When Deng Yi was pulled into the secret room behind the bookshelf wall, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the rising fire, and then the fire and the ensuing commotion were all shut outside.

“I didn’t even know my house had a secret room and tunnel,” Deng Yi said. The secret room was just a space between walls, and a moment later they entered the tunnel.

He looked at Xiao Xun walking ahead of him; the young man’s steps were light and easy.

The tunnel was pitch black, making it impossible to see the young man’s expression, but his voice carried a hint of a smile.

“Because for the Grand Tutor, the capital is merely a place to stay,” he said. “But for my father the King, it’s home.”

“My father was driven out of the capital when he was young. He has always wanted to return home, and fearing he might forget it, he had people map out everything in the capital in detail, including the layout of streets and houses, every blade of grass and tree.”

“Especially these mansions.”

“Grand Tutor, would you believe that my father has even arranged people to watch over many of these mansions?”

Believe it? Why wouldn’t he? Speaking of which, wasn’t he someone the King of Zhongshan had arranged to watch over a mansion? And the most magnificent mansion of all—the Imperial Palace.

Deng Yi replied coolly, “The King has certainly gone to great lengths to prepare for contingencies everywhere.”

Xiao Xun chuckled softly, “It’s destiny that the Grand Tutor and my father were meant to be connected, so you moved into this particular mansion that happened to have a watchman.”

As he spoke, he gave a gentle push, and the night air rushed in, along with the noise and the strong smell of smoke and fire.

Deng Yi looked up and realized they had reached the neighboring house through the tunnel.

The neighboring household had been alarmed as well. Servants were running about in the courtyard, shouting continuously, mingled with the cries of children awakened by the commotion, and hushed, chaotic conversations.

“Fire! Help!”

“Don’t meddle in others’ affairs—”

“Quick, hide—”

“Be careful not to get caught up in the trouble—”

Hearing these words, Deng Yi found it somewhat amusing.

Xiao Xun called softly, “Let’s go, Grand Tutor.” He smiled again, looking at the mansion on the other side that had become strangely resplendent from the fire, “Grand Tutor, are you reluctant to leave?”

Deng Yi said, “In this world, there is no such thing as reluctance, only necessity.”

Xiao Xun smiled without saying anything more, turned and walked along the narrow path. Even in someone else’s residence, his steps remained light and carefree.

Deng Yi followed behind him.

After passing through several homes, the noise, smoke, and sound of troops and people running gradually faded away. They stopped at an ironsmith’s shop in the city.

Even at night, craftsmen were busy in the ironsmith’s shop. Flames flickered as bare-chested men swung their hammers, sweat flying. They paid no attention to Xiao Xun and Deng Yi passing through their workshop.

Xiao Xun walked to the innermost area, pulled over a wooden stool and sat down, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured a bowl of hot water.

“Grand Tutor, wet your throat,” he said.

Deng Yi didn’t refuse and took it.

“Grand Tutor,” Xiao Xun moved closer to him and said in a low voice, “It is the Empress who wants to kill you.”

Deng Yi glanced at him, “It’s not her.”

“You are now standing in her way,” Xiao Xun smiled. “Miss Zhao is someone who would split a mountain if it blocked her path.”

Deng Yi slowly took a sip of water, raised his eyes to look at Xiao Xun, and smiled slightly, “I am different from the Crown Prince. Miss Zhao would not try to kill me.”

He paused for a moment.

“Even if she wanted to kill me, she would tell me first.”

The relationship between the Empress and the Grand Tutor was indeed good. Previously on their journey, Chu Zhao’s attitude toward Deng Yi was indeed different compared to her attitude toward him.

And Deng Yi had even betrayed his father, the King, for Chu Zhao!

“But that was before,” Xiao Xun sighed lightly. “People change, and with the Xie clan present, you and the Empress cannot coexist.”

Deng Yi finished his water and looked at Xiao Xun, “Many people want me dead, Crown Prince. You are among them, and quite high on the list.”

Xiao Xun laughed heartily and asked with interest, “Is the Grand Tutor suggesting that I orchestrated tonight’s drama myself?”

Deng Yi didn’t answer. He put down his tea bowl and asked, “What does the Crown Prince want? Just say it directly.”

Xiao Xun smiled slightly and said, “Still the same request—I ask the Grand Tutor to open the door for me.”

Deng Yi said coolly, “It’s too late. At that time, I had control over the inner palace gates, but now, I don’t have that authority.”

“The Grand Tutor indeed cannot overrule the Empress,” Xiao Xun laughed and clapped his hands in admiration. “Miss Zhao is formidable.”

Deng Yi ignored him and poured himself more water.

