After this act of subordinate overthrowing superior and forceful seizure, Huo Qi Lang hesitated momentarily, drowning in beauty and reluctant to flee, while the victim unexpectedly chose silence. Last night’s affair was like last night’s heavy rain – turbulent and surging at the time, but after one night passed, except for the moistened vegetation, everything returned to calm.

The day proceeded as usual. Come evening, Li Yuanying leisurely bathed and changed clothes without specifically ordering the captain to alter the shift roster. Huo Qi Lang carried her sword for night duty as normal.

After the lamps were lit and Madam Li had arranged Prince Shao’s medicine and bedtime matters before departing with the palace attendants and maids, the great hall became spacious and silent. When Huo Qi Lang and Li Yuanying’s eyes met, she momentarily didn’t know what to say to him.

Li Yuanying’s face was expressionless as he asked: “Your senior brother…”

Huo Qi Lang had anticipated his concern and quickly answered: “He wouldn’t dare.”

Probably… he wouldn’t dare.

After this brief exchange, both tacitly understood without mentioning last night’s events again. Li Yuanying’s thoughts were unfathomable – whether he believed her or not was unclear. He simply returned quietly to his bed and drew the brocade curtains closed.

Huo Qi Lang still lay on the foot couch keeping guard as usual, feeling somewhat uneasy. She had taken the money and done the deed, and done it rather contrary to martial world ethics. She secretly wondered why Li Yuanying hadn’t turned hostile. Was it because he prized his noble status and didn’t wish to make a scene, or did he worry that eliminating her would sever his only connection to his sister?

However, recalling yesterday when he lay with closed eyes sunk in brocade coverlets, his tranquil face forced to flush with passion, Huo Qi Lang felt no regret.

Just as she was repeatedly pondering Prince Shao’s intentions, she suddenly detected rustling wing movements from the rooftop, followed by several chaotic crow cries.

Huo Qi Lang suddenly rolled up and leaped, but didn’t rush to pursue the intruder on the roof. First, she viciously kicked the crescent stool beside her. Her strength was astonishing – with one kick, the stool flew straight through the main door with a thunderous crash. The guards on duty outside were shocked and swarmed in.

Huo Qi Lang gestured to them, and everyone immediately understood, rushing toward Prince Shao’s bed to surround and protect him in layers. Only after ensuring Li Yuanying’s safety did Huo Qi Lang spring up from the ground, leaping onto the roof beams and bursting through the roof to pursue the assassin.

Li Yuanying pulled open the brocade curtains and looked up with the guards to see the hole she had smashed through the roof, revealing the starry night sky.

After reaching the rooftop, Huo Qi Lang scanned the surroundings and spotted two figures on nearby buildings – one fleeing south, another shadow moving in the east. The southward one was closer, so Huo Qi Lang pursued while thinking that if her senior brothers and sisters saw her making such a commotion, they would surely mock and ridicule her.

However, having accepted this payment, she must prioritize ensuring the employer’s safety.

After several leaps, Huo Qi Lang overtook the person from behind, intending to capture him alive. Without drawing her blade, she applied a chokehold from behind. When he tried to struggle, she efficiently dislocated his shoulder and choked him unconscious, carrying him in hand. Looking back for the eastern figure, it had already vanished. Prince Shao’s manor occupied vast grounds, and where that person disappeared was still within the estate’s boundaries.

Huo Qi Lang grew suspicious but, carrying a prisoner, couldn’t search. So she returned to the great hall with the unconscious person under her arm, jumping down through the roof opening. She was gracefully beautiful yet martially fierce, dressed in black like a hunting female eagle swooping down with prey, landing elegantly.

The room was now brightly lit with Yuan Shaibo arriving in armor to guard. Clearly, the rooftop intruders had only intended surveillance without opportunity for combat – they were spies, not assassins.

The guards witnessed this martial expert’s lightness skills firsthand, seeing Huo Qi Lang move freely across rooftops and capture enemies instantly, their admiration overflowing.

One of the twins, Xu Lai, exclaimed in amazement: “You can actually fly?!”

Xu Xing pressed: “Didn’t you say your martial skills were mediocre? Turns out you’ve been hiding your abilities!”

Huo Qi Lang casually threw the unconscious spy on the ground, self-deprecatingly saying: “Within my sect, I’m truly unremarkable – bottom of the bottom.”

She then described the strange behavior of the two people she’d seen on the rooftop. Upon hearing this, Yuan Shaibo’s heart tightened. After ordering the guards to withdraw, he carefully searched the unconscious spy.

The strange man wore night clothes, appeared about thirty years old, with unremarkable build and appearance, carrying nothing to prove his identity.

Li Yuanying pondered briefly and commanded: “Check his pupils and toes.”

Following his master’s instruction, Yuan Shaibo immediately opened the spy’s eyelids, saw his pupils were pale in color, then removed his shoes and socks. After one glance, he reported to Li Yuanying:

“Not webbed toes.”

Huo Qi Lang watched with interest, asking: “What can you tell from these stinking feet?”

Yuan Shaibo explained: “Little toe nails that aren’t split usually indicate barbarian heritage.”

The supervising commissioner was directly appointed by the emperor and, like Prince Shao, came from Chang’an with all Han subordinates. But Youzhou, located on the frontier, had considerable barbarian soldiers and generals under Military Commissioner Liu Kun. Some barbarians had yellow hair and blue eyes with obvious origins, while others looked nearly identical to Central Plains people and were difficult to distinguish by appearance alone, though physical characteristics still showed subtle differences.

Li Yuanying softly speculated: “Liu Kun’s inner city is south of here.”

At this moment, the disheveled steward hurried over from his courtyard, desperately suppressing news to avoid alarming the women in the inner quarters. After discussion, they concluded public execution was impossible.

