Li Jiancheng nodded and then said: “By the way, don’t tell father about this matter, lest he worry. Also, keep watch these few days—Wang Wei and the others should arrive soon. When the time comes, Shimin, you’ll need to take more care.”

Li Shimin nodded and withdrew from Qingchun Garden together with the others. After Li Xuanba left, he stroked Li Zhiyun’s head and said: “Thank you so much this time.”

Li Zhiyun understood his meaning and looked up with a smile: “Second brother, you’ve already said thank you many times. If you’re not tired of it, I’m getting tired of hearing it.”

Li Shimin said gently: “No matter how many times I say thank you, it can’t compare to elder brother’s life.”

Li Zhiyun made a face: “Second brother seems to have forgotten—he’s my elder brother too.”

Li Shimin was stunned, then laughed: “Right, right. I was confused. Alright, I won’t say it anymore. It’s getting late, go back quickly, or Second Madam will worry. If you need anything in the future, just come find second brother.”

“Second brother, don’t worry. I won’t be polite with you. Besides, you promised to take me to catch many sparrows—I haven’t forgotten.”

Li Shimin laughed and scolded: “You certainly remember clearly. Fine, I’ll take you when I’m free in the next day or two.”

Li Zhiyun waved his hand and parted with him, heading toward Yuxiu Pavilion. As soon as he entered, he saw Zhaixing giving instructions to someone. When she saw him come in, her expression relaxed, and she said to the several servants before her: “You have nothing more to do here. Go on.”

After the servants withdrew as instructed, she curtsied to Li Zhiyun: “Fifth Young Master, where have you been all day? You’ve worried Madam terribly.”

“I stayed at elder brother’s place for a while.” As he spoke, Li Zhiyun headed toward the main hall. Zhaixing wondered silently behind him—hadn’t the Fifth Young Master said he was going hunting with the Second Young Master? How did he end up at Qingchun Garden, which was the eldest young master’s residence?

Wan Shi was worrying about Li Zhiyun when she saw him enter. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled him over: “You child, you’re already so grown up yet still so playful. You don’t know to come back early—don’t you know mother worries?”

“Your son knows now. But your son wasn’t being playful. Today your son went hunting with second brother and originally wanted to catch sparrows afterward, but then…” He recounted in detail what had happened at Qingchun Garden today. Wan Shi listened with great surprise: “Jirong is actually an assassin’s accomplice?”

Li Zhiyun shook his head: “Your son isn’t certain either, but both she and Zhang Chenyue are suspicious.”

Wan Shi nodded slightly and said with complex emotions: “So you’re saying you saved Jiancheng?”

“Mm, fortunately master gave me that pill before I left, otherwise I would have had no solution. But…” He took out that slip of paper in confusion and handed it to Wan Shi: “Mother, do you know what this means?”

Wan Shi pondered for a long while and said: “Your master is a sage beyond the mortal world, knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. Perhaps he had already calculated that Jiancheng would face this calamity, so he gave you the medicine in advance. As for whether to save him or not, he left the decision to you.”

“I see.” Saying this, Li Zhiyun smiled again: “Master is really strange. When elder brother was in trouble, of course I had to save him. How could there be any reason not to save him?”

Zhaixing said from the side: “Fifth Young Master, you’ve forgotten how the eldest young master treats you—cold words and harsh looks aside, when you returned last time and kindly sent some local specialties over, what did he do? You had barely delivered them when he threw them away, treating your good intentions like trash.”

“Those things are in the past. Why remember them? No matter what, he’s still my elder brother. How could I stand by and watch him die? Father often says brothers should look out for each other. Mother, isn’t that right?”

Wan Shi smiled slightly: “That’s right. If your father knew about today’s events, he would certainly be very pleased. Now go wash your hands—we’ll be able to dine soon.”

After Li Zhiyun went down, the smile on Wan Shi’s face immediately vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold demeanor. Zhaixing said softly: “The eldest young master really has great fortune. Even in such a state, he still doesn’t die.”

Wan Shi said coldly: “Who told him his time hasn’t come yet.”

Zhaixing pouted: “If this servant may say, the eldest young master’s time hasn’t come not because fate wills it, but because he met a benefactor. If not for the Fifth Young Master, his bones would probably be cold by now. It’s only because the Fifth Young Master is kind-hearted. If it were this servant, not hoping for his death in my heart would already be good enough—where would I find the will to save him?”

“Zhiyun is young after all, and having lived in seclusion in the mountains with his master for years, his nature is innocent. He doesn’t understand the coldness of human relationships or the evil of human hearts. Looking out for each other… if those four words were effective, there wouldn’t be so many cases of brothers fighting each other in this world.”

Zhaixing thought for a while with her head lowered and said: “Madam, actually the Fifth Young Master’s health has improved greatly now, and his martial arts are quite good too. He’s no longer as frail and sickly as before. Why not… not let him return? The Fifth Young Master staying away from the residence for such long periods really isn’t good for you.”

“What you’re saying, how could I not understand? But what if Zhiyun’s health changes again after staying in the residence? Venerable Hui’an said that once brought back, he must never be sent away again.” Saying this, she sighed: “In any case, Zhiyun won’t leave until after the New Year. Let me think about this matter more carefully.”

Speaking of the music quarters, Jirong hadn’t returned all night, making Chunxiu very worried. When noon came the next day, news of the Qingchun Garden incident finally spread. Chunxiu refused to believe that Jirong could be an assassin. She wanted to find someone to help but didn’t know who to turn to. She couldn’t even enter Qingchun Garden. After going in circles, she sadly discovered that the only thing she could do was wait and hope that Jirong would be safe and sound.

However, Chunxiu soon discovered that waiting wasn’t easy at all. Without Jirong as her protective talisman, she returned to her previous days of working from dawn to dusk, so exhausted she couldn’t straighten her back. Anyone who saw her showed her no good face.

Chunxiu saw all this and felt hatred in her heart, but was helpless. She could only keep hoping that Jirong would quickly clear herself of suspicion and cure the eldest young master’s foot ailment—only then would there be another chance to turn things around.

While Chunxiu wholeheartedly hoped for Jirong’s release, others in the music quarters were also speculating whether Jirong was really an assassin’s accomplice.

Jiang Caiping was among them. Although she greatly disliked Jirong, she still had doubts about the assassin accomplice theory. Today, having nothing else to do, she thought of this matter again and said while propping up her cheek: “Sister, do you think Jirong is really an assassin?”

Yunyi was tidying things while teasing: “If she’s not an assassin, are you and I assassins?”

Jiang Caiping wrinkled her nose: “I’m talking seriously with sister. I remember you told me about Jirong and the others before—no matter how you look at it, they don’t seem like assassins.”

Yunyi carefully folded the clothes she had just brought in and said: “You may know a person’s face but not their heart, just like before—who could have imagined that Jirong would frame me for Ah Mu’s death?”

Jiang Caiping nodded: “That’s true, but I still can’t figure out how she got involved with assassins, and that Zhang Chenyue too.”