News of Lu Jinxiu’s punishment quickly spread throughout Wangxue Hollow.

Few people knew the inside story, all thinking that Concubine Lu had managed the household for so many years and, if not meritorious, had at least worked hard, yet was targeted by that demon Xie Queshan.

Now that she had ended up in such a state, everyone inevitably felt insecure.

People whispered and cursed in groups of three or five, furtive and secretive.

What was unexpected to everyone was that Xie Sui’an was very quiet this time.

She learned the whole story from her sobbing mother Lu Jinxiu, and also felt her mother had done wrong. Although she felt sorry that her mother had suffered physical punishment, she stuck to her principles and did not stand up for her.

However, she suddenly didn’t know how to face Nanyi anymore.

First, that matter was too private, and presumably Nanyi wouldn’t want to bring it up again. If she went to apologize, it would seem like she was opening old wounds. Second, the instigator was after all her own mother, and she was someone who cared about face.

While feeling melancholy, she wandered aimlessly through the manor, somehow reaching the front courtyard. Vaguely, she heard the faint sound of wind chimes.

Xie Sui’an’s heart tensed. Under the watchful eyes of the Qi soldiers, she casually left the manor and discovered that at the top of the large tree on the street, there was indeed an inconspicuous copper bell hanging.

This was a contact signal from the Bingzhu Division.

Pinglin Ward was the most chaotic district in Li Du Mansion. Close to the city gates, refugees came and went, and the lowest classes gathered here, making it a territory that the authorities tacitly agreed not to manage.

At the street corner stood an unremarkable wine house, its banner torn at one corner, with several faded large characters written on it—Guoyu Tower.

Knock knock, knock knock knock, someone rhythmically knocked on the wooden door of the back courtyard.

It was Xie Sui’an in disguise. She wore ordinary men’s cloth clothing, her face painted sallow yellow, with two realistic little mustaches pasted on.

Looking around, half of Pinglin Ward was filled with people dressed like this. Her build was naturally tall, and unless one looked closely, one couldn’t tell she was a woman.

Soon, a young man opened the wooden door a crack and ushered her inside.

From the outside, Guoyu Tower looked like just an unremarkable small wine house, but inside it held great secrets.

Xie Sui’an followed the young man into the cellar, through narrow passages. The young man moved obstacles aside, turned mechanisms, and stone doors rumbled open, revealing bright lights ahead and a suddenly open space.

It was said that this place was once the mausoleum of some short-lived prince from the Southern Dynasty. It had been looted until only an empty shell remained, and later when Li Du Mansion expanded, the city walls enclosed even this desolate wilderness.

This emptied underground palace became the Bingzhu Division’s stronghold in Li Du Mansion.

The vast underground palace was divided into many independent secret chambers, each serving different purposes, with different mechanisms set according to their security levels.

In the intelligence circulation process, spies were divided into collectors, transmitters, and processors, as well as dead soldiers who carried out various missions. Except for spies who specialized in processing intelligence and remained in the underground palace, most spies operated outside, each having their own different identities and disguises.

Most of the time, spies never met each other and didn’t know who each other were.

But the leader of the Bingzhu Division needed to know everyone under their command.

The previous leader was Xie Hengzai. But he died suddenly, leaving no arrangements. During this time, the Bingzhu Division had been leaderless, with most hidden agents remaining silent.

Until today, when contact signals from the Bingzhu Division suddenly appeared in hidden places throughout the streets and alleys.

Xie Sui’an formed a suspicion in her heart—could it be that a new leader had arrived?

The last door was pushed open, and the young man retreated into hiding.

Xie Sui’an entered the chamber. This tomb room was spacious, with countless drawers neatly arranged on the surrounding walls, and a small table placed in the center.

In the very center was a mottled mural, depicting a huge deity with downcast eyes.

A man in a blue shirt stood under the deity’s gaze, candlelight flickering on his body.

Xie Sui’an felt his silhouette looked familiar. He turned around, removed the mask from his face, and smiled at her.

“Brother Song Seven!” Xie Sui’an exclaimed.

“Xie Xiaoliu, it’s been a long time.”

Xie Sui’an rushed over, grabbing Song Muchuan and looking him up and down. Her gaze caught sight of the long scroll on the raised table behind him—

The scroll was wordless, bearing only red handprints—the ritual of spies joining the Bingzhu Division.

Xie Sui’an realized: “You—”

“I was ordered by the Chancellor to take over the Li Du Mansion Bingzhu Division. From now on, I’ll be responsible for the mission of the new emperor’s southern crossing.”

Tears welled in Xie Sui’an’s eyes. She had known Song Muchuan for over ten years, treating him like her own older brother. After he left, there had been fragments of news in the first few years, but then all communication ceased. She didn’t even know if he was still alive.

She knew he had been conflicted all these years. Everyone else had used hatred to find relief—as long as they hated Xie Queshan, life could go on—but he was unwilling.

