Everyone descended into the secret chamber, but it was empty.

Shen Que finally breathed a sigh of relief. He said: “Cui Xun! You have invaded my mansion without permission. I will report this to His Majesty and have you executed as a warning to others!”

Cui Xun ignored him. He crouched down and picked up a rat.

The rat had been skinned, its entire body a bloody mess, and it seemed to still be alive, its body twitching slightly. Even the guards, who had witnessed many interrogation scenes, couldn’t help but feel nauseated at the sight. When Shen Que saw the rat, his first instinct was to vomit, but then he suppressed his disgust and said: “It’s just a rat, what does that prove?”

Cui Xun still didn’t respond to him. The cat ghost was cruel by nature and particularly enjoyed torturing the weak. This skinned rat was identical to the sparrows with gouged eyes from before, proving that the cat ghost had indeed been hiding in the secret chamber. But now the chamber was empty—where had Jiang Liang and the cat ghost gone?

Cui Xun looked around. The secret chamber was surrounded by solid walls with only one exit through Shen Que’s bedroom. Even if Jiang Liang had heard the commotion and fled with the cat ghost, someone should have seen them.

So, how had Jiang Liang escaped?

Shen Que was furious with embarrassment: “Cui Xun! Don’t push your luck too far!”

The rat in Cui Xun’s hand stopped twitching. Cui Xun crouched down and gently placed it on the ground. In the corner of the secret chamber, there were many more rats, some with their eyeballs gouged out, others with their hearts eaten. Cui Xun sneered: “I never expected the Duke of Shen to have such a hobby of torturing rats.”

Shen Que was stunned. He had always disliked being called “Duke”; Cui Xun was deliberately mocking him. Shen Que angrily exclaimed: “Cui Xun!”

Cui Xun stood up and said coldly, “How these rats died—Duke Shen doesn’t need to explain to me. Go explain to the Empress Dowager and His Majesty.”

Although there was no conclusive evidence that Shen Que had harbored the cat ghost, the rats in the duke’s mansion’s secret chamber still raised suspicions. His Majesty, therefore, ordered Shen Que to be placed under house arrest until Jiang Liang was captured and a final decision could be made.

However, after Jiang Liang escaped from the duke’s mansion, he disappeared without a trace, like a fish returning to the sea. Cui Xun led the Investigation Bureau to search all over Chang’an but couldn’t find him.

Concerned that the cat ghost might come after Li Ying, Cui Xun pasted talismans around the Cui Mansion and told Li Ying not to go out. Li Ying said: “A ghost like me, protected by anti-ghost talismans, to guard against another ghost—the more I think about it, the more amusing it seems.”

Cui Xun said, “The cat ghost is vicious and especially holds grudges. Since it was injured at the Cui Mansion, it will return. Being cautious isn’t wrong.”

Li Ying said with concern: “If that’s the case, your peach wood arrow nearly killed the cat ghost—wouldn’t it seek revenge on you even more?”

Cui Xun shook his head: “The cat ghost bullies the weak and fears the strong. Because I hurt it, it won’t dare to come after me. It sees you as prey, and having failed to catch you twice, it will try a third time. So you don’t need to worry about me; worry about yourself.”

Despite his words, Li Ying was still concerned about Cui Xun. Rather than letting him search all over Chang’an for the cat ghost, it would be better to find a way to make the cat ghost show itself.

Just as Li Ying was forming a plan in her mind, the ghost merchant Yu Fuwei came to see her again.

The last time at the ghost market in Chang’an, Yu Fuwei had mocked Cui Xun for being unable to draw his old bow. Li Ying had been angry with him and hadn’t seen him since. Unexpectedly, this time Yu Fuwei came to find her on his initiative and immediately apologized: “I spoke inappropriately at the ghost market before. That was my fault.”

Since he had apologized, Li Ying couldn’t hold a grudge. She said: “As long as you don’t speak ill of Cui Xun, I won’t blame you.”

