Xia Ning lowered her head guiltily and changed the subject haphazardly: "Lili, you scared me to death."

Shen Jiahao immediately chimed in, the usually doting young man unusually showing a hint of anger: "That's right, Lili, what was wrong with you just now? If your brother had arrived a second later...!"

Lili silently hid behind Gu Ziyi, but Gu Ziyi didn't tolerate her and picked her up.

God knows how scared he was just now.

The knife was just a hair's breadth away from touching her.

Lili shook Shen Jiahao's arm in a flattering manner: "Big brother, don't be angry. Lili knew that big brother would come. Even if big brother wasn't here, His Highness is here too."

Gu Ziyi frowned: "Try lying through your teeth again. Do you know how far apart we are?"

Pear Pear lowered her eyes pitifully.

Gu Ziyi immediately lost her temper and couldn't say anything harsh. Shen Jiahao was also helpless against his sister's coquettishness.

They looked terrified, but Lili probably had a lot of confidence in her heart.

Shen Ye tried to speak several times, but finally only said, "Miss, you mustn't scare people like that next time."

Lili nodded: "It's wrapped!"

The little girl spoke with great conviction, but whether the few who listened actually believed her is another matter.

The group sighed in unison. Gu Ziyi pinched the bridge of his nose and called over An Qi: "Take Miss to settle in, and have Zhui Feng send the pea flour cake over."

"yes!"

Gu Ziyi wiped the blood-stained hairpin off Lili with his sleeve, then re-inserted it into her hair. He said helplessly, "Go wait for Prefect Qin. I brought you some pea flour cake. Eat a little to fill your stomach. Wait for me to have dinner together later, okay?"

"Pea flour cake? Your Highness, you still have time to make pea flour cake amidst your busy schedule?"

Gu Ziyi must have been keeping a close eye on things today. It's hard to imagine that Gu Ziyi was giving his opinions in the kitchen.

Yes, while rolling up his sleeves to boil peas, he was also strategizing.

While doing the most tender things with their hands, they were saying things like "the weather is cold and the king is broken."

Ah, His Highness the Crown Prince is so adorable!

Lili chuckled, "Your Highness made pea flour cake, so Lili has to finish it all."

"I ate too much, so I can't eat dinner. I recently got some clams, they're fresh and plump, so I specially asked Zhuifeng to bring them over." Gu Ziyi's smile was undisguised.

"Clams?" Pear's eyes lit up. "Are they garlic-flavored?"

"Yes, we not only have garlic-flavored ones, but also clam and winter melon soup. The winter melon is stewed until it's soft and tender, according to your preference..."

"Your Highness is the best! Lili will leave now so as not to disturb Your Highness's work. Please come back soon, Your Highness!"

Lili quickly hugged Gu Ziyi, pulled away from Xia Ning, and ran off in a flash, eagerly heading towards her pea flour cake.

Shen Ye nodded to him and followed him.

Shen Jiahao looked pale and uneasy, giving Gu Ziyi a complicated look.

Gu Ziyi, with remarkable composure, allowed him to scrutinize her, smiling gently: "Lili is as adorable as ever, don't you think, big brother?"

Shen Jiahao asked in confusion, "What? You're calling me 'Big Brother'?"

Gu Ziyi was very familiar with the Shen family, but he had always treated them with respect and always addressed them as Young Master Shen.

Although Shen Jiahao felt that Gu Ziyi was no different from his younger brother over the years, he still felt strange when Gu Ziyi suddenly called him "big brother".

So much so that Shen Jiahao forgot what he had been thinking.

Gu Ziyi nodded innocently: "Ziyi treats Lili like his own sister. You are Lili's older brother, so naturally you are also Ziyi's older brother."

Shen Jiahao hissed, realizing that it made sense.

Shen Jiahao shook his head, waved absentmindedly at him, and walked away.

As he walked, Shen Jiahao scratched his head and said, "Something feels off."

Gu Ziyi maintained a warm smile throughout, watching Shen Jiahao catch up with the group as they played pranks on him.

Han Xi appeared behind her at some point. Downstairs in the teahouse, Lili happily accepted the pea flour cake taken from the Wind Chaser carriage.

Gu Ziyi smiled slightly, her expression full of tenderness.

Han Xi hesitated, then said, "Your Highness, you...you should still show mercy."

Despite the Red Eagle Army providing cover, Gu Ziyi refused to let Gu Zian engage in battle with the Red Eagle Army until the very end.

Because once the Red Eagle Army is involved, it's no longer just a fight between brothers.

Gu Ziyi watched Lili board the carriage before turning his gaze away.

The sky had completely darkened, and the still-wet bloodstains on the ground looked even more eerie under the moonlight.

Gu Ziyi seemed completely unaware, her lips pressed into a thin line. After a long while, she calmly walked out of the terrace without saying a word.

