Chapter 27: Calculating Once More

As a pampered princess, it is not easy to plot against or seek revenge on Princess Huaian. Dealing with her requires a meticulous plan; otherwise, if the scheme fails, the consequences would be severe—more than she could bear. However, there is always a way around a difficulty. If open confrontation is impossible, one can resort to covert tactics. She would not even hesitate to use poison, or perhaps employ someone else to do the dirty work, so she would not have to get her own hands bloodied.

Lin Pianran pondered this as she headed toward the dressing room. A quarter of an hour later, as she emerged, she found herself face-to-face with Princess Huaian. It was a case of enemies meeting on a narrow path. Lin Pianran secretly felt a thrill, seeing this as an opportunity to make her move. Yet, unexpectedly, Princess Huaian took the initiative to speak, her tone devoid of its previous hostility, replaced by a gentle expression. "I just ran into a maid who was looking everywhere for you. She said she had a letter for you, so I brought it along to save you the trouble. No need to thank me!"

As she finished, her smile was bright and charming, yet filled with calculation. Lin Pianran took it all in, remaining outwardly composed. She knew Princess Huaian was up to something. Very well, she would play along. As for who would end up suffering, that remained to be seen.

Lin Pianran smiled and took the letter. It read: "Your maid, Huanxue, is in our hands. If you wish to save her, come alone to the small woods in the east. If you are late, we will kill her and dispose of the body."

Seeing the note, a strange smile crossed Lin Pianran's face. She knew this was a trap set by Huaian—a snare laid specifically for her—but she was more than willing to jump right in. It was, indeed, the perfect way to slip away, and it had arrived much faster than she could have hoped. It was as if someone had handed her a pillow just as she was feeling sleepy.

From this perspective, Princess Huaian was truly helpful. Heh!

Closing the letter, Lin Pianran thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Princess, for delivering this message so promptly. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."

Lin Pianran did not head straight for the destination. Instead, she went to the late Old Madam's mourning hall, stopping maids, matrons, and servants, asking everyone she saw, "Have you seen my maid, Huanxue?" She even approached several noblewomen she was well-acquainted with to inquire. Finally, she even found a patrol of Imperial Guards and asked, "My maid has been missing for over an hour. Have any of you gentlemen seen her?"

By now, almost everyone knew that the Sixth Miss of the Lin family’s maid was missing. Princess Huaian, who had been keeping people on Lin Pianran’s trail, was nearly driven to laughter by her frantic, headless-chicken behavior. She sneered, "Does she really think that by making such a scene, she can make me call off my plans and let her go? Don't be delusional!"

The maid who had come to report kept her head down, not daring to speak. Princess Huaian added, "Continue to watch Lin Pianran. Keep your eyes on her every move. As soon as she heads to the small woods in the east, report back to me immediately. I will go there myself to watch her miserable end."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After making a wide circuit and ensuring that the information she wanted to disseminate had been heard by all, Lin Pianran finally took Tianzhu and headed toward the eastern woods.

Tianzhu was worried. "Miss, will they hurt Huanxue?"

"They shouldn't. Huanxue is merely the bait; I am the big fish they are trying to catch. They are only using her to lure me in."

"That’s a relief. I was truly afraid they might harm her."

When they reached the designated woods, the area was desolate and silent, save for the occasional call of birds from deep within. Lin Pianran scanned the surroundings; the dense forest was full of places to hide people. She expected someone to appear shortly.

Indeed, a moment later, seven or eight men in black emerged from the thicket, their faces covered by masks, leaving only their eyes visible. They eyed the two women like prey. One of them spoke in a loud, booming voice, "Didn't we say only one person should come? Why is there an extra one? Are you not afraid that we might change our minds and kill her right here?"

"She is also my maid. We were both just too worried about Huanxue to stay away. What? Are you afraid of two weak women?" Lin Pianran asked. "Now, where is my maid?"

No sooner had she spoken than a man dragged the tightly bound Huanxue out and tossed her onto the ground.

Tianzhu rushed forward, embracing her. "Huanxue, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why did you come? Miss, you shouldn't have come!"

Lin Pianran comforted her softly, "Huanxue, I would never leave you behind."

Her words brought hot tears to the eyes of both Huanxue and Tianzhu.

The leader of the black-clad men, a tall and sturdy man with wide, ferocious eyes, stared at the three young women. Seeing their exceptional beauty, his lust was stirred. He couldn't help but taunt them, "It would be a pity to kill such pretty girls. How about this—if the three of you serve my brothers well, we might just let you all go. What do you think?"

"I have no grudge against you. Who sent you to cause trouble?"

The leader chuckled and stroked his chin. "Little girl, just think about who you've offended lately. We're just doing a job for money; you can't blame us!"

"I have offended a few people recently, but few would dare to cause trouble so brazenly. I suspect the person behind this must be of very high status to be so arrogant and lawless."

The men exchanged glances. The leader sneered, "Since you know you've offended someone, then even if you die, you deserve it."

"Is that so? And what if we refuse to accept our fate and decide to fight to the death?"

The men looked at the frail-looking girls and burst into mocking laughter. "That depends on whether you have the ability to do so." The leader then coldly commanded, "Since these little ladies don't know what's good for them, we'll have to use force. Brothers, do it!"

Lin Pianran did not show the slightest weakness. She pulled a black rod from her wide sleeve and swung it at the men rushing toward her. Her movements were nimble and agile as she wove through the attackers. In the blink of an eye, three of them were struck, falling to the ground in spasms, stripped of their ability to resist.

The others were stunned. It was clear they had underestimated her. They converged to focus on Lin Pianran, hoping to subdue her. Lin Pianran dodged and weaved, throwing two hidden darts. After wounding two more, she used the black rod to shock them into unconsciousness. Of the eight men, only three remained standing.