Murong Jin sat in the study, her head propped on her hand, her mind racing. Who was the woman at the Chengyue Residence? And what was her motive?
A faint footstep. She looked up just as Yi slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. Before he could speak, new footsteps approached and stopped outside.
"Your Highness? Shall I bring dinner?" Ning Bi called, her voice muffled. Strange, she thought. The door was open a minute ago.
"I'm not hungry," Murong Jin called back.
"Your Highness, you have to eat something. You haven't had a proper meal since you returned. If you waste away, the master will blame us when he gets out!"
Yi sat in a nearby chair, trying to suppress a laugh.
Murong Jin shot him a look. "Ning Bi, I really don't have an appetite. Just let me be alone for a while."
"But Your Highness, the master always said, no matter what happens, you must never neglect your stomach!"
Murong Jin rubbed her temples and motioned for Yi to hide. He shrugged and vaulted onto a ceiling beam.
She opened the door.
"Your Highness!" Ning Bi looked relieved.
"If I hadn't come out, were you planning to stand there all night?"
Ning Bi blushed. "The master told me to take good care of you. I can't neglect my duty."
"You and that mouth of yours." Murong Jin poked her gently on the forehead. "Go on. I have some military reports to finish. I'll eat after."
"Your Highness…" Ning Bi looked at her, unconvinced.
"I'm a general. Do you think I'd break my word?"
The maid finally relented. "Then I'll have the kitchen keep it warm for you."
"Go." Murong Jin watched her leave, a small smile on her face. Such a simple, loyal girl.
"She's a stubborn one," Yi said, dropping from the beams.
"She's real," Murong Jin said, closing the door, her smile fading. "Simple. In a way we can no longer be."
Yi's own smile faltered. "Perhaps, Sister Jin. But you don't have a choice. You're the General's only daughter."
She nodded. "Enough of that. What did you find?"
"Xue Feiyan's men went to the Yichun Courtyard this morning. They told the madam the Seventh Prince wished to see Lady Die Man. She's been gone ever since."
Murong Jin listened. "She just didn't return. Why was that woman so certain Die Man was captured? And that she'd be sentenced soon?"
"That, I don't know," Yi said with a shrug.
Murong Jin paced the room. "Did you find anything on the messenger?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. If I hadn't heard her voice with you, I'd think you'd imagined her."
"All those people in the tavern, and no one saw her?"
"I asked everyone. Besides Little Dingzi, no one saw anyone else on that staircase."
Murong Jin sat down, tapping her fingers. After a long moment, she laughed. "Yi, forget it for now. I need you to check on something in the palace."
"You're going to infiltrate the palace?"
"Yes." She smiled, cutting off his protest. "Don't worry. The masters in the palace aren't good enough to stop me."
"Maybe not, but it's still a viper's nest. Why are you going? You don't think Xue Feiyan sent Die Man there, do you?"
"Of course not." She rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'm going to eat. Let's see… the kitchens are to the right, I think."
"Compared to the leftovers in your residence, I prefer the Imperial Kitchens," Yi said lazily.
The Imperial Kitchens? She smiled. Xue Liulan liked to go there, too. The air was getting colder. She wondered how he was faring in that damp prison.
The moon was a dull smudge in the sky. Xue Liulan sat leaning against the cell wall, one knee drawn up.
A woman in black stood waiting.
"Who else knows Die Man was taken by Xue Feiyan?" he asked.
"Sister Shuangjiang said she informed the Princess Consort," Xia Zhi replied. "But I doubt she believed her."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Because the Princess Consort is a very cautious person. Shuangjiang just delivered the message and left. She gave no proof. Why would she believe a stranger?"
"True." He rose and walked to the bars, staring into the darkness. "Xia Zhi, tell Shuangjiang to disappear from the Yichun Courtyard."
"What are your orders for her, my lord?"
"Have her watch Murong Jin for now." A strange smile touched his lips. "Once she confirms Die Man was truly taken, she's going to be very busy."
Xia Zhi covered a smile. Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed in the corridor. She looked at Xue Liulan. He listened, then nodded toward the shadows on the crossbeams.
The cell door creaked open. The guard bowed, and Xue Feiyan walked in, his eyes scanning the cell before landing on Xue Liulan.
"Sorry to disturb your peace, Fifth Brother."
"No trouble at all." Xue Liulan smiled, his gaze open and unafraid. "What brings you here so late?"
"I've found a new lead in the assassination case. I came to ask you a few questions."
"Oh?" Xue Liulan raised an eyebrow. "Please, go ahead."
"Bring her in," Xue Feiyan called.
A figure was pushed through the door. In the flickering torchlight, Die Man's pale, terrified face was clearly visible. The moment she saw Xue Liulan, she ran and threw herself into his arms.
"Die Man?" He held her, his gaze turning to ice as he looked at his brother. "Seventh Brother, what is the meaning of this?"
"Don't misunderstand," Xue Feiyan said. "The evidence simply led to Lady Die Man. I am only conducting official business."
Xue Liulan's hand, stroking her back, paused. "Oh? And what evidence could possibly point to a woman who barely has the strength to tie up a chicken?"
"'Barely the strength'?" Xue Feiyan snorted. "Fifth Brother, let's not play games."
Xue Liulan was surprised. He looked down. The woman in his arms was trembling, her face buried in his chest. But he knew. This was not the Die Man he knew.
"Then speak plainly."
"After I brought her back for questioning, she tried to assassinate me. If you don't believe me, the wound is still here." He held up his left hand, which was wrapped in bandages.
"With your skills, Seventh Brother, you must have been very careless." Xue Liulan's eyes narrowed, but his arms tightened around Die Man.
"I was careless. Even after dodging twice, I couldn't avoid her dagger."
Twice? And she still wounded him? A cold dread, like a hand closing around his heart, began to spread through Xue Liulan. He had been so sure of his plan. But now, he wasn't so sure who was the hunter, and who was the prey.