It's late at night.

The lights in the yard had been turned off, and only a flickering lantern at the door was on, like a firefly perched on a leaf, about to fly away in the next moment.

Ying Xiang came forward with a lantern in hand and said, "Fourth Young Master."

Chu Zhao raised his head and glanced at her. "Didn't I tell you not to wait for me?"

"I couldn't sleep," Ying Xiang said softly, "I turned on the lantern and came out to take a look, and I just happened to run into him."

Chu Zhao said nothing and went into the house. "You can get out now."

Ying Xiang bowed, left the room and closed the door.

Chu Zhao sat at the table, rubbing his forehead. Just now at Xu's house, Xu Jingfu's words resurfaced in his ears.

"Zilan, I only have one daughter. You must not bully Pingting in the future. If Pingting comes home and complains to me, I will not forgive you even if she is your teacher."

Xu Pingting curled her lips, "How could Brother Zilan bully me? But Brother Zilan is so handsome, there are many women in Shuojing City who like him. After I become Brother Zilan's wife, if there are those blind vixens who try to get close to Brother Zilan," she raised her eyebrows and said in a high voice, "I will definitely skin them alive!"

"It's not like a girl to shout for war and killing all day long." Xu Jingfu said this, but he had no intention of stopping Xu Pingting.

The seemingly affectionate image of this father and daughter filled his mind, and he couldn't help but bend over. His stomach was churning with nausea, and he vomited several times.

Before going to Xu's house today, Chu Zhao asked Ying Xiang to stay in the house. In fact, after returning to Shuojing, he had always asked Ying Xiang to stay in the Chu Mansion and not to go out unless necessary. Now that Xu Pingting and his marriage are almost over, Ying Xiang will be in greater danger.

When he was young, Xu Jingfu became his teacher. Thanks to Xu Jingfu, Mrs. Chu no longer dared to hit him as blatantly as before. Xu Jingfu treated him well. For a child, he gave Chu Zhao enough face. Because of the title of Xu Jingfu's student, he got many conveniences in interacting with others. As Xu Pingting was Xu Jingfu's daughter, she was about the same age as him. At first, Chu Zhao did not hate her so much.

When she was young, Xu Pingting was already the apple of the Xu family's eye. She had everything she wanted. Apart from being a little arrogant, she was actually very good to Chu Zhao. She always followed Chu Zhao like a tail, calling him "Brother Zilan". Sometimes she would tell Chu Zhao: "Pingting will marry Brother Zilan in the future. Brother Zilan belongs to Pingting alone."

He just thought it was a joke until Chu Zhao was fourteen years old.

Chu Linfeng was a famous handsome man in Xiao Zhongwu's generation. Even if he didn't become Shi Jinbo, he could still win the hearts of many girls with his good looks. Chu Zhao's mother Ye Runmei was also beautiful, and Chu Zhao took the strengths of both of them into consideration. At the age of 14, he was as good-looking as the two brothers of the Xiao family. And he was gentler and more considerate, and he was very caring, so many girls secretly fell in love with him.

Among them was a lady named Qian, who was passionate and enthusiastic, with a pair of charming eyes. Unlike other shy girls in Shuojing City, she expressed her feelings to Chu Zhao directly after meeting him a few times. Chu Zhao rejected her, but she didn't give up. She didn't pester him, but sent gifts to Chu's family every few days. Occasionally, they met in Shuojing City. When friends teased her, Miss Qian didn't refute her, but just stared at her, which always made him helpless.

Not long after that, Miss Qian met with an accident. It was said that she was killed by a thief while outing with her friends. She died miserably, with both eyes gouged out, shocking the entire capital. Miss Qian's father was only a minor official of the seventh rank, and after reporting the case to the authorities, the whereabouts of the murderer were never found. Chu Zhao was stunned for a long time when he heard the news, and it was hard to believe that the girl who always winked at him playfully died so quietly.

Later, half a year after the incident, he went to Xu's house to find Xu Jingfu. When he passed by the small hall, he heard Xu Pingting talking to the maid beside her.

"She is just a lowly person, yet she dares to compete with me! She doesn't even look at her own weight. I dug out her eyes and see how she can seduce Brother Zilan in the future. If there is another blind woman who pesters Brother Zilan in the future, I will not show mercy as I did before!"

The girl's laughter was soft and innocent, yet filled with malice that penetrated deep into her bones. Just as she was talking and laughing, she completely destroyed another girl of her own age.

Chu Zhao's heart felt cold from beginning to end.

And now, he is going to be tied to this woman, grow old together, and love her forever. How ironic.

