The spy secretly trailing the two clutched his chest in utter despair.

Why was it that when those two ate rice noodles, he also ate rice noodles, but their bowls were piled high with overflowing crispy pork, while his bowl had only one slice? One slice!

Supposedly, the amount of meat depended on looks…

The spy was on the verge of tears, but forced himself to gather his spirits and continue the pursuit.

As they walked, Qiao Zhao said to Shao Mingyuan: “This uncle is surnamed Xie. Grandfather once mentioned that Uncle Xie guarded Shanhai Pass in his youth, but resigned and returned home due to an injury.”

“Shanhai Pass—” Shao Mingyuan’s gaze deepened as he murmured: “The former Marquis Zhenyuan once guarded Shanhai Pass.”

Qiao Zhao looked up at him.

She knew he wouldn’t mention Marquis Zhenyuan for no reason.

Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao: “Zhaozhao, have you noticed something very strange?”

“Tell me.”

“From when Master Wumei was kidnapped to now visiting the Qiao family’s old friends, more and more events seem to be connected to that Marquis Zhenyuan.” Shao Mingyuan looked at the blue-tiled building that appeared before them, frowning: “It’s like a tangled mess where you can’t find the thread’s end, but the center around which all these tangles revolve cannot be separated from Marquis Zhenyuan.”

Qiao Zhao nodded: “Now that you mention it, I do have that feeling.”

“Zhaozhao, could this Uncle Xie be one of Marquis Zhenyuan’s subordinates?”

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “I never heard Grandfather mention that.”

She rarely heard Grandfather speak of those old events. She first learned of Marquis Zhenyuan’s name because Grandmother had quite a few complaints about the marriage Grandfather had arranged for her, which she overheard by chance during their conversation.

“This is it.” Qiao Zhao stopped before a residence.

Shao Mingyuan stepped forward to knock on the door.

“Who is it?” The door creaked open with a squeak, and a burly man holding a spiked club stood inside, eyeing the visitors with wariness.

Shao Mingyuan’s mouth twitched as he couldn’t help but look at Qiao Zhao.

Which household’s gatekeeper greeted guests with a spiked club? He’d never been to the south and didn’t understand southern customs!

Qiao Zhao was equally stunned.

Seeing Qiao Zhao’s surprised expression, Shao Mingyuan withdrew his gaze and said gently: “I am Marquis Guanjun, here to visit Uncle Xie.”

“Marquis Guanjun?” The gatekeeper looked Shao Mingyuan up and down with suspicion.

Shao Mingyuan drew something from his sleeve and handed it over: “This is my calling card. Please trouble yourself to deliver it to your master.”

The gatekeeper took it and glanced at the calling card without changing expression: “Wait!”

The door slammed shut with a bang.

Shao Mingyuan smiled helplessly: “Does he suspect my calling card is forged?”

Miss Qiao shook her head calmly: “No, the gatekeeper uncle can’t read.”

Shao Mingyuan: “…”

Soon, the door opened, and a man of about fifty hurried out with an excited expression: “Where is Marquis Guanjun?”

Shao Mingyuan performed a junior’s bow: “Uncle Xie, you may call this junior Mingyuan.”

When he raised his head and Uncle Xie saw his face, and his expression changed slightly. After a moment of daze, he said: “My lord is too polite. Please come inside to talk.”

The Xie residence wasn’t large. The courtyard’s arrangement lacked the delicate elegance of the south, instead revealing the generous simplicity of the north.

Shao Mingyuan looked around and followed Uncle Xie into the house to sit down, with Qiao Zhao silently standing behind him.

“Uncle Xie, this junior has come to pay respects to my father-in-law’s family. I was entrusted by my brother-in-law to visit you. I apologize for any disturbance.”

“My lord is too polite. When did you arrive? The household has been rather chaotic recently, so I hadn’t heard.”

“Just arrived.” Shao Mingyuan smiled.

