"Tan’er, how do you know all this?"
ng Qianqian asked.
Tan’er pouted, "I fought against them once, and after getting beaten up, I fled to Madam Chun. Later, they went to the brokerage and told Madam Chun to train properly before selling to them!"
ng Qianqian had always thought Tan’er was picked up by Madam Chun. Turns out, Tan’er had actively "taken refuge" with Madam Chun, who nursed her back to health, hoping to sell her for a good price to recover her losses. Little did she know the chaos Tan’er would cause ended in a total loss.
ng Qianqian suddenly felt Madam Chun was a bit pitiful.
Tan’er said, "It was Madam Chun who told those people are trusted aides of the Wan Hua Building. She warned never to cross them, or I’d lose my life!"
ng Qianqian suddenly understood: "No wonder you willingly stayed locked up in the cage."
"Not entirely." Tan’er said with so grudge, "Madam Chun drugged with knockout dicine. I didn’t even have the strength to move!"
Others, after being drugged, would sleep like the dead; Tan’er, however, was only left weak all over. ng Qianqian was both amused and exasperated.
She patted Tan’er’s head, "Tan’er, you’ve suffered."
Tan’er nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparking with hope: "I’d need a plate of braised pork to feel better!"
ng Qianqian burst into laughter: "I’ll ask Lady Du to make it for you tomorrow."
Overjoyed, Tan’er spread her arms and dashed into the courtyard: "Braised pork, here I co——"
ng Qianqian glanced at the token from Wan Hua Building, her expression slightly tensing.
In the dead of night, the bustling Capital City lay dormant, resembling a slumbering beast curled atop the dragon’s vein of the Great Zhou.
A man with silver hair and wearing dark robes appeared on Vermilion Bird Street. He shook the Feng Shui Compass in his hand and sighed: "Why break now, of all tis?"
"It should be nearby."
"Why are there even more houses in the Capital now? Little Yin Hu—just which one is yours?"
The silver-haired man tucked away the compass, saying, "No matter—it’ll wait until I find a place to stay and fix this compass."
He walked around Vermilion Bird Street and finally turned into Feng Shui Alley.
In front of a house that had clearly been freshly painted, he raised an eyebrow: "Oh, soone lives here now? Who has such taste to pick the bloodwashed haunted house from Thousand chanism Pavilion? Since it’s occupied, I’ll have to settle for the one beside it."
He climbed over the wall into the neighboring house, pushed open the door, and found an elderly lady soaking in a wooden bathtub.
The elderly woman scread and hugged herself upon seeing the breathtakingly handso man enter her room: "Molestation—help, help!"
"Uh, my apologies."
The silver-haired man promptly closed the door and in an instant, flashed outside the residence. "This broken compass is really troubleso."
Crack!
A brick loosened beneath his foot and smashed down toward him.
He swiftly opened the peach wood umbrella he wore on his belt to deflect the falling brick just in ti.
"Whew, even without a compass, my unrivaled wisdom and martial arts ensure I turn calamity into fortune!"
Holding the umbrella, he walked forward with elegance. After taking a few steps, his foot slipped into a hidden well.
"Ahhh——who dug a well here——"
The peach wood umbrella fell gently, drifting down to cover the well’s mouth.
...
ng Qianqian lay in bed, the dark night thick as ink. Though her surroundings were pitch black, her mind raced with clarity.
That man—it seems he was under Lady Yan’s command. Could Lady Yan have been secretly delivering information to Consort Li that day?
Was Lu Yuan’s appearance truly a coincidence, or had he planned to go there all along?
As the first light of dawn broke, ng Qianqian got up.
"Why rise so early?"
Nanny Li said with concern, "Rest more—you’ve finally moved out from the Lu Family, and now no one will enforce rules on you again."
ng Qianqian smiled faintly: "I’m used to it from my days with the army."
Nanny Li’s face darkened. Damn Lu Yuan!
ng Qianqian quietly smiled.
After breakfast, ng Qianqian headed to the Governor Mansion.
Steward Cen hurried out to greet her, his face beaming: "Miss ng is here—please co in!"
"I won’t enter for now," ng Qianqian said politely, "Is the Grand Commander here?"
Steward Cen’s eyes lit up as he grinned: "The Grand Commander has gone to court. You can wait inside; Miss Bao Shu will soon wake, and she’ll undoubtedly be thrilled to see you."
Steward Cen’s enthusiasm overwheld ng Qianqian: "No need for the trouble. I’ll head to tidy the Book Pavilion first, and when the Grand Commander returns from court, I’ll co back. Miss Bao Shu can find in the Book Pavilion after she wakes."
Since Lu Yuan resud attending court, the chaotic atmosphere had significantly diminished.
"No one’s filing complaints against today? While I was away from the Capital, weren’t you all enthusiastically proposing charges? Cabinet Minister Yang—didn’t you vow to throw yourself to death on Jinluan Palace steps unless His Majesty dismissed ?"
Minister Yang choked fiercely.
Seated behind the beaded curtain, Lu Yuan smirked coldly: "It seems you’re no longer keen on dying. If anyone has requests, voice them; if not, the court is adjourned."
Zong Zhengxi sat upright, radiating composure.
The civil and military officials exchanged nervous glances; none dared to speak.
Lu Yuan raised a finger.
The Director Zhang beside Zong Zhengxi announced: "Court—adjourned—"
Lu Yuan returned to the Governor Mansion in his carriage. As soon as he disembarked, Steward Cen approached: "Grand Commander, Miss ng is in the Book Pavilion; she requests your presence."
