Chapter 85

At this moment, a group of Qi soldiers suddenly stormed into the street, aggressively grabbing people for questioning. Amid the noise, Nan Yi overheard that they were searching for members of the Bing Zhu Si.

Nan Yi sensed that something was wrong. She wasn’t sure if she had made a mistake, but she hurriedly walked forward, hoping to leave quickly.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

Nan Yi heard a voice from behind calling out to her. She slowly came to a halt, her mind flashing with the worst possible scenarios, and she began thinking of how to handle the situation.

“Military officer, my little sister is mischievous and got lost while out looking for me.”

A person stepped in front of the Qi soldiers, handing them a wooden plaque from the Ship Department, with a silver ingot placed underneath it, offering both at once.

“I work at the Ship Department, serving Lord Wan Yan. I beg you, military officer, please be merciful and allow me to take my little sister home.”

Nan Yi turned in surprise and saw that it was Song Mu Chuan. She quickly realized what was happening, and obediently stepped behind him, looping her arm through his. She spoke in a pitiful tone, “Brother, why did it take you so long to come for me?”

Song Mu Chuan’s arm stiffened slightly, but his face remained calm as he forced a smile, using all his acting skills to smile affectionately at Nan Yi.

The Qi soldiers eyed the pair suspiciously. They seemed like ordinary people. After checking the wooden plaque, they impatiently handed it back and said, “Unrelated persons, hurry up and leave. We’re conducting an inspection of the entire street.”

Nan Yi loosely hooked her arm around Song Mu Chuan’s and followed him until they had walked far enough to be out of earshot of the commotion. Only then did she retract her hand.

Song Mu Chuan felt a numbness in half of his body. His arm remained in a half-bent position, and with each step, he was unconsciously walking in sync with it.

Nan Yi didn’t notice his discomfort. Anxiously, she asked, “Mr. Song, you don’t think the letter... will be discovered, do you?”

Song Mu Chuan snapped out of his thoughts, stabilizing his emotions, and gave Nan Yi a reassuring smile. “He will receive it.”

Nan Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Song, do you know who ‘Yan’ really is?”

“I don’t.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Not curious.”

“How can you not be curious...”

“That person refuses to show themselves, and surely has their reasons. If we must uncover their mask, it would only harm us with no benefit.”

Nan Yi took this in, nodding thoughtfully. “You’re right, I didn’t think it through.”

“Just trust him,” Song Mu Chuan said. “No matter who he is, he’s surely fighting alongside us in the shadows.”

Nan Yi tried to understand this trust—how could she trust someone she had never met to work with her perfectly? How could she believe that his existence alone was a kind of power?

She thought for a moment, then looked at Song Mu Chuan in confusion. “Is it the same kind of trust you have in me, trust in him?”

Song Mu Chuan froze, momentarily stunned.

Such a significant question had slipped so naturally from her lips, and it stirred a sense of selfish longing within him.

How much did she trust him? What kind of trust was it? If he weren’t from the Bing Zhu Si, would she trust him this way?

He felt both joy and fear, so much so that he forgot to answer her question.

But fortunately, Nan Yi’s words seemed more like a self-reflection. She was merely trying to understand this bond. She turned around and took a long look at the chaotic street—passersby, the aggressive Qi soldiers, refined guests in the wine house, shopkeepers in their stores... Every face could belong to “Yan.” But who exactly he was didn’t matter. He would surely give his all for his mission, just as she and Song Mu Chuan would.

Nan Yi seemed to understand. Yes, that unnamed “Yan” was fighting alongside them, and that was enough.

________________________________________

In a wine house by the street, Xie Que Shan sat by the window. The Qi soldiers had been called by him. She had been wandering nearby, unable to make contact herself.

Seeing Song Mu Chuan lead Nan Yi away, Xie Que Shan quietly gave instructions to He Ping.

“Go get the letter.”

His gaze followed Nan Yi’s figure, watching as she linked arms with Song Mu Chuan, her hair bun swaying with her steps, like a fluttering butterfly, almost as if she would suddenly appear right before him.

But that butterfly kept flying further away, almost blocked by the layers of buildings. He suppressed the urge to take a step toward her, sitting quietly, waiting for his heartbeat to return to normal.

