After stepping out of Luo Huaimeng’s bedroom, Murong went to find Xiangxiu.

Xiangxiu was busy sorting through the storeroom in Lanxiang Courtyard. The moment she saw Murong, she smiled warmly. “Sister Murong, does the Young Mistress need something?”

“The mistresses are talking — I just came to keep you company since I have some free time.” Murong smiled and took Xiangxiu’s hand, then pulled out a packet of roasted peanuts from her pocket.

Stealing a moment from her work, Xiangxiu sat down beside Murong, and the two of them chatted idly while snacking on peanuts.

“Sister Xiangxiu, I always see you around the courtyard — what about the other servants?”

“The Second Concubine prefers quiet, so it’s usually just me attending her. The other servants each have their own duties.”

Murong made a small sound of understanding. “The Young Mistress brought back some snacks and said they should be shared among the staff. Could you bring me around to hand them out, Sister Xiangxiu?”

“The Young Mistress is so thoughtful.” Xiangxiu smiled. “Come, I’ll take you now.”

Murong went back to the courtyard first to collect some pastries, then returned to Lanxiang Courtyard.

The maids there were assigned to various tasks — laundry, the water room, cleaning, and other household chores.

With Xiangxiu making the introductions, Murong met each of them in turn. When she came to the maid who worked in the water room, a young woman named Bi Zhu, Murong’s eyes immediately sharpened with recognition.

She could not have been mistaken — Bi Zhu was the very maid she had seen in the grove earlier. Murong glanced down at the sole of Bi Zhu’s shoe and spotted a small leaf stuck there, still fresh and green.

“Thank you, Young Mistress.” Bi Zhu accepted the box of pastries Murong held out. “Thank you, Miss Murong.”

Murong smiled. “Think nothing of it.”

After she and Xiangxiu walked away, she remarked as if in passing, “Bi Zhu looks quite young.”

“Bi Zhu is a distant relative of the Second Concubine — she came from the countryside to seek her help. She has no one in Shun Cheng, so the Second Concubine let her manage the water room. That’s about the most comfortable post in the whole courtyard, and plenty of the other maids are envious. The Second Concubine is just that kind-hearted — she always looks after her poorer relatives.”

“Which part of the countryside did she come from?”

“I believe it was Lugou County. Quite far away.”

Murong acknowledged this with a quiet nod, then casually asked about a few of the other maids before changing the subject.

Once back at Tiaolan Courtyard, Murong told Yan Qing everything she had learned.

Yan Qing sipped her tea. “So she’s actually Mother’s distant relative. And yet — relatives are often the ones most easily trusted.”

“Miss, why not have the Second Concubine confront Bi Zhu directly?”

Yan Qing shook her head. “All we saw was Bi Zhu talking to someone in the grove. We didn’t hear what was said. If we try to claim she intended harm to Mother without any real evidence, confronting her would only alert her and cause her to be more careful.”

Bi Zhu might have simply been catching up with an acquaintance — there was no proof of ill intent. But in a household like this, Yan Qing preferred to think things through carefully.

Whatever these people were after — whether their target was Luo Huaimeng or Yan Qing herself — their ultimate aim was Shi Ting.

What she still couldn’t work out was what, in the seemingly quiet Shi household, there was left to use against the Second Concubine.

And if Bi Zhu truly had some scheme in mind, what was it for?

“Murong, have Di Huai make a trip to Lugou County and look into this Bi Zhu.”

The journey from Shun Cheng to Lugou County was no short one — the round trip would take roughly ten days.

“Also, you and Jing Zhi should spend more time walking around the courtyard these next few days. See if you can happen across the maid who was talking to Bi Zhu.”

“Understood, Miss.” Murong nodded. “And the Second Concubine?”

“I’ll keep watch on my end.”

Yan Qing drank another sip of tea. She needed time — and the right moment. She was confident that if someone truly had designs on Lanxiang Courtyard, they would eventually reveal themselves.

“Miss, should we tell the Young Master about this?”

Yan Qing shook her head. “Let’s not trouble him with matters of the inner household. If we find ourselves unable to handle it on our own, we can tell him then.”

Now that she had married into this family, it was her duty to watch over the rear courtyard for him. She would not let anyone take advantage of Luo Huaimeng’s kindness — what had happened with the gift registry would not be allowed to happen again.

—

Meanwhile, in the General Commander’s study, he sat looking at the three brothers assembled before him.

“Regarding the coal mines at Qian Guan Cheng, several people have recommended Weizhi.” He glanced toward Shi Guang. “Weizhi, you’ll set off tomorrow.”

Qian Guan Cheng was a coal-producing region, accounting for sixty percent of the nation’s total coal output. Of those mines, however, half the operating rights were held by Diguonese interests.

The last time the General Commander and Shi Ting had traveled to Qian Guan Cheng together, this had been precisely the matter at hand — they wanted to reclaim the operating rights for the government authority, but to take them back from the Diguonese without open confrontation, since that would cause a diplomatic incident.

Shi Ting had covertly contacted the coal merchants’ association in Qian Guan Cheng and pressured the Diguonese from within. By now the Diguonese had clearly been worn down and were beginning to give ground. What was needed at this stage was someone to go in person and bring the matter to a proper conclusion.

