Yuan Qingling knew that she had caught his eye, and steadied herself firmly.
She planned to first make him interested in her, but he wouldn't make a move in a crowded place. She would arrange it well, then create an opportunity for him to make a move.
When the time came, how could she not catch him in one fell swoop?
So she stopped at the right point, got up and left.
As instructed by Tang Yang these past two days, Xu Yi had been following Yuan Qingling. When Yuan Qingling entered Qingcheng Pavilion, he also went in through the side door, but didn't sit down, only leaning against the door watching her.
He also saw the Marquis of Huiding, however the Consort wouldn't have any interactions with the Marquis, so after seeing the Consort leave, he slowly went out through the back door, following from afar.
Yuan Qingling walked on foot. She had become quite familiar with the nearby roads after going out these past few days, but hadn't yet taken the time to appreciate the scenery of the ancient streets.
The capital of Northern Tang was truly prosperous, with shops and markets bustling in every trade. Silk shops, jewelry stores, grain shops, cosmetics shops were all filled with customers.
As Yuan Qingling walked along looking around, dazzled by the sights, she didn't notice a carriage pull up beside her.
The carriage's shadow fell over her. Looking over in surprise, she saw the curtain pulled back revealing none other than the Marquis of Huiding.
Yuan Qingling's heart jumped, though she didn't show much alarm. She just looked at the Marquis in confusion.
But she found it odd, having seen him riding horses before. Why did he have a carriage today?
"Young master, let me give you a ride," said the Marquis.
Yuan Qingling shook her head. "No need, my home is just up ahead. I'll be there after a short walk."
Now was not the right time. She had no preparations or plans in place.
"I enjoyed listening to the music with you at Qingcheng Pavilion earlier. I can see you are a kindred spirit. Why don't we go to the tavern for a drink?" The Marquis smiled and extended the invitation. His demeanor was upright, as if he had met a like-minded friend and was sincerely asking them out.
Yuan Qingling politely declined again with a smile. "Thank you for the kind invitation, but I have matters to attend to today. Let's make plans another day."
Having said that, she cupped her hands and took her leave.
Xu Yi had been following behind Yuan Qingling the whole time. Seeing the Marquis stop his carriage and speak to the Consort shocked him somewhat, but when Yuan Qingling left, he relaxed.
The Marquis let the curtain fall, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. He stretched out a hand from inside the carriage, made a gesture, then withdrew it.
After leaving the Marquis, Yuan Qingling's heart was still racing, but the first step of her plan had succeeded in catching the Marquis' attention. She could now prepare for the next steps.
She knew for this she would need Yuwen Hao's help. As the prefect of Jingzhao, he just needed to cooperate to cast a dragnet, and capturing the Marquis would be no problem.
Moreover, if he personally oversaw the matter, there would be no damage to his reputation.
What needed to be done now was to persuade him. The man was somewhat old-fashioned and not very willing to cooperate with her. It would take some effort.
Negotiation was a technical task. She would need to prescribe remedies according to his symptoms and take hold of his weaknesses.
As Yuan Qingling pondered this, she didn't notice the carriage following her.
Suddenly, she felt a tug at her waist. Looking down in shock, she saw a whip coiled around her. Before she could react, the whip pulled taut and she flew up into the air, falling into a carriage.
In her panic she caught a glimpse of a face - it was the Marquis of Huiding!
Yuan Qingling's blood ran cold. With a thud in her heart she thought, no, let her go. It wasn't time yet. She hadn't made arrangements.
The Marquis gave a faint smile. "Sorry about this, young master."
"What are you trying to do? Let me go!" Yuan Qingling sat up straight, steadying herself and shouting angrily.
The Marquis looked at her like she was a feast, his predatory eyes unconcealed desire.
His large hand gripped her chin forcefully, nearly bringing Yuan Qingling to tears. Remembering this man's violent tendencies, she became extremely anxious.
His hand suddenly went slack, then slid up to caress her face. With a jerk he ripped off her hair ribbon, her tresses spilling freely.
"So you're a young mistress." His smile deepened. His breath blew on Yuan Qingling's face, making her nauseous.
Her mind raced. When met with resistance, his violent tendencies would be provoked, further agitating him. She could not resist.
But what to do? She didn't expect him to make a move in broad daylight. How unscrupulous was he?
Recalling her abrupt flight through the air, the speed was astonishing. Any onlookers likely just saw a blur, not realizing it was someone snatched by the carriage.
She regulated her breathing, slowly calming herself.
Scooting back slightly, she leant on the carriage seat, a seductive smile on her lips. "What's wrong with being a young mistress? Do you look down on women?"
The Marquis was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to suddenly become alluring and compliant after her initial panic. But he had seen his share of women's wiles. With a faint smile he said, "How could I look down on the young mistress? I've invited you for a drink at my residence and we can discuss music. What do you say?"
"Though I don't like your methods of invitation, I'll forgive you for your sincerity. Let's go then." She gave a silly grin, the very image of an ignorant young girl.
Yuan Qingling felt she had the makings of a gifted courtesan.
The Marquis smiled leisurely. He was in no rush to act. Once in his carriage, sooner or later she would be his. No need to hurry.
Xu Yi had been following Yuan Qingling, but after the carriage passed, she was gone. Thinking she had stepped into a shop, he waited outside. But when she didn't emerge after some time, he grew anxious. Rushing into several shops, there was no sign of Yuan Qingling.
His face paled. The carriage from before belonged to the Marquis.
This was bad, terrible.
He sprinted at full speed directly to the Jingzhao government office.
Seeing him barge in breathless, Tang Yang grabbed his shoulders. "Speak, what happened?"
"The Consort...the Consort..." Xu Yi slapped himself to help his speech. "Was taken by the Marquis of Huiding!"
Tang Yang's expression drastically changed. "Didn't I tell you to watch her closely?"
"Couldn't keep up. Go report to the Prince quickly!" Xu Yi was nearly out of breath from anxiety.
Tang Yang hurried in. Yuwen Hao was speaking with an official. Seeing the usually steady Tang Yang rush in pale and flustered, he knew something was wrong. "Leave us," he said to the official.
"Yes, sir!" The official withdrew.
Yuwen Hao looked at Tang Yang. "What is it?"
Lowering his voice, Tang Yang said, "The Consort was captured by the Marquis of Huiding."
Yuwen Hao shot up. "What? He dares lay hands on Prince Chu's estate?"
Not knowing of Yuan Qingling's recent activities, Yuwen Hao assumed the Marquis had directly violated Prince Chu's estate by taking Yuan Qingling.
"No, the Consort had been going out these days. Xu Yi was assigned to follow her. It seems to have happened while she was out."
"Summon Xu Yi!" Yuwen Hao was furious. How unruly could she be?
