This steward from Qiyuan was one who had accompanied Yan Huaishi’s mother as part of her dowry all those years ago, making him one of Yan Huaishi’s few trusted confidants within the Yan clan. He arrived in a panicked state, his face covered in sweat, his clothes stained with mud. He urgently told Feng Zhiwei that right after she had left, the Yan family opened their ancestral hall to expel Yan Huaishi and his mother from the clan. His Highness, learning of this, went to intervene. However, according to Nanhai custom, clan ancestral halls were sacred and inviolable. Once closed, no outsiders could open them. Anyone who violated this would not only make enemies of the family involved, but would anger all of Nanhai. His Highness had been forcibly blocked at the entrance of the Yan family ancestral hall. Though he hadn’t forced his way in, he ordered his thousand guards to surround the hall, declaring that if Yan Huaishi and his mother inside suffered any harm, then those in the hall could wait to starve to death. The two sides remained at a standstill. Meanwhile, Yan family tenant farmers, hired workers, and distant branch relatives had also rushed over upon hearing the news. Through various connections, several thousand people had gathered, in turn surrounding the thousand guards and Ning Yi. This had been going on for three hours now.

Feng Zhiwei stood there stunned, never imagining that in just the few hours she’d been away, the Yan family would stir up such tremendous waves. She knew Nanhai placed extreme importance on clan succession. These local clan customs that had persisted for hundreds of years truly could not be violated. Even the imperial court had to respect them. Otherwise, once they provoked public outrage, it could easily lead to escalating incidents that would spiral out of control.

In the third year of Tiansheng, Nanhai had experienced an ancestral hall incident. The Nanhai Provincial Administration Commissioner at the time, while pursuing a wanted criminal, had chased into a family’s ancestral hall and accidentally knocked over the ancestral tablets. The family head spilled his blood in the ancestral hall over this. The Nanhai people, enraged, besieged him. Within half a day, tens of thousands gathered, forcibly trapping that Commissioner for eighteen days. The Nanhai General went to rescue him, but the Nanhai border troops were mostly locals who refused to raise their hands against their elders. That Commissioner ended up being starved to death.

The people’s protection of their bloodlines and ancestral halls contained a share of ignorance and stubbornness. The more remote and less enlightened the province, the more extreme this was. Violating an ancestral hall was viewed as the greatest insult. Everyone would unite against the common enemy, even casting aside ordinary grievances. The court learned its lesson. From then on, clan affairs in remote provinces were considered forbidden territory and never interfered with.

In other words, if today’s matter was mishandled, never mind Yan Huaishi and his mother—even Ning Yi could suffer disaster!

The crowd kept growing. If trouble broke out and in the chaos Ning Yi was somehow harmed, the crowd would scatter afterward and they wouldn’t even be able to find the culprit.

Feng Zhiwei clenched her palms. For a moment she couldn’t sweat, instead feeling her palms growing hot and restless. She closed her eyes to steady herself, then said, “Helian Zheng, please take my official seal and immediately lead the students back to Fengzhou. Identify yourselves and request Commissioner Zhou to dispatch government troops for rescue at once. Then you all stay in Fengzhou—no need to follow us back.”

“Let Yao Yangyu go!” Helian Zheng flatly refused. “I’m staying here.”

“Let Wang Huai go!” Yao Yangyu said without hesitation. “We’ve been making you protect us all along like we’re burdens. Now you want to send us away from danger? No way!”

“Let Yu Liang go!” That one called Wang Huai refused.

“Huang Baoxing can go!” Yu Liang also refused.

They passed it from one to another. Not a single student was willing to go back. Feng Zhiwei suddenly shouted angrily, “All of you get lost and go back!”

“Yao Yangyu, you come with me. Everyone else, go back!” Helian Zheng’s eyebrows shot up, his voice booming like thunder.

Ba Biao timely used his vigorous whip flourishes to express that his master’s orders could not be disobeyed.

The students stopped talking and turned their horses back. Wang Huai said tearfully, “Commissioner, please take care…”

“If I don’t see Fengzhou government troops within two hours, no one gets to take care!” Feng Zhiwei didn’t respond to this sentimentality, answering mercilessly.

The students galloped away. Feng Zhiwei’s gaze swept across the steward as she said, “You arrived very quickly. It seems you didn’t take the main road. Is there a shortcut?”

“This humble one knows the surrounding paths and came straight through Hongshan,” the steward said. “There’s a small village in the mountain’s belly with a path through it. Not far beyond is Jiujie Village where the Yan family ancestral hall is. It saves half the journey.”

“Then what are we babbling about? Let’s go.” Ning Cheng had already stepped forward to grab him and rushed out.

