"Do you know where Chai Anxi is?"

Ying Xiang shook her head and said, "I heard that Princess Mengji is sending people to search everywhere for Chai Anxi's whereabouts."

Chu Zhao smiled indifferently: "Xiao Huaijin came to Jiyang just to look for someone." After a pause, he asked the woman beside him: "Who is Liu Buwang?"

"I have never heard of this person's name before. He is Governor Xiao's martial arts master."

"Where did Xiao Huaijin get his martial arts master from?"

Ying Xiang also nodded: "But they seem to trust and respect Mr. Liu very much."

Chu Zhao put down the teacup in his hand: "None of this is important. The most important thing is to find Chai Anxi before Xiao Huaijin does."

"I understand." After a moment, Ying Xiang spoke hesitantly, "How do you plan to treat Miss He?" Although she had learned from Chu Zhao that He Yan was a girl and was prepared, it was not until she actually saw He Yan's female body through the window that she seemed to feel the reality. It was really difficult to connect the petite and weak girl in front of her with the dashing and cool boy in her memory.

"Don't you think it's strange that Xiao Huaijin has a woman by his side?" Chu Zhao smiled slightly. "I really want to know to what extent he can trust this woman."

Ying Xiang lowered her eyes and said nothing. Only the hot steam from the tea in the teacup rose up and disappeared into the air very quickly, leaving no trace.

…

On the other side, the people in the room were sitting.

"This is the Uto people's military defense map." He Yan handed the scroll to Liu Buwang to see.

"The fourth son of Shi Jinbo's mansion brought news that the Wutuo people will attack Jiyang soon, but we don't know whether it is true or not. Master, take a look at this military defense map, is there any problem?"

Liu Buwang looked at it for a moment and put down the scroll in his hand: "I don't know whether this map is true or false, but if the Wutuo people really want to attack Jiyang, they will indeed start from the canal as shown in the map."

After all, the most important thing in Jiyang City is the canal. Cutting off the canal means cutting off the lifeline of the city.

"Mr. Liu once said that he tracked down the Wutuo people to Jiyang." Xiao Jue looked at Liu Buwang, "Can you tell me the reason behind it?"

Liu Buwang thought for a moment before saying, "I go back to Jiyang every year around the Water God Festival. This year, before I arrived in Jiyang, I encountered a tragic case of a family being wiped out outside the city of Jiyang. Someone killed all the people in a village outside the city at night, changed into the clothes of the people in the village, and entered the city in a disguised identity. One of the children who escaped told me about this. I thought it was a revenge by the enemy, or a murder and robbery. During the investigation, I found that several people were not from the Wei Dynasty. It is not a one-day thing for these Wutuo people to sneak into the city disguised as civilians. I can only find a few of them. I am afraid that before this, many people outside the city had been killed. There are also many Wutuo people in Jiyang City who have disguised themselves."

"Master, are you saying that many Wutuo people have come in?" He Yan asked.

Liu Buwang said, "Yes, they have been planning for a long time. They were just waiting for the Water God Festival to cause chaos and then kidnap the little prince. But the plan was disrupted by you, so they should make a second move soon."

"Master Liu means that there will be a war in Jiyang City soon?" Lin Shuanghe asked nervously, "Isn't it very unsafe here?

"Don't worry." He Yan comforted him: "Princess Mengji once mentioned to us that she would evacuate the people from the city to a safer place in the next few days. Brother Lin will be fine as long as he follows the people in Jiyang City."

Lin Shuanghe was relieved at this, but he immediately showed a righteous look. "Why follow the people in the city? I am not the kind of person who is greedy for life and afraid of death. Naturally, I want to advance and retreat together with my brothers, live and die together. Don't persuade me, I must be with you, and I will never live alone."

He Yan was speechless for a moment before he said to Liu Buwang, "Master, Princess Mengji handed over the city gate troops to the governor. Do you want to come and take a look?"

"Ah He, have you forgotten?" Liu Buwang said helplessly, "I only know how to deploy troops, but I don't know how to fight."

