For the past several days, Feng Jiu’er had been staying by the Ninth Prince’s side. Although the Empress would occasionally come to disturb them, the Prince’s condition had genuinely improved somewhat. Many of the brothers had noticed this with their own eyes.

What they had also noticed, however, was that Miss Jiu’er’s complexion was growing worse with each passing day. On a journey that was simply the walk back, she had very nearly collapsed midway.

“Miss Jiu’er, are you all right?” Long Twelve had been passing nearby and, upon seeing Feng Jiu’er’s legs buckle, immediately rushed over to steady her.

“It’s nothing. I may have been sitting for too long — I stood up and walked too quickly, and my head couldn’t quite adjust.”

Jiu’er composed herself before gently pushing his hand away and smiled. “I’ve steadied myself now. It’s fine.”

“But, Miss Jiu’er, your complexion…” Long Twelve did not want to say it aloud, but her face truly did not look well at all.

Feng Jiu’er, however, had too many things weighing on her mind and had no heart for further conversation.

“I’m fine. I have something important to discuss with the Ninth Imperial Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er offered a strained smile, turned, and walked away.

Long Twelve stared at her retreating figure, an uneasy feeling stirring in his chest — but she had already gone too far to call back.

“Twelve, what are you standing there for? Come and help.” From a distance, Yu Jingfeng called out.

Tonight they were to enter Black Tiger Mountain, and it seemed they would be spending the night there. The small stream nearby was full of fish, and he intended to take advantage of the rest period to catch some with his brothers.

Black Tiger Mountain had relatively gentle terrain, but it was true that there was little in the way of birds or beasts.

Long Twelve walked over, still somewhat distracted — when Yu Jingfeng tossed him the fishing basket, he nearly failed to catch it.

“What are you thinking about?” Yu Jingfeng shot him a glance.

Long Twelve thought for a moment, then stepped closer and said in a low voice, “Lord Yu, Miss Jiu’er’s complexion… seems to be growing worse by the day.”

At those words, Yu Jingfeng’s fingertips tightened — the fish he had just caught nearly slipped from his grasp.

He glanced toward the Ninth Prince’s carriage in the distance, and it happened to be the exact moment Feng Jiu’er was standing beside it, holding a small mirror, applying something to her face.

In an instant, it all became clear to him.

No wonder that recently, when he looked at Feng Jiu’er, her complexion seemed fine — it had never occurred to him that she had been wearing makeup all along.

Miss Jiu’er gave blood to the Ninth Prince every single night. Six or seven days had already passed in the blink of an eye — of course her color would be poor. Because her face had shown no obvious sign of deterioration, he had simply overlooked it.

“You… you carry on fishing with the others. I’ll go take a look.” He handed the basket back to Long Twelve, crouched to rinse his hands in the stream, then quickly climbed out of the water.

Feng Jiu’er had indeed stopped beside the carriage for a moment, taken out a small mirror, and dabbed a touch of rouge onto her cheeks.

From a distance, anyone who did not know better would have assumed she was simply doing her makeup — to attract the Ninth Prince’s attention.

Of course, those who would think such a thing would have to be women — specifically, those two particular women.

As for everyone else, they presumably had not yet arrived at such a conclusion.

She tucked the small compact away, then lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.

Zhan Qingcheng was reading. Whenever there was nothing pressing to do, he seemed to be especially fond of books. His tall, slender frame reclined languidly across the wide, cushioned couch, his posture effortlessly elegant, strands of ink-black hair sliding across the planes of his face — breathtakingly beautiful, yet utterly remote and cold.

He was a very cold man. Feng Jiu’er could never quite understand why he was capable of such warmth when she was in front of him.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle.” She walked over and, out of habit, settled herself on the carriage floor beside the couch.

“Mm.” Zhan Qingcheng reached out and gathered her into his arms, his large hand gently stroking through her hair — the way one might hold a beloved little girl close.

