Han Zhi, startled like a bird at the twang of a bow, instinctively raised his sword. Forcing himself to calm down, he pushed open the window and gnced outside. He saw officials from the Five City Patrol and Security Office struggling to make their way through the crowd, pressing toward Chongyin Tavern.

  A soft knock came at the door, three raps.

  “Come in,” Han Zhi called, and Guanshan slipped inside with urgency written all over his face. “The Five City Patrol is heading this way, Young Master. We need to leave now. If we dey any longer, the city gates might close before we can get out…”

  Lady Fan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly pushed Han Zhi toward the door. “Yes, yes, quickly! Go now!” She paused briefly, initially wanting to tell him to go to Xingyang, but then remembered what Nanny Zhang had said: if her parents in Xingyang truly cared for her, she wouldn’t have suffered all these years. Realizing this, she grabbed Han Zhi’s hand with grave determination. “Whatever you do, don’t go to the Northwest to find your father. Don’t even think about coming back to take revenge. Leave it to me. My life… is enough to make those two scoundrels lose their peace and sleep. From now on, just live your life well.”

  Guanshan had already grabbed Han Zhi’s arm, pulling him along while urging, “Young Master! There’s no time to waste. If we dey any longer, Guan Hai’s death will have been for nothing!”

  That day, Guan Hai had donned Han Zhi’s clothes, boarded the boat, and been riddled with arrows before being burned beyond recognition.

  Han Zhi’s teeth clenched so hard it felt like they might shatter. His eyes stung inexplicably, and a few tears fell before Guanshan dragged him out the door and down the back stairs amidst the chaos.

  Lady Fan chased after them for a few steps before stopping, pacing anxiously in pce. After a long while, she followed the crowd downstairs—she needed to find Qiujue and figure out what the Five City Patrol was doing here.

  Once she had left the room, Qingzhuo and Hanfeng emerged from the secret chamber at the back, exchanging stunned gnces.

  Although the Crown Prince's heir and Sixth Miss Song had forewarned them that following the Lady of Jinxiang Marquis’s household would lead to significant discoveries, they hadn’t expected anything this shocking. They hadn’t anticipated uncovering such a scandal involving the Jinxiang Marquis’s household and Consort Fan.

  Qingzhuo remained composed, but Hanfeng couldn’t help feeling a bit triumphant. “So Consort Fan is this kind of person… I wonder how the Crown Prince will feel when he learns that his beloved concubine is nothing but a facade. Will he…”

  After all, it was because of this femme fatale, Consort Fan, that the Crown Princess had been forced to step back repeatedly, even sending the Heir Apparent away to cultivate in seclusion at Longhu Mountain for eight years.

  Qingzhuo gave him a heavy sp on the head and admonished in a low voice, “Watch your words! Such baseless rumors must never be spoken aloud. If someone overhears, it would become undeniable evidence against us. Have you forgotten that walls have ears?”

  Following his gaze, Hanfeng saw Minister Wang in the private room across the way. His heart skipped a beat. “Could it be that the Prince of Commandery has also noticed something suspicious about Han Zhi’s supposed death? And managed to track it here so quickly?”

  Qingzhuo shook his head. The conversation between Lady Fan and Han Zhi had been cryptic and confusing. Whether Consort Fan truly had an improper retionship with Han Zhengqing or if Lady Fan was using her death as a means to frame and retaliate against Consort Fan for years of mistreatment, he couldn’t say for certain.

  Pressing his lips together, Qingzhuo watched as Minister Wang’s party exited in the opposite direction of Han Zhi. He turned swiftly and headed downstairs. “Let’s go—to Huangjue Temple!”

  The streets were crowded with people shoulder to shoulder. By the time they reached Huangjue Temple, it was nearly noon.

  Hanfeng scratched his head, grumbling, “Two little Taoists like us, coming to a Buddhist temple for no good reason…”

  Qingzhuo shot him a gre and gave the name Zhou Weizhao to the temple’s guest monk, who led them toward the back mountain.

  In the back mountain, Zhou Weizhao was chatting with Song Chuyi about recent events.

  It had been three or four months since he st saw Song Chuyi, and at first gnce, he almost didn’t recognize her. Girls at this age seemed to change noticeably with each passing day.

  Amidst the vast expanse of snow, thousands of red plum blossoms were in full bloom, adorning the back mountain of Huangjue Temple like a celestial wondernd. A short walk further led to a small fenced-off area where a significant number of green plum blossoms grew. These blossoms, standing quietly and independently in the midst of the wind and snow, perfectly complemented the scenery, creating a breathtaking view that left one speechless.

  Yet Zhou Weizhao suddenly felt that the girl in the yellow cloak before him, smiling brightly in the sunlight, was even more captivating than the ndscape. A faint smile spread across his face as well. “It seems Han Zhi isn’t dead. You don’t seem the least bit disappointed.”

  Song Chuyi tilted her head slightly and gave him a pyful look. “You say that as if Your Highness is the one who’s disappointed.”

  Han Zhi being alive only made the drama more entertaining.

  Zhou Weizhao couldn’t help but ugh, his dimples so deep they seemed to draw people in. The indulgence in his gaze toward Song Chuyi became evident as he said, “I’m not disappointed in the least. Once Hanfeng and Qingzhuo arrive, we’ll know how the Marquis of Jinxiang’s young heir, now driven into a dead end, pns to fight his way out.”

  The deeper they ventured into the green plum grove, the thicker the snow became. Just as Song Chuyi was about to reply, her right foot suddenly sank into the snow. She managed to steady herself by grabbing onto a nearby plum tree.

  Zhou Weizhao reacted swiftly, reaching out to support her right arm. Seeing her struggle to pull her foot out, he chuckled softly and helped her free it. “Move your foot around a bit,” he said gently. “Make sure you didn’t twist it.”

  From a distance, Hanfeng noticed the scene and nudged Qingzhuo with excitement. “Do you think His Highness is finally starting to come around?!”

  Recently, His Highness had been frequently accompanying the Emperor, and there were hints in the Emperor’s words that he intended to select a consort for the heir apparent. He had even consulted the Taoist master’s opinion.

  Privately, Hanfeng and Qingzhuo had wracked their brains, concluding that no one other than Sixth Miss Song could fit the role of Crown Princess and stand by the reserved heir. After all, she was the only one capable of engaging him in conversation.

  Qingzhuo couldn’t help but smile as well. If His Highness truly had feelings for her, it would be a fantastic development. With the resourceful Sixth Miss Song by his side, all sorts of trickery and mischief would undoubtedly retreat in fear.

  Just as he was about to step forward and report, a startled cry came from the Dicui Pavilion behind them.

  Moments ter, a young maid, lifting the hem of her skirt, rushed past them toward Song Chuyi and the heir apparent, panic-stricken and on the verge of tears. “Sixth Miss! Our young dy has twisted her foot!”