Jin Tiao was no match for Steward Ji and was knocked unconscious.
Wang Qingyao tried to escape through a dog hole but got stuck.
"I'm so thin!" Wang Qingyao thought indignantly.
Steward Ji grabbed Wang Qingyao's leg and dragged her out.
"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Steward Ji's face was icy, his eyes sinister. Even Wang Qingyao, a martial arts novice, could feel his suddenly surging killing intent.
Sitting on the ground, she scrambled backward on hands and feet. Steward Ji unbuckled his belt and threw it on the ground. Her face stiffened. "You pervert, what do you want to do?"
"I told you, if you don't cooperate, I'll rape you first, then kill you."
"You're old enough to be my grandfather, how can you do this? Even villains should have some integrity! Don't you have daughters or granddaughters? If your own child were to be raped and killed, would you feel alright?"
Steward Ji paused, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.
His conscience wasn't entirely dead!
Seizing the moment of his hesitation, Wang Qingyao quickly ran to the well and leaped in.
"I'm going to die anyway, might as well die with dignity! Besides, falling into a well doesn't necessarily mean death. What if there are leaves and dirt at the bottom? Isn't that how it always happens in TV shows? Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan fell into a well and were perfectly fine, even falling in love along the way?"
As she fell, Wang Qingyao heard a familiar, heart-wrenching cry: "Wang Qingyao!"
It was Xiao Yun.
"Heh heh heh, it's better to be early than never, but better late than not at all! If he had come five seconds earlier, I wouldn't have had to jump into the well!" Wang Qingyao thought indignantly before losing consciousness.
Xiao Yun rushed to the well and shouted Wang Qingyao's name into it repeatedly. However, from the dark well, only echoes answered.
A great sense of panic and anger surged in his heart.
"How dare you harm this prince's consort!" Xiao Yun glared at Steward Ji, his brows instantly sharpening, revealing the supreme majesty of a superior.
When Steward Ji saw Xiao Yun enter, he was initially flustered. But he quickly realized Xiao Yun had come alone.
He decided to go all the way and knocked Xiao Yun unconscious, then threw him into the well.
After he finished, he remembered there was still someone in the courtyard. Jin Tiao was gone. He didn't know when he had left, but he was seriously injured and couldn't have gone far.
Steward Ji chased after him.
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Qingyao woke up. She moved her limbs and found she was lucky; nothing was broken. Apart from minor abrasions, she was completely unharmed. The bottom of the well was dark. She calmed herself and activated her clairvoyant eyes.
She was startled to see that Xiao Yun was also at the bottom of the well.
This hero trying to save the beauty had gotten himself into trouble.
Wang Qingyao scrambled over. "Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun." She shook his body and patted his face, but he didn't react.
Wang Qingyao was terrified. Had he fallen to his death? Trembling, she reached out and felt under his nose; he was breathing. She then felt his carotid artery; it was beating.
She breathed a sigh of relief. It was good he was alive, otherwise, her guilt would be immense.
She used her clairvoyant eyes to look out. The courtyard was empty, and even Jin Tiao was gone.
It was quiet all around. It was already night. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and only the chirping of insects and the occasional calls of unknown animals could be heard.
The well was deep, estimated to be thirty to forty meters. Climbing was impossible. The well walls were covered in slippery moss, making it impossible to ascend. Even if she could, she didn't have the strength.
She wondered if there were any mechanisms. As she was intently looking into the well walls with her clairvoyant eyes, a cold hand grabbed her ankle.
She screamed "Ah!" and stomped on the foot. Only after stomping did she remember that she and Xiao Yun were the only two at the bottom of the well.
"Wang Qingyao?"
"Xiao Yun." Wang Qingyao squatted beside him and checked his hand. "Is your hand alright?"
"It's fine." Wang Qingyao could see Xiao Yun, but Xiao Yun couldn't see her. He clasped her hand and asked urgently, "Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks to the thick layer of dead leaves at the bottom of the well, otherwise, neither of us would have survived."
Seeing the concern and anxiety on his face, Wang Qingyao felt a warmth in her heart. She grinned and asked, "How did you find me here?"
It turned out that after Yin Zhu was rescued by Jin Tiao, Jin Tiao told her to go to Prince Ding'an's mansion to find Xiao Yun for help.
However, she hadn't run far before being caught by the coachman. Jin Tiao, who hadn't gone far, heard the commotion and turned back to save Yin Zhu. The coachman was skilled. Jin Tiao had to protect Yin Zhu and was at a disadvantage. Although he managed to kill the coachman with all his might, he himself was severely injured.
Wang Qingyao suddenly understood. "No wonder he couldn't defeat Steward Ji. I thought his martial arts were not good."
Xiao Yun replied, "I naturally assigned you the best of the best. I just didn't expect the Grand Tutor's mansion to be so full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Wang Qingyao sighed, worrying, "I'm afraid Jin Tiao is also in grave danger now."
When Xiao Yun rushed in, his eyes were only on Wang Qingyao, and he hadn't noticed Jin Tiao at all. He didn't know how badly he was injured. Hearing this, he also sighed heavily.
Wang Qingyao asked again, "Why are you alone?"
Normally, wouldn't he have brought a crowd of people to rescue her heroically and bring Steward Ji to justice? Just like when he came to the ruined temple to save her last time. Only a foolish romance novel protagonist would come alone to rescue someone.
Xiao Yun explained, "It would harm your reputation if word got out."
In ancient times, the environment was harsh for women. Although the Great Sheng Dynasty was more open than previous dynasties, the status of women was still far below that of men. A woman losing her virginity was her fault and a matter that brought shame to the family. Even if nothing happened, being missing for a night was equivalent to losing one's virginity.
When Yin Zhu found Prince Ding'an's mansion, she told Xiao Yun that Wang Qingyao had been kidnapped. Fearing to alert others, Xiao Yun only brought four personal guards and went out.
Jin Tiao had Yin Zhu tell Xiao Yun that the kidnapping location was the tall mountain behind the lotus pond in the Wei Mansion, but the exact location was unknown. The four guards and Xiao Yun split up to search. It was Xiao Yun's luck that he discovered the residence first.
"I've asked Grandmother for help. The nannies by her side have already gone to the Wang family to deliver a message, saying that she wants to keep you at the mansion for a night."
Xiao Yun was thoughtful.
Wang Qingyao asked in surprise, "Old Imperial Concubine doesn't mind?"
In the darkness, Xiao Yun smiled. "Grandmother is open-minded. Besides, nothing might happen."
Wang Qingyao was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "If something really happened, what would you do?" She shouldn't have asked this question. Even in modern times, men educated in new ways wouldn't completely disregard such matters, let alone someone raised in a feudal society? But she couldn't help but ask.
Xiao Yun was stunned for a moment, as if he had truly thought about it. He said softly, "Nothing is more important than life. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters."