The guards rushed over, followed by the military advisor, who went over to support Yuan Qingling.
Marquis Huiding was almost stunned for a moment, and looked to his trusted aide instinctively. His aide also had a panicked and shocked look on his face.
Yuan Qingling was helped over. Yuwen Hao immediately embraced her and took off his robe to wrap around her. Yuan Qingling looked very panicked, her whole body was shivering and gasping for breath.
Her face was badly swollen, and there was also bleeding from the back of her head. She looked like she was about to faint.
However, leaning against Yuwen Hao, she pointed at Marquis Huiding with a sob in her voice, "It was him, he kidnapped me and tortured me, trying to make me reveal the reason why His Majesty appointed the Prince as the prefect of Jingzhao."
Yuwen Hao turned to look at Marquis Huiding, watching as his face turned pale, the blood draining away inch by inch.
"Marquis," Yuwen Hao sneered coldly, "Are the horses ready? Is it going to the palace or coming with me to Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Marquis Huiding stared grimly at Yuwen Hao, after a long pause, he finally ordered to retreat, "Please invite the Premier to Jingzhao Prefecture."
His eyes were fixed on Yuan Qingling, seemingly still unable to accept the fact that she had escaped and come back. The hatred in his eyes drowned everything else, and even this hatred was deeper than what he felt towards Yuwen Hao.
The hatred ran so deep that even Yuwen Hao could feel it.
He looked quietly at Yuan Qingling, curled up in his arms, shivering ceaselessly, as if she had just experienced a nightmare.
He touched the back of her head, staining his hand with blood. He felt indescribably restless and furious. He ordered Tang Yang, "Send the Consort back to the manor first."
Yuan Qingling slowly raised her pitiful little face, and pointed at the villainous dogs inside, "My Prince, Marquis Huiding ordered the vicious dogs to attack people, they must be taken back."
"Beat them to death!" A trace of ferocity flashed in Yuwen Hao's eyes.
"No!" Yuan Qingling cried out fiercely, "Don't kill them."
Yuwen Hao narrowed his eyes and looked at her. She was standing straight now, without a trace of the panic she had earlier.
Seeing Yuwen Hao staring at her, Yuan Qingling lowered her lashes, and squeezed out some tears with great effort, "Interrogate them first before killing."
Yuwen Hao didn't know what tricks she was playing. After the initial pleasant surprise, he was now filled with anger, and would settle accounts with her slowly after dealing with Marquis Huiding.
"Take them away!" Yuwen Hao said coldly to Tang Yang.
"What about the dogs..." Yuan Qingling asked.
"Bring them to the Yamen as well." Yuwen Hao said lightly.
Only then did Yuan Qingling follow Tang Yang with relief. When she walked past Marquis Huiding, Marquis Huiding only felt pain in his groin, and shame and anger surged up. He grabbed Yuan Qingling by the neck with one hand.
Yuan Qingling immediately thrust her knee upwards, hitting him right in the crotch. Marquis Huiding let out a miserable shriek and fell to the ground, clutching his crotch and rolling around.
Blood seeped out.
Everyone was horrified, even Yuwen Hao was shocked beyond measure.
Yuan Qingling just shook her sleeves and said to Tang Yang, "Let's go!"
She was completely unafraid.
Yuwen Hao narrowed his eyes, watching her straight back as she walked away. He felt something was wrong, did she look anything like someone who had just been rescued from a plight? No, on the contrary, she walked away like a victorious rooster.
Tang Yang brought Yuan Qingling back to the manor. All the way, Tang Yang didn't ask anything, he would just wait for Yuan Qingling to bathe and change before calling the imperial physician to treat her injuries.
After the imperial physician left, Tang Yang asked, "Consort, what exactly happened?"
Yuan Qingling welled up with tears...
"Consort, stop pretending." Tang Yang mercilessly exposed her act.
Yuan Qingling's expression changed, she was very disappointed, "As you can see, I was kidnapped and nearly died at Marquis Huiding's manor."