Li Chengyin angrily said: “Liu Kun’s presumptuous disrespect – actually daring to send spies to observe the prince. Hateful that we can’t directly confront him now.”

Yuan Shaibo said: “With Liu Kun and Ruan Ziming both watching us, if only we could find some way to make them fight each other like snipe and clam, diverting their attention.”

Everyone thought back and forth but remained silent.

Huo Qi Lang interrupted: “What’s this fish stick fighting thing?”

Li Chengyin, knowing she was illiterate, explained: “Making the two families mutually suspicious and attack each other – that way we’d have it easier.”

Huo Qi Lang laughed: “That’s actually easy. Since this spy was sent by the military commissioner, I’ll strip him naked and dump him in the supervising commissioner’s manor. When Ruan Ziming catches him, both sides will be baffled – that’ll be interesting.”

Li Yuanying asked in a low voice: “Can you do it?”

Huo Qi Lang said: “Nothing difficult about it. My lightness skills are mediocre – if senior brother were here, he could deliver the person directly to the supervising commissioner’s bed without them noticing until morning.”

With that, she rummaged through her chest for a black face cloth, covered her face, tucked the unconscious spy under her arm, leaped onto the roof, and instantly vanished into the night.

Yuan Shaibo thought to himself that the spy weighed at least 140-150 pounds, yet she could carry him while leaping across rooftops and manipulating him at will – truly possessing exceptional skills.

Li Chengyin praised highly: “The princess truly has natural talent for recognizing people. This person may be careless in manner, but she’s genuinely capable.”

Li Yuanying remained silent.

The steward continued: “Most important is that person hidden within the manor. Without eliminating the internal traitor, we can’t rest easy. Should we search through the night?”

Li Yuanying remained composed, shaking his head: “Don’t be hasty. Tonight’s two people weren’t necessarily together. When the time is right, they’ll reveal themselves.”

Perhaps to conserve his remaining energy, his voice was gentle and low. Seeing the late hour and fearing he was overthinking, Yuan Shaibo and Li Chengyin said no more.

In less than the time for one incense stick to burn, Huo Qi Lang returned empty-handed, claiming she’d executed the plan without alerting anyone.

Having witnessed this wanderer’s skills tonight, the subordinates all felt having her as personal bodyguard for their master was truly reassuring, and respectfully withdrew.

The roof hole couldn’t be repaired overnight, and the main door was also damaged, but fortunately soft curtains could block the wind. Li Yuanying returned to bed. Huo Qi Lang lay with her sword, gazing up at the stars through the roof opening. An hour quietly passed – she was nearly unable to resist drowsiness, yet the person in bed remained awake.

She thought that after this disturbance, there likely wouldn’t be more enemies tonight, so she couldn’t help lifting a corner of the brocade curtain to let candlelight penetrate the drapes. Li Yuanying’s face showed weariness as he stared at the canopy, his fan-shaped long lashes casting a shadow of melancholy across his face.

Huo Qi Lang felt sudden pity, softly asking: “You’re not going to keep thinking about those troubles until dawn, are you?”

The sleepless Prince Shao, with a trace of listless fatigue, glanced at her sideways. After long silence, he said in a low, slow voice: “You’re very good at making people lose consciousness.”

Not a question, but a statement. The implication was thought-provoking.

Huo Qi Lang seemed to understand, slowly crawling into the brocade curtains, carefully advancing like approaching a beautiful but alert white fox: “That’s right, I’m indeed top-notch at this skill, and… I also have some less rough techniques.”

Drawing close enough to hear breathing, Li Yuanying showed no intention of sending her away. He wore a jade-colored thin silk narrow-sleeved nightgown, and like other royalty, his bedding and clothing were all perfumed. Only when close enough could one smell his personal scent.

Cold and profound, with a trace of bitterness. With eyes closed, one could almost see a spruce standing tall in vast snow, repeatedly ravaged by harsh winter until nearly unable to bear more.

“Want another good night’s sleep?”

Gauging his thoughts, Huo Qi cast a tempting bait in whispers, her voice like magnetism that had bewitched countless prey.

A flicker of longing flashed in Li Yuanying’s weary eyes but was quickly hidden in their dark depths.

He wavered, slowly closing his eyes and softly commanding: “Go wash your hands clean.”

A smile crept across Huo Qi’s handsome face – she’d bet correctly on this hand.

He wanted to use a simple, quick pleasure to aid sleep, to gain temporary respite from troubling thoughts. However, regarding specific rhythm and steps, this martial world subordinate had her own ideas and wouldn’t act according to her superior’s wishes.

Li Yuanying vaguely remembered once giving other subordinates strong commands like “only seek results, don’t mind the process” – now he was suffering the same reverse, unable to break free.

Those in high positions controlled by those below; those who labored mentally repeatedly exploited by those who labored physically. Finally, consciousness gradually blurred.

Author’s Note:

Live and learn – just discovered this fact: Among raptors, females average larger than males, and female eagles are fiercer than male eagles.

(Though these two human characters have repeatedly emphasized similar builds to achieve disguise conditions – perhaps the brother being bedridden creates illusions, but he has a 183+ frame like a jade mountain)

Besides maintaining comment section harmony, I’ve recently deleted some comments that guessed the plot to avoid spoilers. Smart readers who find their comments mysteriously deleted, please smile knowingly and give yourselves praise.

Brother and Bao Zhu are seven years apart. They grew up together, but when the younger brother was born, he’d already left the palace. Bao Zhu and younger brother are ten years apart – after mother’s death, she lived with the little one, so Bao Zhu has deep feelings for both brothers, but the two brothers aren’t very familiar with each other.