Fortunately, she had nylon ropes in her space and tied them all up in a string.
In the firewood shed, the young lady from the general’s mansion stared blankly, scared out of her wits.
Shen Yunyun said to the women who had just narrowly escaped death, “You take care of her first, keep an eye on these people, and don’t open the door for anyone. We’re going to take down this den of thieves.”
With that, she pulled the young emperor toward the front building.
Inside the building, a standoff was already underway.
“Grand Preceptor, she’s just a servant. Why make such a fuss? I, the general, have told you that our Emerald Fragrance Tower has never seen your maidservant. If you’re short on servants, I’ll gift you a clever one.” The Grand General stood three feet away from Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo, still looking like a celestial being descended to earth, said unhurriedly, “Whether she’s here or not, wouldn’t a search clear it up?”
“So the Grand Preceptor refuses to give me this face?”
Xu Zimo said no more and directly ordered his men to act.
The two sides immediately clashed.
Seeing Xu Zimo had arrived, Shen Yunyun pulled the young emperor and ran toward the backyard.
The young emperor being kidnapped wasn’t something to boast about; she had to protect his dignity.
In the backyard, she called out to the women, urging them to run outside.
She left everything to Xu Zimo to handle.
The young emperor watched Shen Yunyun leading people toward the palace and twitched his mouth, signaling her to follow him.
He brought them to a small two-courtyard compound.
Once it seemed safe, a few girls rolled their eyes and fainted, including the general’s daughter.
She was already injured and had run so far, looking utterly disheveled.
The others who hadn’t fainted were also trembling with lingering fear.
The young emperor arranged for calming medicine to be prepared and called a doctor to treat the general’s daughter. He told the steward, “If they want to leave on their own, give each of them ten taels for travel expenses. If they don’t wish to leave, let them stay here for now.”
“Yes.”
Having given his orders, the young emperor didn’t delay and took Shen Yunyun back to the palace.
They had barely arrived when the drum of petition at the palace gate was struck.
The Empress Dowager was in a meeting with several ministers.
Hearing the drum, the ministers immediately straightened their expressions.
The person was quickly brought in.
The newcomer’s hair was disheveled, with several footprints on their clothes and bruises on their face.
As they approached, everyone recognized the bedraggled figure as the Grand Preceptor and was greatly startled, quickly rising to their feet.
Who had the audacity to lay hands on the Grand Preceptor?
Didn’t everyone know the Grand Preceptor was a demigod? He could kill with a flick of his finger—who would risk their life?
Wait, the Grand Preceptor was a demigod; how could he be so disheveled?
Everyone was confused.
“Please, Empress Dowager, seek justice for me.” Xu Zimo knelt directly before the Empress Dowager.
“What happened to you, Grand Preceptor? Speak slowly.”
Xu Zimo’s face remained cold and aloof, but his words carried a hint of warmth.
“Yesterday, on Qiqiao Festival, my household’s maidservants went out together for fun and were captured by the Emerald Fragrance Tower. I went to demand their release, but the Grand General blocked me, refused to hand them over, and even beat me.”
He lifted his head as he spoke, letting the ministers see his miserable state.
“You say the Emerald Fragrance Tower captured your maidservants?”
“Yes, I have witnesses.”
“Summon them.”
Soon, someone came forward to testify, claiming to be the owner of the jewelry shop across from the Emerald Fragrance Tower. He said he saw kidnappers sell the women into the tower.
Another vendor of flatbreads came forward, saying he had run into them and was threatened, and the Emerald Fragrance Tower even stole his flatbreads without paying.