The knocking on the window was very light, yet Shao Mingyuan was completely stunned.

What was going on? Besides him, was there someone else knocking on Zhaozhao’s window?

He instinctively glanced at Qiao Zhao.

The person outside the window seemed somewhat anxious from waiting without a response, and the knocking grew more rapid.

Shao Mingyuan strode over to the window and reached out to open it.

“Third Miss—” The moment Chen Guang saw Shao Mingyuan, he stumbled and quickly grabbed onto the window frame to keep from falling, stammering, “General, General, why are you here?”

Shao Mingyuan’s face was expressionless as he pulled at the corner of his mouth: “Yes, if I hadn’t come, how could I have encountered you?”

Chen Guang clung to the window frame with tears streaming down his face: “General, please don’t frighten this subordinate. This subordinate has a weak heart and can’t take it…”

What on earth was happening? Why was the General in Third Miss’s room?

This was terrible, terrible. The General was now like a giant vinegar jar—he couldn’t afford to provoke him.

Chen Guang pitifully looked toward Qiao Zhao with pleading eyes for help.

Shao Mingyuan became furious at the sight.

Right in front of him, this bastard dared to send flirtatious glances to Zhaozhao—was this mixed-up kid trying to reach the heavens?

“Tingquan, I was the one who told Chen Guang to come over.” Qiao Zhao gently tugged at Shao Mingyuan’s sleeve.

Shao Mingyuan turned around, his voice returning to gentleness: “What happened?”

“This matter is a long story—”

Shao Mingyuan sat down and reached out to pull Qiao Zhao onto his lap.

In front of Chen Guang, how could Qiao Zhao be comfortable with this? She quickly stood up.

“Didn’t you say it was a long story? Sit down and tell it slowly.” Shao Mingyuan once again pulled Qiao Zhao to sit down.

Qiao Zhao was extremely embarrassed and warned in a low voice: “Shao Mingyuan!”

Chen Guang silently turned his face away, thinking: Third Miss, please, I beg you to sit down quickly. If you don’t sit down, I’m going to have to kneel!

Seeing Qiao Zhao’s face flushed red, Shao Mingyuan ultimately couldn’t bear to make things difficult for her. He pulled over a chair for her to sit in and revealed a bright smile: “Go ahead and speak. After I finish listening, I still need to hurry back.”

“I can handle the situation here. Don’t worry about it—go back quickly.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “You want me to return with my heart hanging in suspense?”

Qiao Zhao was at a loss for words.

Shao Mingyuan was going to the battlefield—of course, she couldn’t let him return to camp with his heart in suspense.

Qiao Zhao gave a concise and comprehensive account of the situation.

“Did you bring the living witness?” Shao Mingyuan asked Chen Guang.

Chen Guang nodded: “This subordinate knocked him unconscious. He’s lying at the base of the wall beneath the window.”

Shao Mingyuan looked at his guard and raised an eyebrow with a cold laugh.

Very good. So this bastard didn’t just climb through the window alone—he brought someone with him too!

Although he knew it was for official business, any man who saw other men appearing in his fiancée’s boudoir in the middle of the night would feel particularly sour. Shao Mingyuan was naturally no exception.

He had to endure it. He couldn’t let Zhaozhao think he was petty. Anyway, there was still plenty of time—settling accounts after autumn wouldn’t be too late.

Chen Guang despairingly hung his head.

It was over. Third Miss, you must take responsibility for me! Poor me, I haven’t even married a wife yet!

“Bring him in.” Shao Mingyuan said indifferently.

“Yes.” Chen Guang felt as if he’d received a great pardon. He hurriedly climbed out the window, and a moment later jumped back in carrying a person.

“General, Third Miss, this is the person who went to Sister A’Zhu’s house tonight to silence her. This subordinate was afraid he would commit suicide, so I hid in the shadows and gave him a blow.”

Shao Mingyuan bent down to examine him: “You dislocated his jaw?”

“Right, to prevent him from biting down on a poison tooth or biting his tongue to commit suicide.”

Qiao Zhao took the candlestick and handed it to Chen Guang: “Help me hold this for light.”

Shao Mingyuan glanced at Chen Guang.

