Except for the servant who had just gotten up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, the journey was smooth and no one else was encountered. He Yan walked cautiously to the door of a room and whispered in Xiao Jue's ear, "This is He Rufei's study."

This was originally He Yan's study room. But now it was He Rufei's. After walking around and finding no other facilities, He Yan gently pushed the door open and walked in.

She was already familiar with the place where she lived, so Xiao Jue followed her in. As soon as she entered, He Yan was a little surprised.

The bookshelf was still the same, the table was still the same, but the furnishings in the study had increased several times, with all kinds of porcelain and antiques, which was completely different from when He Yan lived there before. She guessed that He Rufei had placed all the things His Majesty had given her in the study, and she didn't know who she was showing off to. The bookshelf was originally only half full of books, but now it was completely stuffed.

On the middle wall, there is a sword hanging. The blade is green and the scabbard has a hint of emerald green, which is Qinglang.

She was stunned for a moment, her eyes unconsciously fixed on the Qinglang Sword. She wanted to reach out to grab the sword, but she retracted her hand when her fingers were about to touch the sword.

Xiao Jue asked: "What?"

He Yan shook his head: "Now is not the time."

Even if she could steal the Qinglang Sword back tonight, He Rufei would definitely report it to the police tomorrow. The sword in her hand would then become "stolen property" and she would not be able to show it in public. How could this not be an insult to Qinglang?

So now is not the time.

He Yan thought about it, stood up and walked to the bookshelf, squatted down, half of his body lying on the ground, and reached his hand to grope the innermost part. When he touched a familiar bulge, the secret compartment made a slight "click" sound, and it turned out to be an empty compartment. He Yan took out a small box the size of a palm from the compartment.

Xiao Jue asked: "What is this?"

"Exquisite Box." He Yan replied in a low voice: "It was a gift from His Majesty. There is only one like this in the world. After I left, I gave it to He Rufei. I guess he was reluctant to throw it away."

The secret compartment on the bookshelf was made by He Yan in the past. This exquisite box was precious. Before she married into the Xu family, she could not take these things with her, so she gave them all to He Rufei. The exquisite box was very suitable for storing secret scrolls. Even the most outstanding craftsmen in the world could not open it. Only the person who designed the method to open the exquisite box knew how to open it. And the method to open it can only be set once.

This thing is so precious, with He Rufei's temperament, he should not throw it away. Moreover, in He Rufei's view, He Yan is already dead, and he is the only one in the world who knows how to unlock the exquisite box, so of course he is relieved.

He didn't expect that He Yan would come back to life, which made things easier for him this time.

"I wonder what he put in there." He Yan thought to himself, picked up the exquisite box, and according to the memory in his mind, he gently turned the lock on the blind. In a moment, with a "click", the lid of the exquisite box opened.

The two looked into the box.

…

In Madam He's room, He Xinying and Madam He were sitting on the bedside, holding the military book stolen from He Yan's old residence in the Xu family. He Xinying asked, "Mother, what is this? Is it left by my sister? What did she keep it for?"

She spoke in a low voice. There was only a small oil lamp on the bedside in the room. The maids were all driven out. He Xinying thought that she had not seen her mother for a long time, and she wanted to sleep with her mother at night to take care of her. Now she dared not trust anyone, and dared not keep anyone around her, especially those brought by the Xu family.

Madam He Er stared blankly at the military book in her hand, tears in her eyes, and said nothing.

He Xinying felt that her mother must know something, and she became even more anxious, "Mom, why don't you say anything? Are you hiding something from me? I always feel that Xu Zhiheng is weird. Sister..." She wanted to say that maybe He Yan's death was not as rumored by the outside world, but when she saw Madam He Er, she swallowed the words.

If He Yan's death was really not simple, Madam He Er would be even more sad after knowing it. At present, her mother's health was not good, and she must not make it worse.

"Ying'er, don't worry about these things." After a long time, Mrs. He Er spoke, her voice was particularly tired: "Just live your life well."

"How can I live a good life? I don't want to die in obscurity like my elder sister!" He Xinying blurted out.

She regretted it the moment she said it. Madam He Er's face turned pale and she coughed twice. He Xinying quickly picked up the handkerchief beside her and wiped her mouth. When the handkerchief fell, it was splattered with blood, which looked shocking.

He Xinying was startled and asked in panic: "Mom... why are you so seriously ill?"

Although she already knew that Mrs. He had been bedridden for many days when she came, the He family just said it was a common cold and that she just needed to rest at home for a few days. But now it seems that her condition is much more serious.

"Didn't Dad ask a doctor to see him? What's going on?" He Xinying was anxious and was about to get out of bed, "I'll ask someone to get a letter and invite a doctor..."

