That murderous young lady was submitting meekly to the Grand Prince’s embrace. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was naturally as gentle as a kitten.

Could it be that the Grand Prince didn’t know her true nature, deceived by her sweet little-sister-like appearance?

When did this relationship begin? Jian Hu’s mouth hung half-open, her eyes nearly popping out in shock.

She finally understood why the Grand Prince had recognized this young woman earlier, but chose not to expose her.

Goodness! She had even employed feminine charms. Was she truly unafraid of being strangled by the Grand Prince?

Was there anything in this world that Yan Xiaoying couldn’t accomplish?

At that moment, Jian Hu’s admiration for her fake master surged like the mighty Yellow River waters rushing down from the heavens.

Xiaoying leaned against Feng Yuan’s embrace to calm herself, but upon seeing Jian Hu’s surprised expression, she pushed away from Feng Yuan.

Yet the typically cold and stern Grand Prince continued holding the young lady’s hand, seemingly unbothered by her presumptuous behavior.

Xiaoying gathered her thoughts, then asked Feng Yuan, “Can you send someone to confirm how far the Crown Prince’s procession has traveled?”

Feng Yuan nodded, then said, “The situation is certainly urgent. You cannot stay far from me; you must return with me to my manor in the capital.”

Xiaoying nodded. Only by staying at Feng Yuan’s side could she receive timely news about her brother.

However, before that, she needed to make arrangements for Jian Hu and Jin Zhong.

Jian Hu was in a better position since she had known her true identity from the beginning. But Jin Zhong remained unaware of her impersonation of the Crown Prince, so the Grand Prince would need to handle that matter.

That young man was a complete money-grubber. Half of his possessions had been left at the Crown Prince’s residence in Jiangzhe, while the other half had been robbed clean. Such a devastating blow had left Jin Zhong grievously ill, living without any joy.

Fortunately, this kind of heartache had a simple cure.

When Shen Jing went to fetch Jin Zhong as per the Grand Prince’s orders, following Xiaoying’s instructions, he tossed two ingots of pure gold onto Jin Zhong’s body, informing him they were rewards from the Grand Prince. The medicine worked instantly—Jin Zhong, who had been moaning in bed, recovered halfway and could suddenly sit up, even having enough strength to bite the gold ingots to verify their authenticity.

As for the unrecovered half, it was due to his concern about the whereabouts of his considerate master.

Jin Zhong was still confused. First, while in Jiangzhe, the Crown Prince had suddenly passed away. When he heard this news, he felt genuine sorrow—it would be impossible to find another master as kind and generous as His Highness the Crown Prince!

He had been properly grieving at the memorial hall, dressed in mourning clothes, when a group of masked men stormed in.

In the panic, Jian Hu had grabbed him and they escaped through a dog hole. Afterward, the estate’s main gate was sealed, and carts began transporting items out.

Jian Hu had told him those carts were loaded with corpses. Jin Zhong initially didn’t believe it until he saw the flies covering the muddy road and realized blood from the carts had soaked into the soil…

He had turned ashen with fear. Then, the supposedly deceased Crown Prince was suddenly returning to the capital, and Jian Hu claimed she had received secret orders from the Crown Prince, instructing Jin Zhong to accompany them back to the capital.

Jin Zhong had remained half-convinced until his savings were robbed by bandits. At that point, he even suspected Jian Hu had deceived him and was in league with the robbers.

However, the fact that Jian Hu stayed behind to starve alongside him made Jin Zhong believe she was truly loyal after all.

Now, finally, their ordeal seemed to be ending with the Grand Prince’s intervention, but Jin Zhong still worried about his master’s whereabouts.

Shen Jing wasn’t skilled at lying, so Jian Hu quickly made up a story to appease Jin Zhong.

After settling these two, Shen Jing went to check the postal stations along the route and learned that when the Crown Prince’s procession reached Liuyun Ferry, it had stopped and proceeded no further.

