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墨書 Inktalez
His speech, like his demeanor, was concise and to the point.
As the program began one by one, the atmosphere was lively with toasts and cheers, and the ministers were immersed in the beauty of the dancers.
Liu Qingxi appreciated the graceful dances of the performers and listened to the beautiful melodies, occasionally exchanging feelings with the ladies beside her.
With the conclusion of the performances prepared by the palace, it was time for the flower-like ladies to take the stage.
They did their utmost to showcase their beauty, trying to attract Dugu Hao's attention.
However, they were disappointed; Dugu Hao merely glanced at them lightly, showing no emotion.
In an unknown place, his gaze remained fixed on Liu Qingxi's face; her every smile and frown tugged at his heart.
He knew that this was wrong, that Liu Qingxi was already married and a minister's wife, and he should not harbor any improper thoughts.
Yet he could not suppress his inner desire; he missed Liu Qingxi madly, appearing in his dreams night after night.
Ultimately, Dugu Hao forced himself to look away from Liu Qingxi. He would no longer indulge in that captivating face or that enchanting smile.
But sometimes, matters of the heart are beyond one's control; the more one suppresses them, the more likely they are to explode.
Especially from the initial confusion to finally recognizing his feelings, Dugu Hao's once strong willpower crumbled completely.
In the days that followed, whether he was eating or working, Liu Qingxi's smile would float through his mind.
If he hadn't seen her before, it might have been easier, but their encounter at the Mid-Autumn Banquet left his emotions with nowhere to hide, even leading him to lose his appetite.
The struggle between emotion and reason continued as a voice kept telling him that if he liked someone, he should seize them.
Another voice opposed, that of your minister's wife, the one who had contributed greatly to your achievements. She is already a married woman and cannot be forced into difficult situations.
In just a few days, Dugu Hao's mood worsened, and in the court, the civil and military officials fell silent.
After the morning court session, he rarely discarded the mountain of memorials in the Imperial Study, changed into ordinary clothes, and quietly left the palace.
Unknowingly, he found himself at the entrance of the Yang Residence, right next to Liu Qingxi's former home.
The familiar street brought back familiar memories; he recalled sitting quietly on the roof of the Liu Family for an entire night and felt it was incredible.
Looking back now, he realized that at that time, he had already placed Liu Qingxi in his heart, but she had not yet recognized her own feelings.
Now, everything has settled down, and she has already married.
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside: "Mother, I'm leaving now!"
"Alright, take care and don't overwork yourself. You should know how to rest with such good fortune," this was Wen Family's nagging.
After marrying, Liu Qingxi had rested at home for a month before diving into work.
Fortunately, now she only needed to check in occasionally rather than being present all the time as before.
With a creak, the door opened from within. Dugu Hao acted like a thief and quickly hid in a nearby corner.
Then he saw Liu Qingxi skillfully get onto a carriage and head out of the city.
By Fate's Whimsy, he quietly followed behind her, watching Liu Qingxi busily interact with others, shining like a beacon—confident and vibrant.
He had never seen such a vibrant woman, effortlessly walking into his heart.
In the following days, he truly felt like a thief, quietly following Liu Qingxi at fixed times.
Among the nearest cities to the capital, a few unfamiliar faces appeared.
Their group chose the largest inn to stay overnight, where they secretly plotted something.
He vaguely heard mentions of the Western Moon Kingdom, weapons, and manufacturers.
Their movements went unnoticed by anyone. The next day, before dawn, a burly man was responsible for checking out of the room and led the horse out of the inn.
Outside the city, each person rode a Swift Steed, galloping towards the capital.
Half a day later, they left their horses at an inconspicuous Farmer's place outside the capital and quietly entered the city to lie in wait.
That night, they changed into black clothes and masked themselves as they moved through the main streets of the capital until deep into the night.
The next day, Liu Qingxi, as usual, had breakfast at home and then took a carriage with two others to the Suburbs Construction site.
Currently, this Landscape building was nearly halfway completed and was expected to be finished by next year.
There wasn't much to do today; Liu Qingxi resolved everything in less than an hour and prepared to leave.