Although only a few days had passed since they last met, Xie Que Shan felt as though much longer had gone by. In his heart, he had already said his goodbyes to that person. He had accepted that their paths would no longer cross. Yet, he couldn’t help but watch the changes happening to her. Compared to the shy beggar who dared not lift her head when they first met, she now walked with a more lively pace, her back straighter.

She must be living comfortably, he thought. That’s good.

He hoped Song Mu Chuan would use his brain and act prudently. If he couldn’t protect his spies, he wasn’t fit for this line of work.

He didn’t want anyone in their group to be in danger; otherwise, he’d make sure they were all kicked out of Li Du Fu.

Just as he raised his cup, someone calmly sat across from him and poured themselves a drink.

Xie Que Shan frowned, looking at the annoying Zhang Yuehui.

“I’ve come up with a great plan to bring Nan Yi back to my side. Want to hear it?”

Zhang Yuehui raised his cup toward Xie Que Shan, wearing a confident smile.

Xie Que Shan didn’t want to deal with Zhang Yuehui, but his offer was hard to refuse.

“Let’s hear it.”

Zhang Yuehui happily took a sip of wine. “I won’t tell you.”

What the hell?!

Xie Que Shan nearly bit back a curse, forcing a fake smile and raising his own cup. “Then I wish you success.”

Zhang Yuehui leisurely replied, “I’ll still need your help.”

What does that mean?

Xie Que Shan immediately grew wary, narrowing his eyes at Zhang Yuehui.

Zhang Yuehui put down his cup and tossed a wooden plaque engraved with the words “Return Hall” toward Xie Que Shan.

“The labor force team will arrive at Li Du Fu soon. This is the token. With it, you can make contact.”

“Thank you.” Xie Que Shan stood up to take it, but Zhang Yuehui pressed his hand down.

“Xie Que Shan, I know what you’re planning.”

Zhang Yuehui raised his eyes, his narrow gaze gleaming with a dangerous light.

Xie Que Shan looked down at him, expression calm.

“You told me about Princess Ling Fu’s matter, and you also told me Nan Yi is in the Bing Zhu Si. You’re using her to restrain me, to keep me from stirring up trouble, right?”

“Yes, so what?” Xie Que Shan answered calmly.

“The last person who tried to scheme against me, the grass on their grave must be... about this high by now,” Zhang Yuehui let go of his hand, mockingly gesturing with his fingers, his smile widening. “I’ll come kill you, Xie Que Shan.”

“Then we’ll see what you’re made of.” Xie Que Shan lightly tossed back the words and left without a second glance.

________________________________________

The contact token soon reached Song Mu Chuan, and it was exactly the plan he had used to deceive everyone: having the Yucheng Army pose as laborers and enter the city right under Wan Yan Jun’s nose.

No matter where the hundred or so people hid in the city, they would stand out. But shipbuilding was a noisy and distracting activity. Song Mu Chuan was in charge of this, and he could work in tandem with the Yucheng Army.

Spies operated in secrecy, able to turn the tide at critical moments, but without any military strength, even the most skilled could do nothing. They might manage to secretly send King Ling An away, but they couldn’t protect Li Du Fu. The country’s territory must be fiercely defended; it could not be easily surrendered. The arrival of the Yucheng Army was a game-changer, and the Bing Zhu Si was determined to protect them, for this was their greatest trump card.

A king should be escorted by an army, marching to the new capital in grandeur, not fleeing in panic with their dignity shattered.

The secret letter that Song Mu Chuan gave to “Yan” requested his help in making the doctor for Wan Yan Jun temporarily disappear. Nan Yi needed to wait for the right moment to enter the Wan Yan residence openly.

However, before that, Nan Yi had already secretly taken some actions to ensure things went smoothly.

...

Wan Yan Jun was extremely cautious, having increased security and made the residence impenetrable. No movement, no matter how small, would be overlooked.

But in recent days, there had been some strange occurrences in the residence.

Sometimes, a stone would inexplicably fly through a window, leaving a hole in the paper. The guards immediately conducted a full search, but found nothing, and could only apprehend a few lazy soldiers and send them out.

Other times, a kite would fall from the sky, making the guards tense and thoroughly check both inside and outside the residence, fearing that a message had been sent. After extensive checks, it turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary kite.

