A fierce look flashed across the Empress's face. She stared at the secret guard kneeling on the ground. Although the guard didn't raise his head, he could feel a pair of burning eyes fixed on him.
"Go and do something for me. You must succeed. There's no room for failure. Do you understand? You know what will happen if you fail," the Empress said contemptuously.
The secret guard trembled as he replied. After receiving the Empress's order, he hurriedly left. Although the Empress was a woman, she was extremely terrifying. Even as a man, the secret guard found her terrifying. He just wanted to escape this place full of troubles and this depressing environment as soon as possible.
He knew what would happen if he failed the task assigned by the Empress, so he headed for the Spring Welcome Courtyard with the determination to die.
Mu Fengqie and A Ru were making lipsticks in the backyard together. Third Lady had ordered that no one should disturb them, so the large backyard was empty except for the two of them.
A Ru gradually learned this skill and could help Mu Fengqie share some of the work. The two made lipsticks while chatting, and time flew by.
"A Ru, go back and rest after you finish the bottle in your hand. I'll take care of the rest. You've been working hard all day. Go and rest quickly," Mu Fengqie said softly.
A Ru stubbornly shook her head. "I'm not tired. If I can't even help you, won't you have to stay up all night?"
Mu Fengqie shook her head helplessly. This little girl was very determined. Once she made up her mind, no one could change it.
The two were chatting leisurely in the yard by the moonlight when suddenly a dark figure appeared in the yard. Both A Ru and Mu Fengqie were startled.
The person who suddenly appeared in the yard was wearing a black night suit. It was impossible to tell who he was. Judging from his figure, he was probably a man.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?" A Ru stepped back while asking.
The man in front of them clearly had excellent martial arts skills. They were two weak women with no martial arts skills at all. They had no way to fight against a man who knew martial arts.
The man quickly reached A Ru's side and picked her up. Seeing this, Mu Fengqie was also shocked. "What are you doing? Don't do anything rash! As long as you let her go, I'll give you as much money as you want!"
Mu Fengqie wasn't that scared when she first saw the black - clothed man, but when the man grabbed A Ru, she felt her heart was about to jump out.
A Ru's heart was in her throat. At this moment, she didn't dare to say a word or even move, for fear that the sharp knife would cut into her fair skin with a slight mistake.
"Don't worry. I'm not interested in her. The one I really want to catch is you." After saying that, the black - clothed man knocked A Ru unconscious.
Seeing the black - clothed man let go of A Ru, Mu Fengqie breathed a sigh of relief. As long as A Ru was okay, it was fine. It seemed that this black - clothed man was after her.
The black - clothed man slowly approached Mu Fengqie, who kept stepping back. There were so many girls in the Spring Welcome Courtyard. If she shouted, she might implicate the other girls. Now she was really in a dilemma.
"Who sent you? Why do you want to catch me?" Mu Fengqie asked in succession.
The black - clothed man snorted. "It doesn't matter who sent me. What matters is that you shouldn't have offended the wrong person. Today I'm here to send you to your death!"
After saying that, the black - clothed man grabbed Mu Fengqie's arm. Mu Fengqie tried to resist at first, but the strength of the black - clothed man almost crushed her arm.
The black - clothed man quickly made a move, and Mu Fengqie fainted.
Time passed by minute by minute. A Ru was woken up by the pain. She felt that her whole head was splitting with pain.
She slowly opened her eyes and was a little surprised at where she was. But almost in an instant, she remembered what had just happened.
She searched everywhere in the yard for Mu Fengqie's figure, but there was no one else in the yard except herself.
Seeing this, A Ru panicked. Sister must have been taken away by that black - clothed man. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, and even less where Sister had been taken.
She was so anxious that she burst into tears. Without thinking much, she ran out of the Spring Welcome Courtyard and then searched for Mu Fengqie on the street while crying.
Yuan Yuhan finished his work and planned to return to the Spring Welcome Courtyard. But before he got there, he met A Ru, who was crying and looking for someone on the street.
Seeing this, his heart tightened. He quickly stepped forward and hugged A Ru. "What on earth is going on? A Ru, why are you crying?"
When A Ru saw Yuan Yuhan, she cried even more. "Where on earth have you been? Why did you come back so late? Sister was taken away by a bad guy. Hurry up and find a way to save her!"
"What?" Yuan Yuhan was stunned for a moment, and a look of anxiety appeared on his face. "How could this happen? When did it happen? Do you know who took her away?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything. That black - clothed man knocked me out as soon as he came. I don't know what happened later. What should I do?"
A Ru didn't even know how long she had been unconscious, and even less whether Sister would be in danger during this long period.
"Don't be in a hurry. I'll go and find Zhanzhi. He's familiar with this place. He must have a way."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Yuhan took A Ru to Jing Xunce's residence. He had rented a mansion here and had been investigating here for the past few days.
Jing Xunce was a little surprised to see A Ru, and A Ru also seemed a bit strange. Her eyes were red, looking as if she had been crying.
"Zhanzhi, something's wrong," Yuan Yuhan said seriously.
Hearing this, Jing Xunce's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong? Is it Qie'er?"
Yuan Yuhan nodded. "She was taken away. There are no other clues. See if you have any way to find her."
Hearing this, Jing Xunce jumped up. Qie'er was new to Nanqing and didn't know anyone. How could someone take her away? She couldn't have offended anyone.
The only person Jing Xunce could think of was the Empress. After all, the Empress had always held a grudge against them. Maybe this was her doing.
It was completely dark now. Jing Xunce rushed directly to the palace, while the Empress had already gone to bed at this moment.