Chapter 166 (Part 1) - End of Text. Yu Qi's fate remains unknown. ...

After delivering the message, the young eunuch took his leave, leaving the three people in the courtyard in a state of shock. Yu Qi was so frightened that his heart was pounding wildly, and he suddenly felt cold all over. He started coughing and stared blankly for a moment before asking Xu Bai to have a horse prepared so he could go back to his room to change his clothes and head to Qianlong Mountain.

The two followed him into the room, rolled their eyes at him as he changed his clothes, and couldn't help but furrow their brows. "I think it's best if you don't go yet, sir. I'm afraid there's something fishy going on."

Zhang Da turned his head. "What kind of trap could it be?"

“I don’t know,” Xu Bai sighed and slowly shook his head. “Yu’er went to the palace this morning without any problem, and didn’t mention that she was going to pay respects at the family’s cemetery. Why did she suddenly go? Didn’t the master say that the emperor has always wanted to get rid of you? Could it be that it’s not easy to do so in the city, so he deliberately lured you to the wilderness?”

Yu Qizheng took out the newly forged waist knife and examined it, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Does getting to the family's burial ground require passing through Qianlong Mountain?"

“That’s true. The whole family is buried behind Qianlong Mountain, and Aunt Quan’s cenotaph is also there. But this might just be a pretext.”

Zhang Da muttered to himself, "I'm afraid it's true. It's a pity we don't have anyone we can trust! Otherwise, we could find out the truth just by asking."

After a slight hesitation, Yu Qi still tucked the newly forged eight-inch dagger into his sleeve. "I won't gamble with the fish's life."

As he was leaving, Xu Bai grabbed his arm again. "Sir, even if this is true, Yu'er is the Emperor's own flesh and blood. He will never abandon her. Didn't that eunuch say that the Emperor has sent five hundred imperial guards to search the mountain? I believe they will definitely be able to find Yu'er. Sir, please be patient. We have important things to do tomorrow."

Yu Qi looked down at the delicate, fair hand on his arm, then looked up at his calm and handsome face. The light in his eyes flickered. “How can the kindness of giving birth be greater than the kindness of raising? Zhou Hao has never raised fish for a single day. Losing fish is just a minor pain for him, but for me, it is like having my heart torn out.”

He walked toward the door, but glanced back and said, “If I don’t return tonight, you shall proceed as before tomorrow.”

Having finished speaking, he left the mansion, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the south gate. He inquired at the gate and indeed learned that several hundred imperial guards had departed westward half an hour earlier. Unable to immediately discern whether it was true or false, he mounted his horse again and rode westward for another twenty li or so. There, he saw a mountain path winding through the mountains. The forest was filled with tall trees reaching into the clouds, their branches lush and verdant, the mountain peaks covered in snow, dark and treacherous. If what the little eunuch said was true, it was indeed a good place for robbery and plunder. Yu Qi spurred his horse and headed towards the path.

He ran into the forest, the mountain path growing narrower and narrower until he couldn't see the exit. But sure enough, he spotted an overturned carriage on his right. He quickly jumped off his horse, tied it to a tree, and looked ahead. It really was a palace carriage, but the horses were nowhere to be seen.

As he bent down to examine the marks on the ground, his ears suddenly twitched. He leaned forward and looked around, only to see four men carrying knives emerge from behind several trees. They were all around thirty years old, tall and slender, dressed in black clothing with white cloud and thunder patterns embroidered on their lapels and cuffs.

He instantly recalled the group of highly skilled martial artists he had encountered in the manor more than a decade ago; their swords were engraved with the same pattern. This time, Qi Xubai was right; there was indeed a trap. He immediately drew his sword, cut off a piece of his robe, gripped the sword tightly in his hand, spread his legs slightly, and smiled as he looked around at the four men.

The leader, Wang Qian, stepped out from behind a tree in the distance, carrying a goose-feather saber. "You can still laugh at a time like this?"

Yu Qi still smiled, "Seeing you all means the fish is alright, so why shouldn't I smile?"

“Miss Jiuli is of the Emperor’s bloodline, so of course no one dares to offend her, but you might be different. Kill him!” Wang Qian gave the order from behind, and two men rushed towards Yu Qi with fierce attacks.

