“But the Zen master only summoned Your Highness to return and seize Crown Prince Zhao’s palace. If he knows you deliberately delayed and brought Qing Niang with you, who knows if he’ll be angry…” the slightly older person said.

“Then we’ll see if he truly wants to beg me to return,” Fang Xie said. “Are you ultimately taking orders from my mother, or from the Zen master?”

Qun Qing listened with her entire body ice-cold, but those few people said no more.

Fang Xie said, “Don’t wake my elder sister.”

In the silence, a cool touch fell on her brow. When Qun Qing was nervous, she would unconsciously furrow her brow. Fang Xie’s fingertip, as if lost in thought, tapped her forehead.

Qun Qing’s entire body tensed, but she pretended to have no reaction. Yet he, like a child touching a toy, slid his finger from her brow down along the bridge of her nose, landing on her porcelain-white cheek. Then Qun Qing felt him lean down, his breath very close to her, as if carefully examining her.

His hand burrowed into the quilt, wanting to hold Qun Qing’s hand. Qun Qing’s palm was full of cold sweat. Afraid of being exposed, the instant Fang Xie came to grasp her hand, she instead grabbed his wrist.

Fang Xie, like a startled cat, immediately sat upright.

Qun Qing opened her eyes, but they remained unfocused. Her eyelashes trembled, then closed again wearily as she only said, “Is there water?”

The water pouch was almost empty. Fang Xie said, “I’ll go boil some hot water for Elder Sister.”

He looked back once. Qun Qing turned over and lay there. Only then did he leave.

Qun Qing opened both eyes. Outside the window was vast moonlight. Her head felt heavy, but she was very alert. Fang Xie’s earlier words made her heart turn cold. Qun Qing wrapped herself tightly in the cotton quilt. Her body warmed up, but her heart still felt helpless and isolated.

This boat wasn’t going to Jiangnan Circuit—it was heading directly back to Nan Chu.

The boat’s movement made her anxious.

She couldn’t return to Nan Chu.

There she had no relatives or friends. Crown Prince Zhao was practically her enemy.

Moreover, she was a spy. Even if Fang Xie had no intention of harming her, the Zen master couldn’t possibly let her off easily.

When Fang Xie returned, Qun Qing took two sips of hot water and lay down again. Seeing her condition, Fang Xie breathed a sigh of relief.

The boat workers numbered at least a dozen. To control them, Nan Chu’s people weren’t limited to just the two who had spoken earlier. Perhaps one was crouching and keeping watch in a corner of this very room. The night was already deep, and they were on the vast river. She could only wait until daybreak to plan her escape.

Qun Qing closed her eyes, smelling the fragrance of Floating Begonia Reflecting Snow, her emotions settling down. A good night’s sleep would give her the strength—

Morning light fell on memorials.

Inside Mingde Hall, Li Xuan was handling government affairs. A young eunuch entered to report: “Your Highness, this is a report from the Wardrobe Bureau. Regarding the fire during the Buddha relic welcoming ceremony, someone colluded with Director Lin from inside and outside. That Chu wardrobe official has been removed from office and arrested. However, she framed Qing Niang for the matter.”

The old eunuch serving close by glared at him: “What Qing Niang are you talking about? Where in the palace is there such a person?”

Knowing Li Xuan was sensitive about this matter, yet deliberately bringing up the very thing that shouldn’t be mentioned.

Li Xuan looked somewhat thinner than a few days ago. He showed no reaction, only casting an indifferent glance and indicating the young eunuch should place the items in the corner of the desk.

With the Buddha relic welcomed into Zhaixing Tower and the Liuli Kingdom envoys sailing back home, Great Chen had finally gotten on the right track. Reform policies emerged one after another, leaving him no room to slacken.

During the day, numerous counselors came and went from Mingde Hall—the days were no different from before. Only when reviewing memorials late at night would Li Xuan occasionally look toward the empty wall, as if Qun Qing still stood there on duty, still needling him with a remark or two.

The old eunuch was right. What he minded wasn’t simply Qun Qing’s departure, but that a slave had calculated her master’s intentions, escaped his control, and even after leaving, continued to pull at his emotions.

