Dawn broke.

News of the princes’ heirs perishing in the snowy night spread rapidly through the streets and alleys of the capital.

Last night’s chaotic footsteps, forceful door pounding, and barking dogs had disturbed countless people’s peace, leaving them anxious throughout the entire night.

Emperor Yong’an’s fury was like suddenly rising tremendous waves, crashing down upon his trembling subjects.

Yet regardless of the emperor’s rage, even though officials and soldiers from various government offices including the Jinlin Guard patrolled the streets again and again to silence gossiping commoners, news of the princes’ heirs’ deaths still grew wings and flew out of the capital, spreading to all corners of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

When Luo Sheng heard this news, she too was greatly shocked.

With the princes’ heirs dead, those princes were now completely free of all constraints. With Prince Dingdong taking the lead, the realm would likely descend into chaos.

She detested Prince Pingnan’s manor, and even more so the true executioner Emperor Yong’an, yet she did not wish to see the realm thrown into chaos, implicating many innocent commoners in warfare.

The young woman leaning by the window stroked the bracelet on her wrist over and over again.

Originally, with this bracelet and by seizing the right opportunity, it might have been possible to make the person on the dragon throne pay a price with minimal bloodshed and conflict.

Now things were likely different.

However, regardless of what happened, she needed to find a way to retrieve that item related to the bracelet—she just had to carefully consider who should handle this matter.

Outside the window, the magnolia tree wore a blanket of pristine white snow, as if pure white magnolia blossoms had bloomed early. Thinking of that person thousands of miles away, worry welled up in Luo Sheng’s heart.

She believed he had no problem dealing with Prince Dingdong, but once all sides fell into chaos, some matters would be beyond human control, and the situation could very likely develop in an unmanageable direction.

“Miss—” Kou’er reported the news of the princes’ heirs’ assassination, but seeing Luo Sheng remain silent all this while, she couldn’t help calling out.

Luo Sheng turned to look at her.

Kou’er stepped forward and draped the snow fox fur cloak over her shoulders, murmuring: “Miss, in such cold weather you mustn’t stand by the window—what if you catch a chill?”

After hearing news of the princes’ heirs’ incident, why did Miss look so serious?

Luo Sheng returned to sit on the beauty couch, casually tossing the cloak aside, and asked: “Besides this matter, is there anything else unusual?”

Kou’er first shook her head, then hesitated slightly: “This is the only major incident, though there is one small matter that has a slight connection to our tavern—”

“What matter?”

“Zhu Wu’s uncle came.”

Luo Sheng’s expression changed: “Zhu Wu’s uncle?”

Kou’er, thinking Luo Sheng had forgotten about this person, reminded her: “The Uncle Xing who ate at Zhu Wu’s expense several months ago and made Zhu Wu advance over a decade’s worth of salary.”

“When did he come?”

“Three days ago, he went to the tavern looking for Zhu Wu—”

Luo Sheng frowned and glanced at Kou’er: “Why wasn’t this reported at the time?”

Kou’er was somewhat bewildered by Luo Sheng’s seriousness and explained: “When the beggar came to report about the princes’ heirs’ assassination, this maid asked a few more questions, and he mentioned it casually.”

How strange Miss was being—did Zhu Wu’s uncle coming to find Zhu Wu, such a trivial matter, really need special reporting?

Luo Sheng stood up and walked to the window again, pushing it open.

Cold wind blew in, making her mind even clearer.

Uncle Xing had come looking for Zhu Wu three days ago, and last night the princes’ heirs were assassinated—could there be a connection between these two events?

When an incident occurred, to analyze the parties involved behind it, one need only look at who benefited and who suffered losses—this was the clearest approach.

The death of the princes’ heirs was absolutely not what Emperor Yong’an wanted to see. At least for now, keeping the princes’ heirs in his grasp to make the princes wary of taking action maximized his interests.

Then who would benefit from the princes’ heirs’ deaths?

Prince Dingdong was one.

The tallest tree catches the wind—with the court concentrating all its forces against Prince Dingdong, the pressure on him was considerable, but it would be different if the princes were drawn into warfare.

What about the Vermilion Bird Guard?

Thinking of that elite guard unit her father had regarded as his trump card, Luo Sheng’s mood suddenly grew heavy.

If the Vermilion Bird Guard wanted to avenge Prince Zhennan’s manor, assassinating the princes’ heirs to muddy the waters was the most effortless method. Perhaps from now on they need only watch from the mountain as tigers fight, coldly observing Emperor Yong’an lose his realm.

Luo Sheng gazed at the vast whiteness outside the window and sighed softly.

Such revenge was not what she wanted.

“Bring the cloak.”

Kou’er hurriedly took the snow fox cloak that Luo Sheng had just removed from the beauty couch and draped it over her again.

Luo Sheng gathered the ties together and walked outside.

“Miss, it’s still snowing outside—where are you going?” Kou’er followed, pulling out an oiled paper umbrella from the vase by the door and opening it.

Since the tavern had closed for business and the snow kept falling endlessly, Miss had not stepped outside the courtyard gate in quite some time.

Cold wind mixed with fine snow struck against her tender cheeks, making one instinctively squint.

Luo Sheng paused briefly and said lightly: “To see the young master.”

With New Year approaching, Luo Chen had also stopped his studies and spent most of his time nestled in his warm study reading.

Hearing that Luo Sheng had come, Luo Chen set down his book: “Show her in.”

He stood up and walked into the main hall, seeing Luo Sheng handing her cloak to Kou’er while shaking snow particles from her dress.

“The weather is so terrible—why did you come over?” Looking at the young woman whose cheeks were flushed slightly red from the cold, Luo Chen asked with a frown.

Luo Sheng smiled faintly: “I came to see you.”

Luo Chen rolled his eyes: “Just say what you want.”

They saw each other every day—what nonsense excuse was that?

“Let’s go to the study—it’s warm there.” The young man dropped this line, turned around with a stern face.

Luo Sheng indicated that Kou’er should wait here and lifted her feet to follow.

The study was indeed warm and cozy, making Luo Sheng comfortably relax her brow. She glanced at the book lying face-down on the low couch and asked with a smile: “A new storybook?”

Luo Chen endured the twitch of his eyebrows and said irritably: “I don’t read storybooks.”

Luo Sheng caught sight of the book’s title and shook her head helplessly.

It was actually the Zhou Bi Suan Jing!

So her little brother was interested in mathematics? She had thought boys this age were at the stage of sneaking peeks at storybooks.

Luo Chen felt his sister’s expression was somewhat odd and didn’t know what nonsense she was thinking again. He frowned and said: “Let’s discuss the actual matter.”

Luo Sheng smiled and had no choice but to get straight to the point: “That token—I’d like to borrow it.”

“What for?” Luo Chen immediately asked.

Luo Sheng was silent for a moment, then said: “I’ll only know what use it has after trying.”

This vague answer did not satisfy the young man, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he retrieved the half token from a hidden compartment somewhere in the bookshelf and handed it to Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng thanked him, chatted casually for a few more moments, then stood to take her leave.

“Be careful not to slip and fall.” The young man awkwardly cautioned.

“I know.” Luo Sheng smiled at the young man, gathered her cloak tightly, and ducked under the oiled paper umbrella, slowly walking outside.

Snow continued to fall. The mistress and servant sheltering under the umbrella had already disappeared from view, leaving only two sets of footprints in the snow.

Luo Chen stood in the corridor for a long while before turning to go back inside.

Luo Sheng did not return to Xianyun Courtyard but went straight out of the Grand Marshal’s Manor, heading directly for Zhu Wu’s residence.