Prince Kang’s detached palace was located in Tongcheng, Jizhou. It was currently the height of summer, the hottest time of year in Tongcheng.
Months of sweltering heat and drought had made water in Tongcheng as precious as oil. In several villages outside the city, residents had to trek for miles just to fetch a single pail.
The locals were naturally wary of outsiders, and following the assassination of Prince Kang, Tongcheng had effectively become a leaderless city. In just over a month, more than half the population had fled. Had it not been for the lack of rain, the official roads leading to Tongcheng would likely have been overgrown with weeds by now.
Under this tense atmosphere of every man for himself, the business of escort agencies flourished unexpectedly. The city’s wealthy were pouring out silver to save their lives, moving their entire households out of Tongcheng. With a bit of luck, a single ordinary escort mission could earn a hundred taels of silver.
Xiao Nanhui saw this as an opportunity and found a way to secure a position within an escort agency’s guard detail. Both she and Bolao were skilled fighters, so earning a living was no issue. By accompanying several trips along the roads outside Tongcheng, they managed to familiarize themselves with the terrain and the local faces.
Everything was ready; all that was missing was an opportunity—an opportunity to enter the city.
Nowadays, it was easy to leave Tongcheng but difficult to enter.
After Prince Kang’s death, his army of a hundred thousand was temporarily placed under the command of the Governor of Jizhou, Lu Songping. His origins were obscure, but he was considered the youngest provincial governor ever dispatched by the Tiancheng court. Though young, his ambitions were clearly not small, evidenced by his daring to take over the "hot potato" that was Jizhou.
Following the assassination a month ago, Tongcheng had entered a state of emergency. To enter the city, one not only needed official travel permits but also proof of residency. Lu Songping claimed this was to prevent Bijiang spies from entering the city to cause further chaos, but rumors circulated that the Governor might have already colluded with the Bai Clan, using these measures as a smokescreen to block the eyes and ears of the Tiancheng court.
Xiao Nanhui spent her days gathering information, her heart burning with anxiety. Unfortunately, most people seeking escort guards were those fleeing the city. Anyone insisting on diving into such a tiger’s den at a time like this would have to be out of their mind. Unwilling to give up, she waited for several more days. Just as she and Bolao were about to abandon the plan and prepare to scale the city walls at night, they actually found someone who wanted to enter.
Since no one was particularly willing to take a job heading into the city, Xiao Nanhui secured the contract without much effort. Her employer was a young man surnamed Jia. He was handsome and poised, not at all looking like someone whose brain had been scrambled. She had tried to subtly probe his reasons for entering the city, but her questions were always met with silence.
After a few attempts, she stopped being curious. As long as she reached her goal, there was no need to dig to the bottom of this bit of roleplay.
Master Jia was extremely efficient. From the moment the deposit was paid to their departure, only half a day had passed. Before Xiao Nanhui could even process it, she was already standing beneath the gates of Tongcheng.
There were three times as many soldiers guarding the city as usual. Aside from Master Jia, who handed over some silver, the belongings of Xiao Nanhui and the others were searched thoroughly. They were ordered not to stay in the city for more than three days, and only after their permits were stamped with the red seal of the entry date were they allowed inside.
The nearly deserted Tongcheng was eerily quiet. Most of the families who remained chose to keep their doors and windows tightly shut, refusing to come out.
The air smelled of deathly silence. This atmosphere had been spreading everywhere since they entered Jizhou, growing thicker the further southwest they traveled.
Oppressive emotions are contagious. Xiao Nanhui felt that even the usually boisterous Bolao had become much quieter. Master Jia clearly didn't want to linger either; after settling the remaining wages in full, he hurried away on his own.
After some thought, Xiao Nanhui decided she and Bolao should split up.
"No!"
She was only halfway through her sentence when she was coldly interrupted. She couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. "I haven't even finished. What's the rush?"
Bolao glanced at her slowly. "Do you think I don't know what you're cooking up? You just want to ditch me and go off on your own, don't you? Before we left, the Marquis specifically instructed me to follow you step for step."
She was using Xiao Zhun to pressure her again.
But Xiao Nanhui’s manpower was limited; she wished she could split herself in two. Keeping a clever girl like Bolao by her side just to eat and sleep was a terrible waste.
When it came to dealing with Bolao, Xiao Nanhui had years of experience.
"I’ve already contacted the people from the Andao Institute. They’re going to lend us a Night Owl. You stay in Tongcheng and help me keep an eye on Lu Songping, and while you're at it, relay my messages back to Quecheng."
Sure enough, at the mention of the Andao Institute, Bolao became as frantic as a ruffled hen.
"Why did you contact the Andao Institute? I’ve already left that place! I don't want to see a single person from there, and I'll slaughter every bird of theirs I see!"
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, a plump, mottled owl landed on Bolao’s shoulder with a "shoo," its agility seemingly at odds with its round shape.
Bolao stiffly turned her neck, making a deathly eye contact with the sharp-beaked, round-eyed raptor.
Xiao Nanhui shaded her eyes and looked at the sky. "My, the efficiency of your Andao Institute is truly high. But it’s no wonder; your master is in Wancheng these days, which isn't too far from here. Who knows, he might feel a whim one day and come to Tongcheng to check on you."
