“Only if he doesn’t look like one does he have a chance.” Gu Yanxi lowered his gaze toward the wolf lying incomplete on the ground, its head missing. “General Lu should be aware that the Chaoli tribe would never leave a man like that in our hands.”

“This subordinate understands. This subordinate will go back and make preparations at once.”

“This official has already dispatched men back to the capital to call for reinforcements. Even at the fastest pace, the relief party will need two days to arrive. Yuan Shifang cannot remain in the city in the meantime — I will have men escort him to the military camp. I must also ask General Lu to keep a close watch over him.”

Lu Peiyu had long heard of the Seven Lodges Bureau’s formidable reputation, yet this was his first time dealing with them directly. Having nothing to hide, he had no misgivings, and asked whatever came to mind. “Should Yuan Shifang’s whereabouts be kept under wraps?”

Gu Yanxi looked at Lu Peiyu through his mask. The Lu family raised their children on military strategy texts, and he harbored no concern that Lu Peiyu was an incompetent. What worried him was the Yuzhou army — after years without war, he could not be certain how much of their fighting strength remained.

“Outsiders will only know that Yuan Shifang is still the Yuzhou Administrator, merely taking two days of sick leave due to poor health.”

“Understood. This subordinate knows what to do.”

“Do not allow anyone to come into contact with him.”

“Yes.”

Watching Lu Peiyu depart, Gu Yanxi called out, “Someone come.”

“Subordinate is here.”

“Relay to the Third Lodge Guard — I want actionable intelligence before dawn.”

“Yes.”

At last, quiet settled over the room. Gu Yanxi turned the situation over in his mind from beginning to end, and only then did he spare a thought for the matter of Hao Yue.

A person without even a family name — even if she were a celestial beauty descended from the heavens, he could not extend her even half a measure of trust. Without needing to see her in person, he could hear the towering ambition in her very tone of voice.

The least ambitious person he had ever encountered was A’Zhi. Even now, he had not truly fathomed the depths of her — it was as though she could do anything, as though no matter what fell into her hands, it would never be beyond her. And yet a person of such capability had lived quietly and without a trace within the inner courtyard of a great household for years on end. That was genuine lack of ambition. As for the one who had come invoking talk of leaving or entering the world — her scheme would not be a small one.

A marriage affinity? Was she referring to the next sovereign — or perhaps… to him?

Since she dared to use such a matter as an offering of allegiance, she must have been confident in it. Regardless, Jingzhou and Xiangyang needed to be guarded against all contingencies.

Thinking of Jingzhou, Gu Yanxi’s gaze softened. He wondered where A’Zhi had gotten to by now — she should be preparing to head back, he supposed. It was fortunate that she had a mind of her own and had not truly waited for him to travel south together with her. With the Chaoli tribe matter now entangled around him, he feared he would not be able to go anywhere for some time.

Thinking of A’Zhi heading south and then north, Gu Yanxi lowered his eyes. No matter what, he was determined to accompany her on that northward journey.

For A’Zhi, in all of the world beneath heaven, only two places could truly hold her heart — the capital, and Yinshan Pass. He dared not consider how much weight he carried in A’Zhi’s heart, but he could be certain that however heavy, it could not compare to the importance her family held for her. The southward journey and the northward journey were simply not comparable.

He could, by reason of duty, refrain from accompanying A’Zhi to Jingzhou. But if it came to the northward journey — unless the Chaoli tribe had already broken through the border and invaded — he would follow.

Yuan Shifang proved to be the expected man of iron will. It was not until well past the midpoint of the hours between midnight and dawn that Chen Qing finally knocked at the door, cradling a freshly compiled dossier still warm from completion.

Gu Yanxi read through every word with careful attention, his lips pressed tightly together. Forty-five years — the groundwork had been laid forty-five years ago. The Chaoli tribe’s treacherous ambitions had never died. Even back then, they had seized women of the Great Qing dynasty and fathered children upon them, then had those children secretly substituted into the Yuan family. The child was raised beside Yuan Shifang from childhood, so that from an early age he would know his true identity and feel no sense of belonging to the Great Qing dynasty. What a masterfully laid scheme.

