The chief eunuch, Zhou Desheng, hurriedly ushered everyone out, then quietly returned to Long Xuanjiao's side. Only when he saw that her emotions had settled somewhat did he whisper, "Empress Dowager, those honored guests in the east hall are making trouble!"
Long Xuanjiao pinched her brow. "Arrest anyone who dares make trouble!"
Zhou Desheng looked troubled. Long Xuanjiao had clearly lost her head in her anger. Those guests were all people of considerable standing, including princes of the Various Kingdoms. Which of them could they afford to offend lightly? Just then, Hu Buwei arrived to visit the Empress Dowager, and Zhou Desheng tactfully withdrew. At the sight of Hu Buwei, Long Xuanjiao seized his hand and said in a trembling voice, "Buwei... Longjing has been abducted..." Before she could finish, tears were already streaming down her face.
Hu Buwei nodded and said softly, "Please remain calm, Empress Dowager! You are the mother of this nation. If you lose your composure, who will lead the ministers?"
His reminder finally brought Long Xuanjiao to her senses. They were in the royal palace, where someone might enter at any moment. She released Hu Buwei's large hand and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Who could be so vicious and cruel as to abduct Longjing?"
"The most pressing matter is not to dig down to the roots of this," Hu Buwei said, "but to find the King."
Long Xuanjiao nodded. "The entire city has already been mobilized, but finding one person in that vast sea of people is no easy task."
"The abductors must have been planning this for a long time," Hu Buwei said. "They must have another objective in taking the King. Until they achieve it, they probably won't harm him." He appeared remarkably composed. Perhaps men were naturally