Xie Jingxing had only been back at Prince Rui’s mansion for a few days before he needed to make another trip to Ruyang City. Since Lu Zhengchun had chosen Ruyang as his base for rebellion, the city was filled with complex forces. Although the Mo Yu Army was clearing out the remaining troops, they were dealing only with military forces. The deeply hidden minions of Lu Zhengchun were to be thoroughly eliminated by the imperial family this time. Rather than risk letting even one escape, they would rather wrongly kill three thousand, so the task was entrusted to Xie Jingxing personally.

After Xie Jingxing left, all matters inside and outside Prince Rui’s mansion were placed under Shen Miao’s responsibility. Prince Rui’s mansion held significant influence in all of Longye, and many court officials were still watching, observing every move of the mansion. At such a critical time, not even the slightest mistake could be made. Shen Miao continued as usual, regularly conversing with the ladies, subtly transmitting certain information, and generally keeping the situation under control.

The disaster brought by the Lu family had passed. Since the rebellion had started in Ruyang, the common people of Longye weren’t much affected, at most joining in the popular sentiment to denounce the Lu family as treacherous rebels.

With the common people at peace, court officials not daring to act on their own, and the overall situation stable, everything seemed to be returning to normal—except for one family.

The Chancellor’s mansion, the Ye family.

Ye Mocai had been navigating court politics for many years. When Emperor Yongle first ascended the throne, he was still a frail youth, but now that youth had grown into an inscrutable man with methods as ruthless as his father’s. The Ye family had no way out.

Ye Mocai wasn’t as foolish or arrogant as Lu Zhengchun. The power demonstrated by Emperor Yongle made Ye Mocai understand that the current Ye family could not contend with the Da Liang imperial family. They could only be like a needle or a thorn in Emperor Yongle’s side, causing little pain, yet the Ye family would have to sacrifice their entire household’s fate.

No one wants to die, nor is anyone willing to willingly walk a path of no return.

Ye Mocai had to start planning an escape route for himself. He hoped to protect his only child, but when necessary, even this could be sacrificed. Most importantly, every move of the Ye family was now being watched by imperial agents, making escape extremely difficult.

Moreover, no one had expected Emperor Yongle’s actions to come so quickly.

On this day, Shen Miao had just returned from the Censor’s wife’s residence, and it was nearly evening. The long summer had finally passed, and the first hints of early autumn were appearing. The flowering trees in the courtyard had begun to drop their leaves, forming a thin layer that would be swept away, only for a few more to scatter with the next breeze. Jingzhe was always annoyed by this, but after the wind passed, he would involuntarily pick up a broom to sweep the courtyard again.

Shen Miao stood at the edge of the courtyard when Uncle Tang happened to walk by. Seeing her, he smiled and said, “Madam, the kitchen has made soup today. When it’s ready, I’ll have someone bring a bowl to you. These days, Madam has been out from dawn till dusk, which must be truly exhausting.”

“It’s just keeping people company with conversation, hardly worth calling exhausting,” Shen Miao smiled slightly. Then, thinking of Xie Jingxing still in Ruyang, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Things were far from over. The more peaceful Longye appeared now, the deeper the hidden dangers. Even if they dealt with the Ye family, what about Ming Qi thousands of miles away? Her heart was split in two directions, worrying about both Ming Qi and Da Liang. How much longer could Emperor Yongle’s illness sustain him? When would Fu Xiuyi and the Qin Kingdom join forces to attack Da Liang? These were all unpredictable. Once something unexpected happened, in the Da Liang imperial family, only Xie Jingxing could shoulder the responsibility, and she, too, would face more challenges.

Xie Jingxing had been right when he said there was no time left. The time they had to slowly plan against their opponents was indeed limited.

As she was thinking, Mo Qing hurriedly entered, his expression somewhat strange. These days, Shen Miao had instructed Mo Qing to monitor Ye Mei and her brother day and night. Ye Mei had already allied with Jin Xingming, who was about to leave Da Liang. Shen Miao was determined not to let her succeed; in some ways, Ye Mei seemed more endlessly troublesome than Ye Mocai.

“The Emperor has issued an edict summoning Ye Mocai to the palace,” Mo Qing reported.

Shen Miao was startled, “To the palace?”

Mo Qing nodded, “Yes, the Ye residence is now in complete chaos. The servants are all scattering, trying to escape, though imperial agents are guarding outside. Inside, it’s extremely chaotic.”