How could Bolao not hear the threat underlying those words? The Night Owl was a messenger bird unique to the Andao Institute, capable of traveling hundreds of miles a day without food or water, and so fierce that outsiders could hardly approach them. A single Night Owl was worth a thousand pieces of gold and was one of the prized treasures of the current Head of the Institute, Xie Li. Even if she had the ability to slaughter the bird, wouldn't old man Xie show up with a blade in hand the next moment?
One way or another, Xiao Nanhui had her cornered; she didn't intend to take her to Bijiang.
But remembering the serious expression on the General's face when he gave his instructions before their departure, Bolao made one last struggle: "Even if I move with you, I can still transmit messages."
Xiao Nanhui gave her a cool look, not having the heart to say the words: *If we both fail and get hacked to death, there won't even be anyone left to collect our bodies.*
After a moment's thought, she decided to try a softer approach. "I heard that the tribute grapes from Lingxi were delayed in Tongcheng because of Prince Kang’s business."
Bolao didn't speak, only lowering her eyes in an attempt to hide her emotions.
"This has been a dry year with little rain, so the grapes are actually sweeter than in previous years."
After saying this, Xiao Nanhui felt she could almost hear Bolao swallowing her saliva.
Since entering Jizhou, they had been sleeping in the wild and eating meager meals. Bolao’s favorite fresh fruits had been cut off for a long time. Her round face already looked much more withered than it had in Quecheng, like a persimmon about to dry out.
"If the Marquis... if the Marquis asks later..."
Xiao Nanhui replied readily, "I'll just say I drugged you and tied you up!"
And so, the brave and mighty top assassin of the Andao Institute, Bolao, surrendered for the sake of a fat bird and a bunch of grapes.
West of Tongcheng, the official roads were mostly swallowed by the vast, boundless Gobi Desert. Xiao Nanhui couldn't bear to let Jixiang suffer, so she entrusted the horse to Bolao as well. After rambling through repeated instructions, they finally went their separate ways.
The summer daylight in Tongcheng seemed exceptionally long. Even after the Hour of the Rooster had passed, the world remained bright.
Prince Kang’s detached palace was located deep within Tongcheng. Rumor had it that Prince Kang was naturally easygoing and willful, with a particular love for flowers, plants, insects, and birds. Because his birth mother hailed from the misty city of Wancheng, he had spent a fortune transplanting flora after inheriting his title, transforming the villa into a classic garden landscape—complete with carved beams, painted rafters, and winding streams.
Perhaps this wouldn't be considered a grand undertaking elsewhere, but in the water-scarce Lingxi region of Jizhou, it was a truly extravagant affair.
As Xiao Nanhui lay atop the wall, using the setting sun to observe the grounds, her impression of Prince Kang worsened.
She was well aware of the current Emperor of Tiancheng’s methods. Under such a powerful monarch, a vassal prince with too much ambition wouldn't live long.
However, the consequence of being overly cautious was inaction, and sometimes inaction was the greatest form of incompetence.
By the middle of the Hour of the Dog, the last light remained in the sky. The soldiers who had stood guard all day handed over their posts to the night watch and wearily departed through the villa’s side gate.
Xiao Nanhui still didn't move. The person she was waiting for had not yet left.
After another fifteen minutes, the sky turned completely dark. A black figure dressed in official robes finally emerged from the main hall. After whispering a few instructions to the night guards, the figure hurried away.
This Lu Songping was truly arrogant. Prince Kang’s remains hadn't even been buried yet, and he had already moved into the villa under the guise of guarding and investigating. Now, Prince Kang’s personal guards were nowhere to be seen; the villa was mostly filled with Lu Songping’s own guards in green.
But for the moment, he couldn't stay in the villa. Xiao Nanhui curled her lips into a smile.
To lure this tiger away from the mountain, she had instructed Bolao to cause a bit of a disturbance. It seemed to have worked.
Nimbly removing her boots, she leaped down from the wall, making as little noise as possible. She crept along the base of the walls toward the deeper parts of the villa.
Along the way, withered grass and dead branches were visible everywhere. These plants, once meticulously cared for, had begun to wither and decay after only a month of neglect. The entire villa was permeated with an aura of death.
The unpleasant memory of her nighttime probe into the Zou residence in Huozhou was still fresh. Before she had even started her work, Xiao Nanhui felt a bit of trepidation. But this was only the first step of her journey; no matter how difficult, she had to steel herself and move forward.
Steadying her emotions, she navigated the small paths while mentally organizing the intelligence she had gathered over the past few days.
For Tiancheng, trying to uncover the truth about the Bai Clan was currently as difficult as reaching the heavens. The situation in Bijiang was chaotic; without a starting point, one could spend a year or two without finding any useful information.
Prince Kang’s death seemed like a potential opening. The matter was incredibly suspicious. She didn't believe for a second that the Bai Clan wasn't involved. But the Bai Clan wasn't stupid; Tongcheng was still Tiancheng territory, so they wouldn't act brazenly. However, if she investigated carefully, it wasn't impossible to catch a tail or two.
