Chapter Thirty: Another Hostage Incident Occurs

The place where Lady Li resided was called Money Lane, which, borrowing a term from later times, was the ancient equivalent of the "red-light district." Each seemingly tranquil and elegant courtyard was, in truth, a playground for the powerful and the talented men of the capital. The affair between Emperor Huizong and Lady Li was, one might say, known to all under heaven; whether others could or dared to visit her was uncertain, but Zhao Yu, being the emperor’s son, certainly could not. Thus, to avoid any chance encounter with his august father, Zhao Yu took considerable pains.

After repeatedly confirming that his father was neither at Lady Li’s residence nor had left the palace, Zhao Yu, accompanied by Duan Feihe, set out for Money Lane, sneaking and dodging as if he were about to embark on a secret rendezvous. Money Lane lay between Zhao Yu’s mansion and the imperial palace; had it not been so close, why would Huizong visit so often?

No sooner had they left the mansion than Duan Feihe leaned in close and whispered, “Your Highness, someone is following us. Should I call for help?”

Zhao Yu frowned. Who could it be? Such audacity—to follow him in broad daylight, did they mistake his patience for weakness?

He glanced back, saw something that made him frown again, then gestured silently to Duan Feihe before turning into a nearby alley. Duan Feihe slipped away into hiding.

The alley was sparsely populated; soon, two slender figures crept in cautiously.

“Miss, I’m scared. Let’s go back. If Master finds out, he’ll kill me.”

“You’re such a coward. Had I known, I wouldn’t have brought you. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything—ah!”

Before she could finish, Zhao Yu suddenly appeared from the corner, startling the girl into a shriek as she instinctively tried to flee.

“Don’t run; the way back is already blocked by my men. Speak honestly—why are you following me? Who are you?”

Both girls were young, about fifteen or sixteen. One wore rough clothes and had coarse hands—clearly a maid. The other, though dressed in boy’s attire, was obviously a girl in disguise.

She was fair and pretty, with large round eyes and a pair of natural dimples on her rosy cheeks, making her look especially endearing.

“Who’s following you? Is this your street?” she retorted, regaining her composure quickly and holding her head high in defiance.

Faced with such a girl, anyone with a hint of chivalry would find it impossible to lose their temper.

Zhao Yu looked her up and down, then suddenly said, “Was it you who came to my mansion seeking an audience? Your surname is Zhou—are you Zhou Jinglong’s daughter?”

Hearing him reveal her identity so easily, the girl blushed and bit her lip, murmuring, “Actually, I just wanted to see you. My father… he’s been misled…”

Her voice grew softer and softer; had Zhao Yu’s ears not been sharp, he might not have caught her words.

Though young in body, Zhao Yu’s soul was not that of a naïve youth. From her few words, he discerned her purpose.

It was no wonder; he was, by all accounts, a most eligible bachelor—the ideal husband in many a girl’s mind. Yet such a promising marriage had been ruined by her father; it was little wonder she could not accept it.

Zhao Yu knew that women in the Tang and Song dynasties were not so strictly constrained as in later times. That this girl had sneaked out to seek him was not so surprising.

And indeed, her beauty caught Zhao Yu off guard; unconsciously, he reached out to pat her head, but stopped midway and withdrew his hand.

He spoke gently, “Some things, once they have happened, cannot be changed. You should hurry back. If people learn we’ve met, it won’t be good for your reputation.”

Zhao Yu was only half right. Miss Zhou certainly wished to see him, and if she were not satisfied, that would be the end of it. But as it was, both his appearance and demeanor pleased her greatly.

As Zhao Yu moved past her to leave, she couldn’t help but reach out, calling, “Wait!…”

In truth, she didn’t know what to say once she stopped him.

At that moment, Duan Feihe, standing ahead, suddenly let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the side.

“Your Highness, run…”

Zhao Yu was startled, about to ask what had happened, when a large, heavy figure leaped down from the wall. Zhao Yu felt his clothes tighten, his body lifted into the air, and before he could cry out, a hand pressed against his neck. Everything went black; he lost consciousness.

The Zhou girl witnessed the whole scene, stunned for a moment before hurrying to Duan Feihe’s side.

“General, are you alright?”

Duan Feihe fought to stay conscious and signaled her to retrieve a flare from his pocket.

This was a special means Zhao Yu had devised for communicating with his men.

With a soft pop, a brilliant firework shot into the sky and blossomed into a dazzling display.

Soon, countless people in various uniforms rushed toward the scene of the incident.

“Prince Yi has been kidnapped by criminals!”

No one knew where this rumor started, but it spread through the city like wildfire.

Those unaware of the truth could only marvel—first Grand Marshal Gao Qiu, now Prince Yi. Had the bandits truly grown so bold?

Emperor Huizong, upon receiving the report, was furious. He ordered the entire Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial Guard to mobilize, scouring the city for suspects and demanded Prince Yi’s safe return.

With each encounter, Zhao Ji found himself increasingly impressed by this son—sensible and articulate. With Empress Zheng weeping inconsolably by his side, how could he not be angered?

The abduction of Zhao Yu brought both anxiety and delight to various parties.

Zhao Huan secretly prayed the kidnappers would kill Zhao Yu, but outwardly maintained a brotherly façade, reporting to his father and personally overseeing the investigation at Kaifeng Prefecture.

Gao Qiu was torn; if Zhao Yu died, so be it. But if he escaped and learned Gao Qiu hadn’t tried hard to find him, all his secrets would come to light—by then, it would be too late.

Thus, Gao Qiu and Zhao Huan threw themselves into the search, combing Bianliang city, though who could say what schemes they pursued behind the scenes?

Strictly speaking, this matter had nothing to do with the ordinary ministers. Zhou Jinglong, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Works, had just received word that his daughter was missing, when he was summoned by Kaifeng Prefecture to collect someone.

For a moment, Zhou was utterly baffled. Collect someone? Who?

The news of Prince Yi’s abduction had already swept the city. As a high-ranking official, Zhou Jinglong would not ordinarily answer such a summons, but with the crown prince overseeing the search, how could he refuse?

After giving instructions, he stepped out of his office and met a bailiff carrying a cloth bundle.

“Sir, please look. This was just found outside the yamen.”

The bailiff handed Zhou Jinglong the bundle.

Zhou frowned and rebuked him, “What sort of manners is this? Picking up random things…”

Before he could finish, he snatched the bundle and pulled out a jade pendant. Examining it closely, he spoke in a trembling voice, “This… this belongs to Prince Yi…”