“General, would you prefer to do it?” Chen Guang obsequiously handed the candlestick to Shao Mingyuan.

“Third Miss asked you to do it, so you do it. Why so much nonsense?”

The personal guard silently shed tears.

It wasn’t easy for him to help the General marry a wife—personally running over to serve as the young lady’s driver, even giving the General advice on how to court a wife. But in the end, the General still wanted to kill him!

Generally, there’s no such thing as repaying kindness with enmity like this!

Chen Guang held the candlestick with a face full of despair. Qiao Zhao reminded him: “Come closer.”

With sufficient light, Qiao Zhao could see the man’s appearance. She reached out to pinch the man’s chin, but found she couldn’t move it, so she had to ask Shao Mingyuan for help: “Tingquan, help me open his mouth.”

Shao Mingyuan extended two fingers and neatly pinched open the man’s mouth.

Qiao Zhao took out prepared tweezers and extracted a poison sac from the man’s mouth. She walked back to the writing desk, placed the poison sac in a porcelain dish, punctured it with a silver needle, and lowered her head to smell it.

“How is it?” Shao Mingyuan walked over.

Qiao Zhao looked up at him: “Do you remember the person who kidnapped Master Wumei? After he bit down on his poisoned tooth and committed suicide, didn’t I examine that poisoned tooth? The poison in both their poison teeth is the same.”

“The red-faced wolf spider is unique to the Lingnan region?”

Qiao Zhao nodded: “Right. This type of poison has a distinctive smell. Once I’ve smelled it, I won’t forget.”

Shao Mingyuan looked toward the unconscious man: “So they’re from the same group, and the power behind them is very likely related to Prince Su from the rebellion in the fifth year of Mingkang’s reign.”

“I have the same speculation. Tingquan, wait a moment.” Qiao Zhao quickly walked through the main room into the east chamber. She returned shortly with a string of prayer beads in her hand.

She pressed the prayer beads into Shao Mingyuan’s hand: “Since the other party is going to great lengths to obtain this string of prayer beads, I refuse to let them have their way. My place here is small and not good for hiding things. Tingquan, please help me keep it safe.”

Shao Mingyuan hesitated for a moment, then tucked the prayer beads into his chest.

“And this.” Qiao Zhao handed the red tassel to Shao Mingyuan, quickly glancing at Chen Guang and explaining, “I braided it myself. If you don’t think it’s too ugly, please wear it.”

Shao Mingyuan’s eyes lit up with surprise: “My helmet has been bare all this time. I’ll put it on when I get back. Hehehe, of course I won’t think it’s ugly. As long as you braided it, even if it were ugly, I’d still like it.”

“Is it really that ugly?” Miss Qiao’s face turned cold.

General Shao’s smile froze.

Chen Guang silently rolled his eyes.

General, are you stupid? Why are you telling the truth like that?

“It’s not that ugly.” Shao Mingyuan hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.

“So you’re saying it is still ugly?”

Shao Mingyuan cast a pleading look toward Chen Guang.

The personal guard pursed his lips.

This was a typical case of discarding the bow once the birds were shot, killing the dog once the rabbit was caught. Just now, he wanted to kill him, but now he needed his strategist to come up with plans.

So people still had to save themselves!

Chen Guang cleared his throat and was about to speak to help, but Qiao Zhao burst into laughter: “Alright, I was just teasing you. Hurry up and go—don’t delay any longer.”

Shao Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to embrace Qiao Zhao: “Then I’m leaving. Be careful and try not to go out much.”

“Mm, I know.” The young woman nestled in the man’s broad embrace, particularly well-behaved.

Chen Guang wiped away tears.

Third Miss, you’re not being cooperative at all! This subordinate has been working for you all along! You won’t even give him a chance to shine—are you planning to help collect his corpse?

Shao Mingyuan released Qiao Zhao and looked toward Chen Guang: “Protect Third Miss well. Don’t let anyone slip into the Li Residence.”

Chen Guang puffed out his chest: “General, rest assured! This subordinate guarantees that not even a single outside fly will enter the Li Residence!”

Shao Mingyuan nodded and walked to the window, turning back to look at Qiao Zhao once more.

“Wait for my return.”