The weather gradually turned into autumn. On this day, the cold wind blew fiercely, and even before evening arrived, the sky was already overcast and gloomy, with not a trace of brightness visible anywhere. Inside the study, Pei Bi sat at his desk wearing an outer robe, the table piled high with secret reports sent from various regions—every single one without exception brought bad news. First, someone had attacked the Pei family’s specialized salt transport fleet, killing the guards and seizing twenty boats of grain. Following that, the Su clan of Yunzhou, the premier wealthy family who had always been closely aligned with the Pei family, had specifically written a letter saying that the official position they had previously asked the Pei family to secure for their son in the imperial court had gone wrong, and the head of the Su family had even been imprisoned for buying an official position. They had written specifically to ask for help.

It was as if someone was deliberately opposing the Pei family! The more Pei Bi read, the more irritated he became. He casually grabbed a letter he had already reviewed and was about to write a reply when he suddenly felt a wave of pain throughout his body. He couldn’t help but be alarmed—his old illness was acting up again. His condition was always like this: every time early autumn arrived, his entire body would ache terribly, he would cough up blood, and then develop a high fever that would last four or five days, requiring complete bed rest. Now that the weather had turned cold, it was a signal that his illness was about to flare up again. He put down his brush, vaguely touched his forehead, felt it was somewhat hot, and couldn’t help but sigh. Just as he was about to call someone to fetch a physician, he saw a guard hurry in: “This servant pays respects to the eldest young master.”

As soon as he saw the man, he frowned: “What’s the matter?”

“Reporting to eldest young master, the young miss is outside making a fuss, demanding to come in.”

Pei Bi furrowed his brow: “Bao’er? How long has she been here?”

“Replying to young master, the young miss has been here for half a shichen already. No matter what this servant says, she insists on not leaving.”

“Fine, let her in.” As Pei Bi spoke, his nose made a muffled sound. He secretly thought to himself that this girl had been making more and more of a scene lately. If not for the fact that she was his own sister, he absolutely couldn’t continue indulging her like this! He was still thinking when he saw Pei Bao’er sweep in from outside like a gust of wind. Her brightly colored dress and skirt, set against the thick inky darkness of night, was actually startling to behold.

Pei Bi looked at her, feeling irritated in his heart, yet he had to force himself to suppress this thought and tried his best to wear a smile with an affectionate tone: “Little sister, why have you come here at this hour?”

Pei Bao’er sat down in a chair below, her face full of worry: “Has big brother’s old illness flared up again?”

Pei Bi smiled slightly: “It’s nothing. It’s been like this for a long time. You might as well tell me what you came for today.”

Pei Bao’er thought to herself that this big brother still cared about her after all, mindful of their sibling bond—she suddenly became agitated, tears spilling from her eyes as she answered chokingly: “Big brother, you said you would avenge second brother and the others!”

Pei Bi furrowed his brow: “I haven’t forgotten this matter. You don’t need to remind me three or four times.” Moreover, he knew very well that in Pei Bao’er’s heart, her personal grudge was probably even greater.

Pei Bao’er was extremely anxious, her brow and eyes showing distress: “I know all about what happened last time. Too bad Nalan Xue fell short of success, otherwise she would definitely have destroyed the Guo family! Once such a great opportunity is missed, who knows when we’ll have to wait again! How can we afford to wait!”

Pei Bi stared at Pei Bao’er’s beautiful face, thinking to himself that while she was beautiful, she had been praised too highly and was too impatient. In just this past half month alone, she had already pestered him countless times about this matter. He suppressed his impatience and said softly: “Aunt and I will naturally discuss this matter. You need not worry so much—just take care of yourself.”

But Pei Bao’er’s expression changed, and she said angrily: “You always brush me off like this every time! But in the end you do nothing! Today I went to the palace again, but Aunt absolutely refused to see me no matter what, and even ordered those palace maids and eunuchs to chase me out! Now the young ladies of distinguished noble families are unwilling to associate with me, and even those lowly servants are following suit, acting arrogant in front of me. Big brother, you haven’t seen how difficult my days have been!”

Pei Bi glanced at Pei Bao’er, then looked away, saying nothing.

Pei Bao’er’s eyes rolled, and she continued: “Big brother, right now there’s an excellent opportunity to vent our anger.”

Pei Bi was startled, then asked: “What do you mean?”

A shadow flashed through Pei Bao’er’s eyes, and a particularly sinister expression crossed her pale face as she lowered her voice: “I heard that Li Weiyang is taking her foolish brother to Cijisi Temple to offer incense. Isn’t this a great opportunity?”

Pei Bi’s heart stirred, but he quickly calmed down: “Oh? Where did you hear this information?”

Pei Bao’er sneered: “Cijisi Temple has always received our incense offerings. A year ago, I specifically donated money to recast the golden Buddha statues for those monks, so I’m absolutely certain of this information! This time, Li Weiyang is going to pray before the Buddha for that fool because her brother is mentally deficient and she’s been worried sick about it.” In Pei Bao’er’s eyes, the fact that Li Weiyang had never let Li Minzhi appear in public view must be to conceal the fact that this boy was foolish.