The young eunuch continued: “Also, Director Gu of the Wardrobe was demoted and expelled from the palace. The wardrobe position was given to the former deputy, Zhu Fuzhen. When Director Zhu was checking documents, she indeed discovered that Qing Niang…”

He trembled and slapped his own mouth. “The female servant from Qingxuan Pavilion had previously submitted a report warning that the prayer robes might catch fire, even before the ceremony. Director Gu failed to handle it.”

Li Xuan set down his brush.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t suspected this matter. Now hearing someone else describe it again, he still found it somewhat strange.

If she had planned from early on to leave the palace during the ceremony, she should have been very afraid of something going wrong with the ceremony. Why, having discovered such a major hidden danger, did she bypass him and only report it to the Wardrobe Bureau?

He moved aside the completed memorial. His gaze suddenly sharpened.

The last item submitted for his review today was a thin sheet of paper. On it was a portrait of a palace maid, a few sparse strokes seeming to deliberately strike at his heart. Beside it, Qun Qing’s name was written prominently.

“What is this?” He threw down his brush somewhat angrily. “Who submitted this item? Does someone have a death wish?”

Soon Shouxi entered in a panic. Glancing at it, he lowered his head: “Your Highness, this is a palace registry sent by the Palace Administration Bureau.”

“A palace registry—shouldn’t she have taken it with her when she left?” Li Xuan was puzzled.

“Your Highness, palace registries for us servants come in two copies. Qing Niang held one copy, and another copy remains on file in the palace.”

Li Xuan grew even more puzzled. He didn’t understand the Palace Administration Bureau’s meaning in submitting this item to him, but he noticed Shouxi’s face had turned white, cold sweat forming on his forehead, as if he dared not speak.

Shouxi gathered his courage: “The Palace Administration Bureau says that Qing Niang’s palace registry is fake. The paper quality used for the registry is not the palace’s archival paper, and the seal details are also crude—it was forged by someone through imitation.”

“Fake.” Li Xuan looked at the young woman’s face on the registry, not immediately comprehending. “What does this mean?”

“The registry has a portrait. Since it’s forged, that means Qing Niang very likely isn’t Qun Qing—she could be someone substituting for her, or possibly…” Shouxi trembled, “This slave doesn’t dare say…”

Li Xuan’s expression turned cold and ashen.

She could possibly be a Nan Chu spy who had passed through five barriers and defeated six generals within the palace, deceiving him into complete trust, even letting her hold his personal seal, then seizing an opportunity to escape back to Nan Chu.

With such suspicion placed before him, how could he possibly let her escape to freedom?

“Someone come.” His fingers trembled. “Summon Chief Clerk Wang Xiang to this palace.”

At this very moment, the cargo boat slowly traveled through fog.

Waking from her drunken stupor, when Qun Qing opened her eyes it was already noon. Fang Xie had already risen, and there was no one watching her either. If not for the vivid memory of last night, she would have thought it was a nightmare.

Qun Qing’s mind had cleared considerably. She lifted the oilcloth and slowly walked out. Outside, rain drizzled continuously. The boat cabin wasn’t very bright. Those workers who had played cards at night were all staying in their bunks, quiet in a somewhat eerie way.

Qun Qing pretended not to notice and passed through this area. “Excuse me, where is the kitchen?”

They didn’t dare respond to her. Two people pointed outside.

Qun Qing quickly walked in that direction.

The boat workers’ food was mainly dry rations. The cooking area was together with where miscellaneous items were piled, chaotic and messy. A twelve or thirteen-year-old worker boy was holding down a fish and scraping scales. Seeing her approach, he looked at her timidly and awkwardly.

Qun Qing’s gaze paused on a cabinet stuffed full of miscellaneous items.

Beneath it was tucked a wooden ferry boat—it should be the ship’s spare boat.

“Little brother, do you know where the boat has traveled to?” she asked without leaving a trace.

She hadn’t expected this youth to answer, but unexpectedly he said, “We traveled slowly yesterday because of the rain. We’re almost at Jiannan Circuit. The mountains outside are Jiannan Circuit’s mountains.”

As he spoke, he took the fish to rinse it. While his back was turned, Qun Qing picked up the small knife he used for scaling, wiped the fish scales from the blade with her shawl, and quickly tucked it into her sleeve.

The youth caught sight of her action from the corner of his eye. His movements paused, but he said nothing.