*

The group returned to the prefectural government under the escort of the Red Eagle Army. Qin Renjie had already received the news and was waiting at the gate of the government office with his wife and daughter.

Zhui Feng rode ahead on horseback, leading the way, with the imposing Red Eagle Army on both sides, looking quite impressive.

The streets were bustling again. The commotion was so great that even if someone had deliberately cleared the area, people would have had to run far away if the area hadn't been cleared.

Now that the commotion has subsided, the people have all seen that it was the Red Eagle Army cleaning up the mess. The news spread like wildfire, and now the entire prefecture knows that a nobleman from the capital was assassinated in that teahouse.

As for the Red Eagle Army that suddenly appeared, the ordinary people were also confused, only knowing that in the end the Red Eagle Army defeated the villain.

Those who know a thing or two can tell that something's not right here.

But so what? The wife of the heir of the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion is a member of the imperial family. Although it is strange that the Red Eagle Army is here, it is justified to eliminate evildoers and protect the imperial family.

"Oh my god, you wouldn't believe it! I had just finished watching the dragon boat race and was admiring the hollyhocks by the river when suddenly a huge crowd of people rushed out from next to the teahouse and leaped up into the air!"

"What's that? I was just eating steamed buns over there when a group of burly men at the next table suddenly overturned the table. I looked down and saw that they had pulled out a rope from somewhere and were climbing up!"

"It's really scary! The top floor and terrace of that teahouse were booked by the prefect's wife today. I heard it's for some kind of hollyhock banquet, and a lot of noble ladies are there."

"No wonder there are troops here. A prince's wife has come to the capital and is currently a guest at the prefect's wife's house. If you say that, then those villains are planning to assassinate a member of the imperial family."

"Did you see the corpses the Red Eagle Army dragged down? Many of them were notorious bandits and villains, the kind who didn't care about their lives."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, I'm very well-informed."

"The Red Eagle Army has been rid of a menace. I wonder what kind of people those guys are, that they could hire so many treacherous individuals."

The people discussed the matter with lingering fear, and in the process, this actually increased the prestige of the Red Eagle Army.

The secret guards kept their merits and fame hidden.

Since leaving the teahouse, Madam Qin had been restless, as if something was about to happen.

This premonition finally came true when the streets within a mile of the teahouse were cleared out.

When Madam Qin heard the servant's report that a villain had suddenly appeared in the teahouse, she was so frightened that she almost fainted.

She was the one who organized this hollyhock banquet. The young master and his wife from the Marquis Chongbo's mansion were here, along with several young ladies from the capital. If something happened here, she would be completely finished.

Madam Qin immediately went to find Qin Renjie, but Qin Renjie remained calm and told her to calm down.

It was at this moment that Lady Qin learned that this was actually His Highness the Crown Prince's plan.

Zhui Feng dismounted first and bowed to Qin Renjie: "Lord Qin."

Qin Renjie: "Lord Zhuifeng, how is the situation?"

Zhui Feng said, "Lord Qin, there is no need to worry, everything is fine. His Highness has instructed that the ladies and young misses rest in the mansion for a while, and His Highness will be here in a moment."

Qin Renjie hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly take good care of all the ladies and young misses."

The two carriages stopped one after the other. As soon as Lili got out of the carriage, Qin Fu rushed over: "Lili, I heard you were also in that teahouse and didn't leave. I was so scared!"

Madam Qin intended to cultivate her daughter from a young age. After finishing her lunch, Qin Fu stayed at the mansion to wrap up the lunch banquet and help arrange the dinner banquet. She did not go to the teahouse.

Qin Fu was surprised to see Madam Qin returning alone.

Lili chuckled, "It's nothing."

Qin Fu didn't believe it at all: "Nothing's wrong, of course!"

After the two sisters exchanged a few words, Madam Qin invited everyone to go inside the mansion first.

Qin Renjie lagged behind, and while Lili was walking behind the group, he asked cryptically, "Um, what's going on with that person?"

Lili thought for a moment: "Uncle Qin is talking about the eldest prince? He's still alive. His Highness and the eldest prince are 'brothers with a deep bond.' They're just vying for the throne, so His Highness naturally wouldn't go so far as to kill them all."

Qin Renjie was startled by Lili's arrogant words: "Lili, don't scare your uncle!"

He didn't hear anything about vying for the throne.

As a subject, he was still self-aware enough to know what he should and shouldn't listen to.

I didn't hear it, I didn't hear it.

“However…” Qin Renjie thought for a moment, “Your Highness really didn’t… huh?”

Qin Renjie made a throat-slitting gesture.

Lili shook her head: "Of course."