Listening to this, Pei Bi felt a trace of something unusual in his heart and couldn’t help but say: “So when you say this is a good opportunity, what do you mean?”

Pei Bao’er said urgently: “Big brother, how can you be foolish too?! In the past, Li Weiyang always hid in the Guo manor. Even if we wanted to make a move, we had no way to find a suitable opportunity. But this time she’s leaving the Guo manor herself. Cijisi Temple—that’s outside the city. This round trip takes a whole day, and who can guarantee nothing will happen along the way?! Big brother, don’t blame me for not reminding you—this is an excellent opportunity. Once missed, there may never be such a good chance again!”

Pei Bi’s brow furrowed tightly: “You want me to send people to attack on the road? Do you think the Guo family’s guards are all vegetarians? If it were so easy for you to succeed…”

Before he could finish speaking, he heard Pei Bao’er laugh coldly: “The Guo family naturally has tight security, but they can’t withstand our careful preparation. As long as you’re willing, big brother, I have the confidence to ensure she never returns!” When she said the words “never returns,” she gritted her teeth, clearly hating Li Weiyang to the extreme.

Hearing her say this, Pei Bi was unmoved. He understood Li Weiyang’s cunning too well—one careless step and he would fall into her trap. Therefore, he only laughed coldly: “I advise you not to think this matter is too easy.”

Pei Bao’er suddenly stood up from her chair, a fierce look flowing through her beautiful eyes: “Big brother, I’ve said so much—don’t you understand what I mean? As long as you take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate Li Weiyang, our greatest threat will be gone, and our brothers’ revenge will be accomplished too. What’s wrong with that? If you keep hesitating and wavering like this, once you miss this opportunity, it will be far too difficult to kill her later!”

But Pei Bi said nothing, his expression returning to calm, clearly unmoved.

Pei Bao’er walked straight to his desk, unable to restrain her resentment as she said loudly: “Big brother, are you even listening to me!”

Pei Bi’s gaze fell on Pei Bao’er’s beautiful face, revealing a trace of contempt: “I naturally make the decisions on family matters. As a daughter, you should properly stay in your embroidery chamber and reflect on your mistakes!”

Pei Bao’er was absolutely furious. She bit out: “Reflect on my mistakes? Why do you and Father both say this? What mistakes have I made! From beginning to end, it was all Li Weiyang who framed me. If not for her, how would I have become a rat crossing the street that everyone wants to beat! Do you know that now I can’t even step one foot outside the Pei family gates? What kind of life am I living? You only tell me to endure, endure, endure, wait, wait, wait! Exactly how long must I endure, how long must I wait! I can’t endure anymore!”

But Pei Bi suddenly stood up, his gaze cold as he stared at Pei Bao’er: “What right do you have to stand here and speak to me like this? Have you forgotten your position?!”

After all, Pei Bao’er was outwardly fierce but inwardly weak. She and her second brother Pei Hui were used to being willful, but they never dared to be disrespectful to their eldest brother. Now, startled by Pei Bi’s rare harsh tone, she instinctively stepped back two paces, her voice softening: “Big brother, I didn’t mean it. I’m just thinking of the Pei family, hoping you won’t miss such a good opportunity…”

But Pei Bi was extremely annoyed: “Enough, I have my own judgment on this matter! Don’t mention it again. You may leave.”

Hearing him say this, Pei Bao’er knew there was no hope for this matter. Unable to help herself, she stamped her foot in resentment and reluctantly withdrew.

After Pei Bao’er left the study, Pei Bi stared intently at the flickering candlelight on the desk. He always felt that now was not the best time to act. Li Weiyang was too cunning—one careless move and it would be easy to fall for her tricks. So he would rather hold his forces and wait for a better opportunity. He sat back down in his chair and sighed deeply. Thinking of how all his careful schemes had nowhere to hide under her offensive, he couldn’t help but sink into silence.

Meanwhile, Pei Bao’er, who had just left the study, was fuming with rage. All the way back to her own courtyard, she swept her hand violently and knocked over the redwood cloisonné shelf, smashing almost all the antiques and jade objects on it. The maids around her watched in fear, trembling, their faces deathly pale.

Finally, her trusted maid Zhen’er stepped forward and said softly: “Miss, why are you so angry? Did the eldest young master…”

Before she could finish, Pei Bao’er said sharply: “They’re all cowards who don’t even dare to kill! Such a good opportunity—it’s too bad to miss it!”

Zhen’er glanced at Pei Bao’er and said hesitantly: “Miss, do you mean…”

Pei Bao’er gritted her teeth, a rare ferocious expression appearing on her beautiful face: “If he won’t act, does that mean I can’t act?”