Feng Zhiwei got out of the sedan and shared a horse with Gu Nanyi. Ba Biao and three hundred guards followed them into the mountain. After traveling a while, the mountain path became rugged, so they abandoned the horses and walked. After another period, the steward said, “We’re almost at Renji Village. Eh, what thick smoke.”

Feng Zhiwei vaguely felt this name sounded familiar, though she couldn’t remember where she’d heard it. Ahead, Ning Cheng’s angry shout suddenly rang out.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart tightened. She quickly went forward, only to see the village entrance ahead had been blocked with a horizontal wooden beam. From the village behind the beam rose much black smoke. Some bailiffs walked back and forth in front of the beam, stacking firewood with tense expressions. Several men in official robes stood at a distance.

The steward said in surprise, “When I came through earlier, this beam wasn’t here.”

By this time, those bailiffs had already come up, shouting loudly, “This area is sealed off. No one may enter. Go back, go back!”

Before the words finished, Helian Zheng’s whip sent him tumbling. “Get out of the way!”

“You dare!” That bailiff covered his face. “Sir is doing this for your own good—”

“Whose sir are you!” Helian Zheng’s whip sent him flying against the beam again.

“What manner of person are you to strike people at will!” Those men in official robes came over. Seeing Helian Zheng, they froze.

Feng Zhiwei had already said indifferently, “Magistrate Liu.”

“Imperial Commissioner!” That person was indeed Fengzhou Magistrate Liu Rui. Seeing Feng Zhiwei, he hurriedly bowed. “How did you come to be here?”

Feng Zhiwei recalled that when she’d gone to visit him earlier and found no one there, it was said he’d gone to some Renji Village. She was about to ask when Liu Rui immediately followed up, “Did my lord hear this village had an outbreak of plague and rush over to inspect?”

Plague?

Feng Zhiwei raised an eyebrow. Only now did she understand why the beam was blocking the village entrance to prevent passage.

“I didn’t come for this matter.” But in just an instant she had calmed down. She briefly explained the situation. “Open the beam. I need to pass through.”

“My lord, you cannot!” Magistrate Liu hurriedly blocked her. “This village has a malignant epidemic. Nearly seven households died overnight. We’re about to burn the village—fires have already been lit inside. You cannot go through!”

“Put out the fires.” Feng Zhiwei still used that tone that brooked no refusal, stepping forward to walk.

Magistrate Liu was about to speak again when Feng Zhiwei suddenly turned to stare at him.

Her expression was calm, but her eyes were like iron. Under the gloomy sky they seemed to flash with deep blue light, so stern they couldn’t be directly faced. Magistrate Liu’s words immediately stuck in his throat.

“If you try to stop me again, I’ll ask you to cross through the village with me.”

Magistrate Liu choked. Ning Cheng had already kicked open the beam and rushed in. Feng Zhiwei walked forward without looking back, saying as she went, “There’s danger ahead. Ning Cheng and I will go through. Everyone else stay behind.”

There was no response. Everyone ignored her and followed anyway.

Feng Zhiwei said nothing more. Gu Nanyi wouldn’t abandon her. Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu were stubborn as mules. The guards had their duty to protect—fleeing from battle was also a capital offense.

Since it was like this, plague or epidemic—they’d rush through together!

“My lord!” Someone caught up. “This humble one is the village chief from Jiujie Village at the mountain’s base. Since I need to go down the mountain anyway, let this humble one guide you! This humble one also knows several medicinal herbs that prevent disease and can point them out to my lord.”

Feng Zhiwei nodded. The group unhesitatingly pushed open the barrier, stamped out the woodpile, and pressed forward.

Magistrate Liu stared blankly at everyone’s resolute backs, feeling his spirit shaken. After a long while, he stamped his foot. “Quickly return to Fengzhou to report!”

A dead village.

This small village in the mountain’s belly looked like it no longer had any living people. Various implements were scattered all around. Everywhere, small fires had been lit, emitting acrid black smoke. All the thatched huts were utterly silent. They couldn’t even see corpses, but one could imagine that inside every hut with burning embers, there must be people who had died suddenly.

The Jiujie Village chief hurried along the path, avoiding all objects, but his eyes seemed to be searching for something as he headed straight in a certain direction.

He suddenly stopped in front of a vegetable plot and without a word began digging in the soil.

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes narrowed. She saw the soil in that vegetable plot was loose and damp, clearly freshly dug. On the surface, a thin child’s hand weakly stretched and flexed, fingers in a clawing posture reaching straight toward the sky, as if demanding justice from the indifferent heavens.

A child had been buried alive here!

Yao Yangyu cried out “Ah!” and was about to go forward to dig, but Feng Zhiwei’s hand blocked him.

