“You only need to write down a note!” The Chief House Steward saw that she didn't insist anymore, saying smilingly, “Madam, is it okay for you?”

Song Yixiao was a bit surprised at the easy condition.

She was nervous before but now she didn't dare to believe what she had heard for the moment. After thinking for a while, she said, “Can I leave after I write down a note?”

“Because I don't want to fail the Old Master, I venture to talk with you after Miss Wei jumped into the lake.” The Chief House Steward seemed to forget that Song Yixiao was still besieged by the people he brought here, saying respectfully, “Now that you are a lady of sense and it is late at night, how dare I keep you here longer?”

Song Yixiao stayed silent for a while and said, “It is dark outside and the road is too slippery. What if I want to ask Xubai to pick me up at Jiangxing Villa?”

“Then how about sending for His Highness on behalf of you later?” The Chief House Steward replied without hesitation.

“He doesn't sound like lying to me, but how is it possible?” Song Yixiao was confused, “He brought these people to lay a siege to me and then let them go into the inner chamber to have Qiaoqin and others under control. In this case, how can he be sure that I won't seek revenge on him only because I write down a note to persuade Jian Xubai into releasing those old servants?”

She started to wonder whether it was Jian Xubai who the Chief House Steward actually targeted at but not her.

However, as Jian Xubai was the example Emperor Xianjia set for his children, even if the Chief House Steward had the backing of Jian Pingyu, he shouldn't dare to set against Jian Xubai.

Very soon, the Chief House Steward ordered two of the four men besieging Song Yixiao to fetch writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and inkstones.

After all the writing tools were brought, the Chief House Steward rolled up his sleeves, ground the inkstone and spread the paper. After everything was ready, he stepped backwards respectfully and hinted at Song Yixiao that she should start writing.

“Is it enough to write this?” Song Yixiao weighed the words and wrote down several lines. After she finished the note, she asked.

The Chief House Steward glanced at the note and complimented Song Yixiao first, “Madam, just like your outlook, your writing of Floral Calligraphy Style is also pretty!”

Then he read the content carefully with nods, “Thank you, Madam!”

Afterwards, he ordered one of the men who fetched the writing tools before, “Why don't you go to Keshao Hall to ask His Highness to pick up Madam as Madam finds the road too slippery due to darkness?”

The man said with one clenched fist in the other hand, “Yes.” Then he turned around and opened the door. At the moment, Song Yixiao had returned to her previous seat, rolling her bracelet and pondering.

The Chief House Steward stood by the table, waiting for the note to dry. As for the rest three people, one of them went forward to help the Chief House Steward put away the writing tools while the other two were finally relieved because the task was completed.

Nevertheless, the minute that the door was opened, a streak of glittering sword light swept and a sword slit that man's throat abruptly!

“Splas.h.!.+”

Blood spurt out of his bleeding neck, spattering on the doorframe, on the ground, here and there. Yet, he remained the posture of opening the door and raising his leg. Song Yixiao sitting on the seat of honor saw what just happened and froze!

Her almond eyes got widened. She was awoken from a trance and instantly got shocked with fear!

“Eh?” The Chief House Steward and his men heard the noises. The rest three men all subconsciously turned around to see what happened. Only the Chief House Steward reacted fastest and glanced at Song Yixiao's countenance. Instantly, he was astonished!

He rushed forward without saying much and meanwhile pulled out a dagger from his sleeves. He put it against Song Yixiao's throat and shouted, “Stop it!”

Within a short instant, those three men fell down with their hands covering their throats!

Everything happened so fast! After the first one was killed, the door was immediately pushed open. A black figure dashed inside. With three streaks of sword light, three more corpses fell on the ground.

Song Yixiao was a shrewd person but she had never experienced such a scene before. For the moment, her mind just went blank!

“Either you make the way or she must die!” The Chief House Steward grabbed Song Yixiao's shoulders, with his dagger putting against her throat. The sharp tip of the dagger even stabbed into her skin, leaving a strip of blood on her snowy skin. Under the light, it was especially ghastly!

Obviously, he was so shocked by the intruder's movements that the pitch of his voice was changed, “As a saying goes, a day together as husband and wife means endless devotion the rest of your life. Your Highness, do you really not care about Madam's life?”

The black figure was a man in black, wearing a black mask only with his emotionless eyes exposed. He stayed silent and pulled the door wide open.

“Make the people outside leave!” Instead of going out with Song Yixiao as a hostage, the Chief House Steward still stared at the man in black, saying in a deep voice, “Since you are here, that old man must be around. I don't want to be shot the second I come to his sight!”

The man in black didn't bargain with him. He just said in a cold voice, “Leave!”

Instantly, the footsteps broke the quietness outside and gradually faded away into the distance.

The Chief House Steward listened attentively for a while and then the muscle on his face twitched instantly, “They all…”

Before he finished speaking, but judging from his shocked voice, the men he arranged in and out of the Jiangxing Villa were all eradicated unknowingly within a short while!

“Get me a horse!” The Chief House Steward's face was twisted for a while before he calmed down and put forward his request again. When he saw the man in black turn around and order the men outside, a fierce look crossed his eyes. He turned his wrist in order to cut off Song Yixiao's throat!

His men must have all been killed!

Even if he could leave Duke of Yan's mansion alive and rushed to Jian Yiyou, how was he going to report?

After all, his mission failed. The only thing the Chief House Steward could do was to kill Song Yixiao!

