Gao Qiao had just returned from Tai City and entered his home when he heard Gao Qi say that the eldest young master had returned safely and was waiting for him in the study.

“What about A’Mi and Sixth Brother? Did they return together?” Gao Qiao immediately asked.

Gao Qi shook his head.

Gao Qiao’s heart sank with a thud, his expression immediately darkened. Without time to remove his official robes, he hurried to the study.

Seeing Gao Yin, he first asked about the journey.

Gao Yin said the trip went smoothly, then stood up to apologize: “Uncle, your nephew is incompetent. On this trip, not only did I fail to bring back my sister, I also left Sixth Brother there.”

Gao Qiao frowned slightly: “I just heard from Gao Qi. What happened?”

“Sixth Brother has always wanted to follow Li Mu, as you know, Uncle. That Li Mu didn’t accept him before was partly due to Uncle not permitting it. This time when I went, Sixth Brother refused to return with me and left a letter stating his intentions. I thought that with his youthful passion and rare great ambition, Li Mu would likely take care of him there, so I took it upon myself not to force him back. Please punish me, Uncle.”

He presented Gao Huan’s farewell letter.

Gao Qiao glanced at it with a helpless expression and sighed.

“Forget it. What about A’Mi? Why didn’t she return either? Didn’t she say earlier that she would come back once she’d spoken clearly with Li Mu?”

“Uncle, my sister originally intended to return with me, but unexpectedly, after going out, she was pursued back by Li Mu…”

Gao Yin recalled the scene of being locked outside the city gates that day and felt suffocated. Not wanting to elaborate further, he glossed over it vaguely before saying: “Li Mu gave me a letter, saying it was an explanation to Uncle.”

He took out the letter and presented it again.

Gao Qiao immediately took it and unfolded the contents.

Gao Yin had not privately read the letter and didn’t know what Li Mu had actually written or what he meant by “explanation.”

Seeing Gao Qiao staring at the letter without saying a word, he couldn’t help being curious and asked: “What does he say?”

Gao Qiao handed the letter to him, his face showing anger as he snorted: “Empty words with no sincerity whatsoever! This is his explanation? He used these words to deceive A’Mi, and now she won’t return either?”

In front of Gao Qiao, Gao Yin dared not mention how his sister had completely changed her attitude overnight, showing affection with Li Mu.

He said carefully: “Though Li Mu’s words are empty talk and disrespectful to the court, showing his arrogance to the extreme, observing the man himself, he shouldn’t be a two-faced, honey-tongued person with a venomous heart. Otherwise, when Uncle went to Jingkou to confront him initially, without evidence, he could have completely denied it and shirked responsibility entirely, which wouldn’t have provoked Uncle’s displeasure so much or led to all the subsequent troubles.”

“Since he said this, it must be sincere and can be viewed as yielding to Uncle. If the court situation can maintain its current state in the future, there should be no major problems. Uncle need not worry excessively.”

After finishing, seeing Gao Qiao’s face still showed anger, he simply added something he had long wanted to say: “Things have come to this point. My sister has already married him and is willing to stay with him. What more can Uncle do? Report to the court that he’s a hidden danger and have him eliminated early while his foundation is still shallow?”

Gao Qiao was struck to the heart by his nephew’s words.

It was precisely because his beloved daughter was caught in the middle that made him regret his past decisions so bitterly.

Though Gao Yin hadn’t mentioned it explicitly, Gao Qiao had already guessed that his daughter must have willingly stayed there of her own accord, which was why his nephew returned empty-handed.

Toward this Li Mu who had initially used trickery to lure away his daughter and now had coaxed her to the point where she didn’t even want her own father anymore, his disgust was beyond measure.

His expression was extremely ugly. After a long pause, he waved his hand: “Forget it, forget it! Let this matter rest for now! How is Yi Cheng? I heard that the Western Jin Xianbei are sharpening their weapons and preparing to seize the Western Capital. Didn’t Li Mu make a one-year agreement with me? It’s been several months now—how are things there?”

Gao Yin then recounted everything he had seen and heard.

Hearing that Yi Cheng’s walls were built high, that refugees from all directions were flowing into the city daily seeking protection, and that Li Mu had already formed an alliance with the Hou clan of Chou Chi and was currently clearing wasteland, stockpiling grain, and expanding his military forces, his ugly expression finally improved somewhat.

Seeing that he asked no more questions, Gao Yin took his leave.

Gao Qiao comforted him, saying he had worked hard traveling and should rest well—it wouldn’t be too late to go to Guangling in a few days.

Gao Yin respectfully agreed and withdrew.

Once his nephew left, Gao Qiao could no longer sit still. He stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced in the study.

After walking back and forth more than ten times, he stopped, stared at Li Mu’s letter, and finally, as if making some resolution, picked up the letter and hurried outside.

When darkness fell, he disembarked from a boat at Bailu Zhou and came to the gate of the villa where Xiao Yongjia resided.

The gatekeeper said Eldest Princess hadn’t been there for several days—she had gone out visiting friends.

Gao Qiao was stunned.

The last time Xiao Yongjia had proposed divorce, he had angrily forced himself upon her, been coldly rejected, and left in shame—it had been over two months since then.

During this time, naturally Xiao Yongjia’s side could not possibly contact him first.

After Gao Qiao’s initial sense of shame faded, he had been enduring day by day.

He told himself not to argue with women and that he should go find her again to speak clearly.

But every time he made up his mind, when it came time to leave, he would retreat again.

Today he finally had a legitimate reason—how could he still endure? That’s why he rushed over.

But he never expected that Xiao Yongjia wouldn’t be there.

He hurriedly asked for details. The gatekeeper said she had gone to visit County Princess Huaide three days ago and hadn’t returned yet.