Anyone buried here was most likely diseased. No one could touch them. She still had to cross the mountain, still had to go to the ancestral hall. She couldn’t carry this plague with her.

Pointless compassion would only harm more people.

“If you want to take this person, then go by yourself.” The child was dug out, face covered in mud. Fortunately, the burial had been hasty and not long ago—he seemed to still have breath.

“My lord! This is my nephew. He has no disease!” The village chief knelt before her holding the child. “My nephew has been strange since childhood—never gets sick. In midsummer, mosquitoes don’t bite him. Mountain poisons avoid him. He hasn’t contracted the plague! Magistrate Liu didn’t believe what I said and insisted on burying him. I… I had to follow you, wanting to save him!”

He held the child out. Indeed, that face showed none of the peculiar blue-black air that plague victims had.

Hearing the phrase “mountain poisons avoid him,” Feng Zhiwei’s heart stirred. She recalled that in the deep mountains of Nanhai and Minnan, there were always some supernatural legends. This child’s bloodline might have something unusual about it. Keeping him might not be a bad thing.

“Let’s go.” She had never been indecisive. Having decided, she no longer wasted time. She waved her hand and the group continued forward quickly. Gu Nanyi, walking at the rear, flicked out a spark that landed on dry grass under an eave. With a whoosh, it burst into flames. The entire village gradually drowned in silent, twisted firelight.

Feng Zhiwei’s back receded resolutely into the distance amid the firelight, never looking back.

In the mountains, they ate some medicinal herbs the village chief had found. Before long, they had crossed through the mountain.

Before even reaching the Yan family ancestral hall, from far away they could see countless people on the road rushing toward a certain direction, like ant colonies converging from all directions toward a single endpoint.

“These are nearby Yan clan members,” the village chief said. “A great family like the Yans that has developed for hundreds of years has an extremely considerable population. Throughout Fengzhou, counting carefully, there are tens of thousands with kinship ties to the Yan family. Adding in their relatives and their relatives’ relatives, you could say forty percent of Fengzhou’s people can claim some connection to the Yans. Of course, these connections ordinarily don’t amount to much—the Yan family can’t possibly look after so many people. Many of these people are just hired workers for the Yans in daily life. But when it comes to clan matters, according to Nanhai custom, violation of the ancestral hall brings disaster for nine generations. It’s everyone’s inescapable duty, so everyone will go.”

Feng Zhiwei followed the crowd for a while. She could already see the mass of people ahead—truly a sea of humanity. Countless people clamored, raising fishing spears and wooden clubs in their hands. The shouting could be heard half a mile away, practically deafening. They couldn’t see the ancestral hall inside at all, naturally couldn’t see Ning Yi and his three thousand guards either.

“Get lost!”

“Those who violate the ancestral hall—die!”

“Drag the people inside out!”

The shouting boiled over. The surging crowd blocked everything completely. With this appearance, they absolutely couldn’t squeeze through unless they killed people.

Once killing started, things would truly spiral out of control.

“I’ll go get him!” Ning Cheng without another word prepared to traverse over people’s heads.

Feng Zhiwei grabbed him. “Wait!”

She stared at the crowd, her expression grave.

Having the martially superb Gu Nanyi and Ning Cheng forcibly snatch him wasn’t impossible, but she worried this massive crowd might be mixed with Chang family agents like last time. One move in the chaos—even if they couldn’t hurt Gu Nanyi and Ning Cheng in mid-air, just killing a few random people would make this matter impossible to resolve. Never mind controlling Nanhai—whether they could even leave Nanhai would be questionable.

She could tell Ning Yi had also considered this point, which was why he’d never ordered his guards to clash with the surrounding besiegers.

“We can’t act rashly. Too many people—one wrong move and we’ll lose control.” She thought for a moment, then said to Ning Cheng, “Notify His Highness that we’ve arrived.”

Ning Cheng rolled his eyes, somewhat unwilling. Feng Zhiwei said coldly, “Believe it or not, if you don’t listen to me today, tomorrow you’ll have to roll back to the Imperial Capital.”

Ning Cheng had no choice but to release a signal flare. Almost immediately, a golden signal flare also shot up from the center of the distant crowd. That flare was distinctive, flying straight up. It paused in mid-air, then ejected something that shot diagonally out of the crowd.

“Brother Gu!”

At Feng Zhiwei’s call, Gu Nanyi had already floated up like flowing lightning, catching that object in his hand.

The outer crowd only felt something flash overhead. They couldn’t see the figure at all before Gu Nanyi had already returned to Feng Zhiwei’s side.

Inside the golden tube was a paper scroll. On it, written with a charcoal stick, were a few words: “Disperse them with profit.”

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes lit up.