Her requirements weren't high. As long as there was a trail to follow, she wasn't worried about eventually finding the Bai Clan’s headquarters.
The most critical task now was to find a witness to understand the situation.
Most of the palace maids and eunuchs on duty the day of the assassination had already been executed. Only a few with special circumstances had been spared. One of them was the younger brother of Lady Lan, Prince Kang’s most favored concubine.
Relying on the prestige of his sister’s favor, Lady Lan had forced her brother into the palace for service. After three to five years, he had worked his way up to the position of Deputy Steward. Unfortunately, he had only enjoyed the good life for a few days before Prince Kang’s incident occurred.
After the event, Lu Songping’s people took over the villa’s affairs. When they were investigating the maids and eunuchs who had served that day, Lady Lan had used some unknown means to save her brother’s life.
Though he escaped the death penalty, he could not escape punishment. After receiving thirty strokes of the rod, the unfortunate Deputy Steward Lan was locked in the Shuxin Pavilion, temporarily ignored by everyone.
Xiao Nanhui felt that if this man had been on duty that day, he must know something.
She had gone to great lengths to uncover this information, and now she used the cover of night to creep toward the Shuxin Pavilion.
The Shuxin Pavilion was originally a place for punishing wayward palace maids. The ground floor had no stairs, only a retractable ladder. The rooms for prisoners were all on the top floor. Although it was only three stories high, for the maids who had grown up in the villa, it was an impossible height from which to escape.
Of course, this did not apply to Xiao Nanhui.
Using the techniques she had learned while climbing the Pingxiao Tower in Huozhou, she used both hands and feet to reach the third-floor clerestory window in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
The narrow window was boarded up with some planks. She looked around and saw no one, so she kicked the boards open and slipped into the attic.
In the darkness, a pair of wide, terrified eyes stared fixedly at her.
The person seemed to want to cry out, but because he hadn't spoken for so long, only a raspy, wheezing sound came out when he opened his mouth.
After a fit of violent coughing, he finally managed half a sentence: "...Are you here to kill me?"
Xiao Nanhui looked around, found a flat spot, and sat cross-legged. "Whether I kill you or not depends on your performance in a moment."
The other party fell silent again, only responding after a long while.
"What do you want to ask?"
"Were you on duty in the hall the day Prince Kang was assassinated?"
Across the darkness, Xiao Nanhui clearly felt the figure in the corner flinch.
"I—I didn't see anything."
She frowned. "I haven't even asked yet. Why are you so eager to clear yourself? Who were the guests attending the banquet that day?"
"So many people..."
Xiao Nanhui felt this man might have suffered some trauma; his answers were incoherent.
"Nonsense. I’m asking you *who*?"
Having been a servant for a long time, the ability to report details had become second nature. When Deputy Steward Lan began listing names, he was more fluent than a waiter reciting a menu in a tavern.
Xiao Nanhui listened quietly for a while, then suddenly interrupted. "Wait. A Kuang the laborer and sixteen others... who is this A Kuang? Why would a laborer be allowed in the hall? And why would someone have the surname 'A'?"
"A Kuang is an old-timer in the palace. His original name was very tongue-twisting, so the Head Steward gave him the name A Kuang. Although he is a laborer, he was deeply trusted by the Prince. Whenever there was a banquet in the palace, he would be responsible for one or two of the performances. He has some connections in the underworld and can always find novel things from all over to claim credit for."
Xiao Nanhui finally heard something promising. "If they were folk performers, their identities should have been strictly verified. Yet you didn't report their specific names just now. Does Lu Songping not care about such negligence?"
Deputy Steward Lan laughed almost vengefully. "The Prince didn't like him. So what if he's the Governor? He's not even as good as a lowly laborer." He then thought of something, and his smile vanished. "He was lucky to keep his life; at the last moment, he didn't even enter the hall."
"Wait." Xiao Nanhui’s expression changed, and she leaned forward. "You’re saying Lu Songping was actually in the villa that day?"
"That's right. Prince Kang hadn't originally invited him to the banquet, but for some reason, he came uninvited. I heard the eunuch outside the hall announce his name, but after a long while, he didn't enter. I thought something had gone wrong and was about to go out and check when the hall... the hall..."
His voice suddenly choked up. The eyes on his gaunt face grew even wider, and his shackled hands trembled as they clutched his head.
Only then did Xiao Nanhui notice that two fingers were missing from his right hand.
The wound looked shriveled and blackened, as if they had been cleanly severed.
For some reason, as she looked at the wound, she found it strangely familiar.
She was about to press him further when the surroundings suddenly darkened. A shadow appeared in the window behind her, blocking half the moonlight.
Xiao Nanhui felt cold sweat break out on her back.
Breathing as if non-existent, movement without a sound. A true master of internal martial arts.
"Who has such elegant taste as to wait for this dark and windy night to catch up with Master Lan?"
Xiao Nanhui turned her face halfway to look behind her. The newcomer stood against the light, his features a blur of darkness.
But she recognized that voice.
An hour ago, she had heard this man tell his subordinates that he was leaving the palace on business.
It was the voice of the Governor of Jizhou, Lu Songping.
***
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