When Xia Xiuyan awoke, he discovered a woman’s outer robe draped over him. Under the tree, he was alone—Qiu Xinran had gone somewhere unknown.

These past two years at the frontier, he had exhausted his mind and energy, rarely sleeping well. After returning to Chang’an, he often relied on burning incense in his bedchamber to occasionally obtain peaceful sleep. He hadn’t expected that tonight in this desolate wilderness under the open sky, he would sleep the best he had in recent days.

The sky was still somewhat dim, but the morning star had already brightened in the east—daybreak should be imminent. He lifted the outer robe covering him and stood up. The wound ached faintly, and his feverish head was still somewhat muddled.

Xia Xiuyan gripped the outer robe in his hand and walked toward the woods. He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of water not far away. Following the sound inward, after a few steps he saw a pond with rippling azure waves, clear and transparent. A thin mist had risen in the morning. He stood still on a rock at the shore and gazed into the water for a while. Through the gauze-like mist, he seemed to be able to see a black shadow swimming underwater.

He frowned, staring at that shadow gradually swimming toward the shore. Immediately after came a tremendous sound of breaking water—with a great splash, someone emerged from beneath the water. The woman had ink-black hair cascading behind her, her skin color like congealed frost competing with snow. She tilted her head back and took a sharp breath. Water droplets rolled down her cheeks, following her slender neck and disappearing into her collar. In the silent dawn of the wilderness, in that moment, Xia Xiuyan suddenly had the illusion of accidentally entering a dream and encountering a fairy spirit from the mountain forest.

In his moment of distraction, the woman had already turned her head to look over. Seeing the person standing at the shore, she first froze, then happily called out to him: “Marquis, look what I found!” She turned her body and slowly swam toward the rock’s edge. In the water, her snow-blue garment bloomed like a flower, resembling a mermaid’s tail.

When she reached the shore, she raised her hand, holding a copper box, presenting it before him. Not without pride, she said: “I searched for a long time and finally managed to turn over that bluestone slab. I almost couldn’t lift it.”

Xia Xiuyan crouched down, wanting to ask if she had gone into the water early in the morning just to find this. But his throat felt like it contained gravel, making him unable to make a sound for a moment. In the morning, there were the first chirping sounds of birds, making the wilderness seem exceptionally tranquil. In this tranquility, his gaze fell on her face, noticing a water droplet hanging from her eyelashes. As she blinked once, as if finally unable to bear the weight, it trembled lightly, sliding down along her elegant nose tip, finally disappearing at the corner of her lips. He swallowed, as if having burned all night, suddenly feeling parched from dehydration.

Qiu Xinran didn’t notice his intense gaze at all and was still talking nonstop: “I originally wanted to come wash my face, but just so happened…”

Before she finished speaking, the man half-crouching at the shore suddenly reached out and scooped her up. One hand supported her chin while the other pressed against the back of her neck, suddenly drawing close. Qiu Xinran only felt a wave of scorching breath fall on her face, and then lips and tongue even hotter than breath pressed against her.

It was a somewhat restrained yet clumsy kiss, carrying a trace of plundering intent. He seemed urgently trying to prove the person before him was no phantom. The palm at the back of her neck slightly tightened, leaving her no room to struggle free. Qiu Xinran felt his lips were warm and soft. Because they were pressed so close, his eyelashes lightly swept across her face like a small brush, gently brushing across her heart. The pond water in early morning was ice cold, freezing one’s fingertips white, but his breath was scalding hot, making her involuntarily shiver. Finally reacting to what was happening, she retreated in panic toward the water.

Xia Xiuyan half-knelt on the rock at the shore. After perceiving the slight struggle of the person in his arms, he half-opened his eyes. A layer of mist filled his gaze, the corners of his eyes slightly red, as if in high fever, not as clear-minded as usual. Qiu Xinran’s heart felt flustered. She grasped his arm with one hand as her body sank down into the water. Unexpectedly, he still refused to let go. With only a “splash” sound, a huge spray of water splashed in the pond, startling the birds in the forest. The man who had been half-kneeling at the shore fell into the water along with her. The pond water instantly submerged overhead as the two’s robes tangled together in the water.

Qiu Xinran felt the man tightly holding her gradually lose his strength. This time, taking advantage of the situation, with one push she pushed him away some distance. She opened her eyes in the water and discovered he had closed his eyes again. In the water, his face appeared slightly pale, revealing a rarely seen sense of fragility.