Xiaoying spread out a map in the manor’s study and pointed to Liuyun Ferry, asking, “What’s suspicious about this place?”

“It’s very close to Xiaoyun Manor,” Feng Yuan said, looking up at Xiaoying.

Xiaoying leaned back, feeling a chill in her heart. “Could my brother’s disappearance also be that Master’s doing? What should we do? Should we go to Xiaoyun Manor to investigate?”

Feng Yuan replied, “I’ve been to Xiaoyun once before. It’s a complex of hidden rooms and pavilions designed by mechanism experts. If unfamiliar outsiders intrude, they would be pierced by flying arrows before they could even reach the inner courtyard.”

Xiaoyun’s business dealings were too unsavory, and Master feared assassination attempts, which was why he had laid so many traps and mechanisms.

Xiaoying took a deep breath. That Master was keeping her brother captive, either waiting for the right time to enter the palace or fearing that “Zongbao” might expose himself, and thus giving this “fake Crown Prince” some training.

If he were only waiting for the right moment, he would eventually release the Crown Prince. But if he was conducting training, she hoped her brother would be clever enough not to reveal his true identity.

However, Xiaoying couldn’t understand why this Master had been making frequent moves recently.

He was the kind of person capable of patiently nurturing a scheme for ten years. Why was he rushing to place his pieces now?

So Xiaoying asked, “Have there been any major events at court recently? Tell me about them.”

Feng Yuan thought for a moment. “Nothing unusual in domestic affairs. The floods in Jiangzhe have been contained, and most corrupt officials have been purged. As for the case of Feng Qiting selling official positions, though it wasn’t openly investigated, my father, the Emperor, has had people secretly deal with it. I heard yesterday that the order to transfer Feng Qiting to the Ministry of Personnel has been issued. The Western Palace losing its influence over the Ministry of Personnel is a minor matter, but this time the outcry was too great. It will be difficult for the Second Prince of the Western Palace to rise again. So if the Crown Prince returns to the palace now, except for me, there will be no one to compete with him. If the Crown Prince doesn’t make any mistakes, his position as heir is even more secure than before.”

Xiaoying listened, then asked, “What about foreign affairs?”

“After the Battle of Fengwei Slope, conflicts between Wei Country and Dafeng have been constant. Huo Buxin of Wei Country has reorganized a group of the former king’s old ministers and appointed new generals. It’s said he’s recruiting soldiers and buying horses, possibly planning to counterattack at Fengwei Slope. However, Wei Country’s political views are not unified, and its national strength is somewhat insufficient. Therefore, Wei Country will send envoys to negotiate boundaries and cessation of hostilities with Dafeng.”

In other words, neither side wanted war now, but circumstances had pushed them to the brink. They needed to find an opportunity to sit down and save face for each other, waiting until both sides had recovered before continuing their power struggle.

Xiaoying pondered thoughtfully. “When you initially attacked Fengwei Slope, it was indeed because you wanted to avenge Princess Ye. But fundamentally, it was her old letters that gave you such an urgent desire. Rather than saying you initiated the conflict, it would be more accurate to say that the Master deliberately guided your actions. Yet on the other hand, he also used the Shang family to secretly contact Wei Country’s Huo clan, even supplying them with steel to lend support.”

Xiaoying felt that this Master hiding in the shadows was like a skilled cockfighter, carefully selecting sharp-beaked and strong-clawed fighters from the flock, then releasing them to fight bloodily, causing widespread devastation and suffering…

Now, hearing about recent state affairs, Xiaoying vaguely sensed that behind these seemingly unrelated events, something more shocking and conspiratorial was brewing.

Her brother Feng Qiyuan, and many, many others, would all become steps in the conspiracy, destined to be sacrificed, their flesh crushed, becoming cups of blood offered to the heavens…

Meanwhile, inside Xiaoyun Manor, the actor Feng Qiyuan, using the alias “Zongbao,” was nervously looking at the brush and ink before him.

A person wearing a blackened mask sat on a chair behind a screen and asked, “Can you write?”

