These people had organized armed forces in both Eastern and Western Yao territories and stolen the Yao Prince’s son from Yanhu Manor. When the time was right, they could raise the banner of restoring the Yao Kingdom with a righteous cause and military force at their disposal.

Having finished his task, Yun Ya put down the trowel: “That would require choosing the perfect moment.”

A flash of ferocity passed through Feng Miaojun’s eyes: “The war between Wei and Yan!”

The Yao territory was sandwiched between two great powers—Wei to the west and New Xia to the north. Neither would tolerate its independence. Only by seizing the right opportunity, as the Fu Lingchuan siblings had done before, would there be any chance of success.

Previously, Fu Lingchuan had seized the chance when Wei and Yao were at war and had no attention to spare elsewhere, allowing him to reclaim An Xia and re-establish the nation. Now these people wanted to use Miao Hansheng to follow her old path. Feng Miaojun sneered: Impossible!

“The establishment of New Xia has made many people restless.” The Fu siblings’ successful restoration had planted seeds of hope in the hearts of exiles across the Northern and Southern Continents. With a successful example preceding them, people would certainly be brave enough to emulate it. “Sigh, this has created many troubles for us.” Yun Ya sighed, “How will you compensate me?”

“Once I capture the mastermind, won’t your troubles be resolved?” A snake cannot move without its head. If she caught the ringleader here, the unrest in Western Yao would likely collapse.

“Not enough.” He reached out and lifted her horizontally into his arms. “I’ve been traveling everywhere for intelligence these past days. Shouldn’t Her Majesty reward me according to my merits?”

“Alright.” Feng Miaojun wrapped her arms around his neck, bit his chin, and said generously, “What reward do you desire?”

Yun Ya didn’t answer but carried her directly to the ghost-hair grass patch.

Feng Miaojun exclaimed in surprise: “Here?”

Ghost-hair grass, as the name suggests, had leaves as fine as human hair, growing in clusters on the ground, naturally forming a thick red carpet. But ghost-hair grass was highly poisonous—ordinary people who touched it would die instantly. The nobleman who originally cultivated them here probably appreciated their blood-red color and their ability to consume mosquitoes and ants—a plant that could be admired from afar but not played with up close.

Yun Ya pulled off the cloak from his back and spread it on the ghost-hair grass: “Don’t worry, if you’re poisoned, I’ll cure you.”

“That’s not it!” With her cultivation, she had no fear of these poisonous plants. Feng Miaojun propped herself up with both hands, refusing to be pushed down by him. “The glazed tiles are transparent… what are you doing?!”

The design of this greenhouse was ingenious. Instead of brick walls, the four sides were stacked with almost transparent glazed tiles, ensuring maximum sunlight penetration while maintaining warmth inside. This was similar to the glass houses in her previous life.

This also meant that if a third party passed through the garden, they could see everything the two of them were doing!

In broad daylight, this was an unowned wilderness!

“No one will come!” Yun Ya ignored her struggle and skillfully removed her clothes. Under the sunlight, every inch of her snow-white skin seemed to glow.

That light penetrated his eyes, instantly extinguishing his reason and causing him to unexpectedly bind her hands.

Feng Miaojun widened her eyes: “Let me go!” This fellow dared to play such tricks?

But he pinned her down like an eagle pinning a frantically kicking snow rabbit. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape being thoroughly devoured.

Yun Ya glanced outside. The sun was already slanting westward, and evening was approaching. He had been traveling for twenty days; it was time to return to the nest.

He pounced on her, savoring the sweetness he had missed for so long.

Soon, the young queen could only whimper pitifully beneath him, her beautiful eyes misty with tears, filled with pleading, but unfortunately, this man had a heart of stone.

She was thrust into such ecstasy that her soul seemed ready to fly away.

Only in moments of passion were this little spirit’s reactions truly sincere and adorable.

In this rarely visited wilderness, amidst the blood-red carpet woven by ghost-hair grass, two jade-white bodies clung tightly together, as if naturally made for each other.

During the next two nights, someone else suffered from anxiety and insomnia because the markings on the old locust tree trunk in Water-Carrying Lane remained at forty-eight, neither increasing nor decreasing.

“We must clarify what problem has arisen there. Why hasn’t there been a safety signal for two consecutive days!”

His prestige was unmatched, and his subordinates were efficient. One secret order after another was issued, so by nightfall that same day, news returned:

The child was missing.

He slammed his fist on the table: “How could he be missing? Four adults watching over a two-year-old child, and they still let him get lost?”

A child just over two years old still stumbles when walking, so how could he disappear from under the watchful eyes of several people? The only explanation was that someone had carried him away.

Coincidentally, just the day before, the Queen of New Xia had announced that the former Yao Prince’s son, Miao Hansheng, had been rescued. Could it be… Thinking this, he rose to change his clothes but was desperately stopped by his subordinate: “The city gates have been locked. Leaving the city now would certainly alert others!”

This was indeed true. It was the height of tension, not a time for unusual movements.

Fortunately, good news arrived early the next morning:

The child had been found. He had fallen into the river and floated downstream for ten miles before being rescued by riverside residents. He had now been safely brought back.

Even more remarkably, the little fellow was robust. When found, his small face was rosy, his little eyes bright and spirited. Despite falling into the water in such freezing weather, he hadn’t fallen ill.

Upon receiving this news, the man finally heaved a long sigh of relief: “Truly a tiger father has no dog sons.” Then he ordered a thorough investigation into the child’s fall into the river.

For safety, the hiding place of the child was frequently changed. This time, they had chosen a riverside dwelling. This choice was deliberately made—if pursuers came, the guardians could escape by water, increasing their chances of getaway. But the house was less than two zhang from the river. His subordinates speculated that the not-yet-three-year-old toddler must have happened to grab onto some straw hanging from the window, climbed onto the roof, and then accidentally slid down, falling into the water and drifting far away.

The conjecture was far-fetched, but since the incident had already occurred, no one knew the process, and the child was ultimately found, he could only say it was a close call.

This small mishap nearly ruined everyone’s future.

But after this incident, a seed of doubt remained in the man’s heart.

People are inherently simple-hearted. Once Miao Hansheng had returned, the low pressure hanging over Yinzi City was immediately swept away.

However, at this time, another rumor began to spread through the marketplace: The Yao Prince’s son had not been rescued at all. The child with Princess Hanyue was just a child of unknown origin.

This pointed the accusation directly at the Queen of New Xia, charging her with deceiving all the Yao people.

Feng Miaojun paid no attention.

A few days later, in the council hall of Yanhu Manor, Feng Miaojun announced that after the Lantern Festival, she would return to New Xia, accompanied by Princess Hanyue and her son.

Finally, a court official couldn’t help but raise a question: “Your Majesty, may I ask how… how Princess Hanyue has been faring recently?”