Later, Yelü Huangwu returned to the court, and Cui Yichen abandoned his family and country to follow her alone.
It was her distrust of the Song people, and it was also her insistence on using the Cui Clan despite knowing full well that Cui Yichen would never agree.
Now, Yelü Huangwu was filled with regret and overwhelming grief. Yet Ning Yanli knew that if everything were to happen again, this woman would still walk the same path. If she wanted to bring the Cui Clan under her control, she could not avoid Cui Yichen. As the most talented martial prodigy the Cui Clan had produced in a century, no matter how devoted he was to martial arts, he would never stand idly by if someone tried to harm his clan.
Yelü Huangwu had foreseen that she and Cui Yichen would eventually become enemies, so she made him forget his past early on, turning him into a martial arts fanatic.
From beginning to end, only Cui Yichen naively believed that their identities would not be an obstacle.
Ning Yanli looked at the grave mound, feeling a sense of sorrow for the inevitable fate of others. She had grown up with Yelü Huangwu, and in terms of affection, she was bound to be slightly different from others. But even so, her own fate might not be much better.
Her obsession with the way of medicine was not entirely out of love—she knew that only by becoming a useful person could she live longer.
"Have you found Mo Sigui?"
By the time Ning Yanli snapped out of her thoughts, Yelü Huangwu had already wiped away her tears and regained her composure. Only the faint redness in her eyes proved that she had just been grieving.
"I heard he entered the Crane Control Institute." Ning Yanli had been searching for Mo Sigui for a long time. The last time she heard, he was staying with the Hua Clan, but before she could find an opportunity to approach him, he had already joined the Crane Control Institute.
"The fact that he’s still alive and kicking proves he’s long since detoxified the poison you administered." Yelü Huangwu gently rubbed the cloth wrapped around her hand, murmuring softly, "The Song Kingdom truly is a place that produces remarkable talents."
"With so many talents, they’re still pinned down by us, unable to move." Though Ning Yanli said this, there was not a trace of disdain in her tone.
Yelü Huangwu asked, "Is he hiding from you?"
"No. He wouldn’t avoid a challenge in the way of medicine." Ning Yanli had only met Mo Sigui once, but she had been observing him for a long time and thus understood a little of his nature. "The Shadow Wraiths sent word that he did it for two women."
"Two?"
"Yes. Lou Mingyue of the Lou family and Mei Ru Xue of the Mei family."
Yelü Huangwu was quite familiar with Lou Mingyue—after all, she was the most promising among the younger generation of the Lou family. "Mei Ru Xue is…?"
"The one the Madman calls Mei Shisi, also known as Mei Jiu." Ning Yanli clearly knew that just saying "Mei Shisi" would be enough for Yelü Huangwu to understand, but she deliberately brought up the Madman again and quickly glanced at Yelü Huangwu.
Not to hurt her. She just wanted to prove that Yelü Huangwu was still a person with emotions. She didn’t know what purpose this served, but she couldn’t help doing it.
Yelü Huangwu’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, as if she had seen right through her.
Ning Yanli’s heart tightened, and she lowered her head, making no further moves.
"I’ll give you six months. If you can’t win Mo Sigui over or poison him to death, I’ll send the Shadow Wraiths to deal with him." Yelü Huangwu reached out and rested her hand on the blank tombstone. "A man like him—if he won’t submit, he must not be allowed to live."
If Mo Sigui had retreated to the mountains to live as a carefree physician, Yelü Huangwu might not have insisted on his death. But the Crane Control Army could not tolerate someone like him.
She narrowed her eyes, thinking of the two people she had seen on the boat. One of them could shoot the Startling String—it had to be Mei Shisi. As for the other, the tall one…If they hadn't seized the perfect moment to strike, things wouldn't have slipped from her control. It seemed like just a casual decision, but launching covert attacks near Bianjing required careful consideration. Yelü Huangwu faintly sensed she had encountered a worthy opponent...
