaughter. He was caught red-handed by Prince Dingnan and is likely eating prison food in Prince Dingnan's dungeon right now!"
"What?!"
Xiao Yun and Wang Qingyao were both stunned into silence. Were they talking about the same person?
Yin Zhu also gaped, "Madam… Madam, is he talking about our second young master?"
For a moment, everyone from the Xiao family was bewildered.
Xiao Mo abducted Feng Jiangduo? Impossible. Xiao Mo, that incorrigible straight arrow, who was impatient even when speaking to women, had learned to abduct virtuous young ladies?
Besides, hadn't the Old Imperial Consort mentioned that Feng Jiangduo was highly skilled in martial arts, and even Steward Ji had been apprehended with her help?
If she didn't want to be taken, could Xiao Mo have taken her?
A flicker of joy ignited in the hearts of Xiao Yun and Wang Qingyao: their eternally single brother had finally bloomed!
For a moment, Xiao Yun and Wang Qingyao were filled with both relief and concern, like two old parents worrying about their grown-up son, their emotions a complex mix.