Firstly, since Gu Ziyi dared to lead the Red Eagle Army here in such a grand manner, His Majesty must have known about this matter; otherwise, given Gu Ziyi's personality, he wouldn't have acted this way.

Secondly, Lili could tell that these two people probably had some brotherly affection for each other many years ago.

Qin Renjie sighed, "Your Highness is kind and benevolent, which is a good thing. But to put it bluntly, the path to the throne is bound to be bloody and turbulent. Your Highness's leniency this time may be a hidden danger for yourself."

“How could that be?” Lili chuckled. “Your Highness showed mercy. Otherwise, Gu Zi’an would have died at the hands of the Red Eagle Army. If he had been handed over to His Majesty, Gu Zi’an would not have survived.”

He is, after all, his eldest son, and His Majesty is benevolent; the most likely outcome of His Majesty's decision is to demote him to a commoner.

Gu Zian was seriously injured. She had just glanced at him and saw that he was missing an arm and had a sword wound in his abdomen.

Sigh, whether we can even survive is another matter.

Qin Renjie nodded, wisely refraining from asking any further questions.

Because of the intense experience just now, Madam Qin specially arranged for everyone to rest in the flower hall.

The flower hall has a rather elegant environment with many flowers and green plants, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Bai Yu sat down and then remembered that she seemed to have forgotten that she had a niece.

Recalling the shout she had heard on the terrace earlier, Bai Yu felt a warmth in her heart. Her niece was gentle and the only girl in the Bai family, and she and her sister had always doted on her.

"Lord Chasing Wind, do you know where my niece has gone?"

Zhui Feng said, "Young Master's wife, rest assured, the Red Eagle Army has already sent the two young ladies back to the prefectural government. They should be resting at the manor now."

Madam Qin nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, Miss Bai and Miss Yu are resting in the side room."

No sooner said than done, that familiar voice appeared.

"aunt!"

Bai Weiwei rushed over in a panic, her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was slightly messy, and she looked tired, as if she hadn't had a good rest due to worry.

Yu Siting followed her in.

Bai Weiwei threw herself beside Bai Yu, choking back tears, "Auntie, Weiwei was so worried about you!"

Bai Yu's heart stirred, and Bai Weiwei's eyes were filled with sincere worry. Just as Bai Yu was about to hold her hand and speak, she suddenly noticed that the belt around her waist had changed color.

Bai Yu's movements faltered.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the wrinkles in Bai Weiwei's clothes did not appear to be caused by anxiety or disorder, but rather as if she had hurriedly changed her clothes and hadn't had time to tidy them up.

There was no other reason than Bai Yu noticed the knot on the ribbon tied on her right waist, which was tied very carelessly.

Bai Yu paused, and the emotion that had just welled up inside her vanished instantly.

Bai Yu suppressed the profound meaning in her heart, then took Bai Weiwei's hand and patted it perfunctorily twice: "You're so thoughtful, Auntie is fine."

Bai Yu's expression remained unchanged, but he seemed to have lost some of his sincerity.

Bai Weiwei didn't notice: "It's good that Auntie is alright."

Madam Qin chimed in, "Miss Bai is truly intelligent and kind-hearted, and she has a wonderful relationship with the young master's wife."

Bai Weiwei looked up at her, smiled slightly, and seemed a little embarrassed.

Taking the opportunity to glance around, Bai Weiwei focused her gaze on Lili, who was quietly eating pea flour cake in the corner.

Lili sat next to Qin Fu and Xia Ning, the three of them whispering to each other.

At noon today, Qin Fu and Xia Ning were just nodding acquaintances, but now they have become quite familiar with each other.

Shen Ye and Shen Jiahao sat down not far away, chatting casually, their eyes never leaving each other for more than ten seconds.

A subtle shadow crossed Bai Weiwei's face.

"Auntie, what just happened? Why were we suddenly attacked? Who were those people?"

Bai Yu glossed over the matter without leaving a trace: "They were just some ignorant scoundrels, and the matter has been resolved."

Bai Weiwei nodded: "As soon as Weiwei heard that her aunt was back, she came over immediately."

After pausing for two seconds, Bai Weiwei glanced at Lili, who was slowly eating pea flour cake in the corner and flirting with her friends, and said with a deep expression, "I didn't expect Miss Chen to be faster than me. Weiwei is a bit slower."

Bai Weiwei smiled sweetly, like a mischievous and spoiled child.

Lili:...?

She realized that no matter what she did, she would always get shot.

I can stand, I can sit, and I can eat.

The scene fell silent for a moment, and everyone except Yu Siting looked at her strangely.

Bai Weiwei was completely unaware, only looking at Lili's friendly smile.

Lili was speechless. She gave her a blunt look and wanted to roll her eyes, but Xia Ning, who saw what she was about to do, quickly covered her eyes.

Xia Ning smiled and was very kind.