The instant Fang Xie suddenly embraced her, Qun Qing’s hair stood on end. But when she heard what Fang Xie said, her heart lifted—no wonder his expression had seemed off when she saw him earlier.

Fang Xie said, “Elder Sister, Master has met with trouble.”

“What trouble?”

“The boat was traveling through Jiangnan Circuit when it encountered a night raid by Nan Chu soldiers. The boat capsized. A letter came back from the medicine lady who went along, saying they haven’t found Master.”

In Jiangnan Circuit, the borders between Northern Chen and Nan Chu interlocked like dog’s teeth, with frequent friction. For a passenger boat to suffer such a senseless disaster was truly a bolt from the blue.

Qun Qing knew that as a child, Fang Xie had been sickly and raised in a Buddhist hall. Later he had practiced medicine following Doctor Li. Doctor Li was his benefactor, and more than a father to Fang Xie.

Fang Xie choked up, his whole body pressing heavily in her embrace. Though he was somewhat taller than Qun Qing, he was still not yet sixteen. Encountering such a matter, he was certainly at a loss. But Qun Qing was different—she was an adult. Not to mention that Doctor Li had met with trouble while searching for her mother, which made her feel deeply guilty.

Fang Xie’s eyes paused. He felt Qun Qing return his embrace. She stroked the scattered hair at the back of his neck, conveying intense comfort and apology. He only heard her ask calmly, “What do you plan to do next?”

“I’ve dismissed Xiao Song. Calculating the silver I’ve earned these past years, it’s about enough to purchase a residence. I’m preparing to close the medicine shop and go south to open another medicine hall.”

“You want to leave?” Qun Qing asked. “Go to Jiangnan Circuit?”

“Master hasn’t been found yet. I must collect his remains.” Fang Xie rested his head on her thin shoulder. “Elder Sister, come with me.”

“Naturally I’ll go with you,” Qun Qing said.

Now that Doctor Li had also suffered disaster, by both emotion and reason, there was no justification for letting Fang Xie go alone. The two could travel together to Jiangnan Circuit to search for him.

“Listen to me. I’ve almost finished planning my departure from the palace. Princess Consort Yan has agreed to help me leave the palace during the ceremony to receive the Buddha’s bone relic.” Qun Qing said, “The ceremony is on the second day of the eleventh month. During this time, prepare your silver and luggage well. Find a cargo boat departing south that day on the Chan River and wait for me.”

Fang Xie was stunned but nodded in agreement. “I’ll wait for you. But—will those people let you go?”

“Those people” referred to the Nan Chu spies.

“I’ve found someone willing to help me exchange identity tokens. When the time comes, I’ll test whether I can flee toward Jiangnan Circuit with the token.” Qun Qing said, “If they become suspicious, I also have excuses prepared. At worst, after you’re settled, I’ll deal with them then.”

Fang Xie straightened up, his eyes showing complex emotions. “Elder Sister, I’m unwilling to let you take risks alone. From now on in this world, we only have each other to depend on. You must promise me, no matter what happens, you won’t abandon me.”

Thinking of how he had lost his parents young and now suffered this change, Qun Qing naturally agreed. Fang Xie’s expression eased. “Leaving on that day—so soon. Elder Sister, you get seasick. Can your body handle it?”

Fang Xie didn’t understand her situation in the palace, but Qun Qing knew that in her current position, wanting to leave the palace was very risky. “There are some entanglements in the palace. If I want to run, I’m afraid circumstances won’t allow it. The faster the better—delay breeds complications.”

Fang Xie had just taken out the chenxiang pills Qun Qing had previously requested. At these words, he looked up at her. “These chenxiang pills—are they for dealing with those entanglements?”

His perceptiveness surprised Qun Qing. Fang Xie continued, “After you mentioned it, I searched through medical texts and wrote to Master several times, but never heard of such medicine. Only later did I find it in an ancient text—it’s a secret medicine from the palace.”

Qun Qing opened the medicine box and discovered there was only one cold fragrance pill. She couldn’t help but look up at him. She had requested two.

“I had to go through connections to buy this from an old exiled eunuch who had fled to civilian life from the former Chu state. There’s only one,” Fang Xie said.