Zhen’er was shocked: “Miss, you mustn’t get the wrong idea. Recently the eldest young master has been watching us closely. If you act rashly, I’m afraid young master will…”

Pei Bao’er didn’t let her finish, only snorting coldly: “If we can’t use the Pei family’s power, we can naturally find some rough jianghu types. In the capital, there are people who’ll do anything for money—are they impossible to find?”

Zhen’er hesitated even more: “But miss, the Guo family’s guards are all highly skilled in martial arts, and Li Weiyang has Zhao Yue by her side. As you know, I’m afraid ordinary ruffians won’t be able to achieve your goal.”

Pei Bao’er pondered carefully for a moment, then suddenly a smile appeared on her face: “Ordinary people won’t work, but what about the Crimson Blood Alliance?”

Zhen’er was startled. She hadn’t expected Pei Bao’er to suddenly mention this assassin sect. The Crimson Blood Alliance was an assassin organization in Yuexi that had existed for many years. Under its banner were countless young masters who specialized in carrying out secret assassination missions. The assassins they sent out worked in perfect coordination, flawlessly, taking enemy heads as easily as reaching into a bag to retrieve something. In these ten years, of the one thousand three hundred forty-eight missions entrusted to the Crimson Blood Alliance, not one had failed—a truly brilliant record. However, the capital was at the Emperor’s feet, and these assassins rarely extended their reach to commit crimes in the capital. Moreover, there had been that incident at the Crown Prince’s manor last time…

Thinking of this, Zhen’er couldn’t help but advise: “Miss, if you want to hire people from the Crimson Blood Alliance to assassinate Li Weiyang, I’m afraid it won’t be so easy. They seem to have a rule about not easily acting in the capital. Moreover, there was the Crown Prince’s attempted assassination last time. This… I’m afraid it will be difficult.”

Pei Bao’er smiled slightly: “Money can make ghosts push millstones. The Crimson Blood Alliance people only seek profit. As long as I offer enough silver, how could they not do the job for me? Even if they can’t kill Li Weiyang, they can kidnap her brother. As long as Li Minzhi is in our hands, won’t Li Weiyang be forced to hold back!” As she said this, her smile became even colder.

Zhen’er felt something was wrong in her heart, but seeing Pei Bao’er’s confident expression, she didn’t dare persuade her further.

Li Weiyang chose an auspicious day to take Li Minzhi to Cijisi Temple to offer incense.

The Guo family’s carriage drove through the bustling market, while guards on horseback protected the carriage on all sides with very tight security. Guo Cheng was also riding alongside, drawing many women to steal glances at his appearance.

Inside the carriage, Li Minzhi curiously lifted the curtain to look outside, his large black eyes rolling around, clearly very curious about everything around him. Li Weiyang leaned against a cushion to the side, holding a book in her hands, reading quietly in the light with a very calm expression. Princess Ali was also very excited. She and Li Minzhi were like two children, both lying by the window looking outside together.

Just then, Minzhi suddenly turned his head and asked Li Weiyang: “Sister, do you hear any sound?”

Li Weiyang listened carefully, but the surroundings were full of voices. She shook her head: “This is a marketplace, so naturally the sounds are very noisy.”

Seeing Li Minzhi’s unusual expression, Princess Ali couldn’t help but ask: “Minzhi, what sound did you hear?”

Minzhi tilted his head thinking, his face full of confusion. Clearly he also found it strange why no one else in the carriage could hear this sound.

Seeing that Li Minzhi didn’t seem to be joking, Princess Ali listened carefully. She only heard an inexplicably sharp, high-pitched sound coming from the crowd, like a lark singing as it flew up into colorful clouds, penetrating through the crowd. She felt it was strange and was about to say something when she heard the sound of voices rising outside, as if something had happened. Unable to help herself, she looked out and saw that the originally spacious road that could accommodate four carriages side by side was somehow surrounded by crowds. Not only the street, but even the teahouses and taverns on the sides were packed three layers deep with people watching the excitement. The coachman was forced to stop the carriage, and people kept pushing forward.

Princess Ali looked out from the window and saw a very strange procession approaching in the distance. Leading was an exceptionally tall foreign man. His face was as black as ancient bronze, with a huge head, forehead, cheekbones, and nose bridge all higher and more prominent than ordinary people—he looked just like a black tower. In his hand he held a bamboo flute, and as he walked, bells on his feet made tinkling sounds. The strange trembling notes heard earlier in the carriage came from his flute. As he played, a very rare animal followed behind him, dancing. The animal looked like a monkey but had a dog’s tail. Its fur was light brown, with circles and stripes and irregular markings. The closer to its head, the deeper the color.

Princess Ali was startled. She had seen many animals but had never seen such a strange creature. This odd animal had two small round ball-like red eyes flashing with an intimidating light. Following the sound from the bamboo flute, it arched its neck, and from its slightly open mouth protruded a tongue as red as a maple leaf. Its tail slowly swayed up, down, left, and right rhythmically—it looked just like a dancing snake.

Princess Ali was dumbfounded, not knowing what was happening. She asked Zhao Yue: “What’s happening up ahead? What is this thing?”

