The snow and wind billowed her cloak, the blows against her cheeks feeling like sharp blades. Ignoring this, she quickly searched the corpses, making sure no one she knew was among them, then mounted her horse and headed towards Heshan Academy.

This is roughly the direction; Yu Shuo had mentioned it to her before.

They must have gone in this direction, right?

Qin Su wasn't entirely sure either, but she couldn't just ignore everything; she needed some direction.

Apart from the sound of the snow wind blowing through her robes, Qin Su seemed to hear only her own breathing.

Breathing was rapid and tense.

She chased after them for seven or eight miles, but still didn't see the familiar carriage. Qin Su's heart clenched, guessing that they might not have continued on the official road.

Qin Su only knew the direction of the main road; there were too many side roads branching off.

However, this place was not far from the garrison of the Imperial Guard, so Qin Su gritted his teeth, turned his horse around, and headed towards the military camp.

She needs to mobilize more people to search for them.

Qin Su was unaware that Lu Banyue was already leading a large number of guards toward Quegu, not to start a war with Quegu, but to pick up the Quegu envoy.

Only Commander Jin remained in the guard camp, the one who had previously disliked Qin Su, but at this moment he couldn't care less. Qin Su came directly to borrow men, but Commander Jin initially refused.

Without the Tiger Tally, the Imperial Guards couldn't be mobilized, so Qin Su had no choice but to tell him what had happened that day. Commander Jin became hesitant, but Qin Su didn't have time to wait, so she simply took Commander Jin hostage and forced him to send someone.

Commander Jin was also startled, but he was no match for Qin Su, so he had no choice but to obediently send some men and Qin Su to him.

No sooner had Qin Su left than Commander Jin wrote a letter to Emperor Mingyang, emphasizing that he had been kidnapped, which was why he handed the person over to Qin Su.

Even so, he will still be punished, but it will be much better.

Unfortunately, Emperor Mingyang was only concerned with whether the Ministry of Works could produce the hidden arrows and muskets, and didn't care about such a trivial matter.

Qin Su no longer cared about the poetry gathering; all she wanted was to find her children as soon as possible.

After searching for half an hour without success, Qin Su became increasingly anxious.

"Su girl!"

Someone called out to Qin Su.

He was one of the guards, and also an uncle who watched Qin Su grow up.

“A scholar-like man has come to see you.”

Qin Su looked at the newcomer, who was wearing a blue scholar's robe and a headscarf. Although his hands were red from the cold, he was holding a folding fan.

"Young master, are you looking for me?"

The scholar glanced at Qin Su, startled by her stunning beauty, and quickly lowered his head, saying somewhat awkwardly, "Yes, yes, young friend Qin asked me to come and tell you that they are all safe and that Your Highness can go directly to Heshan Academy."

Qin Su lowered her eyes. "Why didn't they send a guard instead?"

She hadn't counted exactly how many guards had died, but it shouldn't be all of them. Sending a scholar...aren't they afraid something might go wrong?

Or is there something wrong with this person?

The scholar hurriedly said, "Miss Lian came with me, but we couldn't find the princess on the official road, so Miss Lian and I split up to search."

Qin Su then lowered her guard.

She said to the guards, "Thank you for making this trip, uncles. I will definitely treat you to a drink another day."

"It's alright, it's alright, we're all family."

Even though they had joined the army, they still treated Qin Su like their own daughter, and it was best if she was alright.

Not long after, someone saw Lian Tao and brought her over.

Lian Tao had a scratch on her cheek, not serious, as if she had been lightly grazed by some sharp object.

"Your Highness." Lian Tao rushed over and looked Qin Su up and down. "It's good that you're alright."

Qin Su bid farewell to the guards before mounting his horse and heading to the academy.

Along the way, Qin Su asked Lian Tao if she had any clues about who would suddenly assassinate them.

Lian Tao kept shaking her head, saying they were all assassins, not a single one alive. They also didn't have any identification badges on them.

This left Qin Su completely baffled.

Who can't stand her now?

There are likely many reasons why Yu Shuo might have done this, but these people definitely wouldn't have gone so far as to hire an assassin to kill her.

So who exactly is it?

Qin Su rubbed her temples and asked if anyone else was injured, but Lian Tao shook her head. After what had happened, even attending the poetry gathering was no longer an option.

After an incense stick had burned, the three arrived at Heshan Academy. As soon as the scholar arrived at the academy, he bowed to Qin Su and prepared to leave. Qin Su naturally did not stop him; she was just a little worried about whether they would be able to find their way after he left.

Fortunately, Lian Tao had a good memory and led Qin Su towards Heshan Academy. However, they were stopped again not long after they started walking.

"Princess Consort Chen, Princess Consort Chen, please wait."

Qin Su and Lian Tao both looked over.

The newcomer had a round face and a somewhat plump body, but he was clearly not very old. His clothes were exactly the same as the scholar from before.

This must be the uniform of Heshan Academy.

"I am Zuo Yuan, a student of the Dean. The Dean heard that Princess Chen has come and would like to invite her over." He held his waist and was panting heavily.

His physique is mostly flabby and lacks exercise, so he gets out of breath after running only a short distance.

Noticing Qin Su's hesitation, Zuo Yuan quickly said, "Princess Consort Chen, rest assured, Qin Zhi and the others are all at the academy. The poetry gathering will be postponed until the afternoon."

So Qin Su had no choice but to go. The reason she hesitated was that she wanted to see Yuanyuan and the others first. Since they were all together, she no longer had this concern.

Heshan Academy truly lives up to its reputation as the premier academy in Da'an. It occupies a vast area and boasts a grand layout. Its architectural style differs somewhat from that of Kyoto, seemingly incorporating elements of Suzhou.

Perhaps for this reason, such a college appears less solemn and more elegant.

The slender scholar led them around for a long time before finally arriving at the courtyard, which was blocked by an archway, making it difficult to see the scenery inside.

"Please come in, Princess Consort. I will not go in."

Qin Su nodded slightly to him and stepped inside.

The courtyard was surrounded by a circle of purple bamboo, and many different kinds of chrysanthemums were planted nearby. However, these chrysanthemums had already withered, and the courtyard looked rather desolate.

Qin Su took a few more steps and heard the voice of an infant. She was immediately drawn to it and hurriedly took a few steps in that direction.

Luo Zhi was holding the child, and Tuoba Yan was beside her. Only Chongyang was holding his sword, looking very serious. Qin Su was a little puzzled that Qin Zhi wasn't there.

She glanced around and saw Qin Zhi sitting not far away, with two other people on either side of him. One of them wore a cloth hat and a light blue scholar's robe with a few bamboo leaves embroidered on the collar, exuding elegance and a unique charm.

The person opposite him looked very familiar.

The man was wearing a cassock and had a completely shaved head even in the dead of winter, seemingly unaffected by the cold.

It is said that scholars are full of classical Chinese phrases and believe in the sayings of Confucius and Lao Tzu. They dislike associating with superstitious people.