This exactly matched her own thinking.

“Village chief,” she asked the Jiujie Village chief, “where is the nearest Ever-Normal Granary from here?”

Ever-Normal Granaries were county-level grain storage facilities the court established in various locations. They couldn’t be accessed without court approval and were generally used for disaster relief reserves and to stabilize grain prices.

“In Pingye County, thirty li away. There are two.” The chief answered, somewhat puzzled. “Why do you ask? The Ever-Normal Granaries are directly managed by the Provincial Administration Commissioner’s Grain Circuit Intendant, but they cannot be opened without Commissioner Zhou’s written order. Especially recently, they’ve been particularly strictly controlled.”

Of course they were strict. Recently, over the Maritime Bureau matter, the aristocratic families and government were fighting. Nanhai rice prices were rising. Zhou Xizhong naturally wanted to keep the Ever-Normal Granaries firmly in hand to stabilize prices in the future and keep himself invincible. Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. She reached out to beckon Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu. “Prince! Young Master!”

After hearing Feng Zhiwei’s instructions, Helian Zheng blinked and asked, “If they firmly refuse, can we kill them?”

Feng Zhiwei laughed coldly, her voice coming from between her teeth. “This one you can kill.”

Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu, taking his Ba Biao and two hundred guards, once again heeded his young aunt’s advice to go where they “can kill.” He and Yao Yangyu would split up after reaching Pingye County, each going to one granary. The two had agreed—whoever got more grain, the other would stick grass in his rear and crawl three circles on the ground like a dog.

“Steward,” Feng Zhiwei summoned the Qiyuan steward again. “Immediately return to Qiyuan. Gather all the money you can mobilize from the accounts and use fast horses to move it all to Pingye County town. Be quick—the faster the better.”

Knowing the matter was critical, the steward didn’t question at all. He bowed and immediately hurried away.

“Village chief, you go summon available people from the village. Collect all the gongs and drums. Beat them along the road and announce that the higher-ups have issued a proclamation: In view of the recent Fengzhou tidal surge and rising prices affecting people’s livelihoods, the court is now opening granaries in Pingye County town for disaster relief. Fengzhou and suburban county residents over sixty can receive ten sheng of rice and five taels of silver. Fengzhou suburban county affected fishermen can receive ten sheng of rice and three taels of silver. Various shipyard workers can receive ten sheng of rice and one tael of silver with their identification tags. This relief is valid for three days. Recipients must go in person to make their mark. Time-limited offer.” Feng Zhiwei slapped down a thick stack of banknotes for the village chief. “Whatever can make noise, bring it all out. Make sure everyone hears. This silver is your labor fee. Once the crowd disperses, I’ll give you the same amount again!”

The village chief clutched the banknotes, so excited his hands trembled, but still hesitated somewhat. “Where will the grain come from? No authorization has come from above…”

“My word is the authorization.” Feng Zhiwei smiled grimly. “You just have people announce it!”

“You all,” Feng Zhiwei pointed at Ning Cheng and the remaining hundred guards, “take off your outer clothes and squeeze in. Don’t do anything. When the crowd disperses later, just pay attention to those who won’t leave, whose expressions are wrong—surround them!”

“Yes!”

Everyone received their orders and left. Feng Zhiwei clasped her hands behind her back, looking toward the sky. She thought—placing the relief in Pingye County, by the time people rush over there, that side should be about ready.

Blocking is inferior to diversion. Persuasion is inferior to direct enticement with profit. Rather than waste breath with pleading at the perimeter or force entry and cause trouble, better to wave a pile of cash in the distance and let them roll away on their own.

As for opening the granaries, they would certainly be blocked by granary officials. Having Helian Zheng with his special status as prince and Yao Yangyu as the Grand Secretary’s son appear was most appropriate.

Then she pulled Gu Nanyi aside and found two villagers to exchange clothes with.

“Brother Gu,” she thought of something and said to Gu Nanyi, “Once the crowd starts to disperse, help me watch from above. If anything’s wrong, give me a signal.”

Gu Nanyi calmly ate his walnuts, forever standing three steps beside her where he could reach her with one extended hand.

Before long, the village chief’s great gong began beating. Taking dozens of young men who weren’t part of Yan family branches, they shouted vigorously along the road. Lacking gongs and drums, some beat iron pots, some slapped basins. The chaotic but resounding noise immediately suppressed the clamoring voices.

The outer people heard the proclamation content first. All turned their heads with delighted expressions, as if a wind swept through the crowd, gradually spreading from outside to inside. Wherever it passed, waves stirred.