"Don't go." Madam He Er grabbed her hand. She looked weak, but she was very strong when she grabbed her, as if she was going to use all her strength in her life. "Mother, this is an old illness. It won't cause any trouble. It's okay."

He Xinying was about to cry, "Mom, why don't you tell me anything? I feel like there is something hidden from me in the mansion, but I know nothing."

Before she got married, she was carefree, innocent and happy. When her elder sister died, she married Xu Zhiheng. She was troubled for a while, but soon she was moved by Xu Zhiheng's gentleness and thoughtfulness. The girl who had never experienced the dangers of the world naively thought that she would be protected for her whole life. But when some ugly truths were revealed, she vaguely glimpsed a trace of the dirty and dangerous, and then she felt the powerlessness of being a woman.

"Ying'er," Madam He Er spoke slowly, "your elder sister is dead, and you are my only daughter." She looked at He Xinying lovingly, and patted her head soothingly, just like when He Xinying was still a child, "You must remember, whether in the He family or the Xu family, don't trust anyone. I have no ability to protect your sister, nor you. If you want to live well, don't look, don't ask, and don't listen."

He Xinying said woodenly, "My eldest sister became blind not long after she married into the Xu family. Shouldn't she have lost sight of anything? But she still died."

A trace of pain flashed across Mrs. He's eyes.

"Mother, you just need to tell me whether this military book was left by my eldest sister, and why Xu Zhiheng regards it so seriously. And my eldest brother, who comes to Xu's house every now and then, is not here to see me, but to find Xu Zhiheng. And you..." She said, "Are you, under house arrest by father?"

Madam He Er looked at the woman in front of her. Although they were biological sisters, she always felt that He Yan and He Xinying did not look alike. He Yan was strong, independent, silent and quiet. She had worn a mask since she was a child, so that when she thought about it now, she could not imagine what He Yan looked like when she was a child. But after she grew up and returned to the He family as a woman, she had seen him only a few times.

A girl who is somewhat heroic and pretty, with firmness and courage between her eyebrows.

He Xinying is different, soft and tender, like a snow-white dumpling, adorable at first sight. She would cry loudly if someone stepped on her feet, and act coquettishly for a beautiful dress.

These two daughters had completely different personalities, so she naturally thought that He Yan was born strong and He Xinying was born to need love.

Until He Yan died.

One day, she suddenly realized that maybe in the past, He Yan was just like He Xinying, who would cry when she was wronged and would want to own the things she liked, just like a strong girl who also needs her mother's care and love. The little girl in front of her who always grabbed her clothes and clamored to buy candy had grown up without her noticing.

He Xinying didn't know that when she frowned and pursued the truth earnestly and stubbornly, she was so similar to her deceased elder sister.

But even so, she still couldn't say anything.

The more she knew, the more dangerous it would be for He Xinying. She had already lost a daughter, and she couldn't afford to lose another.

"I……"

Before Madam He Er could finish her words, she suddenly heard someone outside shouting, "There's a thief! A thief has entered the mansion! Catch the thief!"

Suddenly, the whole He Mansion became lively.

"A thief?" He Xinying subconsciously shrank towards the head of the bed, and asked, "Which thief is so blind as to dare to enter our house?"

Madam He Er grabbed her arm and said, "Don't talk, don't go out, be careful!"

He Xinying nodded.

On the other side, He Yan was running around the yard with Xiao Jue, secretly cursing He Rufei for being cunning. Although He Rufei could not change the way to open the exquisite box, he was very suspicious and actually installed a mechanism inside the box. Once the exquisite box was opened, a whistle would sound.

In this way, anyone who opens the exquisite box here will be discovered.

However, when she opened it just now, she saw clearly that there were several letters inside. She put the letters in her arms. Since He Rufei did not leave this exquisite box empty and even tampered with it, these letters must be very important. Today's trip was not completely fruitless.

"All the guards are awake." Xiao Jue reminded her, "Escape or fight?"

"I'm carrying your sword, but once it's unsheathed, it'll be exposed. We can't fight," He Yan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, "Come with me!"

She knew every corner of the He Mansion's courtyard by heart, so it was easy for her to avoid people. But maybe He Rufei was feeling guilty and short of breath these days, and there were more guards in the mansion than servants. At this moment, a whistle sounded, and torches and men emerged from all directions.

"They're over there, chase them!"

"The general said that if we catch the assassin, we must not leave him alive, regardless of his life or death!"

He Yan sneered in her heart, she was so scared, and she was more and more certain that the letter in her arms must be something extraordinary. She pulled Xiao Jue along and hurried along the way. When she passed a house, she dodged and hid inside.

