When Lian Yu reached the wine house Lian Jie mentioned, everyone had already dispersed.

He returned alone to the courier station. Lian Jie waited in his courtyard. He had Xuanwu and Qinglong go separately to Quan Feitong’s and Li Huaisu’s quarters. Both reported they hadn’t returned. After a long silence, he instructed Baihu to send word to Murong Xi that he would rest in his own quarters tonight – she needn’t attend to him and should rest well. Also, he would see no visitors who came.

He then summoned Commander Shao, coldly instructing: “Send people to find Prime Minister Quan and Court Judge Li and bring them back. Make it clear this is an imperial edict – they must return. If anyone defies the order, arrest them and bring them back!”

“Yes.”

Commander Shao took the order and left. Lian Jie was also about to withdraw when both were suddenly called back by Lian Yu: “Both return! Commander Shao, withdraw – no need to search.”

This tone was violent, startling even the large Commander Shao, who quickly acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Lian Jie couldn’t quite gauge Lian Yu’s mood. Lian Yu didn’t mention Li Huaisu again, only pulled him to sit at the table, asking: “Was Chao Huang also there when you went?”

Lian Jie nodded: “Yes, unfortunately Sixth Brother can’t deal with him for now.”

“Mm, after all I didn’t see him personally. I had expected he would certainly come with Quan Feitong. Earlier, I had Xuanwu send people to monitor him.”

Lian Jie didn’t know about this. Remembering Quan Feitong’s words and looking at this familiar face, his heart sank slightly, suddenly feeling defensive, alert, and a sense of dread and disgust.

Lian Yu kept Lian Jie, and the two brothers talked for quite a while before Lian Jie finally left with somber eyes.

Lian Yu didn’t retire but still sat at the stone table. Moonlight fell on his face, illuminating the fatigue between his brows. Yet those sharp features suddenly dimmed, replaced by piercing, sinister intent in his eyes.

He smiled coldly, squinting at the bright and dim stars. Xuanwu quietly stood guard to one side.

Just then, Qinglong suddenly approached with a tray. It contained nothing much – just a white porcelain bottle and a cup. A fresh orange fragrance wafted from the bottle mouth. Smelling this long-missed scent, Lian Yu’s thoughts stirred as he almost immediately asked: “What is this?”

“The kitchen said it was prepared for Master. Wasn’t it Master who summoned it…”

Qinglong replied in confusion. Before he could finish, a voice requesting audience came from outside the courtyard: “Miao Yin requests to see Sixth Young Master. Please announce me.”

“Miss Miao, it’s not that this servant is being rude, but Master has already retired and sees no more guests. Please forgive me, Miss. Please have an audience with His Majesty tomorrow.”

Outside the courtyard, Baihu politely declined.

“Very well then. Thank you, Baihu.”

As always, Miao Yin didn’t hide the disappointment in her voice but maintained perfect etiquette, thanking them with a smile before leaving.

Qinglong then said: “Master, forgive this servant’s loose tongue, but that Li Huaisu could never learn such proper etiquette.”

Lian Yu made no comment, his eyes showing deep, cold intensity. Qinglong dared say no more. He picked up the orange honey Qinglong had poured: “I gave no instructions for the kitchen to send this. Go ask who had this thoughtfulness.”

Qinglong was alarmed – the emperor’s food and drink was no small matter. Though they had already tested it with silver needles and had servants taste it first without any problems, if it came from an unknown source, they couldn’t be too careful!

Over there, Xuanwu’s form swayed, about to go inquire, when zither music suddenly arose, drifting quietly through walls and tiles, wafting gracefully through the leafy branches.

After one piece finished, another followed. After five or six songs, that originally clear and beautiful tone went off-key. Lian Yu’s brows furrowed as he held the cup without setting it down, swept his sleeves, and actually left the courtyard, following the sound.

When Xuanwu and the other wanted to follow, he sternly stopped them: “No need to follow.”

Suzhen had wandered outside for who knows how long before returning to the courier station, her mind still tangled in chaos. Entering the main courtyard, she suddenly heard flowing zither music, plaintive and expressive. She was entranced and followed the sound.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, she flipped and leaped onto the rooftop.

Suddenly remembering that day when Lian Yu had held her and leaped onto a rooftop, she couldn’t help smiling. At their first meeting, she had even saved him. Though her martial arts weren’t great, a mere rooftop couldn’t stop her. He…

Her smile suddenly froze as her gaze fell on the man walking toward the woman playing the zither.

“Did you have someone send this honey wine?”

The man inquired.

The woman nodded, collected her hands, and the zither strings hummed once before the music abruptly ceased. In that moment, only moonlight like water remained, with crickets chirping softly.

“How do you know about it?”

The man’s gaze grew sharp and his voice cooled. A mocking look flashed through the woman’s eyes: “What sister knows, I also know. What’s so strange about that? Sixth Young Master, you don’t love me – that’s fine. But you can’t stop me from treating you well, unless you kill me.”

She looked at him with neither humble nor arrogant posture, yet tears rolled from her eyes, falling one by one onto the zither.

Lian Yu’s gaze darkened as he threw down the teacup in his hand and suddenly strode forward. He pulled out a silk handkerchief from his chest, tore it in two, grasped the woman’s wrist, and wrapped both her fingertips. Blood seeped faintly through the white gauze.

“Why didn’t you use finger guards?” He lifted her chin and asked.

