Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 379 Catching the Thief
Yindie kept knocking on the door, and the three maids and several old women behind Chen Siyuan remained silent, waiting for Chen Siyuan to give instructions.

Human life was at stake, how could Chen Siyuan dare to delay? He immediately ordered the door bolt to be lowered, and soon saw the wet nurse carrying the wailing Ugly Boy, followed by the flustered and helpless Yindie and the disheveled You Shi rushing in. Chen Siyuan glanced into Huifang Garden and saw that, sure enough, a group of thieves carrying weapons were chasing after them.

Without Chen Siyuan giving any instructions, the two timid old women quickly closed the door, and a quick-thinking maid put the bolt back on. A moment later, a loud kicking sound came from the side door.

The old women were useless; they shouted but kept retreating. The three maids were also trembling with fear, but at least they still protected Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan turned around and saw that Madam You had lost her composure in her panic, but Yindie still had some ideas, so he ordered, "Help your grandmother to Zhuijin Tower!"

Yindie responded and helped Madam You walk west. Madam You walked a while before she came to her senses. She didn't stop walking, but turned around and stared intently at Chen Siyuan.

At this moment, another lantern rushed in, carrying Qingwen in one hand and a pot lid in the other.

The thieves outside the side gate were shouting and cursing incessantly. Chen Siyuan stared in disbelief and shouted, "Nonsense! What are you doing here?"

Qingwen glanced at Chen Siyuan and, seeing that he was unharmed, said, "Second Miss said that when the old lady left, she took most of the guards with her and sent people to find the soldiers of the city patrol... I was afraid that something might happen to Master, so I thought that taking the pot lid could at least help Master protect him a little."

Chen Siyuan was moved, thinking to himself that if the side gate couldn't hold them off, not only would he not be able to, but Zhuijinlou wouldn't be able to either... Oh well, let Qingwen come if she wants.

Chen Siyuan nodded, not daring to say much in front of everyone. Then a lamp came rushing over, and a maidservant beside it said, "Master, I see that the artificial hill behind this house is higher than the courtyard wall. I'll go up the hill to keep watch. If any thieves try to climb over the wall, I'll shout for them."

"it is good."

Chen Siyuan's mind raced. The Grand View Garden was built later, and Ningxi Pavilion was located across a ten-foot-wide body of water from Huifang Garden. There were no artificial hills or buildings next to it, and the walls were high, making it extremely difficult for thieves to climb over. But it's always better to be safe than sorry, and it's never too late to be extra careful.

The maidservant picked up her cudgel and hurried away, quickly climbing up the artificial hill. At that moment, a lamp approached, carrying the panting servant Qingyu.

"Grandpa...Grandpa," Qingyu was out of breath from running, unable to speak, and could only hand over the items he was carrying.

By the light of the lamp, Chen Siyuan observed that it was a five-dou bow and a quiver of about twenty arrows.

"Where did it come from?" Chen Siyuan asked.

Qingyu said, "I climbed over the wall to Jujin Gate; it was given to me by Aunt Zhang in Second Master's room."

Zhang Jinge? Chen Siyuan didn't have time to ask Zhang Jinge where he got the bow and arrows. He snatched them from Zhang Jinge, looked around, and asked, "Who knows how to use a bow and arrow?"

Then a maidservant said, "Master, I've used it before. It's perfect for shooting rabbits in winter!"

Without saying a word, Chen Siyuan handed it to the maid. Just as he was about to instruct her to climb up the artificial hill behind the thatched cottage and take a high spot, the maid who had already climbed up the artificial hill shouted, "Oh no! The thieves have gone south! Master, there is a waterway over there!"

Chen Siyuan was horrified! The Ning and Rong prefectures were connected by a side gate on land, but there were two waterways! One was an inlet and the other was an outlet. Although there were fences at both places, they were not sturdy and could be easily opened by an ordinary strong man.

The thieves didn't head north, probably because they spotted the maidservant on the artificial hill. And the water outlet was located at the white stone bridge south of the Longcui Nunnery.

Chen Siyuan's mind raced. He snatched a fork from an old woman's hand, instructed two maids and three old women to stay behind, and then, with a maid, two old women, Qingwen, Qingyu, and others, he hurriedly ran towards Baishi Bridge.