Yu Qi dodged to the side, deflecting the two men's blades with his own, but a piece of his sleeve was still torn off. Hearing a commotion behind him, he had no choice but to bend his knees and fall to the ground, raising his sword to parry the blow. At the same time, a dagger emerged from his sleeve, flashing coldly, and instantly plunged into the abdomen of the man above him. He quickly rolled to the side, leaped to his feet, and escaped the encirclement. He then pulled off his outer cloak, biting the blood-stained dagger in his mouth, and tucked the hem of his inner robe into his waistband. With his other hand, he removed the dagger, still bending his knees, ready to face the enemy.

One man died instantly, forcing the remaining three to proceed with caution, their swords drawn as they slowly advanced. Suddenly, one of them fell forward, bracing himself against the ground, and slashed at Yu Qi's lower body with his sword. The other two parried the blow, their swords descending from above. In a flash, Yu Qi dodged backward, tossed his dagger into the air, wrapped his arms around a tree, and emerged from the other side. Taking advantage of the moment the man's blade was momentarily blocked by the tree, Yu Qi slashed across the man's side to his waist and caught the dagger.

The two men immediately attacked from the left and right, slashing at the tree behind them. Yu Qi reacted quickly, biting his waist knife and leaping upwards, grabbing the tree trunk and climbing up. The two men below followed suit. Suddenly, a knife flew towards Yu Qi's hands, spinning around. He had no choice but to release his grip, push off the tree trunk with his feet, and flip back to the ground. The knife was embedded horizontally in the tree.

The two men in the tree jumped onto Yu Qi's back. One of them casually took the inlaid knife and tossed it forward, letting Wang Qian, who was standing in front of Yu Qi, catch it. Then Wang Qian raised the knife and laughed, "Eunuch Shen was right. I really can't underestimate you."

Yu Qi looked around twice and said, "I could kill eight of you back then, and I can kill five of you today."

"A common quack doctor, yet he speaks with such arrogance." Wang Qian smiled and immediately swung his knife at Yu Qi.

Hearing the rapid footsteps behind him, Yu Qi dodged ahead and quickly turned to block. Although he parried the two men's blades, he was no match for Wang Qian's continuous attacks from behind, which caused him to spit out blood and fall to the ground. Ignoring the pain, he quickly rolled over and kicked the two men in the abdomen, sending them staggering back a step. He then leaped up and feigned a slash at the three men, who all bent over to dodge. Yu Qi, however, plunged his dagger directly into one of them's abdomen.

Three men were killed in an instant, leaving only Wang Qian and his companion. Yu Qi's confidence surged. He wiped the blood from his mouth, brandished his dagger, and slowly approached the two like a tiger. Wang Qian and his companion stared intently, gripping their knives and retreating slowly. Suddenly, Wang Qian smiled, and snow began to fall all around. In his haste, Yu Qi looked up and saw five figures in the sky pulling a net straight down on his head.

It turned out that seven men had already laid an ambush in the trees with a net. Seeing that Yu Qi was no match for them on the ground, they seized the opportunity and jumped down, trapping Yu Qi on the ground. At this moment, snow began to fall, falling heavily, making Yu Qi's eyelids feel cold.

Wang Qian gripped his goose-feather saber, the tip pointing straight at the net's opening. "Yu Qi, you are very skilled in combat, but you lack cunning and treachery. No matter how strong your martial arts are, you cannot escape this inescapable net. We have no enmity, so don't blame us; it is the Emperor who wants your life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he thrust the tip of his knife into the net. But no sooner said than done, a flash of silver appeared, and a bladed knife flew out, scattering the flying snow and knocking Wang Qian's knife away.

As everyone turned to look, they saw a burly man galloping through the woods, wielding a gleaming knife, charging straight at the crowd, shouting, "You thieving dog! Prepare to die!"

Taking advantage of this moment, Yu Qi caught the knife that Wang Qian dropped, slashed it with his backhand, cut through the net, jumped out, and, taking advantage of the others' unpreparedness, first killed the two people on the left and right, then joined forces with Zhang Da, and engaged in a fierce battle. Snow danced in the mountains and forests, and blood splattered in the twilight.

For some reason, Jiuli felt a tightness in her chest and a bit short of breath ever since she left the palace. She couldn't help but frown slightly in the sedan chair and start to think things through. She had just told the Emperor about Zhang Shun's matter when she was having dinner. The Emperor immediately sent people from the Ministry of Justice to Jixiang Hutong to arrest him, but the house was already empty.

