Xiahou Yili did not actually fully believe Li Chi’s explanation that he had brought her along mainly because no one knew who she was.

She strongly suspected the real reason Li Chi had brought her this time was Gao Xining.

Gao Xining was even more of a mother figure than Xiahou Yili’s own mother.

Not long before this, Gao Xining had been chatting with Xiahou Yili and mentioned that everyone around Li Chi had come down with a very strange ailment — which had given Xiahou Yili quite a fright.

Xiahou Yili hastily asked Gao Xining what was wrong with everyone, and why she herself felt perfectly fine.

Gao Xining said that everyone who had caught this ailment felt nothing wrong themselves. Xiahou Yili pressed her further to find out exactly what the ailment was.

Gao Xining sighed: the prettier the young women and the more handsome the young men, the less urgency they felt about marriage, and some of them didn’t even have a companion.

Xiahou Yili said that was only natural — plain-looking people were the ones who needed to rush, attractive people had no reason to hurry.

Had Yu Jiuling been present at that moment, he might have said: *thank you, I am personally offended.*

But as for such matters — Xiahou Yili did not quite know what to say. Yet some things, once they took root in one’s heart, were not so easily changed. Like developing feelings for someone.

Not long afterward, Li Chi came to ask Xiahou Yili for her help. And of course, Xiahou Yili was certain that Li Chi had no intentions of that sort whatsoever.

Because Li Chi was an oblivious fool.

This particular assessment of Li Chi as an oblivious fool in matters of the heart did not originate with Xiahou Yili alone.

The assessment had originated with Gao Xining.

While Li Chi and Xiahou Yili were working out the details of their next move, the people at Yunbao Zhai were also conferring.

Han Huamei looked at Zheng Songren and said: “What did you say just now?”

Zheng Songren said: “Just now… I admit my words were somewhat discourteous. But to simply hand over tens of thousands of taels like that — what if this man is a swindler…”

Han Huamei’s brow furrowed slightly: “Are you suggesting that I am actually incapable of determining whether Master Songming’s calligraphy is genuine or not?”

Zheng Songren immediately shook his head: “Grand Master Han, you know that is not what I meant. It is simply that the whole affair feels somewhat suspicious. It would be better to consult the proprietor first.”

Han Huamei said: “The proprietor has said that in matters of business, I have full authority to decide. There is no need to consult him.”

After all, it was largely because of Han Huamei — a literary figure of such eminence presiding over the establishment — that Yunbao Zhai and Mingwu Hall had achieved their current standing. Without someone of his stature as their anchor, they would not necessarily hold the position they did today.

“Very well.”

Han Huamei turned to look at Liu Yangong: “You are the person the proprietor himself designated. Every time something arises, you are the one who goes to seek an audience with the proprietor and brings back his decisions. This time, go again as before.”

Liu Yangong acknowledged the instruction: “I will go at once.”

As he turned to leave, Han Huamei suddenly added: “By the way — just where exactly is the proprietor?”

Liu Yangong’s expression went cold. He turned back to look at Han Huamei and said: “Is Grand Master Han under the impression that, now that the Jishi Bureau is gone, you are free to act however you please?”

Han Huamei was visibly unsettled by these words.

Liu Yangong said with great deliberateness: “Has Grand Master Han truly forgotten the instructions the Director issued back in those days?”

He looked Han Huamei directly in the eyes and said: “If Grand Master Han truly believes things are different now — that the Jishi Bureau can no longer give you cause for fear — then by all means, test that assumption a little further.”

Han Huamei immediately said: “I should not have asked. I assure you, I will never ask again.”

To all outward appearances, Han Huamei was the undisputed master of Yunbao Zhai, with all its other masters serving beneath him.

Yet Liu Yangong, who appeared to hold a lowly position, was in fact a member of the Jishi Bureau — and specifically, a centurion.

Even setting aside the more distant past, just ten years ago, a single centurion of the Jishi Bureau would have been enough to make local government officials collectively fall to their knees in trembling fear.

