On this day, Ming Nian was in the front garden instructing craftsmen on repair matters when he heard the neighing of a fine horse and the urgent stop of hoofbeats at the gate. He quickly had a servant go look. Counting the days, only five had passed—it couldn’t possibly be his own master, so he focused on the pressing matters at hand.

“I thought assassins were coming. How does it look more like someone attacked the city?”

Ming Nian was familiar with this voice—it was Master Wei An. But Wei An should be with Minister Yuan. He couldn’t help but wonder. Turning around to look, he cried out in surprise.

“What guilty deed did you commit? Your expression changes the moment you see me.” After Yuan Cheng entered the city, Yang Qiao’s father had met him halfway and explained the specific events of the assassins disguising themselves as midwives to infiltrate the Yuan household.

“Master!” Ming Nian’s face fell, showing the expression of someone who had been tense for several days and could finally breathe easier. He knelt down with a thud. “This servant was foolish and failed to discover the midwives’ suspicious nature in time, nearly harming Madam and the young master. This crime is unforgivable. Please grant me death, Master.”

“Get up.” Yuan Cheng had already sent people to investigate Granny Wang and Granny Zhao’s backgrounds. “The enemy’s schemes were deep and left no trace. I can’t blame you.” The King of Daqiu was perhaps a worthy opponent.

Ming Nian refused to rise. “Master.”

“When I tell you to get up, get up.” There was no perfect defense, nor perfect offense—one could only strive to do one’s best. The rest depended on fate and luck. “If I punish you, I must first punish myself.”

Ming Nian understood Yuan Cheng’s meaning and finally rose, standing to one side.

Yuan Cheng looked at the holes here and gaps there, able to imagine how fierce the fighting had been that night. His brows furrowed deeper. “Where is Madam?”

“The original courtyard can’t be lived in anymore. Madam gave birth to the young master in the east wing, and the east wing is still relatively intact, so we simply didn’t move locations.” Speaking of this, Ming Nian’s face showed joy. “Congratulations, Master. The young master is both handsome and well-behaved, extremely like you.”

Yuan Cheng showed no expression upon hearing this. “If he were so well-behaved, why didn’t he wait for his father to return instead of making his mother suffer alone?”

Ming Nian was stunned. “This… the young master didn’t do it on purpose.” This kind of thing couldn’t be controlled.

Why did it feel like the master wanted to hold the young master accountable?

“Choosing a good time to come out, and knowing how to act well-behaved—I think he’s a troublemaker.” Yuan Cheng spoke ill of his own son without any concern.

Ming Nian was dumbfounded. Should he defend the young master whom everyone loved, or should he support the master as always? This was a difficult choice.

Yuan Cheng seemed to see through Ming Nian’s thoughts. “Only been out a few days and he’s already won over someone who’s been with me for years. I really wasn’t wrong.”

Ming Nian thought to himself—could this be a father jealous of his son? He couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Yuan Cheng stopped at the east wing entrance, looking at the two doors lying on the ground and the pockmarks on the walls. “Still relatively intact?”

“Master, you don’t know how dangerous it was that night. Forty-five black-clad men, each with extraordinary skills—our hundred-plus guards fought them and couldn’t suppress them.” That battle had been extremely brutal. Of a hundred guards, only a dozen or so remained. At that time, he had been guarding the east wing entrance, and several times black-clad men had attacked. Thanks to Zan Jin— “If not for Madam giving birth to the young master later and allowing us to use her specially made weapons, this servant probably wouldn’t have lived to see the master.” He had been prepared to die protecting Madam and the young master.

Yuan Cheng thought to himself that the Northern Domain Divine Sect’s elite had come out in full force, probably determined to take Mo Zi’s life. He had originally thought that even if the King of Daqiu was despicable, he wouldn’t use such forces against Mo Zi. Now it seemed he still couldn’t withstand the pressure from Daqiu nobility. And the gradual stability and peace of Song territory, along with Yang City’s central location, had made him overconfident and caused him to underestimate the enemy.

