The trio's discussion was not spoken aloud. After all, the surroundings were densely packed with people. No matter how softly they spoke, it would not escape notice. They communicated solely through eye contact, relying on their mutual understanding.
Su Xiaoqi: Come here.
Du Yiyi: Sister Xiaoqi, what's up?
Su Xiaoqi: We can’t watch the fun anymore, we have to take her down.
Du Yiyi: Okay, I’ll listen to Sister Xiaoqi.
Zhang Yu: I’ll listen to the mistress.
Since the hostage was Princess Qionghua, the three had initially wanted to stand aside and watch the show. After all, Princess Qionghua was hardly a good person. Moreover, they had deep-seated grievances with her, always calculating against each other, hating and resenting one another, making peaceful coexistence impossible. Everyone was happy to see her in trouble.
However, Su Xiaoqi now wanted to capture the woman named Tao Niang. The conversation Tao Niang just had with Miss Lin stirred a vague sense of unease in her heart. It felt as if she could grasp something, yet also as if she couldn’t. They floated in the air like dust, visible but impossible to hold when reached for. Her heart was in turmoil, and she no longer had the mood to watch Princess Qionghua’s misfortune. She feared that only by capturing the person would she find a moment of peace.
This time, however, Su Xiaoqi asked Du Yiyi not to participate. Before Du Yiyi could argue, Su Xiaoqi took Du Yiyi’s left and right hands and placed them in the hands of Bao Ge'er and Princess Huian respectively. The intention was clear: she wanted Du Yiyi to protect the two children. Their mother was on the high platform, and besides the wet nurses and maids, there was no one to protect them. As the princess's most trusted person, Su Xiaoqi did not want to disappoint her. After a moment of struggle and indecision, Du Yiyi finally nodded.
Su Xiaoqi and Zhang Yu exchanged a look, and the two simultaneously melted into the crowd, moving from the edge of the awning towards the entrance, trying to avoid attracting attention. At this moment, Tao Niang had already retreated from the awning and reached the doorway. Princess Qionghua was too cowardly; as she was being held, she couldn't walk properly, so Tao Niang released her, twisted her arm, and forced her to walk. The ruse proved effective; no guards dared to stop them, only staring intently at her.
"Let her go, and I can give you anything you want," Princess Ning pleaded anxiously.
"I want her life," Tao Niang said, looking at the many ladies in embroidered silks and brocades before her. The injustice she felt boiled like water in a pot, threatening to burst through the lid. As she had said before, why? They did nothing, yet simply by virtue of their birth, they enjoyed lives a thousand times better than hers. While her family worked tirelessly, they couldn't even secure basic sustenance.
"No, no, as long as you don't harm her, we, the Ning Prince's estate, can give you anything." Princess Ning was terrified, her heart racing. She clutched her chest, trying her best to appease Tao Niang. She hoped Tao Niang was someone with demands.
However, Tao Niang was not. Initially, she only cared about her parents and family. But later, after her brother got married, she was sold by the very family she cared about most. Even that was not the end of it; the mistress of the family that bought her was cruel and resold her to another household. She was tormented by the young master and the master of that household, getting pregnant and losing the child, repeatedly... like a tool. She had had enough! Her mentality had shattered. Just as she was about to end her own life, she was rescued. She also learned many skills and accepted many ideologies she had never known before. This time, upon hearing about a Duan Yang Festival mission, she volunteered. She was determined to achieve something to show them that she had not disappointed them.
While thinking of coldly rejecting Princess Ning, she dragged Princess Qionghua towards the river embankment. It was a viewing platform-style embankment, very high above the river. A railing had been built in front to prevent accidental falls. Seeing her getting closer and closer to the railing, Su Xiaoqi's heart trembled, and she said sternly, "This is bad, we have to stop her quickly, or she'll jump." She suddenly recalled certain extreme individuals committing suicide-like attacks she had seen on television. They were willing to lose their own lives to kill others. They were severely brainwashed and held dangerous ideologies.