Lu Yuan dangerously asked: "Is she giving orders to now?"
"Oh, heavens, no, not at all!" Steward Cen silently wiped away cold sweat and said with a forced smile, "Miss ng wished for you to inspect the Book Pavilion she’s been organizing, to see if it’s up to your satisfaction. Just an inspection, Your Excellency!"
Close call.
Lu Yuan scoffed coldly and swept his sleeves as he strode towards the Book Pavilion.
The first floor was almost tidied, with only two large bookshelves remaining. ng Qianqian had rolled up her sleeves and was carefully sorting the scattered books on the ground.
Bao Shu gleefully crawled behind her, while the stray kitten Qing Shuang had taken in chased after the beam of light streaming through the windows.
Within the ancient, silent loft, her serenity and gentleness, paired with the playfulness of the little ones, gave rise to a unique vitality.
It felt as if all was right with the world.
"ow~"
The tabby kitten noticed Lu Yuan and dashed toward him.
Bao Shu stuck out her little bottom and looked back at her father.
Lu Yuan’s lips twitched.
One new trick every day—where did she pick this up from?
ng Qianqian placed the books aside and stepped forward to salute him: "Grand Commander."
"What do you want with ?"
Lu Yuan wasn’t oblivious; it was clear she’d sought him out, prompting Steward Cen’s unnecessary ntion.
After hesitating for a mont, ng Qianqian retrieved a stack of silver notes from her pouch: "This is the principal I owe the Grand Commander—I’m returning it. The interest will be settled after the Book Collection Pavilion is fully organized."
Lu Yuan gazed at her deeply.
ng Qianqian knew his lofty hands wouldn’t deign to touch the silver notes, so she placed them on the table.
Lu Yuan remarked, "Is that all?"
ng Qianqian pondered briefly before saying: "Little Nine has a question for the Grand Commander."
Lu Yuan: "Speak."
ng Qianqian: "The day of the celebration banquet—did you appear near the spot where Consort Li was secretly eting soone by coincidence?"
Lu Yuan cast a peculiar glance at her.
ng Qianqian handed over the token she had taken from the black-clad man.
Lu Yuan, for a change, reached out to take it. After studying it, he said indifferently: "Wan Hua Building mbers? So, you thought the events of that day had sothing to do with ? I had no idea that anyone was secretly eting with Consort Li—I was there because Bao Shu wanted to find you."
ng Qianqian sighed in relief: "As long as the Grand Commander had no involvent, that’s good. However, judging by your expression, you don’t seem surprised."
Lu Yuan replied lazily, "Why would I be surprised? I guessed long ago they were Wan Hua Building people."
After a brief reflection, ng Qianqian recounted the events of the previous night.
Lu Yuan stated: "It’s unlikely Lady Yan wanted to kill you, but you did kill one of her n. I’ll take the token from you and return it to Lady Yan—she must learn about what her subordinates are up to behind her back."
The black-clad man ca to silence her, but was it really without Lady Yan’s orders? And what about the massacre of her family back then?
Lu Yuan remarked plainly: "If you have sothing to say, just say it."
ng Qianqian lowered her gaze and asked: "Is Lady Yan good or evil?"
Lu Yuan retorted: "In your eyes, am I good or evil?"
ng Qianqian shook her head: "Little Nine doesn’t know."
It was the truth—she had never managed to understand Lu Yuan. He had killed countless people, ford cliques, betrayed loyal ministers, and disrupted court affairs; yet, at the border, he had indeed saved countless lives from catastrophe.
To say he did it all for military power—perhaps. After all, in the chaos of human ambitions, even virtuous saints are worshiped with incense offered for selfish desires.
Her answer did not surprise Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan spoke calmly, "I also don’t know whether Lady Yan counts as good or bad."
ng Qianqian paused: "If I seek revenge against her—"
Lu Yuan replied coldly: "That’s a matter between you two. It has nothing to do with ."
She hadn’t expected him to say this. She assud he entrusted Bao Shu to Lady Yan because of a significant relationship between them.
"Grand Commander won’t ask what grudge I bear against her?"
Lu Yuan clasped his hands behind him, his tone arrogant: "If you want to tell, you’ll tell. Why should I ask? However, I’ll remind you—Lady Yan isn’t so easy to kill, and don’t assu she’ll go easy on you because of my relationship with her. I’ve only ever had transactions with her, never a true bond."
So that’s how it is. ng Qianqian nodded: "Thank you for the advice, Grand Commander."
As the two talked, Bao Shu sneakily crawled under the table and commanded her newest recruit—the tabby cat—to leap onto the table and swipe the silver notes down.
She stretched out her chubby hands and hurriedly stuffed the silver notes into her pockets!
The two adults were too embarrassed to watch.
ng Qianqian cleared her throat.
Lu Yuan asked: "According to Shangguan Ling, you had Tan’er investigate my relationship with Consort Li?"
"Huh?"
Did she? She had no recollection of such a thing.
ng Qianqian stared at him blankly.
A flash of killing intent glead in Lu Yuan’s striking phoenix eyes—as though daring her to deny it, at which point, he’d crush her.
ng Qianqian reluctantly accepted the burden of bla.
Lu Yuan said coldly, "You are my guard. Mind your station—do not overstep."
ng Qianqian responded obsequiously: "Understood. Little Nine won’t dare pry into the Grand Commander’s private matters again!"
"She’s my mother’s sister."
Lu Yuan stated.
ng Qianqian froze again: "Huh?"
Hadn’t she given up on inquiring already...
Wait, Consort Li is Lu Yuan’s aunt?
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