An old woman suddenly walked out from inside the door, her face weary and sighing.

“Old woman.” Imperial Physician Hua, following behind Yuan Cheng, called out to his wife.

Upon seeing him, Old Madam Hua was overjoyed. Not bothering to bow to Yuan Cheng, she said, “Old man, you’ve finally come! Quick! Quick, come with me—examine A’Yue’s injuries.”

While pulling the old man along, she called inside, “Minister Yuan has returned!”

Yuan Cheng walked into the courtyard. The smell of blood still floating in the air made his steps falter. Several days had already passed—what kind of injury still hadn’t stopped bleeding?

Unable to help himself, he called out, “Mo Zi.”

There was no response from Mo Zi.

“Ming Nian, are you deceiving me?” Were they lying to him that Mo Zi was fine because they feared he couldn’t bear it? Pain suddenly tore through his heart.

Ming Nian’s expression wasn’t good, but he waved his hand. “Master, Madam is truly fine. It’s A’Yue—” He forced out a smile. “But now that Imperial Physician Hua is back, the old gentleman will surely have a solution.”

Yuan Cheng thought of Old Madam Hua’s urgent expression. “A’Yue is severely injured?”

“Minister Yuan.” Yang Qiao came out from the side wing, her face sorrowful. She curtsied slightly. “Mo Zi is in the inner room. She asks that you first go to the main hall to see the baby.”

Without thinking, Yuan Cheng walked straight toward the side wing. He needed to personally confirm that Mo Zi was safe and sound before he could ease the sudden panic.

“Minister Yuan, the baby is in the main hall.” Thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, Yang Qiao repeated it.

However, Yuan Cheng walked past Yang Qiao.

Ming Nian muttered to Yang Qiao, “Miss Yang, the master heard very clearly. It’s just that for our master, no one can compare to Madam’s place in his heart—not even the young master.”

Yang Qiao felt somewhat envious, but at this moment it didn’t occupy much of her thoughts. She sighed and turned to follow him inside.

In the outer room, Yuan Cheng saw Zan Jin. On his face, beneath his collar, white cotton bandages were visible. His posture as he walked toward him was unnatural, his leg seemingly inconvenient. Even more surprising was that a person lay prostrate in the center of the room, hands bound behind their back, whether dead or alive uncertain.

“You’re injured?” Mo Zi viewed Zan Jin as a brother, and so did Yuan Cheng. This question carried concern.

“Minor injury.” This was Zan Jin’s answer, but his pale cold complexion revealed the injury was not light.

Yuan Cheng didn’t expose him. “Is Mo Zi well?”

Zan Jin hesitated. “Giving birth is very hard work. The assassins couldn’t get close to her.”

Yuan Cheng’s heart settled. “Who is this person?”

“Granny Zhao.” Zan Jin replied.

“Master Yang said the assassins either died or escaped.” After the citywide martial law, they could still disappear without a trace—showing how formidable the Northern Domain Divine Sect was.

“Brother Mo said that if we hand people over to the Ministry, we can’t interrogate privately, so that’s what he told Master Yang.” Zan Jin was honest with Yuan Cheng.

Yang Qiao coughed dryly behind them. “Zan Jin, Mo Zi also said that even if it’s her husband, there’s no need to tell the truth.”

“I don’t think it can’t be said.” Zan Jin had his own ideas. “Master Yang is Miss Yang’s father. Brother Mo still told you her plan, much less the young master.”

Yuan Cheng looked coldly at the person on the ground again. Private interrogation? Very good.

A miserable cry came from the inner room, making him immediately step inside. Before his eyes was not the auspicious peace of gaining a precious son, but a cloud of misery and gloom. Mo Zi was the first to enter his view. She lay on the daybed, her face pale, her eyes deeply sunken. Her cherry lips, once lustrous, now showed vertical cracks. Her body, which even pregnancy hadn’t been able to make plump, now seemed like a willow leaf that the wind could blow away, so thin and weak it inspired pity. But when she looked toward him, her eyes released light, like brilliant pearls. She was telling him she was fine.

