Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1182 - 1179_1

Chapter 1182: Chapter 1179_1

Who would have thought Aunt Fu, who has consistently performed her duties in silence for decades, never coveting or competing, most meticulous and organized in her work, would turn out to be a spy planted in the palace by a foreign country?

"Guards, search for me! I want Aunt Fu found, even if it means ransacking the entire Imperial Palace! I will have her quartered!" The Emperor, who had always held Aunt Fu in high regard for her composure among all the Empress Dowager’s nannies, ordered.

"Yes!" A bodyguard quickly stepped forward and left to carry out the orders.

He thought his mother had poor judgement of character her entire life, but Aunt Fu was the only one the Empress Dowager rightfully promoted.

Little did he know that she was a chess piece meticulously placed by someone else for decades.

If he had not started a war with Nangong Country this time, this chess piece might not have surfaced. How many potential successors had been cultivated and left in the palace?

Contemplating this, the Emperor gave another order:

"Guards, look into this Aunt Fu for me; how she ended up in the palace, her family, her hometown, who she gets along well within the palace, every bit of detail. I want it all laid bare!"

"Yes!" Another bodyguard entered and left with the orders.

.....

Outside the palace, right when Shangguan Xuanyi had signaled the city for lockdown.

A loud bang suddenly echoed through the skies of the Forbidden City. The soldiers and officers on the city wall looked up in a heartbeat.

Zhao Youhe, who was in charge of the city’s defense, noticed the signal for total city lockdown emitted from the palace. His face changed color; could it be a major incident in the palace?

He immediately suspected an assassination attempt on the Emperor!

"Shut the city gates at once, no one is allowed to leave!" Zhao Youhe leapt from the city wall, commanding the soldiers who had been searching the townspeople.

Hearing the order, the soldiers hurriedly sealed the city gates.

"Hey, hey, let me out first. I’ve just been searched. Why am I not allowed out?" an old man on a bullock cart protested.

Zhao Youhe vaulted off the city wall and approached the old man, offering a quick salute: "I beg your pardon, sir. The palace has just issued an alert. An intruder seems to have been discovered and managed to escape. We need to catch the intruder, so I’m afraid you cannot leave. Please, everyone, we appreciate your cooperation! As soon as we clear this up, we will let you all proceed!"

General Zhao’s last comment was addressed to the people queuing at the city gates.

The old man hurriedly pleaded, "General, look at me. I’m so old and feeble that I can hardly walk. Do I look like I could break into the palace as an assassin? Could you please make an exception and let me go first? I need to get home!"

Everyone else became agitated after hearing this:

"I am not an assassin either. Today, I only came into the city to sell my chickens. See, my chicken cage is still here! Sir, please let me go home, or my wife will worry."

"I am not an assassin either. I just came to the city to repair farming tools. These are the tools I just fixed. Sir, please let me go home! My blind old mother is at home, waiting for me to cook her dinner."

"Officer, quickly let us go home! I have to cook! My husband is waiting for me to prepare his meal after working in the field! I am not an assassin, I just came into the city to find a matchmaker for my son! If you don’t believe me, you can ask the matchmakers!"

...

No matter who pleaded, Zhao Youhe remained unmoved!

At this moment, a woman holding a baby, having overheard the conversations, realized the soldiers at the city gates were not aware of the actual situation in the palace. They had only received the signal for lockdown, which led to the shutting of the city gates.

Therefore, she immediately squeezed her way to the front: "General, my child has a high fever. I have just taken him to the doctor and got his medicine. I need to get home quickly to prepare it. Can you make an exception and let me go first?"

Zhao Youhe looked at the baby in the woman’s arms. The child’s skin was rather dark and the face slightly reddened, as he slept with his eyes closed. Zhao Youhe felt that the child’s face was somewhat familiar, but he was certain he didn’t know any children with such dark skin.

He then glanced at the woman. Her skin was also dark. The child’s features didn’t resemble her, but he figured the child must have inherited her dark skin. Both had dark complexions.

He said to the woman, "I apologize, madam. The city is under lockdown. You can prepare the medicine for your child in the clinic or inn."

Most of the city’s clinics offer facilities for cooking medicine, to provide immediate relief for critically ill patients.

Then someone else approached, "General Zhao, I am no assassin. I need to go out of town for a business meeting that has already been arranged. I cannot be late. General Zhao, you recognize me, right? I am Gentry Wang’s nephew. Can you let me go first?"

Zhao Youhe did recognize the man before him. However, all he did was shake his head, "I’m truly sorry, Mr. Wang. The city is under high alert. Not a single person or even a bird is allowed out. Mr. Wang, you better go home and wait for news."

As he spoke, Zhao Youhe drew his bow and shot down a pigeon flying out of town. Everyone stopped voicing their frustrations, fearing Zhao Youhe would turn his arrows on them as if they were birds.

Realizing that there was no hope of leaving the city that day, the woman quickly turned back.

She had to leave immediately or it would be too late. People from the palace would be arriving soon, and they would surely first search anyone holding a baby.

As the woman suspected, as soon as she walked away, a horse galloped up at a fast clip, with its rider shouting, "Move! Out of the way! This is urgent!"

Spotting this, she quickly disappeared down an alley, holding her baby in her arms, then quickly entered a courtyard after a few twists and turns.

People on the street hurried to make way.

Zhao Youwei, riding his horse at a gallop, quickly reached the city gate.

Upon seeing his older brother, Zhao Youhe asked immediately, "Brother, what happened in the palace?"

He jumped off his horse and said to Zhao Youhe, "Prince Rui’s eldest son has been kidnapped by an assassin. When did you close the city gates?"

"I ordered the gates to be closed as soon as the signal for total lockdown was issued. Even if the assassin had just left the palace at that time, they wouldn’t have had enough time to get out of the city even if they could fly," Zhao Youhe confidently replied.

Given the short time frame, it was absolutely impossible for the assassin to get from the palace to the city gates, especially with such large crowds lined up to leave the city!

"I don’t know how long it had been since the kidnapper fled the palace with the crown prince by the time Prince Rui raised the alarm. We were all at the Temple of Heaven conducting the heaven worship ceremony. As soon as I received the news, I rushed here immediately. Have you noticed anyone carrying a child trying to leave the city? Any suspicious behavior?"

"I really haven’t noticed." Zhao Youhe shook his head. Who was so audacious as to kidnap Prince Rui’s child?