"I...I just felt that it was getting late and the dew was getting heavy, and my neck felt chilly when it was exposed, so I found something to wrap around it." Chang Lili's smugness was written all over her face as she happily took the bandage back from her mother-in-law's hand.

Jingmei's skill in applying makeup is truly remarkable; the powder applied to her reddened neck is so subtle that it's impossible to tell.

Seeing is believing, and the mother-in-law finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "How can I not worry about you, my child?"

Several more wrinkles had appeared on her face, and a few more strands of white hair had appeared at her temples.

All of this happened quietly. Upon hearing this, Chang Lili's smile faded. She held her mother-in-law's hand and said, "How could I be such a worry? Look at me, I'm perfectly fine now. Besides, there's General Meng. Don't you also think he's a good person? So what's there to worry about?"

She said it in a coquettish tone.

Her mother-in-law patted her head affectionately and smiled helplessly: "You're so good at talking. Alright, get some rest. You haven't been to the military supply depot for quite a while. You'll definitely have to get up early tomorrow."

Chang Lili nodded obediently, but her smile revealed a mischievous and playful side.

After sending her mother-in-law back to her room, she sighed and threw her tired body onto the bed.

Now she has achieved her wish and is living the life she longed for, but the only thing she feels is not perfect is her relationship with her mother-in-law.

She secretly resolved to spend more time with her mother-in-law in the future. Now that she had achieved some success, she should let her mother-in-law enjoy her retirement.

Thinking this, she gradually felt her eyelids becoming unresponsive, and after struggling for a while, she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Chang Lili went to the military equipment department and felt that the atmosphere was very different.

The military manufacturing department, which used to be noisy and chaotic, is now surprisingly serious, with a strong sense of military discipline.

Everyone was engrossed in their work, and there was very little human voice; it was mostly the sound of hammering and banging, which made people feel a little uncomfortable.

Moreover, there are now small squads of soldiers patrolling the military workshop on a rotating basis.

Isn't this overreacting? Was it all arranged by Meng Yuxiu because of yesterday?

While marveling at their decisive and efficient work style, she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

He made all these arrangements for her, because he was worried about her.

The nine-section whip that she had been longing for yesterday was now delivered to her in a wooden box by Ke Shou.

She suddenly remembered the note, which was printed with Meng Yuxiu's slightly arrogant handwriting. When she thought of the phrase "to die alone and not have a good death," she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

While she was happy, Xiao Shu'er was not.

“Now even a fly can’t get into the Military Manufacturing Department. Many of the people inside have been replaced. I really…” A man dressed as a guard knelt on one knee in front of Xiao Shu’er, looking troubled. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his body was trembling slightly.

The guard who came to report to Xiao Shuer last time has disappeared without a trace, and will never appear in the palace or in this world again.

"What do you mean?" Xiao Shu'er's voice rose slightly, and the surroundings were silent, waiting for the guard's answer.

The guard trembled even more violently, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and rolling down his cheeks. His Adam's apple bobbed, but his voice was weak and feeble, as if stuck in his throat: "There's just... just no way to get close..."

The surroundings were deathly silent. Bai Mei had expected Xiao Shu'er to fly into a rage, and she was prepared for another corpse to be carried out of Fei Yan Palace.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Shu'er sighed slowly, without any anger in her tone: "I knew I couldn't count on you bunch of good-for-nothings. Sending you was just to gather information."

The guard was drenched in cold sweat, but his face, turned towards the ground, revealed a look of joy at having escaped a desperate situation.

"It's indeed difficult to make a move this time, since they're on guard. Alright, you don't need to worry about this anymore, but there's one thing you have to do for me," Xiao Shu'er said calmly.

"Please speak, Princess," the guard said solicitously.

Xiao Shu'er frowned and said unhappily, "That Chen Lu who was imprisoned by General Meng must be eliminated by me by any means necessary, or you will all come to me with your heads."

A moment of hesitation flashed across the guard's face, but in the end he gritted his teeth, accepted the order, and left.

Although Chen Lu was only detained for a day, Xiao Shu'er had already taken action. He was an important witness, and if he wasn't eliminated, there would be endless trouble.

But Meng Yuxiu was prepared. Not only did he not kill him, he also couldn't find out where he was being held.

Xiao Shu'er gave the order, but they were determined to take the risk, even if it meant dying on the way to complete the mission. That would be better than failing the mission and having to report back to Xiao Shu'er.

Xiao Shuer sighed, looking somewhat worried: "It seems that this person is truly impossible to approach. In that case, we can only lure him out."

Her smile was sinister, and her gaze was unfathomable, making it clear to anyone who looked at her what wicked scheme she was plotting.

"What does the princess wish to do?" Bai Mei asked with a forced smile as she poured her tea.

"I won't be able to quell my hatred until I personally deal with Chang Lili. I'll come and meet her myself!" Xiao Shu'er said through gritted teeth, her expression revealing a sinister and vicious look.

Chang Lili didn't find anything wrong with the peaceful, serene, and serious atmosphere of the military workshop. After all, all she cared about was forging weapons, and once she picked up the hammer, she forgot all her worries.

Two days passed peacefully, free from worldly disturbances, and the production of the nine-section whips proceeded much faster.

Looking at the nearly completed nine-section whip, Chang Lili felt that the time to study the government office was just around the corner, and she was indescribably happy.

Just as she was busy at work, she heard someone calling her.

"Master Chang, Master Chang!"

He was an ordinary-looking, seemingly honest soldier. Chang Lili recognized him; he was guarding the gate of the military workshop.

Even though Chang Lili had entered the military manufacturing department under dubious circumstances as a woman, this soldier had never neglected her; now, he was even more respectful.

Chang Lili immediately smiled and said, "No need to call me that, I'm not used to it. What do you need me for?"

He thought the man had come to ask for help repairing his weapon, but instead the man handed him an envelope. The envelope was clearly not an ordinary one; it looked like something a wealthy person would use.

"Someone at the door just asked me to give you this letter," the soldier said honestly.

Chang Lili took the envelope with a puzzled look and asked who had sent it and whether there had been a mistake.

The soldier could only confirm that he hadn't made a mistake, but he couldn't say who had delivered the message.

The envelope was indeed not something ordinary people could use. It felt delicate, thin, and smooth to the touch, and Chang Lili couldn't help but sigh that the envelope was worth a lot of money.

But she found it even stranger: who would give her such a letter?

Her first thought was Meng Yuxiu, and she felt that it wasn't impossible for him to be the one who did such a repressed act.

But the moment she unfolded the thin letter, her expression changed.

The few lines on the paper were completely different from Meng Yuxiu's handwriting, and even showed a touch of elegance and grace. At the end of the letter were the three striking words "Xiao Shuer".