“No matter.” Qun Qing put the medicine away. The world was complex and ever-changing. She was accustomed to disappointment. Having one in hand was better than having none. In the distance, the old eunuch vigorously struck the bronze gong, reminding the palace maids that the time to close the palace gates had come.

The sounds of weeping and noise around them grew louder. Qun Qing could only part from Fang Xie and return to the palace with the crowd.

But her heart was heavy and she walked very slowly. Before she knew it, she had separated from the palace maids, leaving her alone walking on the blue bricks shrouded in night.

The clues about Mother had broken off again, and now Doctor Li was lost as well. Everything before her eyes was like an impenetrable fog. In her heart, Qun Qing vaguely felt she had been too unlucky lately.

Had she been burning less incense recently?

But she knew that anxiety was useless. When matters were entrusted to others, one’s reach was always insufficient. Now she could only go out and personally confirm things to have any possibility of dispelling the fog. In this life, her body was well-nourished. She had plenty of time to search for Mother.

Thinking of this, her heart found some comfort. Feeling the night wind had some chill, she lowered the wrap cloth tied on her body. The night wind carried over a whiff of citrus scent.

She saw a figure leaning in the corridor. Lu Huating happened to be pressed against the shadow beside a pillar, making his face nearly invisible, but the flamboyant aura about him was hard to ignore.

Among the civil officials Qun Qing had met, no one else liked standing in dark places like him, but this person’s character had always been unrestrained, not following conventions.

She didn’t find it strange. Perhaps he had just argued with court officials and was here thinking, or maybe being resented by the hundred officials recently had created great pressure.

Qun Qing walked past smoothly, brushing past this shadowy figure.

A moment later, Qun Qing stopped in her tracks.

She felt Lu Huating’s gaze following her as she walked. She was extremely perceptive and trusted her feelings, so she turned and walked before him.

Could it be that seeing Fang Xie just now had aroused his suspicion? After all, in her previous life, she had never once seen relatives outside the palace.

“Congratulations, Chief Clerk, on clearing Prince Yan’s name and making your voice heard throughout the court,” Qun Qing said.

Lu Huating didn’t answer. Qun Qing felt he wasn’t even listening to her speak. In the night, this face was calm, yet the upward curve of his eyes had a somewhat demonic quality. He looked at her clothes with an investigative gaze, from the hem upward, pausing at the wrinkles on her upper garment’s waist.

The other person had held her too tightly, rumpling it.

Then Lu Huating’s gaze rested on her face, slightly cool and probing, as if wanting to see something different from usual on her face. Being looked at this way, Qun Qing felt somewhat guilty and somewhat chilled to the bone.

Could he have seen through her scheme, or heard what she and Fang Xie had just said? She shifted her gaze elsewhere, trying to respond as calmly as possible. “There’s something inconvenient to report to Princess Consort Yan. If the Chief Clerk is responsible for the ceremony to receive the Buddha’s bone relic, pay attention to the carpet selected by the Shangshu Bureau.”

“Why tell me?” Lu Huating was very perceptive.

“We’re the same as you—we also have scheming, intrigue, and power struggles,” Qun Qing said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

Lu Huating suddenly noticed that the inner collar button Qun Qing usually kept tightly fastened was undone.

This discovery stirred his emotions more than the previous several.

Discovering Lu Huating was staring straight at her neck like a cold sword pressed against her throat, Qun Qing turned to leave. She didn’t want to, but a dangerous premonition floated up in her heart.

With her back to Lu Huating, she touched her neck. Previously, when Prince Yan’s mansion was weak, Lu Huating suppressed his hatred. Cooperating with a Nan Chu spy was an expedient measure. Now that he was about to regain power, if he harbored killing intent toward her, she wasn’t unafraid—she had to be prepared.

Her fingers touched the inner collar button. Only then did she realize that Fang Xie had just tugged at her clothes, causing the button to come loose. Qun Qing was particular about her dress and felt somewhat embarrassed at losing face. She quickly fastened it with one hand. But behind her came a tightness, as if her tail had been caught.

Lu Huating had grasped her wrap cloth again, seemingly very eager to know what she was thinking. “Miss Qing, there aren’t many people in this world who dare repeatedly use me.”

