“I understand.” Wei Wulei nodded, and the two quietly followed Madam Wei as she left.

“You go over there—there’s another fire that hasn’t been extinguished.”

“Alright…”

When Madam Wei walked from the central courtyard to the rear courtyard, she only saw Wei Chenghui’s sons from various households leading guards in firefighting. Among the noisy voices, she couldn’t find anyone, but this couldn’t resist the large number of people—the fire was gradually being brought under control. After all, this was her own daughter. Though the fire was already controlled, she still worried, fearing her daughter might encounter the thief…

She searched everywhere when suddenly something occurred to her. She stopped a servant carrying water and asked, “Have you seen the eldest miss?”

The servant shook his head, but a maid nearby seemed to remember something and said, “Madam, this servant thought she saw the miss going toward your room earlier. But I’m not sure if my eyes were playing tricks…”

Madam Wei nodded. Though she found it strange that her daughter would go to her room at this time, she still entered the rear building. Fearing noise, she lived in the last row of rooms in the rear courtyard.

The fire hadn’t reached here. She hurried into the room. “Xia’er, are you still here? Don’t try to be brave about catching thieves. Just rest assured—with your grandfather and mother here, your father will definitely find you another good marriage—”

She suddenly stopped speaking, her gaze falling puzzled on a letter on the dressing table.

How could there be such a thing here?

She walked over full of confusion, but was instantly shocked by the characters on the letter!

—To Mother

This was Wuxia’s letter? She picked up the letter in bewildered shock. Why would Wuxia leave her a letter? Could this girl be so affected by Chao Huang’s death that she took advantage of this chaos to leave home?!

She was both angry and anxious, trembling as she opened the letter. Inside were several lines of delicate handwriting:

Mother, please forgive your daughter’s great unfilial behavior. Your daughter has left to follow Chao Huang. Don’t worry—this departure doesn’t mean following him in death, but truly leaving. He actually didn’t die. Please forgive your daughter’s heartless decision. Since learning that Father was cold about Chao Huang’s death, and that the plague that befell Chao Huang’s army was actually Father’s doing, your daughter felt chilled to the heart. Even if he finds me another husband and arranges another marriage, your daughter’s heart will never be at peace. Moreover, his attention now focuses only on Wulei—your daughter disdains competing with that little wretch.

Your daughter’s departure will surely cause Father to blame you, because your daughter, following the emperor’s plan step by step until today, falsely transmitted Father’s military orders, luring away Wujun, Wuliang and their group along with over a thousand elite soldiers from the residence. Father’s important prisoner Li Huaisu has also been rescued! Do you remember I told you that this Li Huaisu is actually a woman? She is Lian Yu’s beloved. Father intended to use her to threaten Lian Yu. I know I’ve caused tremendous trouble this time, so I must tell you everything from beginning to end.

But set your mind at ease. Your daughter has already written to grandfather. Grandfather loves mother most and is already on his way to the capital. Father still needs to rely on grandfather’s family wealth, so with him here, Father definitely won’t dare harm you. If living in the residence becomes unpleasant, you can leave with grandfather and temporarily stay at your natal home.

Mother, I know you must worry about my safety, fearing that in these chaotic times of war, I cannot safely leave the city. I was originally instructed by Chao Huang never to tell you our whereabouts, but to keep mother from worrying… your daughter tells you everything here. We will leave through the imperial city. There are secret passages in the palace, so we needn’t go through Father’s city gates at all. Therefore, you need not worry about my safety.

Your daughter originally wanted to take you along, but this journey will be arduous, and I feared mother would suffer hardship. Also not knowing mother’s intentions, I had to give up the idea. Once we’re settled, I will definitely notify mother. After reading this letter, please be sure to burn it.

Your unfilial daughter Wuxia kowtows in respect

After reading the letter, Madam Wei felt dizzy. She staggered out of the room and let the night wind blow on her, countless thoughts flashing through her mind: If Wei Chenghui learned of this, it would truly be a capital offense deserving flaying and bone-boiling punishment!

Supposedly Wuxia had just left not long ago. If she notified the master now, could she make up for this mistake and get Wei Chenghui to spare Wuxia? Otherwise, if Wuxia fell into her father’s hands in the future, she would certainly die. But what if Wei Chenghui refused to let her go? By speaking up, wouldn’t she be harming her daughter?

She was in a daze when her hand loosened slightly, and the letter was blown away by the wind. Startled, she hurriedly bent to pick it up, but saw the paper gently fall onto a pair of pearl-adorned shoes.

