Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Li Nanyu paused for a moment, then continued, "Father, we can hire an assassin."

There are plenty of people in the underworld who do things for money; they won't trace us.

After a long silence, Master Li finally nodded: "We'll do as you say."

But Nan Yu, and Cheng Wang's side...

How will you explain this?

Li Nanyu smiled bitterly: "In my current state, I have no way to go find people in person."

Send some guards and servants out to make an appearance along the Zimu River.

Then he secretly sent an assassin to find that lowly maid and the young master.

It's highly likely that that lowly maid Tao'er jumped into the river with the young master and died there.

Even if King Cheng sees the corpse in the end, he won't blame us, and he certainly wouldn't actually kill all of us, more than a hundred people from the Li family.

Let's stall for now!

"Will he suspect...?"

"He can, but right now he needs the Li family's financial support..."

They won't dare to touch our Li family for the time being.

"Father, let's deal with my brother's funeral arrangements first!"

Li Nanyu analyzed.

The Li family's businesses spanned the entire Jiangnan region, with their extensive money exchange and network of connections—all things that King Cheng needed.

As long as they remain useful to King Cheng, he will not easily harm us.

At most, she'd get twenty lashes like today.

Despite saying this, Li Nanyu was unsure of herself and could only offer this reassurance to her father.

King Cheng, Xie Jingxing, was suspicious and ruthless; today's twenty strokes of the cane were merely a minor punishment to serve as a warning.

If he knew that he had been tricked by the Li family, he would probably take revenge on them severely.

She dared not think any further.

But she couldn't worry about that right now; she had to stay focused.

That wretched maid Tao'er, she must kill her. Originally, she didn't hate her, but she shouldn't have killed her own brother.

"Yes, your brother is dead, your mother..."

Li Futian sighed.

He knew how much his wife cared about this son.

Seeing her father nod in agreement, Li Nanyu felt relieved and said, "Father, don't tell the truth to Mother. Tell everyone that my younger brother suddenly died of an acute illness."

The prefectural physician was summoned to examine the body, but was only allowed to observe and not record anything.

We'll give them more hush money.

Master Li nodded wearily: "That's all we can do."

The imperial physician was quickly summoned, and upon seeing Li Yuxuan's state of death, he turned pale with fright.

Under Mr. Li's coercion and enticement, he cautiously examined the corpse.

"Young Master died from a dagger piercing his heart; it was a fatal blow."

The physician's voice trembled as he said, "Also..."

"What else?"

Master Li roared angrily.

"The genitals suffered severe damage, likely caused by the same weapon."

Li Futian felt a metallic taste rise in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"father………"

"master……"

Li Futian sighed, waved for the physician to leave, and then rewarded him handsomely to keep him quiet.

The physician scrambled away, vowing never to reveal a single word.

In the dead of night, white banners were hung at the Li residence, but no funeral was to be held; instead, the mourning hall was to be set up quietly.

Despite her injuries, Li Nanyu directed her servants to arrange her funeral, but her heart was filled with despair.

She recalled Tao'er's appearance when she first entered the Prime Minister's residence, that timid little maid who spoke softly and was diligent and thoughtful in her work.

Who would have thought that such a seemingly delicate woman could be so ruthless?

She was filled with deep regret...

"Nanyu, you shouldn't have brought him into the manor..."

Li Futian shook his head, followed by another sigh.

Li Nanyu was silent for a moment: "Father, I know I was wrong."

But have you ever considered that if Yu Xuan hadn't harbored inappropriate thoughts, that lowly servant wouldn't have resorted to such a deadly act?

Master Li was stunned, and then slumped down in dejection.

His son had affairs every month, but he didn't take it to heart or discipline him.

Looking back now, it turns out that it sowed the seeds of my own demise.

"A tragic fate..."

It's all a karmic entanglement...

Master Li murmured.

"Father, what's done is done. Just teach your nephew properly from now on."

Li Nanyu comforted her.

The next day, Li Nanyu had Dongkui lie in bed in her place, while she quietly left the house.

Li Nanyu, whose face was pale beneath the veil, had an unusually firm look in her eyes.

As the sedan chair passed through the bustling streets, she saw through the thin veil that the streets of Shengjing were as usual, but she keenly noticed that the portraits that used to be posted all over the city had vanished.

The emperor's sudden withdrawal of the arrest warrant set off alarm bells in her mind, but it also strengthened her resolve.

The sedan chair stopped at an inconspicuous alleyway in the south of the city.

Li Nanyu gestured for the servants carrying the sedan chair to wait there, while she quietly walked into the depths of the alley.

This was a place she had painstakingly found out by spending money.

The wind blew through the narrow alley, causing her veil to flutter slightly. She instinctively pressed it down with her hand and quickened her pace.

"Please wait, young lady."

A deep voice came from the shadows in the corner.

Li Nanyu stopped and took out an ebony token from her sleeve.

This token looks ordinary, but it costs a lot of money; otherwise, you wouldn't even see it.

A black-gloved hand emerged from the shadows, took the token, examined it, and then gestured for her to continue.

She followed the figure through many twists and turns, finally arriving at what appeared to be an abandoned house.

The door opened silently.

The courtyard is a hidden world inside, completely different from its dilapidated exterior.

She was led into a windowless room where candlelight flickered on a copper lampstand, elongating and distorting the shadow of the person behind the screen opposite her.

"You know the rules."

The voice behind the screen was flat and monotone, making it impossible to discern the age; all that could be identified was that it was a man's voice.

Of course, killing should be a man's job!

Li Nanyu nodded and took out a thick wad of silver notes and two scrolls from her bosom.

A hand wearing a black glove reached out from the side of the screen, and the banknotes and scrolls disappeared behind the screen in an instant.

After a moment of silence, the voice rang out again: "Aren't these the very people the imperial court wanted to arrest? I'm afraid we can't take this job..."

We don't accept just any order...

"I can pay a hefty sum; money's no object!"

Without hesitation, Li Nanyu took out another stack of silver notes and placed them on the ground. Her hands trembled slightly, whether from the cold or nervousness, it was hard to tell.

"the term?"

The man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"The sooner the better."

Is three days enough?

It would be best to do this before they leave Shengjing.

"this……

I can't guarantee that...

"Maybe they've already left the city..."

"That………

You should hurry...

"OK………"

The deal was done, and Li Nanyu didn't dare to linger, so she quickly left the mansion.

Back in the sedan chair, she took a deep breath, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Hatred gnawed at her reason like a venomous snake.

But a sense of unease was quietly growing in her heart, and she didn't know why.

Meanwhile, inside the artificial hill, Tao'er and Ayan were completely unaware that a new round of danger was approaching them.

At this moment, Ayan was curled up beside her, breathing evenly, fast asleep.

These past few days have been a constant struggle for survival, with only a brief moment of peace.

"Sister, how much longer do we have to stay here?"

Ayan woke up at some point and asked while rubbing his eyes.

Tao'er gently patted his head: "Wait a little longer, we'll leave here on the day of the temple fair."

She peered through the gaps in the artificial hill at the darkening sky outside, thinking that the temple fair was tomorrow.

"Sister, I hear a noise outside."

Ayan suddenly whispered.

Peach held her breath and listened intently.

There were indeed very faint footsteps lingering outside the artificial hill, unlike those of ordinary passersby.

She covered Ayan's mouth, and the two of them huddled in the deepest part of the artificial hill, motionless.