The ink-colored flower had bloomed, yet the person who tended it was gone. She had become the Grand Justice, and Willow Garden had become an empty garden. The liveliness of eating New Year’s Eve dinner together not long ago now required memories to paint its colors. An era of stability had passed, and even the most beautiful flowers could hardly disguise the desolation.

The Spring Festival had passed, yet spring seemed to run counter.

Mo Zi looked at that blooming peony. Her life flower, as Doulü often said. Now the life flower that belonged to her had bloomed out of season—did this mean she should shine brilliantly? Judging by the speed of her promotions, there was indeed some momentum.

Moving the chair aside, she discovered some dried flower petal powder beneath the windowsill—something they used to dye their fingernails when they were young, turning crimson when mixed with water. The tea on the table had been drunk halfway, hastily set down, with a ring of wood grain dampness at the bottom of the cup.

Zan Jin and Ding Gou almost simultaneously alighted before the warm room, each shaking their heads at her.

“Can’t find the Second Young Master, nor any of his subordinates. As for the other servants, they normally can’t enter here, so they know even less about what happened.” Zan Jin reported directly to her.

“But several confirmed that your sister didn’t go out, and she left instructions that as soon as you returned, you should be asked to come here.” Ding Gou always had to add his own opinions. “Perhaps Young Master Jin took her away.”

“No.” Mo Zi dismissed this possibility without even thinking. “Doulü has been trying to force peonies to bloom all these years. Now that one has finally bloomed, she absolutely wouldn’t leave at this time. Even if she left, she would take the flower with her.”

“On the windowsill facing inward, there are two pairs of men’s footprints, but outside beneath the wall there are four pairs, not including Sister Doulü’s. The other party may have brought experts to abduct her.” Under Mo Zi’s insistence, Zan Jin called her Sister Doulü. Doulü often said that Zan Jin was more like a reassuring elder brother than her own brothers.

Mo Zi frowned, exhaled deeply, and uttered three words: “Wu Yan.”

This name was no longer unfamiliar to Zan Jin and Ding Gou. Though not unfamiliar, they still didn’t know the grievances between this person and Mo Zi.

Ding Gou, with his poisonous mouth, opened it to speculate wildly. “The Prince of Daqiu captured your sister—could he think she has something with Young Master Jin, wanting to use her to force him to submit?”

“My sister has something with Young Master Jin?” Mo Zi laughed despite herself. Jin Yin was always saying Doulü was ugly—could romantic feelings still develop? After thinking it over, she suddenly wasn’t so certain. Don’t couples start by finding each other disagreeable? “I didn’t even know… Wu Yan couldn’t possibly know either. He came to capture Doulü just to force me to submit.”

Ding Gou looked her up and down with a sidelong glance and sneered. “Could he have taken a fancy to you?”

Zan Jin glanced sideways at Ding Gou. “Why couldn’t he take a fancy to Brother Mo?”

Ding Gou waved away flies in front of his face. “Right, not only has he taken a fancy, he personally made a trip, determined to take her back to be his empress. These words… sound nice, but who could believe them?”

“Queen.” Mo Zi walked outward, her steps quick. “Queen consort.”

Ding Gou made a sound of realization.

“Daqiu people don’t use the word empress. I heard he wanted to marry me, but… I didn’t agree. Let’s go, back to Yuan Mansion.” Willow Garden was ultimately just a front for show.

Zan Jin grabbed the dazed Ding Gou. “Brother Mo isn’t someone nobody wants, but rather those who have thoughts of marrying her are definitely not common folk. If you have any ideas, extinguish them yourself early on.”

Ding Gou laughed awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed… seemingly covering up. “If anyone has ideas, it’s you.”

“I like Brother Mo… but I also know I’m not worthy. In this lifetime, I’m satisfied just giving my life to her.” Zan Jin spoke frankly.

