Wuyan glanced at him and picked up the wine bottle.

She was already filled with extreme hatred and anger, and though the wine pot wasn’t heavy, she felt immense pressure… He no longer loved her – only revenge remained.

Though she tried to maintain composure, her hands trembled slightly, and feeling his burning gaze circling above her head, the wine immediately spilled out.

Something rough yet warm covered her hand – Huo Chang’an’s large hand had covered hers.

“What are you doing?”

She was startled and scolded hoarsely.

“The wine has overflowed. I’m just telling you not to pour anymore.”

Huo Chang’an’s phoenix eyes flickered lightly.

Suddenly he reached out and pulled out a gold ingot, tossing it to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper was both shocked and delighted: “This gold, this gold…”

Huo Chang’an said: “Innkeeper, send someone to the medicine hall to buy some medicine and invite a good doctor back. That money is for the doctor’s fee, and what’s left is your travel expenses.”

The innkeeper was overjoyed, immediately tucked the gold into his bosom, and ordered his assistant to go out immediately to make arrangements. Seeing this, the assistant naturally didn’t dare delay and left at once.

“I keep my word.”

Seeing Wuyan frowning tightly as she stared at him, Huo Chang’an drank some wine and said, as if swallowing her as well.

At this time, Xiang’er and the three guards sat at a neighboring table. The former looked anxiously at them, while the guards naturally felt awe and dared not speak. The customers in the shop all had similar expressions, intimidated by this man who had arrived magnificently through the rain, watching the two of them.

Many young ladies looked on with both envy and admiration.

Wuyan felt both desolate and angry at this ambiguous atmosphere, and abruptly broke free from Huo Chang’an’s hand.

Huo Chang’an laughed lightly and took another drink.

“Thank you.” But Wuyan couldn’t restrain herself, standing up abruptly and instructing Xiang’er to take care of the guards while she went upstairs to her room first, avoiding this person.

She couldn’t leave tonight. These guards were injured because of her – she couldn’t just abandon them and leave. At least she had to wait until their injuries improved somewhat.

Huo Chang’an watched her retreating figure, curving his lips, thinking: if she knew he could have saved her three guards earlier, and that he carried the best wound medicine with him, what would she do?

Stay here then, Wei Wuyan.

Seeing Wuyan go upstairs, Suzhen gently tugged at Leng Xue: “Let’s go.”

Since Huo Chang’an had rescued Wuyan, she no longer showed herself to avoid revealing her whereabouts.

She felt sorry for Wuyan, but didn’t know whether Wuyan should reconcile with Huo Chang’an. According to what Lian Yu and Huo Chang’an had said, if Wuyan had no romantic feelings for Lian Yu, she shouldn’t be trapped in that palace cage.

The two quietly returned to their room, supporting two oil-paper umbrellas, leaped out from the second-floor window, and also fell into the vast rain.

After deciding on the plan to investigate the prison at night, when Yan Da and Gao Chaoyi left, it was raining heavily outside.

Yan Da thought of something and had Gao Chaoyi wait outside first, then turned back to look at Lian Yu. Hesitating slightly, he said: “Your Majesty, this minister has something else to report.”

Lian Yu briefly assessed his expression and had Lian Jie and others leave first, keeping only Yan Da: “Chancellor Yan?”

“Your Majesty, Miss Gu has come to Minshan and is now staying at the Huang Manor with that Quan Feitong.”

Speaking of the emperor’s family affairs, though this old minister had a teacher-friend relationship with the Son of Heaven, he felt somewhat embarrassed and lowered his voice.

“Mm, I know. The people who escorted her here are my subordinates – they reported to me. Thank you for your trouble, old chancellor.”

Lian Yu spoke indifferently, his mind flashing to Gu Shuangcheng’s clear, cold eyes that sometimes held a hint of stubbornness.

Yan Da was slightly stunned. Hearing this, he naturally didn’t dare say more. Thinking of something, he said: “Does Your Majesty intend to include Si Lanfeng among us?”

Lian Yu said: “What does Chancellor Yan think?”

Yan Da pondered briefly, his eyes showing thoughtful expression: “This person is indeed promising material. It’s just that his personality and talent are somewhat too obvious, which isn’t good. But given time, this might be smoothed out. It depends on who he follows – following Your Majesty, there should be no problem.”

“Moreover, sincerity is precious in employing people. His personality can precisely prove his scheming isn’t deep, so we needn’t fear betrayal or deception.”

“Mm.”

Lian Yu nodded: “Then, regarding Huang Tianba’s matter, please be sure to make arrangements at the prefectural office when the time comes, Chancellor. You and I will coordinate from inside and outside.”

“Yes, this old minister obeys the command.”

Yan Da bowed formally and took his leave.

The voices of Lian Qin and others could be heard faintly in the outer corridor, but Lian Yu felt no sense of liveliness. He reached out to open the window, gazing at the rain curtain outside. The road ahead was long and arduous. He suddenly wondered what that little rascal Li Huaisu was doing right now.

At the prefectural office.

Li Zhaoting was slightly shaken when he heard what Quan Feitong said, but he quickly recovered his composure and smiled: “So senior brother had already made arrangements long ago.”

It turned out that Quan Feitong had long ago bribed the Ministry of Personnel clerks. Before the impeachment memorial reached his hands – more than ten days ago – Quan Feitong had already seen it first. Thus, Huang Tianba had sufficient time to arrange everything here, and with Quan Feitong sending people to help, even if Lian Yu came personally to investigate, it would be difficult to find anything.

Quan Feitong looked at him with a half-smile: “Are you blaming me for not telling you beforehand? Did it make you worry?”

“Senior brother doing this must have senior brother’s reasons.” Li Zhaoting waved his hand slightly and replied clearly.

“Mm, I wanted to see what you would do when you received the impeachment memorial. Very good, Zhaoting, you indeed didn’t disappoint me.” Quan Feitong curved his lips and said with a light laugh. Seeing Li Zhaoting suddenly stand up with an expression of wanting to speak but stopping, he picked up chess pieces from the table and asked: “What is it? Zhaoting, speak freely if you have something to say.”

“Zhaoting always feels that in this Magistrate Huang case, senior brother has laid out a grand strategy, but besides wanting neutral ministers to lean toward us, there seems to be other deep meaning.”

Hearing this, Quan Feitong’s gaze slowly deepened. Just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed. He pressed his hand to his chest, and a thin layer of pain appeared in his eyes.

“Senior brother…”

Li Zhaoting’s expression also changed, and he immediately went over to help support him.

When Suzhen and Leng Xue dined at an inn again, it was the next day, and they had changed to a different inn. Suzhen’s eyes sparkled with amusement – just moments before, she had gotten an idea: she wanted to enter the Huang Manor.