Compared to Yanbei Cheng’s rank as a Commander of Heard Orders, a centurion was naturally far below — but that was no reason to assume a centurion was not formidable.

In every prefecture and county, there would be a Jishi Bureau sub-office. In small prefectures, the highest-ranking Jishi Bureau official on the ground might only hold the rank of banner officer — roughly equivalent to a sixth-rank civil official.

Only in important prefectures and larger localities would the chief of the Jishi Bureau sub-office be a centurion.

And in large prefectural capitals like Jizhou or Yuzhou, the chief of the local Jishi Bureau sub-office would be a chiliarch.

Yuzhou was somewhat unusual in that it also had Yanbei Cheng, who ranked above even the chiliarch.

The staff at Yunbao Zhai had long suspected that the mysterious proprietor behind everything was a chiliarch of the Jishi Bureau.

A chiliarch naturally ranked far below a Commander of Heard Orders — yet this particular chiliarch’s special distinction lay in the fact that he had been sent by Liu Chongxin personally to keep watch over Yanbei Cheng.

And that made this chiliarch carry considerably more weight.

Liu Yangong had been specifically designated by the proprietor himself. The proprietor appeared at Yunbao Zhai perhaps once a year at most — and even then, always with his face covered.

Seeing that Han Huamei had already adopted a sufficiently subdued attitude, Liu Yangong said nothing further.

“Wait here for me to return.”

Liu Yangong said: “Grand Master Han — I did not stop you from handing over tens of thousands of taels of gold as a deposit, because I chose to give you that much face, and because I did not find it wholly unreasonable under the circumstances. But if you think you can push further and take advantage of the situation — this establishment can find someone else to be in charge.”

With that, Liu Yangong turned and left.

Liu Yangong slipped out through Yunbao Zhai’s rear entrance. Rear entrances generally opened onto narrower alleyways, so he could leave without being observed.

Yet at the mouth of the alley, across the street, a small tea-stall had two people who had already been sitting there for a full hour.

Yet these two were in no danger of growing bored — for they were both inveterate talkers.

Dong Dongdong suddenly shifted his chair to one side, startling Qi Qiangqi beside him, who immediately asked what had happened.

Dong Dongdong pointed: “A small snake just crawled past — gave me a fright.”

Qi Qiangqi said: “You got that frightened over one little snake? It’s not even a venomous one.”

Dong Dongdong said: “It looked just like a five-pace viper — grayish-black pattern, and the head looked triangular.”

Qi Qiangqi stood up and looked around but couldn’t find anything.

He sat back down and said to Dong Dongdong: “Let me teach you a method — a way to come out unharmed even after being bitten by a five-pace viper.”

Dong Dongdong asked curiously: “What method?”

Qi Qiangqi said: “A five-pace viper — as the name implies, it’s a snake whose bite kills you within five paces. And yet I have discovered one particular weakness in this variety of venomous snake.”

He leaned in close to Dong Dongdong and said with theatrical mystery: “After a five-pace viper bites you, you grab the snake, and then go find a physician to save you.”

Dong Dongdong reminded him: “Five paces and you’re dead.”

Qi Qiangqi said: “But you’re holding the snake, aren’t you? When you’ve taken four paces, let the snake bite you again — and then you can take another four paces. When you reach the fourth pace again, let it bite you once more, and you get another four paces. Keep going like that indefinitely — if the local physician can’t save you, you can even walk all the way to another prefecture to ask around.”

Dong Dongdong regarded Qi Qiangqi with the expression of someone showing tender concern for a slow-witted child. Qi Qiangqi felt he had been insulted. Dong Dongdong also felt he had been insulted.

At that very moment, both men caught sight of the shop assistant from Yunbao Zhai emerging from the mouth of the alleyway. They continued their conversation with complete nonchalance, neither one rising from his seat.

They were there only to hold the position — trailing someone was not something they needed to do personally.