Zhao Yue immediately said: “Replying to the princess, there’s a performance ahead. People are all rushing forward to watch, so they’ve blocked our carriage.”

Princess Ali became excited and almost jumped down from the carriage. Just then, Li Weiyang said softly: “Ali, it’s chaotic outside right now. Do you want to go out?”

Princess Ali pulled back her foot. She remembered that before they set out, Li Weiyang had instructed that no matter what happened, she must not leave the carriage at will. It was precisely because she had promised that Li Weiyang agreed to bring her out. She looked at Li Weiyang pitifully and tentatively said: “Jia’er, look outside—that animal is really so strange. Why don’t we stop and go look too? It won’t take long!”

Minzhi clapped his hands happily beside them: “Sister, let’s look, let’s look.”

But Li Weiyang smiled slightly: “The strangest thing in this world is probably not animals, but the human heart.” As she said this, as if remembering something, her smile deepened.

Princess Ali looked at Li Weiyang with a strange expression. She really didn’t understand what she was talking about.

Just then, for some reason, the sound of the bamboo flute outside changed. The exceptionally strange-looking animal suddenly darted into the crowd and pounced on someone, its claws scratching the face of a plump woman. The woman screamed and her bulky body fell to the ground. The animal bared its teeth and pounced at other people. Suddenly there was commotion in the crowd, and countless people began to retreat in panic. But people are like this—the more crowded a place is, the more people there are. Those behind didn’t understand what was happening and thought there was some precious treasure to appreciate, so they pushed forward even more frantically. What had originally been an orderly street had now become chaotic. From time to time people fell to the ground, followed by continuous screaming. Guo Cheng, who had been guarding at the front, changed expression and shouted loudly: “Everyone hold steady! Don’t let anyone approach the carriage!”

His voice startled the others in the carriage. Princess Ali was about to lift the curtain when she heard Li Weiyang cough lightly. Ali’s hand immediately withdrew: “Fine, I promised you I won’t leave the carriage.”

Li Weiyang looked at her solemnly, hiding the trace of a smile at the corner of her mouth: “Just remember what you promised. If you casually leave the carriage today, I’ll never bring you out again in the future, even if you say you’re suffocating to death.”

Princess Ali had no choice but to curl up pitifully with Li Minzhi and whisper to him: “Your sister is really fierce!”

Minzhi widened his bright black eyes with a grinning expression, not knowing whether he understood or not. Seeing his confusion, Princess Ali became annoyed for a moment and harshly scraped his nose. Who knew Minzhi would laugh even harder, burying himself in Li Weiyang’s embrace while not forgetting to turn his head and make a face at her. Ali became even more angry and could only pout her mouth, quietly looking out through the carriage window.

Outside it had become even more chaotic. The Guo family guards were desperately protecting the safety of the central carriage. But as there were more and more people, they had no choice but to dismount and prevent the crowd from approaching the carriage. Suddenly someone used something sharp to stab the lead horse. The horse reared up, raising its head and neighing, constantly kicking its front hooves. The coachman couldn’t control the direction properly and was jostled by those people, losing control of the direction. Shouts came from all around, followed by cries of alarm.

The carriage on this side was also impacted by the crowd. Princess Ali was startled, her unprepared body lurching forward. Just as she was about to crash into the carriage door, fortunately Zhao Yue was quick and grabbed her. Princess Ali calmed her panic and looked at Zhao Yue: “What’s happening?”

Only then did Zhao Yue lift the curtain. She saw that half the guards around the carriage in the distance had been scattered, while Guo Cheng and the remaining twelve guards gripped their sword hilts, protecting the carriage in a tight circle. Guo Cheng shouted: “Who are you people? How dare you block the Guo family’s carriage!”

Standing in front of the carriage were more than ten men wearing ordinary cloth clothes, all with indignant expressions. One of them held a six- or seven-year-old girl in his arms, looking very agitated and angry: “The street is so chaotic now, yet you’re galloping horses and injuring people. This child was just injured by your horse’s hooves—how will you compensate!”

Guo Cheng glanced over. Apart from somewhat shabby clothes, the child had no wounds on her body. He couldn’t help but say: “The crowd became chaotic just now and the carriage momentarily lost control, possibly injuring this child. That’s our fault, and we apologize! If this child is injured, we’ll immediately take her to see a physician!” As he spoke, Guo Cheng was about to step forward, as if wanting to take the child.

In fact, although the Guo family’s carriage looked very low-key on the outside, it was exquisitely made—definitely not something ordinary families could afford to use. It also bore the Guo clan emblem. Moreover, although the Guo family guards all wore plain clothes, they had an extraordinary bearing—every one of them came from a military background with high martial arts skills. This kind of retinue wasn’t something any family below nobility could be equipped with—ordinary people absolutely wouldn’t dare to confront them. But these ten-odd men were clearly jianghu people, all wearing swords, appearing determined to stand up for this child. The leader blocked Guo Cheng’s hand with one motion and deliberately shouted: “Don’t pretend! You injured someone and still want to leave so easily! He said while waving his hand, and ten-odd people surrounded the carriage from both sides.