Most of these people were within the relief population Feng Zhiwei had outlined. Knowing many were Yan family hired workers, she deliberately added the workers category. Plus Nanhai had many long-lived people—many households had elderly over sixty. The rewards for elderly were especially generous, so whole families would escort their elders to claim relief grain and silver. Before long, people in this area would leave.

Both time and location were specified. By the time these people slowly walked to the neighboring county and back, matters would be concluded.

Good news always spread especially fast. By the time the village chief completed one circuit, everyone knew. They looked at each other with delighted expressions.

This village chief was the old chief of Jiujie Village—villagers all knew him. Besides, no one would dare lie about such things. Immediately someone shouted loudly, “Go claim grain!”

One shout met with a thousand responses. Moreover, they’d been in this stalemate so long with no movement inside. They couldn’t see any appearance of violently attacking the ancestral hall. The crowd had attacked and besieged for so long, but those inside never lost their temper. Everyone was somewhat impatient. Hearing this shout, they dropped the wooden clubs and stones in their hands and turned to leave.

With a whoosh, over a thousand people dispersed. Some who were rushing over hesitated mid-journey and turned around upon hearing this news.

When all was said and done, no matter how important something was, it couldn’t be more important than one’s own belly. Besides, the ancestral hall hadn’t been violated yet.

Feng Zhiwei watched from a tree, breathing a sigh of relief. Her heart, which had been suspended since hearing that news, finally eased down slightly.

With this relaxation, she suddenly felt dizzy and nearly fell from the tree. Gu Nanyi caught her with one hand. Behind his face veil, a pair of bright, gleaming eyes looked at her uncomprehendingly.

Feng Zhiwei smiled. “Trees are really high.”

She quietly took her own pulse, then lowered her eyelashes.

Gu Nanyi turned his head and suddenly flicked his fingers, shooting out a handful of walnuts.

The walnuts flew out like rain toward the rear of the dispersing crowd.

A burly man, squeezed in the center of the crowd, watched the gradually dispersing people. Urgency flashed in his eyes. His sleeve turned, revealing a gleaming dagger in his palm.

He thrust the blade toward the back of a man hurrying to claim grain!

Before the blade entered flesh, he had already opened his mouth to shout “Murder—”

However, suddenly a yellow shadow flew over. Bang—it struck his dagger. The dagger snapped in two. That yellow object fell to the ground—it was a small walnut.

At the same time, chaotic voices sounded from all directions. “Catch the thief!” Almost simultaneously with his shout, they forcibly drowned out that cry of “Murder!”

Several people suddenly squeezed to his side. The leading one’s eyes flashed with ill intent as he grabbed his hand and viciously twisted it behind his back. Crack—he immediately fainted.

This happened in an instant. Five incidents occurred, all instantly extinguished. The common people really thought they were catching thieves. While patting their own purses, they left even faster.

Several thousand people gradually dispersed completely.

Agents belonging to aristocratic families or the Chang clan were captured.

Feng Zhiwei let out a long breath, revealing a trace of weary smile.

She had been worried that with so many people, if agents stirred things up inside and had even the slightest contact with Ning Yi’s guards, it could be infinitely magnified until it spiraled out of control. Even if Ning Yi was safe, pulling one hair moves the whole body—if people used this as an excuse to fan flames and incite trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At the very least, what she’d promised Zhou Xizhong would be impossible to achieve. Unable to establish the Maritime Bureau meant unable to integrate and control the aristocratic families, much less integrate Nanhai to prevent Chang family infiltration.

She had been somewhat puzzled why in several hours the agents hadn’t succeeded in incitement. Now with the crowd dispersed, she finally saw the situation ahead.

Outside the imposing Yan family ancestral hall, several large trees now lay piled, blocking the hall from all directions. Among Prince Chu’s guards, the shield troops had set their shields against the tree trunks, firmly blocking the interior scene.

The moment Ning Yi discovered common people being incited to come, he immediately ordered the several century-old giant trees at the ancestral hall entrance cut down to make barriers, firmly separating contact with the outer common people.

In this situation, those with ulterior motives wanting to use inadvertent physical contact to create incidents was impossible—they were separated by trees over ten feet wide!

If not for his decisive action, today they probably wouldn’t have lasted until Feng Zhiwei arrived before chaos erupted.

Actually, when Ning Yi discovered the common people gathering, he could have withdrawn in time. Yet he chose to remain in this dangerous place. Certainly there was reason to trust Feng Zhiwei could resolve it, but even more so, he had no intention of yielding to the Yan family.

Feng Zhiwei’s decision to protect Yan Huaishi—he had said nothing, but had already fully demonstrated his attitude through his actions.

Feng Zhiwei climbed down from the tree, feeling even more dizzy, alternating between hot and cold. She forced a smile and distanced herself several steps from Gu Nanyi.

