At dawn the next day, the sky was still overcast and the east was just beginning to brighten when Nanyi returned to Wangxue Cottage utterly exhausted. After two consecutive nights of such torment, her entire body felt as if it had fallen apart.

Xie Queshan sat waiting for her in his room. Seeing her enter, he lazily yawned.

“If you hadn’t come back soon, the roosters would have started crowing.”

Nanyi was too tired to bother with courtesies and directly grabbed the water pitcher, gulping down water. Finally recovering some strength to speak, she looked at Xie Queshan with resentment written all over her face.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“Aren’t you still alive?”

Nanyi gritted her teeth and threw an arrowhead at Xie Queshan. Only when she was escaping at the very end did she remember to pick up an arrowhead to examine it. Sure enough, the arrowhead was blunt. If she had discovered this earlier, she could have just stood still and let them shoot.

“You’re going to torment me to death.”

Nanyi practically collapsed onto the couch, lying stiff as a corpse, completely forgetting to act submissive before Xie Queshan. Once she was certain he wouldn’t kill her, she would show her untamed insolence, not expending an ounce more energy than necessary.

Xie Queshan pulled out a scroll of parchment from his sleeve and tapped Nanyi’s head.

“Don’t want to look anymore?”

Nanyi struggled to sit back up.

“Look!”

Xie Queshan unrolled the city defense map. In the blink of an eye, he rolled it back up.

“You really just let me look once?!”

“I always keep my word.”

Nanyi collapsed back down speechlessly, too lazy to bother with Xie Queshan anymore.

Xie Queshan stood to leave: “After Xie Little Six finalizes her plan, come tell me.”

Nanyi grumbled inwardly: “I’d be a fool to tell you the truth.” But she still obediently replied aloud: “Understood.”

Xie Queshan had already reached the door when, as if he could see through her, he turned back to look at Nanyi again.

“If I discover you’re lying, you’re dead.”

Nanyi’s heart still skipped a beat.

She needed to think of a way to tell Xie Queshan something that was both truthful and would allow Xie Sui’an to carry out her operation smoothly.

……

After obtaining the complete city defense map, Xie Sui’an was somewhat dumbfounded. The Qi forces deployed on the city walls far exceeded her imagination.

“How could we possibly fight our way in…” Xie Sui’an scratched her head in distress.

Nanyi nearly cried out: “Your original plan was to fight your way in?”

“Yes.” Xie Sui’an answered matter-of-factly.

Nanyi had thought Xie Sui’an already had some brilliant strategy, that once the city defense map was in place, they could immediately begin operations. She hadn’t expected Xie Sui’an to consistently embody her reckless character as always.

Her plan was to get the city defense map, find weaknesses in the Qi guards’ positions, then fight her way in. Only when the moment came did she realize how difficult it would be.

Xie Zhu was hanging in the most conspicuous position atop the city walls. To rescue him under everyone’s watchful eyes, the city walls were the key battleground. The Qi people were waiting for big fish to take the bait, so naturally they guarded the walls watertight, with almost no blind spots to be found.

Since the inside traitor hadn’t been rooted out yet, besides Chang Yan, Xie Sui’an didn’t dare deploy other Bingzhu Division personnel. But to truly face the ambush forces on the walls single-handedly would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even if they assembled the Bingzhu Division’s death warriors for a head-on confrontation, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

Xie Sui’an scratched her hair and mumbled sheepishly: “With Big Brother’s death and Third Uncle’s capture, the Bingzhu Division now has no leader. Everyone’s acting without coordination, and I’m not one to make decisions—Sister-in-law, you must have a good idea, right?”

Nanyi felt overwhelmed—she was just making up the numbers, where would she get good ideas from?

The two stared at each other wide-eyed.

When the room quieted down, they could hear the sound of water droplets falling outside.

Nanyi poked her head out and saw icicles under the eaves were melting. She suddenly had inspiration and said thoughtfully: “Speaking of guards, it’s not that there are no blind spots at all.”

Xie Sui’an looked up curiously: “Where are the blind spots?”

“In the gate tunnel.”

Xie Sui’an’s brush stopped moving.

“The gate tunnel’s entrances and exits only have normal patrol guards, because everyone thinks that to rescue someone, you can only go up the city walls. But maybe we can rescue him from below the walls?”

“Without going up the city walls, how do we get Third Uncle down?”

Nanyi paused. Just then, a drop of melted ice water fell, making a clear dripping sound.

“Make him fall down.” Nanyi answered with certainty.

Though Xie Sui’an was single-minded, she was also clever. She understood immediately, her face breaking into an extremely delighted smile: “Sister-in-law, this strategy is brilliant!”

“But there’s still one problem—how do you leave this room? Xie Queshan is watching you constantly.”

“I’ve prepared for this long ago. Help me deliver a letter to Prefect Huang Yankun, have him invite me out.”

“The prefect is also from the Bingzhu Division?” Nanyi was shocked.

“How could that be possible? Huang Yankun is just a dog loyal to the Qi people. But he’s shown interest in me several times before, wanting to marry me to form an alliance with the Xie family. If I take the initiative to send word for him to invite me, he definitely won’t miss this opportunity.”

