Chapter 42: Liu Xubai Drugging Jiang Qingqing

After the officers left, Fu Zhengnan followed Jiang Qingqing’s request list and spent nearly a million more, purchasing some explosives.

“Is this enough?”

Jiang Qingqing nodded happily. “More than enough!”

Hehe, having a reliable backer felt amazing.

“You’re planning to go tonight as well?”

Fu Zhengnan was a bit uneasy. He had a drinking engagement tonight and probably wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on her the whole time.

Jiang Qingqing picked up on his concern. In reality, she had never intended to go in the first place.

Her combat skills were weak, and a prison break was a major operation.

If she went, she would only drag everyone down.

“I’m not going. I’ll stay at the Governor’s Manor tonight and keep Madam Xu company.”

“You seem really busy today. You don’t have to keep watching over me all the time. I’m pretty safe right now.”

For the past few days, Fu Zhengnan had been available almost constantly.

Even in the middle of the night, he would always respond whenever she spoke.

It made Jiang Qingqing feel a little guilty.

She wasn’t sure when it had started, but the god-like figure had changed. He was no longer the distant entity that only responded once in a while.

Fu Zhengnan let out a low “Mm.”

His schedule was indeed packed today. After giving her a few more instructions, he logged off from the game.

---

Nightfall approached.

The Governor’s Manor was shrouded in silence, both inside and out.

There weren’t many people left guarding the estate. Originally, nearly fifty soldiers had stayed behind, but most of them were eager to rescue their general.

Rather than forcing them to stay, Jiang Qingqing simply instructed Jiang Yu to leave only ten men behind.

After all, she had a house—she could just hide inside.

She had also arranged for Madam Xu to stay in the suite that Jiang Yu used to live in.

---

At the back gate of the Governor’s Manor

Inside a low-profile carriage, Liu Xubai leaned against the cabin wall with his eyes closed, his pale lips pressed together. His complexion was sickly and white.

A subordinate beside him couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Master, why do you care so much about the princess? Clearly, she—”

“Have Liu Mei’s people arrived?”

Liu Xubai cut off his subordinate’s words in a calm voice without even opening his eyes.

The subordinate frowned deeply.

He didn’t leave.

In his opinion, the day Jiang Qingqing stabbed Liu Xubai, their ties should have been severed for good.

But when Liu Xubai heard that the Prime Minister had sent people to Weizhou, intending to trap both the Jiang family’s army and Jiang Qingqing inside the city,

he disregarded his unhealed injuries, kept it a secret from the Prime Minister’s residence, and immediately led his personal guards to Weizhou.

Just to save Jiang Qingqing.

“Master, haven’t you tried to save the princess enough times?”

“But has she ever appreciated it?”

The subordinate genuinely felt that Liu Xubai’s efforts were wasted.

“What’s this? Even you don’t want to obey my orders anymore?”

Liu Xubai’s voice was deep and tired as he spoke.

The subordinate, feeling heartbroken, got off the carriage and signaled to the others to proceed with the original plan.

---

Inside the Governor’s Manor

Madam Xu had been resting in the room with her young child for a while.

But now that the child had recovered from illness, his energy was back in full force, and he was clamoring to go outside.

“Mother, I want to play in the courtyard.”

The child clung to Madam Xu’s arm, whining.

Madam Xu shook her head. “No, your father has important matters today. We are safest staying here.”

The child was persistent.

He cried and fussed, refusing to give up.

Helpless, Madam Xu finally relented. “Alright, but only for a little while. Just a quick look, and then we come right back.”

But it was in that brief moment—

The moment the young child stepped outside, he was immediately seized by Liu Xubai’s men, who had been lurking in the courtyard.

A drug-soaked cloth was pressed over his mouth, leaving him no time to cry out before he lost consciousness.

Madam Xu, following closely behind, was also unable to escape.

Seeing her child already unconscious, Madam Xu’s legs went weak with fear. “You… you dare commit such a crime in the Governor’s Manor?”

Laifu smirked.

He placed the dagger in his hand against the child’s face, using the boy’s life as leverage. “Madam Xu, I suggest you lower your voice. If the Jiang family’s army outside gets alerted, I’m afraid…”

Madam Xu struggled against the hands restraining her, but it was futile.

“What do you want?”

“What do we want?”

Laifu sneered coldly.

“We searched the entire Governor’s Manor but couldn’t find the princess. So, we need you to help us bring her out.”

Seeing that Madam Xu had no intention of cooperating, Laifu didn’t waste any more words. He simply pressed the dagger against the child’s face and made a shallow cut.

Madam Xu’s mouth was covered, allowing only muffled cries to escape. Her eyes were filled with horror.

She had never expected these men to be so ruthless, attacking without hesitation or negotiation.

Leaning in, Laifu whispered into her ear, “Madam Xu, I’ll ask you one more time—where is the princess?”

With that, he positioned the dagger over the child’s heart.

It was as if, should she hesitate any longer, the boy’s blood would spill on the spot.

“I’ll tell you… I’ll tell you…”

Unable to withstand the pressure, Madam Xu revealed Jiang Qingqing’s location.

With a pained glance at her blood-covered child, she followed Laifu’s instructions and knocked on Jiang Qingqing’s door.

Inside, Jiang Qingqing was in the middle of her meal.

“Your Highness, do you have any medicine for wounds? Lin’er just fell and got hurt.”

Madam Xu’s voice trembled.

Her heart was filled with self-loathing—she was betraying Jiang Qingqing out of selfishness.

But she had no other choice.

She couldn’t gamble on whether these ruthless men would spare her son.

Jiang Qingqing set down her chopsticks. She immediately noticed something off in Madam Xu’s tone and suspiciously glanced at the surveillance feed on the door lock.

Indeed, only Madam Xu stood outside.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Jiang Qingqing ultimately chose to trust her.

She opened the door.

“What happened to Lin’er?”

Stepping out of her room, she followed Madam Xu into the adjacent chamber.

Before she could react, a thick cloud of knockout gas engulfed her.

Jiang Qingqing had no time to dodge.

Liu Xubai reached out and caught her as she lost consciousness.

His gaze softened as he looked down at her sleeping face, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He raised a hand and gently stroked her cheek.

“Qingqing…”

With his beloved in his arms, the obsession in his eyes deepened.

“Have Liu Mei’s people arrived?”

Laifu had already tidied up the bed, restoring the room to its original state. “Almost. They’re fighting with the Jiang family’s army outside.”

Liu Xubai nodded.

He carried Jiang Qingqing to the bed and turned to Laifu, who was still standing by the door. “You can leave now.”

Laifu hesitated. “Master… this…”

Isn’t this going directly against the Prime Minister’s orders?

The Prime Minister and the Empress Dowager wanted to eliminate Jiang Qingqing completely.

They had already missed their chance in the thatched cottage before—this time, there was no way they would let her go.

“Leave.”

Liu Xubai’s voice was cold and firm.

“Sigh…”

Laifu let out a heavy sigh and stepped out of the room.

Now, only Liu Xubai and Jiang Qingqing remained inside.

Liu Xubai gently removed Jiang Qingqing’s outer robe.

But as he touched her wrist, his expression darkened slightly.

The watch on her wrist was flashing with a red signal.

“So this is that strange, ominous device?”

Liu Xubai took the watch off, studying it in his palm.

“A truly unfamiliar object.”

However, he didn’t destroy it. Instead, he simply placed it on the bedside table.

Then, using two fingers, he lifted Jiang Qingqing’s chin and forced her to swallow a small pill.

A faint blush quickly spread across her cheeks, her breathing growing heavier.

She let out a soft, pained whimper—