The entrance of the government office fell silent for a moment.

Cheng’an turned to look at her, brow furrowing slightly. “It’s you.”

Sun Sihuai was also startled. “You?”

“Master, what’s going on?” she asked quietly while projecting an imposing air.

Sun Sihuai grabbed her arm anxiously. “The medicine I painstakingly found for Fengqing — he’s come to snatch it away.”

Was it the Soul-Returning Pill that could wake Lord Zhang?

Chen Baoxiang frowned and looked toward Cheng’an, who sneered dismissively. “What do you mean ‘he found it’? This is clearly stock from the Bureau of Medicine. The Bureau of Medicine heals the world — does it really have to prioritize their superiors first? Are other people’s lives worth nothing?”

“Cheng Huaili is alive and well enough to visit pleasure houses — so why is he the one who gets to decide who lives or dies?” A disciple standing behind Sun Sihuai couldn’t hold back the retort.

“What are you talking nonsense about?” The two hundred or so soldiers erupted into an uproar, looking ready to devour someone.

The situation momentarily spiraled out of control.

Chen Baoxiang shielded Sun Sihuai while surveying the scene behind her. The people who had come from the Military Affairs Bureau numbered only a dozen or so, and they were being pushed back outside by this great mass of soldiers, unable to get in. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Medicine inside was staffed mostly by female clerks and officials who knew no martial arts and could not come out to fight.

She thought for a moment, then said to Sun Sihuai, “Master, a wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him.”

“But there’s only one bottle of that medicine.” Sun Sihuai was desperate. “If it’s gone, Fengqing will…”

Across from them, Cheng’an gave a cold laugh as he toyed with the medicine bottle in his hand.

Zhang Zhixu watched him, and suddenly realized something.

The spy within the Zhang Family wasn’t just Liu Sheng alone — it likely also involved certain pharmacy proprietors. Only they had been helping Master search for this Soul-Returning Pill and knew its importance.

And Cheng Huaili may not have actually needed the Soul-Returning Pill at all. Making such a dramatic effort to seize it meant he had already suspected that the person who had acted against him at the Burning Tail Banquet was Zhang Zhixu himself — and he wanted revenge.

It seemed that Zhang Zhixu’s act of petitioning the new Emperor while feigning a recovery had fooled others, but it could not fool Cheng Huaili, who had planted countless informants everywhere.

“Move out!” Cheng’an gave the order.

The soldiers surged forward, surrounding him protectively as they withdrew. A few of them, looking ferocious, even tried to seize the opportunity to attack.

“Out of the way, out of the way.”

The reinforcements from the Military Affairs Bureau finally arrived. Several dozen people drew their blades in warning, and only with great difficulty managed to send this rabble away.

“What are we going to do about the medicine?” Sun Sihuai slapped his thigh and sighed. “That medicine cannot be lost.”

Chen Baoxiang said, “I’ll think of something.”

“You.” Sun Sihuai looked her up and down, caught between tears and laughter. “You’re a military clerk now — what could you possibly do?”

Military clerks had low standing. There was no way she could force her way into a general’s residence.

Chen Baoxiang smiled. “I have plenty of unconventional ideas. Don’t worry, Master.”

In the past, hearing those words would have made Zhang Zhixu look down on her. But hearing them again today, under these circumstances, he actually felt a strange sense of pride.

“Master,” he spoke up, “the informant within the household must be rooted out first. Whether it’s Liu Sheng or someone else among the Zhang Family’s stewards — it’s better to wrongly suspect than to let anyone slip through. Otherwise, the household will be like a sieve, and any news will leak out.”

Sun Sihuai came back to himself, surprised. “Why do you say the same things as my disciple?”

“We think alike,” Zhang Zhixu said casually to brush it off. “Regardless, let Ningsu handle it.”

When he had first regained consciousness, Ningsu had already followed his instructions and taken control of Liu Sheng. What hadn’t been anticipated was that before they could root out the other people who had been communicating with the outside, news of the Soul-Returning Pill had already gotten out.

And it wasn’t just the Soul-Returning Pill — the newly established Dahefang district was also being sabotaged, with progress slowing to a crawl. On top of that, someone had filed a complaint upward, accusing Zhang Zhixu of neglecting his duties despite being entrusted with important responsibilities.