Qun Qing said, “I’m helping you.”

The wrap cloth against his fingertips was cold and soft. Lu Huating wound it around his hand once, yet was determined to pull her back, looking at her eyes.

“Whether you’re using me as a pawn, you know it in your heart.” Lu Huating looked at her eyes in a manner extremely close to that cruel official from her previous life—brilliant and smiling yet cold. “Do you know what price you must pay for using me?”

Qun Qing knew. She looked up, responding calmly, “If you don’t want to help, then forget it.”

She had delivered her message. Whether Lu Huating helped or not, he would have to help.

Because if something went wrong at this ceremony, the Emperor would hold Prince Yan’s mansion responsible.

She had still won, but in the future she would have to be even more on guard—

The Bureau of Astronomy had calculated the auspicious date. The autumn hunt, postponed three times due to state affairs, was about to begin.

Following Noble Consort Lü’s instructions, the female officials of the Bureau of Vestments’ Division of Garments were hurrying to categorize the riding attire to be distributed to the noble lords in the storeroom. Because time was tight, everyone regardless of rank was working together to help.

The arrival of the guards caused everyone to stand frozen in place, stopping their work. Chief Stewardess Gu said, “The Division of Garments is on duty. What is the meaning of this?”

Cui Yu came with the guards, bowed, and said, “Princess Consort Yan, following Miss Qing’s report, heard there are some problems with the implements for receiving the Buddha’s bone relic ceremony and wants to inspect them again.”

Having spoken, the guards had already entered the storeroom to examine and inspect. Some female officials were puzzled, others indifferent. Juan Su stood to one side, taking in the expressions on their faces without a trace.

“What is this Miss Qing doing?” Directress Xu said angrily. “That day I accompanied her to inspect the storeroom and she said there were no problems! Yet she deliberately chose the busiest day to make things difficult for us?”

Chief Stewardess Gu sneered coldly. “I’m afraid she’s coming after me.”

Seeing Directress Xu’s confusion, Chief Stewardess Gu said, “That Qingxuan Pavilion where Qun Qing is stationed complained that the prayer robe material was too thin and said the Shangshu Bureau should rush to remake them. But these prayer robes were decided by the Rites Ministry and prepared early on. How could they be changed based on one serving palace maid’s words? If we changed them and another lady was dissatisfied, how would we resolve that? So I rejected it.”

“Remake them—such audacity! Doesn’t she know how much labor that requires? This Miss Qing hasn’t even been appointed to office yet dares to order the Shangshu Bureau around.” Directress Xu was indignant. “She’s just relying on Princess Consort Yan’s influence, really thinking she’s somebody.”

During their conversation, Prince Yan’s mansion guards had already withdrawn, taking several pieces of jewelry and carrying that rolled carpet. “These several items are of questionable quality and might offend the noble lords. Your subordinates will deliver replacement items later.”

Among the female officials, Directress Chu’s gaze paused on that carpet for an instant before quickly looking away.

When night fell, Juan Su, hiding in the bamboo grove, shook off the dew from his body and reported to Lu Huating, “Among those several people, Directress Chu indeed threw a wax pill out the window. It appears she used a trained bird to send a message to her handler. The message just went out—we can intercept it.”

But Lu Huating said, “No need to intercept.”

Having said this, he turned back. Juan Su and Zhu Su exchanged glances, only feeling that Lu Huating’s temperament had been very difficult to fathom lately.

Lu Huating went to find Cui Yu. “What did Miss Qing say to the Princess Consort that day?”

“This servant was too far away and truly didn’t hear,” Cui Yu said.

Lu Huating continued, “The political affairs the Princess Consort has recently handled—may I view them?”

He always vaguely felt something was wrong but couldn’t confirm it.

“That won’t do.” Cui Yu became annoyed. “Chief Clerk, asking these questions is already overstepping. If you bring it up again, this servant will tell the Princess Consort!”

But Lu Huating wasn’t annoyed. “The note Miss Qing used to arrange the meeting with the Princess Consort—can you give it to me?”

“Here, here, look at it. It really was just arranging a meeting, nothing more.” Cui Yu dug it out and gave it to him.

Lu Huating glanced at it twice, folded the note, and tucked it into his sleeve.