That's true. Liu Buwang knows Qimen Dunjia, archery, swordplay, and spearmanship, but they are all the work of one person. When He Yan taught her Qimen Dunjia, it was also He Yan who studied it on his own and used it in arranging troops and formations, and then he gradually developed his own set of rules.

"You don't know how to fight," Lin Shuanghe was surprised. "My sister He is so good at memorizing military books. I thought she was a good student of a famous teacher. How come my sister He is self-taught?"

He Yan smiled awkwardly: "I am extremely gifted. Or maybe I was a female general in my previous life, so I got it right away!"

Xiao Jue sneered and said nothing.

"I will continue to track down the whereabouts of the Wutuo people in the next few days." Liu Buwang said, "If we find their leader, we may be able to solve many problems. As for the city gate troops in Jiyang, I will hand them over to Commander Xiao." Liu Buwang looked at Xiao Jue. He now knew Xiao Jue's identity. "The city gate troops are not in a numerical advantage. Commander Xiao, please take care of it. The people of Jiyang will be left to you to take care of."

He seemed to have deep feelings for Jiyang, Xiao Jue nodded.

Everyone talked about the matter of Wutuo people. Xiao Jue will go to train the gate troops of Jiyang City from tomorrow. The time is short, and it is not an easy task for him. Liu Buwang continued to track down the whereabouts of Wutuo people. Lin Shuanghe didn't expect him to do anything. He just stayed in Cui Mansion and waited for orders. As for He Yan, she became the most embarrassed one. She wanted to go with Xiao Jue to see the gate troops, but Mu Hongjin didn't let her go. I don't know if there will be any trouble. I simply copied the military defense map again and planned to see if I could set up a new formation based on the terrain of Jiyang overnight. If this military defense map is real, it will be twice the result with half the effort. If it is fake, it will be a good opportunity to find loopholes in it and not be fooled.

After finishing talking, everyone was about to leave. As soon as they pushed the door open, they saw a beautiful maid standing under a tree in the yard outside the door. It was Chu Zhao's personal maid Ying Xiang. She didn't know how long she had been standing there. When she saw everyone coming out, she walked forward and bowed to He Yan: "Miss He."

He Yan returned the greeting.

"Sir, I have something to say to Miss He." Ying Xiang said with a smile, "I am waiting in the front hall. Does Miss He have time?"

He Yan looked back and saw Lin Shuanghe waving his hands slightly to her, signaling her not to go. Xiao Jue looked calm, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Seeing this, Ying Xiang smiled and said, "The young master said that there might be some misunderstandings with Miss He before, and he wanted to clarify it with Miss He in person. Last time in Liangzhou Guard, he left without saying goodbye to Miss He, which was very rude. I hope Miss will not take it seriously. Today is just an apology."

He Yan didn't take the small matter of leaving without saying goodbye to her heart. There were so many things going on in Liangzhou Guards, so she didn't have the time to pursue these details. The son of the dignified Shi Jinbo's mansion remembered it so clearly and was so nice to her. If she continued to use Qiao, it would be a bit ignorant. Besides... He Yan really wanted to know what identity and position Chu Zhao had come to Liangzhou Guards now, and whether the so-called dealing with Wu Tuo Ren was just his words or had other purposes.

Thinking of this, he happily replied, "Okay."

Lin Shuanghe's expression changed drastically: "Sister He!"

"Thank you for your tolerance, sir." Ying Xiang was overjoyed.

"Commander, I'll go check it out first," He Yan said to Xiao Jue, "You don't have to wait for me to eat tonight." After that, he said goodbye to Liu Buwang, "Master, I'm leaving first."

Lin Shuanghe wanted to persuade them again, but unfortunately He Yan had already left with Ying Xiang. Liu Buwang had something else to do, so he just bowed to Xiao Jue and the others and left.

After they left, Lin Shuanghe asked Xiao Jue: "You just let her go like this?"

"otherwise?"