The other person casually picked up the paper. Madam Wei’s mouth opened wide, her eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.

“Little wretch, give me that thing!” She stared fiercely at the two women ahead and shouted sternly.

Wei Wulei held the letter, frowning. “Eldest aunt, speak more respectfully! This shouting is really too much.”

Madam Wei’s gaze shifted as she swallowed and said through gritted teeth, “Wulei, please return that to me. It’s my letter.”

Wei Wulei was about to return it to her when Third Lady beside her snatched the letter away and sneered, “Why should we? Just because you say it’s yours, it’s yours? Do you think it’s still the old days when everyone had to listen to you mother and daughter!”

She glanced at the paper twice, and her expression immediately changed. “Wulei!”

Seeing this, Madam Wei was terrified and rushed forward to grab the letter. Third Lady shouted, “Hold it—don’t let her snatch it back!”

Wei Wulei was a clever person. Hearing this, she quickly took the letter while Third Lady blocked Madam Wei, and the two began wrestling and struggling.

Wei Wulei held the letter, stepping back while quickly reading. The expression on her face kept changing—first shock, then joy. Finally, she tucked the letter into her bosom and smiled slightly. “Eldest aunt, at this point, do you still want to fight?”

Madam Wei looked like a defeated rooster, her face as pale as paper. Seeing this, Third Lady felt pleased and deliberately gave her a hard push. Madam Wei lost her footing and fell to the ground.

She suddenly thought of something and, regardless of dignity, crawled up and knelt down, looking pleadingly at Wei Wulei. “Wulei, eldest aunt begs you, please don’t tell your father now… considering that Wuxia is your sister after all, and you will have a bright future ahead…”

“If not now, when? Needless to say, this fire was also Wei Wuxia’s doing, wasn’t it? Earlier when I saw the guards from the side courtyard also fighting the fire, I found it strange—that side shouldn’t need them for this fire,” Wei Wulei’s lips curved. Without even looking at Madam Wei, she lifted her skirt and quickly walked out. Third Lady followed behind with her head held high. After a long moment, Madam Wei came to her senses as if awakening from a dream and scrambled out rolling and crawling.

Wei Wulei didn’t stop, quickly reaching where the servants were fighting the fire. She clapped her hands and said, “All servants listen to orders! The rebel Chao Huang isn’t dead and has allied with Lian Yu. Wei Wuxia betrayed the Grand Preceptor, collaborating with the traitor Chao to rescue Li Huaisu. They’re now fleeing toward the imperial city, planning to infiltrate the palace’s secret passages. Hurry and chase them! If you capture Wei and Li, you can still redeem yourselves. If these people escape, not only will you die, but it will bring disaster to your families.”

Immediately, the entire chaotic courtyard—upon hearing this, all the servants from the side courtyard were shocked and horrified. As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was already running frantically toward the stables. Wei Wulei narrowed her eyes with a slight smile and also headed toward the stables.

Soon, Wei Wulei was seen riding out on horseback, but heading toward the front gate. Third Lady was just coming out and called upon seeing this, “Wulei, where are you going?”

“I’m going to catch up with second brother. Second brother has martial arts experts and elite soldiers with him. I’ll also send someone to notify father. They just left not long ago and shouldn’t have gotten far. If there are experts responding at the imperial city, these sixty or seventy servants alone won’t be able to handle it.” Her eyes gleamed with ruthless light. As she spoke, she pulled the reins, and servants ahead scrambled to avoid her as her figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Third Lady smiled as she watched her daughter. In the end, only her pair of children truly resembled the master! Madam Wei stood behind watching blankly, finally covering her face and letting out sharp, piercing wails.

When they were still about the time it takes to drink tea away from the imperial city gates, with a “whoa,” the carriage that had departed from the Wei residence suddenly stopped.

Inside the carriage, Wei Wuxia watched coldly as Suzhen patted the shoulders of two young girls. “Thank you both. Go on.”

These were her senior and junior maids. The two maidservants timidly nodded and got off the carriage. Suzhen seemed to remember something and pulled out a handful of jewelry from her bosom, stuffing it all into the two young girls’ hands. “Take this.”

“Thank you, miss!” The two maids were both surprised and delighted and were about to kowtow in gratitude when Suzhen stopped them, only having them bow to Wuxia. Wuxia had been looking at Suzhen’s gold and silver with some surprise, but seeing this, she nodded and said gently, “Go on.”

The two quickly melted into the night. Though the road ahead was long, where there were lights, there were homes. There was hope.