“Elder Sister.” Fang Xie’s worried voice came from behind. He hurried over. “Why did you come here? I searched for you for a long time. You’re the only female family member on the boat. It’s best we stay together.”

Qun Qing paused and turned around, but her face showed a smile: “I rested well last night. Today I no longer feel like vomiting. Why did you get up so early?”

When she smiled, her eyes and brows came alive, like ice streams melting in spring, making Fang Xie somewhat dazed. But seeing her inexplicably standing in the kitchen, he was still somewhat uneasy and pulled her back.

Qun Qing said, “Don’t rush. We’ve eaten dry rations these past two days—I’m afraid you’re not full. I see this boat has fish. Let’s buy one from the little brother and roast it to eat.”

With that, she left behind a handful of silver coins.

Fang Xie was stunned. He said to the youth, “Then please roast this fish for us.”

The two supported each other back to beside the bunk. The roasted fish was also quickly brought over. Compared to what taverns made, it was much cruder, but compared to dry rations, it was indeed fragrant and appetizing.

Qun Qing picked meat from the fish’s belly and placed it in his bowl. Fang Xie’s eyes held joy that was hard to conceal: “Elder Sister, we haven’t eaten together for so long. When we reach Jiangnan Circuit, I’ll treat you to something even better.”

He was still deceiving her.

Qun Qing looked at Fang Xie’s jet-black eyes. Just one day ago, she had still regarded him as her family, her younger brother. Today, she couldn’t see through the truth or falseness behind this expression. Strong emotions churned in her chest.

She said, “I remember you said that before taking Physician Li as your master, you convalesced in a temple. After all this time, how come you’ve never mentioned your family?”

The expression in Fang Xie’s eyes froze for a moment as he swallowed the fish meat: “Why ask this? Isn’t Elder Sister my family?”

“Our feelings may be close, but ultimately they cannot compare to one’s birth parents. Your father and mother—where are they from?” Qun Qing asked lightly.

Fang Xie’s face was pale and delicate, like a porcelain doll. At this moment, his gaze visibly darkened, actually making Qun Qing see in his face an expression somewhat similar to Yang Fu’s: “My father and mother didn’t want me when I was small, which is why I went to the temple to convalesce. My feelings for them are far less close than my feelings for Elder Sister.”

Qun Qing said, “But we’ve only been together for one year.”

Fang Xie suddenly slapped his chopsticks on the table. He stared at her. After a long moment, his eyes darkened like ink seeping through, with some pain: “Elder Sister, have you forgotten that your life was saved by me feeding you medicine mouthful by mouthful? Have you forgotten when we walked the streets and alleys, you chased away dogs for me, you mended clothes for me at night, you decocted medicine for me during the day? Why, after entering the palace once, are you unwilling to stay with me anymore?”

“During that year recovering outside the palace, I truly regarded you as a younger brother from the bottom of my heart.” Qun Qing’s eyes welled with heat from the sense of grievance, but supported by a surge of anger, she actually smiled. “But why did you deceive me? In what capacity do you want me to accompany you—as a slave? As a concubine?”

“So you did hear.” Fang Xie’s eyes dimmed, becoming expressionless and motionless. “I’m only going back to Nan Chu to show my face. I was going to accompany you to Jiangnan Circuit, but you don’t trust me—you insisted on exposing this. Elder Sister, this is Nan Chu’s boat. Once you’ve boarded, you cannot get off.”

However, before his words finished, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. The severe pain in his abdomen made him bend over and collapse on the table. He raised his eyes and saw that unfinished roasted fish, and Qun Qing across from him. Fang Xie touched the black blood with his finger, his face pale, his eyes red as he looked at Qun Qing: “Mother-Child Soul Transfer Pill. Elder Sister, you ground the Mother-Child Soul Transfer Pill into powder and forced it on me.”

Then he clutched his abdomen, sweat pouring down like rain.

“Your Highness!” This sudden change made the two hidden shadow guards rush over. Two more came from the distance. However, Qun Qing’s movements were faster than theirs. She circled behind Fang Xie, pressing a short blade against his neck, making several people’s steps halt abruptly.

Surrounded by several people’s gleaming swords and blades, Qun Qing said, “Release the ferry boat and let us board it.”