By the time Gu Yi returned from the long alley in Cang County with her attendants, carrying packages of food and small items, it was already past the Shen hour (3-5 PM). The sunlight at the horizon was weakening, with its afterglow lingering in the west.

Gu Yi hurriedly returned to the wooden boat before sunset, entering the flower hall to see an unfamiliar man standing in the center.

The man had a hunched back, half-white hair, and deep wrinkles around his eyes, but these didn’t seem to be due to age, rather the result of having weathered many hardships.

Gu Yi did not remove her veiled hat, only looking toward Xiaoyan, who was seated in the hall.

He was staring at the stranger with furrowed brows, and only noticed Gu Yi had entered the flower hall after Eunuch Gao reminded him.

Zhao Wan, sitting beside him, also turned her gaze toward her.

Gu Yi called out, “Young Master.”

Xiaoyan smiled at her but said, “You must be tired from going out today. Why don’t you return to your room to rest first?”

Gu Yi nodded and turned to head down the corridor behind the hall.

Zhao’s former servant had indeed arrived.

Zhao Jiu, Zhao Jie’s former servant, who had escaped from the Grand Tutor’s mansion during the chaos and had been hiding in Cang County all this time.

Now, upon seeing Zhao Wan, he had finally emerged.

The plot was on track.

In the flower hall, Zhao Wan, with a deathly pale face, listened to Zhao Jiu’s account of how bandits had broken into the Grand Tutor’s mansion at night and killed people.

Her heart trembled as she listened. Finally, she urgently asked, “Even so, why was it reported at the time that my father died suddenly? Many lives were lost that night at the Grand Tutor’s mansion. Why did no one investigate or question it?”

Zhao Jiu’s face was haggard as he shook his head, “This servant doesn’t know. This servant only remembers that the bandits were ruthless, killing with every strike. At midnight, the entire Grand Tutor’s mansion was still sleeping soundly, and most servants died without making a sound… This servant… got up in the middle of the night to relieve myself and luckily escaped through the dog hole in the back courtyard… only then was my life spared.”

He looked at Zhao Wan with deep sorrow, “This servant also wanted to report to the authorities, but with no avenue for help, had no choice but to hide all these years. Today, seeing the young miss, I finally… finally have a chance…”

Zhao Wan bit her lower lip hard and looked pleadingly at Xiaoyan, “Your Majesty… if this person speaks no falsehood, then there must have been something suspicious about the Grand Tutor’s mansion case back then. It certainly wasn’t a sudden illness as others claimed…” As she spoke, she rose and made a deep bow, “Your subject begs Your Majesty to do justice for Zhao Jie, to do justice for the Zhao family, and to reinvestigate this case…”

Xiaoyan’s gaze coldly swept over Zhao Jiu, “Come, take this person to the miscellaneous crew quarters on the boat, guard him well, and we’ll interrogate him thoroughly when we return to the capital.”

Zhao Wan moved a step forward, “Your Majesty…”

Zhao Jiu hurriedly kowtowed, “Every word this servant speaks is true. May Your Majesty see the truth.”

Xiaoyan showed a slight smile and only said, “Whether it’s true or false, we’ll discuss it when we return to the capital.”

*

After stopping in Cang County for only two days, the boat continued its journey southward along the river.

The closer they got to Qingzhou, the more they seemed like a lone boat amid turbulent waters.

The merchant ships that could previously be seen coming and going had become scarce and invisible.

The waterway ahead was impassable; one could neither enter nor leave Qingzhou Prefecture. Most merchants had no choice but to take detours, switching to land routes.

Tides rose and fell, and the sun rose and set several times.

Qingzhou Prefecture was approaching.

After nightfall, Gu Yi was too nervous to sleep.

All she could hear was the river wind beating against the wooden windows, waves striking the hull, waves surging, sound after sound reaching her ears.

She lay in bed, eyes wide open, not daring to truly fall asleep.

Xiaoyan lay beside her, breathing lightly, appearing to be asleep.

Gu Yi stared at his profile with wide eyes, noticing the slight dark circles under his eyes.

The boat had been traveling very quickly on this journey.

Eagles often circled in the sky, delivering urgent letters. There must be something happening at the Dengzhou military camp.

Xiaoyan wasn’t sleeping well either.

Gu Yi softened her breathing, quietly waiting.

Though she knew the road ahead was extremely dangerous, she couldn’t say a word.

If she spoke, the plot would change.

Not only would she die, but Xiaoyan might die too.

The protagonist’s halo, such as it was, mostly couldn’t deviate from the track of the plot.

And though she knew about this play, she couldn’t exit the stage.

Gu Yi blinked her eyes, staring intently at Xiaoyan.

She looked at him greedily several times, thinking to herself, This person is no longer my Xiao Gouzi.

