An Jin's face suddenly filled with a smile, "But to kill him, how is that more satisfying than to ruin him? Only by ruining him can I relieve one ten thousandth of the hatred in my heart."

An Jin was also considered a scion of a noble family, and for him, the current outcome was even worse than if he had died along with his family. He cared not only about his own dignity, he also carried upon his shoulders the hopes of the entire Duan family.

Fallen into such a dire situation today, the Duan family had not only seen all its hopes crumble, but even faced the prospect of having no descendants to continue the line. Could the fury of such a situation be alleviated simply by killing his enemy with his own hands?

Ran Yan herself was not the kind of person who could let go easily, so she could somewhat understand An Jin's feelings at this moment. However, everyone is selfish, and although she could not bear to kill him, if her own life was threatened, she could not just sit and wait for death. Could she be merciful, and could An Jin be merciful towards her?

Moreover, she was still at a disadvantage.

"Lady Xian Liang, please wait here for now. I shall attend to the final matter and then come to bid you farewell." An Jin, like a leaf, gently fell from the tree and easily vaulted over the high wall. Judging by his appearance, his martial arts skills were not weak.

Ran Yan had not expected him to leave her there. Was he confident that no one could find this place no matter what, or did he truly not want to kill her? She couldn't afford to think too much, she hurriedly moved next to the osmanthus tree to fervently rub the rope.

Ran Yan was tied up with her hands and feet connected by ropes, making it impossible for her to sit up; the action of rubbing was also extremely strenuous. She chose to rub the rope that connected her first, knowing once it broke, she would be able to stand up and look for something sharp.

The summer sun blazed fiercely, and even under the tree, Ran Yan was drenched in sweat and aching all over after just a short while, but the rope had barely frayed.

Ran Yan rested for a while, then tried to pull on the rope to see if she could bring her feet within reach of her hands. However, even though Ran Yan was quite flexible, she could not accomplish this acrobatic feat and had no choice but to honestly rub the rope against the tree trunk.

People had just searched the area outside not too long ago, and probably wouldn't come back anytime soon, Ran Yan thought as she rubbed the rope.

Just as she was earnestly rubbing, she suddenly heard a faint sound and looked up, only to see a person in a green official uniform walking towards her.

In the sunlight, his complexion appeared white as snow.

"Su Fu," Ran Yan paused her actions.

Su Fu glanced at her and drew a sheathed sword from his sleeve, slashing with lightning speed to precisely sever all the ropes that bound her hands and feet.

Ran Yan stood up from the ground and said, "Thank you."

"You're offended," Su Fu did not respond to Ran Yan's words but wrapped his arm around her waist, easily vaulted over the imposing palace walls, and only put her down at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice.

Ran Yan had thought she would face a life-threatening struggle with An Jin, but having escaped, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief, at least, it hadn't come to a truly desperate situation.

But Su Fu truly wanted nothing in return. As for this favor, aside from saying thank you, Ran Yan truly did not know how to repay him. The relationship between them was very subtle, neither friends nor lovers, it felt just a bit more affectionate than with a stranger, like old friends who had not seen each other for a long time.

"Thank you," Ran Yan said again.

"It was a mere trifle, no thanks needed," Su Fu said, then turned and headed towards the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"Lady Xian Liang!" He Sizheng came rushing out with people, only to see Ran Yan standing at the entrance, his face filled with astonishment, "Weren't you kidnapped?"

Ever since she had perceived He Sizheng's character, Ran Yan loathed him immensely and did not show him any favor, addressing him indifferently, "Yes, I was intercepted, but I also escaped. Does He Sizheng have any opinions on my escape?"

"It's good that you escaped! You wouldn't know, just now Assistant Minister Xiao rushed back from Qujiang, and when he heard that Lady had been intercepted, he was furious." He Sizheng appeared relieved that Ran Yan had escaped danger.

"Where is my husband now?" Ran Yan asked.

"The Emperor has summoned him," He Sizheng said, "Please come in, Lady Xian Liang."

"Thank you." With no guards by her side and it not being safe to go back alone, Ran Yan had no choice but to wait at the Ministry of Justice until Xiao Song returned.

She had just lifted her foot when she heard someone urgently report, "He Sizheng! It's terrible, a major incident has occurred at the Eastern Palace, Eunuch An Jin has kidnapped the Crown Prince!"

"What?" He Sizheng thought to himself, had there been a rebellion within?

"Eunuch An Jin has kidnapped the Crown Prince, Junior Minister Xie and Assistant Minister Xiao have already rushed over from Ganlu Hall, please immediately send more people to ensure the Crown Prince's safety!" The man in green official uniform was sweating profusely, looking as if he had been pulled out of water.

He Sizheng no longer cared to attend to Ran Yan, regardless of whether the Crown Prince was involved in the case or not, he must not die accidentally. Even if he must be charged, it should be properly done by the Emperor, otherwise, no amount of heads on his body would suffice if the Crown Prince were harmed.

Ran Yan hesitated for a moment, then followed as well.

Under the scorching noon sun, Ran Yan's skin burned as she hurried towards the Eastern Palace. On the narrow path leading there, she happened to run into Xiao Song and Xie Jing, who were rushing over in haste.

"My Lady!" Xiao Song's furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and a smile emerged in his eyes.

No sooner had Xiao Song rushed back from Qujiang than he was summoned to Ganlu Hall. He had just managed a quick glance at the scene of the kidnapping and had sent over a hundred men to search the area he suspected, but when he came out of Ganlu Hall, the guards reported that they had found nothing. He was anxious and had just received news of the Crown Prince being kidnapped. He suspected that the same person who kidnapped Ran Yan had also kidnapped the Crown Prince, so he rushed over relentlessly, exhausting Xie Jing greatly in the process.

Seeing Ran Yan safe, the huge weight on his chest finally lifted, and he even felt that the kidnapping of the Crown Prince was a minor issue by comparison.

The guards had not found anyone, and Xiao Song assumed his guess was wrong, as he really had no time to investigate the scene more carefully. If he knew that the guards had followed his direction and come within a few walls of where Ran Yan had been hidden, yet found no clues, his expression would likely not be the same.

"Urgent matters first, let's talk about anything else later," Ran Yan said.

Xiao Song nodded and took Ran Yan's hand as they entered the Eastern Palace.

"Assistant Minister Xiao, Junior Minister Xie, the criminal has taken the Crown Prince hostage to the cool pavilion." The Team Leader, finally seeing someone in charge arrive, immediately came to report.

Xiao Song spoke sternly, "Understood, send someone to inform the Head of the Ministry of Justice and the Minister of the Ministry of Criminal Justice."

"Yes!" The Team Leader obeyed and left, sending another person to lead Xiao Song to the cool pavilion.

Passing through the winding corridors, from a distance, Ran Yan saw several lush osmanthus trees by the cool pavilion. Under the verdant canopy, clouds and mists spread out, and the plaque hidden in the shade of the trees faintly bore the characters "Qing Quan." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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