Guo Cheng’s expression changed drastically, his brow furrowed tightly, but his eyes held a trace of cold severity. He raised his brows and shouted angrily: “This is the Guo manor’s carriage—how dare you have the gall to intercept it in broad daylight!”

The person opposite said coldly: “You injured someone first out of discourtesy, we’re only acting out of righteous indignation!” As he spoke, he threw the child to someone beside him, pointed at the Guo family carriage and shouted: “Everyone look! Duke Qiguo’s manor’s carriage has run someone over, and not only won’t they admit it, they’re going to beat common people in the street! Where’s the justice in this! Under the Emperor’s feet, they’re breaking the law! Everyone come forward—don’t let them escape!” As he said this, he had already rushed at Guo Cheng. Guo Cheng was startled to see the ten-odd people who had come with that man all rush forward together. They didn’t draw swords or pull out knives, but just acted rowdy like ruffians, grabbing the guards by their collars.

The crowd immediately became chaotic. Suddenly someone shouted loudly: “Duke Qiguo’s manor is beating people! Duke Qiguo’s manor is beating people!”

With this shout, the crowd became even more chaotic. More and more people surged forward, and the strange performance troupe also took the opportunity to create disorder in the crowd, causing complete loss of control. Guo Cheng desperately tried to control the situation, but those people hadn’t drawn swords and appeared as commoners. They had also incited many common people who didn’t know the truth to rush forward. No matter how brave the Guo family guards were, they couldn’t kill innocent people indiscriminately. At this moment, the entire carriage was surrounded by angry crowds. People who didn’t know the truth mistakenly believed what these people said was true. They thought the Guo manor’s carriage had injured someone and clamored for the people in the carriage to come out. Ordinarily these common people might not have such gall, but today it seemed someone was deliberately instigating them. More and more people began shouting curses loudly. At this moment, they seemed to have completely forgotten that Duke Qiguo’s manor had always been low-key and restrained with a good reputation. They only knew that the people in this carriage were high officials, and they had injured someone!

In the chaos, both the front and rear Guo manor carriages were being pushed and swayed. Especially the front carriage where the master sat—those people seemed certain Li Weiyang was inside. Furiously they brought people rushing forward, desperately inciting the crowd to shove the carriage. Later they actually pulled the coachman down and threw him heavily to the ground. Before long, with a thunderous crash and clouds of dust, some people screamed while others wailed loudly—it was complete chaos.

The carriage had actually been overturned by them! It even fell and injured several common people!

Princess Ali saw this scene from the rear carriage. She couldn’t help but cry out in shock: “Jia’er, look—something happened up front!”

Li Weiyang seemed to have anticipated this and only said calmly: “Oh, really?”

Princess Ali turned her head, staring at Li Weiyang in astonishment: “Our Guo family’s carriage was overturned by people.”

Li Weiyang’s eyes were deep as she smiled: “Yes, overturned by angry people. It looks like someone wants to fish in troubled waters.” As she said this, her tone was light and airy, clearly not taking it to heart.

Seeing this, Princess Ali had a thought flash through her mind and was even more shocked: “You knew something like this would happen from the start?! I understand now! That’s why you specifically had us switch to this carriage! There’s no one at all in that front carriage—you deliberately set a trap!”

Li Weiyang smiled warmly: “Yes, I did it deliberately. The most important reason I told you not to go out is also because I didn’t want others to know we’re in this nearby light-canopied small carriage.”

In fact, from the morning departure, Li Weiyang had already switched their traveling carriage to a light-canopied small carriage. It looked very ordinary on the outside, with neither accompanying guards nor the Guo clan emblem. Outsiders would only think this was a very ordinary carriage and would never imagine that Duke Qiguo’s manor’s young lady and Princess Ali were inside this carriage. As for the guards accompanying them, Li Weiyang had them hide in the shadows, disguised as ordinary common people, so no one would know. When leaving the city, they had also completely separated from those two carriages being tightly protected by Guo Cheng and the Guo family guards, only following from a distance.

Princess Ali thought it over and became more and more amazed: “Exactly who would make such a big scene! Are they trying to take advantage of the opportunity to hurt someone?”

Li Weiyang said with a half-smile: “You’ll have to ask the Pei family people about that.”

Princess Ali’s mouth fell open: “You’re saying this matter is related to the Pei family?”

Li Weiyang’s expression was calm: “The people who hate me most in this world are the Pei family. They first sent people to disrupt the retinue, then had people deliberately stir up public anger. After the crowd overturned the carriage, they could take advantage of the chaos to kill me with one blade, or kidnap Minzhi. Isn’t this the most obvious thing?”

Listening to this, Princess Ali was so shocked she could barely speak. Li Weiyang seemed to have already known the other party was targeting her, and moreover knew where they would strike. But—why was she so certain?