Other members of the Zhang Family had also been repeatedly targeted and marginalized by Cheng Family members in court circles in recent days. The two sides were at complete odds with each other.

The two families were supposed to be arranging a marriage alliance, yet they already looked like enemies.

Zhang Yinyue felt deeply guilty about this. “Is it because I postponed the wedding date and provoked his anger?”

Zhang Xilai’s expression was cold. “If the entire Zhang Family has to rely on you ingratiating yourself with him just to get by, then there’s no point in maintaining this family name.”

“But Second Brother is still unconscious, and Grandfather has already stepped down from the position of Chancellor. The other Zhang Family members are either at the border, or their official ranks are too low for them to speak up. What are we supposed to do?” She was at a complete loss.

Chen Baoxiang pinned a swaying ornament into her hair bun as she replied, “In a situation like this, the only solution is for your Second Brother to wake up.”

Zhang Yinyue rushed to her side. “But the medicine has already been taken to the Cheng Family!”

“Yes.” She nodded at the bronze mirror. “So we need to figure out how to take it back.”

“But that’s impossible. The Cheng Family is extremely guarded against us — even the visiting cards that Fourth Uncle sent over were turned away.”

“We can’t take it by force, openly.” Having finished applying her forehead ornament, she turned around with a bewitching smile. “But I have other ways.”

Zhang Xilai froze, seemingly understanding what she meant, and immediately went outside to prepare a carriage for her.

Zhang Yinyue was still confused. “What way? Didn’t you just come to borrow some rouge and powder today?”

“Silly girl, your rouge and powder are so expensive — I wouldn’t borrow them for nothing.”

She rose to her feet at a leisurely pace, transforming from the fierce military clerk back into a delicate and helpless ornament, and swayed toward the door step by step. “You wait here for me to come back.”

Zhang Zhixu followed her out and boarded the carriage, but partway through the journey the carriage stopped and he stepped out, waiting by the roadside.

“You can’t possibly be planning to—” His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

Seeing a familiar carriage rolling toward them from a distance, Chen Baoxiang smiled slightly. “The immortal truly understands me.”

With that, she flung out her sleeve, let out a cry of “Ow!”, and pitched forward onto the ground.

“Whoa—” Shoumo reined in the horse, frowning as he looked ahead. “Young master, it seems like a young lady has fallen in front of us.”

Pei Ruheng leaned listlessly against the carriage wall. “Drive over her.”

“What?”

“I can afford to compensate for it. Drive over her.”

Is that any way to talk?! Chen Baoxiang hurriedly let out another “Ouch,” rolled over, and revealed her face.

“Young master, it’s Miss Baoxiang!” Shoumo cried out in alarm.

The inside of the carriage went silent for a moment. Then Pei Ruheng stepped out, his expression completely blank. He personally took the reins, and shouted toward her direction: “Giddyup.”

“You!” She sat up indignantly. “How can you be so unreasonable?”

“You’re talking about being reasonable.” He looked down at her with cold eyes. “You’ve already climbed to a higher perch, and you still come to use such cheap tricks on me?”

“What ‘higher perch’? There’s no such thing.” She brushed off her skirt and stood up, then walked to the side of the carriage and looked up at him. “Zhang Zhixu and I barely know each other, actually.”

It was one of the rare true statements that came out of her mouth, but Pei Ruheng had no intention of believing it. “Get lost.”

“You knocked me and injured me. I can’t get lost.” She planted herself on the carriage footboard, then leaned to peer into the carriage interior. “Why isn’t Miss Cen with you today?”

“None of your business.”

“It is my business.” She pouted. “If you two are doing well together, I won’t come pestering you.”

At those words, Pei Ruheng’s expression actually softened somewhat. He casually tossed the reins back to Shoumo and went back inside the carriage.

Chen Baoxiang shamelessly followed him in. “Tell me — your uncle’s milestone birthday is such an important occasion. Why didn’t she come with you?”

“She has her own carriage and went ahead separately. Unlike some people who hitch a ride on mine.” Pei Ruheng flicked his sleeve. “Zhang Zhixu can afford to give you a house — can’t he afford to give you a carriage?”

“I already said we barely know each other. It’s just that you have a beautiful companion by your side, and I can hardly show up looking shabby and let you both look down on me.” The corners of her mouth drooped, and her shoulders slumped. “I do have my pride, you know.”