This location was only five or six miles from the capital; however, on the road leading to it, there was a dense forest.
At this moment, within the forest, several burly men with bushy beards were hiding, with only their eyes visible outside.
They held bright, reflective weapons and glared fiercely ahead. "Boss, do you know what that woman looks like?"
"I know, don't worry. She will definitely pass by here; there’s no mistake. We just need to wait here."
These individuals were accustomed to robbery; as long as someone came to them with enough silver, they would carry out the task as requested.
This time, their target was the wife of Yang Yichen, a Fifth-Rank Medical Officer from the Ministry of Works, known throughout the capital as Liu Qingxi.
They had heard of Liu Qingxi's reputation. Initially, they were not planning to take on this job.
However, the other party offered a substantial sum—enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. When faced with such profit, there was no question of whether to accept it.
To prepare, they had carefully observed the area. The terrain was rugged and the forest dense, making it difficult for anyone to notice them hiding.
They had even planned the route for escaping after abducting Liu Qingxi.
"Boss, if we pull this off, we'll never have to worry about food and drink again."
"Exactly. After all these years of wandering around, once we get the money, we can wash our hands of this life and find a secluded place to settle down and marry." The leader among them spoke.
After all, this unstable and perilous lifestyle could end at any moment; they could lose their lives without warning.
Once they had enough silver, they could live a stable life like ordinary people.
"Alright, enough talk. Who knows when she will come by."
The group immediately composed themselves and prepared for action.
At this moment, Liu Qingxi had no idea that she had become a target for some people.
The carriage traveled along the straight Azure Brick road as usual, and it was eerily quiet with not a single pedestrian in sight.
Liu Qingxi sat in the carriage, resting with her eyes closed, unaware of the strange silence outside.
In just five or six miles, the carriage would reach the city in about a minute; no one would expect danger to lurk over such a short distance.
The coachman drove seriously, remaining silent because he knew it was time for the Young Lady to think.
Only the sensitive Liu Yi felt that something was off and exchanged a glance with Liu Qi beside her.
Just then, as the carriage passed through a dense forest where visibility was obscured, several men wielding large knives or long swords suddenly charged out from within.
Without giving any chance to react, four of them lunged at Liu Yi and Liu Qi, one aimed at the coachman, while another five or six headed straight for the carriage compartment.
The carriage came to an abrupt stop, causing Liu Qingxi to lurch forward and nearly collide with the door. Just as she steadied herself, the sound of clashing weapons reached her ears.
She lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw flashes of blades outside; Liu Yi and Liu Qi were entangled with their opponents.
A few others were approaching the carriage, and without needing to think, Liu Qingxi knew these individuals were after her.
She quickly shrank back into a corner of the carriage, trying her best not to cause trouble for Liu Yi and the others.
Outside the carriage, upon seeing the direction of those men, Liu Yi understood their intent: "Liu Qi, you take care of those guys."
With that, he suddenly turned around and lunged toward the carriage to stop them from abducting Liu Qingxi.
Suddenly, the sound of clashing swords and anguished cries filled the air.
Liu Yi and Liu Qi were diligent in their training; despite being outnumbered, they were holding their ground.
As time passed, Liu Qingxi forced herself to calm down. At this moment, she could only rely on herself.
Although she couldn't understand the enemy's intentions, she knew she couldn't fall into their hands.
Sitting still in the carriage was akin to waiting for death.
Gradually, Liu Yi and Liu Qi found themselves at a disadvantage. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Liu Qingxi quickly got off the carriage and ran toward the capital.
"Miss, don't look back, just run forward!" Liu Yi shouted loudly.
He then raised his sword, gathered his energy, and engaged the enemies in combat to prevent several of them from pursuing Liu Qingxi.
In his heart, he held onto one belief: they were not far from the capital. As long as he could hold them off a little longer, Liu Qingxi would have a greater chance of reaching the city and finding help to escape.
Liu Qingxi dared not look back. In front of so many burly men skilled in martial arts, her slender frame offered no advantage.
Her only advantage was her frequent travels between the capital and the suburbs, which had kept her in good physical condition.
Coming from a farming background, she was much faster than an average person when running.