Shen Miao murmured, “How is this happening so quickly…”

It was common knowledge that Emperor Yongle intended to deal with the Ye family, and she wasn’t surprised. But with Xie Jingxing in Ruyang and the Emperor’s health failing, it would have seemed more certain to act when Xie Jingxing was present. However, Shen Miao reconsidered—Emperor Yongle’s action was almost lightning-fast, surprising even her, and must have been even more sudden for Ye Mocai. The Ye family had multiple contingencies, and if given a chance to breathe, Ye Mocai might find a loophole to escape. Now, by summoning Ye Mocai to the palace, they could first place him under house arrest. Capture the leader first, and the Ye household would fall into disarray, making it easier to clean up afterward.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “You, Cong Yang, and Tie Yi should go to the Ye residence immediately. Keep an eye on Ye Mei and her brother. If they make any moves, follow them. If they try to leave Longye, stop them and bring them back, dead or alive.”

“All three of us just to watch Ye Mei and her brother?” Cong Yang jumped down from a tree and asked, “Isn’t that overkill? I’ve heard that Ye Madam is also quite formidable. Wouldn’t it be better if I watched her instead?”

“No need to worry about her,” Shen Miao said. “Although she’s clever, she’s still just a woman. From what we’ve gathered, Ye Mocai doesn’t let Ye Madam interfere in his political affairs. Ye Madam has no access to Ye Mocai’s power network, so she exists merely as an intelligent woman. The Emperor didn’t summon her to the palace precisely because he recognized this—she can’t stir up much trouble on her own. But Ye Mei and her brother are very cunning. If they leave the Ye residence so easily, I suspect it’s not that simple. She must have plans that benefit herself, and that’s what you need to pay most attention to.”

Cong Yang thought for a moment, feeling she made sense, and nodded. Tie Yi had always been obedient, and Mo Qing needed no explanation. As the three were about to leave, Shen Miao paused and suddenly called them back, saying, “By the way, if you encounter the lame young master of the Ye family, don’t harm him. If anyone tries to harm him, protect him.”

…

In the darkness of night, the Ye residence was in complete chaos.

No one had expected the imperial family to suddenly send people to “invite” Ye Mocai away. Although the servants didn’t know exactly what had happened, they had heard rumors in recent days. Now, with Ye Mocai being taken away and his resistance confirming their suspicions, they were in turmoil. Some were packing their clothes and jewelry to flee, some who felt escape was hopeless were quietly weeping in their rooms, and others pretended nothing was wrong, continuing their duties in self-deception. The entire household was filled with fear.

These servants had been well-managed by Ye Madam under normal circumstances, but when life-and-death matters arose, unless one was a sage, no one could remain calm.

Amidst this chaos, Ye Madam had already begun gathering her gold and silver valuables.

She had long seen through Ye Mocai’s intentions and had held some hope for him, but in his escape plans, she was never included. Husband and wife may be birds of the same forest, but in a disaster, each flies away separately. Ye Madam now saw clearly that Ye Mocai had no regard for their marital bond, so she would act as if she had no husband. Ye Mocai’s escape route now conveniently benefited her; after all, Ye Mocai was Emperor Yongle’s primary target.

She carefully searched the room for any bank notes and jewelry she could take, choosing items that were light and portable, as she couldn’t simply sit and await her doom.

Ye Mei and Ye Ke were in a similar situation.

Ye Ke paced back and forth in his room, his brow full of anxiety, repeatedly asking Ye Mei, “Sister, do you think this is real? Is the Chancellor’s mansion truly finished? How is this possible? There wasn’t even a hint of this before. Perhaps the Emperor summoned Father to the palace just for some court matters, not what we’re thinking.”

Ye Mei was gathering some banknotes. She had been systematically pawning her jewelry for money days ago, exchanging them for bank notes usable at any money house in Da Liang. These were easy to carry and essential. She said, “Are you still deceiving yourself? If it were just to discuss court matters, why would Ye Mocai attempt to escape with drawn swords when he was summoned? He intended to flee from punishment.”

“But there was no sign of this before!” Ye Ke still refused to believe Ye Mei’s words.

“You simply weren’t paying attention,” she replied.