Before the giant trees, the guards saw her. Crack—they pulled open the shields.

Gu Nanyi came to pull her sleeve, wanting to carry her over the great trees. Feng Zhiwei’s body tilted aside to avoid him. She smiled. “I’ll do it myself.”

She climbed onto the tree trunk with light, quick steps, walking while waving. Shield guards on both sides, seeing her decisiveness and severity so different from usual, didn’t dare approach to disturb her and avoided her from a distance.

She climbed up the trunk. The shields opened like a fan.

She saw that person before the ancestral hall beyond the trees.

Among layers of guards, that person leaned against a tree trunk. Beneath him was spread the golden-red cloak of Prince Chu’s guards. He had probably left in a hurry, wearing only a moon-white robe with gold trim, draped in a gold cloak embroidered with black datura flowers. The pale gold silk cord at his waist hung down, interweaving with the red cloak beneath into gorgeous splendor.

He was playing chess.

In this center of ten thousand people, this dangerous place, this mutually besieging situation where people forced him and he forced people, this precarious realm where one wrong move could set everything ablaze—he was playing chess with himself.

He leaned against the tree in a relaxed posture. Before him was a temporarily carved wooden chess board with two types of tree leaves as pieces—one green, one yellow, each battling the other. He pressed his lips together, focused on “watching” the board. From his appearance, he was probably contemplating how to use his green general to capture his own yellow commander.

Feng Zhiwei looked down at Ning Yi from her high position. The twilight sun filtered through mottled tree leaves, falling on his brow. Between his brows was graceful composure. His long lashes drew a beautiful arc beneath his eyes, creating a rare, warm tranquility.

Looking at that expression, Feng Zhiwei suddenly felt her heart ache.

She pressed her lips together too, compressing that suddenly surging emotion into a thin line, pressing it back into her chest.

Below, Ning Yi heard the movement. He turned and smiled at her, beckoning. “You’ve come.”

“Mm.”

Asked casually, answered simply—as if she’d just finished official business and encountered him at Qiyuan. So light and breezy a greeting.

While all kinds of danger were far away at the sky’s edge. The thousands of hostile people who had just dispersed seemed never to have existed.

“Come over,” Ning Yi called her again.

Feng Zhiwei slowly walked down, stopping far away, ten feet before him.

Ning Yi listened to her footsteps. He smiled with furrowed brow. “Why so hesitant today? Were you frightened?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled but still didn’t approach. “How are things inside?”

“Still the same.” Ning Yi stood, brushing away the leaf chess pieces, and came over to pull her. “Do you have any food? I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving to death.”

Feng Zhiwei dodged aside, retreating far away. She answered, “No.”

“What’s wrong with you today?” Ning Yi frowned and stopped. “Are you blaming me for not forcibly rescuing them? Clan ancestral halls are too critically important. If trouble breaks out, it won’t be good for your future in Nanhai either, so I chose to wait…”

“No, that’s not it.” Feng Zhiwei immediately said. “Couldn’t force a rescue. If it were me, I could only do the same.”

“Hard to say.” Ning Yi smiled grimly. “This prince’s patience is limited. If the Yan family truly dares disregard the court, this prince naturally also dares leave them no way out.”

He walked before Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei retreated several steps. As he was about to grasp her sleeve, she brushed past him. Her faint fragrance swept past his nose. Faintly there seemed some other scent. Ning Yi froze, instinctively sniffing again, but she had already walked away.

He stood there quietly. His expression gradually grew distant, but he said nothing more. He said coldly, “Since you’ve come, this matter should properly be handled by you, not me overstepping. You decide for yourself.”

Having said this, he turned around. Feng Zhiwei remained silent, watching Prince Chu’s guards rapidly assemble into formation preparing to leave.

Suddenly there were hurried footsteps. Feng Zhiwei turned to look and saw a delicate, petite woman in a plain cloth dress with simple hairpins running to the tree. Seeing the great tree, she gathered her cloth skirt at her waist and began climbing. Shield troops blocked with long spears, shouting, “Who!”

“Hua Qiong of Qianshui Village, Fengzhou, Nanhai, requests an audience with His Highness.” That woman raised her head—a slightly dark face with beautiful features, particularly clear enunciation.

Ning Yi turned around.

That woman kowtowed on the tree trunk. “Your Highness, this commoner woman has come to open the door for you!”

Both Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi turned sharply, joy flashing in their eyes—only clan members with the Yan surname could enter the ancestral hall. Anyone else entering would be the enemy of the entire clan. In the Yan family’s current situation, no Yan family member would open the door for them. They could only remain at this stalemate. If a Yan family member could open the door, then no problems would exist.