He slowly sat up. One night, when he was still in Liangzhouwei, Lin Qingtan's grandson, the White-robed Saint Lin Shuanghe, once said something to him.

"Mr. Chu Si, if you want to do good for Sister He, stay away from her as soon as possible. You have a tigress in your family, but our Sister He doesn't want to be the second Miss Qian."

There was an unpredictable look in his eyes. Next to the pen holder lay a flat stone in the shape of a horse. It seemed that one could see through the stone. In the night, the girl wiped the sweat from her forehead, took a knife and chopped it seriously, and handed the stone to him.

Whose voice is so clear and bright, as pure as a spring stream?

"Zhao means brightness. 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."

He had been in the dark for many years.

But when the first ray of light appears, even though you know it does not belong to you, you will still want to hold it greedily in your palm.

…

He Yan deliberately got up a little later the next morning.

After breakfast and greeting Bai Guo, He Yan walked out slowly. It had been a few days since she last went to Xu's house. It seemed that the servant named Fu Wang must have been looking forward to her these days.

She put all the rest of the reward from His Majesty into her sleeve. Money is indispensable when dealing with people. Although she is now a minor official, she is not rich. If she makes a few more visits, she will have nothing left. He Yan thought about borrowing some money from Lin Shuanghe, and then going to Letong Manor to make a profit. But she won money at Letong Manor last time and offended the manor owner. If she goes there again, she might be turned away.

Thinking about the serious question of where the money would come from, He Yan had already arrived at the teahouse where she had met Fu Wang before. She smiled and gave the waiter at the door of the teahouse some change, and asked casually, "Has anyone come to see me these days?"

The servant quickly took the silver back and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes! The young man who came with you last time has been coming three times a day these days. Please sit down. I estimate that he will be here again soon."

He Yan smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you to bring me some tea."

After saying that, he walked straight to the elegant room where they met last time and sat down.

After leaving Fu Wang alone for so long, He Yan had already guessed that Fu Wang would lose control, but she didn't expect him to be so impatient. However, this was a good thing for her. Xu Zhiheng's method of winning people's hearts was too poor. Or maybe, he only cared about winning over the people above him, but he also wanted to win over the people below him.

Sure enough, He Yan had only been sitting there for less than a quarter of an hour when someone walked to the outside of the private room and knocked on the door. He Yan said, "Come in." The door was pushed open, Fu Wang closed the door, and strode in.

"Master!" The man was very excited when he saw He Yan, "I thought you were not in Shuojing anymore. I was so worried these days."

He Yan held out his hand to him: "Sit down."

After Fuwang sat down, she spoke slowly, "I have been busy these days, and I only have time to come here today." She poured Fuwang a cup of tea and said in a gentle tone, "Young man, why are you looking for me so anxiously? Do you have any news?"

"Of course there is news." Fuwang showed an embarrassed expression.

He Yan understood what he meant and placed a silver ingot in front of him.

"Thank you, sir." Fuwang smiled and put the silver into his arms, then said, "I have been paying attention to what you want to know. But when Aunt He got into trouble, all the servants in Aunt He's yard were gone. Some left the house, some were sold, and in the end, no one was left. I also pieced together some information from the servants in other yards." He lowered his voice and looked around nervously, "In fact, those servants are all dead!"

After saying this, he deliberately tried to see He Yan's expression, but unfortunately the face of the person sitting opposite him was hidden under the veil, so he couldn't see it clearly. However, seeing that he was still able to drink tea calmly, he didn't look... surprised.

"Sir, do you know what would happen if all the servants in a courtyard were executed?"

He Yan smiled slightly, "Killing someone to silence them?"

He wanted to keep the secret a secret, but he was found out at once. Fuwang was a little frustrated, but he didn't want to keep people on suspense anymore. He answered honestly, "It is true. I heard that Aunt He committed an unforgivable crime, so the so-called family law is actually to kill her. The servants in her yard all know the truth, so they have no chance to survive."

When Fuwang heard about these things from others, he felt a chill down his spine when he thought about it now. Even if the servants in the courtyard were sold to their masters, dozens of lives were lost. Even if it was brought to the capital, it would still be a big deal. Moreover, the Xu family was a family of scholars, but they could silence dozens of people without batting an eyelid. It was really frightening. It also made people curious, what crime did Aunt He commit?

Adultery? That wouldn't mean beating all the servants in the courtyard to death. There were guards in the courtyard. It was impossible that the guards were watching outside when Aunt He was having an affair? What kind of crime could be known to everyone in the courtyard and could only be kept secret if someone died?

"Is that all?" He Yan asked.

Fuwang said, "That's all."