As for his reading, it did not appear to stop simply because Feng Jiu’er had arrived.

Feng Jiu’er felt a flicker of exasperation. The Ninth Imperial Uncle was behaving very much like a grown man now, while she, forced to kneel-sit at his side and lean across his lap, looked every bit like a small child.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, what if tonight we take the Sharp Wolf Mountain route instead?” she asked suddenly.

The fingers Zhan Qingcheng had been turning the page with gave a slight pause. He looked down at her. “Why?”

“I received word that Black Tiger Mountain is dangerous.”

“Reliable?”

“Reliable.”

As for why she trusted Mu Mu so completely — not even Feng Jiu’er herself could say. Perhaps it was because Mu Mu… resembled the Ninth Imperial Uncle so much. And anyone who resembled the Ninth Imperial Uncle was, to her, a good person.

“Very well. Inform Yu Jingfeng — we change course to Sharp Wolf Mountain.”

“Your Highness!” Zhan Qingcheng’s words were caught by Yu Jingfeng, who had just arrived at the side of the carriage.

Even so, Zhan Qingcheng was no longer inclined to deal with him. He released Feng Jiu’er and settled back against the couch, returning to his book.

Feng Jiu’er understood his meaning. She shifted over, lifted the curtain, and jumped down from the carriage.

“Lord Yu, we are changing course to Sharp Wolf Mountain,” she said.

“Miss Jiu’er, Sharp Wolf Mountain is heavily frequented by wolf packs — it is very dangerous.” Yu Jingfeng did not agree. At the very least, he wanted to first verify whether the intelligence was reliable.

Though he too wished he could be like the Ninth Prince — to simply trust Miss Jiu’er without question — he simply could not manage it.

“Who gave Miss Jiu’er this information? Did they say anything about the reason?”

“The message came from Mu Mu. No reason was given. But if he says Black Tiger Mountain is dangerous, then it is most certainly dangerous.”

“Mu Mu…” Yu Jingfeng was quiet for a moment before saying, “But he is likely still a full city behind us right now. How could he possibly know that Black Tiger Mountain will be dangerous tonight?”

Before entering, Yu Jingfeng had naturally sent scouts ahead. Their report came back clear — they had found nothing alarming. Black Tiger Mountain, at least for the time being, remained calm and quiet.

“Who did you send out today to gather information?” Feng Jiu’er’s gaze grew still and thoughtful, as though she were turning something over in her mind.

Yu Jingfeng thought for a moment, then replied, “Song Yan and Lan Yu from the Longqi Army.”

“I would like to speak with them both.” Feng Jiu’er looked up at the sky, gauging the time. The hour of their departure was less than one incense-stick’s time away.

“Most of our routine intelligence communications — are they handled largely by those two?”

“Miss Jiu’er, are you suspecting…”

“Right now I suspect a great many people. After all, the internal spy has not yet been found. But I cannot simply seize everyone I suspect — I am merely asking as a matter of routine.”

“Very well. I’ll have them come over at once.”

Before long, Feng Jiu’er met the two brothers Yu Jingfeng had spoken of — Song Yan and Lan Yu. Both had been at the Ninth Prince’s side for many years, comrades who had faced life and death together.

“You both carried out reconnaissance on Black Tiger Mountain?” Jiu’er asked.

“In reply to Miss Jiu’er — I went to survey it at noon. Lan Yu went again just now. We found nothing amiss.” Song Yan replied.

“Yes. I brought two brothers along for a thorough look just now as well. Nothing out of the ordinary was found anywhere.” Lan Yu also nodded in confirmation.

Feng Jiu’er, however, simply stared at the two of them — a fixed, direct stare that quickly made both men uncomfortable.

“Miss Jiu’er…”

“Could you two… turn around and let me have a look?” Feng Jiu’er said with a faint smile.

The two exchanged a glance, expressions shifting with puzzlement. At last, still carrying a measure of bewilderment, they turned around.