“Who are you?” Ning Yi was very calm. “Your surname is Hua, not Yan. You’re not a Yan family member. Opening the door is a capital offense. Don’t seek your own death.”

“Your Highness,” Hua Qiong kowtowed, saying clearly, “Inside this hall are this commoner woman’s mother-in-law and husband. If we cannot live together, better to die together!”

Both exclaimed in shock simultaneously, “Husband?!”

Feng Zhiwei made a sound of “Eh,” not expecting Yan Huaishi already had a wife in Nanhai. Why hadn’t he mentioned it? Also, after all, Yan Huaishi was a Yan family descendant. His wife should be dressed in fine silks and fed delicacies. Why did she only wear a fisherwoman’s attire?

Feng Zhiwei’s gaze fell on her hands and feet. This woman was barefoot in straw sandals, pant legs rolled high. On her wrists and ankles were rope abrasions with blood marks. Some places had worn through to the bone, blood dripping.

How had she come? Breaking free from ropes? Rushing all the way? So her straw sandals were tattered, her whole body covered in wounds?

“Let her come over.” At Feng Zhiwei’s order, the guards made way. Hua Qiong climbed down the tree with some difficulty. She didn’t come to exchange pleasantries with them, but went straight to the ancestral hall entrance.

As she went, she drew a pair of fishing spears from behind her back.

Feng Zhiwei made another “Eh” sound, staring wide-eyed.

She wasn’t here to cause trouble, was she?

Somewhat worried, she had no choice but to follow. Hua Qiong walked to the ancestral hall door and began knocking, loudly calling, “Yan Changtian of the Yan clan’s seventh hundred and thirty-second generation, eldest branch eldest grandson, requests an audience with the Clan Head!”

Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi looked at each other, thinking they’d never heard of this person in all their dealings with the Yan family. He was the Yan clan’s eldest grandson?

Moreover, this was clearly a man’s name. Didn’t this woman say she was called Hua Qiong?

The ancestral hall door cautiously opened a crack. A face peeked out halfway—vaguely that Yan Huaiyuan, his face iron-blue. He first glanced at Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, then looked at Hua Qiong, seeming to freeze for a moment, then burst into curses.

“You little widow! Slut! What Yan Changtian? Who is Yan Changtian? To date, the Yan family has only registered seven hundred thirty-one generations in the genealogy. Where would a seven hundred thirty-second generation come from? You’re an outsider surname. How dare you knock on the ancestral hall door and spout nonsense in this sacred place? I’ll kill you right now!”

“Kill me if you dare!” Hua Qiong was fearless. “As long as you dare bear the name of defying ancestors, killing your Yan family’s eldest branch eldest grandson right at this ancestral hall entrance, I’ll submit to you!”

“What eldest branch eldest grandson? Get lost!” Yan Huaiyuan raged and reached out to push her.

Hua Qiong suddenly stepped back. Boldly she lifted her outer garment, thrust out her abdomen, and shouted, “Yan Changtian is here!”

Over a thousand people instantly fell silent as death.

Feng Zhiwei’s mouth dropped open in rare fashion.

Gu Nanyi stared blankly at that protruding belly, then looked at the small walnut in his hand.

Ning Cheng did a headlong somersault and fell into the dust.

Under the sunlight, that woman removed her garment, exposing herself openly before a thousand people. Only covered by a thin single layer of clothing, her abdomen protruded slightly. Through the sparse fabric, pregnancy marks could almost be seen.

Yan Huaiyuan stood there frozen, hand extended in mid-air, not knowing whether to retract it.

“Your Yan family’s seven hundred thirty-second generation eldest branch eldest grandson is right now in my belly,” Hua Qiong said sternly. Completely unconcerned about her disheveled clothing, she openly met Yan Huaiyuan’s gaze, saying word by word, “According to the seven hundred thirty-second generation genealogy succession, this generation uses the character ‘Chang.’ I’ve named him Yan Changtian. Yan Huaiyuan—now Yan Changtian wants to enter!”

Her voice rang clear. Her enunciation was particularly crisp. Over a thousand people heard perfectly clearly.

Ning Yi suddenly sighed softly, “Excellent!”

Feng Zhiwei sighed with feeling, “Brother Yan is fortunate!”

Yan Huaiyuan stared at her belly for a long time, lost, then released his hand and retreated backward. Inside there was commotion. Before long, an aged voice came—it was indeed Old Master Yan’s, tremulously saying, “Hua Qiong, you shameless widow who knows no propriety! How dare you speak such outrageous lies before the sacred Yan ancestral hall! Get back home immediately!”

“Who speaks outrageously, who knows in their heart!” Hua Qiong gave not an inch, immediately retorting, “The Great Yan clan’s founding emperor spirit tablet is above. Which descendant through the generations dares to speak lies and distort truth in the ancestral hall will surely receive heavenly punishment and bring disaster upon the family! Old Master, aren’t you afraid of heavenly punishment!”

