Qin Yining’s group soon arrived in the city.

The streets here were level and clean, with shop signs hanging high on both sides of the road and wine banners fluttering. After passing one street, they came upon a marketplace.

There were vegetable and meat vendors, those selling steamed buns, wontons, and noodles, barbers carrying poles, and others performing shadow puppet shows, singing opera, and street performing… Every stall had business to be done.

Young ladies with servants were buying pearl hairpins and silk handkerchiefs at jewelry shops by the roadside. Groups of three to five middle-aged men walked while engaging in animated discussions.

An old man making twisted sugar took two small bamboo sticks and twisted them with his wrists in opposite directions in the thick, simmering syrup, creating a sugar ball the size of a longan. Children threw copper coins into clay bowls, stretched out their dirty little hands to receive the candy, then ran off to show off to their playmates while licking it contentedly. The playmates could all produce copper coins to buy candy together.

The scene before them was truly one that only existed in times of peace and prosperity. Everyone here had ruddy faces, clearly long unacquainted with hunger and living quite prosperously.

A young man carrying a pole, wearing a half-new indigo cotton jacket and a six-harmony cap, passed by calling out “Flatbread!”

Qin Yining tilted her chin slightly toward the vendor.

Ji Yun immediately understood and quickly stepped forward, “Young man, wait a moment.”

“Ah!” The vendor set down his pole and turned to see that the person calling him was an extremely beautiful young lady, causing his face to redden slightly. “Miss, would you like to buy flatbread? Those with scallions are two wen, those with meat are five wen.”

Ji Yun lifted the very clean white cloth with her delicate hand and smiled, “Give me twenty with scallions and thirty with meat.”

The young man was stunned, then nodded happily and took oil paper to wrap the flatbreads.

While he was packing the flatbreads, Ji Yun asked, “Excuse me, young man, I’d also like to ask you—which direction are the inns in the city?”

The young man had already noticed Qin Yining and the group of plainly dressed guards behind her. Seeing their elegant attire, he knew they weren’t ordinary people and immediately said, “The best inn is at the end of this street—turn right and pass two more intersections. It’s called Jiahe Garden.”

Ji Yun nodded and smiled, “Thank you.” As she took out her money pouch and selected a small piece of silver to give the young man, she asked again, “Young man, do you know how to get to Sifang Bank?”

“Sifang Bank?” The young man handed over the twenty scallion flatbreads first and shook his head, “I walk around the city every day, but I’ve really never heard of Sifang Bank. What kind of shop is it? What business does it do?”

Ji Yun avoided this question by turning to call someone, and after handing the flatbreads to Bingtang to take back, she asked again, “We’re here to do business. Young man, do you know how to get to the Qiu family?”

The young man’s flatbread-wrapping motion paused, his face showing some wariness, “You’re looking for the Qiu family?”

Hearing this, Ji Yun realized there really was a Qiu family here and immediately said, “We’re looking for Qiu Feishan.”

If it had been another young lady, Ji Yun wouldn’t have mentioned the name directly, but Qiu Feishan dressed as a man to conduct business, clearly not for just a day or two. She was obviously accustomed to presenting herself as a man, so Ji Yun felt no burden in asking.

The young man was stunned for a moment and said, “You know Miss Qiu?”

At this point, Qin Yining had come with Bingtang to collect more flatbreads to distribute to the guards behind her.

She waved her silk fan, the jade pendant tassels on her wrist swaying, her white gauze veil hat lifted slightly by the breeze, revealing her beautifully curved neck and jawline.

Seeing Qin Yining’s appearance, the young man couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly. No wonder such a beautiful young lady was dressed as a maid—their master actually looked like this.

His gaze swept over and caught sight of the maple leaf-shaped jade pendant. The young man’s expression relaxed, as if he was completely at ease, and he smiled, “So you’re friends of Miss Qiu! The Qiu family’s main residence is in the east of the city—that whole connected area is where the Qiu family’s clan and relatives live. But I heard that Miss Qiu went out to do business. I haven’t seen her in the city for some time. If you’re looking for her, you might make a wasted trip.”

Ji Yun received the flatbreads and distributed them to Mu Jinghu, Jingzhe, and the other Tiger Guards.

Qin Yining also picked up a scallion flatbread and smiled, “Thank you for letting us know. Since we’ve come this far, we should at least pay our respects. Ji Yun.”

Ji Yun immediately understood and added another small piece of silver, giving it all to the flatbread vendor.

The young man initially declined, but Qin Yining smiled and said, “Today is an auspicious day, for good luck. Please accept it, young man.”

Only then did the young man embarrassedly accept the silver, picked up his pole that was now more than half empty, and continued walking while calling out “Flatbread!”

Qin Yining watched his departing figure, her smile gradually fading. She turned back and said, “Let’s go to that Jiahe Garden to find lodging first.”

“Yes.”

Everyone set off, taking a detour to drive to Jiahe Garden. Since they had female family members and many people, they directly rented a courtyard compound to stay in.

After everything was settled, Qin Yining first instructed the innkeeper to prepare meals. The guards following her were all young men, and the flatbreads they’d just shared—one or two per person—weren’t even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Even if they discovered something suspicious, everything would have to wait until after they’d eaten their fill.

Qin Yining dined in the room with Bingtang and Ji Yun.

They had just finished eating and washed their hands when Mu Jinghu came to visit.

“Today’s events aren’t quite right. You need to be careful,” Mu Jinghu said as soon as he sat down.

Qin Yining also nodded gravely, “Indeed, something’s not right. Qiu Feishan is the head manager of Sifang Bank and also the eldest miss of the Qiu family. Earlier when Ji Yun wanted to inquire about Qiu Feishan and casually mentioned the Qiu family, that flatbread vendor’s face was full of reverence and respect. Moreover, like the city gate soldiers, he recognized this jade pendant.”

Qin Yining lifted the maple leaf jade pendant and waved it before her eyes.

“Qiu Feishan deliberately lured me here and even provided the Entry to Sichuan Placard in advance, knowing I would need to use it. Jingzhe said the other people’s Entry to Sichuan Placards were all wooden, different from this one. When I inquired about Qiu Feishan with that vendor earlier, after he saw I had this placard, he was no longer guarded against me. All of this indicates that we’ve fallen into a trap and been lured here. Qiu Feishan is the eldest miss of the Qiu family, and moreover, she’s someone that people in Jianchuan City all recognize. This placard most likely represents the identity of the Qiu family’s eldest miss—otherwise their attitudes wouldn’t have changed so dramatically. Most importantly, that young man didn’t know about Sifang Bank’s shop, as if he didn’t know that Sifang Bank was the Qiu family’s business.”

Qin Yining rambled on, telling Mu Jinghu all her analysis and speculation.

Mu Jinghu frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “It’s also possible that Miss Qiu is doing business on her own outside, and neither her family nor outsiders know about it.”

“Your analysis makes sense. Actually, regardless of all this, we’ve fallen into a trap.”

Qin Yining lowered her eyes, once again revising her assessment of Qiu Feishan’s intelligence and schemes. This was the first time she’d encountered someone so skilled at manipulation, calculating all people and events in advance.

Why had she lured their group to Jianchuan City?

As Qin Yining racked her brains, Ji Yun’s voice came from outside the door, “Princess, there’s a Master Qiu outside requesting an audience.”