Just after passing the Jade Emperor Temple, Chen Siyuan noticed that the Ningguo Mansion was ablaze with flames, and even through the courtyard wall, he could see the Tianxiang Tower engulfed in flames.

Qingyu exclaimed in disbelief, "Tianxiang Tower is on fire!"

At this moment, who cared about the state of Ningguo? Chen Siyuan didn't stop, and galloped away first.

After passing through the moon gate, Chen Siyuan instructed Qingyu to climb to a higher vantage point. Qingyu, nimble and agile, quickly scaled the corridor pillars and artificial hills to reach the top. Just as Chen Siyuan led the others to the White Stone Bridge, Qingyu shouted, "Thieves are coming... Ouch..."

With a soft crackling sound, it turned out that the thief had thrown a locust stone at Qingyu over the courtyard wall.

Just then, thieves arrived and kicked the fence haphazardly. Although the fence was made of iron, the upper half was attached to the courtyard wall and the lower half was submerged in the water. It was not secured with bolts or anything like that, and it was about to collapse in just a few kicks.

The water was only waist-deep, but Chen Siyuan ignored the cold and jumped in, ready to fight with his steel fork. Another maid followed suit, grabbing a shovel and jumping in as well. The remaining two old women and Qingwen could only wait anxiously on the White Stone Bridge.

Suddenly, the fence collapsed, and a gleaming steel blade swept across in the moonlight. Chen Siyuan suppressed his emotions and remained unmoved. As a dark figure tentatively slipped through the water gate, Chen Siyuan suddenly stabbed at the figure.

"what--"

With a scream, the thief became stuck in the waist-high water gate, unable to move. He then mustered his remaining strength and swung his knife at Chen Siyuan. However, Chen Siyuan's steel fork was extremely long, and the tip of the knife only struck the handle, slightly numbing Chen Siyuan's hand. The man then struggled back.

Chen Siyuan, not one to back down, slightly retracted the steel fork, then suddenly stabbed it into the thief's thigh.

Another scream rang out, and the thief cursed twice, but sounded weak and powerless.

Perhaps dragged by his accomplice on the other side, the dark figure suddenly retreated.

A thief shouted, "Third brother is dead!"

"You son of a bitch, avenge Third Brother!"

One of the thieves said, "The commotion is too great. The city patrol will be here in no time. I think we should take the third brother and leave first."

"Absolutely! As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn!"

Another thief retorted, "No, we can't leave until the job is done!"

Having lived two lives, Chen Siyuan's temperament was far beyond that of ordinary people. Although it was his first time hurting someone, his heart raced wildly for a moment before calming down.

Listening to the arguing of the thieves across the wall, Chen Siyuan couldn't help but ponder. Where did these thieves come from? For a prominent family like the Jia family to be robbed and cause such a commotion, even the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture wouldn't let it go easily, even if it meant keeping his official position.

What are these thieves trying to achieve by acting so fearlessly?
For money? The Ningguo Mansion is in chaos right now. Instead of stealing the valuables, the thieves are chasing after Madam You... Ha, it must be an inside job. Otherwise, how could the thieves have entered the Ningguo Mansion so silently?
Although the voice that had just refuted him was muffled and somewhat masked, Chen Siyuan could vaguely make out that it sounded somewhat like Jia Rong. So he steeled himself and said bluffingly, "Jia Rong, how dare you collude with foreign thieves to plunder Ningguo Mansion!"

There was an immediate silence on the other side of the wall, followed by a slightly familiar voice saying coldly, "There's no time to lose, retreat now!"

Another thief said, "The third brother is done for!"

That cold voice said, "Give the three of you a quick death!"

Then a soft "plop" was heard, and immediately Qingyu on the veranda reported, "Sir, the thieves have retreated north!"

Chen Siyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, handed the steel fork to the maid beside him, and instructed her, "You stay here and guard this place."

After the maid nodded solemnly, Chen Siyuan quickly climbed ashore and instructed Qingyu to stay on the veranda to keep watch. Fearing that the thieves might use trickery and sneak in through the water gate at the entrance, he led his men and ran north again.

The water inlet was separated from Qingtang Thatched Cottage by artificial hills and a pond, requiring a detour via Qinfang Sluice Bridge. Chen Siyuan and his men had just run past Longcui Nunnery when they heard the vibrating of bowstrings, a continuous snapping sound, and the occasional cries of pain and curses from the thieves on the other side of the wall.

