When Jian Yi came upstairs, the bathing room was completely silent — yet he could sense the steady, even presence from within.

He glanced at the moon outside and then, with no other choice, went to knock on the bathing room door.

“It’s been long enough. If you don’t come out soon, I’m coming in.”

The presence inside remained steady and unhurried. But the time truly had stretched on, and Jian Yi could only knock again.

“My dear.” He raised his voice and called out, “If you don’t wake up soon, your husband is going in — your husband is really going in.”

Feng Jiu’er’s pleasant dream was interrupted by Jian Yi’s voice. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up straight.

“Don’t — don’t come in!”

The full picture cleared around her. She snapped back to awareness and immediately adjusted her tone.

“My love, I’m not quite ready — can’t you wait just a little longer?”

Feng Jiu’er’s sweet-voiced words made Qiaomu, who had leaped in through the window at that very moment, shudder involuntarily and nearly lose her footing.

Jian Yi glanced at Qiaomu, raised an eyebrow, and turned to step away.

Qiaomu walked up to the bathing room door and shot a glare at it, then gave a loud, pointed cough.

“Someone else’s wife — hurry up and get out here. If you’re not out soon, I’m coming in.”

This Feng Jiu’er — actually making her get laughed at by Jian Yi. Insufferable.

And for a place this low-ceilinged, if it hadn’t been for that woman’s voice being absolutely unbearable to hear, would she, Qiaomu, have nearly slipped?

With a curt and none-too-polite remark left hanging in the air, she reached out to push the door open — only to find it locked. Unable to do a thing, she turned and walked away as well.

Feng Jiu’er splashed her face with water and climbed out of the pool.

By the time she had dressed and come out, Xue Gu had also arrived.

Xue Gu was dressed in night-travel attire, and if one looked closely, she was unmistakably the elderly woman who had left the inn a short while ago.

The second-floor suite was elegantly furnished, and within the romantically appointed private room, two additional people had joined the “newlywed couple.”

On the table sat several flasks of wine and some pastries that Feng Jiu’er favored. All four sat around the table.

“Ke Yan is standing guard outside — we’re safe in here.” Qiaomu spoke softly.

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod. “What have you two found out these past few days?”

Qiaomu drew a sketch from inside her sleeve, unfolded it, and laid it before herself and Feng Jiu’er.

“What we’ve pieced together is roughly as follows.” She pointed to a spot on the sketch.

“Everyone knows that Yamu City’s terrain is uneven and irregular. The northern side borders Ding City, and the north gate is located here.”

Qiaomu’s long fingers rose and fell, coming to rest on another spot on the map.

“What they call the west gate is not actually on the western side of Yamu City — it sits at the point where Yamu City and Desert City share their border.”

“And the south gate is where it borders Phoenix City.”

“Yamu City belongs neither to the Ninth Prince nor to Emperor Qiwen. It maintains a certain degree of distance from each of its neighboring cities.”

“The northeast and east are all mountains. What lies further to the east, I don’t know yet.”

In a few brief words, Qiaomu laid out a general picture of Yamu City.

“Jiu’er, you asked me and Ke Yan to watch the south gate and west gate separately. For now, the defenses at the west gate are considerably thinner than at the south gate.”

“The south gate’s City Commander is named Nanmen Yan — the very same person who made things difficult for us last time.”

“He takes the defense of the south gate very seriously — he must be worried that the battle for Phoenix City will spill over into Yamu City.”

“As for the soldiers stationed at the west gate, they’ve been reshuffled and their numbers cut by quite a bit. I don’t know what things are like at the north gate on your end.”

From the time they left Black Ravine Gorge, it had been a short journey to Yamu City’s south gate, and the west gate was not far from the north gate either. So Feng Jiu’er had sent Qiaomu and Tuoba Ke Yan to scout the west gate and south gate, while she and Jian Yi made their way through Yamu City heading north.

In those short few days, she and Jian Yi had covered nearly half of Yamu City before coming back here to meet up with the others.

“The defenses at the north gate aren’t strong either.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice came through. “It seems the City Lord of Yamu has received word from the imperial palace.”

“The Emperor is concentrating his forces against Ninth Imperial Uncle. Ninth Imperial Uncle must meet that challenge, and the cost in men and resources will certainly be considerable.”

“Both sides, for the moment, appear too occupied to spare any attention for Yamu City — and that, too, is a fact.”

“Regardless of what other intentions Nanmen Yan may harbor, at least the current situation is temporarily in our favor.”

“However.” With so many of her brothers’ lives at stake, Feng Jiu’er could not afford to be careless.

“A fair number of outsiders have been entering through the north gate lately. It’s not out of the question that some of them are the Crown Prince’s men. We don’t have much time.”

Her words finished, Feng Jiu’er looked toward Xue Gu.

“Xue Gu, how has your investigation into the troops gone?”

“Yamu City has roughly thirteen thousand soldiers in total, of which five thousand are elite troops — their combat strength is formidable.”

Xue Gu glanced at Feng Jiu’er, then shifted her gaze to the map.

She reached out and turned the map slightly to face herself, then laid her long fingers on it.

“Consistent with what everyone has seen — the south gate currently has the heaviest concentration of troops: three thousand elite soldiers and four thousand regular infantry. At least seven thousand in total.”

“If Nanmen Yan isn’t merely worried about Phoenix City’s battle spilling over — there is another possibility.”

“And that is that Nanmen Yan may be in coordination with the Eighth Prince, to work from within and without against Phoenix City.”

“Nanmen Yan is the Eighth Prince’s man?” The possibility she had overlooked now hit Feng Jiu’er, and her unease grew.

She had no idea how things now stood in Phoenix City, which only deepened her worry.

“Not necessarily.” Xue Gu shook her head. “That is only a conjecture of mine — but it is not completely out of the question.”

“So, Jiu’er, whether it is for Desert City’s sake or for Phoenix City’s — the matter of taking Yamu City cannot be delayed any further.”

Feng Jiu’er met Xue Gu’s gaze, drew a slow breath, and nodded.

“Xing Zizhou and Xiao Yingtao will arrive at Ding City within two days. I’ve already sent word for Xing Zizhou to split his force into two — attacking from the north gate and west gate respectively.”

“Unfortunately, with the brothers we have left, plus the men Ninth Imperial Uncle allocated to us — pushing through the south gate is still going to be a challenge.”

“On this matter—”

Before Feng Jiu’er could finish, a clear, crisp bird call rang out. Her expression froze in an instant.

“What is it?” Qiaomu looked at her, brow gently furrowing.

“They’re here.” Feng Jiu’er dropped those two words, and a shimmer of delight lit up her round, bright eyes.

That sound — perhaps others hadn’t caught it, but she had heard it clearly.

Feng Jiu’er turned and grabbed Qiaomu by the arm, the joy on her face impossible to contain.

“Qiaomu, they’re here — they really are here.”

“Who’s here?”

Qiaomu genuinely couldn’t work it out. If someone had arrived, could she have missed it entirely? Besides, with Tuoba Keyan standing guard outside, it wasn’t easy for just anyone to get close.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t even had a chance to answer Qiaomu’s question when a clear, bright series of calls rang out, growing closer and closer.

A bird — carrying itself with no small amount of pride — flew in through the window and landed squarely on the table before them all.