Feng Qiyuan nodded fearfully, then shook his head, mumbling, “A little bit.”

“Write something for me to see…”

Seeing that Feng Qiyuan wasn’t moving, a sturdy old woman behind him rudely jabbed him.

Feng Qiyuan hurriedly picked up the brush and ink and wrote the crooked characters “Zong Bao” on the paper.

He deliberately wrote poorly because he recognized the old woman behind him as Empress Tang’s former servant. She knew who he was, and she had been scrutinizing him for a while. He wasn’t sure if she had recognized him or not.

The masked person looked at his intentionally ugly writing and chuckled lightly. “With handwriting like this, we probably can’t teach him to write properly anytime soon…”

Fan Shiqi, sitting nearby in a wheelchair, hastily said, “If Master is not satisfied with this one, then I can find someone more suitable.”

This young man had been discovered by Fan Shiqi’s trusted subordinate who was on official business in the Northern Territories. Upon hearing that this person resembled the Crown Prince, he immediately reported to his master, then massacred the theater troupe and brought the young man out.

It happened that the Crown Prince had fallen gravely ill in Jiangzhe and suddenly passed away. Although Xiaoyun’s spies in the outer courtyard couldn’t get close to the Crown Prince, they relayed the news promptly, making it possible to arrange a substitution.

The Master’s chess pieces among the princes were no longer useful, but whether it was the Grand Prince or the Second Prince, could any of them compare to the heir apparent of the nation?

Even if Emperor Chunde disliked this weak son, if the Emperor suddenly died, wouldn’t Feng Qiyuan naturally inherit the throne?

Therefore, although Feng Qiyuan was useless, he couldn’t be allowed to die from illness.

If this actor called Zongbao looked enough like the Crown Prince to pass inspection, there could be no better pawn.

Now, seeing him in person, he truly looked extremely similar to the Crown Prince!

Even that effeminate quality was identical. Fan Shiqi couldn’t help but mutter, “Is it possible that acting for so long changes a man’s facial features?”

The Master, however, seemed doubtful. “How could there be such similar-looking people in the world?”

Fan Shiqi quickly said in a low voice, “To be honest, the Crown Prince’s appearance isn’t particularly distinctive; it’s rather common. The Grand Prince’s concubine also looks remarkably similar to the Crown Prince. I once caught a glimpse of her outside Duke Ding’s mansion, and she truly looked incredibly similar! Unfortunately, she’s a woman, not as useful as this one!”

The Master still had some doubts and asked “Zongbao” several questions.

After Zongbao answered with his mixed accent, the Master’s suspicions remained. He asked the old woman, “Tell me, does he look like the Crown Prince?”

The old woman hadn’t been in close service to the Crown Prince; after all, most of those who had personally attended to the Crown Prince had been dealt with by Empress Tang.

She couldn’t identify him by distinctive marks such as moles, and could only carefully examine his face. “He looks similar, but this one appears more feminine than the Crown Prince. His manners and bearing lack the Crown Prince’s elegant demeanor. Look at those raised pinky fingers—he can’t even put them down!”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but press down on “Zongbao’s” pinky fingers, which were raised high as he held the brush.

The old woman’s failure to recognize him wasn’t her fault. After Feng Qiting joined the theater troupe, without anyone to restrain him, and with his experience playing female roles, he had indeed become more coquettish than before.

Moreover, traveling with the troupe meant he lived a life of hardship, exposed to the elements, but with much more freedom than before. Compared to his previous life in the palace, he had lost the delicate, refined demeanor of a noble young master.

The Master tapped the armrest of his chair and looked at “Zongbao’s” face. “That face is enough; the rest doesn’t matter much!”

With that, he waved his hand, ordering people to take “Zongbao” away. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Did Consort Yi accept the zither I sent her?”

Fan Shiqi, pushing the wheelchair, carefully replied, “Consort Yi… returned it. Since entering the palace, she hasn’t even been seeing the Tang family women much. She’s been quite aloof.”