Ye Ke widened his eyes, looking at Ye Mei in disbelief, “What do you mean, Sister? Did you know about this all along? If you knew, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was merely guessing, relying more on intuition without any evidence. Even if I had told you, would you have believed me?” Ye Mei inwardly sneered, but her face remained gentle as she said, “Besides, I can handle these things myself. You’re my brother, and now that the Ye family is in trouble, we can’t sink with it. We must find a chance to escape. I’ll take you with me.”

Ye Ke’s expression was complicated, seemingly very dissatisfied. “I originally thought staying at the Ye residence was the best choice, but I never expected to not only miss out on an official position but also have to flee like frightened dogs. Thinking about it now, it would have been better if we had never followed the Ye family from Qinzhou. This is even worse than before.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Ye Mei carefully packed all the bank notes, dividing them into several portions and storing them securely. Then she said, “The most important thing is to stay alive. Don’t just wait here. Go to your room and collect your valuable possessions. These things will be useful when we escape.”

Ye Ke moved his lips but ultimately said nothing, resignedly hanging his head as he left Ye Mei’s room, apparently following her advice to go and pack his things.

Seeing him leave, and with no sounds from outside for a long time, Ye Mei finally stood up. A shadow of gloom passed through her eyes. After a moment, she quietly left her room.

She walked toward Ye Mocai’s study.

The door to Ye Mocai’s study was closed. Normally, only Ye Ke and Ye Madam would enter when Ye Mocai occasionally spoke with them. Given Ye Mocai’s cautious nature, if he truly wanted to hide something, he probably wouldn’t place it in an easily accessible location like the study. But sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest, and Ye Mocai might have done the opposite, deliberately hiding things in the study to surprise anyone looking.

However, Ye Mei had previously been tipped off by Ye Ke. She knew Ye Mocai had hung a portrait of a beauty in his study that seemed suspicious and contained what Ye Mocai called “important things.” Now that Ye Mocai had been taken away and Ye Ke’s promotion was hopeless, these items would just remain there.

Due to the current panic in the Chancellor’s residence, there was no one outside the study, making it extremely easy for Ye Mei to enter. She quickly found the portrait of the beauty. It hung on the wall opposite Ye Mocai’s desk. Ye Mei approached it and searched with her hands, but the painting was smooth, with nothing unusual.

How had Ye Ke discovered it?

Ye Mei wasn’t giving up. She searched again carefully but still found nothing. Feeling discouraged, she suspected Ye Mocai might have moved the items elsewhere. Annoyed with the portrait, she looked at it with dissatisfaction and noticed something odd about the beauty depicted.

In the painting, the beauty stood under a peach tree, smiling gently with a cup in hand, her cheeks seemingly flushed, presenting a charming image of someone who couldn’t hold her liquor. But her eyes were cold, without a trace of smile, and they sparkled in a way that created an illusion of lifelikeness, giving viewers an eerie feeling.

Ye Mei’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly reached out to touch the eyes of the beauty in the painting. Sure enough, her fingers felt a hard protrusion. She pressed firmly, and with a “click,” the wall section where the portrait hung suddenly recessed. Excited, she reached in and pulled out an iron box.

The box must contain what Ye Ke had mentioned: Ye Mocai’s precious possessions. Having obtained it, Ye Mei didn’t linger but turned to leave immediately.

Just then, the study door creaked open, and Ye Hongguang pushed his wheelchair into the room.

Seeing Ye Mei, Ye Hongguang was startled, “Elder Sister?”

Ye Hongguang was very worried today.

All the servants in the mansion were panicking and in disarray. As a crippled young master, his status in the household was already low. With Ye Mocai’s protection, he wasn’t treated too badly, but with Ye Mocai gone, Ye Madam wouldn’t care about him at all, let alone the servants. There wasn’t even anyone to push his wheelchair.

Ye Hongguang was also very concerned about Ye Mocai, but no one in the household would speak to him. In his despair, he could only push his wheelchair to Ye Mocai’s study, as if the study still contained Ye Mocai’s presence, making him feel like he was still a young master of the Ye family with his father’s protection.

Unexpectedly, upon entering the study, he saw Ye Mei.

“Elder Sister, why are you here?” Ye Hongguang asked.

Ye Mei was still holding the iron box. Seeing it was Ye Hongguang who entered, she seemed to relax and smiled, “Oh, Father previously asked me to find something here for him, to give to him when he returns from the palace. Seeing that all the servants are busy, I came to look for it myself.”

“What is it?” Ye Hongguang’s gaze fell on the box in Ye Mei’s arms, “Is it that box you’re holding?”