However, because the towering flames of Tianxiang Tower illuminated Fangyuan as bright as day, the thieves had nowhere to hide as they ran along the wall. So, two female warriors on the artificial hill behind Qingtang Thatched Cottage, one threw a stone and the other shot an arrow.

The maidservant holding the bow was indeed telling the truth. Although the five-dou bow lacked power and was useless in battle, that was because both armies were armored. The bandits who broke into Ningguo Mansion were unarmored, so how could they withstand the close-range shots of the five-dou bow?

Chen Siyuan originally intended to turn west and head straight for Qinfang Sluice Bridge, but then he suddenly remembered that the artificial hill was towering and the water gate to the north was within the range of arrows. Moreover, when he picked up Lady You earlier, he had only caught a glimpse of the bandits, and there were only six or seven in total. Just now, one of them was lost, and after a few cries of pain, at least two more had been hit by arrows... If you think about it, the advantage is on my side? So why the hell am I running!
Chen Siyuan immediately changed his mind and headed straight for the East Corner Gate. He moved as fast as the wind, and the two burly old women could at least keep up, but Qingwen, being small and weak, was left far behind.

In a short while, Chen Siyuan arrived at the East Corner Gate, where the three old women left behind were on high alert. The sharp-eyed maid who was throwing stones on the artificial hill caught sight of Chen Siyuan turning around and immediately shouted, "Master, Sister Meixiang hit three of them! Two are unable to move, and the remaining four are wading through the water and running east!"

Chen Siyuan pointed to the plum blossoms that were shooting arrows and went down the artificial hill. He then stepped over three rough old women, unlatched the door, and went to Ningguo Mansion to observe.

The Ningguo Mansion was now as bright as day. The Tianxiang Tower was engulfed in flames, and behind it, whether it was the You family's courtyard or the servants' quarters, the fire was still raging. Shouts filled the air, some crying for their parents, others shouting incoherently. Only a few figures could be vaguely seen running around. Chen Siyuan squinted and observed, and then he saw a group of thieves carrying steel knives running towards the back gate of the Ningguo Mansion from behind Ningxi Pavilion.

At this moment, Mei Xiang was already beside him. Chen Siyuan pointed to the tallest one of them and said, "Mei Xiang, shoot this scoundrel!"

"Alright!" Mei Xiang responded, nocked an arrow, and fired three shots in quick succession before a scream rang out. However, the group of bandits were hidden behind bushes, and Chen Siyuan couldn't immediately tell which one had been hit.

At this moment, the sound of gongs rang out in front of Ningguo Mansion, and people shouted one after another, "The city patrol troops are here!"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself that this was definitely the quick thinking of the steward of Ningguo Prefecture. He secretly cheered and then shouted, "The city patrol is here! A reward of one hundred taels of silver for killing a thief! Don't let the thief escape! Follow me and kill them!"

After shouting, Chen Siyuan took the lead and crossed the pier. Although he seemed reckless, he was actually just quickly approaching. Behind him, several rough-looking old women and Qingwen followed suit, deliberately shouting in a rough voice.

After passing Ningxi Pavilion, Chen Siyuan saw three thieves about to pull someone away. Seeing Chen Siyuan and the others chasing after them, the three thieves turned and ran away without bothering to silence the person!

Just then, the sound of a gong came from behind and closer. Chen Siyuan turned his head to look and saw servants banging gongs and circling around the Green Hall before entering Huifang Garden.

Chen Siyuan felt relieved and quickened his pace, carrying his cudgel. When he got closer, he could see that the thief had been shot in the thigh and lower back with arrows. He was struggling to stand up as if he was going to fight back. Chen Siyuan swung his cudgel and smashed it over the thief's head.

hum-

The baton slammed heavily into the thief's shoulder and neck, causing him to scream and drop his weapon. Chen Siyuan stepped forward, kicked away the longsword, and then grabbed the baton, striking the thief wildly a few times. Seeing that the thief was motionless, he stepped on his chest and ordered the old woman who had just caught up, "Someone, tear off this fellow's mask!"

The woman who had been supporting Baochai responded in a low voice, and moved over like a mountain. She reached out and pulled off the man's mask. By the light of the towering fire in Tianxiang Tower, Chen Siyuan took a closer look and immediately felt relieved.

No wonder this scoundrel's voice sounded familiar; it's Liu Xianglian!