Yu Fuwei smiled: “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Li Ying sat by the corridor, watching the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard, her feet in platform shoes crossed and swinging, the picture of a charming young girl. She said, “Since you’ve promised not to speak ill of Cui Xun, we can continue to be friends.”

“Friends?” Yu Fuwei tilted his head.

“Yes, friends,” Li Ying said forthrightly.

“But I’m just a merchant, and you are a princess of the Great Zhou.”

Li Ying said: “Merchant and princess are just identities, not standards for judging whether a person is good or bad. When we remove the outer garments of identity, we all just have two eyes and one nose, no different from each other.”

She thought for a moment and added, “Although sometimes what you say is indeed not pleasant to hear, you have helped me several times and provided a place for many homeless Hu women. And when conducting business in the yin-yang market, you charge wealthy customers a ten percent fee but nothing from those who aren’t wealthy. This proves you’re not a bad person. Since your character is not problematic, why can’t I be friends with you?”

Yu Fuwei was stunned and couldn’t help but ask: “How did the Princess know about charging nothing?”

Li Ying said, “The first time I saw you exchange gold ingots, I specifically inquired about it.”

“Then why didn’t the Princess have any complaints?”

Li Ying leaned back slightly, her feet tapping against the wall beneath the corridor. She laughed: “Of course, because I classified myself as wealthy.”

Hearing this, Yu Fuwei couldn’t help but laugh heartily as well.

A gust of wind rose, blowing crabapple petals all over the ground. Li Ying extended her jade-like hand, and a crabapple flower gently floated into her palm. Yu Fuwei also turned to look, and when he saw her face as fair as jade, his heart stirred slightly. After a moment, he reluctantly turned away and said: “I heard that General Shen Que has been placed under house arrest because of his involvement with the cat ghost, and now Cui Xun is searching all over Chang’an for it.”

Li Ying said, “Sir’s information is indeed current.”

Yu Fuwei said, “How could a merchant make money if his information wasn’t current?”

Li Ying suddenly felt curious and asked: “Mr. Yu, your father named you ‘Fuwei’ (meaning ‘to assist in times of danger’). He must not have wanted you to be a merchant. Why did you still inherit his business and continue in commerce?”

A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Yu Fuwei’s mouth: “Because my father always believed that one day, the Taichang Reforms would add a provision allowing merchants to take the imperial examinations and enter official service. But until his death, there was no change.”

Hearing this, Li Ying couldn’t help but say: “I’m sorry…”

Yu Fuwei shook his head: “It’s over now.”

“Do you want to take the imperial examinations?” she asked.

Yu Fuwei was taken aback. He murmured: “How could I not want to?”

If he didn’t want to, why would he have studied so diligently for so many years, hanging a beam by his hair and pricking his thigh with an awl to stay awake? He was proficient in all subjects tested in the imperial examinations—classics, law, calligraphy, and mathematics. He believed that if he could participate in the examinations, he would surely win first place. If he could participate in governing, he would certainly bring peace and stability to the country. But the reality was that he didn’t even have the qualifications to take the examinations, let alone govern.

His expression grew somewhat dejected. Seeing this, Li Ying comforted him: “My mother has been implementing new policies. Perhaps in less than ten years, you’ll be able to take the imperial examinations.”

Yu Fuwei couldn’t help but look at her. He wanted to ask if she didn’t know about the rumor that was circulating both in the palace and among the people. But when he saw Li Ying’s bright face, he held back and didn’t say it aloud.

He remained silent, but Li Ying suddenly said: “By the way, since you’re here, could you help me with something?”

“What is it?”

“Cui Xun has pasted talismans all around the Cui Mansion, and I can’t get out. Could you tear off those talismans and let me out?”

“Why do you want to tear off the talismans?”

“Cui Xun says the cat ghost especially holds grudges. It has tried to kill me twice and failed both times. The second time, it was severely injured. If it truly holds grudges, it will seek me a third time. So I want to leave the Cui Mansion and use myself as bait to lure the cat ghost out.”

Yu Fuwei exclaimed in shock: “That won’t do.”

