Han Zhi immediately raised his sword like a startled bird. He barely managed to calm his mind and pushed open the window to look down, seeing officials from the Five Cities Military Commission struggling to push through the crowd, continuously squeezing toward Chongyin Workshop.

The door outside was knocked lightly three times. Han Zhi called out to enter, and Guan Shan slipped through the door, his face full of anxiety as he urged him to leave quickly: “The people from the Five Cities Military Commission are coming this way. Young Master, we must leave quickly. Any later and we may not be able to get out through the city gates.”

The younger Lady Fan also came to her senses and hurriedly pushed him toward the exit: “Yes, yes, yes! Leave quickly, leave quickly!” She paused. She had originally wanted to tell Han Zhi to go to Rongyang, but thinking it over, just as Nanny Zhang had said, if her parents in Rongyang truly cared about her, she wouldn’t have suffered these bitter years. Coming to her senses, she grabbed Han Zhi’s hand and earnestly instructed him: “You absolutely must not go to Xibei to find your father, and don’t think about coming back for revenge. I am enough. My life… is enough to make these two despicable people unable to eat or sleep. From now on, just live well.”

Guan Shan had already come up to pull Han Zhi’s arm, pulling while persuading: “Young Master! We truly can’t delay any longer. If we keep delaying, Guan Hai and the others will have died in vain!”

That day, Guan Hai had put on his clothes and boarded that ship, been shot full of arrows like a sieve, and in the end was burned beyond recognition by fire.

Han Zhi’s teeth were clenched so hard they were about to fall out. Not knowing why, his eyes suddenly ached fiercely. A few tears suddenly fell as Guan Shan dragged him out the door and down the back staircase, taking advantage of the chaos to get downstairs.

The younger Lady Fan chased out a few steps before stopping, anxiously pacing in place. After a long while, she too squeezed downstairs following the flow of people—she needed to find Qiuju and have Qiuju find a way to inquire about what the people from the Five Cities Military Commission had come for.

After she left the room, Qing Zhuo and Han Feng emerged from the hidden room in the back, looking at each other, momentarily unable to speak.

Although His Highness and Sixth Miss Song had both instructed early on that following this Marchioness of Jinxiang would surely yield gains, they had never imagined these gains would be so astonishing. Who would have thought the Jinxiang Marquis’s household and Consort Fan’s faction had such secrets?

Qing Zhuo could still maintain his composure, but Han Feng couldn’t help feeling somewhat triumphant: “So Consort Fan is this kind of person. I wonder when His Highness the Crown Prince learns that the beauty he dotes on is actually painted skin, whether he’ll…”

It was all because of Consort Fan, this femme fatale, that the Crown Princess was forced to yield and retreat, even having to send His Highness the Grand Prince to Longhu Mountain for eight years of cultivation.

Qing Zhuo coldly struck him heavily on the head, lowering his voice to rebuke him: “Watch your words! How can you openly speak such baseless rumors caught from the wind? If someone overhears, it would be a tremendous handle against us. Don’t you know walls have ears?!”

Han Feng followed his finger’s direction and saw Vice Minister Wang in the elegant chamber across the way. His heart couldn’t help but startle: “Could it be that the Prince of Dongping has also discovered something wrong with Han Zhi’s death?” And actually traced it here so quickly?!

Qing Zhuo shook his head. He too had listened to the younger Lady Fan and Han Zhi’s conversation in confusion. At least whether the elder Lady Fan truly had an unclear relationship with Han Zhengqing, or whether the younger Lady Fan deliberately wanted to use her own death to frame and take revenge on the elder Lady Fan for so many years of harsh treatment—he wasn’t clear either.

Pressing his lips together, he watched Vice Minister Wang’s party exit in the opposite direction from Han Zhi, then turned and quickly walked downstairs: “Let’s go! To Huangjue Temple!”

All along the way, pedestrians jostled shoulder to shoulder in an endless stream. By the time they reached Huangjue Temple, it was already near noon. Han Feng touched his head somewhat dissatisfied: “We two young Daoists, coming perfectly well to Buddhist grounds…”

Qing Zhuo glared at him, announced Zhou Weizhao’s name, and was led by the guest monk toward the back mountain.

On the back mountain, Zhou Weizhao was telling Song Chuyi about recent events. It seemed he hadn’t seen Song Chuyi for three or four months, and upon suddenly seeing her, he almost couldn’t recognize her. Perhaps young ladies at this age always changed from day to day.

In the vast snow, tens of thousands of red plum blossoms bloomed in fury, decorating Huangjue Temple’s back mountain like a fairyland. Walking about another quarter hour, a small area enclosed by bamboo fencing had a considerable number of green plum trees planted, standing independent of the world in such wind and snow, perfectly integrated with the scenery, so beautiful it left people speechless.

Zhou Weizhao suddenly felt that this girl before him, wearing a yellow cloak and smiling in the sunlight, was even more captivating than the scenery before him. His face involuntarily took on a few traces of a smile: “It seems you’re not at all disappointed that Han Zhi didn’t die.”

Song Chuyi tilted her head slightly to look at him, deliberately teasing: “You speak as if Your Highness feels very disappointed.”

If Han Zhi wasn’t dead, this play would become even livelier.

Zhou Weizhao couldn’t help but laugh. The dimples on his cheeks were deep enough to make people fall in. His gaze looking at Song Chuyi unconsciously took on a few traces of indulgence: “I’m not disappointed at all. Later when Han Feng and Qing Zhuo arrive, we’ll know how this Jinxiang Marquis heir who’s been forced into a dead end plans to fight with his back against the wall.”

The deeper they walked into this green plum grove, the deeper the accumulated snow on the ground became. Song Chuyi was about to respond when she carelessly stepped with her right foot into the snow. Fortunately, she grabbed the plum tree beside her and barely managed to stand steady.

Zhou Weizhao reacted extremely quickly, immediately reaching out to support her right arm. Seeing that even with effort she couldn’t pull her foot out, he couldn’t help but laugh again. Supporting her, he pulled her foot out, then gently had her move her foot: “See if you’ve twisted it.”

Han Feng saw from afar and quite excitedly gave Qing Zhuo a look: “Is His Highness finally becoming enlightened?!”

Recently His Highness had frequently attended court. The Emperor’s words had already revealed his intention to select a consort for him, and he had even consulted the Celestial Master’s opinion. Qing Zhuo and Han Feng had privately thought until their brains hurt, ultimately still feeling that the only one capable of being the Grand Princess Consort and staying beside His Highness was none other than Sixth Miss Song. Though the reason was also because they really couldn’t find anyone besides Sixth Miss Song who could hold a conversation with this taciturn Grand Prince.

Qing Zhuo couldn’t help but smile too. If His Highness really became enlightened, that would truly be wonderful news! With this invincible Sixth Miss Song, all manner of demons and monsters would probably have to hide and walk away.

He was just thinking of stepping forward to deliver his news when he suddenly heard an “Aiya!” from the Jade-Dripping Pavilion not far behind them. Immediately after, a maid holding up her skirt ran past them swiftly to Song Chuyi and the Grand Prince’s side, panic-stricken as if about to cry: “Sixth Miss! Our young lady has twisted her ankle!”