Madam He Er was pulling He Xinying against the bed, hugging the quilt and feeling very nervous. Suddenly, she saw two more people in the room. She was so scared that she was about to scream. The next moment, a cold sword was placed across her neck. The masked man in black said, "Shut up. If you dare to scream, I will kill you."

He Xinying was so frightened that she immediately fell silent.

He Yan held the long sword in her hand, feeling annoyed. She originally thought that Madam He's yard was the closest to the other side of the outer wall, so she could borrow a passage. Who knew that Madam He was still awake in the middle of the night, and He Xinying was also there. Why were they here so late at night? Were they whispering to each other? He Yan felt a sour taste in her heart, but what did this mean at the moment? She had held her biological mother and sister in her arms?

Perhaps some of the noise inside had been heard outside, and a maid asked outside: "Second Madam? Did something happen to the Second Madam?"

He Yan's heart skipped a beat. Before she could open her mouth to threaten him, Madam He Er had already spoken, her tone normal, "Nothing, just a little cough."

There was no movement outside, and He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Xiao Jue behind him, who was staring at the door vigilantly to prevent anyone from rushing in.

"Listen," He Yan whispered, "I have no intention of hurting you two. Give me the key to the backyard and let us both leave."

He Xinying trembled and asked, "Who knows if you will kill people to silence them?"

He Yan was a little surprised. This sister looked well-behaved, but she never thought she had some courage. She deliberately lowered her voice and asked sinisterly, "Do you think you are qualified to negotiate with me?"

He Xinying's face turned pale and she didn't dare to speak.

However, Madam He II ignored the long sword on He Xinying's neck, got off the bed, took out a key from the drawer, handed it to her and said, "You can go now."

He Yan was very surprised.

She originally thought that Madam He Er would also negotiate terms with her, or try to inform the He family. He Yan was even prepared to be on guard, but she didn't expect her to be so calm. He Yan couldn't help but look at the other party. The woman in front of her stared at her with a pair of eyes that were so complicated that He Yan couldn't understand.

She seemed to be looking at He Yan, but also seemed to be looking at another person through He Yan. If He Yan hadn't known that he was wearing a black scarf on his face, he would have almost doubted whether Madam He Er had recognized him.

Seeing that He Yan didn't move, Madam He pushed her again and said, "The guards will be here soon, let's go."

Xiao Jue nodded to her: "Let's go."

He Yan didn't care about anything else, she grabbed the key to the backyard and turned to leave. When she passed by, she suddenly felt something was stuffed into her hand. She didn't have time to take a closer look, she subconsciously put the thing in her arms, took the key, opened the door to the backyard and ran out.

Madam He Er was right. The pursuers arrived in no time. They had gone through a dog hole when they came here, but they didn't have time to go back. Since they were already exposed, they just went through the back wall. The guard who had caught up with them was about to follow them when he suddenly felt a pain in his knee. He looked down and saw that a yellow dog that came from nowhere had bitten his calf. The man howled in pain and couldn't catch up. He watched helplessly as the two men in black disappeared into the night.

…

The whole house was in chaos. He Xinying finally calmed down and relit the lamp on the table. She patted her chest and said, "I was really scared just now. That man's eyes were so fierce. I was really afraid that he would kill us. Mother, if my uncle knew that we let the assassin go, he would be angry even if we did it to save our own lives. If no one finds out about this, let's not tell anyone else for the time being... Mother?"

Madam He Er just stared at her hands blankly, as if she hadn't heard what she had just said. He Xinying said anxiously, "Mother!"

Madam He Er came back to her senses, looked at her and said, "I understand. Don't tell anyone else about this... Don't tell Master Xu either."

He Xinying felt something was strange. Her mother had just seen the man in black with a strange look on his face. Then she thought of something, "But did those two really come to steal something? I saw that they were empty-handed and didn't steal anything. My military book... Oh, where is my military book?"

When he was talking to Madam He, the military book was placed on the bedside. Now it was empty. He Xinying was startled. "Oh no, could those two people have stolen my military book? But why did they steal it? Mother, have you seen my military book?"

Madam He Er coughed and said, "No need to look for it. I gave the military book to the man in black just now."

"Why, why?" He Xinying never expected that Second Madam He would do such a thing.

"That thing, if it stays in your hands or mine, it will be a disaster." Madam He Er looked empty-handed. "Since those two came here to steal, they came with nothing. I don't know if they stole what they wanted. If they did, it would be icing on the cake. If not, it would be a timely help, and it would be worth their risky trip to the He family."

"Mom," He Xinying said angrily, "How can this be true? I took this thing out from the Xu family with great difficulty."

"Ying'er, remember this," Madam He's expression became serious, "Whether it's tonight's assassin or the Xu family's military strategy, keep it to yourself and don't mention it to anyone else."