By all rights, since the plan had been Shi Ting’s and he had personally made the first trip to Qian Guan Cheng, sending Shi Guang now — just as the work was reaching its final stage — was handing him a significant political windfall. One more contribution to his record before the General Commander.

“Yes, General Commander.” Shi Guang had not expected to be tasked with the coal mine matter, and he was momentarily overcome with grateful surprise.

The General Commander gave a nod. “Nothing else. You’re dismissed.”

Shi Guang left early to begin preparing for his departure, while Shi Ting and Shi Qian fell behind.

Along a cobblestone path, Shi Qian spoke up. “I remember the Qian Guan Cheng matter has always been your responsibility, Seventh Brother. Why has the General Commander suddenly handed it off to Second Brother?”

Shi Ting paused briefly. “The General Commander may feel that Second Brother is better suited to handle this one.”

Shi Qian gave a small smile. “Second Brother has quite a lucky break this time — you did all the hard work, and he merely shows up for the conclusion, yet ends up with the credit.”

“Secretary-General Liu and Political Affairs Director Qin jointly recommended Second Brother.” Shi Ting exhaled softly. “The General Commander also places more trust in Second Brother. Since he’s chosen to send him, I have no objection.”

Shi Qian looked at Shi Ting — his expression betrayed nothing — and laughed quietly. “The General Commander does trust Second Brother the most.”

“By the way.” Shi Qian shifted topics. “The Military Police Division is in charge of security for next week’s ball. How are your preparations going?”

“I’ve already stationed personnel at the Grand Egede Ballroom. We are taking every measure to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

“If you need any help, just say the word.” Shi Qian clapped a hand to his shoulder. “We’re brothers — no need to stand on ceremony.”

“Thank you, Elder Brother.” Shi Ting gave a slight nod.

Once he and Shi Qian had parted ways, Shi Ting walked directly back to his own courtyard.

Yan Qing was sitting on the garden swing, feeding strips of beef to Second Egg cradled in her arms.

Although Second Egg was still a small tiger cub, its innate wild nature had already led it to learn quickly how to eat meat. There was no need to cut it into small pieces — toss something in front of it, and those small, sharp teeth would make short work of it.

“It’s eating more and more.” Shi Ting came and sat down on the other side of the swing.

“You’re back.” He moved without a sound, and she hadn’t realized he had arrived until he was already sitting. “Did you finish your discussion over there?”

“Yes.” Shi Ting absently stroked Second Egg’s fur with one hand. “The General Commander has sent Shi Guang to Qian Guan Cheng to resolve the matter of the mine, following a joint recommendation from Secretary-General Liu and Political Affairs Director Qin.”

Yan Qing stopped feeding and tilted her head in thought. “Was this your idea, my husband?”

Shi Ting looked at her, one brow lifting with a smile. “What makes you say that?”

“You had just made a contribution at Tai Shan not long ago. If you were to resolve the mine situation as well, you would shine far too brightly. And sometimes, too many achievements are not a good thing.” Yan Qing blinked. “Too much merit can unsettle even those in power — it breeds wariness.”

She fed another piece of beef to Second Egg. “I remember the first time I heard about you, people said you were a concubine-born son, overlooked by the General Commander, while the legitimate son Shi Qian was benevolent but unremarkable — unable to shoulder great responsibilities. Of the sons, only Second Young Master Shi Guang was said to possess both virtue and talent, and was surely destined to inherit the commander’s seat. Even now, that’s still what people say outside.”

Shi Ting smiled and waited for her to continue.

“But what I’ve seen with my own eyes doesn’t match those rumors. The General Commander has never slighted you for being concubine-born. Though he’s placed you in charge of only the Military Police Division, privately he still entrusts you with important matters. So I began to wonder — could it be that you are the one who deliberately spread those rumors?”

Yan Qing looked at him, searching for an answer.

“Madam is perceptive.” Shi Ting smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

Taking his acknowledgment as confirmation, Yan Qing grew bolder in her speculation. “From the outside, Shi Guang looks like the crown prince. The government offices are filled with his people, and he holds a portion of the military authority — a single word from him and there would be a chorus of followers. But the General Commander has never officially declared that Shi Guang will succeed him — otherwise, the title of Young Commander would not have remained vacant until now. You once said that the General Commander is in his prime, ambitious, and vigilant against threat even from his own sons. Shi Guang’s expansion of his own power base has long since made the General Commander wary. This time, with Secretary-General Liu and Political Affairs Director Qin both jointly recommending Shi Guang for Qian Guan Cheng, a seed of suspicion has quietly been planted in the General Commander’s mind. Consider: men of such weight in the General Commander’s own government — if they have all aligned with Shi Guang, and Shi Guang were to move against him, would the General Commander have any real defense?”

Shi Ting listened, then let out a hearty laugh and patted the back of her head lightly with his palm. “I assumed Madam was skilled only at managing the inner household — I didn’t expect her to see through the political game with such clarity.”

“I’m only guessing.” Yan Qing smiled her easy smile, stroking Second Egg in her arms. “And my guesses stem from knowing you well. No one else understands you the way I do.”

Over the years, Shi Ting had bided his time carefully. The Military Police Division was his best camouflage. And so most people’s impression of Shi Ting remained what it had once been to Li Yongqi — unremarkable.

“My husband, I want to venture one more guess.” Yan Qing looked over at him with a smile.

—