Feeling his apparent killing intent, Song Yixiao naturally wanted to struggle. However, how could this weak girl defeat a strong man of martial arts?

At a crucial moment, a noise suddenly came from the beam. Two arrows dropped with a whistle and almost simultaneously stabbed through the Chief House Steward's head and wrist!

The Chief House Steward released Song Yixiao feebly and fell on the ground heavily. His seven apertures and head all bled like a pig. Yet, he was still waving the dagger and tried to get up until the man in black paced towards him unhurriedly and trod off his neck.

“Madam, I'm so sorry to have kept you frightened!” After making sure the Chief House Steward was dead, the man in black withdrew the sword and said to Song Yixiao with one clenched fist in the other hand, “The sedan is waiting outside. Madam, are you going back to Keshao Hall at once? The doctor is waiting there for you!”

His att.i.tude was respectful but his eyes and tone didn't relate to a human at all. Just now, he just killed five persons before Song Yixiao. Now Song Yixiao was still immersed in horror and didn't know how to reply at all. Muddle-headed, she only nodded her head.

The man in black took a step backwards and turned around to make an arrangement. He had arrived at the door when Song Yixiao suddenly came to her senses, “Wait!”

The man in black immediately turned around, “Madam?”

“My cousin and the maids!” Song Yixiao only had a flesh wound on her neck but due to the excessive shocks, her throat was itching and it took her lots of strength to voice out. In a hurry, she pointed at the inner chamber, “How are they?”

“Madam, please rest a.s.sured. Our man on the beam has dealt with the men inside the inner chamber.” The man in black glimpsed at the door of the inner chamber indifferently, “Miss Wei and the maids are in a coma for taking in knockout drops and can't wake up now. Therefore, it is quiet inside.”

Song Yixiao raised her head subconsciously only to find that it was empty on the beam without the archer. She felt relieved and finally noticed the wetness on her chests. As she lowered her head, her pale pinkish-purple clothes were largely stained with blood, as if a dark reddish-purple tree peony was blooming.

“I must go inside and take a look!” She slumped down in the chair for a while and then stood up staggeringly.

The man in black showed the way for her.

After a while, Song Yixiao made sure that Wei Chan was safe and then went to get into the sedan with a handkerchief covering her wound.

The sedan arrived at Keshao Hall at the fastest speed and directly stopped in the yard outside the inner chamber.

“Madam!” Jinxun, who shouldn't be on duty today, and Yuedeng waited here for a long time. Upon seeing Song Yixiao, they advanced to lift the curtain and supported Song Yixiao inside.

In the chamber, as Song Yixiao put down the silk handkerchief, the two maids both turned pale with fright. Luckily, the doctor who arrived later claimed that Song Yixiao was frightened only with a flesh wound.

“It will be good enough to smear some medicine. The key is her fear has not been soothed.” The doctor looked very strange to Song Yixiao and her maids. They didn't know who sent for the doctor. He looked like a man in his forties or fifties with beautiful features and a calm look.

Even though he knew the injured was the duke's wife, he didn't intend to fawn on her. He only said with an indifferent look, “Have some pacifying decoction first. Tomorrow I will take your pulse and see whether I should adjust the prescription.”

Song Yixiao was not in a mood to talk now. Yuedeng was promoted as one of the first maids later than Liyu, so she didn't dare to talk randomly. Only Jinxun hurriedly said, “Madam has bled so much. How can you only prescribe the medicine for pacifying and healing wounds?”

“If you are worried, you can add some red dates and Chinese yams into her daily meals.” The doctor wrote down the prescription for pacifying and then put down the brush pen. He blew towards the prescription and said indifferently, “The flesh wound is insignificant. In light of Madam's health condition, it will be healed if she rests for two days!”

Jinxun felt that he took it too carelessly, saying angrily, “Madam is such a n.o.ble lady. How can you…”

“Medicine is somewhat poisonous. I had better not take medicine if not necessary!” Song Yixiao heaved a sigh and struggled to interrupt Jinxun, saying, “Doctor, if you don't have other things to say, just leave the prescription and let them cook the medicine!”

She obviously wanted the doctor to leave now. The doctor made an obeisance and then left directly.

After he left, Jinxun said furiously, “Who sent for this doctor? He doesn't know about politeness at all!”

Then she turned to Song Yixiao, “Madam, why did you stop me just now? We should teach him a lesson! Does he have any respect for you?”

Song Yixiao didn't respond to her but to order Yuedeng in a low voice, “Go to the kitchen to make an arrangement!”

Yuedeng hurriedly said, “Yes.” And then she walked out with the prescription.

Now that there were only Song Yixiao and Jinxun in the room, Song Yixiao said with a bitter smile, “Do you still feel like losing your temper at the doctor? It is nice of him to come to treat me!”

“Madam, why do you say so?” Jinxun asked in surprise, “The Chief House Steward had evil designs and tried to abduct you when you visited Miss Wei. Luckily, a servant noticed that something was wrong from the distance and then rushed to Keshao Hall to report to His Highness. As such, you are rescued in time! Since such an incident happened in the mansion, His Highness is discussing how to deal with the aftermath and cannot come here for you. Otherwise, given the doctor's arrogance, His Highness will surely punish him!”

“Did they tell you that way?” Song Yixiao only laughed and said with a weird look, “A servant noticed that something was wrong? So they rescued me in time? How lucky I am!”