The Master laughed with some surprise. “So disobedient! Didn’t you have someone hint to her, using Wei Country’s Huo Buxun as leverage, to pressure her a bit?”

Fan Shiqi quickly said, “We did hint at it, but Consort Yi didn’t respond at all and made no other moves.”

The Master sighed. “This Consort Yi is more cunning than her aunt. She knows the Emperor is wary of the Tang family, so she keeps her distance from her birth family. She truly has the makings of an Empress… However, if she cannot be used by me, then she cannot be allowed to rise so smoothly. Let’s keep that barely surviving Empress in the Cold Palace for now. After all, the heir apparent’s position is unstable; if he were to lose his mother at this time, there would be variables. But aside from the Cold Palace, have all other people who served the Crown Prince in the palace been dealt with?”

Since this was a mere impersonator, the Master didn’t want to waste too much time on him, only instructing the old woman to train him carefully, just enough to avoid exposing his true identity.

Thinking of this, he rose and went to a sand table—a map of Dafeng’s territory made of fine sand mixed with fish glue.

Yet this territory was far more vast than Dafeng’s current national borders, encompassing not only Wei Country but also the various tribes of the Northern Territories.

He gazed at it in a trance, lovingly stroking a snow-soaked orchid nearby, murmuring, “Look, the dream you couldn’t fulfill before your death, I will realize it for you… If you hadn’t chosen the wrong person back then, you should have been by my side, witnessing all this glory…”

The room was cold and empty, the candlelight reflecting on the compass, casting eerie shadows…

The news that the Crown Prince had begun his journey back to the capital reached the capital two days after Jian Hu and the others had reunited with Xiaoying.

When this news spread, others took it in stride, but Mu Hanjiang was so shocked that he confirmed it three times before believing his ears hadn’t deceived him.

How was this possible? The Crown Prince, who was supposed to be dead, was suddenly returning to the capital—how had Feng Yuan arranged this?

Thinking of this, he immediately rushed to Prince Ruixiang’s manor to question Feng Yuan.

“What’s going on? Who exactly is returning?”

Feng Yuan didn’t speak, only looking up at him before saying, “Feng Qiyuan was kidnapped in the Northern Territories. Everyone in the theater troupe was killed, and the people at the Jiangzhe estate seem to have been replaced… I guess the one returning should be Feng Qiyuan…”

“You guess? Aren’t you incredibly intelligent and masterful at planning? What’s this? Did you lose control? You don’t even know who that person is? Are you certain it’s Feng Qiyuan and not Yan Xiaoying?”

Mu Hanjiang’s mouth now seemed blessed with poison-dipped sharpness; his mockery lacked any trace of his former refined gentlemanly demeanor.

“It definitely can’t be me; I’m right here!” Before Mu Hanjiang could finish speaking, Yan Xiaoying walked in smiling, carrying a fruit platter.

Mu Hanjiang watched the young lady enter gracefully, dressed in a goose-yellow jacket with a rabbit fur coat, still looking charming and alluring, unlike himself, who had gone without sleep for days while searching for her after her sudden disappearance.

He laughed bitterly. “You dare to appear before me?”

“Why shouldn’t she dare? What can you do to her?” Feng Yuan coldly questioned, immediately showing his protective fangs.

Mu Hanjiang ignored Feng Yuan completely and asked Xiaoying directly, “Tell me, how did you escape from my courtyard?”

When Xiaoying revealed that Feng Yuan had slipped her the key to the shackles beforehand, Mu Hanjiang truly laughed in anger. “So you two arguing in front of me was all an act? Yan Xiaoying, do you think you’ve honored the trust I placed in you?”

The elegant young master had never smiled so grimly before, making Xiaoying feel somewhat guilty toward Master Mu.

From the capital to Jiangzhe and back again, although she had many secrets she couldn’t tell Mu Hanjiang, she felt he wasn’t a bad person. He possessed a youthful vigor different from the worldly court officials.