For a moment, her heart panicked, suspecting he couldn’t swim. She hurriedly moved closer again, pressing against his lips once more, slowly giving him breath in the water. Then tightly grasping his sleeve, she brought him back to the water’s surface.

Qiu Xinran brought him to the shore and patted his chest. The man’s eyes were tightly closed, his forehead hair messily stuck to his face. He coughed up some water, and after a while finally slowly half-opened his eyes. Before she could breathe a long sigh of relief, she heard footsteps from the woods. She immediately looked up alertly and saw an unfamiliar soldier emerge from behind the bushes. Seeing the woman in the water, he was also startled. Then his gaze fell upon the man lying at the shore, and his expression instantly became excited: “Found him!” He turned his head and ran toward the outside of the woods, shouting loudly all the way.

Qiu Xinran froze, realizing this should be Xia Xiuyan’s personal guards finding them. Sure enough, before long, there was a flurry of chaotic footsteps in the woods. Gao Yang was at the forefront. Running up close and seeing the man lying on the ground safe and sound, he nearly reddened his eyes in an instant: “Quick, quick, get on the carriage and change into clean clothes.”

Several trusted subordinates following behind immediately stepped forward to help him up. Qiu Xinran felt the other party’s hand gripping her wrist exert slight force. He half-opened his eyes to look at her, but in his illness he was powerless and soon let go. The personal guard supporting him didn’t detect this momentary entanglement between the two, completely immersed in the tremendous joy of his safety. They quickly sent him out of the woods.

Qiu Xinran immersed herself in the water, watching his back disappear behind the bushes, still somewhat unable to come to her senses. Just now he seemed to want to say something to her—say what? She thought blankly.

Starting last night, Gao Yang had sent people to search the mountain. After searching all night, he finally found Xia Xiuyan safe and sound here. His heart finally settled back into his stomach. After the chaos and confusion in the woods, only then did he notice the woman still in the water. Startled, he hurriedly said: “Miss Qiu, quickly come up.” He reached out preparing to pull her up, but Qiu Xinran pushed away from the rock and sank down a bit more. Not very embarrassed, she looked up and smiled at him: “Please also find me a garment.”

Gao Yang froze, only then seeming to realize something. Not very comfortably, he stepped back a few paces and hurriedly said: “Alright, wait a moment, I’ll go right away.” As he spoke, he hurriedly withdrew from the woods.

When Qiu Xinran emerged from the woods draped in a man’s outer robe, only a few people remained outside. Gao Yang waited for her in place. Qiu Xinran glanced around. Gao Yang seemed to see through her thoughts and explained: “The Marquis has been sent to a safe place. Where does Miss intend to return? I’ll send someone to escort you.”

Qiu Xinran shook her head: “Just drop me off at an inn in the city. It shouldn’t be convenient for you to have people see you sending me back, right?”

Gao Yang’s heart paused, moved by her meticulous and considerate thoughtfulness. He saw her hand over a copper box she was holding: “Please deliver this box to the Marquis. It should be of great use to him.” After saying this, she bowed to him, wrung her still-dripping wet long hair, and walked on her own toward a carriage stopped to the side, boarding it without needing anyone’s help. Gao Yang even forgot to ask her why the two of them would be soaking in the water in such a bedraggled state.

By the time Qiu Xinran returned to He’s Restaurant, it was already afternoon. She often went out with uncertain whereabouts, and the He family, old and young, were accustomed to her mysterious ways. Therefore, they weren’t surprised by her staying out all night. She casually dealt with He Xiu’er with a few sentences, hastily ate some food, then returned to her room to sleep.

Leaning against the soft bedding, although she had only been gone for a short night, it felt as if a long time had passed. When Qiu Xinran closed her eyes, her mind was still on that kiss at the pond’s edge this morning.

Why had Xia Xiuyan suddenly kissed her? Could it be he was possessed by nightmares? Though looking at his appearance this morning, he truly did seem possessed. Or did he mistake her for someone else? Qiu Xinran angrily thought: Lecher, shameless! He should have just been allowed to drown!

She indignantly turned over, then couldn’t help thinking: But if he didn’t mistake her for someone else… then he was even more shameless! To even lay hands on someone like her who had left home to cultivate—lecher, lustful scoundrel! The little Daoist pulled the blanket over her head. Her earlobes were suspiciously red as she tightly closed her eyes and began silently reciting the Scripture of Great Peace in her heart.

