On the surface, everyone in Li Du Mansion was performing their duties and living in peace. The death of a traitorous prefect didn’t affect the normal operation of this city—after all, whoever sat in that position would just be a puppet anyway.

Song Muchuan had been in office at the Maritime Bureau for half a month and finally produced the blueprints for the dragon-bone ships under Wanyan Jun’s pressure. Next would be the grand construction project. One main ship and ten auxiliary ships needed to be completed within three months.

Wanyan Jun didn’t have much wariness toward this weak and powerless scholar, didn’t even take his capabilities seriously. On the day they conquered Kaifeng, there were plenty of such scholars who perished—the streets were paved with the bones of ministers and nobles.

Gusha and Wanyan Jun had very different personalities, but they shared one similarity: they were both extremely arrogant.

This arrogance came from their overwhelming momentum when attacking the capital. Their cavalry had easily trampled a dynasty’s royal capital underfoot, ground it into dust, and reduced the high and mighty imperial relatives and nobles to captives. Anyone in this mindset would become proud.

This complacency gave Song Muchuan the gap he needed to grow rapidly. He now kept his eyes and ears open, understanding the situation in Li Du Mansion clearly. The matter of sending Xie Zhu out of the city had been handled beautifully.

But in the days after Shangyuan Festival, he began to feel uneasy—Xie Zhu continued down the river, and occasionally news of him could be received, but Nanyi’s whereabouts had gone silent.

Xie Queshan’s disappearance was also unexpected.

And Chang Yan’s death… he had originally planned to eliminate Chang Yan after the pleasure boat left Li Du Mansion, otherwise it would alert the enemy. But Chang Yan died before Bingzhu Division could act. Who killed her, he didn’t know.

He even felt somewhat shaken. Using the fake Chang Yan to set the trap had been a risky move, and he hadn’t even left himself backup plans. Obviously something had gone wrong with Chang Yan’s situation that night, but to this day it remained a complete mystery to him.

He had to admit that while timing was important, each operation involved real swords and spears. Not everyone’s actions could be completely under his control. Every scheme of his in the future would have to be impregnable.

After Shangyuan Festival, Song Muchuan carefully observed the situation.

On the Qi side, Gusha had been temporarily stripped of military authority, and Wanyan Jun was overseeing military camp affairs. For now, nothing unusual could be discerned.

But the absence of anything unusual was what was strangest. With Wanyan Jun controlling military power at this time, he must be planning something.

The situation became confusing for a while.

—Until just now, when Wanyan Jun brought Princess Lingfu to the Maritime Bureau.

All the blueprints, ledgers, craftsmen’s divisions of labor, materials needed for each component’s casting, construction schedules… Wanyan Jun might not understand everything, but he wanted to know every detail, so he spent half his time at the Maritime Bureau each day.

Only today was different—Xu Kouyue also followed behind him. Even when entering the noisy workshop, Wanyan Jun brought her along.

She was a princess of a nation after all, so everyone had to bow when they saw her. As she followed behind Wanyan Jun with lowered eyes and submissive manner, there was an implied sense of applying pressure to everyone at the Maritime Bureau.

The workshop was quite chaotic, and Xu Kouyue accidentally stumbled. Song Muchuan quickly reached out to help her. When Wanyan Jun caught sight of this, his expression darkened, and he pulled Xu Kouyue into his own arms.

He was quite domineering, and his movements were a bit rough, actually tearing Xu Kouyue’s robes askew and exposing a stretch of snow-white shoulder.

In that instant, Song Muchuan and Xu Kouyue quickly exchanged glances. Song Muchuan paused, then almost without hesitation showed anger.

“Lord Wanyan, is this amusing? I’m already doing my utmost to build warships for you, yet you still have to humiliate me repeatedly like this!”

Wanyan Jun was startled and quickly helped Xu Kouyue adjust her clothes. This time he had indeed been unintentional. These pedantic scholars really… such a small matter…

But he maintained a pleasant expression on his face. Song Muchuan was his honored guest now, so Wanyan Jun smiled and smoothed things over: “Ah, Master Song has misunderstood. I was just worried about the Princess.”

Song Muchuan spoke righteously, laying his words out directly before Wanyan Jun: “Lord Wanyan, you’ve brought the Princess out several times yet don’t give her the respect she deserves. Aren’t you just trying to intimidate everyone and humiliate us Han people?”

Xu Kouyue said timidly: “Master Song, it’s fine… you don’t need to speak for me…”

This only added fuel to the fire. Song Muchuan’s anger intensified, and he swept his sleeve, saying: “Since Lord Wanyan so distrusts Song, you might as well find someone you consider loyal. Forgive me, but Song cannot accompany you today. I request leave to return home.”

With that, Song Muchuan turned and walked away.

Wanyan Jun was somewhat in the wrong, but being embarrassed in public still made him somewhat angry. The guarding Qi soldiers were all waiting for his word—with just one command from him, they would stop Song Muchuan.