The Ministry of Justice immediately drew Zhang Shun's portrait and posted it everywhere. The wanted posters would probably be plastered all over the city by tomorrow. Everything was proceeding according to Yu Qi's plan without any problems, so why was he inexplicably uneasy?

She lifted the curtain and looked out. The wind and snow were endless. The road seemed longer today. Or was it that these little eunuchs were walking exceptionally slowly? She could never get back.

She finally made it back to the main gate, but when she turned around, the sunlight had long since dissipated, and everywhere was covered in swirling white snow against a gloomy blue backdrop. Ignoring her unfamiliar surroundings, she hurried towards the guest courtyard. Upon arriving, she saw that none of the rooms were lit, only a crescent moon adorned the rooftops.

She searched everywhere, but there was no one in the east wing of the main house. The courtyard, which she had just swept that morning, was covered with snow again. She sat down on the Wu King's chair, feeling inexplicably dizzy and nauseous.

Just then, Li's mother entered the courtyard and called out to her from the yard: "Mr. Yu and Constable Zhang have both gone out."

Jiuli hurriedly greeted them from under the eaves, "Where have you been?"

"I didn't hear them say anything. They left in the afternoon, and they rode off in a hurry one after another."

She blinked several times, trying to figure out where she had gone at this inconvenient time.

"What about your second master? Did he go too?"

"Second Master is not here. He's in his room."

She rushed to Xu Bai's room and saw him pacing back and forth under the lamp. When he saw her, he was both surprised and delighted. He quickly came over, his expression changing several times. "You're really alright!"

"What could have happened to me? Where did Uncle and Brother Zhang go?"

Xu Bai then recounted in detail the message the young eunuch had delivered that afternoon. As he spoke, his brows furrowed more and more, and he went to his desk and slammed his fist on the table. "I advised you then that it might be a trap set by the Emperor! But you said you were better off safe than sorry, and insisted on going to Qianlong Mountain. I was worried, so I told Zhang Da to follow, but they haven't returned yet. I don't know if it's a good or bad omen!"

Jiuli listened in a daze, her chest aching more and more. After a moment of distraction, a large tear rolled down her cheek. "I'll go to the palace to find the Emperor right now."

Hearing this, Xu Bai quickly pulled her back, "No, the palace gates are already locked, you can't get in!"

"I am the Emperor's daughter. Your Majesty, I will naturally be permitted to enter!"

"No! You can't go! The Emperor is very suspicious. If he knows we suspected it was him who wanted to kill Mr. Yu, he'll probably become suspicious of what's going on with the Prince. What if he orders stronger defenses in the city now? How will we proceed tomorrow?"

She pulled her hand away from his, her eyes brimming with tears, staring at him hatefully, wishing she could tear open his chest to see his heart. "At a time like this, all you're thinking about is your prince! Your fame and fortune!"

"I am thinking of the people! At this moment, the greater good must take precedence!"

"What do the rest of the world have to do with me?! I only want my uncle!" With that, he ran towards the door, turning back to glare at him as he left. "If you dare to chase after me and stop me, I'll make a scene, and nobody will live!"

She bit her lip and said, "Or you can kill me right now."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai had no choice but to stop and watch helplessly as she left into the night.

Before midnight, there wasn't a single pedestrian on the street. The crescent moon was dim, but the ground was covered in a blanket of snow. Jiu Li, carrying a lantern, ran out of the Qi residence, heading straight for the Forbidden City. The snow crunched under her feet, the north wind whistled past her ears, and snowflakes stung her face, icy and painful. She didn't feel the cold, though she was already drenched in sweat from the shock. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her throat.

One year, a heavy snow fell on Suzhou, clogging the mountain roads. The villagers said that a cart driver had overturned down the mountain, killing both people and animals. That day, Yu Qi and Du Zhong went to town to see patients, and hadn't returned by nightfall. She was so anxious she couldn't sit still. Ignoring the old lady's attempts to stop her, she grabbed a lantern and headed towards the mountain road. Sure enough, Yu Qi's cart was stuck on the edge of a cliff. He and Du Zhong were getting out when they saw a small figure running towards them. As they got closer, he opened his arms to meet the figure, and she dropped the lantern and flew straight into his embrace.

She felt him holding her incredibly tightly, with the shadows of towering mountains looming between them. For the past twenty years, day and night had been endless, and no one had ever looked for him. She understood that he didn't like wandering; his carefree attitude was just a forced pretense.