He Xinying had come here to clear up her confusion. Now, there was still one mystery left unsolved, and she had more and more questions. However, she was helpless. In the end, she could only respond, "I know. I won't tell anyone else."

…

Fei Nu was outside, and when he picked up He Yan and the other two, the three of them immediately hid in a separate courtyard.

"What is this place?" He Yan asked curiously.

"I have a villa in Shuojing City. Sometimes it's inconvenient to do things in the mansion, so I stay here." Xiao Jue replied.

He Yan understood after a brief thought. Xiao Jing and his wife were particularly kind. Xiao Jue's experience meant that what he did would not be understood by most people in the world. It was good this way. If no one could see it, it would save him a lot of trouble.

He Yan took out the letter that was previously in the exquisite box from his arms and showed it to Xiao Jue as if showing off, "Look, this trip has yielded a lot. I told you long ago that a trip to the He family will definitely yield something."

Xiao Jue glanced at her and said, "It's very dangerous. This is just one time. Don't do it again." He paused and said, "Starting tomorrow, He Rufei will definitely use this as an excuse to search the entire Shuojing City. You should stay at home for the next few days and don't act rashly. I was the first person He Rufei suspected of losing these letters. I'm afraid you will be implicated."

"It's okay. After all, I was personally conferred the title of Marquis of Wu'an by His Majesty. If he can't produce evidence, he can't do anything to me." He Yan couldn't wait to open the letter. "Let's take a look at what the letter says first. He Rufei hid it so carefully, I don't believe it's a love poem."

There were three letters in total. He Yan and Xiao Jue opened them and read them. They were not long, but after reading them, their faces changed at the same time.

"What a lie!" He Yan put down the letter in his hand and couldn't help but punch the table. "How could there be such a heartless person in the world!"

Of the three letters, two were to Wu Tuo and one was to Xu Jingfu. Although He Yan had guessed that He Rufei might have had a relationship with Xu Jingfu when he saw He Rufei's servant Ding Yi in Liangzhou City, he had no evidence. Now it was clearly written in black and white in the letter that it was indeed the case.

In the battle of Huayuan, He Rufei really reached a deal with the Wutuo people. He Rufei sent the military intelligence of the appeasement army to the Wutuo people, deliberately winning a tragic victory, and the price was to be able to connect with Xu Xiang and express his sincerity to Xu Jingfu. He would also strongly advocate peace when the Wutuo envoys went to Beijing to seek peace, and promote the Wutuo people to open a market in Wei.

From the beginning to the end, He Rufei's biggest fear was that his identity would be revealed, and people would find out that he was different from the "General Feihong" who was good at fighting in the past. But in order to conceal his identity, he actually colluded with the enemy and betrayed his country, throwing away the lives of the people of Wei, which was disloyal and unrighteous.

Xiao Jue looked at the letter in his hand. It was also troublesome that He Rufei had contact with Xu Jingfu. Xu Jingfu was all-powerful among the civil officials. Most of the civil officials advocated peace. Now, only a few generals advocated war. However, "Feihong General" had always been quite prestigious among the military generals. If He Rufei advocated peace, there would be only a few generals left who advocated war.

He Yan took a deep breath, "Once such a shameless person enters the officialdom, he will indeed become even more powerful. He has to take advantage of my reputation, which is really disgusting."

"Don't worry," Xiao Jue said calmly, "I'll take care of everything."

He Yan suddenly remembered that when she left the He Mansion just now, Madam He Er stuffed something into her hand, but the situation was critical at that time, so she didn't have time to take a closer look and put it in her arms. Now that she finally had time, she took it out of her arms.

This is a book, probably it has been rolled up for a long time, the pages have become wrinkled and yellowed, and the corners are all curled up. This book has probably been read many times, and the pages have become very thin. As soon as He Yan opened it, he was stunned.

Xiao Jue stood behind her, his eyes also fixed on the book.

"This is..."

"My military book." He Yan murmured, lowering her head and flipping through a few pages. Yes, it was indeed her handwriting. Since she joined the army in her previous life, she had read many military books, and she read the most precious ones repeatedly, and wrote her own notes and annotations next to them.

Later, when she got married, she had to abandon everything related to "General Feihong". She couldn't take her sword, her warhorse, or her trusted subordinates. Finally, He Yan secretly hid a military book in her dowry and brought it to the Xu family.

In front of others, Grandma Xu was dignified and gentle, just like any other woman. However, behind others' backs, she missed her past days when she was free to roam the battlefield. Whenever her fingers touched a book, she would think of her companions who had been through life and death with her in the barracks.

She hid the military book between the posts of her bed, and now it has been found again.