One day, the entire residence was struck by a sudden outbreak of stomach illnesses. At first, everyone suspected there was a spy in the kitchen. After an investigation, it was discovered that some spoiled ingredients had been used, causing a foodborne illness.

These incidents repeated several times, and while Wan Yan Jun was initially highly alert, the repeated false alarms seemed to confirm that the imperial decree was a fabrication, and the uncertainty was mentally exhausting him. After a while, he became somewhat weary.

At this moment, Xu Kou Yue suddenly developed a high fever.

There was originally a doctor at Wan Yan Jun’s residence, but unfortunately, a few days ago, this doctor had fallen off a horse and broken his leg. Wan Yan Jun dared not use anyone from the military, so he sent someone to invite a trustworthy female doctor from the city.

The Bing Zhu Si had already arranged the files at the medical clinic, and Nan Yi, disguised as a female doctor, was naturally assigned to enter the Wan Yan residence.

But stepping through that door was only the first step. The moment Nan Yi entered the courtyard, she immediately sensed the strict and tense atmosphere. Guards stood every few steps, fully armed and on high alert. This was already after Wan Yan Jun had relaxed the security.

Standing there, Nan Yi felt the huge pressure of being in the enemy’s camp, constantly surrounding her. There was no turning back; she could only move forward. It was either death or success.

Wan Yan Jun, being cautious of unfamiliar faces in the residence, had some suspicion about her.

In the courtyard, Nan Yi had her eyes blindfolded and was led by a female servant through winding paths to the back garden.

When the blindfold was removed, Nan Yi saw that the room was a woman’s chamber, with a somewhat messy arrangement, likely having been searched. This was probably the room of Princess Lingfu.

It was the middle of the day, yet the room was dim, with thick curtains hanging, blocking out the light. The only illumination came from a candle.

Wan Yan Jun stood inside, his sharp gaze looking down at Nan Yi.

The female servant pulled out a red thread from behind the curtain and said, “Doctor, please take the Princess’s pulse.”

Nan Yi knew this was a test. Whether she could gain Wan Yan Jun’s trust depended on her “medical skills.”

Xu Kou Yue’s sudden illness had actually been planned. Nan Yi had tampered with the fruits and vegetables that were brought in every day, sprinkling a special powder on them. This powder only affected women and would cause symptoms like a “pregnancy pulse,” along with vomiting and a high fever.

Faking a pregnancy pulse was meant to make Wan Yan Jun pay attention to Xu Kou Yue’s condition and temporarily lower his guard.

Nan Yi knew nothing about medicine, but she had already memorized the language of pulse-taking. She had studied it thoroughly.

However, what she didn’t know was that the red thread was actually tied to a man’s wrist.

Xie Que Shan had suspected that Song Mu Chuan might assign Nan Yi to this task but didn’t know when or how she would come. The day she entered the residence, Xie Que Shan happened to be there as well.

Wan Yan Jun had come up with a sudden plan to have Xie Que Shan help him. He asked Xie Que Shan to sit behind the curtain, intending to test the new female doctor. If she was trying to deceive him, her true identity would be exposed.

Xie Que Shan was surprised, but since Wan Yan Jun insisted, he could not refuse, or it would seem suspicious. He sat behind the curtain, clearly hearing Nan Yi’s voice and seeing her blurry figure sit down at the desk.

He felt alarmed but couldn’t speak out to warn her.

Nan Yi gently held the thin red thread, closing her eyes and pretending to feel the pulse. Of course, she felt nothing, but she had to keep up the act. She hesitated for a moment and decided to use the phrase she had been taught. As Song Mu Chuan had said, after taking the medicine, no matter how skilled the doctor was, they would still detect a pregnancy pulse.

After a while, she finally opened her eyes and cleared her throat, saying, “Congratulations, Lord Wan Yan, this is a pregnancy pulse!”

Wan Yan Jun smiled in surprise. “Really? Such good news! There will be a great reward!”

Nan Yi was about to respond when she noticed the coldness in Wan Yan Jun’s eyes and heard footsteps approaching. She silently cursed, and sure enough, the next moment, guards rushed in, surrounding Nan Yi.

Wan Yan Jun’s smile disappeared, his face showing anger as he ordered, “Grab her! Interrogate her thoroughly to find out who sent her!”

Nan Yi’s heart nearly leaped to her throat—how could she have been discovered so quickly? What went wrong?