The Xiao Gouzi who played Big Rich with me, who released sky lanterns with me, who took me to West Mountain to see the snow, is gone.

Gone forever.

Just as she had hardened her heart, she heard the sound of footsteps landing lightly outside the room.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of human breathing became increasingly clear.

They’re here!

Gu Yi’s heart immediately skipped a beat, but the Xiaoyan before her suddenly opened his eyes, turned over, and covered her mouth.

He whispered in her ear, “You stay right here, don’t go anywhere. The Shadow Guards will protect you.”

Still not at ease, he added, “Don’t go anywhere.”

Gu Yi saw his eyes gleaming coldly in the night, like a beast lying in wait.

She didn’t dare make a sound, nodding quickly.

Xiaoyan released his hand, gave Gu Yi another look, then got up from the bed and drew the long sword placed beside it.

The sword gleamed like snow. Gu Yi slightly closed her eyes, only hearing the door creak softly.

Xiaoyan had already disappeared.

Two black shadows flashed into the room, closed the door, and bowed to Gu Yi, “Lady.”

Gu Yi merely nodded, took out the golden flexible armor from the bed and put it on over her inner garment, tying it tightly, then put on her jacket and skirt.

Outside the window, it suddenly became brightly lit, with the sounds of swords and knives unceasing.

Shadows flickered, swaying and shaking as they were cast on the window’s decorative paper.

There was a soft “plop” sound.

Blood stained the window in several places.

Someone had died outside.

The smell of blood was pervasive.

Gu Yi sat on the bed, her heart pounding like a drum in her ears, each beat faster than the last.

She clutched the brocade quilt tightly, her heart frying in oil, enduring with difficulty.

The two Shadow Guards stood silently in the room, their swords drawn from their waists, gleaming fiercely.

Gu Yi turned over, not knowing how much time had passed, when suddenly she heard several loud splashes outside the door. Splash, splash, like someone falling into the river.

She turned over and sat up, holding her breath in anticipation.

After another long moment, Eunuch Gao’s familiar voice finally came from outside the door, “Is Lady Yi alright?”

The Shadow Guards held their swords and opened the door.

Seeing that it was indeed Eunuch Gao outside the door, Gu Yi’s shoulders dropped, and she let out a long breath.

Eunuch Gao, who was usually impeccably dressed, had only casually thrown on an outer robe tonight, with his hair loose, and said with relief, “The bandits have been subdued. You can rest easy, Lady.”

Gu Yi quickly asked, “Where is the Young Master?”

Eunuch Gao smiled gently, “Don’t worry, Lady. The Young Master is unharmed.”

“Where is he?” Gu Yi hurriedly put on a pair of leather boots, ready to go outside.

Eunuch Gao was silent for a moment, “The Young Master is in the flower hall. Lady Wan has been injured and is now being examined by the ship’s physician…”

Gu Yi’s footsteps faltered slightly as she headed toward the flower hall.

There were still slippery bloodstains on the wooden boards of the long corridor, winding like snakes in the dim light. She couldn’t help but walk faster and faster. When she reached the flower hall, she saw Xiaoyan carrying Zhao Wan in his arms, urgently walking toward the wooden corridor, followed by two physicians.

Zhao Wan’s eyes were tightly closed, with a short dagger conspicuously embedded in her right shoulder. Crimson blood traces flowed down her arm, dripping steadily.

Xiaoyan looked at Gu Yi, paused for a step, then said, “Zhao Wan has been injured. At this moment, she needs to return to her room to have the dagger removed and allow the physicians to examine her wounds.”

Gu Yi nodded dazedly, “Is she… alright?”

Seeing her deathly pale face, Xiaoyan’s brow twitched. He was about to speak when Zhao Wan, in his arms, let out a painfully weak moan.

“You return to your room first.”

Xiaoyan, carrying Zhao Wan, brushed past Gu Yi and walked away quickly.

Seeing this, Eunuch Gao took two steps forward to Gu Yi’s side, “Lady Yi should return to her room first… Tonight was indeed somewhat dangerous. Fortunately, it was Lady Wan who took a knife for the Young Master. Otherwise, it would have been the Young Master who was injured tonight…” He raised his head to carefully examine Gu Yi’s expression, sighed inwardly, and advised further, “The Young Master has always been clear about gratitude and grudges. Going to see Lady Wan tonight is only natural. Lady Yi… should return to her room first…”

Gu Yi was silent for a moment, then asked, “Were all the bandits caught tonight?”

Eunuch Gao was startled, hesitated for a short while, then said, “Only a few escaped by crossing the water, but the current here is rapid, and there are boats from the Dengzhou camp blocking ahead. Those few won’t get far.”

Gu Yi nodded slightly and turned to go back to her room.

The boat sailed swiftly all night, and by dawn, it had reached the outskirts of the Dengzhou camp, which faced Qingzhou Prefecture across the river.

