When I first entered the city, I expected to see a desolate scene. But there were many soldiers and many civilians, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"This place is not what I expected."

"Sizhou is a very prosperous city, and it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, so many foreign enemies will come here."

I nodded. It was already dark. I saw a girl in a bright red dress and remembered what happened by the river. I closed my eyes and started sweeping.

We entered an inn where we could hear singing and people playing drinking games, some of them shirtless and drunk.

Xie Yuancheng gave his name at the counter, and the shopkeeper had a clerk lead him upstairs.

It's not his real name, of course, but it's so outdated that I don't want to hear it a second time.

Just as the door was closed, several people flew in through the window, led by Meng Anshi.

I saw him a few times in the camp, but I didn't speak to him to avoid being seen.

"My lord, my lady, everything has been taken care of."

Where is General Lian now?

"Mingyue Hall".

Mingyue Hall sounds like a bad organization.

Xie Yuancheng wanted me and Meng Anshi to stay at the inn, but I refused. I was originally going to come with him to see the place, but now he wants me to stay at the inn.

"Then Ying'er, don't let go later."

"Won't."

It's just a parade, I won't get lost.

However, things took a completely unexpected turn of events. It was already dark when I stepped out of the inn. The procession outside, with each person carrying a lantern, illuminated the streets of Sizhou exceptionally brightly.

These ordinary people organized themselves to exorcise ghosts and pray to the gods for the fallen soldiers, hoping that after their tragic deaths on the battlefield, they could finally rest in peace.

"Ying'er, stay by my side."

"But why should we go with them?"

"Tonight the march will reach Mu'an Mansion where Lin Yu lives. We need to take advantage of the chaos to sneak in."

I looked at the lantern that Meng Anshi handed me; it was painted with flowers that covered the sky, and it looked especially beautiful in the night.

I thought the people in the march would walk in a certain pattern, but when I got inside, I found that they were just wandering around randomly, and they were quite temperamental.

Fortunately, I was next to Xie Yuancheng. Several times we were about to be separated, but he protected me. It just took a while.

Why are they marching tonight?

"Today is the end of the third month since Sizhou was occupied by Dongqin, and many people have come out."

All I could hear was a jumble of noises, and out of the corner of my eye I would occasionally catch a glimpse of some people burning something in an inconspicuous corner.

Listening to the conversations around me, I learned some of the situation in Sizhou. It turned out that the peace during the day was an illusion. In the midst of war, how could anyone leisurely parade through the streets? They were merely forced out. Some of the elderly, women, and children managed to hide and burn paper money in inconspicuous places.

The pass for this entry was issued using the roster of Sizhou residents, which is why they were allowed to stay overnight. Outsiders, however, would not be permitted to enter the city by evening.

It's all a facade, designed to make it appear peaceful when countries rush through Sizhou during the day.

After walking quite a distance with the procession, we finally saw the Mu'an Mansion. Xie Yuancheng pulled me forward a few steps, and as we got closer, some crows flew down from the sky. The guards watched the crowd, preventing them from getting too close, while simultaneously shooing away the crows.

The scene began to become chaotic, with militiamen mixed together, and I heard screams and wails. Before I could get a good look, Xie Yuancheng took me away.

He and I walked out of the crowd, and then, using the trees on both sides for cover, we blended in.

These guards are paid by the government, so why aren't there any guards stationed on the walls?

After we landed in a rockery, I told Xie Yuancheng that their guards were too weak, and he just laughed.

Back when Sizhou fell into ruin, he had placed several people in Linyang Valley to guard the city. Most importantly, he would not be seen during the day; he would disguise himself as this and blend into Sizhou City.

"You've already planned this all along, that's why you're so leisurely coming with me on this nighttime visit."

"The Crown Prince requests your visit at night, of course you must come."

"He's so busy, how could he have time to send someone to keep an eye on him?"

If I had known this would happen, I would have just stayed in the inn and taken a long nap. The wooden plank beds in the military camp are really uncomfortable to sleep on.

“Sizhou is a city under the Crown Prince’s jurisdiction. He has already planted spies there, so he left Ying’er at the inn. Anshi can disguise himself as you and sneak in. Going back will also be a way to give him an explanation.”

The two factions of Dazhao are fighting against Dongqin, and they are not on good terms.

There were voices outside, and Xie Yuancheng pulled me to walk in another direction. Although Mu'an Mansion was not as large as the Marquis's Mansion, soldiers were stationed everywhere, and only Xie Yuancheng could avoid them in the darkness of night.

He's probably been in here several times already; he moves around the Mu An residence as if it were his own back garden.

After entering a room and closing the door, Xie Yuancheng touched the wall, and the wall opened.

It was pitch black inside, but he had brought a tinderbox beforehand. After I followed him in, I saw some divination symbols drawn on the walls, and I could also hear the wind.

Every step I took felt like the ground beneath me was about to collapse. I gripped Xie Yuancheng's arm tightly, ready to pull him down if Xika fell.

Seeing the flickering candlelight ahead, Xie Yuancheng extinguished the tinderbox.

After I went outside, I found that it was actually a prison cell. Luckily, there were no prisoners inside. No wonder it felt so eerie earlier.

This cell has quite a few traps. As soon as I went out, I saw a net made of ropes on top, strange standing wooden pieces all around, and iron chains everywhere.

The cell door opened, and a person dressed in a Taoist robe walked in.

When the light shone on his face, I realized that he was Xie Yuancheng's teacher, whom I had met in the valley of Linyang.

"Teacher." Xie Yuancheng pulled me and bowed. He had mentioned before that the teacher was in Sizhou, which was why he was able to go back for two months without worry.

"Okay, I said last time that Ying-ge has beautiful eyes and white teeth, and it turns out she is a girl."

I'm a little embarrassed. Last time, Xie Yuancheng forced me to go, and I almost embarrassed him in front of the teacher.

"Teacher, Ying'er has come to visit you today."

"Hmm, not bad."

I stood by with a forced smile, agreeing to whatever Xie Yuancheng said.

I learned something from their conversation: Lin Yu had always admired his teacher's talent, so he invited him to visit Sizhou. It just so happened that I was about to give birth, so he agreed.

"A teacher for a day is a father for life." The teacher has been so considerate of Xie Yuancheng.

“A female guest has come to the manor. Yuan Cheng, you definitely know her.”

"The teacher is talking about Li Zhaole."

"Yes, your crown prince is truly cunning; he even managed to manipulate his own sister."

I was stunned. Why did Li Zhaole come to Sizhou? Wasn't she making things difficult for Wan'er the day before I left?

"If the Crown Prince is willing to sacrifice his own body, then what about others?"