A strange feeling crept into his mind... How could Jia Rong be hanging out with Liu Xianglian? After a moment's thought, he understood. When Prince Yanping investigated the case, Jia Qiang had met a tragic end. Jia Rong and Jia Qiang were inseparable; how could he be sure Jia Rong hadn't been involved?
As for Jia Rong's collusion with outsiders, it was because Jia Zhen led most of the guards to Cixi County to hold a funeral for the Dowager Empress, and they were aiming directly at the lives of You Shi and Chou Ge'er.

Jia Rong wasn't entirely stupid; he knew he needed to prepare for both possibilities. If he could kill You Shi and Ugly Boy, that would be ideal. He could use a self-inflicted wound to cover it up, and perhaps the title of Ningguo Mansion would return to him. If not… given Jia Zhen and You Shi's attitude, it would be better to abscond with the wealth. From then on, with wealth and freedom, where couldn't he live a life of luxury?
Chen Siyuan didn't care what Jia Rong did; what did it matter to him if the Ningguo Mansion was burned to the ground? He couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, secretly delighted. Liu Xianglian had finally fallen into his hands, and whether it was for Aunt Xue, Baochai, or Miaoyu, this time he could finally get some answers.

Especially Aunt Xue, now that the culprit has been brought to justice, she should be able to feel some relief.

Chen Siyuan was too lazy to chase after the remaining thieves, and only ordered, "Tie this guy up and splash him with cold water!" The woman from Kaoshan shouted in agreement, and simply pulled the handkerchief from her waist and tied the unconscious Liu Xianglian up tightly. Too lazy to find cold water, she raised her hand and slapped him, and Liu Xianglian suddenly woke up.

Chen Siyuan looked down at him with a smile and said, "Brother Liu, how have you been?"

Liu Xianglian just stared at Chen Siyuan without saying a word.

"That's enough. We have no grudges against each other. You can go and talk to the yamen about it another day."

Even after Chen Siyuan said that, Liu Xianglian remained silent.

Chen Siyuan frowned immediately. The maidservant beside him quickly bent down to examine the wound, and then stood up after a moment, saying with a playful tone, "Master, it seems like you broke this thief's neck with that blow you just delivered."

Huh? Is that so?
At this moment, the sound of the gong grew closer, and the servants of the Ningguo Mansion shouted incessantly, slowly and boldly approaching this side. Without Chen Siyuan giving any instructions, Qingwen stepped forward and shouted a few times, and soon Lai Sheng came running over.

"Uncle Yuan, how is our grandma?"

If Lady You and Ugly Boy... especially if something were to happen to Ugly Boy, then Lai Sheng, the chief steward, would probably be out of a job.

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "It's alright. Just now, Sister-in-law Zhen took the child and went to the Rongguo Mansion to avoid trouble."

Lai Sheng let out a long sigh of relief, cupped his hands in greeting, and was about to speak when another fiery dragon rushed in from the entrance of Huifang Garden next to Conglu Hall. A sharp-eyed servant shouted, "The soldiers are here!"

Lady You was still in shock, and Jia Rong... had probably already fled. With no master left in the Ningguo Mansion, Chen Siyuan said, "I'll go deal with the soldiers. You quickly find servants to put out the fire!"

Lai Sheng readily agreed, assigned a few servants to guard the back door, and led his men straight to the servants' quarters... Tianxiang Tower was engulfed in flames, clearly beyond saving. It would be better to demolish two buildings to at least control the fire in the servants' quarters.

Chen Siyuan instructed the woman who was on the mountain to keep a close watch on Liu Xianglian, sent Qingwen back to report that everything was safe, and then went to greet the soldiers.

As expected, it was the city patrol corps that arrived. The junior officer in charge looked grim—the Duke's mansion had been robbed, and apart from the city patrol censor, it was likely that neither the Shuntian Prefecture nor the city patrol corps would be in a good position.

After exchanging a few words, the junior officer, fearing that there might still be thieves remaining, immediately left a team of about ten men behind and led the rest of the soldiers straight to the back gate to chase after them.

With a squad of soldiers by his side, Chen Siyuan felt more at ease. Lai Sheng would take care of the firefighting, while Chen Siyuan led the soldiers to gather the servants and maids, found the steward to check the surroundings, and also assigned people to inspect the casualties of the Ningguo Mansion.