“Then you toward him…”

“I’m just using him!” Xie Sui’an quickly clarified. “I’m someone who has a fiancé.”

Nanyi was curious: “Why have I never seen him visit the mansion?”

“He’s not in Li Du Mansion, but we share the same aspirations. When the world is settled and the new emperor ascends the throne, we’ll marry.” Xie Sui’an said with certainty.

Xie Sui’an’s certainty infected Nanyi. At this moment she also believed that when the world returned to peace, she too could fulfill her dreams, find Zhang Yuehui, marry him, and spend the rest of her life with him in tranquility.

Before then, all suffering would be worthwhile.

……

That afternoon, Prefect Huang Yankun’s invitation was delivered to Xie Sui’an’s room. Lu Jinxiu didn’t dare obstruct the prefect, so she had to let Xie Sui’an leave.

On the other side, Nanyi selectively informed Xie Queshan: “The prefect will take Xie Sui’an out for an evening banquet. During the meal, Xie Sui’an will pretend to have a stomachache and leave, then go to the city walls to rescue him.”

“How many people are in their operation?”

“The Bingzhu Division’s inside agents will coordinate with her. They should bring quite a few people.”

Xie Queshan frowned: “What’s her plan?”

“She’s prepared explosives to fight her way in.”

Xie Queshan pondered for a moment, then looked at Nanyi: “What about you? What’s your role in the plan?”

“She asked me to prepare a mule cart for convenient escape after they break free… But since you know their movements in advance, you’ll definitely strengthen the guards on the city walls. She probably won’t be able to escape, will she?” Nanyi probed while looking at Xie Queshan.

Xie Queshan didn’t answer.

“She is your own sister.”

Xie Queshan glanced at Nanyi: “Speaking of closeness, shouldn’t you and she be closer? Xie Little Six treats you so well, yet when you betray her, why aren’t you nervous at all?”

Nanyi was stunned, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

“Or are you lying to me, which is why you’re not nervous at all?”

Nanyi quickly forced a smile: “Young Master, how could I possibly deceive you? I’m just someone without feelings or righteousness. I only want to save my own life and can’t spare concern for others’ life or death.”

Xie Queshan remained noncommittal.

“Just do whatever you need to do.”

With these words, Nanyi felt a great burden lifted and quickly fled.

Just now Nanyi had spoken half-truths and half-lies. The explosives and mule cart were real, but their purpose was different.

At dusk, when the city’s markets closed, small vendors packed up to go home, and people leaving the city would rush back before curfew, the traffic through the city gates would be heaviest and most mixed, with many carts loaded with miscellaneous goods. The guards wouldn’t inspect too strictly.

Explosives planted beforehand beneath the city walls would detonate first, drawing the Qi people’s attention and reducing the guard presence at the gate tunnel.

By then, Xie Sui’an should have already left the prefect’s banquet, disguised herself, and driven the mule cart Nanyi had prepared, entering the city from outside.

Chang Yan would find the best position on the top floor of Huachao Pavilion and shoot an arrow at the city wall, cutting the rope binding Xie Zhu.

When Xie Zhu fell, according to the plan, Xie Sui’an would be passing through the gate tunnel at exactly the right moment, allowing Xie Zhu to land on the prepared mule cart.

After picking up the person, Xie Sui’an would force her way through the checkpoint, bringing Xie Zhu into the city.

At that point, the complex terrain of the city would actually be safer than the open, unshielded area outside. Hiding one person would be like a drop of water entering the sea. By the time the Qi forces reacted, with Xie Sui’an’s martial arts skills, she would already be able to escape smoothly.

Since the three couldn’t communicate in time, everything would be signaled by the evening drums. When the evening drums sounded, the crossbow bolt would be released, and Xie Sui’an had to appear at the gate tunnel driving the cart. Otherwise, the plan would fail.

Nanyi wasn’t afraid to tell Xie Queshan the time and location because she anticipated that the Qi people had to publicly catch whoever was rescuing Xie Zhu in order to firmly pin the crime of being Bingzhu Division remnants on those people, leaving Li Du Mansion’s citizens with no recourse for grievances.

This trap they set in full view of everyone was intended to lure the prey into the cage, and their intention was exactly this. So Xie Sui’an had to appear to rescue him to suit the Qi people’s wishes. She didn’t think Xie Queshan would stop Xie Sui’an beforehand.

In Nanyi’s conception, this plan had no obvious flaws.

If there was any uncertainty, at most it would be troublesome if the timing wasn’t handled well and Xie Zhu didn’t land on Xie Sui’an’s cart. But Nanyi wasn’t worried about Xie Sui’an’s martial arts skills—she could quickly break out of the encirclement.

Having spent years mixing in the marketplace streets, finding an inconspicuous mule cart wasn’t difficult for Nanyi. She even spread straw all over the cart to ensure Xie Zhu would have cushioning when he fell, preventing injury. After everything was ready, she waited outside the city early for Xie Sui’an to find her.

But as dusk approached, Xie Sui’an never appeared.