Of course something was wrong.

After several steeds passed through two alleys, Xie Zhifei and that person simultaneously dismounted, exchanged a glance, and simultaneously ducked into an alley.

Just as he suspected!

There’s a situation!

Pei Xiao quickly jumped down from his horse, tossed the reins into Zhu Qing’s arms, and bounced after them.

Xie Zhifei led them to a secluded spot and immediately asked, “Who are you? What relation are you to Yan Sanhe?”

That person raised their eyebrows high, countering instead of answering, “Who are you?”

“Third Master of the Xie household, Xie Zhifei, serving at the North City Military Commissioner. I’m Yan Sanhe’s…”

Xie Zhifei thickened his face, gritted his teeth. “About half an elder brother, I suppose!”

That person was quite straightforward. “Li Buyan. I’m her maidservant.”

Li Buyan?

She was Li Buyan?

Li Buyan was actually a woman??

Before Xie Zhifei could react, he saw Pei Xiao beside him rush forward and grab Li Buyan’s arm.

Xie Zhifei’s eyelid jumped. He quickly shouted, “Li Buyan, hold back!”

Too late.

Pei Xiao’s body traced an extremely beautiful arc through the air, then with a “smack,” heavily hit the ground.

In an extremely seductive dog-eating-shit posture!

Between heaven and earth, time froze.

For that brief instant, Pei Xiao thought he’d ascended to heaven. Not until pain from all four channels and eight vessels surged up together did he suddenly realize.

Oh!

I’m fucking still alive!

Looking up, there was Xie Zhifei’s anxious face: How are you?

Pei Xiao glared: Why are you asking me—quickly ask her!

Xie Zhifei: I’ll ask you first if you’re crippled?

Pei Xiao rolled his eyes: Even if crippled, my father can treat me. You hurry up.

Xie Zhifei gave Zhu Qing a look.

Zhu Qing quickly helped Master Pei up, checking if anything was broken.

“Miss Li, that…”

Xie Zhifei said slowly, “My brother’s maternal grandmother’s coffin cracked. Your young miss said to go to Yunnan Prefecture to find someone named Li Buyan. The person sent to inquire came back saying they couldn’t find anyone. His heart is extremely anxious.”

Li Buyan smiled charmingly. “So you’re the aggrieved party?”

Pei Xiao didn’t feel the pain anymore, only his scalp tingling—tingling to numbness, only capable of nodding desperately.

Li Buyan: “Of course you couldn’t find the person. There are plenty of dogs in Yunnan Prefecture named Li Buyan.”

What does that mean?

Xie Zhifei looked at Pei Xiao, completely confused.

Pei Xiao miserably squeezed his eyes at Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei: What?

You bastard, let me keep prostrating! I’ve offended her—ascending to heaven would be better!

“…”

Xie Zhifei knew this person’s character like the back of his hand.

“Miss Li, whatever offense my brother committed, I apologize on his behalf. This person—his mouth is cheap, but his heart is extremely good. Miss, please don’t hold it against him.”

The words were very sincere.

Li Buyan’s impression of Xie Zhifei wasn’t bad. Just now, if not for him blocking, she’d still be struggling in combat.

“There’s no man in Fugong County named Li Buyan, only a woman named Li Buyan. You must have gotten it wrong.”

Xie Zhifei nudged Pei Xiao with his elbow: Did you hear?

Pei Xiao truly had a bellyful of bitter water he couldn’t pour out: You never fucking said it was a woman either. With this ghostly name, who wouldn’t think it’s a man?

Xie Zhifei nodded: Alright, ancestor, I’m in the wrong.

Pei Xiao glared at him: It was your mistake to begin with.

“Excuse me?”

Li Buyan looked at the two of them. “Are you two making eyes at each other?”

The two: “…”

“Miss Li.”

Xie Zhifei quickly changed the subject.

“By rights, I should invite you to a restaurant for a meal so we can talk over food. But the matter is urgent, so I’ll ask directly here—who is the expert your young miss mentioned?”

Li Buyan was silent for a moment, then smiled charmingly again.

“This matter can’t be spoken of. Once I see my young miss, I’ll tell you.”