He had been displaced since childhood. When she thought of this, she was suddenly startled, stopped in her tracks, and gazed into the distance towards the imperial city for a while before having to turn back and slowly walk back.

At this moment, Xu Bai was on pins and needles, not knowing what to do. He was worried about Yu Qi, and at the same time, he was afraid that it would disturb the palace and disrupt the important events of tomorrow. He paced around the room anxiously. Just as he was sighing and sitting down, he suddenly saw Jiu Li push the door open and come in.

Xu Bai was stunned for a moment, then quickly pulled her down to sit, scrutinizing her expression. "How is it?"

She murmured, "You're right, we should prioritize the important matters at this time."

Xu Bai, still somewhat doubtful, peered at her expression and asked, "Aren't you worried about Mr. Yu?"

Her smile was tinged with bitterness. "My uncle will definitely come looking for me alive. He is the most capable man in the world. He won't be killed easily. No one can do anything to him."

Xu Bai's heart tightened, but he had no words to refute her.

That night, the two sat facing each other, discussing the details of the next day's actions. They finally made it to dawn, but Yu Qi and Zhang Da still hadn't returned, nor had they heard any news. Not only were they uneasy, but Shen Quan was also waiting anxiously for Wang Qian's report. Just as he was getting impatient, a servant came to announce that Jiu Li had arrived.

Shen Quan figured that this was definitely to confront the eunuch about how he had tricked Yu Qi yesterday. He had already come up with a plan, so he took the eunuch's hand and went out with a smile.

Just as she reached the door, Jiuli came running up, grabbing her skirt. "Eunuch Shen, what exactly happened? Yesterday, a little eunuch ran to the Qi residence and told my uncle that I was robbed by bandits on my way to Qianlong Mountain to worship my ancestors. Where did this come from?!"

"Is that so?!" Shen Quan frowned, thinking, "Where did this little brat come from, daring to spread rumors? The young lady is standing right here!"

"That's right! How did this saying even come about?"

Shen Quan lowered her head, pretending to ponder, "What was the name of that little eunuch who delivered the message?"

"It seems to be called something like 'Quan' or something."

Shen Quan glanced at the little eunuch beside him and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! Zhou Quan is from Cangwu Pavilion!" Then, looking at Jiu Li with a worried expression, he clicked his tongue several times, "Oh no, Zhou Quan has always been favored by the Imperial Concubine and the Chen family. Could it be that the second master of the Chen family is deliberately seeking revenge because he resented Mr. Yu for injuring him in Nanjing and set a trap to lure him to the desolate wilderness to cause him trouble?"

Little did he know that he was trying to fool Jiu Li, and Jiu Li was also trying to fool him, so he stomped his foot and said, "That damned Chen Jia! Could he be plotting against my uncle?"

"Hey, not at all." Shen Quan waved her hand and laughed, her voice sharp and cold. "This is under the Emperor's nose. Mr. Yu is unfamiliar with the capital and has only ever had a grudge against him. If something happens to Mr. Yu, who wouldn't think of him first? What is your status, young lady? Mr. Yu saved you and raised you. That means he has done the Emperor a great favor. Who would dare to harm him?"

"Alas! Chen Jia holds a grudge against my uncle! There are many complicated matters in the palace today, and I dare not trouble the Emperor. I would like to ask you, Eunuch, to send some troops from the southern city to search for my uncle nearby. Once my uncle is found, I will definitely report Chen Jia to the Emperor!"

Shen Quan quickly patted her hand, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll send someone to the military headquarters to deliver the message. You just go back and wait."

After seeing Jiuli off, Shen Quan summoned the deputy commander of the Shadow Guard to inquire about the situation. The deputy commander reported, "There are twelve people in total, all of them are experts, and Commander Wang is personally leading the team, so there shouldn't be any problems. However, Yu Qi is highly skilled in martial arts and may have escaped. The brothers are probably chasing after him."

Shen Quan, hunched over, walked to the bedside, leaned on the kang table, and slowly sat down, thinking: "Immediately take the men of the Southern City Military Command to search the Qianlong Mountain area. If you find Yu Qi still alive, take the opportunity to finish him off. If he is dead, bring his body back. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so we must let the Emperor have a peaceful New Year."

The deputy commander received his orders and came out. He looked around and saw that some shops on the street were already busy closing up shop so they could go home early to prepare for the New Year's Eve celebrations. He put down his stirrups, mounted his horse, and headed south of the city.