Meeting again today, there was light in his eyes, and she guessed that he must have figured out some things. At least, he had found a way to live with himself.

“That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful…” She was so excited she could barely speak, straightening her tongue before urgently asking: “Brother Song Seven, what should we do next? The Qi people are still searching everywhere for Third Uncle. How can we get him out of the city?”

“Xie Xiaoliu, after so many years apart, don’t you want to ask how I’ve been?” Song Muchuan smiled.

Xie Sui’an also smiled, but with some melancholy in her eyes: “I don’t dare ask. All these years, no one has been doing well.”

Song Muchuan’s expression also darkened. He wanted to mention Pang Yu, but swallowed the words back.

After taking over the Bingzhu Division’s intelligence, he learned that Pang Yu had died not long ago, but judging by Xie Sui’an’s manner, she apparently didn’t know yet.

As long as he kept this secret hidden, Pang Yu could continue living in her expectations. Perhaps… that was better.

Seeing Song Muchuan’s silence, Xie Sui’an thought her words had made him sad and quickly patted his shoulder consolingly.

“But it doesn’t matter—” Xie Sui’an was an open and cheerful person who could find a glimmer of hope in the darkest places, “What we’re doing now, isn’t it all to make this world better?”

Song Muchuan nodded and smiled: “Yes. As long as we can help Prince Ling’an ascend the throne and win the hearts of all people south of the Yangtze River, we may not be able to speak grandly of recovering lost territory, but at least we can rule by dividing at the river, leaving a pure land for the people of Jiangnan.”

“Do you have any comprehensive plans?”

Song Muchuan became serious: “Come with me first.”

He led Xie Sui’an into another secret chamber. The chamber actually contained a corpse covered with white cloth.

Song Muchuan was extremely thorough in his work. After taking over the Bingzhu Division, he needed to quickly grasp information about all spies in the city, distribute signals, summon spies for meetings, and assign tasks. At the same time, he did one more thing—investigating the bodies of people who had died in the city within the last seven days.

Dead bodies would leave behind much information.

When the white cloth was lifted, Xie Sui’an was shocked to her core. The body should have been a woman’s, but her face had been destroyed, making it impossible to see what she originally looked like.

“This is…”

Song Muchuan lifted the corpse’s hand, fingers painted with bright red nail polish. He just looked at Xie Sui’an like this, not rushing to speak.

Xie Sui’an realized and stepped back in shock.

“Impossible!”

“Xiaoliu,” Song Muchuan’s voice was heavy, “enemies infiltrate everywhere.”

Xie Sui’an took quite a while to recover. This was Chang Yan’s hand. Chang Yan was dead.

The woman in Huachao Pavilion was fake.

She had met with Chang Yan frequently and hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

“I’ll go kill her.” She was full of regret, eager to remedy this enormous mistake she had made.

Song Muchuan shook his head: “No rush.”

“What are we waiting for? She’s right beside Third Uncle. Who knows what information she might discover!”

“Master Xie doesn’t know Prince Ling’an’s hiding place, does he?”

“That’s fortunate. That day I didn’t have time to tell Third Uncle before he was taken away by the Qi people.”

“Then there’s nothing to fear. This trap the enemy prepared for us, we can also leave for them to use.”

Xie Sui’an immediately felt this was dangerous: “This is too risky!”

Song Muchuan wasn’t aggressive, speaking very calmly: “How can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s den? I already have a plan. You just pretend you don’t know, don’t reveal any information in front of the fake Chang Yan, but don’t show any flaws either.”

Xie Sui’an looked at Song Muchuan. He was confident and unhurried. Having arrived only a few days ago, he could already discover clues in the complex and massive information.

She realized that this youth who had been immersed in romantic poetry and melancholy had truly been reborn.

A bodhisattva’s heart, vajra methods.

When that sword was drawn from its rusted scabbard, it revealed a sharpness the world had never seen. No wonder the Chancellor chose him.

She suddenly felt an enormous sense of security.

“Brother Song Seven, I’ll listen to everything you say. But there’s one thing you must help me with.”

“Xiaoliu, tell me.”

“My sister-in-law helped me save Third Uncle. I promised her I’d help her leave Li Du Mansion, but the house is full of Xie Queshan’s spies everywhere…”

“Your sister-in-law—” Song Muchuan’s mind conjured the woman’s face.

“She’s my elder brother’s widow. On their wedding day, elder brother died, so there was no affection between them. Sister-in-law is about the same age as me. She can’t remain a widow her whole life, can she?”

Song Muchuan fell silent.

“I know this is very difficult…”

“Alright.” Before Xie Sui’an could finish speaking, Song Muchuan agreed.

Xie Sui’an was slightly startled. She seemed to see an obscure emotion flash across Song Muchuan’s face.

“I will definitely send her away safely.”