Princess Ning was on the verge of collapse. The hostage, Princess Qionghua, had rolled her eyes back and was swaying unsteadily, successfully frightened into a faint. The onlookers were all women and children. The guards had surrounded them but dared not act rashly due to the important hostage in Tao Niang's hands. Tao Niang was already leaning against the railing, and at this point, everyone was even more hesitant to move. Someone recognized her intent and shouted, "Be careful, she's going to jump into the river!"
"No way, this is the deepest section of the Yuan River. She won't survive if she jumps."
"Perhaps she doesn't want to live anymore. Do you think she can survive after kidnapping Princess Qionghua? Think about it, all those she offended over the years have met with misfortune."
Su Xiaoqi heard people in the crowd muttering incoherently and couldn't help but look at Tao Niang. She saw a hint of helplessness and struggle on Tao Niang's face. A flash of inspiration struck her: perhaps her original mission was not to jump into the river to die with someone. Instead, she was supposed to kidnap Bao Ge'er, escape, and then threaten the princess to do her bidding. But due to their intervention, the mission had failed.
Su Xiaoqi was quite worried about Bao Ge'er and Princess Huian. She quietly instructed Zhang Yu to go protect them. Zhang Yu was unwilling, stating her orders were to protect Su Xiaoqi's safety. Helpless, Su Xiaoqi had her pass on a message, telling Du Yiyi to make sure to protect Bao Ge'er. He was the real target. Perhaps Tao Niang was now using the same tactic they had just employed – a diversion.
A chill ran down Su Xiaoqi's spine. She then looked at Tao Niang, who had already climbed onto the railing. Princess Qionghua was also dragged up with her. Everyone's breath caught in their throats, their attention involuntarily drawn to them. Su Xiaoqi could no longer stand still. She quickly decided to abandon her previous plan to capture Tao Niang alive. She quietly retreated with Zhang Yu. As expected, they saw three young maids dressed in lotus leaf patterns quietly moving towards Bao Ge'er. Because of their attire and young age, the usually sharp Madam Xu hadn't noticed them. Fortunately, Du Yiyi reacted, tightly holding Bao Ge'er and Princess Huian as they retreated. They backed into the corner of the awning, with the children hidden behind her, her horsewhip flicking lightly.
Madam Xu also realized what was happening and tried to signal the maids around her to help rescue the children. But before she could speak, she was knocked unconscious. Fortunately, Du Yiyi was strong. She suddenly lunged forward, sweeping her whip across, and the three maids were all hit by the whip's force, retreating in unison. But soon, they regained their balance and charged forward again. Their skills were quite good, completely unlike the weakling Tao Niang. Su Xiaoqi became even more certain that Tao Niang was merely a distraction. These three were the real trump cards.
"Go," Su Xiaoqi said, quickly stepping forward and calling to Zhang Yu, before rushing forward. With their addition, Du Yiyi, who had been struggling a bit, found it much easier. The Old Madam in front saw this and quickly summoned the family guards to join them, and the three were quickly subdued. Only then did the onlookers realize that something significant had happened behind them. Madam Xu was also revived by the maids pinching her philtrum. Upon waking, she cried and rushed towards Bao Ge'er. Du Yiyi, acting on instinct, stepped forward to block her. Madam Xu paused, recalling the previous events, and quickly understood. At that moment, she also looked understanding. Regardless, Bao Ge'er's safety was paramount.
Meanwhile, the standoff outside finally concluded. Tao Niang ultimately failed to die with Princess Qionghua. Instead, as she turned, an arrow shot from the high platform struck her, and she fell headfirst into the Yuan River. Princess Qionghua was rescued. At this time, the battle on the high platform had also ended. News arrived: the good news was that the situation was under control, but the bad news was that the Crown Prince, Prince Duan, and the Eldest Princess were all injured.