Suzhen somewhat regretted not asking Lian Xin for some silver before leaving. During this period, she had been with the two most powerful people in the country, both of whom had mountains of money. She had almost forgotten what money looked like and didn’t have a single coin on her.

Fortunately, she had been like a wild monkey since childhood, venturing out into the “martial world” by age ten, so this didn’t trouble her much.

Her clothing and hair accessories belonged to the steward’s wife at the Quan residence. As a high-ranking official of the prestigious Quan household, what she wore was naturally worth some money.

That night, she first found an inconspicuous inn in the capital to stay at. The next day, she took her things to a pawn shop to exchange for money. Most pawnshop owners were black-hearted, but her tongue was nimble and she was an experienced person. After some bargaining back and forth, she managed to exchange everything for twenty taels of silver. With frugal eating, it would be enough to get by for some time.

Previously, Lian Yu had given her the best medicine, but her injuries still weren’t completely healed. Now, alone with no one to love or worry about her, she couldn’t mistreat herself. She rested at the inn for three days to heal before going out to handle business.

She wanted to find her brother, Feng Shaoying.

She still changed into men’s clothing, applied makeup, and pasted on a small mustache for convenient travel. “Li Huaisu” had already “died,” and she didn’t want to be recognized.

But she soon encountered a difficult problem – he had never left her any contact information.

After thinking it over, she returned to the Magistrate’s Office.

The office had previously suffered a fire, with broken walls and remaining foundations. Returning to the old place, no matter how open-minded Suzhen was, she still felt heartbroken. Unexpectedly, when she went there, she discovered the office was being renovated, with large numbers of workers busily at work. The supervisor outside the gate was her “old friend” Lian Qin. When the residence was originally granted, it was also Lian Qin who had handled everything.

Aluo was the new magistrate, perhaps for her use.

According to Lian Xin, Lian Yu had deposed Aluo’s consort position and sent her out of the palace. Now that she herself had left, would he one day be with Aluo again? This thought drifted faintly through her heart. Afraid of being recognized by Lian Qin, she hurriedly left.

She came here as a last resort. The only place Feng Shaoying could find her was here. After her “death,” she had immediately fallen unconscious and was subsequently taken away by Lian Yu. She had only heard Quan Feitong briefly mention that the coffin had been buried before all officials. She didn’t know how the court had publicly announced her identity and death – whether it was suppressed and forever kept secret.

Before leaving, she had inquired with the inn’s servant, who somewhat sadly informed her that Magistrate Li had passed away from a sudden illness some days ago. The court’s official documents praised her lifetime achievements, and since Magistrate Li had no relatives, she was buried in the capital’s official cemetery.

For some unknown reason, Lian Yu hadn’t announced her identity to the world. She naturally didn’t care about this either – her coming and going didn’t need others to know the honors and losses involved.

Before leaving, she left an inconspicuous mark under the stone lion at the entrance of the Magistrate’s Office. Previously, her brother had heard their father tell stories of the martial world, speaking of the strange contact codes and symbols used therein. Her brother, along with her, Leng Xue, and Hong Xiao, had also created a set of codes. At that time, several of them were just playing around, never expecting it would come in handy today.

She then went to the cemetery and left the same mark.

These marks, translated into words, meant: “Brother, I’m waiting for you at home.”

If Feng Shaoying came to pay respects, he would see them.

Her only worry was that on the day of her “burial,” he had already been to both places and wouldn’t come again afterward.

She also wrote a letter and made her way to the imperial city gates.

She told the guards she was a former guard of the Magistrate’s Office.

In the past, when she contacted Lian Yu, it was mostly through Zhui Ming, Xiao Zhou, and others delivering letters or verbal messages to the imperial city gates, where military officials would pass them into the palace to Ming Yanchu, who would finally deliver them to Lian Yu. Lian Yu had long instructed Ming Yanchu to coordinate with the imperial city guards.

At this time, hearing her story, the guards were very courteous and efficient. Having completed her business, she turned and slowly left.

The guards handed the letter to a military official, who then presented it to Ming Yanchu – this happened half an hour later.

At that time, Lian Yu had just finished discussing urgent government matters with Yan Da and the Six Ministries and was reviewing the memorials that had accumulated over the past several days in his sleeping quarters.

Everyone was very worried.

Since his return last night, everyone had noticed he had changed.

He had become melancholy and spoke little. They all feared he would go mad as before, but obviously he hadn’t. After lying in bed recovering for several days, as soon as his body improved slightly, he began working today despite his injuries. Only then did they remember that he had always been such a person – living strictly and monotonously, only appearing gentle as jade, warm and refined.

Under everyone’s gaze, Ming Yanchu ingratiatingly handed over the letter, smiling: “Your Majesty, it’s said to be from someone at the Magistrate’s Office. Perhaps Magistrate Li had gathered with Wu Qing and the others, and they have something to contact Your Majesty about, so they had them deliver this letter.”