"That's it?"
"That's it." She slowly propped up her head, "Maybe there's more, but my head hurts so much I really can't remember anything. Oh yes, please tell the Prince that I probably won't be able to go out these few days and it's inconvenient to meet people."
Tang Yang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Nevermind, he had to go back to Jingzhao Prefecture first. Since the Consort was already safe, he could slowly ask about the matter later.
"Master Tang!" Yuan Qingling called him, "Please properly take care of those dogs if possible."
"If you don't explain, I'm afraid the Prince will have all the dogs killed." Tang Yang said.
Yuan Qingling knew Tang Yang was crafty, so she had to say, "I was able to escape because of those dogs, they saved me."
With a sentence saying she was able to escape, it confirmed Tang Yang's suspicions. He cupped his fists, "This subordinate will do his best to save the Consort's benefactors."
After Tang Yang left, Xi Mama said in shock, "The Consort actually fell into Marquis Huiding's hands?"
Yuan Qingling said, "Fortunately the Prince came to the rescue in time."
"Did the Consort..." Xi Mama hesitated for a moment, but still didn't ask.
"No!" Yuan Qingling immediately answered, knowing what she wanted to ask.
Only then was Xi Mama relieved.
"I'm tired, going to take a nap. Mama, please stop the Prince by all means if he comes looking for me." Yuan Qingling exhorted over and over again.
"I know." Xi Mama said with a smile, "You can avoid it on the first day, but not the fifteenth."
"Nevermind, as long as I can avoid it the first day, the anger will slowly subside." Yuan Qingling said very optimistically.
She lay down, her recent habit of sleeping face down had almost become a habit. The back of her head was injured, so she could only sleep like this.
It turned out she was blindly optimistic.
Yuwen Hao came back from Jingzhao Prefecture and headed straight for Feng Yi Pavilion.
Of course Xi Mama could not stop him.
After apprehending Marquis Huiding and taking statements from the manor guards and trusted aides, they also invited Premier Chu. Premier Chu said Marquis Huiding's injuries were too severe and needed medical treatment first before interrogation.
As for what kind of injuries, Yuwen Hao had seen it with his own eyes. His forehead was steaming, without another thought he rushed back to the manor.
He was furious, but saw Yuan Qingling sleeping loudly, as if nothing had happened. He was so angry he didn't know where to start. He raised his hand and slapped her butt hard several times.
These slaps were vicious, Yuwen Hao was venting all his anger through them.
Yuan Qingling was startled awake from her sleep. After a brief confusion, she realized she had been beaten again. She pounced over, baring her teeth, "You said you wouldn't hit me again. If the tiger doesn't show its might, do you think I'm a sick cat?"
Yuwen Hao pushed her face back with a slap, yelling angrily, "Speak, how did Marquis Huiding get injured?"
Yuan Qingling pushed his hand away, her momentum instantly deflated as she looked at him in surprise, "What injury? Who's injured? Marquis Huiding? How would I know, I was locked up by him, it took great difficulty for me to escape."
Yuwen Hao stood in front of the bed, arms crossed, and said coldly, "Going to speak or not?"
"I really don't know." Yuan Qingling said honestly.
"Not saying huh? Fine, you're involved in the case, I'll take you to the Yamen for interrogation." Yuwen Hao said with a cold face. He called out, "Tang Yang, prepare the shackles and bring her to Jingzhao Prefecture for interrogation."
Yuan Qingling watched as Tang Yang, who was prepared early, strode in, followed by Xu Yi. Xu Yi was holding a pair of shackles, walking over with a hideous look on his face.
"Consort, you should just tell us. This case will be reported to His Majesty, there can't be any mistakes. This is not anything disgraceful." Tang Yang earnestly advised.
It wasn't that Yuan Qingling felt this matter was disgraceful, she just didn't want to talk about injuring another's manhood in such a sinister way.
However, if it was to be reported to His Majesty, she would have to explain it to Yuwen Hao, and let him fabricate an account to report to His Majesty.