Uncle Xie looked at Shao Mingyuan in a daze for a moment. Meeting his slightly puzzled gaze, he explained: “My lord resembles an old acquaintance of mine.”

It wasn’t strange for people to resemble each other, and normally such words could be passed over. But Shao Mingyuan suddenly felt a stirring in his heart.

He couldn’t explain this strange feeling, but he wouldn’t ignore it. In the past, relying on this almost instinctive intuition, he’d avoided countless open and hidden attacks.

Shao Mingyuan smiled and asked in a calm tone: “I wonder who this old acquaintance Uncle mentioned is? This junior is quite curious.”

Uncle Xie shook his head with a smile: “That old acquaintance was a distant cousin of mine. Better not to mention it.”

Hearing it was a woman, Shao Mingyuan indeed couldn’t pursue the matter further.

Quietly listening to Shao Mingyuan and Uncle Xie’s conversation, Qiao Zhao, standing behind Shao Mingyuan, suddenly raised her hand and secretly wrote several characters on his back: “Spiked club.”

Shao Mingyuan showed no change in expression. After saying a few more sentences, he asked as if casually: “Uncle, when I came to knock just now, why was your gatekeeper holding a spiked club?”

At this question, Uncle Xie couldn’t help but sigh deeply: “It’s just that we’re being forced into this by mischievous ruffians with no other choice.”

“How so?” Shao Mingyuan leaned forward, assuming an attitude of serious listening.

“I have a young daughter who has practiced martial arts with me since childhood. Originally, I thought that when she married in the future, having martial skills would prevent her from being bullied. Who could have imagined that because of martial practice, that girl developed a wild temperament? When she reached marriageable age, she refused to marry, insisting she wanted to go south to fight Japanese pirates.” As Uncle Xie spoke, his somewhat dark face reddened: “I’m making my lord laugh.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled slightly: “Your daughter’s ideas may be unconventional, but they’re nothing to laugh at. In the northern territories, this junior has seen quite a few young ladies who are no less capable than men.”

Standing behind him, Miss Qiao pressed her lips together and raised her hand to write: “How many have you seen?”

The soft fingertip gently traced across his back again and again. Shao Mingyuan felt that the finger seemed to possess magic, bringing him waves of trembling.

He couldn’t help but straighten his spine, his whole body rigid, yet his heart grew soft and warm. He wished he could reach back and catch that mischievous little hand, put it in his mouth, and nibble it.

Qiao Zhao silently withdrew her hand.

Seeing that Shao Mingyuan showed no look of disdain, Uncle Xie opened up: “When that girl reached marriageable age but wouldn’t marry, her age kept getting delayed. Recently, she went out and somehow got pestered by a ruffian. My daughter got angry and broke that ruffian’s leg, but who knew that ruffian’s cousin was with the Jinlin Guards? Since then, our household has had no peace.”

“The Jinlin Guards came to trouble you, Uncle?”

“The Jinlin Guards haven’t come yet, but that ruffian’s family gathered a group of scoundrels who come to harass us every few days.” Uncle Xie tilted his head back and drank a mouthful of bitter tea: “If it came to fighting, we could handle those scoundrels, but once we drive them away, the Jinlin Guards would step in to back them up. A county magistrate can bankrupt families, a prefect can destroy entire households – what more of the Jinlin Guards, whom even first-rank officials fear?”

Uncle Xie glanced at Shao Mingyuan and smiled bitterly: “These past days, that girl’s mother has already fallen ill from worry. It’s all because that girl isn’t like ordinary young ladies who marry properly when they come of age – otherwise, how would we have attracted such trouble?”

Just then, a maid in duck-egg blue vest hurried over: “Master, Madam is coughing severely—”

Uncle Xie stood up: “My lord, please sit for a moment. I’ll return shortly.”

Before Shao Mingyuan could respond, Uncle Xie hurried away, showing his genuine concern for his wife.

Shao Mingyuan turned his head, about to speak to Qiao Zhao, when the maid suddenly said: “My lord, our young master requests your presence in the garden for tea.”