Unfortunately, despite his passionate blood and ambitions, he was suppressed by his domineering mother, unable to fully express himself—another ambitious young man whose aspirations remained unfulfilled.

If she had been a young man matching his status, perhaps she could have been good friends with Master Mu?

So she poured a cup of tea, handed it to Mu Hanjiang, and sincerely said, “Indeed, I was wrong not to say goodbye properly. If I had been honest with you, perhaps you would have let me go…”

Mu Hanjiang’s jaw tensed slightly. “Are you mocking me?”

Xiaoying shook her head and said forthrightly, “I truly have some difficulties I cannot speak of. Given Master Mu’s position with the Dragon Scale Shadow Guards, I cannot fully confide in you. When Xiaoying’s troubles are resolved, I will certainly… apologize properly to Master Mu!”

Although his mother was not a good person, having harmed her foster father’s family, these grievances were unrelated to Master Mu.

But someday, she would expose Princess Anqing’s true face. If justice couldn’t be served through imperial law, then in the worst-case scenario, she would kill Princess Anqing with her own hands to console the spirits of her foster mother and the Meng family siblings.

At that time, she and Mu Hanjiang would become enemies due to her killing his mother.

This inevitable course of events made Yan Xiaoying feel somewhat melancholy, and she could only say to Mu Hanjiang, “In any case, I will be indebted to you. But right now, my brother is in danger, and I must do everything I can to save him. So if you insist on standing in my way, I’ll have to offend you!”

Mu Hanjiang’s gaze grew colder. “What? Are you planning to kill me to silence me?”

Xiaoying smiled helplessly. “Given our friendship, why resort to violence? I merely need to inconvenience Master Mu by having you stay at the Prince’s manor for a few days. Once I’ve rescued my royal brother, I’ll release you.”

She didn’t need to consult with Feng Yuan before making this decision on his behalf. Was she confident that Feng Yuan would listen to her?

Mu Hanjiang recalled the Emperor’s marriage decree and felt this young woman was being so presumptuous because she had something to rely on.

He tried hard to suppress the discomfort in his heart and coldly said, “The fact that I came here today means I naturally have a backup plan. If you dare to detain me, the Dragon Scale Shadow Guards can search this manor without an imperial decree! I’m warning you now: if you dare to harm the Feng family bloodline, don’t blame me for being merciless and reporting everything to His Majesty.”

Regardless of which Crown Prince was returning, he was not a descendant of the Feng family. Whoever arranged his return to the capital had sinister intentions.

As a member of the Dragon Scale Shadow Guards, Mu Hanjiang had to stop this absurdity at its source.

Yan Xiaoying wasn’t surprised by Mu Hanjiang’s ruthless change of attitude and simply said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t be concerned about whether the Crown Prince returns or not, but rather about what the shadowy mastermind arranging his return is planning to do.”

Mu Hanjiang narrowed his eyes, looking at her face. “Do you know who that person is?”

Xiaoying knew that to prevent the upcoming conspiracy of the Crown Prince’s return, she and Feng Yuan alone were far from enough. They needed to bring Mu Hanjiang on board with them to investigate.

Xiaoyun Manor’s influence was too great. If Mu Hanjiang could detect clues, it would certainly make their work twice as effective. This way, Mu Hanjiang could also achieve political merit, doing something beneficial for both the country and its people.

Unfortunately, Feng Yuan adamantly refused, and they had quarreled over this matter before.

Even though her relationship with Master Mu was perfectly innocent, Feng Yuan always became intensely jealous, even making absurd statements like claiming Mu Hanjiang had improper intentions toward her and telling her to minimize contact with him.

Ridiculous! A refined gentleman like Mu Hanjiang from the Mu family was secretly admired by noble ladies throughout the capital. Even without the interference of a jealous Feng Yuan, she could never attain such a gentleman’s affection!

Now, Feng Yuan’s patience had reached its limit. He spoke to Xiaoying with seeming calmness: “Since you’ve delivered the fruit platter, would you mind leaving now?”