Mo Zi didn’t hear this, having just turned the corner. Moreover, with Doulü missing, she was anxious as fire. She blamed herself—since she had anticipated Wu Yan would make a move on Doulü, she should have hidden Doulü away. She actually had no idea how much power Jin Yin had and really shouldn’t have relaxed her guard. Jin Yin had no fewer troubles than she did, so naturally she couldn’t blame him.

Although she thought Wu Yan wouldn’t do anything to Doulü, she couldn’t guarantee that other people from Daqiu wouldn’t use extreme methods. She could only say that Doulü might temporarily be in no mortal danger, but if she didn’t compromise, that would be hard to say.

She had the impulse to go directly to the Daqiu diplomatic residence to demand her sister back, but on second thought, Wu Yan had secretly entered the capital. Although the Emperor knew, that didn’t mean others knew too. If she made such a scene… not only would those in Great Zhou who wished her ill fortune have the perfect opportunity to frame her for treason and selling out the country, but Daqiu could take advantage to force her into a corner with no retreat, allowing Wu Yan to reap the benefits. The only plan now was to first go find Yuan Cheng to deliberate.

Yuan Mansion was lit with numerous fancy lanterns in preparation for tomorrow’s Lantern Festival, warming the tail end of winter into brightness.

Mo Zi’s rapid breathing eased accordingly, and she even involuntarily returned smiles to those already very familiar faces.

“The Master is in his study, currently questioning Young Master Ji.” A steward led a servant boy to light the way for her. “I heard today Miss was the examiner, yet the Master went to observe the examination. I was wondering why you didn’t return together.”

“I went back to Willow Garden first.” Mo Zi replied.

Between the lines, the most simple domestic matters, the most natural concern.

Her heart settled a bit.

“Speaking of Willow Garden, Miss, this afternoon a gatekeeper delivered a letter.” The steward didn’t know that this one sentence made Mo Zi’s heart immediately leap up again.

“Where’s the letter? Who had it delivered?” The timing was too coincidental—it was extremely likely related to Doulü’s matter.

“The letter was for the Master. I don’t know anything else.” The steward looked ahead. “Miss, we’ve arrived at the study.”

Mo Zi took the steps three at a time and pushed through the door. In the outer room, she heard Li Yan’s voice. The content of his words made her pause slightly in her steps.

“This old one’s journey will certainly not disgrace the mission. Master, just await good news.”

Where was Li Yan going? She wanted to hear a few more words, but Yuan Cheng saw her outside the curtain.

“Mo Zi, come in.”

As soon as Mo Zi entered, Li Yan clasped his hands to bid her farewell.

“Miss Song, please take care of the Master. Li Yan will return shortly.”

She saw that though his expression was grave, his eyes were bright, as if displaying an appearance of ambitions finally able to unfold.

Li Yan left.

Zhang Zhen looked at her, then at Yuan Cheng, chuckled, and said he would see Old Li off, then also left.

“Where is Old Li going?” Ah, she should have mentioned Doulü’s matter first.

“Nande.” Seeing Mo Zi somewhat surprised, Yuan Cheng added, “He’s originally from Nande… now returning to see some old friends.”

“Doulü is missing.” Going back to see old friends? Earlier when he had so much free time he never thought of going, but chose to go precisely when Nande was in complete chaos? It must be Yuan Cheng instructing him to handle something. Mo Zi asked no more—what she should know, she would eventually know.

“Jin Yin is also missing.” Yuan Cheng told her.

“Hm?” Because of her surprise, she didn’t notice his tone was somewhat bland. “Were they both captured by Wu Yan at the same time? But Jin Yin has Qianliang and Bailiang beside him, plus Yiliang and Baliang. At the flower room there wasn’t the slightest trace of a fight.”

“He happened to have no one with him—they were all dispatched to collect silver from money houses. He had long since taken over business from Daqiu and Yuling. With Nande’s situation poor and his identity exposed, if the court were to confiscate those money houses, the losses would be huge.” War profits must be made in secret. He had collaborated with Jin Yin on quite a bit of business, all without making a name, only pursuing practical profits.