Ye Mei smiled and said, “Yes, it is.” She continued, “Is Third Brother also here to find something? Then I won’t disturb you. I’ll leave the room to you, Third Brother. Take your time looking.” She made to leave, about to pass Ye Hongguang’s wheelchair, when suddenly he said, “Elder Sister, don’t you know that Father never allows women into his study?”

Ye Mei froze, stopping in her tracks.

Ye Hongguang’s eyes were very clear and innocent, yet now they seemed piercing. He said, “Elder Sister, why are you lying? Why are you trying to deceive me?”

“I’m not deceiving you,” Ye Mei composed herself and smiled, “I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, wait until Father returns and ask him. Then you’ll know whether I’m telling the truth or not.”

Ye Hongguang seemed not to hear Ye Mei’s words and continued, “Is it because of that box? Is it because you want to steal what’s inside? The box belongs to my father, doesn’t it? Though I don’t know what it is, you’ve come to steal it during this chaos, so it must be very important to my father and valuable in itself.”

Ye Mei was stunned.

This frail, crippled young master had indeed inherited some of Ye Mocai’s traits. Though naive about worldly affairs, he was undoubtedly very intelligent.

Ye Mei gradually tightened her grip.

“Put the box down, and I can pretend nothing happened,” Ye Hongguang said.

“Third Brother,” Ye Mei tried to coax him, “Father asked me to take this box. I’m not stealing it.”

“If it’s not stolen, and Father asked you to take it, then there’s no rush. You can give it to him personally when he returns,” Ye Hongguang refused to yield.

Ye Mei saw that the time for her meeting with Jin Xingming was approaching, and in her anxiety, she said, “What if I don’t?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Ye Hongguang frowned, “Could it be that you did steal it?”

Ye Mei felt somewhat annoyed. Ye Hongguang’s thinking was different from ordinary people’s, and she didn’t even know how to threaten or persuade the youth before her. Call him clever, yet he was foolish enough to think she would willingly hand over what she had obtained. Call him stupid, yet he had immediately recognized the significance of the box and was blocking her at this crucial moment.

Seeing Ye Mei’s hesitation, Ye Hongguang’s good temper gradually receded. He said seriously, “If Elder Sister insists on not complying, I’ll have to call Mother to come and stop you.”

Ye Madam?

Although Ye Madam was dismissed by Emperor Yongle as merely a somewhat clever woman, in the Chancellor’s residence, she was the leader of all servants, and all servants followed her commands. Moreover, though Ye Madam recognized her as a daughter, she was more aligned with Ye Mocai. If Ye Madam found out, the box would surely be lost.

“No!” Ye Mei blurted out.

“Then put down the box,” Ye Hongguang insisted.

Ye Mei said, “Third Brother, listen to me…”

“Help! Someone!” Ye Hongguang suddenly shouted, frightening Ye Mei, who immediately covered his mouth with her hand. Ye Hongguang began to struggle, but being unable to walk and too weak to use much strength, he was completely at Ye Mei’s mercy. While covering his mouth, her gaze fell on a pair of silver scissors in a nearby waste basket.

Her eyes flashed, and she quickly made up her mind. Without hesitation, she grabbed the scissors and, without even flinching, viciously stabbed them into Ye Hongguang’s chest!

With his mouth and nose pinned down by her, Ye Hongguang was unexpectedly stabbed by Ye Mei. His legs kicked wildly for a few moments, his eyes staring fixedly at Ye Mei, as if he couldn’t believe there could be such a malicious woman in the world. He no longer had the strength to shout, only managing to make a weak “huh” sound from his throat.

Ye Mei gave him a cold look and said coldly, “I didn’t want to kill you, but you talked too much.” Then she turned and left.

Ye Hongguang lay fallen on the ground, his wheelchair overturned, his entire body sprawled on the floor. Gradually, blood soaked the ground beneath him. He struggled to crawl toward the door to call for help, but how could that be easy? The door, though just within reach, now seemed like an endless road, stretching hopelessly far.

Tie Yi and the others had just arrived at the Ye residence but hadn’t located Ye Mei. They thought she might have escaped in the short time since they arrived. When they checked the study, they were startled to find Ye Hongguang lying in a pool of blood, barely alive.

Cong Yang asked, “What happened? What do we do now?”