Jiuli, however, did not return to the Qi residence. Instead, she wandered the streets, half-jokingly searching for Yu Qi. Somewhere along the way, she saw a group of people gathered around a wall, watching something commotion. It turned out there was a notice posted on the wall announcing the arrest of Zhang Shun. She squeezed forward to take a look, and after a while, she started arguing with two men nearby.

One of the men glanced at her and his eyes widened immediately. He reached out and touched her face. "I thought she was some ignorant woman, but she's a fairy. Girl, why are you so hot-tempered? Didn't your family tell you that someone like you is the easiest to get into trouble outside?"

Jiuli slapped him across the face, deliberately raising her voice, "Show some respect! If you dare to lay a hand on me again, I'll chop your hands and feet off and mince them into mincemeat!"

Enraged, the man persisted in touching her, but before his hand could even reach her, someone grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm backward, and made him grimace in pain. Upon closer inspection, she saw two imposing and burly men. Jiu Li thought to herself, these two are probably the shadow guards Yu Qi mentioned who often followed her in the shadows.

Sure enough, the man with the free hand whispered in Jiu Li's ear, "Don't be afraid, young lady. We two were sent by Eunuch Shen to protect you."

The man who had arrested the person gritted his teeth and said to the person he had captured, "Do you know who this young lady is? How dare you be rude to her!"

The captured man, following the force of the pull on his arm, knelt down before Jiu Li, repeatedly begging for forgiveness. Jiu Li, however, crossed her arms and sneered, "Don't spare him! Take him to the yamen and punish him severely!"

The two shadow guards then arrested the two men and took them to the yamen. Jiu Li escaped from the two men and quickly hired a carriage on the street, heading straight for the south of the city. At this time, Shen Quan had probably already mobilized the troops in the south city to go out of the city to find Yu Qi. Going out of the city would be much easier. Hopefully, things would be settled with Xu Baiyoujun as soon as possible so that everyone could meet at the southern dock.

Before the carriage had gone far, Jiuli suddenly lurched forward. The carriage had abruptly stopped. Lifting the curtain, she saw Chen Jia on horseback blocking the street, followed by two servants. It was truly like running into an enemy on a narrow bridge, and now, of all people, she'd stumbled upon this mortal enemy!

As luck would have it, Chen Jia was passing by on the street when the curtains of the carriage were suddenly blown open by the wind, revealing Jiu Li sitting inside. Early that morning, Yang Qingnian had reported to him that Yu Qi had been tricked out by a eunuch the previous day and was now missing, with all the servants in the mansion searching for him. He suspected that the Emperor intended to secretly kill Yu Qi, and since Jiu Li's carriage was heading south, she must be searching for Yu Qi. If she found a corpse and caused trouble for the Emperor, it would be disastrous, causing him considerable distress. Therefore, he took it upon himself to stop her on behalf of the Emperor.

He dismounted and bowed beside the carriage, asking, "Where are you going, Miss Jiuli?"

Jiuli glanced at him coldly. "My uncle is missing. I'm going to find him. What, now that you've become a palace attendant and are working under Eunuch Shen, you're meddling in my private affairs?"

Chen Jia's face darkened slightly, but he immediately put on a smile again. "How could I dare? It's just that tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and I'm sure the Emperor will invite you to the palace for a family reunion. You should rest now so you'll have the energy to accompany the Emperor to the banquet tomorrow. You shouldn't be running around in the streets. How about I escort you home?"

"Who are you to stop me?! What business is it of yours if I go to see my uncle? You are not qualified to give me orders!"

Chen Jia smiled and said, "It is a subject's duty to share the Emperor's burdens. If Mr. Yu is missing, someone will go to look for him. There are often thieves outside the city, so it is more important for you to go back, Miss."

He then ordered the coachman to change course. The coachman hesitated at first, but the servant Jiang Xu quickly stepped forward and shouted, "Do you know who she is? If you take her around aimlessly and something happens, do you want your life?! Our master is the second young master of the Chen family, the Imperial Uncle's family. He can take responsibility, but can you?!"

The coachman had already deduced from the previous conversation that the young lady was no ordinary person and that he could not possibly be trusted to serve her. Upon hearing that the young man in the carriage was from the family of the emperor's brother-in-law, he had no choice but to turn the carriage around.

