With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

"If it's not to take my life, then the most likely purpose is to ruin my reputation."

"A young woman of marriageable age was kidnapped by notorious bandits. Even if she returned safely in the end, her reputation was completely ruined. Not only would she have no hope of marrying into a royal family, but she would probably find it difficult to even gain a foothold in the capital."

She looked at Qin Jiuchen, "So, the person behind the scenes not only hates me, but also doesn't want me to marry into the Ningxiang Prince's Mansion."

Qin Jiuchen followed her words, his gaze remaining fixed on her face, never looking away, "You already have someone in mind?"

Yun Nian nodded, her cherry lips parted slightly, but then she quickly closed them again.

She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

After a long pause, she said softly, "But I have no evidence. I can't just say things like that."

Qin Jiuchen lowered his head and gently applied the last bit of ointment evenly to the deepest wound on her elbow.

Then, he capped the medicine bottle, put it back in the medicine box, and looked at her again.

"In this world, if we wait until we have conclusive evidence before taking action, it is often too late. Sometimes, intuition and deduction are enough to help us see the way forward."

Yun Nian bit her lower lip.

Finally, she raised her head and looked directly into Qin Jiuchen's eyes, "I suspect it's Xue'er."

Qin Jiuchen was startled and stopped applying the ointment.

He raised his eyes, a complex emotion flashing in them.

Yun Nian's heart leaped into her throat.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Qin Jiuchen did not show much surprise on his face, but instead slowly nodded.

He crossed his arms, looked down at her, and asked directly, "Because of what happened at the Empress's birthday banquet?"

Her heart skipped a beat.

Qin Jiuchen actually saw through the clues?

Is he really that perceptive?

Could it be... that her actions were also seen through?

She pursed her lips, looking nervously at Qin Jiuchen, without answering.

Qin Jiuchen said calmly, "Continue."

Yun Nian steadied herself and said, "I suspect that Xue'er suspected me of tampering with her dress, causing her to embarrass herself in front of everyone, and therefore she holds a grudge against me. This time, she hired someone to kidnap me as her revenge."

She paused, then added, "Of course, this is just my guess. There might be other possibilities."

Qin Jiuchen's gaze lingered on her face.

He suddenly asked, "So, you tampered with her skirt?"

Yun Nian's heart suddenly clenched.

Her eyes reddened again, and her nose stung with tears. "Of course not, Your Highness, you...don't you believe me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Qin Jiuchen remained silent.

After a long pause, he spoke, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly."

After saying that, he put the medicine away and placed it on the table.

Then he straightened up and said, "You're injured, so you'll stay here tonight."

Without waiting for Yun Nian's response, he turned and walked out.

Yun Nian's mind was in turmoil.

Before long, a pretty maid knocked on the door and came in.

She curtsied and said, "Greetings, Miss Yun. This servant is Bai Ting, and I have been sent by the Prince to serve you."

Bai Ting worked quickly and efficiently, first remaking the bed, then bringing over clean water, a towel, and a brand-new set of women's clothing.

She also brought a food box and brewed a pot of tea.

After doing all this, she didn't say much, but quietly retreated to the outer room and whispered, "This servant will wait outside. If you have any instructions, please just call out."

He then closed the door to the inner room.

This thoughtfulness, without being deliberately intrusive, eased Yun Nian's tense mind.

After tidying herself up, she lay in bed, tossing and turning.

I don't know how much time passed before I finally drifted off to sleep.

However, she slept very restlessly, her dreams filled with images of Qiluo being chased by bandits and crying out for help.

"Kira!"

Yun Nian suddenly woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly in bed, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

The sky outside the window was already bright, and birdsong was melodious.

She threw back the covers and went barefoot to the floor, calling urgently towards the door, "Qiluo! Qiluo, are you back?"

Bai Ting walked in through the door.

She quickly stepped forward to support her: "Miss Yun, you're awake? Miss Qiluo hasn't returned yet."

They haven't returned yet!

These four words pierced Yun Nian's heart like an icicle.