Old Master Yan choked, finally unable to help raging, “Just based on you, an outsider woman, claiming with empty words to carry my Yan family heir, and my Yan clan should let you enter the ancestral hall? You’re dreaming!”

“Your Yan family lacks virtue in this generation. Descendants are few,” Hua Qiong laughed coldly. “Ever since Second Branch’s grandson drowned at sea the year before last, all that remain now are girls not entered in the genealogy. Right now I’m carrying your Yan family’s eldest branch eldest grandson. How dare you not let me in? The Yan family has always passed succession to the eldest branch’s legitimate line. Last generation, the eldest young master left. This generation, you want to use past generation grudges to drive Huaishi away again. But the one in my belly hasn’t left and hasn’t committed any offense. You cannot block him!”

“What are you? A widow who cursed her husband to death, still not entered into my Yan family door, and you dare claim to carry my Yan clan’s sacred imperial bloodline?”

“Huaishi!” Hua Qiong immediately stepped back and called loudly, “Did you hear? I’m asking you one thing right now—will you marry me or not!”

Complete silence. Everyone stood nailed in place like clay sculptures, holding their breath, shocked by this woman’s bold resolution.

In the center of over a thousand people, sunlight bright and clear, that woman stood in the sunlight, openly baring her abdomen, publicly demanding marriage, sparing not her lifelong reputation or fate, risking this moment to save her beloved.

The brief quiet felt unbearable. Everyone’s breathing stretched out. Then from deep in the ancestral hall, Yan Huaishi’s distant voice rang out.

Just one word.

“Marry!”

Decisive and irreversible.

Boom—over a thousand guards forgot their status and cheered in unison. Feng Zhiwei’s eyes flashed with crystalline light. She felt her long-cold, dead blood suddenly seem to boil and surge.

Ning Yi had been silent throughout, only suddenly turning to look at her. Feng Zhiwei didn’t dare meet his eyes, but heard him suddenly sigh softly.

Hua Qiong raised her head. Tears rolled in her eyes but never fell.

“Even if he marries you,” Old Master Yan froze for a long while, then said hoarsely, “how dare you confirm this is a boy? A girl still cannot enter!”

“That’s easy to handle.” Hua Qiong smiled contemptuously.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart suddenly jumped.

“Swoosh.”

Hua Qiong reached back and drew out that pair of fishing spears. Under the sunlight, those polished spears reflected dazzling light.

“Look and you’ll know!”

Bright light flashed—the spear thrust toward her abdomen!

“Don’t—” Old Master Yan shouted in horror.

For an instant, his old heart nearly stopped.

Living Yan family descendants could not be killed in the ancestral hall. Otherwise the person responsible would have both legs broken and be expelled from Nanhai. If what she cut out really was a male infant, his old life wouldn’t be enough to compensate.

“Crack.”

A walnut arrived on time to save Yan Changtian’s life.

Ning Cheng had already swept over to confiscate that pair of spears. While taking the spears, he patted Hua Qiong’s shoulder and laughed quietly, “Timing grasped just right.”

Hua Qiong acted as if she hadn’t heard. One hand covered her belly. That action had still been quite vicious and fast. The sharp fork tip had broken the abdominal skin. Blood dripped onto the bluestone ground drop by drop.

Over a thousand people froze silently in place—ever since this woman appeared, everyone had been shocked by her repeatedly, long since forgetting to make sound.

“You yourself didn’t want me to prove it.” She revealed snow-white pointed teeth in a smile, smiling like some mountain beast. “Now—open the door. Eldest branch eldest grandson Yan Changtian wants to enter.”

Old Master Yan stared at her for a long while. Between his beard and hair, his brows and eyes revealed the despair of complete defeat. After a long while, he silently waved his hand.

The ancestral hall door rumbled open. That line of sunlight previously refused entry spread behind the great black iron door into a huge, bright arc.

Feng Zhiwei watched that arc’s continuous expansion, watched Hua Qiong standing proudly in the arc with a hand on her abdomen, smiling, and let out a long breath.

Then she stepped back and found a level spot to sit down.

Ning Yi, who had been listening to the movements there, immediately turned to look in her direction.

“Ning Cheng,” Feng Zhiwei gave her instructions to Ning Cheng calmly and evenly. “In a moment, watch your master carefully. Don’t let him approach. Also, if possible, help me hold back Brother Gu too.”

Then she leaned backward and collapsed.

In the instant of overturning light and shadow, she seemed to see someone rush over.

Heard someone shout sternly.

“Zhiwei!”