“You…”

Xie Zhifei quickly covered Pei Xiao’s mouth. “Rest assured, your young miss will definitely be fine. But how did you know your young miss was in the Ministry of Justice prison?”

“I went to the Xie household.”

Xie Zhifei suddenly understood while also harboring some doubt.

“Then just now, Miss, were you planning to break into the prison alone to rescue your young miss?”

“Didn’t you see?”

“It’s not that…”

Xie Zhifei thought about his wording. “Miss, don’t you understand that the Ministry of Justice is one of the Six Ministries, with plenty of guards watching? For Miss alone…”

“One person, one life.”

Li Buyan smiled faintly. “If I can’t rescue my young miss, what do I need this life for?”

Between heaven and earth, silence once again!

…

Xu Household.

Xie Daozhi set his teacup down heavily on the table with a bang, saying angrily, “Molesting my goddaughter? Is Minister Xu looking at me, Xie, as easy to bully?”

Xu Lai was dumbfounded.

He had only thought his son molested that woman surnamed Yan. Who would have imagined the beast molested Xie Daozhi’s goddaughter?

This nature was completely different.

“Slap!”

Xie Daozhi slapped the table, saying sternly, “I, Xie, have lived this long and have never been bullied like this. Minister Xu, let’s meet before His Majesty!”

“Minister Xie, Minister Xie!”

Hearing the two words “His Majesty,” Xu Lai panicked and quickly softened. “Let’s talk this through, discuss matters properly. Please sit, please sit.”

“Sit? Sit what?”

Xie Daozhi, steeped in officialdom for many years, displayed full official authority. “You just speak directly—how will this matter end!”

How else could it end?

Xu Lai wore a face full of smiles. “Naturally, however Minister wishes it to end, that’s how it will end.”

Xie Daozhi: “First release the person. As for the rest, I’ll slowly settle accounts with you.”

Xu Lai heard this and broke out in cold sweat.

“Minister Xie, it’s not that I as a father am protecting my own son—that beast deserved death, but one can’t kick a man’s manhood.”

Xie Daozhi sneered coldly in his heart.

Harming my, Xie Daozhi’s, goddaughter—kicking your manhood is still getting off light.

“Minister Xie knows—my Xu family has only this one heir. If he’s really kicked broken, isn’t this taking my old life!”

Just as these words finished, a servant came to report.

“Master, Master, the imperial physician says it’s fine—it can be used, can still be used!”

Xu Lai was immediately overjoyed. “Minister Xie, just a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. I’ll immediately have someone release her.”

Xie Daozhi slapped the table again. “Just release her?”

Xu Lai’s eyeballs rolled. “Minister Xie, rest assured. In three days, I’ll host a banquet at Zuixiao Tower and have that beast kowtow and apologize to Minister Xie.”

Hearing the three words “Zuixiao Tower,” Xie Daozhi’s heart grew even more furious.

Everyone in the world knew this Zuixiao Tower was the Han Prince’s private property.

Hosting a banquet there was reminding him: Enough is enough—also take a look at who stands behind me, Xu Lai!

Not speaking on this end, Xu Lai understood. He quickly said, “Minister Xie, rest assured—the person is completely intact. We didn’t dare touch a single finger.”

Xie Daozhi reluctantly restrained himself, sneering coldly. “Minister Xu should be grateful you didn’t torture her. Otherwise, even Zuixiao Tower would be useless.”

Having said this, he flicked his sleeve and departed.

Xu Lai watched his retreating figure, saying gloomily, “You, Xie Daozhi—what kind of thing are you? One day… hmph!”

…

Ministry of Justice prison.

Yan Sanhe maintained the same sitting posture, the same expression. Only as time flowed away bit by bit, fear surged uncontrollably in her heart.

Yes, she felt fear.

This prison was filled with ghostly energy, various screams rising and falling, making one’s scalp tingle.

Making one unable to stop imagining what kind of torture the person making those screams was suffering. Would the next one be her turn?

The sound of a door opening came from the end of the corridor.

Yan Sanhe’s blood and energy surged to her heart. The gold hairpin in her hand gripped tightly.

The cell door opened. A jailer looked inside, his tone very gentle. “Miss, quickly come out. Someone has come to fetch you.”

The tightly strung cord in Yan Sanhe’s head snapped with a bang.