“At this time? Knowing Daqiu people might capture him, with Great Zhou’s Emperor’s attitude unclear? I don’t believe it.” Mo Zi was suspicious, then realized Yuan Cheng’s attitude seemed too calm. “What did I miss?”

“See for yourself.” Yuan Cheng handed her a letter.

Mo Zi first looked at the signature: “Jin Baliang.”

Wasn’t Baliang dispatched out? She hurriedly read the letter’s contents. From fright to delight to horror, by the end she couldn’t utter a single word.

“Your sister has talent, but unfortunately encountered a muddled master who thought himself clever, her beauty fading early… truly regrettable. Mo Zi, don’t be too heartbroken. When we meet your second brother, save your strength for teaching him a lesson then.” Yuan Cheng saw she was so shocked she couldn’t hold the letter. “Today was originally a good day for your promotion and reward. I even specially ordered a banquet—”

“Yuan Cheng, help me find Doulü.” Damn Jin Yin, stinking Jin Yin—why did he drag innocent Doulü into his own rotten scheme? Although she had agreed to handle three matters for him initially, wasn’t that just meant as a gesture?

“Mo Zi, by this time the people should have already left the capital. We can only wait for him to send another letter.” It wasn’t that he wouldn’t help, but blindly searching would be useless.

The letter described the process of Doulü and Jin Yin’s disappearance. Only this process, which should have been thrilling but safe, was turned by Jin Yin into something extremely dangerous.

At this very moment, over a dozen people and three horse carriages were rushing through the night, both men and horses looking fierce. In the middle carriage, someone was just as angry as Mo Zi, their cheeks puffed with rage.

“Enough. You’ve been captured for over an hour now and are still sulking at me. Wipe your mouth—looking at it makes me nervous.” A silver-threaded handkerchief was offered before that angry person.

“Why did you have to appear?” The voice was pleasing to the ear, yet not as captivating as that face capable of toppling kingdoms. “If you hadn’t appeared, he would have thought I was dead. Dead, do you understand?”

This man and woman—if not Jin Yin and Doulü, then who?

“I understand.” Jin Yin’s fan hadn’t been confiscated by anyone and still swayed back and forth.

In fact, considering his relationship with Doulü, Wu Yan temporarily treated him favorably and didn’t force a body search or anything.

“But my appearing is my appearing, your feigning death is your feigning death. I didn’t make you expose yourself.” The one who didn’t understand was her. She suddenly played dead, and played it so realistically, that he suddenly jumped out. Originally, he was hidden very well and had planned to wait longer.

Doulü huffed twice and said slowly, “If it weren’t for me, you would have been hacked to death right then. Loving silver to this degree, calculating debts with a dead person.” He even slapped her face—his hands were ice cold, freezing her along with him, making her want to grind her teeth in anger.

“How do you know it was me who would be hacked to death and not that your Fifth Brother who would have me hacked to death?” However, Wu Yan’s ruthlessness exceeded his expectations. When Doulü returned from death to life, she indeed barely saved his life. He had originally thought Wu Yan would at least verify.

Doulü looked at Jin Yin for a long while. “The reason his shadow guards are called shadows is because they can kill without trace. And my sister told me he’s very deep in schemes, doing things without leaving future troubles. If he wanted to kill you, he absolutely wouldn’t wait a moment longer.”

“So, wife didn’t hesitate to expose her feigned death to save this husband’s life? Alas, wife, this husband was wrong—greed blinded his heart and nearly betrayed your sincere feelings.” Jin Yin’s improper tone came again.

Today had truly been wave after shocking wave. First, she actually committed suicide for Mo Zi’s sake. Then, her seemingly innocent and carefree self actually feigned death. Finally, a timely declaration that he was her husband saved him.

Thinking of how she had suddenly sat up straight and said such words to the dumbstruck Wu Yan, then said she didn’t want to become a widow, with that grief-stricken and reluctant appearance, Jin Yin felt for the first time that she wasn’t ugly.