She couldn't stay any longer, so she hurriedly put on her coat, tidied herself up haphazardly, and rushed out of the room.

Outside the temple gate, Qin Jiuchen, dressed in a black outfit, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, listening to several guards reporting in hushed tones.

A bandit-suppression team had already assembled beside him.

"Your Highness!" Yun Nian rushed over, slightly out of breath, "Chen Sha... is there still no news from them?"

Qin Jiuchen turned his head upon hearing the sound.

He noticed that she was dressed thinly and her hair was slightly disheveled, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He hummed in agreement, and said succinctly, "Not yet."

His gaze shifted towards Mount Yeling. "I will personally lead the men there."

Yun Nian's heart tightened, and she blurted out, "Your Highness, may I go with you?"

Seeing Qin Jiuchen's gaze sweep over her, she quickly added, "I promise, I will absolutely not cause you any trouble. I'm just really worried about Qiluo..."

Qin Jiuchen stared at her.

Her eyes were bloodshot, clearly she hadn't slept well all night, and her face was pale, but the urgency and determination in her eyes were exceptionally bright.

He pondered for a moment and said, "The mountain road ahead is rugged, and Tiger Roar Village is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There may be danger."

"I'm not afraid of danger!"

Yun Nian immediately replied.

Qin Jiuchen remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.

The guards brought in a large horse.

The horse was much taller than ordinary horses, but it appeared too tall and imposing for the slender Yun Nian.

Yun Nian was indeed a little scared.

When she was young, her father had hired a horseman to teach her to ride horses at the Yun family mansion, but she didn't learn it very well...

But she gritted her teeth and said nothing.

With Konoe's help, she laboriously stepped into the stirrups, grabbed the saddle, and climbed onto the horse's back in a somewhat disheveled manner.

Once settled, she took a deep breath and gripped the reins tightly.

Qin Jiuchen's gaze swept over her slightly white knuckles, and without saying anything, he simply ordered in a deep voice, "Let's go."

The group sped off into the depths of Yeling Mountain.

The official road was relatively flat at first, and Yun Nian was able to keep up with it.

However, once you enter the mountainous area, the road immediately becomes rugged and difficult to travel, with loose rocks everywhere, steep slopes and sharp bends.

The horse was jolting violently, and Yun Nian had to concentrate fully, gripping the horse's belly tightly and holding the reins firmly with both hands to maintain her balance and avoid being thrown off.

The riding skills she learned as a child were almost useless on such treacherous mountain roads.

The delicate skin on the inside of my thighs was soon chafed raw by the rough saddle, each bump feeling like a dull knife cutting into it.

The palms of my hands, gripping the reins tightly, were chafed raw by the rough rope, and burned with pain.

Sweat soaked her temples and back.

But she remained clenched her teeth and silent, desperately squeezing her flanks, adjusting her breathing, and trying to keep up with the pace of the group ahead.

Qin Jiuchen chose a winding mountain path, which was far more hidden and difficult to traverse than the one Yun Nian had escaped from yesterday.

The purpose was to launch a surprise attack from the relatively weak rear of Tiger Roar Village.

The group traveled through the mountains and forests without stopping.

The sun gradually began to set in the west.

Qin Jiuchen raised his hand, signaling the team to stop and rest.

Horses also need to drink water and breathe.

Yun Nian's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she immediately felt pain all over her body.

She tried to dismount carefully, but her legs were already numb and stiff. As soon as her toes touched the ground, a sharp, tingling pain struck her, causing her to sway uncontrollably and almost fall.

As she stumbled, an arm reached out in time and steadily supported her arm.

Qin Jiuchen had arrived in front of her horse without her noticing.

Yun Nian subconsciously placed her small hand in his palm for support.

Qin Jiuchen frowned.

He felt a damp, sticky sensation.

He immediately turned her hand over.

Her once fair and delicate hands were now covered with bloodstains and blisters from the reins. Some of the blisters had burst, and the blood seeping out was mixed with sweat.

Qin Jiuchen's expression suddenly turned cold.

He raised his eyes, looked at Yun Nian, and said in a deep voice, "Showing off again."