County Princess Huaide’s fief was located in Huaide County, several dozen li northwest of Jiankang.

Gao Qiao knew this county princess—she was a daughter from a collateral branch of the Xiao clan, with a bold personality. Since childhood, she had maintained a good relationship with Xiao Yongjia.

Xiao Yongjia didn’t have good relationships with people. Over the years, among those she still associated with, this county princess was the closest.

Ordinarily this would be nothing unusual.

But this county princess had been widowed by three husbands. Just recently, she seemed to have married her fourth—a low-ranking Gentleman Attendant who was not only more than ten years younger than the county princess, but was also as handsome as Pan An. When they married, Xiao Yongjia had even sent a congratulatory gift.

Gao Qiao was stunned. He asked about her return date, but the gatekeeper said he didn’t know.

He stood at the gate for a long while, his heart gradually feeling as if scratched by a cat, extremely uneasy.

After only a moment’s hesitation, he decided to immediately go personally to bring Xiao Yongjia back.

After all, his daughter’s matter was most important.

He was anxious to find her for consultation.

He hurried back, abandoned his carriage for a horse, and rode rapidly until he finally reached Huaide County. Finding the place, he had someone knock on the gate.

When the door opened and the servant learned that this middle-aged man who had come in the night was actually Eldest Princess’s husband, the current Head of State Affairs Gao Qiao, they were extremely shocked. They hurriedly went inside to report and then led him in.

Gao Qiao hurried inside. Before reaching the banquet hall, he could already hear the sound of string and wind instruments playing continuously.

When he was led in and stood at the doorway, he saw the hall brilliantly lit with ornate lamps, bright as day, with fine wine and delicious food, the hall full of guests, and performers playing flutes and reed organs while dancers gracefully circled the pillars.

Such scenes of indulgent nighttime revelry were staged almost nightly in the homes of Jiankang’s pleasure-seeking officials and nobles—Gao Qiao had long been accustomed to them.

Standing at the doorway, his eyes searched for Xiao Yongjia’s figure.

He spotted her at a glance, reclining sideways on a wide couch covered with brocade mats, one hand supporting her head, the other holding a round fan, with half a cup of remaining wine before her, smiling as she watched the county princess and her young husband playing dice nearby.

Surrounded by cheerful laughter and chatter, with beautiful maids and handsome servants attending to her solicitously, Xiao Yongjia also wore a smile on her face. But her eyes clearly showed some absent-minded fatigue.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Gao Qiao standing at the hall’s entrance.

She froze, quickly turned her face to look, and seeing it was indeed him, the smile on her face slightly stiffened.

Gao Qiao’s intrusion was extremely discordant, immediately disrupting the banquet’s atmosphere.

Everyone’s gazes turned toward him.

The county princess hurriedly stood up, bringing her young husband to greet him.

Gao Qiao smiled and said: “Coming to your door in the night is truly presumptuous, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with Eldest Princess. My household said she was visiting here, so I came uninvited. If I’ve disturbed you, please forgive me.”

The county princess naturally knew about the discord between Eldest Princess and Gao Qiao, and understanding Xiao Yongjia’s temperament—that unlike herself she couldn’t be so open-minded—she thought of her living alone on the island with her daughter no longer by her side, inevitably lonely. A few days ago, taking advantage of her own birthday celebration, she had invited her over.

Suddenly seeing Gao Qiao appear like this, she was extremely surprised. Hearing him mention urgent business and observing his expression, she inwardly felt it didn’t seem like it, but verbally went along: “How can Lord Gao say such things? The other day I invited Eldest Princess for my birthday celebration. Unable to bear parting with her, I forcibly kept her until today. I never thought it would delay Lord Gao’s business, making you travel all this way from Jiankang in the night. It’s my fault!”

As she spoke, she turned back to urge Xiao Yongjia: “A’Ling! Quickly now, Lord Gao has urgent business with you!” Behind Gao Qiao’s back, she winked at her with slight mischief.

Xiao Yongjia slowly sat up from the couch.

Gao Qiao stared, seeing a beautiful young man kneel to put wooden clogs on her feet.

She slipped on the wooden clogs, walked over, glanced at Gao Qiao, and said: “Let’s go outside to talk.”

Gao Qiao followed her out, trailing behind Xiao Yongjia until they stopped at a pavilion in the courtyard.

Xiao Yongjia dismissed the servants and looked at Gao Qiao: “What do you want with me?”

Gao Qiao turned to look around, seeing the dim lighting with no one nearby. After hesitating, he moved closer and said in a lowered voice: “A’Ling, about last time… it was really my fault… I lost my head momentarily and did such a thing to you… After returning, I regretted it deeply. These days, I’ve long wanted to come apologize to you…”

“Gao Qiao! This is the urgent business you wanted to discuss with me?”

Xiao Yongjia’s attitude had been relatively mild, but suddenly she seemed angry, raising her voice slightly to interrupt his words.

Gao Qiao was stunned. Seeing that after so much time had passed, she reacted this way the moment he mentioned it, clearly showing how disgusted she was, he felt doubly ashamed and his old face reddened.

Fortunately, there was no lighting here and no one could see. He hurriedly waved his hands: “Forget it, forget it! If you don’t want to hear it, I won’t speak of this… I came to find you because of our daughter and son-in-law’s matter!”

“A’Mi refused to return and stayed in Yi Cheng?”

Gao Qiao was stunned again: “You already knew?”

Xiao Yongjia frowned: “What did Li Mu say?”

“He said that in the future, as long as the court doesn’t pressure him or obstruct his Northern Expedition, he will forever remain a subject of Dayu…”

“Then that settles it!”

Xiao Yongjia nodded.

“I’m going back inside. You should return.”

She turned around, leaving Gao Qiao behind, and headed back inside.