The moon sank westward over Yangzhou's Emerald Exquisite Tower.
An Jiu sat leaning against the wall while Chu Dingjiang stood by the window with his sword, observing the docks through a narrow gap.
Time seemed frozen inside the room.
Only when dawn broke in the east did Chu Dingjiang shift his stance. Turning his head, he said, "Go sleep on the bed for a while."
An Jiu shook her head.
"There are still seven months left. You're not planning to sleep like this the entire time, are you?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
"Is there a problem?" In the past, with advanced surveillance technology, no matter how well-hidden one was, their position could be exposed at any moment. She had to remain vigilant constantly—not just for seven months, but for years. She'd slept sitting on chairs or the floor for so long that if not for Mei Jiu, she would have forgotten what it felt like to sleep in a bed.
Chu Dingjiang gave her a deep look before directly walking over, taking her arm, and leading her to the bed.
Knowing he meant no harm, An Jiu didn't resist.
"With me here, not even a fly could get in," Chu Dingjiang said as he placed her on the bed. "Rest easy."
Once lying down, all her muscles automatically relaxed—a sensation that brought An Jiu both comfort and unease. If she grew accustomed to such laxity, it would spell trouble later...
Chu Dingjiang wanted to say more, but when he glanced back, the person who had just solemnly declared she would keep sitting to sleep was already lying down, fast asleep!
He chuckled softly, bending to remove her shoes.
An Jiu slept lightly and could feel Chu Dingjiang's movements but didn't open her eyes.
She slept soundly, waking only by late afternoon the next day.
The room was filled with the aroma of food. An Jiu got up, slipped on her shoes, and shuffled to the table to sit down.
Chu Dingjiang silently handed her a cup of tea.
After rinsing her mouth, An Jiu sniffed the bowl of porridge before her and took a few bites.
Chu Dingjiang picked up a steamed bun with his chopsticks and held it to her lips. She took a bite, confirmed it was safe, then slowly ate it.
After finishing the meal in silence, An Jiu asked, "Has the dock stopped work?"
"Mm." Chu Dingjiang sat upright with his arms crossed. "After observing all night, I found nothing suspicious."
He didn't doubt An Jiu's instincts, but by all appearances, it was just an utterly ordinary dock.
Knock knock!
Chu Dingjiang cleared his throat in response.
Outside, the waiter's voice carried an ingratiating smile. "Honored guests, a room has just become available up front. Would you like to move there?"
"Come in," Chu Dingjiang said.
The waiter pushed the door open and stood just inside, bowing slightly. "How may I serve you, guests?"
"Is the dock closed?" Chu Dingjiang asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes, two ships unloaded their cargo overnight." The waiter eagerly suggested, "I noticed no new ships have docked, so it should be quieter tonight. If so, this room is actually quite nice—you can see the river view, and the breeze is strong and cool in the evening."
"We'll stay another night then." Chu Dingjiang tossed him a silver ingot before immediately asking, "Who owns this dock?"The waiter, clutching a large silver piece, quickly tucked it into his sleeve. "It's the Feng family. The Fengs are one of Yangzhou's wealthiest families, starting out in the shipping business. They've been at it for three generations now, with docks all along the major waterways of the Great Song. Besides that, they also have ocean-going vessels, specializing in collecting rare curios and selling them across the land. I've heard that some trinkets bought for just a foot of low-grade silk can fetch dozens or even hundreds of taels in Bianjing. How could they not be rich?"
With ample payment in hand, the waiter became particularly diligent, speaking with great enthusiasm. "The head of the Feng family's shipping business is Feng Fang, a man of considerable skill. But because of his charitable nature, the people of Yangzhou call him 'Feng the Great Benefactor.' The second-in-command is his younger brother Feng Hang. Feng the Second is also capable, though he's known for his fondness for pleasure. The third-in-command is called Qin Zheng..."
"The third-in-command is an outsider?" Chu Dingjiang interrupted him. (To be continued...)
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