Song Shuyu added another statement.
"They've been kidnapped by bad people!"
"What?" The Princess and Prince of Ling both exclaimed at once.
The Princess of Ling stumbled and nearly collapsed to the ground.
She staggered over and grabbed Song Shuyu.
"What did you just say? Save An'er and Ning'er?"
"What happened to them? You..."
Before she could finish her question, Song Shuyu was pulled away by the Prince of Ling.
The Prince of Ling's face darkened terrifyingly as he stared at Song Shuyu.
"Tell me clearly what exactly happened."
Song Shuyu was frightened by the Prince of Ling's expression.
"It was on the way back. Funing suddenly threw a tantrum and jumped off the carriage."
"Then she was taken away by bad people."
"The young heir went after them with the coachman. I was scared, so I came back with the maid to ask for help."
"But when I returned, no one listened to me. I had to wait until Father came back..."
"Someone! Investigate immediately!" The Prince of Ling's face was filled with fury.
"Yes!" The guards rushed out.
Hearing that both her son and daughter might be in trouble, the Princess of Ling's legs gave way, and she sank to the ground.
"Why didn't you tell me when you got back?" She scrambled up, shaking Song Shuyu angrily.
"I came, but the old woman in your courtyard wouldn't let me in!"
Song Shuyu answered with utter justification.
She had indeed come, but only shouted once and then left.
"Someone! Take all the servants in this room outside and beat them!"
"If anything happens to the heir and the princess, every servant in this room will be sold off!"
The Prince of Ling roared with authority.
The steward dared not delay and immediately had the servants taken away.
In an instant, the courtyard was filled with cries for mercy and the sounds of canes striking backsides.
At first, Song Shuyu felt quite smug.
Every servant in the Princess of Ling's room had, to some degree, bullied her.
Today, she had finally vented her anger!
But as the cries outside grew weaker, Song Shuyu began to feel uneasy.
The Princess of Ling's heart was frantic.
On one hand were her own children; on the other, servants who had served her for years.
She gritted her teeth, walked to the Prince of Ling, and forced herself to speak.
"Your Highness, we don’t know what has happened to An'er and Ning'er."
"Please, for the children’s sake, spare these maids and old servants!"
"Slap!"
A slap landed on the Princess of Ling's face.
She was stunned.
It was fortunate that the Prince of Ling was lying down; otherwise, the blow would have knocked her to the floor.
"I haven’t even taken you to task yet, and you dare to plead for them?"
"An'er and Ning'er are your own flesh and blood! You don’t worry about them, but bother about those wretches?"
"Without your orders, how would those servants dare to stop Funing?"
"Your petty jealousy—I turned a blind eye to it before."
"But with such a grave matter, you knew nothing at all!"
"Funing came back, but An'er and Ning'er didn’t return to the manor. And you, their mother, didn’t even ask!"
"Even if you had just asked once, you wouldn’t have only now learned they were missing!"
"Get out of my sight. I’ll deal with you later!"
The Prince of Ling’s eyes blazed with rage.
"If anything happens to An'er today, you won’t have it easy either!"
Xiao Yun'an was the Prince of Ling’s legitimate heir and his most favored son.
In this critical time of succession, his son was his winning chip.
Anyone who tried to drag him down would fall into irreversible ruin.
The Princess of Ling sat on the ground.
"Your Highness, I thought... I thought they had just gone out to play."
"I thought they would be back soon!"
She covered her face and wept.
News of the Ling Manor soon reached the ears of Prince Xiao Yi of Pingyang.
"Ambushed? Missing?" Xiao Yi was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"The Prince of Ling's men are searching the entire capital for the heir," Yunxiao replied.
Xiao Yi thought for a moment. "Have our people seen anything?"
"Your Highness, I have sent someone to inquire, but no word yet."
Xiao Yi’s fingers twitched slightly.
"What is the princess doing?"
"She is in the study."
Xiao Yi raised his hand. "Push me over to see her."
Yunxiao acknowledged and pushed Xiao Yi’s wheelchair to the study.
In the study, Duoduo was earnestly writing large characters with her left hand.
When she saw Yunxiao pushing Xiao Yi in, she carefully put down her brush and came out.
"Your daughter greets Father!" Duoduo bowed to Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi gestured for her to sit down.
Yunxiao withdrew and closed the door.
Duoduo sat on a chair.
"Father, have you finished your work?" she asked curiously.
Xiao Yi looked at her for a moment before speaking. "The heir and princess of Ling Manor have gone missing!"
A look of surprise crossed Duoduo’s face.
"Missing? Haven’t they been found yet?"
Xiao Yi keenly caught the word "yet," and a look of "I knew it" flickered in his eyes.
"Changle, is there something you haven’t told your father?"
Duoduo saw her father looking at her gravely.
She twisted her fingers.
"I thought Father already knew."
Xiao Yi’s eyes showed confusion.
"Thought? Do you know about the heir of Ling Manor going missing?"
Duoduo nodded.
She started from the carriage suddenly breaking down and narrated all the way to returning to the manor safely.
After listening, Xiao Yi first anxiously examined Duoduo.
"Are you all right?"
Duoduo smiled and shook her head.
"Father, I and the green beans can run very fast now. No one can catch up!"
Xiao Yi nodded in satisfaction.
"Yunxiao!" he called out.
Yunxiao opened the door and entered. "Your Highness!"
"Go and bring the coachman who drove the princess today."
"Yes!"
Yunxiao left.
Duoduo looked puzzled.
"Father, do you suspect the coachman?"
Xiao Yi shook his head.
"Everyone in this manor is one of us. No one would betray me."
"But since you said the carriage was deliberately damaged, then we need to investigate thoroughly!"
Soon, Yunxiao brought the coachman over.
As soon as he entered, the coachman fell to his knees with a thud.
"Your Highness, spare me! Spare me!"
"It was my fault entirely that the princess nearly got into trouble!"
"I accept my punishment, but please spare my life!"
After returning to the manor, the coachman had been scared, so he dared not report the matter.
He thought that since the princess was young and nothing had happened, the incident would just pass by.
Trembling, he assumed all was well—until Yunxiao came for him.