“Why not?”

“After being injured, the cat ghost’s ferocity increases tenfold. I came to the Cui Mansion because I heard the Investigation Bureau was hunting the cat ghost and was worried about the Princess’s safety. Now that I see the Princess is safe, I’m relieved. How could I willingly let the Princess put herself in danger?”

“But allowing the cat ghost to remain at large will harm more innocent people.”

Yu Fuwei still shook his head: “I’m unwilling.”

Li Ying sighed: “I am determined to leave the Cui Mansion. If you agree, you can still protect my safety. If you don’t agree, I’ll have to take the risk alone.”

Hearing this, Yu Fuwei was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: “Why doesn’t the Princess ask Cui Xun?”

“Because he would certainly not agree.”

“How can the Princess be so certain?”

Li Ying didn’t speak. She lowered her head and looked at the crabapple flower in her palm. Today, the mute servant had placed purple Wei peonies in the study. She recalled that day when Ah’man was being bullied by Shen Que, and Cui Xun had told her not to follow him. He must have guessed then that Jiang Liang was hiding in the Duke of Shen’s mansion. He feared that if she interfered to teach Shen Que a lesson, it would allow Jiang Liang to detect something unusual. Later, as he had predicted, Jiang Liang did indeed notice something and sent the cat ghost to investigate. Fortunately, Cui Xun was prepared and severely wounded the cat ghost with a peach wood arrow, keeping her safe and sound.

So, given Cui Xun’s character, he would not allow this to happen a second time.

Li Ying said, “He worries about me, so he won’t agree to let me leave the mansion.”

Yu Fuwei nearly dropped his jaw in surprise. Worry? Would Cui Xun, that cruel official, worry about someone?

Although he didn’t know why Cui Xun was keeping Li Ying in his mansion, he had always despised Cui Xun and thus believed Cui Xun must have ill intentions. But Li Ying said Cui Xun was worried about her?

Yu Fuwei immediately wanted to say something, but he remembered that he had just promised Li Ying not to speak ill of Cui Xun. He forcibly held back and tactfully said, “Why does the Princess think Cui Xun would care about the Princess’s safety?”

Li Ying clutched the crabapple flower in her hand. She lowered her eyes and said, “That’s just what I believe.”

She paused, then added: “Moreover, I also believe that I must be right.”

Yu Fuwei was utterly helpless and could only tear off the talismans and secretly escort Li Ying out of the mansion. Li Ying asked Yu Fuwei to take her back to the ghost market in Chang’an. The ghost market was a place where yin energy gathered, and strange occurrences were common. The cat ghost particularly liked such places, and if it saw her, it would certainly appear again.

Yu Fuwei gripped the peach wood dagger in his sleeve and a thick stack of bright yellow talismans. He said helplessly, “I feel like Cui Xun will kill me.”

Li Ying reassured him: “I won’t let him kill you.”

It was just an ordinary statement, but to Yu Fuwei’s ears, it inexplicably made his blood rush to his head. He thought wildly that with her word, he would willingly die for her.

As he was lost in thought, Yu Fuwei accompanied Li Ying through the ghost market. Today, the ghost market was particularly desolate, with no one setting up stalls. Yu Fuwei said, “Cui Xun has turned Chang’an upside down several times, and this ghost market hasn’t been spared. Those vendors all have cases against them, so they naturally want to lie low for a while.”

Li Ying nodded. Without vendors, there were no customers. In the vast forest, the only illumination came from the blue-green night-luminous pearl in Yu Fuwei’s hand. Li Ying felt the pearl looked familiar, so she turned to look. Yu Fuwei smiled and said, “This is what the Princess gave me at the ghost market as a thank-you for saving the Princess.”

Li Ying then remembered that this had indeed happened. Yu Fuwei added: “I have never let this pearl leave my side.”

His words were somewhat ambiguous. Li Ying was momentarily taken aback, but Yu Fuwei suddenly hushed her.

Behind them, a black figure was rapidly approaching.