Here, Qi Rong was brooding over having offended Yun Xi. On the other side, Yun Sheng, who had already received the news, rushed to the 18th Street in a hurry.
Accompanying him was none other than Crown Prince Qi Yu.
Yun Sheng got the news of his daughter's disappearance early this morning after he returned to the capital.
As soon as he entered the mansion, he sensed that something was amiss. Just as he was about to go to his daughter's courtyard as usual to check on her, he was stopped by Lady Jiang at the door.
Lady Jiang sobbed and told him that not long after he left the mansion that day, Yun Xi had sneaked out of the mansion secretly and hadn't returned for several days.
It was not until yesterday that Yu Zhu came back with a team of bodyguards, saying that Yun Xi might have been kidnapped by bandits and her whereabouts were still unknown!
They had searched for a long time but had no other choice but to return to the Prime Minister's Mansion to discuss countermeasures.
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng suddenly staggered as if struck by a thunderbolt!
"Where is Yu Zhu now?" he asked anxiously, knowing that he mustn't lose his composure at this moment and wanting to know more about his daughter's situation.
"She's locked up in the wood - shed!"
After Lady Jiang said this, Yun Sheng rushed to the wood - shed. Seeing Yu Zhu covered in wounds from the beatings, he frowned and ordered his men to release her first and arrange for a doctor.
Seeing Yun Sheng, Yu Zhu burst into tears and felt extremely guilty. She told Yun Sheng in detail what had happened that night and the results of their investigation.
Originally, she had wanted to commit suicide to atone for her sins, but because she couldn't let go of Yun Xi, she had returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion to deliver the news!
Yun Sheng's face was gloomy, but he didn't scold Yu Zhu anymore.
Instead, he had someone summon the team of bodyguards. Just as he was about to go to the place where his daughter had an accident, Crown Prince Qi Yu suddenly came to visit.
Qi Yu informed him that Prince Xian, Qi Rong, had suddenly disappeared on his way back to the capital. Even those who had returned later than him had already reported back to the palace, but Qi Rong was still missing.
Worried that something might have happened to Qi Rong, the Crown Prince had ordered people to search along the way. Unexpectedly, they had accidentally found the corpses of two groups of people in a desolate area more than a hundred miles away from the capital, and Qi Rong's commonly used long whip had also been found nearby!
This made him can't help but suspect that Qi Rong might have been ambushed and killed on the way, and his life or death was unknown!
Qi Yu knew that Qi Rong had offended many people on weekdays, and even his father, the emperor, was particularly wary of him. Therefore, he had come to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
He hoped that Yun Sheng could help and use his resourcefulness to find Qi Rong's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, he had run into Yun Sheng who was extremely anxious about Yun Xi's disappearance.
After interrogating the bodyguards, the two found that the place where Qi Rong had an accident was actually very close to the inn where Yun Xi had disappeared!
Just as they were about to set off, someone came to the Prime Minister's Mansion with the news: The eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion had returned to the capital with Prince Xian!
Yun Sheng was immediately filled with mixed emotions and overjoyed! However, afterwards, he felt that something was wrong.
Since the news had already reached the Prime Minister's Mansion, why hadn't his daughter returned to the mansion yet?
Fearing that a big commotion might damage his daughter's reputation, Yun Sheng immediately sent away the bodyguards and only went with the Crown Prince on horseback to look for them. Before long, they came across Prince Xian's carriage.
They then followed the direction pointed by the guards and finally saw the figures of his daughter and Qi Rong on the 18th Street.
Watching from afar as the two of them ate and drank happily and chatted merrily, Yun Sheng felt a complex mixture of emotions. When he saw Qi Rong publicly pulling his daughter into his arms, Yun Sheng immediately flew into a rage:
"Prince Xian, please behave yourself!"
Yun Sheng dismounted his horse and without saying a word, stepped forward to grab his daughter's hand. However, Qi Rong was not to be outdone and quickly shielded Yun Xi behind him.
"Prime Minister, if you have something to say, just say it. Why resort to violence?"
Qi Rong had been brooding over losing to the food just now. Now seeing Yun Sheng appear, he immediately looked displeased.
He still had some issues to resolve with Yun Xi. Now that Yun Sheng was here, he didn't even have a chance to be alone with her.
"Dad?"
Yun Xi poked her head out from behind Qi Rong. When she saw her father, her face first showed joy, and then a hint of guilt.
Seeing the tense situation between Qi Rong and her father, Yun Xi quickly stepped in between them and obediently confessed to her father:
"Dad, I didn't listen to you that day and secretly followed you out of the city. But on the way, we encountered bandits. It was Prince Xian who risked his life to save me!"
Seeing that her father's face was still gloomy, Yun Xi glanced at the food bag in Qi Rong's hand and explained awkwardly:
"I've been sick and unconscious for several days and haven't eaten much. That's why I begged the prince to come to the 18th Street. I was going to return to the mansion later."
"It was all my own idea. Please don't blame anyone else, okay?"
Yun Xi's voice grew softer and softer. She stepped forward and tugged at her father's arm, taking all the blame on herself.
Even though she sometimes thought Qi Rong was detestable, after all, he had risked his life to save her. Thinking about it now, she still felt a lingering fear. So she didn't want her father and Qi Rong to fall out badly.
However, someone didn't appreciate her kindness!
Qi Rong couldn't bear to see Yun Xi being so cautious in front of Yun Sheng because of him. He grabbed Yun Xi's arm and pulled her towards him.
He glanced at Qi Yu behind him and stared at Yun Sheng with a cold look in his eyes. In an overbearing tone, he said:
"Whether it's saving her or bringing her here, it's all at my will. I don't need anyone's gratitude, nor do I need to explain myself to anyone!"
"After spending a few days together, we've already understood each other's feelings and recognized each other. I'm sure the Prime Minister won't do something as foolish as breaking up a loving couple, right?!"
Qi Rong's attitude was arrogant and his tone was aggressive. Yun Xi was trembling with fear when she heard this.
Looking at her father's increasingly gloomy face, Yun Xi angrily stomped on Qi Rong's instep and glared at him:
"What understanding each other's feelings? What breaking up a loving couple? When did I ever say I wanted to marry you? Don't talk nonsense!"
Yun Xi glanced at her father awkwardly and only then noticed that Crown Prince Qi Yu was also standing beside them, staring intently at her. She felt even more ashamed and annoyed.
The situation here had already attracted everyone's attention, but Qi Rong still refused to stop talking nonsense!
She could play around with him, but her father couldn't afford to lose face!
She couldn't let her father be embarrassed in public!
Facing Yun Xi's clarification, Qi Rong just smiled and stared at her affectionately:
"You just said you wanted to elope with me, no matter where in the world. How can you go back on your word just because you're shy?"
Yun Xi was stunned for a moment and was immediately dumbfounded by Qi Rong's audacity!
Looking at her father's already darkened face, Yun Xi wanted to explain, but someone still refused to let it go and distorted the facts:
"You've forgotten. You even gave me your token of love. You can't go back on your promise."
As he said this, he took out the jade pendant that had always been hanging around his neck. When Yun Sheng saw this, he was immediately filled with anger!
Others might not know, but he recognized this jade pendant at a glance. It was the birthday gift he and his wife had given to their daughter. Since his daughter was born, she had always worn it and never taken it off!
Now, how could it suddenly appear around Qi Rong's neck? The result was self - evident!