Du Qing confirmed he hadn’t heard wrong, yet his expression became even more wooden.

He could leave… did that mean they were releasing him?

Thinking this, he heard a slight clicking sound as the shackles that had bound him for many days were opened.

Wind blew through the open door, yet despite regaining his freedom, he made no move.

“Please.” The young Jinlin Guard’s face showed incomprehension, thinking to himself: Could this person think the Jinlin Guard’s meals are good and be reluctant to leave?

Du Qing silently drew in a breath and strode out of the Jinlin Guard office.

The night was ink-black, and the orange halos from lanterns hanging under the eaves cast a hazy glow over the deserted street. Du Qing stood at the street corner, momentarily uncertain where to go. Only when a passerby hurrying along cast a curious glance did he awaken as if from a dream and rush off in a direction.

The next day dawned bright and clear, and Qi Shuo arranged to meet with Lin Hao.

“I’ve already told Cheng Maoming about releasing Du Qing.” As Qi Shuo spoke, he passed over a small box.

“What’s this?” Lin Hao opened it directly. Seeing the stack of banknotes inside, she was somewhat surprised. “This much? Could it be dividends from the eatery?”

Had that consistently meager-profit small eatery finally become productive?

After a moment of peculiar silence, Qi Shuo explained matter-of-factly: “The reward silver for capturing Chen Mu.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Hao’s heart inexplicably settled with peace.

Good, good—it still couldn’t compare to her Wuxiang Flower Dew shop.

She casually rested one hand on the open box, a gentle smile playing at her lips: “Grand Commander Cheng sent this over? Quite a lot.”

“Mm, it’s all for you.” Qi Shuo said very naturally.

As a young lady of the General’s Manor, Lin Hao never worried about money. Even during that period when buying the mansion to aid beggars finally gave her a taste of financial tightness, she wouldn’t take money too seriously. But this didn’t prevent her from feeling happy after hearing Qi Shuo’s words.

The young woman’s eyes curved in a smile: “Then I’ll keep it.”

Seeing her accept without hesitation, Qi Shuo’s lips curved slightly upward: “Are you busy today?”

“Not busy. The flower dew shop hasn’t released new products recently, and those few girls have gradually gotten things straightened out. With A’Xing managing the mansion, I don’t need to worry about it either.” Though Lin Hao said she wasn’t busy, in reality she wasn’t without things to do at home.

She was embroidering her trousseau.

She wasn’t particularly skilled at it, but passable. Items like wedding garments were all being meticulously crafted by the finest embroiderers. Embroidering simple things like pillowcases to satisfy wedding customs was something she could manage.

If Lin Shi knew her daughter’s thoughts, she would probably die laughing.

With A’Hao’s lazy manner of embroidering just a few stitches a day, she wasn’t even as diligent as her mother, who’d been a bandit since childhood, when preparing for marriage.

Qi Shuo couldn’t imagine what Lin Hao looked like earnestly embroidering. Hearing her say she had nothing on, he said: “Today I’ll accompany Cheng Maoming to the guest lodge. Do you want to come see?”

Lin Hao became interested: “What’s happened at the lodge?”

“A Yuliu maidservant has disappeared.”

Lin Hao couldn’t help but frown: “Does that mean there’s trouble?”

Like Qi Shuo, she also didn’t want the stable life they’d worked so hard to obtain to face upheaval again. In fact, because of her previous life’s experience remaining by Reverend Mingxin’s side, she saw even more clearly that if Emperor Pingle reclaimed the throne, it would absolutely not be a blessing for the nation and its people.

“We’ll see if we can find her in time.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Thus, the eagerly waiting Grand Commander Cheng received the Heir of Prince Jing along with his not-yet-married wife.

The moment he saw Lin Hao, Cheng Maoming’s feelings became somewhat complicated.

Every time he saw Second Miss Lin, he felt that having a son like the Heir of Prince Jing was perhaps unnecessary after all.

Who brings their not-yet-married wife when handling such serious official business!

“Grand Commander, can we depart?” Seeing Cheng Maoming’s mind wander, Qi Shuo spoke up as a reminder.

“Oh, please, Heir.” Cheng Maoming sighed deeply in his heart.

No one is perfect—being wife-obsessed was perhaps the Heir of Prince Jing’s only flaw.

The group quickly arrived at the lodge.

The Yuliu envoy was making a scene: “We are visiting envoys, not suspects. What’s the meaning of searching repeatedly and not letting us leave?”

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was frantically trying to pacify them. Catching sight of Cheng Maoming’s arrival, he hastily sought help: “Grand Commander Cheng, you’ve finally come.”

Before Cheng Maoming could speak, the Yuliu envoy directed his anger at him: “Commander Cheng, it’s your subordinates blocking us from leaving, isn’t it? I want to ask your nation’s emperor whether your nation intends to place us under house arrest?”

Cheng Maoming smiled politely: “If the envoy wishes to see Our Majesty, you can seek an audience at any time. But you can’t pin the crime of placing honored guests under house arrest on Cheng.”

“Then what’s the meaning of this?” The Yuliu envoy pointed at the guards stationed outside.

“This is protection.” Cheng Maoming lied without changing expression. “Yesterday one of your nation’s maidservants disappeared and still hasn’t been found. Cheng was worried that deranged villains might be lurking outside, so I posted guards at the door to prevent honored guests from going out and being targeted. We’re also carefully searching the lodge interior to prevent villains from hiding inside and harming the honored guests…”

He continued, showing a wronged expression: “Cheng is doing this all for the honored guests’ benefit!”

Listening to this nonsense, the Yuliu envoy only wanted to sneer: “I want to see your nation’s emperor.”

“Then go ahead—bring plenty of people to ensure safety.” Cheng Maoming acted as if he had the other party’s interests completely at heart.

Whether going to see His Majesty or strolling the streets, he had never feared those who left openly through the main entrance.

The Yuliu envoy snorted coldly and strode outward. Indeed, no one blocked him, but after walking just a few steps, he came back.

“The envoy isn’t going to see Our Majesty after all?”

“I haven’t yet asked Commander Cheng—has the missing maidservant been found? She hasn’t met with trouble like our poor princess, has she?” The Yuliu envoy found a flawless excuse to remain.

Why the Yuliu maidservant had disappeared, he knew all too well. What worried him most was these people finding her.

Cheng Maoming’s expression turned serious: “Not yet, which is why Cheng came over to continue investigating.”

“Then Commander Cheng must find her quickly.”

As the two men exchanged verbal barbs, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial greeted Qi Shuo and secretly wondered why the Heir of Prince Jing had come together with Cheng Maoming.

As for Lin Hao, standing quietly at Qi Shuo’s side, her masculine attire meant she went unnoticed for the moment.

The Yuliu envoy finally turned his attention to Qi Shuo: “Is this the Heir of Prince Jing?”

Qi Shuo looked over and nodded slightly.

Interest immediately appeared in the Yuliu envoy’s eyes: “I heard the suspected murderer of our princess was drawn by the Heir based on people’s descriptions. Is this true?”

“Mm.” Qi Shuo was succinct, his expression calm.

“Then the Heir’s presence here today is—” The Yuliu envoy looked at the jade-complexioned youth, inevitably feeling some contempt in his heart.

A princeling who wielded a paintbrush—what was he doing getting involved?

Before Qi Shuo could speak, Cheng Maoming took over: “The Heir was invited by Cheng. The envoy surely knows what the missing maidservant looks like. Having our Heir draw her portrait will make it easier to find her.”

Our Heir?

The Yuliu envoy didn’t notice anything amiss, but the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial looked at Cheng Maoming with an odd expression.