Princess Ali nodded: “I understand now. It’s because you already predicted this journey wouldn’t be safe. So you deliberately arranged this act to make them think you were in the front carriage! Amitabha, you’re so clever, Jia’er. If not for you, I would have suffered disaster today too!”

But Li Weiyang’s smile was very cold: “Rest assured, the person who will suffer disaster won’t be me, and won’t be you either—it will be the Pei family.” As she said this, she already instructed Zhao Yue: “Have the coachman turn the carriage around and go to the Capital Magistrate’s manor.”

At this moment, it was the time for banqueting at the Capital Magistrate’s manor. The entrance was crowded with carriages and horses, and in the back courtyard flower hall of the Capital Magistrate’s yamen, it was full of guests with cups of wine being exchanged. The Capital Magistrate was entertaining guests. Just as cups were being raised and toasts exchanged, he heard his trusted aide whisper in his ear: “My lord, something has happened!”

The Capital Magistrate was extremely displeased. He raised his head: “Can’t you see I have so many distinguished guests here? What could possibly have happened!”

That person said in a low voice: “My lord, a shichen ago, there was a disturbance at the East Gate. The Guo manor’s carriage was overturned!”

The Capital Magistrate was immediately shocked. He put down his wine cup, stood up, and bowed to everyone: “Gentlemen, please continue dining. I’ll return shortly, return shortly!” Before anyone could stop him, he had already quickly left with his attendants. As soon as he stepped out of the great hall, he immediately turned to his attendant: “What exactly happened?”

The attendant glanced up and met his stern gaze, then immediately answered: “This subordinate doesn’t know the specific circumstances either. I only heard that the Guo manor’s young lady was going to Cijisi Temple to offer incense. When passing the East Gate, somehow the carriage injured a child, and then the Guo family people got into conflict with the common people. The angry common people actually overturned the carriage!”

The Capital Magistrate’s brow furrowed tightly, his face growing darker and darker. Hearing the end, he stopped in place for quite a while before continuing forward: “These people’s gall is as vast as the sky! They even dare to attack the Guo family. How is Miss Guo—did something happen to her?” But thinking it over, something seemed wrong. The Guo family’s reputation had always been very good and was well-respected. How could such a thing happen for no reason?

Seeing his unpleasant expression, his attendant quickly said: “By the time this subordinate arrived, the crowd had already dispersed. I only heard that bandits took advantage of the chaos to attack the carriage and abducted someone inside.” In fact, he wasn’t certain whether Miss Guo had been kidnapped—he only knew Guo Cheng was searching everywhere.

The Capital Magistrate’s expression changed instantly. He snorted coldly and said nothing more, his steps quickening. He had received the Emperor’s decree to manage the safety of the entire capital. Now that such a thing had happened within his jurisdiction, how could he explain it? Not to mention if anything happened to that Miss Guo or her reputation was damaged—he would really have to take off his official hat to see Duke Qiguo! Thinking of this, he ordered: “Prepare horses immediately. I’m going to Duke Qiguo’s manor.” Before he finished speaking, he heard clamor outside. He couldn’t help but frown: “It’s so late—who is it?”

Someone immediately reported: “My lord, a woman has come outside the yamen gates insisting on seeing you. When asked for her calling card, she doesn’t have one!” Before he finished speaking, the Capital Magistrate had already furrowed his brow even tighter. In the capital there were many powerful nobles who couldn’t be easily offended. Since taking office, he had encountered many difficult characters and really had no way to stop these people. Hearing it was just a woman at the gate wanting to see him, his heart grew even more annoyed: “Fool! What time is it? Can’t you see I’m busy! Hurry up and chase her away!”

Before he finished speaking, he saw a woman in a green skirt standing leisurely at the courtyard entrance, a pair of eyes bright as stars, staring at him as he walked in. The Capital Magistrate was startled, his face slightly embarrassed. He hadn’t expected the person in question to be right there. Because of the distance, he hadn’t clearly seen what this person looked like. Only when he got closer did he become speechless.

He saw the other party smile slightly: “The great gates of the Capital Magistrate’s manor are truly difficult to enter. Guo Jia spent quite some effort, yet the guards still wouldn’t let me in. I had no choice but to make a bit more of a commotion before getting through the gates. Surely my lord won’t blame Guo Jia for being discourteous!”

Cold sweat broke out on the Capital Magistrate’s back. At this moment, he had clearly seen this woman’s face and couldn’t help but freeze for a moment, remembering she was the eldest young lady of Duke Qiguo’s manor—Guo Jia.

Li Weiyang narrowed her eyes, raised her pale chin slightly, her expression very composed, but the corners of her lips held a trace of a smile: “My lord, why are you looking at me with such eyes?” At this moment, the Capital Magistrate still wore an expression as if he hadn’t yet reacted, unable to speak a word for a long time.

The attendant beside him immediately came over, leaned close to his ear, and reminded him in a low voice: “My lord, Miss Guo has arrived.”

