Today’s atmosphere at the training ground was unfamiliar to Jiu’er — there was clearly a sense of oppression in the air.

Especially after Jiu’er appeared, that oppressive atmosphere seemed to grow even more intense, mixed in with faint undercurrents of something stirring.

Huo Yan was no longer the drill instructor of their Long Si Army — he had been replaced by a stranger, whose gaze toward Feng Jiu’er was very complicated.

“I heard he was transferred over from the Imperial Guard Academy.” Before training began, while everyone could still whisper a few words, Xiao Yingtao leaned close to Feng Jiu’er’s ear and said quietly.

Jiu’er nodded, saying nothing.

Although she already knew Huo Yan was currently suspended from his post, seeing this new instructor now still stirred up a bit of wistfulness in her heart.

The days when everyone used to train together so freely and harmoniously — those scenes were still vivid in her memory, yet now, everything and everyone had changed.

That their squad of forty-two had managed to regroup into a complete unit at all was somewhat surprising too.

Mu Mu was gone now, replaced by Qiao Mu’s return.

Because Huo Yan had been suspended, Qiao Mu, who had always followed at Huo Yan’s side, had also been “stripped of rank,” and could now only remain as an ordinary student.

Of course, given the process by which Qiao Mu had entered the Dragon Martial Academy, the fact that he was still allowed to stay now was probably due to special leniency from the Crown Prince.

As long as Jiu’er didn’t run around wildly or scheme up trouble, Zhan Yuheng treated her well enough.

But under the current circumstances, how could she possibly not run around, not be scheming something of her own?

“Jiu’er, when we go train at the back hill later, we’ll cover for you,” Xiao Yingtao whispered again.

Qiao Mu said nothing, but nodded as well.

Zhan Luori and Xing Zizhou came over; neither of them said anything, as if they weren’t at all surprised that Jiu’er was here.

Of course, given how big a stir the broken engagement in the front courtyard had caused earlier, it really wasn’t strange that Jiu’er was here now either.

Even though both of them had questions in their hearts, with people everywhere, inside and out, in a situation like this, there was no way they could ask anything.

What if someone with ill intentions overheard? Wouldn’t that be even more dangerous?

Assembly began, and everyone waited quietly for the instructor’s next task.

The new instructor stood before everyone and announced loudly: “Today we’ll have an early combat drill, together with the brothers from the Imperial Guard’s Forty-Second Squad.”

A combat drill!

This wasn’t even the scheduled day for one! Combat drills were normally held once a month.

And it hadn’t even been a month since their last one.

But no one spoke up to ask, and no one dared discuss it either.

Whether it was the former Instructor Huo or this new instructor now, the standards for training were equally strict.

Whatever rules needed to be followed had to be followed.

So the entire day, everyone trained in combat at the training ground, never leaving it even once.

Even at lunchtime, everyone gathered together at the training ground, with the cooks and guards personally bringing the food over — no one needed to leave at all.

“What’s the meaning of this? However I look at it, it seems like they’re deliberately guarding against you.” During the meal, Xiao Yingtao, Qiao Mu, and Feng Jiu’er huddled together in a corner, and Xiao Yingtao couldn’t help complaining.

Though they were in a corner, even outside the corner there were still people everywhere — all of them guards standing watch.

Add to that the guards personally sent by the Crown Prince to protect Feng Jiu’er, and with so many people watching from inside and out, so many pairs of eyes fixed on her, what chance did she have to leave?

Jiu’er was anxious inside too. The afternoon training should end before evening — by then, she feared, Zhan Yuheng would already have arrived.

By then, she would inevitably have to go back to the palace with Zhan Yuheng, and after returning to the palace, the chance of getting out again would be even more impossible.

This combat drill today must have been arranged by the Crown Prince as well — this way, all his eyes and ears could keep constant watch over Feng Jiu’er.

Although during breaks everyone could go use the nearby outhouse, don’t forget this was still within the bounds of the training ground — trying to use the outhouse as an excuse to escape was simply impossible.

“Looks like the Crown Prince doesn’t fully trust you — he’s guarding against you too,” Qiao Mu said quietly, sitting down beside her.

Feng Jiu’er nodded, lowering her head to eat, her thoughts spinning in a hundred directions.

Zhan Yuheng certainly wouldn’t trust her completely — after everything that had happened, if he still had no guard up against her and trusted her wholeheartedly, that wouldn’t be because he was deeply infatuated, but because he was simply too foolish.

Jiu’er just couldn’t understand — if even the most basic trust was lacking, why did he still want her so badly?

He was the Crown Prince — what beautiful woman could he not have? Why insist on a woman whose heart perhaps wasn’t even with him at all?

And then there was Nanmeng Rong — last night had only been a test, meant to lower her guard against herself a little.

But she hadn’t expected that Nanmeng Rong would actually be willing to help bring her and Zhan Yuheng together. What was this woman really scheming?

Could it be that simply to keep her away from the Ninth Imperial Uncle, she would rather keep her at the Crown Prince’s side?

Or was it that she truly wanted to pry the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s whereabouts out of her, willing even to sacrifice her own son’s happiness for it?

Could it be that, in Nanmeng Rong’s eyes, marrying Zhan Yuheng wasn’t ruining her son’s life at all?

Or perhaps, Nanmeng Rong also believed in that saying — that whoever obtained the Phoenix Girl would obtain the world? Did she also know she was the Phoenix Girl?

In the span of a few bites of rice, Feng Jiu’er’s thoughts turned over several times. Looking at the situation before her now, she knew clearly that escaping from under so many watching eyes wouldn’t be easy at all.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle might have been persuaded by her for now, but she understood his temper too well — he could endure for a short while, but never for long.

If she didn’t go back soon, the Ninth Imperial Uncle would absolutely not stay calmly at the bottom of the cliff to save Mu Mu any longer.

Perhaps one day, two days… no, with the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s fiery temper, one day was already his limit! Two days would simply be impossible!

If she didn’t go back tonight, both Mu Mu and the Ninth Imperial Uncle would be in great danger!

What should she do to get out of here?

“Come, come, come, extra food today, a chicken leg for everyone, come…”

The cook delivering the meal arrived, and everyone got an extra chicken leg each, and were overjoyed about it.

Jiu’er, however, didn’t want to move at all — that chicken leg held not the slightest appeal for her.

“No matter what, eat your fill first, we’ll talk after.” Qiao Mu gently nudged her.

Feng Jiu’er had no choice but to walk over, holding out her bowl toward the cook serving the food.

The cook glanced at her, then scooped out the biggest, plumpest chicken leg for her. Everyone watching didn’t dare say anything — after all, this meal had been sent over personally by order of the Crown Prince today, so naturally her status was different. Eating well was nothing strange.

After Jiu’er sat back down, she only casually poked at the chicken leg with her chopsticks, with not the slightest desire to actually eat it.

But unexpectedly, the chopsticks couldn’t pierce through it!

Inside the chicken leg…

Feng Jiu’er’s heart jolted. While no one was paying attention, she carefully used her chopsticks to peel back the skin of the chicken leg…