Jiuli stumbled and bumped into the car wall. Ignoring the pain, she shouted, "I paid for your ride! How dare you take orders from others?!"

The coachman ignored him and turned the carriage onto the fork in the road ahead, following the directions Chen Jia had given him. Jiu Li thought to herself, if Chen Jia took her back to the Qi residence and she didn't find Xu Bai, he might become suspicious and ruin everything. Since she couldn't shake him off right now, she might as well distract him first so that Xu Bai and You Jun could proceed smoothly, and then she could find another way to escape.

Besides, if she manages to escape today, it might be a year or two before she can avenge Du Zhong. How could she allow Chen Jia to roam freely for another two years? It would be better to finish him off before leaving; that's just as important!

So she lifted the curtain, turned to the side and smiled, "Since I'm not allowed to go see my uncle, it's just boring for me to go back and wait. I'm tired of the opera troupe that Young Master Lü sent me. Why don't we go to your Jade Garden and have your concubines, who can play instruments and sing, perform for me? Tomorrow when I see the Emperor, I'll say a few good words for you."

Chen Jia sat on his horse and pondered for a moment before returning a smile. "It is an honor for me to have you grace us with your presence, Miss. I am fortunate to have pleased you."

He then instructed the driver to change course and head towards his jade garden.

The streets were bustling with people closing up shop. The area around Prince Zhao's mansion was a bustling market, with pedestrians hurrying by and carriages crowding the gates. With the thought that tomorrow was New Year's Eve, Song Wen and the other Imperial Guards stationed at the mansion couldn't help but relax. Moreover, with Prince Zhao seriously ill inside, everyone was even more relaxed, and their expressions were not as cautious and solemn as they had been in the past few days.

The seven or eight people on the gate were chatting and laughing to pass the time. They were discussing where to go for entertainment after their shift ended in an hour or so when they saw twenty or thirty people gathering on the main street to the left. Among them were men and women, old and young, all dressed in tattered clothes and empty shoes. Some were carrying carrying poles, while others were rubbing their hands together, making a lot of noise as they rushed toward the gate.

Song Wenchao and his men exchanged glances, and a group of guards placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to pounce. Before the group even reached the gate, they blocked the way of a sedan chair that was passing by. The sedan chair was exquisitely decorated and surrounded by six or seven servants. A woman stepped out of the chair; she was beautiful and elegant, clearly not of this sort.

The woman was none other than Guan Youjun. As soon as Youjun stepped out of the sedan chair, the leader of the group shouted even louder, "Young lady, tomorrow is New Year's Eve! When will the annual allowance be distributed? You keep putting it off, from the day before yesterday to yesterday, from yesterday to today, and we've been waiting for half a month! We're all laborers, and we rely on this little bit of allowance to celebrate the holidays and visit relatives all year round. No matter what, it has to be given to us today!"

With a shout, a chorus of voices erupted from behind, some from rice shops, some from cloth shops, and some from tea shops, drawing a crowd of passersby.

An old shopkeeper in front of the sedan chair pointed at the group and cursed, "I already said we'd release them after the New Year, what's the rush?! Do you think we owe you anything?! Anyone who causes trouble will be out of luck!"

"Manager Xue, you're just trying to fob us off with that. Everyone's desperately needing money before the New Year. After the New Year? It'll be too late! Anyway, we're not leaving until we get our money today. We might as well all just stay here on the street and get through the New Year!"

"Hey, every business has its difficulties. We still have a debt from before the New Year that we haven't collected yet. They said they'd settle the accounts with us on the third day of the New Year, and once that's done, they'll definitely release the money to you."

"Nonsense! I've never seen anyone settle accounts during the first month of the lunar year! They must have already taken it back, they just won't lend it to us! Besides, whether you have difficulties in doing business is your business, we employees have put in a lot of effort, why should we be blamed for your difficulties?! Young ladies don't even touch the ground when they go out, they still ride in carriages and have so many people serving them, yet you only make things difficult for us!"

As they spoke, they climbed higher and higher, surrounding the sedan chair from all sides.

The guards at the gate, upon hearing this, relaxed slightly. "It seems to be some shop assistants collecting their annual allowance. With so many people, it looks like they're doing pretty big business."

