A Good Country Wife-Chapter 645 - 638_1

"I was only speculating earlier, but now it seems that my speculation is true. However, the Capital City is so vast, with numerous aristocratic families and nobles, that even if it is certain that the people who came are from the Capital City, it’s impossible to guess who exactly kidnapped Master Xue. As for what grudges those people have with our family, it’s even more unclear. We can only understand after we find out who kidnapped Master Xue and his companions."

"But apart from knowing that those men in black are from the Capital City, we have absolutely no clues. How can we investigate?" Haishi originally thought that as long as he returned to report to the lady, she would surely find a way to rescue them. Now that many problems have surfaced, he realized his own thinking was too simplistic. Not to mention whether the lady has the capability, it’s not easy even to find the people who kidnapped Master Xue and the others. He’s not a fool; in the Capital City, to have such a group of men in black, it’s not something that an ordinary wealthy household can do—it must be some aristocratic family.

"I understand the situation now. Thankfully, although things are dire, at least Master Xue and the others are safe and have no risk to their lives. Since those men in black chose not to kill them but instead abducted them, they must have a purpose. You should rest well for now, I will find a way to rescue them. No matter what, they are now people of our Zhao Family, and I will not abandon them! If it really comes down to it, I’ll go to the Capital City and ask the Emperor for help. After all, my husband is serving the Emperor right now. If someone targets our family, it might even be related to the Emperor, and he will not ignore it," Lin Yue consoled, knowing that the few brothers who went with Haishi had a good relationship with him, and two or three of them had been with Haishi since they first joined their family. Her words were meant to reassure Haishi that those men in black, just by speculation, had a complicated background. Were she not to clarify, Haishi might misunderstand and think that she would not rescue Master Xue and his companions, especially since the background of the men in black was not something ordinary people could provoke. While Master Xue did hold some value, having the secret recipe for glass, the guards were only useful for household protection. It would be more cost-effective to simply pay to replace them than to confront those men in black over them. Moreover, Haishi was completely unaware of Master Xue’s specific expertise.

Lin Yue had guessed Haishi’s thoughts accurately. Although Haishi could have understood even if Lin Yue did what was suggested, he would still feel somewhat uncomfortable in his heart. Servants, despite their lowly status, were not devoid of emotions. So hearing Lin Yue’s assurance, Haishi, a grown man, had tears welling up in his eyes. "Servant thanks the lady on behalf of the brothers. Having such a good master like you is our fortune. Servant here gives thanks in advance for your efforts to rescue them."

"There’s no need for such formalities. They are, after all, our Zhao Family members. Rescuing them is only right. You should focus on healing your injuries. Don’t worry about anything else. If there is any progress, I will have someone inform you," Lin Yue finished consoling Haishi and then sent Liu Aniu to the outer courtyard to call over the family members of those Protectors who had accompanied Haishi. She needed to offer them reassurances as well.

Everyone had seen Haishi return covered in blood, and it was impossible to cover that up. The family members of the Protectors likely had received the news already but were afraid to ask her. Instead of letting them worry and speculate wildly, it was better to inform them of the truth directly. Lin Yue understood well the feeling of being concerned for one’s family’s safety.

Indeed, the family members of the Protectors were extremely worried, fearing that their loved ones would be injured like Haishi or even worse—have already met with disaster. No matter how seriously injured Haishi was, at least he had returned; they hadn’t heard anything from their own family members and didn’t know their current situation. Although Lin Yue’s consolation and assurances couldn’t make them entirely at ease, they finally had something to hold on to. No matter what, the lady would take care of them, ensuring their future livelihood.

"My lady, the situation has come to this, and the cause behind it is likely very complex. The aristocratic families and nobles in the Capital City may seem glamorous on the outside, but their inner workings are the darkest and most despicable. Who knows what their intentions are this time? The master isn’t at home now, so perhaps it would be best to wait for his return before taking further action. If you rashly confront these people, I worry for your safety, my lady. Those people dare to do anything, and in their desperation, they may harm you," Nurse Xu said with a heavy heart after seeing the family members of the Protectors leave.

"We cannot wait. I won’t lie to you, Nurse Xu. The situation is far from as optimistic as I just explained to them. I am almost certain that those people are after our family’s secret recipe. Otherwise, why would they abduct Master Xue and the others without any reason?"

Lin Yue paused and continued, "It’s one thing with Master Xue; he holds the secret recipe for glass, and they will at least have some scruples to keep him alive for that recipe. But the lives of those Protectors are another matter. Although the men in black haven’t taken their lives for now, taking them back, they probably want to extract more information about our family from them. Once they’ve served their purpose and keeping them risks leaking information, it’s not in their nature to do so. The most likely scenario is that they will silence them permanently."

Lin Yue’s thoughts might have been chaotic at first since the situation emerged so suddenly, and she had no clear understanding of the men in black’s objectives. However, as she went over the incident time and again in her mind, her thoughts became clearer, and suddenly everything made sense. Of all the reasons, this one seemed most plausible.

Nurse Xu didn’t doubt Lin Yue’s guess. Having come from the palace herself and then spent so much time among aristocratic families, she had seen plenty of dark deeds. Lin Yue’s guess was actually the closest to the truth. But this also made the situation more dangerous.

"What should we do, my lady? I may say something you don’t want to hear, and you may find me cold-hearted, but I must speak my mind. Those men in black are definitely from among the aristocratic families, and although the master and you, my lady, have made a name for yourselves and earned the Emperor’s trust with important assignments, our foundation is still shallow. Our strength is far from enough to confront those aristocratic families. It’s not worth it to provoke them for a few servants. If we fail to rescue them, that’s one thing, but we might even risk bringing down the entire Zhao Family. It would truly be a loss not worth the cost!" Nurse Xu expressed her opinion.

"Nurse Xu, you..."

"My lady, I know you are a kind person with great compassion for us servants, but to me, nothing is more important than your safety. Even if you look down on me for saying this, I still must persuade you. And I believe the master, who is far overseas, would feel the same. For the master’s sake as well, please take care of yourself and don’t recklessly confront those people," Nurse Xu urged earnestly.