He Yan smiled and said, "Brother, these things you mentioned may seem like secrets, but in fact, they are of no help to me. If this is all you can find, there is no need for us to continue this deal." She stood up and said, "Thank you for bothering you these days. It's hard work."

After saying that, he was about to leave without any regrets. Fuwang's heart tightened and he blurted out: "Sir, please stay!"

He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Business is business, sometimes it's not just about business, it all depends on who can hold their breath longer. He was afraid of losing this cash cow, so he tried to keep her, but he also exposed himself.

He Yan turned his head to look at him: "Brother, is there any news you haven't finished yet?"

Knowing that he had been seen through by the person opposite him, Fuwang said with a stiff upper lip: "Sir, please sit down and talk."

He Yan smiled and sat down again.

"In fact, I heard that among the servants who were executed at that time, one person might not be dead yet."

He Yan smiled and said, "Go on."

"That person is Aunt He's nanny, Nanny Qin. Before Aunt He got into trouble, her nanny said she was going home to visit her grandson, but she never came back after a while. Aunt He sent someone to check on her, but the nanny's family said she hadn't returned. Afterwards, the family looked for her, but there was no news." Fuwang said, "I think Nanny Qin may still be alive."

He Yan looked at him without saying anything.

Fuwang was a little uneasy, "Sir?"

"Since you said that no one can find Nanny Qin now," He Yan was not in a hurry and said slowly, "Then the young man may not be able to find her either. A person who has disappeared, even if he is still alive in the world, what value does he have if there is no news?"

Fu Wang was secretly shocked. Could it be that the person in front of him had the ability to read minds? He did know a little about Nanny Qin, and he paid a lot of money to get it. However, he wanted to get close to her in this deal, and the person in front of him could leave at any time. If he couldn't show his sincerity, this person would never meet him again in the future.

Thinking of this, Fuwang made up his mind, "I heard that Nanny Qin has been a widow for a long time. When she was a wet nurse to Aunt He, she had a lover. No one else knew about this, only a maid who boiled water in the mansion knew about it. The lover now lives outside the city. I want to give it a try, maybe Nanny Qin is still there."

That was more or less the case. He Yan felt more at ease and her tone was filled with praise. "My vision was right, little brother. You found out information that no one else could." She said, "Then I will wait for good news here. If you find out where Nanny Qin is, don't make a fuss and tell me in secret." She said, "After this, I can help you get rid of your slavery. Then, you just need to take a lot of money and leave Shuojing. You will be able to rest easy in the future."

Fuwang was very excited when he heard this.

"I have something important to attend to, so I won't stay with you any longer," He Yan stood up, "You can stay here, have some tea and snacks, and then go back."

"Sir, wait a minute!"

Fu Wang's voice came from behind. As soon as He Yan turned around, she felt that someone was in front of her and tried to lift her veil. However, the next moment, that hand was easily clamped by He Yan.

Fuwang: “It hurts, it hurts…”

He Yan let go of her hand and continued walking forward without looking back, saying, "Young man, if you want to see my face, don't be in a hurry. I will take off my veil when everything is settled."

The door was closed and the room was empty, as if the spy's visit was just a dream. Only the two teacups on the table reminded people that someone had been there.

Fuwang sat down at the table and drank a sip of tea to suppress his fear. What was the identity of this mysterious man who knew everything about the Xu family?

…

After leaving the teahouse, He Yan felt much more relaxed, and a smile gradually spread under his veil.

I didn't expect Fuwang to be so successful. The person who witnessed the truth in the yard really survived. Since Nanny Qin could predict that Xu Zhiheng would kill people to silence them, she must be a smart person. Smart people run for their lives, and they may have some cards in their pockets. Xu Zhiheng had made many calculations, but he probably didn't expect Nanny Qin to run away. After all, her children and grandchildren are in the capital. If she runs away, the Xu family will not let her family go.

But Xu Zhiheng had overlooked one point. When facing death, no one would not be afraid. The desire to survive is greater than anything else. There are people in the world who sacrifice themselves to save their families, and there are also selfish people who run for their own lives when disaster strikes. Moreover, with Nanny Qin running away, the family is actually safer. If Xu Zhiheng touches the lives of her children and grandchildren, Nanny Qin might tell the truth to the world in revenge. In this way, Xu Zhiheng would be afraid to act rashly.

She had to find Nanny Qin before Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei.

Today's work went smoothly, He Yan was very happy and returned home early. Before she even walked into the yard, she heard a familiar voice, "Sister, where did that brother surnamed He go? Don't you know?"

Bai Guo stood up to his waist and answered with her face raised, "The Second Young Master did not allow us to ask about Master He."