"That's Chu Zilan! Didn't my sister He like him so much that she lost her mind and went to see the moon alone after being stood up? Such an irresponsible man actually came back to my sister He. Just wait and see, he will definitely use his old tricks again and use his gentle attack to win my sister He's heart!"

"That's not great." Xiao Jue turned around and lazily mocked, "The liar finally got what he wanted."

"Aren't you worried?" Lin Shuanghe followed him closely, fanning herself. "What if Chu Zilan saw how stunning my sister He's makeup was, and suddenly became ferocious and did something worse than an animal to her?"

Xiao Jue entered the room, poured himself a cup of tea, and said nonchalantly, "You have some misunderstanding of Chu Zilan's vision. Is that liar's makeup worthy of the word stunning?"

"Why aren't you surprised?" Lin Shuanghe said angrily, "Xiao Huaijin, you can't compare your face to others in the world."

Xiao Jue was too lazy to pay attention to him, and only said: "Besides, Chu Zilan did something bad to her?" There was a trace of sarcasm in his eyes, "That guy can twist Chu Zilan's head off with his bare hands. Instead of worrying about her innocence, it's better to worry about Chu Zilan."

Lin Shuanghe: “…”

…

He Yan met Chu Zilan in the front hall.

When Chu Zilan saw her coming, she stood up with a smile and said, "Miss He."

"The Fourth Young Master Chu." He Yan also returned the greeting.

The sky had already darkened, and the night in Jiyang City was also bustling and prosperous. Chu Zhao looked outside and said, "Want to go out for a walk?"

He Yan didn't know what he was up to, but there were so many people in Cui's house and it was inconvenient to talk like this, so He Yan said, "Okay."

The two of them walked out of the mansion.

The spring nights in Jiyang are warm and cozy. Along the banks of the river, vendors carry lanterns and hawk their wares along the streets. The buildings are scattered around, and the scenery is picturesque. It can be said that "in the villages and alleys, there are string music and singing, banquets and social gatherings, and day and night are connected."

It was just that in this seemingly gentle and prosperous night, who knows how many murderous intentions were hidden, and under the smiling faces of the vendors, who knows how many evil-minded Wutuo people were hiding. Thinking of this, no matter how lively and interesting the scene was, it became boring, and He Yan couldn't help but frown.

"Miss He, are you angry with me?" Chu Zhao beside him asked softly.

"How come?" she was a little surprised.

"Then why did the young lady frown and look worried when she went out with me?"

He Yan laughed: "No, I just thought about Wu Tuo's matter and was worried."

After a moment of silence, Chu Zhaocai said, "Don't worry, Miss He. Her Royal Highness will arrange everything. Besides, there is also Governor Xiao, right?"

He was quite generous in praising Xiao Jue. He Yan wanted to test him, so he asked, "I thought that the Fourth Master Chu and our governor were not on good terms."

"Commander Xiao has some misunderstandings about me." Chu Zhao smiled: "However, his position is slightly different from mine. We each serve our own master."

He Yan was a little surprised that he admitted it just like that.

"However, on the matter of the Wutuo people, I share the same stance as Commander Xiao. Miss He, don't worry," Chu Zhao said, "I am a Wei person, and naturally I don't want to see the land of Wei being invaded by foreign races."

He Yan nodded: "Of course, when the nest is overturned, all the eggs will remain intact. We should be united in facing the outside world."

"Is Miss He relieved after hearing what I said?" he asked.

He Yan: "Why do you say rest assured?"

"I will not harm Commander Xiao, and Miss He does not need to be on guard against me because of Commander Xiao's affairs."

He Yan laughed twice: "Mr. Chu, you are worrying too much. I am not on guard against you."

"Really?" Chu Zhao smiled a little sadly, "But since this meeting, you no longer call me 'Brother Chu', but Fourth Master Chu. It sounds like you are deliberately drawing a line between us."

Is this okay? He Yan said, "No, if you feel it's not good, I can call your brother Chu back."

"Can I call you Ah He?"

He Yan was stunned for a moment.