Although it was a disturbance caused by merchants, it was still inappropriate in front of the Prince's residence. Song Wen had no choice but to go up and squeeze into the crowd to speak to Guan Youjun: "Miss, this is not an ordinary place. Do you see the plaque? This is the Prince Zhao's residence. If you want to talk, go somewhere else. Don't gather here."

Youjun turned around and laughed, "I don't want them to gather here either. Sir, if you drive them away for me, I will reward you with a hundred taels of gold."

Upon hearing that the host was willing to reward others with a hundred taels of gold but was instead refusing to let go of their annual allowance, the group became even more enraged and refused to budge an inch. Even Song Wen, as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, dared not kill civilians without cause, especially with so many witnesses present. He was caught in a dilemma, unable to retreat or advance, and the two continued to push and shove each other.

Just then, someone came out from the side gate of the Prince's Mansion at the back of the crowd. It was Qingque. She glanced ahead and pulled the team leader Cao Lang on the gate, asking, "Who are these people causing trouble here? They can even hear them inside."

"It seems to be a dispute between the owner and his employee in a business. There's no need to panic, young lady."

Qingque raised an eyebrow. "How can you not be alarmed? What time is it now? If the task assigned by the Emperor goes wrong, neither of us will escape blame. Go and drive them away."

Cao Lang thought it was better to believe it than not, so he stepped forward to help Song Wen drive the people away. However, he was soon surrounded by the group of unreasonable people. They pulled and tugged at each other in the crowd, making the situation even more turbulent.

Qingque then winked at the remaining people, "I think these people have ill intentions. Why don't you go and help them?"

She quickly dismissed everyone at the side gate and slipped inside. A man dressed similarly in straw sandals and cloth robes stood beside her. He handed her a set of clothes, and when he raised half his face, it was Zhou Yu.

Qingque hurriedly untied her hair, wrapped it haphazardly with tattered strips of cloth, then squatted down and rubbed her hands on the ground, getting quite a bit of dust on them. She stood up and wiped the dust on his face, while also pulling the coarse cloth scarf around his neck to partially cover his chin. Zhou Yu's lips brushed against her fingers, his eyes suddenly flickered, then darkened again, and he draped a cloth over her.

She busied herself attaching a short mustache around her mouth and smearing her face with soot, then pulled Zhou Yu out the door. Taking advantage of the chaos, she followed the passersby who came to watch the commotion and mingled into the crowd at the front. She tugged at the sleeve of the man in front of her. The man turned half his face away, revealing himself to be Xu Bai.

The people at the front were making a huge fuss. One of them, lying on the ground, kept groaning, "People say that officials and merchants are a perfect match, and it's true! What Imperial Guards? They're all just greedy for money! Look at them, they don't even know our boss yet, but they're already siding with him and even trying to hit us!"

"No matter what kind of imperial guards you are, you have to be reasonable. The landlord owes us wages, and even if we take it to the Emperor, we're in the right. The Emperor is a wise and sagacious ruler; how can he allow you to beat people up like this! If you draw your swords, this old man will gladly run into the blade! I'll risk everything, and we'll all make a scene before the Emperor and get our money back!"

Upon hearing this, Song Wen and the others dared not draw their swords. They could only turn to plead with Youjun, "Miss, if you don't take these people away, and the Imperial Guards come over later, you might also face legal trouble."

Just then, a troop of imperial guards was patrolling the right street ahead. Hearing the commotion in the distance, they were about to turn around when they suddenly heard someone shout from the road ahead: "Quick! That's Zhang Shun, the murderer on the wanted poster! Arrest him!"

His shouts sent the Imperial Guards flying, but the street remained in chaos.

Youjun glanced at Xu Bai's expression in the crowd, then pretended to be unable to withstand the threats and pleas of Song Wen, Cao Lang, and the others. Helpless, she gave them a bitter smile, "Fine, fine! These days, the shopkeeper can't outmaneuver the employees. I'll have to take out my New Year's money and fire you all! Don't bother coming next year. I don't believe I can't find reasonable employees!"

After saying this, he bowed to Song Wenfu in apology, then turned and got into his sedan chair. "Come with me to the cloth shop to collect your money!"

At a command, dozens of men happily escorted the sedan chair away. Cao Lang, Song Wen, and the others returned to their respective doors, only to find them tightly shut. They pushed at them, but found them still bolted from the inside, with nothing unusual about them.

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Author's note: Thank you for reading. One chapter is too long, so I'll split it into two. The next chapter will definitely be posted before midnight tonight.