Everyone quietly observed Lian Yu’s reaction. He showed no great emotional fluctuation, only saying: “Open the letter and see if there’s another letter inside.”

Ming Yanchu didn’t understand why but did as instructed. Everyone then secretly marveled – there were indeed two letters inside! One was sealed in an envelope marked “For Feng Shaoying’s Personal Attention,” while the other was rather casual, just folded together a few times, very much in her usual style. Then they heard Lian Yu say: “Xiao Chuzi, read aloud the letter she wrote to me.”

Ming Yanchu opened it as instructed. Looking at the characters inside, he hesitated for a long while before quietly reading: “Please forward this letter to Feng Shaoying.”

Lian Xin, standing nearby, seeing Ming Yanchu silent after that one sentence, couldn’t help calling out: “What comes next?”

Ming Yanchu placed the letter on the table, pointed in Lian Yu’s direction, gave her a look, and silently mouthed: “Nothing more.”

Lian Xin fell silent. For a moment, no one knew what to say. Lian Yu had even guessed what that person wanted to say to him.

In fact, she and he had nothing to say to each other. She was just borrowing his influence to find her brother, since her brother would definitely come seeking revenge.

“Are you all so idle? Don’t any of you have work? Lao Qi, you also have plenty of government affairs. If you don’t want to handle them, then go to the Magistrate’s Office to supervise construction work with Lao Jiu. Always hovering before me is annoying to watch.” Lian Jie was about to speak but was silenced by his scolding.

“All of you get out!”

Everyone was intimidated by his stern voice and quickly withdrew. Only Zhuque didn’t leave immediately. Her eyes rolled, and she stepped forward: “Master, since she has already met with Wu Qing and the others, why not let this subordinate go back and probe her intentions…”

“Your mission is already complete. As for other matters, I won’t interfere with you. Use your own judgment.” Lian Yu didn’t even lift his head.

His meaning was clear. Zhuque was shocked and her face heated up. She quickly slipped away.

Going out, she complained to everyone: “Master’s heart and eyes are both sharp. We should worry about ourselves.”

Lian Jie said: “Yes, Sixth Brother is no ordinary person. Li Huaisu is unforgettable to him, but with time, eventually…”

The voices outside faded away. Lian Yu continued reading memorials for a while, drank some tea, and his gaze finally slowly fell on the letter on the table.

After a moment, he got up from the bed, walked to the table, and picked up both letters.

He silently read the letter she wrote to him over ten times, though it contained only a few scrawled, casual characters without even a signature. The phrase “please forward” also completely distanced them from each other.

Finally, along with her brother’s letter, he took them back to the bed and placed them under his pillow.

He carefully finished reviewing the memorials. He had always clearly separated public and private matters, handling official business extremely rigorously without allowing the slightest error.

When resting with his eyes closed, he walked back to the bedside and quickly took out the letter she had written to her brother.

He could roughly guess what she had told her brother.

Telling her brother about that day’s events, asking her brother to find her at the Quan residence.

But he couldn’t help wanting to open it and look, even though he knew. He still wanted to see her handwriting.

Even a few more characters would be good.

The letter had a wax seal, clearly meaning it was private! He gripped the letter tightly and smiled self-mockingly. Lian Yu, this letter is for her brother. Would you, the ruler of a nation, stoop so low as to steal a look at someone else’s letter?

His hand paused, and he stuffed the letter back under the pillow.

He suddenly remembered something and searched all over his body, then looked through various parts of the bedroom, finally only finding the jade stone he had taken from her mouth that day beside the bed. He placed the jade stone next to the pillow.

He stood with hands behind his back, gazing out the window.

He didn’t have a single thing she had left behind, not even a keepsake!

What was she doing at the Quan residence now? When she had a husband and children, would she slowly forget him? She and Quan Feitong… He suddenly took a sharp breath. From now on, she would live happily as Zhu’er with Quan Feitong. She would bear him children, ride horses in spring, enjoy snow in winter, under flowers and moonlight, they would…

Thinking of this, jealousy and angry pain surged in his heart. He suddenly regretted – back then, why had he made her drink that medicine? If they had had children together, if they had children…

Now it would also be a bond!

At this moment, Suzhen had returned to the inn, settled her bill, and prepared to leave the capital. In the letter to that person, there was a letter for her brother. This way, when her brother came to seek revenge and was captured, he could give him the letter.

The letter said: “Brother, if you must settle accounts, Lian Yu is not our enemy. The order was mistakenly given by the Empress Dowager. Please trust me – I will tell you everything from beginning to end. I’ll wait for you in Huai County. From now on, we’ll wander the world together, alright? Your sister, Zhen.”