"Fourth son, have you seen all that homework?"

"I'm done for! I have homework due tomorrow! When is His Highness coming to save me? If he doesn't come soon, I'll have no choice but to... I'll have no choice but to run away by myself."

Yan Xiaosi lowered his head from the roof beam and gave her a cold look.

He replied coldly.

"Wasn't this what you wanted to play?"

Qi Su, with tears streaming down her face, said, "So I want to leave now."

Yan Xiaosi: "Understood."

Qi Su looked at the roof beam, then at his face.

"This is the girls' bathroom. You weren't hiding here peeping, were you?"

I never expected that you, this aloof young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would do something like this.

Yan Xiaosi: "Do you still want to go back?"

Qi Su: "Don't worry, my brother, I'll keep your secret!"

Yan Xiaosi: "Do whatever you want, and I'll clean up the mess for you."

Qi Su made a heart shape with her hands towards the roof beam.

"Fourth brother, you are so handsome!"

A retching sound came from the roof beam.

…

Qi Su left the bathroom with red eyes.

"Why do you keep going to the bathroom?" Sister Ru stood under the pomegranate tree on the stone steps, arms crossed, frowning as she looked at her.

She looked like a wicked woman looking for trouble.

Qi Su: "So what if you run away? Are you a toilet? What other objections do you have?"

"You—" Sister Ru was furious.

"Who do you think you are? Don't think you can talk back to me just because you have Granny Cai backing you up!"

Qi Su took two steps back, weakly leaning against the pomegranate tree, and weakly covering her face.

"Sister, just talk to me, why are you hitting me?"

Sister Ru: "..."

The main focus is on integration and practice.

.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, the first day of the new year.

Lingye City was adorned with colorful decorations, filled with a joyous atmosphere. The sound of firecrackers continued intermittently throughout the day.

Young people are walking on the long street.

During festive occasions, not many shops are open for business.

He would go into each store he came across, browse around, and buy something.

Before long, he was carrying a bunch of colorful boxes.

The servant behind him took the things, saying, "Young master, the madam will be back tonight. She will surely be delighted to see them."

The Black Bird Guard had no informants in Lingye City.

But it doesn't matter, the embroidered robe is available.

The Embroidered Robe Envoy's covert network permeated the entire Yan Dynasty. What's even more mysterious is that the Embroidered Robe Envoy was an organization inherited from the previous dynasty.

Although Wei Zhao greatly reduced the power of the Embroidered Robe Envoy when he succeeded to the throne due to his fear of the emperor.

But in a small city like Lingye, the changes weren't considered crippling.

Within a few hours, they obtained the files on the missing woman from the Embroidered Robe Envoy branch of Lingye City.

This is a confidential document.

Because it involves powerful figures in the current government.

In Lingye City, Baishuiyuan sends beautiful women to the capital every year.

These women eventually ended up in unknown mansions in Kyoto.

Finally, it appeared in the homes of court officials, in the royal music and dance academy, and even in the imperial palace.

Currently, the Embroidered Robe Envoy is also investigating this case.

It wasn't because of loyalty to the emperor, but because the struggle for imperial power was inherently brutal.

This matter vaguely points to the Crown Prince; if he holds it in his hands, it will eventually become a bargaining chip.

For example, Yun Wuyi now knows about this matter.

…

As night falls, the street lights twinkle.

The master and servant, carrying boxes of various items, walked back to the inn.

“Master, the White Water Garden was established with this purpose in mind. It is heavily guarded. If we act rashly, we may alert the enemy.”

The fish-shaped lanterns overhead swayed gently, reflecting the young man's face.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like still waters at the bottom of a deep abyss.

"No need to move now. Give the Embroidered Robe Envoy what he wants. We'll lure them into action after we leave Lingye."

The Embroidered Robe Envoy wanted more than just a list of missing women.

Most importantly, what lies behind these women are the hidden threads and the real connections between them.

"Also, send a few more people over to help her."

After speaking, the young man paused and added another sentence.

"Although she may not necessarily need help."

Wow, the master seems to understand Lady Qi's temperament quite well.

.

The downside of living in a dormitory is that you don't have any personal time.

After nightfall.

Qi Su pushed open the door and was about to go out when she heard a sound behind her.

"Going to the bathroom again?"

Qi Su: "I'm going to tell Granny Cai that you said she was from the washroom."

...You little slut! You tattletale!

Qi Su had something to discuss with Granny Cai, saying it was very important.

She behaved very well all day, and Grandma Cai was basically satisfied with her.

Hearing that she requested an audience at night, he frowned but did not suspect anything.

Surrounded by two old women and two maids, Qi Su was taken to Granny Cai's residence.

No wonder her roommates all told her not to even think about escaping.

With such tight security, not even a fly could get through.

Granny Cai lived in the northeast corner of the garden.

A grove of wintersweet trees grows in front of the door, making it the most scenic spot.

The old woman and the maid escorted her to the door and then waited outside.

Qi Su went in by herself, only to see Granny Cai sitting upright in an eight-immortal chair, looking arrogant.

"What is it?"

Qi Su covered her face.

"Grandma, look! I think I've been bitten by something; I have red rashes on my face."

Red rashes? This is a big deal that affects one's appearance, and Granny Cai is indeed very concerned.

I came down and took a look for myself.

"where?"

Her cheeks were soft and white, brushed with a light blush of cherry blossom pink, and there were no red rashes to be seen.

"Isn't this it?" The young woman opposite her had a half-smile on her face.

She touched her neck with her slender fingers.

Granny Cai vaguely saw a bit of black on her fingertips.

The next moment, a slight pain spread from my neck.

…

A cold wind blew, and Granny Cai felt a little cold.

The lantern light beneath her feet flickered, and she slowly came to her senses.

Where is this?

A voice nearby asked, "Why isn't Grandma leaving?"

Go? Where to?

The voice seemed to know what she was thinking.

She smiled and said, "Didn't my mother-in-law say she would take me to get the roster?"

register?

"Yes, the list of women sent to Baishuiyuan, and the list of those people from Kyoto. Didn't Grandma also say that at this time of year, they would send people to the Crown Prince's residence in Kyoto as well?"

Ah, yes. That seems to be the case.

Sending people to the Crown Prince's residence.

This year's beauties were hard to find; there weren't any particularly outstanding ones. It took a long time to finally gather them all.

We still need to spend time training them; we can't let it interfere with the important matters of the Second Day of the Second Lunar Month.

The manager is really worried about this; he's been asking about it several times a day lately.

A voice beside him chuckled, "Yes, that's exactly it."

.

Qi Su took several rosters and held them in her arms.

Just as she reached the pomegranate tree in front of the courtyard, a person standing in the shadows under the eaves called out to her.

"What did you go about? Why were you gone for so long?"

It was a woman's voice. It was the woman surnamed Tang who was sitting very close to her bed and who had told her to be careful yesterday.

What a coincidence, it saves her the trouble of looking for someone else.

Qi Su smiled slightly.

"Grandma Cai called me in to talk about some things."

The woman's voice softened slightly.

"What are you holding in your hand? Let me see."