The reason it was these two here was the same reason Li Chi had brought Xiahou Yili: they had not accompanied Li Chi into Yuzhou City, but had instead returned with Cao Lie. They had been operating covertly the whole time and were therefore impossible to recognize.

Dong Dongdong waited until the shop assistant had moved some distance away, then stood and stretched — appearing completely unremarkable.

But as he stretched, one hand casually indicated Liu Yangong’s direction.

At once, a small peddler carrying a carrying pole followed after him.

After one street, the peddler stopped at a corner and did not follow Liu Yangong around the turn.

The peddler called out his wares at the intersection, paused briefly, got no business, and continued straight ahead.

As he called out his wares, two young women emerged from a shop by the street — apparently having just purchased some rouge and powder they were pleased with, chatting and laughing as they followed behind Liu Yangong.

Sheer skirts, long legs, youthful and radiant — a truly lovely sight.

This group of people were not Tingwei soldiers at all — they were Cao Lie’s people.

And at a window table on the second floor of a wine establishment by the road, Cao Lie stood there sipping from a cup of wine.

Yan Xiaoxiao said: “We should be able to flush out whoever’s been hiding.”

Cao Lie shook his head: “Even with all of the Cao Family’s resources, my father could never identify this person over so many years. How could we possibly do so now with any ease?”

Yan Xiaoxiao gave a sound of acknowledgment.

Whoever this proprietor of Yunbao Zhai was, he had been extraordinarily cautious — so much so that even the Cao Family, with all its influence, had failed to uncover his identity over all these years. The caliber of this person was plainly exceptional.

And with the assassination attempt on Li Chi having caused such a commotion — with even Yanbei Cheng having been forced into the open — this individual, who ranked below Yanbei Cheng in standing, had still never appeared. His level of caution spoke for itself.

The two young women followed Liu Yangong for one street, then turned and walked in the opposite direction at an intersection.

Liu Yangong had listened to their chatter and laughter behind him, and turned his head to look back once.

On the opposite side of the street, a middle-aged man of around thirty who appeared to be carrying a jug of wine was walking in the same direction as Liu Yangong.

About an hour later.

All of these people had returned to the wine establishment, bowing before Cao Lie.

“What did you find?”

Yan Xiaoxiao asked.

The last person to have followed Liu Yangong was an elderly man in a Daoist robe, pretending to be a wandering practitioner seeking clients about the city.

He bowed and said: “That shop assistant eventually entered Xingchen Tower. He remained inside for approximately half an hour before leaving and making his way back to Yunbao Zhai — he went nowhere else.”

“Xingchen Tower…”

Cao Lie looked at Yan Xiaoxiao. Yan Xiaoxiao said: “One of the finest establishments of its kind in Yuzhou City. Could it be that this proprietor has been hiding himself inside a house of pleasure?”

Yan Xiaoxiao looked at Cao Lie and said: “A place like Xingchen Tower is full of all sorts of people, and I don’t ordinarily frequent such places…”

Cao Lie gave a slight shake of his head: “You don’t need to go.”

Yan Xiaoxiao asked: “You have a way?”

Cao Lie said: “Xingchen Tower is also mine.”

Yan Xiaoxiao was rather taken aback: “When did you acquire so many establishments of that kind?”

Cao Lie looked up at the sky: “Everyone has a time in their youth when they act without thinking.”

He looked at Yan Xiaoxiao: “If you were to mention this to my sister… I will arrange for you to serve clients at Xingchen Tower.”

Yan Xiaoxiao asked: “They even take female clients there?”

Cao Lie let out a low, dismissive sound.

Yan Xiaoxiao: “You can’t be having me serve male clients.”

Cao Lie turned and headed downstairs, speaking as he walked: “In a little while, arrange for someone to go to Xingchen Tower and have the manager meet me at Songhe Tower. Take care to be discreet.”

Yan Xiaoxiao followed, still asking: “Do men really seek men there?”

Cao Lie let out a deep, heavy sigh.

—