Just as he was about to speak, he looked down at the construction blueprints in his hands, drawn with exquisite detail and thoroughness. His temper immediately cooled, thinking that since his work was being done well, letting him vent his anger was no harm.

“Scholars always like to make a big fuss over trivial matters…” Wanyan Jun raised his chin toward two Qi soldiers. “You go protect Master Song well. He’s so frail—don’t let anything happen to him on the road.”

Song Muchuan walked toward the Maritime Bureau’s main gate with his back to everyone, quietly opening his palm to reveal a small piece of paper—just now when Xu Kouyue had pretended to stumble, she had slipped a tiny paper note into his hand.

For Xu Kouyue to risk doing this, it must be important information. Regardless of what was written on the note, he couldn’t continue sitting idly at the Maritime Bureau, so he had made a big deal out of a small matter, getting angry and leaving in front of Wanyan Jun with reasonable justification.

But footsteps came from behind—the Qi soldiers followed him closely. Song Muchuan knew Wanyan Jun was suspicious by nature. Though he didn’t take him seriously, basic surveillance was unavoidable.

He quickly unfolded the paper and glanced at it, seeing written: “Yucheng Army exposed, Madam Gantang in danger.”

He needed to return to Bingzhu Division quickly and send out agents to investigate Qi military movements. Song Muchuan’s steps unconsciously quickened—suddenly, someone patted his shoulder from behind.

He was already tense and somewhat guilty, so he was startled. But he quickly concealed his unusual reaction and turned around nonchalantly.

It was an unfamiliar middle-aged man dressed as an ordinary shipwright, holding a cloak in his hands.

“Master Song, you left your outer robe in the Maritime Bureau workshop.”

The man handed over the outer robe. Song Muchuan thanked him and calmly accepted it. His gaze swept over the Qi soldiers following behind—they were just waiting and hadn’t become suspicious of this small matter.

Song Muchuan frowned slightly, but this clearly wasn’t his outer robe.

However, the man shouldn’t have mistaken him for someone else—he was the only person surnamed Song at the Maritime Bureau. The shipwright bowed and left, acting completely ordinary.

Song Muchuan also acted normally, casually draping the clothes over his arm and going to a roadside bun stall to buy two buns. The stall owners were a married couple. Song Muchuan’s gaze seemed to casually meet theirs, but their eye contact contained hidden meanings.

These were Bingzhu Division agents stationed near the Maritime Bureau for convenient communication with Song Muchuan. Song Muchuan glanced in the direction the shipwright had gone, and they understood—he wanted them to investigate that shipwright.

More messages couldn’t be conveyed in front of the Qi soldiers. Song Muchuan could only hurry home and enter Bingzhu Division through the secret passage.

With so many threads to untangle, they had to be sorted through slowly.

The dispatched agents now had a clear direction for investigation, and many scattered clues became traceable. Soon news came back—a team of Qi soldiers had secretly crossed the river into Tiger Kneel Mountain an hour ago.

The operation to eliminate Yucheng Army was happening today.

Song Muchuan was alarmed. At this moment, Wanyan Jun should still be calmly inspecting shipbuilding matters at the Maritime Bureau.

Wanyan Jun was far more cunning and calculating than Gusha. Such a major operation had leaked not a single sound, strategizing from within the tent and determining victory from a thousand li away.

Even if he wanted to save Yucheng Army, he was a step too late.

——

In Tiger Kneel Mountain, at Yucheng Army’s camp.

A stumbling figure burst into the camp and was immediately surrounded by spears.

Without careful observation, one might think she was some refugee or beggar. Only when she raised her head did everyone discover this was a beautiful young woman.

She was wrapped in gray, tattered clothes, but her expression was calm and composed. Even facing a group of men, she showed no fear.

Before they could question her, she announced herself: “I am the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family.”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, taking a moment to understand—the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family, wasn’t that Madam Gantang’s sister-in-law?

This little beggar?

Some were already snickering.

“Your position has been discovered by the Qi people. Staying here means death.”

Nanyi spoke with righteous conviction, but she looked too wretched and weak for her words to be easily believed.

Captain Ying Huai from the camp was also alerted and emerged from the main tent. He was an uncompromising soldier, his eyes containing integrity and dignity.

He looked Nanyi up and down, seeing that though her robes were ragged, the material was expensive brocade. She must indeed be a young woman from a wealthy city household, somehow reduced to this state.

“How do you know?” Ying Huai asked warily.

A guess.

But Nanyi certainly couldn’t say that.

Xie Queshan’s actions had completely overturned her understanding of him. He was a complete and utter scoundrel! She had been careless—telling him about Yucheng Army’s location was equivalent to putting Yucheng Army in danger.

This was her mistake, so she had run here immediately, wanting to notify them to evacuate. She wanted to use her small power to help some people, at least not let anyone die because of her. But she also knew it would be difficult for her alone to convince this army.

Nanyi publicly untied her outer robe, tore open an inch of her garment, and rolled up her sleeves. Everyone stared dumbfounded at her actions, in complete silence.

What was she doing?