Lin Shuanghe put away his fan and said, "Your Second Young Master is quite thoughtful."

He Yan called him "Brother Lin" from a distance. Lin Shuanghe turned around and saw that it was her. His eyes lit up immediately and he walked over quickly. "I just came here and was wondering why you were not here. It's just in time that you're back. Brother He, I came here specially to look for you."

He Yan hadn't seen him since he returned to Shuojing. Lin Shuanghe was dressed much more ostentatiously than when he was in Liangzhouwei. He probably kept it to himself in the barracks before, but now that he was back in Shuojing, even the fairy crane eyes on his clothes were decorated with tiny gemstones, and he had incense balls and jade belts, nothing was missing, and there were only two words written all over his body: rich.

"Brother Lin, has the house been settled?" He Yan was still thinking about the matter he had asked this person to do. Unexpectedly, as soon as these words came out, Lin Shuanghe choked, and it was obvious that he had forgotten about this matter a long time ago.

He laughed awkwardly a few times, "House... It's not easy to find one these days. I want to find a house for Brother He, so I can't be careless. Well, I'm here for other things, let's go inside and talk."

He Yan was speechless.

Leading Lin Shuanghe into the house, after closing the door, Lin Shuanghe walked around the house and exclaimed: "Not bad, isn't this house right next to Huai Jin's? I think it's better than Liangzhouwei. Sister He, are you living well here? If there is anything inconvenient, just tell Huai Jin, don't wrong yourself."

He said this as if this was not the Xiao family but the Lin family. He Yan poured him a cup of hot water, "Brother Lin, you didn't come to see me just to see how I'm living, did you?"

"Oh," Lin Shuanghe slapped his head, "I almost forgot something important." He took out a note from his sleeve and handed it to He Yan, "This is the note for the palace banquet. Huai Jin has gone out of town, and I'm afraid he won't be able to come back that day. Before he left, he asked someone to tell me to remember to take care of you. I will pick you up at the gate of Xiao Mansion in three days, and you can follow me into the palace. It's your first time to enter the palace, and it might not be convenient if you don't have someone to lead you."

He Yan was stunned, "The governor has left the city?"

"Yes, he left the city today. He was in a hurry and asked his people to bring me a message. He originally planned to take you with him to the palace banquet, but he couldn't come back in time this time, so he asked me to do it for him."

He Yan remembered that Xiao Jue had told him that he would be leaving the city in the next few days, but he didn't expect him to be in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to say hello.

However...he really kept his promise and said he would take me to the palace banquet, and he really took me with him.

"What are you thinking about, Sister He," Lin Shuanghe waved his hand in front of her, "I brought some clothes with me today. You have to wear something fancy when you go to the palace. You don't know that the people in the palace are very selective. You may have to walk around the palace often in the future. It's your first time there, so you should leave a deep impression on people. I asked the servants to buy these. They are all made of good materials and are very gorgeous. You can wear one of them without humiliating Huai Jin's face."

He Yan: “…Thank you.”

"Also, Sister He, I think that since Huai Jin has brought you to the palace this time, His Majesty might give you a lot of rewards. After all, you have made a lot of contributions before. If you are promoted to a higher position, don't be too surprised. Well, let me tell you first, it's not certain."

He continued to talk about a lot of things that needed to be paid attention to at the palace banquet. The servant came to urge him to go to the next social event, and then he stood up and said goodbye. After Lin Shuanghe left, He Yan sat down in front of the mirror.

The clothes he had asked someone to bring just now were placed on the table. They were brand new and neat, with delicate embroidery. He Yan looked at herself in the mirror. In her previous life, she had already restored her female body before entering the palace. Therefore, it was He Rufei who entered the palace, it was He Rufei who met His Majesty, and it was also He Rufei who was conferred the title of "Feihong".

Now, she was finally going to re-enter the palace as He Yan. Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei would be present at this palace banquet, and she might even see He Yuanliang and He Yuansheng. Those people who had been entangled with her in her previous life finally reappeared in front of her, and in this way.

The girl in the mirror had a different face, and her features were no longer the same as before. Only her eyes were still as bright as before, burning with flames as if they wanted to burn away all the evil.

He Yan lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking. After a long while, she slowly raised the corners of her mouth and smiled.

Three days later, it was time for He Rufei, Xu Zhiheng, and the other members of the He family to recognize the name "He Yan" again. When they met their deceased friend again, they didn't know if those who had hidden secrets would be filled with fear and unable to sleep at night when they heard this name again.

Perhaps, it is a good thing that Xiao Jue is not here.

She can be more carefree.