“Nonsense, can’t I see that?” the Capital Magistrate thought to himself—what an utter fool. He steadied himself and looked at Guo Jia, smiling: “So it’s Miss Guo visiting—I apologize for the poor welcome!” No matter what, he couldn’t forget how bold and reckless this Guo Jia’s temperament was. But she was Duke Qiguo’s eldest young lady—what place would she not dare enter? Not to mention the Capital Magistrate’s yamen—she probably would enter even the imperial palace without hesitation. As for the matter of both Prince Jing and Prince Xu being devoted to Guo Jia, it had long been the talk of the entire capital, and the Capital Magistrate didn’t dare easily offend her either. Moreover, serving as an official in the capital, he naturally knew which aristocratic families were first-rate and required careful caution…

Once his mind cleared, a smile immediately appeared on his face: “The guards outside didn’t recognize Miss Guo—they were quite offensive, and I’m deeply ashamed! But it’s so late—I wonder what matter brings Miss Guo here in person?”

Li Weiyang’s eyes swept over, and she saw behind her another person walking over leisurely with a smile, amber eyes glowing brightly—it was none other than the currently prominent Prince Xu. The Capital Magistrate was even more shocked and quickly bowed: “Prince Xu.”

Yuan Lie only smiled: “No need for excessive courtesy. I only escorted Miss Guo inside. Oh yes, just now two of your guards accidentally had their legs broken. My lord should quickly send people to take them for medical treatment!”

Cold sweat rolled down the Capital Magistrate’s forehead. He thought to himself that Prince Xu could go anywhere with his gold medal—this was clearly deliberately giving himself a show of authority. He immediately said: “Those people don’t understand propriety and offended Prince Xu and Miss Guo. Another day I’ll bring them to personally apologize at your door!”

Yuan Lie raised his eyebrows: “Apologies can be dispensed with. You should quickly help us capture the bandits instead.”

Hearing this, the Capital Magistrate’s brow furrowed slightly as he opened his mouth: “I don’t know what bandits Prince Xu is referring to?”

Li Weiyang smiled slightly and said unhurriedly: “Today at the marketplace, someone deliberately caused trouble, blocked the Guo manor’s carriage, even overturned it, and took advantage of the opportunity to steal valuable treasures from inside the carriage.”

Valuable treasures? Wasn’t it a person who was abducted? The Capital Magistrate said in shock: “There were valuable items in the carriage? I don’t know what treasures?”

Li Weiyang laughed coldly: “The birthday gift prepared for His Majesty’s birthday banquet this year.”

The Capital Magistrate wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: “This birthday gift… is no ordinary object. How could it be in the carriage?”

Li Weiyang’s expression was calm: “How could the Capital Magistrate not know? Because of the burning of the spirit pagoda, His Majesty was deeply grieved and wanted to build the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, saying he lacked relics… So my father searched far and wide, spending a full three months before finally finding the relics of forty-nine eminent monks, placed in a brocade box. This time it was meant to be taken to Cijisi Temple for blessing, to be presented to His Majesty at his birthday banquet two months from now for his viewing. Unfortunately, they’ve now been stolen by bandits… Alas, this crime—I’m afraid the Capital Magistrate cannot bear it.”

Hearing this, the Capital Magistrate’s entire back was soaked, his expression extremely strange: “Is what Miss Guo says true?”

Li Weiyang snorted coldly: “Who would joke about such a matter? My father has already specifically reported to His Majesty that he will definitely present the relics in two months. His Majesty even said to accelerate construction of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple and enshrine the relics within for common people to venerate. But now bandits have mysteriously appeared, and within my lord’s jurisdiction no less—I don’t know how you plan to explain this to His Majesty?”

If the relics were stolen, the Guo family couldn’t escape responsibility, and he would be even more doomed! The Capital Magistrate only felt his legs go weak. He really couldn’t imagine that in broad daylight, bandits had appeared and mysteriously stolen the gift Duke Qiguo’s manor was presenting to the Emperor. If this gift were an ordinary object it would be one thing, but it was relics—these weren’t things that could be found just anywhere! This was truly killing him!

He said through gritted teeth: “But what use would these bandits have for relics?”

Li Weiyang’s expression darkened slightly: “My lord, you shouldn’t ask me about this. Asking me is useless—how would I know what these bandits want with these relics?”

Yuan Lie’s lips curved into a smile. “Hearing the Capital Magistrate speak, it seems you doubt that this matter is genuine and suspect Miss Guo of fabricating it.” As he spoke, a trace of coldness appeared in his eyes, and he said slowly, “Under the watchful eyes of all, everyone saw the carriage overturn and bandits enter it to plunder. Does the Capital Magistrate still wish to deny it?”

The Capital Magistrate lowered his head speechless. This was absolutely no small matter—what should he do?

But Yuan Lie continued unhurriedly: “My lord, I hope you’ll quickly send people to search for the whereabouts of the birthday gift for His Majesty. Otherwise—if His Majesty blames us, I’m afraid none of us can bear the punishment.”

