Xin Jiuwei nodded, then suddenly noticed the jade pendant her cousin was wearing at his waist—it was a gift her sister had carved herself when she came of age, and Qi Huaihe had worn it until her sister's tragic death in their previous life.
"Cousin, you and my sister..."
"This isn't the time to talk about that." Qi Huaihe's ears turned slightly red, and he quickly changed the subject. "What kind of help do you need? The Qi family still has some people in the capital."
Xin Jiuwei hesitated for a moment, then decided to trust her cousin: "I need to infiltrate the Second Prince's residence."
Qi Huaihe gasped, "Are you crazy? There it is now..."
"To save Xiao Xun," Xin Jiuwei looked directly into his eyes, "and also to save the Xin family and my sister."
Upon hearing the word "sister," Qi Huaihe's expression changed. He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly unfastened the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Xin Jiuwei: "Take this and go to the blacksmith shop in the south of the city to find Old Zhou. He's one of my men; he can help you."
The jade pendant felt warm and smooth to the touch, with the words "Peace" engraved on the back—in her sister's handwriting. Xin Jiuwei felt a surge of warmth in her heart and was about to thank her when footsteps sounded again from the alley entrance.
"Come on!" Qi Huaihe gave her a push. "Remember, no matter what happens, make sure your sister has a red lantern on the night of the birthday banquet!"
Xin Jiuwei was pushed into a narrower, darker alley. When she turned around, her cousin was nowhere to be seen. She gripped the jade pendant tightly and took a deep breath. Night was about to fall, and a life-or-death struggle had only just begun...
At midnight, Xiao Ran arrived as promised under the old locust tree. Behind her followed five black-clad guards, each with their aura concealed.
"Is the young lady ready?"
Xin Jiuwei nodded and tied Qi Huaihe's jade pendant to her waist: "Let's go find Old Zhou, the blacksmith in the south of the city. He has a way to get us into the Second Prince's residence."
Under the cover of night, the group moved through the alleyways. As they passed the Xin residence, Xin Jiuwei couldn't help but look up—at the window of the highest pavilion, a red lantern, yet to be lit, could be faintly seen, quietly awaiting that decisive moment.
Just after the midnight watchman's drum, in the backyard of the blacksmith's shop in the south of the city.
"You few think you can break into the Second Prince's residence?" Old Zhou dipped a red-hot iron into the water, the rising steam blurring the scars on his face. "You're practically courting death."
Xin Jiuwei gripped the jade pendant Qi Huaihe had given her tightly: "My cousin said you have a way."
Old Zhou stared at the jade pendant for a long time, then suddenly sighed, "That kid's always causing me trouble." He dropped the hammer and walked towards a low woodshed in the backyard. "Come with me."
Beneath the woodshed floor lay a spacious basement. The walls were covered with various weapons, and in one corner lay several sets of uniforms belonging to the Second Prince's guards. Old Zhou kicked at the pile of clothes: "Change into these. Tonight, the Second Prince is going to the palace for fasting. The guards in the residence are on duty in three shifts, with a half-quarter-hour gap at the changeover time around 1-3 AM."
Xiao Ran picked up a guard's uniform and examined it carefully: "These waist tags are well-made, but the Second Prince's residence changes its code words daily..."
"Today's code is 'The bright moon shines over the great river.'" Old Zhou interrupted her, taking a piece of parchment from the wooden box. "This is the latest defense map of the manor. The guard at the east corner gate is one of my old subordinates; he'll let you in."
Xin Jiuwei took the map and examined it closely by the light of the oil lamp. The Second Prince's residence was even larger than she had imagined, with countless red dots marking the pavilions and towers—each a patrol post. Her gaze lingered on a courtyard in the center marked with a study. Xiao Ran had said that the snow lotus was hidden in a secret room within the study.
"To get to the study from here, we have to pass through at least three checkpoints." Xiao Ran frowned. "Even with codes and disguises, the risk is still too great."
Xin Jiuwei traced a thin line on the map with her fingertip: "What is this?"
"A hidden drainage channel," Old Zhou said with an approving look, "leading directly to the rockery in the back garden, just a stone's throw from the study."
"Let's take this route," Xin Jiuwei decided immediately. "Commander Xiao, take two men to the surface to draw attention, and I'll take the other person and sneak in through the secret passage."
Xiao Ran wanted to object, but Xin Jiuwei's firm gaze stopped her. In the end, she could only nod: "The operation will take place at 3:45 AM. Regardless of success or failure, we must evacuate before 3:00 AM."
After changing into her guard's uniform, Xin Jiuwei tied her long hair up tightly and smeared her face with charcoal ash. Looking at herself in the mirror, with her sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, she did indeed resemble a spirited young man.
"Are you sure you want to go in person, young lady?" Xiao Ran confirmed one last time. "I can send my most capable..."
"I have to go," Xin Jiuwei interrupted her, strapping the dagger to her calf. "Besides the snow lotus, I also need to see what's in that box Qi Huaiyu is guarding."
The clapper sounded at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), and the operation officially began.
Just as Old Zhou had said, the guards at the east gate of the Second Prince's residence simply checked their waist tokens and let them in. Xiao Ran swaggered towards the patrol route with two bodyguards, while Xin Jiuwei and another young bodyguard called "Seventeen" quietly slipped into the garden.
The entrance to the drainage tunnel was hidden by weeds, and Seventeen deftly pried open the rusty iron gate. The tunnel was damp and cold, filled with the smell of decay. Xin Jiuwei bent over as she moved forward, her hands occasionally brushing against the slippery moss, the only sounds being the dripping of water and their suppressed breathing.
"Turn right ahead and you'll reach the exit," Seventeen said in a low voice. "The exit is behind the artificial hill, which conveniently avoids the patrols' line of sight."
Xin Jiuwei nodded, her heart pounding like a drum. In her past life, she had accompanied her father to a banquet at the Second Prince's residence. At that time, she only thought the place was magnificent and resplendent. She never imagined that she would sneak in in this way today.
At the exit of the artificial hill, Seventeen gently pushed aside the stone slab, peered out for a moment, and said, "Safe."
The two quickly slipped out of the secret passage and, using the flowers and trees as cover, made their way towards the study. The moonlight, obscured by clouds, ironically provided the best cover. Sure enough, there were guards outside the study, but they all stood facing outwards, clearly more concerned with preventing outsiders from entering than with anyone coming out from inside.
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