Wei Wuxia was quite astonished. She had quickly packed some valuables and jewelry, but had already given some things to these two girls earlier. When Suzhen insisted on bringing the two out as they left, fearing Wei Chenghui’s pursuit, it could be considered the height of benevolence. She hadn’t expected Suzhen to also give them things. But her words were somewhat strange. “You were tortured before—any gold and silver would have been taken by Mao Hui and those people. Where did these things come from?”

Suzhen laughed heartily. “I took them from Wuyan’s room. Given my friendship with her, she definitely wouldn’t mind. Besides, these are ultimately external possessions.”

At this time, the mustached man also sent the coachman away and walked before them, pulling off the false whiskers from his lips. He said to Wei Wuxia, “After hiding in your house for so many days, I can finally be free.”

“You’re also fortunate—this general personally drove the carriage for you.” He smiled.

Wei Wuxia looked at him sweetly while Suzhen bowed with masculine etiquette. “Thank you!”

What a marvelous night indeed. These few people were definitely not friends, and regarding the world and war, their values were absolutely different, yet tonight they were allies.

And she would soon be able to see that person. Her body grew warm. Though the pain from her injuries was agonizing, Suzhen’s lips curved upward as she glanced again at the two people still unconscious in the carriage.

Little Zhou, and Ji Fufeng—perhaps her brother?

One had been seriously injured originally, while the other had been severely tortured by Wei Chenghui, beaten until his internal organs were damaged. Wei Chenghui had later vented all the anger he couldn’t take out on Suzhen onto Ji Fufeng instead.

Lian Yu’s fake assassination attempt through Hong Gu made Wei Chenghui mistakenly believe that tonight’s city attack was led by Huo Chang’an and Murong Ding, so he didn’t bring Suzhen out to vent his anger or simply kill her. When Wei Wuxia had been drinking with Wei Wujun earlier, taking advantage of Wei Wujun’s half-drunken state, she had learned from Chao Huang who heard it from Lian Yu, and discovered where they were imprisoned. They were held in the Wei residence’s dungeon.

The latter had not a single piece of good flesh left on his body, and two of his fingers had been cut off. If they hadn’t gotten out tonight, his fingers would have been severed one by one, and his hands would eventually be completely ruined!

Because both men’s conditions were extremely poor, Wei Wuxia had prepared some sleeping medicine in advance, gave it to them, and simply let them sleep.

Suzhen took a thin blanket from the carriage, covered them, and gently grasped Ji Fufeng’s hand, her nose stinging with emotion. Even though it was he who caused her capture, leading to so many current disasters, he was still her brother after all. No matter how angry she was, how could she not feel heartache for him?

Soon, Chao Huang sat in the coachman’s position, cracked the whip, and the carriage continued racing forward.

These two horses were among those with the best stamina in the Wei residence.

Before long, the imperial city came into view.

The several people got off the carriage. Chao Huang struck the horses’ flanks hard, and the pained horses ran off along the direction of the moat.

Galloping on horseback within the imperial city at night would likely attract the palace servants’ attention, even though there were no Wei Chenghui’s soldiers here.

Because the imperial city had now become a deserted city.

The city towers at the capital’s entrance were heavily guarded, so no troops were stationed within the imperial palace itself—it would be a waste of military strength.

There were no longer any imperial guards within the imperial city. The gates were wide open, the walls riddled with holes, with only former palace servants trembling as they lived inside.

On that day, flames of war had spread everywhere with rivers of blood. Seventeen thousand imperial guards died here. Though their bodies had been cleared away by Wei’s army—thrown to who knows which mass grave—Suzhen seemed to still smell the heavy scent of blood from that day.

Just then, Chao Huang’s gaze flashed as he suddenly became alert. Suzhen was startled and followed his gaze to see seven or eight people walking out from the imperial city entrance.

Suzhen’s eyes lit up. The person in the center wore blue robes, tall and jade-like, with eyes like emerald jade, gazing at her so carefully and deeply. That sharpness carved as if by knife and chiseled by axe, so intelligent and keen, yet seemed to contain crushed starlight from across the sky—so gentle.

He gazed at her, the tenderness in his eyes instantly becoming deep and intense, like a windswept sea.

Suzhen’s eyes grew warm. This was the person who let her experience success, failure, hardship, and growth. This was also the person who let her experience bone-deep cruelty and pain. But this was still the person—wherever he was, that’s where her home would be from now on.

No matter how many thorns and tribulations lay on the road ahead, he made her no longer afraid. He would definitely bring her home. Now, he had come to fetch her.

Sorry, the plot was hard to break off, so I wrote a bit more and it got later.