“I couldn’t find them in the room, so I didn’t use any.” The woman’s hands trembled slightly, but her tone still carried some defiance.

“You could have had servants find them or buy them.”

“There wasn’t time. You should want to hear zither music right about now. Now I can’t play anymore – even what I played sounded wrong. Shuangcheng takes her leave. Your Majesty should also rest early. With internal and external troubles, your health is most important. Judging by Huaisu’s performance tonight, her surrender to Your Majesty is inevitable.”

She spoke with a light laugh, picking up the ancient zither from the table to go inside.

Lian Yu gave a cold laugh, grabbed the zither from her hands and smashed it on the ground, seizing her wrist.

Shuangcheng trembled, looking into those deep eyes, and slowly nestled into his embrace.

“Lian Yu, I don’t seek exclusive favor – I only ask that you let me stay by your side. What A Luo could do, I can do. What Huaisu cannot do, I can also do…”

Suzhen had been half-crouching on the roof tiles but now slowly stood up. Suddenly turning around, she saw a gray figure crouched behind her. The person wore a bamboo hat, making their face indiscernible. Being discovered, they flew into the trees outside.

Suzhen was shocked – who was this person? An assassin? Were they spying on Lian Yu or someone else in this courier station?

She suddenly remembered Huo Chang’an’s words about various open and hidden schemes here, men and women engaged in all sorts of treacherous struggles. Even this main courtyard was already full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

She pursued all the way, but this person’s lightness skills were excellent, and they quickly disappeared.

The dark figure glanced back briefly, seeing Suzhen had fallen behind, then used lightness skills until reaching a desolate rear courtyard. Flying onto a rooftop and crouching down, they pulled out a fire starter and lit it, carefully examining the roof tiles by its light.

Looking closely, they indeed found a tile with a crooked cross scratched on it.

Without careful examination, this was just a dark gray-black stone. Of course, these scratches might originally have just been natural markings on a tile.

This person slightly lifted their hat brim, holding the fire starter. Every ten paces or so, they would lower their head and carefully examine the tiles. Finally, their eyes stirred.

What rushed into his nose and mouth was a thick, fishy stench. The man groaned and suddenly opened his eyes awake. Dusty thin light filtered down from the skylight, illuminating his clear, cold features.

He felt toward his abdomen – his fingertips came away warm and wet. Smelling that heavy bloody scent, he gritted his teeth and completely suppressed all sound.

“Awake? Wuqing, well done – with such a serious injury, you could endure it silently without making a sound.”

A voice came from ahead. The man tensed and looked to see a thin young man at the iron bars, looking at him with a half-smile.

It was that detestable Little Zhou.

Little Zhou was also quite bedraggled, apparently having just awakened himself. His forehead was swollen, his face gray and dirty, making his neat white teeth look even more hateful.

Wuqing calmly surveyed their surroundings. Several iron bars surrounded them, forming a cage. The cage was scattered with foul-smelling straw. Outside were several broken tables and chairs. In the corner were mud-stained farming tools and jars of what looked like pickled vegetables, giving off waves of sour odors. This seemed to be a cellar.

“Old Monster, our guests seem to have awakened.”

With a sinister, mocking call, two men walked in through the narrow doorway.

It was Mao Hui and Yu Jinglun. Mao Hui looked violent, while Yu Jinglun had an even more sinister expression. He silently opened the cell door and began brutally kicking the two men.

“Damn you for ruining our plans! For your arrogance! I’ll beat you to death!” Mao Hui quickly joined in, spitting and cursing loudly.

Little Zhou tried to resist with his energy but felt completely weak, knowing his relevant acupoints had been sealed and he couldn’t use martial arts. He protected his head and face with both hands, barely managing to hold on. But Wuqing’s situation was dangerous – Yu Jinglun specifically targeted the wound on his abdomen with vicious kicks, causing blood to flow like a fountain. Yet even as Wuqing’s body swayed and stumbled, his eyes remained proudly cold as snow.

Little Zhou started crying out after just a few hits: “Have mercy, masters! Next time we guarantee we won’t meddle in others’ business.”

Wuqing looked at Little Zhou and sneered slightly. Mao Hui was furious: “That boy at least knows when to yield, but you refuse to drink the wine of respect and insist on the wine of punishment.”

He kicked Wuqing in the forehead. Wuqing grunted. This time Little Zhou wasn’t being sarcastic – seeing the situation, he said: “Oh dear, don’t kill him! This guy is the princess’s lifesaver. If you kill him, how will you trade for your freedom? I imagine your purpose in capturing us is exactly this, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Mao Hui actually cursed and stopped kicking. But Yu Jinglun wasn’t so easily dealt with – his eyes showed a sinister gleam: “Then we can just kill you, can’t we?”

Wuqing had slightly closed his eyes but opened them with a smile upon hearing this. Little Zhou saw this wasn’t gloating but genuine amusement. He glared at Wuqing and quickly waved his hands: “You can’t kill me either! I’m a hero who saved the princess! Without me, could the princess have escaped?”

“Speaking of which, you deserve to die most!” Mao Hui’s face changed completely as he kicked toward Little Zhou’s chest. Little Zhou was alarmed, but felt no pain on his body – Wuqing had somehow crawled over and covered him, taking the kick himself.

Little Zhou was slightly shaken. Wuqing said coldly: “Now I don’t owe you a favor.” Little Zhou’s eyes sparkled as he smiled: “If you’re good to me, I might fall in love with you.”