However, at that moment, two figures in black appeared from the nearby woods.
Liu Yi focused his gaze and felt his heart sink.
The two individuals were clearly more skilled, and now, despite his efforts, he and Liu Qi were unable to hold off these people, while others continued to advance.
Thinking of his master and recalling how Yang Yichen had assigned him to protect Liu Qingxi, he realized that if anything happened to her, his death would not be enough to atone for the mistake.
Unfortunately, these bandits were not ordinary people; their martial arts were formidable.
It seemed the opponents had come prepared, sending highly skilled individuals. Gradually, despair crept into his heart. In a moment of distraction, he was struck from behind. Gritting his teeth in pain, he disregarded the attackers rushing toward him and suddenly turned to dash toward Liu Qingxi.
However, it was too late. Liu Qingxi, a frail woman, was captured just a few dozen meters away and swiftly taken into the forest, disappearing from sight.
At this moment, panic crossed Liu Qingxi's face as she forced herself to ask, "Who are you? Why are you capturing me?"
"Ah, you'll find out soon enough. For now, knowing too much won't do you any good," replied the masked man in black, a hint of a smile evident in his voice.
In the distance, Dugu Hao clenched his fists tightly and swiftly leaped into the forest.
To prevent Liu Yi and others from noticing, he kept a distance behind Liu Qingxi.
Just moments ago, Shadow Guard had come to report news to him. When he finally regained focus, he saw the fragile figure of Liu Qingxi being taken away.
Channeling his internal energy to its peak, he moved like a wisp of smoke, vanishing in an instant.
A moment later, he spotted Liu Qingxi being captured by the man in black.
The group of men in black moved silently, indicating their high level of martial arts skills.
Seeing Liu Qingxi being carried like a sack over the shoulder of one of them, Dugu Hao felt a tight knot in his heart.
"What benefit do you gain from taking me? I'm just an ordinary person."
"Madam Yang is too full of herself. Once you meet our master, you'll understand your true value."
After that, the men in black said nothing more and continued deeper into the dense forest with Liu Qingxi.
In a moment of urgency, Dugu Hao suddenly charged from behind, drawing his sword. Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, he swiftly dispatched one of them with a single strike.
Now, including the one carrying Liu Qingxi, there were three left.
With their guard up, these enemies were not as easy to deal with as before.
The three exchanged glances, surprised by the sudden appearance of Dugu Hao. In perfect sync, they decided to leave two behind to block him while the other fled deeper into the woods with Liu Qingxi.
Dugu Hao exerted all his strength, and by the time he dealt with the two opponents, the one carrying Liu Qingxi had already vanished from sight.
He dared not pause for a moment and pursued in the direction they had taken.
Liu Qingxi was upside down, feeling nauseous from the jostling and on the verge of vomiting. She caught a glimpse of someone rushing toward her as if to save her, only to be blocked by another person.
Her mind raced; since these men hadn't killed her immediately but instead wanted to take her away, it was clear they did not intend to take her life.
It's time to fight back!
She gritted her teeth and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Help! Help!"
The sharp cry for help made the figure in black pause. Just as she was about to shout again, the person in black swung their left hand like a blade, striking forcefully at Liu Qingxi's neck.
Suddenly, her vision darkened, and she lost consciousness...
After her cry for help, a figure quickly arrived at the scene and soon became entangled with the person in black.
When she woke up again, Liu Qingxi felt a splitting headache. The only memories in her mind were of being kidnapped and then calling for help; after that, she remembered nothing.
So now, where was she?
She touched the still painful spot on the back of her neck and felt a hard lump; it seemed that person had knocked her out.
Had she really been captured in the end? What would happen now? What if her family couldn't find her? What about Liu Yi and Liu Qi? Were they okay? Were they in any danger?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, and her brain felt like mush.
She propped herself up on her arms and looked around. The pink canopy was stunningly beautiful, and the pearl curtains clinked melodiously. The smooth silk beneath her felt extraordinary.
At that moment, a maid dressed in pink entered with a tray. Upon seeing Liu Qingxi awake, a look of surprise flashed across her face.
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