In the short time it takes to drink two cups of tea, six people from the Ningguo Mansion died, nine were injured, and more than a dozen others went missing. The warehouse was smashed open, and the loss of valuables was incalculable.

After a flurry of activity, Chen Siyuan finally managed to sort things out when a maidservant announced, "Master, Madam and Miss Bao have arrived!"

"A concubine and Miss Bao?" Chen Siyuan was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized.

That's right. Liu Xianglian has been taken by himself. With his enemies right in front of him, how could Aunt Xue and Sister Bao turn a blind eye?

Just then, Lai Sheng returned and reported that the servants in the back had led the group of servants to demolish one of the houses and brought the fire under control. Chen Siyuan had done what he could, and there was no point in staying any longer, so he simply handed over all the matters here to Lai Sheng to handle, and went to the back to welcome Aunt Xue and Sister Bao.

When Chen Siyuan arrived near Ningxi Pavilion, he saw Baochai helping Aunt Xue walk quickly towards them, with Ying'er, Tongxi, Tonggui and two maids beside them.

Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, Aunt Xue exclaimed, "Yuan-ge'er, you've really caught Liu Xianglian?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said, "I've got it. It's right here."

"Okay, okay!" Aunt Xue's body trembled as she staggered forward.

"Mom!" Bao called softly, helping Aunt Xue walk forward while looking at Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan simply nodded and led the way. The guards had long since been replaced by two soldiers from the city patrol.

Leading Aunt Xue and Baochai closer, the mother and daughter disregarded the proper separation between men and women and peered over. Seeing that the person tied up on the ground was indeed Liu Xianglian, Aunt Xue immediately burst into tears: "You damned Liu thief, give me back my son's life!"

Baochai couldn't help but tear up. She looked around and Ying'er picked up a palm-sized stone and was about to hand it over.

Chen Siyuan quickly stopped him, saying, "A few words of insults are enough. Wouldn't it be too easy to kill him like this? After the interrogation, we'll make sure this scoundrel is torn apart by five horses!"

Baochai, suppressing her emotions, grabbed Aunt Xue, but Aunt Xue ignored her and struggled forward, crying out, "Give me back my son's life, you scoundrel..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Aunt Xue suddenly began to vomit uncontrollably. Chen Siyuan quickly stepped in front of her, saying, "Aunt, your health is important!"

Aunt Xue was startled, and without realizing it, she touched her lower abdomen with her left hand, only then remembering that she was pregnant.

Chen Siyuan, avoiding Baochai's gaze, secretly winked at Aunt Xue, then quickly turned to Baochai and said, "We've seen it all, it's not good to stay here any longer, you should help Aunt Xue back quickly."

Baochai nodded in agreement. Fortunately, Aunt Xue stopped struggling at this moment and just kept sobbing. Baochai comforted her for a few moments and then helped Aunt Xue walk back slowly.

At this moment, more yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture came to the rescue, which was no longer Chen Siyuan's business. Chen Siyuan gave a brief explanation to the overwhelmed Lai Sheng and led his men back to Rongguo Mansion.

............................................................

Zhuijinlou.

Four maids guarded the entrance, while a group of servants crowded into the side rooms and courtyard. Li Wan, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, Xing Xiuyan, Daiyu, Baoqin, Xiangyun, and others were crammed upstairs.

At this moment, Qingwen sipped her tea and vividly described the scene: "...Meixiang shot three arrows. There were trees there to cover the area, and the master thought that the thief could not be stopped. But then a scream rang out, and the master immediately led us to surround the area."

The thief, his courage shattered, abandoned his accomplice and turned to flee. The old man, wielding his staff, rushed forward and subdued the thief. I lagged behind, and by the time I got close, the man surnamed Liu was clearly beyond saving. Meixiang examined him and said the old man had broken his neck.

As soon as she finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the room. The eldest member of the family, Li Wan, couldn't help but sigh, "Thank goodness for Brother Yuan, otherwise the Rongguo Mansion would have been in grave danger!"

Madam You was still in shock. Ugly boy was being coaxed by the wet nurse to lie down on Yingchun's bed, but he looked aggrieved and refused to fall asleep.

Hongyu hurried upstairs, delighted, and said, "A messenger came from ahead saying that the yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture have also arrived."