The Capital Magistrate immediately snapped alert and said loudly: “Yes, yes! I’ll handle it immediately!” Then he instructed the attendant beside him: “Seal the city gates—don’t allow anyone to enter or exit privately. Thoroughly investigate anyone who approached the carriage on the street today. We must find these bandits to serve as a warning to others!”

Li Weiyang raised her eyes, smiling as she interrupted him: “My lord, merely searching for bandits is probably not enough.”

The Capital Magistrate looked at Li Weiyang anxiously, not knowing why but always feeling her eyes held deep meaning. He asked in a low voice: “What does Miss Guo mean?”

Li Weiyang smiled: “Isn’t the matter obvious? These relics are useless in the bandits’ hands—they’ll have to sell them eventually. Ordinary people won’t buy them. What places would accept such stolen goods? Of course the capital’s various pawnshops, merchants, underground black markets, or perhaps those jianghu transport gangs. I don’t think I need to teach my lord how to search these places.”

The Capital Magistrate’s expression turned stern: “Miss, rest assured—within ten days, I’ll give the Guo family an explanation.”

Li Weiyang sighed lightly: “Ten days… I’m afraid we can’t wait that long. His Majesty is very anxious. He said that three days from now, he wants to see the relics.”

The Capital Magistrate froze: “Didn’t you say two months later…”

Li Weiyang only smiled: “Yes, originally it was two months later. But His Majesty had a sudden impulse and just issued a decree saying that three days from now, he wants to see the relics!”

Cold sweat rolled down the Capital Magistrate’s forehead: “But these relics have already been lost. Only giving three days—I’m afraid we can’t find them!”

Li Weiyang laughed coldly: “The relics are important items—His Majesty is waiting to see them! My lord, rather than carefully questioning me here, you might as well thoroughly search the capital. Otherwise, when His Majesty becomes enraged, whether it’s our Guo family or you, my lord, I’m afraid neither will have a good explanation for His Majesty.”

The Capital Magistrate repeatedly said: “Yes, yes, I’ll definitely root out these villains within three days and deliver them to Miss Guo for judgment!”

Li Weiyang’s expression was calm, seemingly very satisfied: “I hope my lord keeps his word and quickly captures these evildoers with malicious intent.” As she spoke, she said nothing more, only performed a light courtesy and turned to walk outside.

Yuan Lie accompanied her outside, then instructed the Capital Magistrate who had followed: “My lord, you must work hard now.”

The Capital Magistrate bowed respectfully: “Yes.” In the past, this Capital Magistrate was quite an arrogant figure who rarely bowed to anyone. But at this moment, for some reason, seeing these two people only made his scalp tingle. He felt they were just like plague gods—he couldn’t wait for them to leave quickly.

After descending the steps, Yuan Lie looked at Li Weiyang with a smile and said softly: “What excellent methods. I’d like to know what expression the Pei family has right now.”

Li Weiyang only smiled and walked forward on her own, her mouth speaking calmly: “I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

Outside was a path of moonlight, falling on Li Weiyang’s body as if draping her in a layer of gauze, adding several touches of mystery. Yuan Lie’s smile deepened as he quickly caught up with her: “I really want to know how the Capital Magistrate will capture these bandits, and how the Pei family will set themselves on fire!”

Li Weiyang’s eyes flowed as she spoke in a light tone: “They always like to trip up others. This time they don’t know who they’ve tripped up. This matter of the stolen relics—even without solid evidence, will definitely enrage the Emperor. When the Guo family fans the flames from the side, even if the Pei family’s forces want to interfere, I’m afraid they’ll have no way. The so-called stolen relics—even if they find the mastermind behind it, it’s not really an important matter. Her real purpose is to draw out the Pei family!

Yuan Lie’s steps were light, his long eyes bright, reflecting Li Weiyang’s deeply meaningful smile. He couldn’t help but raise his lips and say in a low voice: “This time, we’ll make them take a huge fall!”

A breeze swept across their faces, bringing a touch of coolness. Li Weiyang tightened her cloak, sighed deeply, and exhaled: “The person who falls for it won’t be Pei Bi—it must be some fool. But when you pull up a radish, the mud comes with it—the Pei family can’t escape either.” As she said this, she smiled slightly and stepped lightly onto the carriage.

Yuan Lie mounted his horse and turned to instruct the coachman: “Head back to the manor.”

The Capital Magistrate watched them from afar, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. The attendant beside him immediately said in a low voice: “My lord, what should we do about this?”

The Capital Magistrate suddenly turned and slapped him, saying harshly: “What should we do! Do I need to teach you? Hurry up and conduct a city-wide search!”

The attendant was startled: “But in this vast sea of people, how can we search for the common people who caused trouble at the East Gate today?”

The Capital Magistrate said coldly: “Didn’t you hear what Guo Jia said? Focus the search on those pawnshops and underground money houses! Pay close attention to jianghu people coming and going in the capital! I don’t care how you search—you must find a way to discover who caused the trouble. Otherwise, bring me your head!”