The one who had a problem was A’Yue.

Yuan Cheng sat by the daybed and grasped Mo Zi’s hand.

Mo Zi gripped back tightly, speaking extremely softly—not only because she feared disturbing Old Physician Hua’s diagnosis, but also because she was weak and short of breath. “A’Yue was struck by Granny Zhao’s silver needles. The needles move, and we can’t extract them. But A’Yue’s limbs are limp, her whole body paralyzed, and she’s in severe pain.”

On the bed over there, A’Yue was covered in sweat, her face ashen as death, moaning from time to time, her whole body trembling. Two blood spots on her neck—Old Madam Hua had wiped them, but they immediately reddened again. The water in the basin by the bed had already changed color.

Old Physician Hua finally finished taking her pulse, turned around, looked at Mo Zi and Yuan Cheng, and walked toward the outer room.

Yuan Cheng said he would go and, not letting Mo Zi rise, followed him out.

“Old Physician Hua, how is it?” Yuan Cheng asked.

Old Physician Hua shook his head. “Golden needles entered the acupoints and traveled with the meridians, finally reaching the heart. If it had been two days earlier, she could still be saved. Now—” He suddenly looked behind Yuan Cheng. “Madam, forgive this old man’s inability. The needles have traveled so deep that even immortals would find it difficult to save her. Moreover, the closer to the end, the more painful it becomes. The one who placed the needles was extremely vicious.”

Yuan Cheng turned his head and saw that Mo Zi had actually walked out. He quickly went to support her. “How can you get out of bed?”

Mo Zi didn’t bother saying it was fine. “Old Physician Hua, as long as it can save her life, please try any method. Don’t say you’re powerless.”

“Madam…” Old Physician Hua sighed. “The only option now is to prescribe some pain-relieving formulas, but they may not relieve much, as this is heart-piercing pain.”

“Old Physician Hua, you can even bring the dead back to life. Can’t you extract two small needles? Use a magnet, or…” Her eyes reddened. Mo Zi was in a panic.

Yuan Cheng scooped her up and placed her on a reclining chair. He said nothing, only gently stroked her back, using the warmth of his hand to convey comfort.

“There is one other method.” Old Physician Hua gritted his teeth. “Help Miss A’Yue end this cruel torture—send her on her way.”

Mo Zi drew in a sharp breath. Her vision became misty, and with one blink, tears fell. Old Physician Hua was the divine physician of this era. If he said she couldn’t be saved, A’Yue had lost all hope.

“Hehehe… hehehehe…” Granny Zhao on the ground suddenly began laughing, extremely sinister. “That girl’s luck was bad. If she hadn’t noticed something wrong and tried to warn you, I wouldn’t have used the method I had prepared for you on her first. This needle technique has a name—Better Death Than Pain. The old man is right. You’d better give her a quick death with one stroke.”

“Zan Jin.” Mo Zi’s gaze was like cold frost. “Cut off another of her arms for me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zan Jin drew his sword.

Granny Zhao let out a miserable scream. Her left arm fell to the ground, and she rolled all over the floor.

Yuan Cheng now noticed that Granny Zhao was covered in blood—both her arms were gone.

“I’ll ask you one last time—is there a way to save her or not?” She had asked many times. Mo Zi could also see that Granny Zhao only knew how to harm people, not save them, but she still held onto a thread of hope.

“If you die, I’ll save her.” Granny Zhao squeezed the words through her teeth, her gaze still vicious.

“Zan Jin.” Mo Zi struggled to rise, her right hand outstretched.

Yuan Cheng couldn’t stop her.

Zan Jin handed the Emerald Heart Sword to Mo Zi.

Without hesitation, Mo Zi thrust the sword through Granny Zhao’s chest.

“Yuan Cheng, help me to A’Yue’s bedside.” Mo Zi wiped away her tears.

Yuan Cheng did as she asked. During the Dragon Boat Festival, she had been his most solid support. Now the positions were reversed, and he was equally willing.