The young man smiled very gently, like a charming and harmless orchid blooming in the night. In the spring night of Jiyang, his robes were fragrant and his face was handsome. Passers-by couldn't help but look at him. He really attracted attention. It was really hard to say anything harsh to such a good-looking and good-tempered person. He Yan hesitated for a moment and said, "If you want to call me that, then call me that."

Chu Zhao smiled as he and He Yan continued walking along the river bank. He said, "I haven't apologized to Ah He for what happened before. I had an appointment with you to go to Baiyue Mountain for a drink, but something happened and I couldn't keep the appointment. I left early the next day and didn't even have time to say goodbye to Ah He. When I thought about this in Shuojing later, I always felt very regretful."

"Brother Chu, don't take such a small matter to heart." He Yan said, "Besides, you didn't mean it. I'm not angry about it." If it weren't for Chu Zhao, she wouldn't have gone to the foot of Baiyue Mountain that night, nor would she have waited for Xiao Jue, and she wouldn't have known that the person who saved her from the darkness on the top of the mountain behind Yuhua Temple was Xiao Jue.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise?

"Ah He doesn't care about it, because he is broad-minded." Chu Zhao smiled slightly, "But I can't pretend that this matter never happened. I must apologize to Ah He." He looked forward, "I will give Ah He something."

He Yan was startled: "What?"

Chu Zhao stretched out his hand. In his palm lay a tiny tassel of corn. On the tassel was an extremely delicate pomegranate flower carved from red jade, with red tassels scattered underneath. Although the thing was small, it was very ingenious.

"Today, when I was at the gate of the palace, I saw Ah He wearing a long whip on her waist." Chu Zhao looked at her gently, "I was lucky enough to get a flower spike, but I don't know how to fight, and I don't have any weapons. It would be a pity to keep it with me. But this flower spike matches Ah He's long whip very well. Ah He, try it and see if it will be better?"

He Yan was about to refuse subconsciously, "No merit, no reward, Brother Chu, forget it, and this thing doesn't look cheap." The red jade was small, and its color was as transparent as clouds. Who knows if it will be another "few hundred gold"? She was always taking things here and there, accepting "small gifts" there. If you didn't know, you would think she was really here to cheat.

"Ah He called me 'Brother Chu', which means he treated me as a friend. It is very common for friends to give gifts to each other. Besides, Ah He is too worried. This flower spike is not expensive, and this jade is also fake. Ah He does not need to bear any responsibility. It is useless to keep this thing with me. Ah He does not want it, but does he despise me, or does he still regard me as an enemy in his heart?"

Even though it was a bit accusatory and aggrieved, he said it in a gentle and calm manner. He Yan hesitated for a moment: "Is this pomegranate flower really fake jade?"

Chu Zhao smiled: "If Ah He wants the real jade, I may have to raise some money."

Since it was fake jade, it wasn't that expensive, so it was better to accept it without hesitation. He Yan smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Chu." She reached out and took off the purple jade whip from her waist, and tied the flower tassel to the wooden handle of the purple jade whip. The black whip suddenly became more lively and looked more beautiful.

"It really matches Ah He's whip." Chu Zhao said with a smile.

"It's a matter of reciprocity. Since Brother Chu gave me the flower spike, I should give Brother Chu something in return." He Yan felt that she had taken something from someone and felt that if she didn't give something in return, she would feel like she had taken advantage of Chu Zhao. She said, "Whatever Brother Chu likes at the night market today, I can give it to him." After saying that, she reached into her sleeve and touched her poor string of copper coins. She added unconfidently, "But I was in a hurry when I went out, so I didn't bring much silver. Brother Chu, just... take your pick."

After all, I didn’t bring Lin Shuanghe with me today, so I can’t just buy it.

Chu Zhao couldn't help but smile and looked at her: "Okay."

He Yan followed him. The night market in Jiyang was very lively. The night vendors had everything from food and snacks to rouge and powder, old books and ancient books to rusty weapons. The two of them were both good-looking, and wherever they walked by, they received warm greetings.