Yingchun breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It seems there's nothing to worry about. If you sisters are afraid, just huddle together in pairs. It'll be more reassuring to have more people around."

Tan Chun, who was always bold, regretted that she was too young to follow Chen Siyuan to kill the bandits. Xi Chun, on the other hand, was a little scared and pulled Tan Chun, saying, "Third sister, why don't I go to Qiushuangzhai and squeeze in with you?"

Tan Chun nodded in agreement. Seeing that Zhuijin Tower was already crowded with people, she stood up and said, "Then you shall come with me."

Seeing that Baoqin was a little lonely, and thinking that Aunt Xue might come to Hengwu Garden later, Xiangyun spoke a few words to Baoqin out of kindness, and then they went together to the small courtyard in the northeast.

Xing Xiuyan was originally in Zhuijin Tower, but she had moved to the second floor of the east wing, which was just a short walk away.

Li Wan had already picked up Jia Lan and was waiting downstairs. She wanted to call Daiyu, but knew it wouldn't be convenient, so she had to take Jia Lan back to Daoxiang Village first.

Seeing that Daiyu was alone, the second young lady Yingchun was about to say something when Daiyu smiled and said, "Second sister, don't worry about me. There are soldiers and yamen runners outside, and I have two maids in my room. What is there to be afraid of?"

Yingchun said, "It's not convenient for Sister-in-law Zhen to return to Ningguo Mansion. Could you perhaps let Sister-in-law Zhen squeeze into Xiaoxiang Pavilion?"

Daiyu readily agreed and immediately went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion with You Shi.

At this moment, Xiuju came back with a message: "Miss, Lai Da came back and said that the servants outside the mansion have received the news and dozens of them have come to ask for your advice on how to deal with it."

Yingchun knew that the danger was long gone, but with many men, she was emboldened. So she ordered, "Go back to Lai Da and have two shifts of men take turns patrolling the mansion. Tell the patrolling servants that they will be rewarded with one string of cash each day for three consecutive days!"

Xiuju agreed and went to deliver the message.

Yingchun then led Hongyu downstairs, accompanied by several rough-working women, and they also inspected various parts of the Grand View Garden.

But just as they crossed the Emerald Smoke Bridge, they ran right into Chen Siyuan and his party, who were hurrying back.

After a brief greeting, Chen Siyuan stepped forward and briefly explained the affairs of the Ningguo Mansion. He also mentioned that Aunt Xue and Baochai had already gone to Hengwu Garden. Only then did the second young lady, Yingchun, feel relieved and said, "Evil has its retribution. Thanks to Brother Yuan, otherwise we would not know who the attackers were."

Chen Siyuan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Yingchun, observing his expression, immediately instructed the servants to go and patrol, leaving only Hongyu by his side. After the servants had gone far away, Chen Siyuan leaned closer and whispered, "Second sister... after such a calamity, why don't you take advantage of the situation?"

Yingchun understood immediately, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Wu Xingdeng is probably not easy to deal with... So how about we deal with Li Gui first?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and nodded: "It's good that Second Sister has a plan."

At this moment, Qingwen, having seen off You Shi and Daiyu, came over with Xiangling, Wu'er, Yunxiang, and others carrying lanterns. Chen Siyuan covered his mouth and yawned, saying, "Second Sister, if you need anything, just come and find me. I'll take my people back first."

Yingchun's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Chen Siyuan with tender affection, saying, "Brother Yuan, you've worked hard. Go back and rest. I'll take care of everything else."

Chen Siyuan nodded, then called to Qingwen and the others, and leisurely returned to the thatched cottage.

Yingchun watched Chen Si leave into the distance, then waited by the Cuiyan Bridge for a while. When Xiuju returned, Yingchun quietly gave Hongyu a few instructions.

Hongyu remained calm and collected. After receiving the instructions and taking the token, she went to Madam Wang's courtyard first, whispered a few words to Yuchuan, and then headed straight for the east wing.

The firelight from Tianxiang Tower reflected on Yingchun's face, and a smile gradually appeared on her oval face. The second young lady thought to herself, she had just had the idea and was wondering whether to act on it, but Brother Yuan had thought of the same thing as her... Could this be called telepathy?

Suddenly recalling the enchanting scene in the Elm Shade Hall that day, the second young lady's face grew even redder. Amidst her shyness and embarrassment, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

(End of this chapter)