Early the next morning, when Qiu Xinran went downstairs for a meal, she discovered the atmosphere in the restaurant was different from usual. The diners sat together whispering, not knowing what they were discussing, but each face showed unusually grave expressions.

He Xiu’er brought her a bowl of wonton soup, her face also not looking good, listless. Qiu Xinran couldn’t help asking: “Has something happened?”

The young girl let out a long, heavy sigh: “The day before yesterday, there was a tremendous boom at Fujiang Mountain in the southern part of the city, and the mountain entrance collapsed. Yesterday the city was already discussing what exactly happened. They only saw the county office dispatching groups of people there, surrounding it so tightly not even water could leak through, looking like some major incident occurred. This morning, news spread saying there were traces of Dayue people. The Marquis Dingbei took people over, but the mountain entrance collapsed and a whole group of people were all buried inside.”

Qiu Xinran knew the inside story, so she didn’t speak. He Xiu’er sighed again: “Tell me, if the Marquis Dingbei truly had some mishap, what would happen to the Northwest?”

No one knew what would happen to the Northwest without the Marquis Dingbei. In the imperial court, because of this matter, things had already become a chaotic mess.

When the news first arrived, everyone was greatly shocked. His Majesty issued an edict to make every effort to clear through the mountain rocks and confirm Xia Xiuyan’s safety. But as time continuously passed, people in the court gradually developed other thoughts.

Originally, in this confrontation between the Marquis Dingbei and the Left Chancellor, the Marquis Dingbei had gradually gained the upper hand. But now, with Xia Xiuyan’s whereabouts unknown, the wind direction in the court began to gradually change. Someone raised doubts at the court assembly: first questioning why the Dayue people had infiltrated the capital yet there wasn’t the slightest disturbance at the frontier; second questioning why among all people only Xia Xiuyan obtained information about the Dayue people entering the capital; third questioning why, having learned of this matter, Xia Xiuyan didn’t report it immediately but instead went alone to a private meeting.

When Zhao Rong returned, he heard He Zhong cursing furiously. Gao Yang, since taking people out that day, had returned once midway, then quickly left again with some things. In these short few days of successive unexpected developments, he was so anxious that a string of blisters formed on his mouth, yet could only stare helplessly within the residence. Seeing Zhao Rong return, he hurriedly rushed up asking: “How is it?”

Seeing the other party shake his head, he couldn’t help cursing. However, Zhao Rong’s expression was still relatively composed: “Cursing won’t help. Better to properly look after the residence. Not everyone here belongs to the Marquis’s household—many pairs of eyes are watching. Don’t let chaos erupt from within.”

“The Marquis’s life and death are currently unknown, yet you still have the mind to say these things?”

“Do you have another solution?” Zhao Rong glanced at him. After all, he couldn’t bear it: “You also need not be too anxious. I think the Marquis should be safe and sound.”

Hearing these words, He Zhong’s eyes suddenly widened: “How do you know?”

“Yesterday I went to He’s Restaurant to check. Miss Qiu has already safely returned.”

He Zhong was overjoyed: “That’s right! Your brain still works well. How did I not think of this? That Daoist has safely returned, so the Marquis must certainly be fine too.” He happily rubbed his hands together, then thought of something, his expression hesitant: “But if that’s truly the case, why didn’t Gao Yang say anything when he returned?”

Zhao Rong sighed: “Gao Yang isn’t skilled at lying. It should be that the Marquis deliberately concealed things from the residence. He was afraid of revealing the truth in front of us, so he simply didn’t even return to the residence.”

“Good gracious, that Gao Yang actually even concealed things from us. When he returns, I must give him what for!” Though he said this, He Zhong’s expression obviously relaxed considerably, completely different from the previous days. Seeing this, Zhao Rong reminded him: “Since the Marquis deliberately concealed this, he must have his plans. You’re straightforward and quick to speak—it’s easy for people to see through you. These next few days, stay in the residence and don’t go out. When the Marquis has instructions, he’ll certainly send someone with a message.”

He Zhong repeatedly agreed. Suddenly someone outside reported that Junior Minister Zhou from the Court of Judicial Review had arrived with people and wanted to see General Zhao. He Zhong froze: “What does the Court of Judicial Review want with Brother Rong for no good reason?”

That person also couldn’t explain why. Zhao Rong’s heart sank slightly—he already had a vague premonition. His brows furrowed slightly. After a moment, he nodded: “Ask him to wait briefly. I’ll go right away.”