Mo Qing emerged from another room and said, “Ye Mei and her brother are planning to escape. Brother Tie Yi has the best lightness skill, so you should follow them.”

Tie Yi acknowledged the order and leaped out through the window, disappearing into the night.

When Mo Qing’s gaze fell on Ye Hongguang lying on the ground, he was also startled and asked, “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Cong Yang scratched his head, crouched beside Ye Hongguang, and checked his breathing. “He’s still breathing, but I don’t know if he can be saved.”

“It looks like he was attacked,” Mo Qing said. “Quickly make some noise to attract people.”

“Come on,” Cong Yang wiped his hands. “The servants in this household are now all fending for themselves. Who has time to care about this young master? Haven’t you heard that a fallen phoenix is not as good as a chicken? And the lady of the house doesn’t like him much either. She’d probably clap her hands in joy seeing him like this, let alone call for a doctor.”

“Then let’s take him back,” Mo Qing walked over to Ye Hongguang and picked him up. Ye Hongguang was frail, making it effortless to carry him. Mo Qing said, “Madam treats this boy differently. If we let him die when we could have saved him, it wouldn’t be right. I think if Madam were here, she would make the same choice. Let’s take him back to Master Gao. Whether he lives or dies will depend on his fate.”

Cong Yang shrugged, “I’ll follow your lead.”

Suddenly, they heard the young man open his eyes and struggle to squeeze out a few words.

“Mei… stole… things… run…”

“What does he mean by that?” Cong Yang asked, puzzled.

But Ye Hongguang’s head drooped to one side, and he wouldn’t wake even when called.

“I don’t understand. Let’s hurry before the servants come,” Mo Qing said. The two didn’t dare delay, quickly leaving without lingering.

Shen Miao was sitting in her room waiting for news. Emperor Yongle’s actions had come so quickly that many things had to be moved forward. Planning was one thing, but seeing whether plans could succeed was another.

But Tie Yi and the others had been gone so long that her heart was sinking, wondering if perhaps Ye Mei had already escaped.

Just as she was thinking this, Jingzhe exclaimed happily, “They’re back, they’re back!”

Shen Miao stood up, hearing Guyu’s surprised voice from outside, “What happened?”

“Quick, call for Master Gao,” came Mo Qing’s voice.

Then the door was pushed open, and Mo Qing and Cong Yang entered. Mo Qing was carrying someone, and when he placed the person on the couch, Shen Miao took a close look and froze, exclaiming, “Ye Hongguang!”

“When we arrived, we found him lying in the study, apparently stabbed by someone from the household. Ye Mei and her brother were about to escape. Tie Yi is following them, leaving signals along the way. I will catch up immediately. Someone has already been sent to fetch Master Gao,” Mo Qing explained.

“Who in the Ye household would have such deep hatred for a child?” Shen Miao felt saddened and somewhat angry seeing Ye Hongguang’s face, which resembled Fu Ming’s so closely, “To harm a child so viciously.”

“Perhaps it was Ye Mei?” Cong Yang suggested.

Shen Miao frowned, “What do you mean?”

“The child woke up briefly and said a few words: ‘Mei stole things run,'” Mo Qing said. “I suspect he meant to say Ye Mei stole something and ran away. Perhaps she was caught stealing by Ye Hongguang and killed him to silence him.”

“But what did she steal?” Cong Yang wondered, “Gold and silver jewelry? To harm a child for such things, tsk, this woman is truly cruel.”

“No, that’s not right,” Shen Miao suddenly said.

The two were startled and asked in unison, “What’s not right?”

“This situation isn’t right.” Shen Miao suddenly had a thought and, without time to consider, immediately said, “Cong Yang, follow Tie Yi’s signals right away. If you see Ye Mei trying to leave Longye, whether by land or water, don’t stop her, but delay them. Make them slower, even slower.”

“Not stop them?” Cong Yang was surprised.

“Yes, don’t stop them,” Shen Miao repeated. She looked again at Ye Hongguang on the couch, then sent Jingzhe and Guyu in to assist Gao Yang when he arrived.

Finally, she said to Mo Qing, “Mo Qing, come with me to the study for a moment.”

Though confused, everyone saw her serious expression and didn’t dare object, following her instructions.

Shen Miao’s gaze was as cold as a knife.

Madam Mei stole something and ran?

What did she steal? Where was she running to?

Shen Miao had more or less figured out her plan, so she was deliberately coming to see her off.