“My lord, regarding the Yuan family…”

“Do not make any noise about it yet.” Gu Yanxi’s voice was cold, his expression colder still. Yuan Shifang was worthy of being a man of the Chaoli tribe — even if not of the same bloodline by birth, the Yuan family had raised him and his adoptive father had doted on him for many years. Yet in the end, to leave no loose ends, he had silenced both of them. Such ruthlessness of heart spoke for itself.

“Continue the interrogation. Since the Chaoli tribe devised this method, they would certainly not have stopped with Yuan Shifang alone. After returning to the capital, take men and come back to Yuzhou. Follow the thread from Yuan Shifang and see how many more can be pulled out.”

The thought of how many Chaoli tribe members might be lurking within the Great Qing dynasty made Chen Qing draw a sharp breath of cold air. Men like Yuan Shifang were physically indistinguishable from the people of Great Qing — how were they to tell them apart?

“No one outside of the Seven Lodges Bureau may be permitted to become involved in this matter.”

“But my lord, once this comes to light, the Three Offices and the Six Ministries will surely all wish to—”

“Not permitted.” Gu Yanxi’s voice dropped in weight. “If they were to insert themselves, this matter would only become a tool for them to frame and undermine one another. I will not have it end with nothing but innocent people brought out.”

“Yes. This subordinate understands.”

“The Three Offices have only one hour.” Gu Yanxi produced a map and drew his finger lightly across its surface. “The secret passage can no longer be called a secret passage — it cannot be used again. One hour from now, take a detachment of men and escort Yuan Shifang out of the city by this route. Deliver him personally into General Lu’s hands. For safety, have him swallow a Dreamless Pill.”

The name “Dreamless Pill” — so perfunctory a name — was clearly something Shao Yao had come up with. Its effect was as straightforward as its name: once swallowed, even if one were to bleed him, he would not wake.

Outside, the pattering sound had gradually stilled — the rain had stopped. Yet over Yuzhou, a great wind was stirring, and when the rain returned, it would come as a torrential downpour.

The sun rose slowly from the horizon, breaking through the cloud cover, its brilliance flooding outward until the entire sky brightened in an instant.

Hua Zhi had been to many places in her previous life and eaten many delicacies, but to simply sit on the shore with nothing to think about and nothing to do, watching the sunrise — that was a first even for her. Like all the others, her heart was full of awe. The only difference was perhaps that she concealed it a little better than the rest, and did not forget to close her mouth.

At this moment, their party sat aboard a ship anchored at the farthest point the locals dared to go. In every direction — front, back, left, and right — nothing was visible but an endless expanse of sea. Such vastness. Such a feeling that stirred reverence in the heart. This feeling was something the river could never come close to. Bao Xia’s face had gone a ghastly white, though the crimson haze from the horizon fell across her face and gave it the appearance of the finest rouge artfully applied.

“So beautiful.” Shao Yao rested her cheek in her hand, her face utterly transfixed.

Hua Zhi smiled and stroked her head. Only the purest of hearts could discover the most beautiful things — and so Xiao Liu would be struck with awe, she herself would appreciate the view, and only Shao Yao could give voice to so wholehearted an exclamation.

She glanced at the child, who sat with lips quietly pressed together, and then looked back toward the sun as it climbed steadily higher. She supposed this outing had fulfilled its purpose well enough. Faced with this vast open sea, with a sunrise that would not let one’s gaze move away, she hoped it would broaden his horizons and make his heart as wide and encompassing as the sea itself.

“Let us head back.”

Xu Ying was about to go notify the boat captain when the Sixth Prince spoke up, asking them to wait. Only on this journey had he come to learn that the one staying at the Hua family home was actually a prince — and his admiration for the eldest young lady had soared to heights it could not surpass. Their eldest young lady was truly capable of anything!

“Sister Hua, I would like to look a little longer.” The Sixth Prince gazed at Sister Hua, who in this moment appeared gentler than he had ever seen her. He understood it all — he knew this was exactly what Sister Hua had wanted him to see. Whether it was the squabbles of a small place or this boundless expanse of sea, Sister Hua had wanted him to witness it all — to tell him through it how vast the world was, how grand and majestic heaven and earth were.

He understood all of it.

And because he understood, he wished to look all the more carefully, to feel it all the more deeply — so as not to waste the effort Sister Hua had so kindly put into this.

Hua Zhi looked at this child — clever, yet not clever to a fault — and watched as a smile gradually surfaced in her eyes.