At the end of the road ahead, a group of people gathered around a vendor. He Yan followed Chu Zhao to see what was going on. They saw that it was a man making sugar paintings. The vendor was a young man wearing a clean blue cloth. He sat in front of a small stall with a clean stone slab in front of him. In a large pot beside him, bright red syrup was boiling. He used a large iron spoon to scoop a spoonful of syrup from the pot and poured it on the stone slab. His movements were very fast. The iron spoon rose and fell in his hand like a paintbrush. The falling sugar threads outlined complex or exquisite patterns, which were quickly cast into shape. He then used a small spatula to scrape the painting on the stone slab and stick it with a bamboo stick.

"This is an inverted sugar cookie." He Yan was delighted. "I didn't expect that Jiyang also has it."

When she was in Shuojing, there was a temple fair every year. Because of her delicate status, she was afraid of being exposed, so she would not go to crowded places if she could. Therefore, she had never been to a temple fair. She could only wait for her sisters at home to come back from the temple fair and secretly listen to them talk about the lively scenes and new things at the temple fair. "Inverted sugar cakes" were the same. There was a master in Shuojing who made "inverted sugar cakes" and he made them very well. Every time He Yan heard them talk about it, she was very eager. Once, she couldn't help it and secretly begged Madam He to bring her one. Perhaps seeing how pitiful she was and how eager she was, Madam He also felt a little sympathy and really brought her one from the temple fair. He Yan still remembered that it was a pattern of a bird. She couldn't bear to eat it, so she stuck the candy man in a pen holder. However, the weather was hot, so it melted in just two days. The sticky syrup melted all over the table, and she was scolded by Madam He.

She didn't feel it was dirty at the time, but she picked it up with regret, thinking that it would be better if the sugar painting could last a little longer.

I didn't see this new thing when I was a kid, but I didn't expect to see it in Jiyang. And judging from the craftsmanship of this young man, I think he is as good as the old master in Shuojing. He Yan pulled Chu Zhao forward and saw that there were a lot of sugar paintings on the haystack. They all looked very auspicious flowers, birds, phoenixes, birds and animals, and they were lifelike.

Chu Zhao glanced at He Yan, suddenly smiled, and said, "I like this very much. If Ah He wants to give me something, how about giving me a sugar painting?"

"You like this? How difficult is that?" He Yan was very generous and waved her hand: "Brother, what is the most expensive sugar painting you have here?" There was a piece of writing next to it, clearly marked with the price, two cents each. She brought a handful of copper coins, which was enough.

The stall owner smiled and said, "The most expensive item is the flower basket, which costs eight cents. Do you want one, young lady?"

What is a flower basket? But it is definitely right to choose the most expensive one. He Yan asked Chu Zhao: "Brother Chu, do you think it is okay?"

Chu Zhao suppressed his smile and said, "That's good."

"Brother," He Yan took out eight copper coins, "please make a flower basket, and make it beautiful."

The vendor said, "No problem!"

He scooped a spoonful of syrup from the pot, made a thin round cake, cast a circle of sugar line on the round cake, and slowly drew vertically. He Yan watched intently, watching the flower basket change from a flat bottom to a rich and vivid one. With a basket frame and a handle, the vendor was very honest and added a lot of flowers to the handle. He Yan counted them, roses, daffodils, chrysanthemums, peach flowers, lotus flowers... flowers from different seasons were piled into a basket, lively and gorgeous.

As He Yan watched the basket slowly fill up, he suddenly had an idea and asked the vendor, "Brother, this flower basket is for a friend. Can I write my friend's name on it?"

"Of course!"

Chu Zhao paused, his smile faded slightly: "Ah He, this is not necessary..."

"What's wrong?" He Yan was puzzled. "Your name is so nice, it would be a pity not to put it on the flower basket."

"Okay...listen?"

"Yes," He Yan nodded, "Zhao means brightness, and Zilan means fragrant grass. The person who gave you this name must have loved you very much and hoped that you would have a noble character and a bright future, so he gave you such an elegant name."

Chu Zhao was startled. The girl had already turned around and said to the vendor, "Young man, please write the two words Zi Lan."