The group disembarked and headed directly to the Dengzhou camp.

Gu Yi was led by an attendant into a spacious light brown tent. Though simple, it was equipped with a bed and wooden tables.

Duo Luo unpacked the luggage and asked, “Lady, would you like a bath? This servant will fetch some hot water. You didn’t sleep all night, my Lady. A bath now would help you relax. If you feel tired later, you can also take a nap…”

Gu Yi gave an “mm” and said, “Go ahead, and also inquire about Lady Wan’s injuries…”

Duo Luo was young and still didn’t know how to hide her emotions. Upon hearing this, her face instantly stiffened, and it was a long while before she answered, “Alright.”

After speaking, Duo Luo walked dejectedly to the outside of the tent and gently patted her face.

Stupid.

She should have smiled, so that the Noble Lady would be happier.

Last night, she heard that His Majesty had stayed with the physician to treat Concubine Wan’s wound.

The Noble Lady must be feeling resentful.

She needed to be clever, as Sister Tao Jia had instructed.

After a bout of self-reflection, Duo Luo first went to the mess hall to request hot water.

While waiting, she took a detour to Concubine Wan’s tent.

In Concubine Wan’s tent, only Su Xue remained to attend to her. Concubine Wan had taken medicine and was still sleeping peacefully.

Duo Luo looked carefully, and apart from her slightly pale complexion, she seemed to have no major issues.

She exchanged a few pleasantries with Su Xue, then went to fetch the hot water.

*

In the central command tent, Xiaoyan took off his blood-stained inner garment.

Eunuch Gao just then noticed he had a knife wound on his right arm, about half a palm long, with deep brown blood already congealed.

Holding a cloth, he was greatly alarmed, “Your Majesty is injured?”

Xiaoyan took the water-soaked cloth from his hand, wiped the wound, and said with lowered eyebrows, “It’s just a small wound, not worth making a fuss about.”

Eunuch Gao quickly fetched wound medicine and cotton gauze from a chest, “Your Majesty should still bandage it. Though it’s a small wound, if left untreated, it could become serious, which would be inconvenient while away from the palace.”

Xiaoyan nodded, and after applying the medicine, allowed Eunuch Gao to wrap a circle of white gauze around it.

The guard outside the tent announced loudly, “General Qi Wei requests an audience.”

Xiaoyan, unhurried, put on his outer robe before saying, “Let him in.”

Qi Wei stepped into the tent, clasped his fist and bowed, “This humble general pays respects to Your Majesty.”

Xiaoyan sat upright at the table in the tent and smiled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen General Qi. The general has not changed much.”

Qi Wei also smiled, his tone light, “Your Majesty is kind. This humble general has aged; my body is not what it used to be. After a lifetime of wielding knives and spears, I now feel somewhat powerless.”

Qi Wei was over forty years old, tall, and strong. Years of archery and horsemanship without rest showed no signs of age.

Xiaoyan smiled again, “Has General Qi seen Qi Chuang? On this southern tour, Qi Chuang volunteered to accompany us. I imagine he also took this good opportunity to meet with General Qi?”

Qi Wei’s smile faded as he clasped his fist and bowed again, “Your Majesty’s great kindness is deeply appreciated by this humble general. Qi Chuang bears a heavy responsibility—Your Majesty’s safety is tied to the foundation of the state. He cannot leave his post without permission. Whether this humble general sees him or not is not a major matter.”

Only then did Xiaoyan say, “General Qi, please be seated.”

Qi Wei lifted his robe and sat in the empty seat in front of the table, noticing a familiar waterway map spread out on the table showing the Luo River flowing through Qingzhou, connecting in all directions.

Xiaoyan observed where his gaze fell and slowly asked, “Is General Qi confident?”

Qi Wei pondered for a moment, “This humble general discussed with General Yu the day before yesterday. With the two armies cooperating, this plan might work.”

“Very good.” Xiaoyan smiled again, “Zheng Sui’s cobbled-together troops are all driven by interests, with no loyalty. Once Zheng Sui dies, they will scatter like sand. General Qi, if you take Zheng Sui’s head, I… will allow you to retire from military service.”

Qi Wei’s throat bobbed as he clasped his fist and said, “This humble general accepts the imperial command.”

After Qi Wei left, Eunuch Gao presented a freshly brewed medicinal soup, “Your Majesty is injured and should drink a bowl of sleeping soup and lie down to rest for a while…”

Xiaoyan took the bowl of soup and drank it in one go, but asked, “Where is Gu Yi at this moment?”

Eunuch Gao smiled, “Noble Lady Gu’s tent is not far from here. Does Your Majesty wish to go and see her?”

Xiaoyan nodded and rose to go outside.

Eunuch Gao quickened his pace, leading the way.