“I’m not asking the Grand Tutor to open the palace gates for me,” Xiao Xun stopped smiling and said softly. “Nor do I want to enter the Imperial City. Tonight’s incident was a coincidence. Learning that the Grand Tutor had been confined by the Empress, it was a good opportunity, so I sneaked in, planning to set a fire and then abduct you—”

At this point, he laughed again.

“I didn’t expect that I would have the same idea as someone else.”

“Although you say I’m one of the people who want to kill you, you should thank me for wanting to kill you. Otherwise, you would have truly died.”

Deng Yi held his cup and drank water, his expression wooden.

Xiao Xun stopped laughing after amusing himself and said, “I ask the Grand Tutor to open the gate from the capital to Zhongshan County for me.”

Deng Yi held his cup and looked at him.

“The Grand Tutor is so cautious, you must carry the Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally with you,” Xiao Xun said, raising his hand in a salute. “Please send me home, Grand Tutor.”

Deng Yi didn’t speak, just smiled slightly.

“Grand Tutor,” Xiao Xun’s expression became sincere. “Although it wasn’t the Empress trying to kill you this time, she has already been bewitched by Xie Yanfang. Xie Yanfang will never tolerate your presence in court. With the two of them there, there is no place for you in Xiao Yu’s court. Rather than being a beast of burden for that little boy, why not come with me to see my father? The Great Xia is the Xiao family’s realm. With my father as Emperor, you can still be the Grand Tutor of Great Xia.”

Deng Yi lowered his gaze to look at the water cup. The clanging sounds and spattering flames reflected in the cup seemed to conjure up the girl’s face.

In the night filled with flames and the sounds of battle, she had called out to him at the palace gate: “Deng Yi, you owe me a meal.”

The Miss Zhao of today was no longer the Miss Zhao of the past.

The debt of a meal had been repaid.

Deng Yi drained his water in one gulp.

…

…

Flames flickered as Imperial Guards rushed through the Imperial City. They all wore python-patterned robes, indicating that besides the Defense Bureau, the palace guards had also been mobilized.

This also showed that at this moment, the Empress trusted no one except the Dragon Robe Guards.

One team went outward, while another surrounded the Grand Tutor’s outer palace residence.

Officials were blocked and held back, only able to stand at a distance watching as they rushed into the Grand Tutor’s hall to search.

“What are they looking for?”

“Is the Grand Tutor dead?”

“They’re going straight in without confiscating the property—”

“Be quiet, they’re looking for the Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally.”

Chu Zhao stepped into the Grand Tutor’s hall, a place not unfamiliar to her. Now it had been turned upside down with chests and cabinets emptied and bookshelves toppled.

Besides the guards, Eunuch Qi led palace servants in searching everywhere. They were more familiar with hidden compartments and such, but after a thorough search, they found nothing.

“We rarely see the Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally in daily affairs,” a minor official was brought in and knelt to report. “When we receive memorials and documents, they have already been reviewed and sealed by the Grand Tutor.”

Xie Yanfang also brought officials in and said, “Your Majesty, we’ve searched all six ministries as well, but found nothing.”

“The Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally are treasures of the state. The Grand Tutor would likely carry them on his person,” Eunuch Qi said in a low voice. “We’ll have to see if they can be found at the Grand Tutor’s residence.”

The chances of finding them were slim; everyone present knew this.

The reason Deng Yi held such an important position was not only because the late Emperor had appointed him as Grand Tutor, but also because he possessed the Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally.

If Deng Yi had disappeared on his own, he certainly wouldn’t have left them behind.

If he had been captured by someone else, one of their main objectives would surely be the Imperial Seal and Tiger Tally.

Chu Zhao ordered, “Bring the Phoenix Seal—seal the city gates—”

…

…

The smoke that had risen in the city quickly dissipated, but the commotion still spread faintly throughout the city.

Standing on the city gate, one could see jumping torches and hear the sound of galloping hooves. The sound of footsteps also faintly reached them.

The gate guards were also familiar with where the commotion was concentrated.

The Grand Tutor’s residence.

“Troubled times,” a guard said softly.

Another nodded, “The Defense Bureau has surrounded the Grand Tutor’s residence.”

They didn’t discuss it further. While they were observing, a troop of soldiers galloped from within the city.

“Halt—” the gate commander ordered. “The gates are closed. No one leaves the city without orders.”

The leading official bowed from his horse, “Commander Ding.”

The gate commander recognized him as an official from the Ministry of War and quickly returned the salute, “Master Xue, you’re leaving the city so late?”

Master Xue unfolded a document for him and simultaneously presented half of a Tiger Tally, saying, “Urgent order to match the tally with the capital garrison.”

The torchlight xilluminated the Imperial Seal on the document. The gate commander did not dare to accept the Tiger Tally, hurriedly acknowledged the order, and asked no further questions. He instructed the guards to open the city gate and watched as these officials and their entourage passed through the gate into the darkness.

The city gate slowly closed.