The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"But..." Sun Kui said anxiously, "Your team is in the most danger! Chen Shimei will definitely guess you'll take the back path!"

"That's exactly what I want him to guess." Qin Tiehua's lips curled into a cold smile. "Only if he guesses will he put the main force on the back road. The team on the main road is actually safer."

Sun Kui was stunned.

He looked at the girl in front of him and suddenly felt like he didn't recognize her.

Is this still the same Qin Tiehua who wields a hammer in the blacksmith's workshop? Is this still the same Qin Tiehua who blushes and curses Wang Zhonghua as a "bastard" when they talk?

When did she become...so scary?

Qin Tiehua seemed to see through his thoughts and said calmly, "Brother Zhonghua once said: The sharpest knife in this world is not made of steel, but of a person's brain and heart."

She sheathed the "Stunning Beauty" sword at her waist and stood up:

"Remember, if I die, cut off my head and send it to Bianjing along with this sword."

"Miss Qin!" Sun Kui knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with tears.

The remaining twelve people all knelt down on the ground.

Looking at these men, Qin Tiehua felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

These people were all brothers who fought their way out of Hulu Bay with Wang Zhonghua; they were brothers who would entrust their lives to each other.

"Get up." She walked over and helped them up one by one. "I'm not ordering you to protect me, I'm ordering you to cooperate with me."

She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Chen Shimei wants my life, Zhonghua's life, Sister Liu's life, and the lifeblood of everyone in our Sanyi Village. My life is the best bait."

"I want him to think he caught a big fish."

"When that bastard was reeling in the line, he realized he had caught a deadly steel knife."

Outside the window, the night was deep.

The three "hidden arrows" disappeared in three directions.

Inside the embroidered tower of Chenzhou Prefecture.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the small corpse in Chen Shimei's arms. Chen Nianyao's face was as pale as paper, and a trace of black blood remained at the corner of her mouth. Her eight-and-a-half-year-old life was frozen in the cold winter night.

Chen Shimei held her, his fingers gently brushing the messy strands of hair on her forehead, his movements as tender as if he were caressing a beautiful piece of jade, or a newborn baby.

Qiu Banxian stood by, not daring to utter a sound.

After a long while, Chen Shimei slowly raised his head.

The grief on his face was fading away little by little—like the receding tide, like melting snow. First, the redness in his eyes faded into indifference, then the trembling at the corners of his mouth subsided into a straight line, and finally, a smile slowly appeared on his gentle and refined face.

The smile was extremely faint and subtle, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

"My lord..." Qiu Banxian tentatively began.

Chen Shimei ignored him, only looking down at the girl in his arms, his voice as soft as a dream:

"Nianyao, Nianyao, my good child..."

He paused, and his smile deepened.

"...You really did help Dad again."

Qiu Banxian felt a chill run down his spine and lowered his head, not daring to look any longer.

He knew this story.

Thirteen years ago, Chen Shimei married Princess Yaoji, but they remained childless for three years. The imperial physicians examined her extensively, and all medicines were exhausted, but the princess's belly remained still empty.

Later, he adopted the daughter of an old friend, named her Nianyao, and treated her as his own.

Strangely enough, only a year after Nianyao was adopted, the princess became pregnant and gave birth to two sons in succession. Everyone said that Nianyao was a lucky star, a "trigger," and an auspicious gift from God to the Chen family.

Chen Shimei said the same thing.

Every time he spoke, he smiled with a gentle, warm smile, as kind as a mountain.

But only Qiu Banxian knew what was hidden beneath that smile.

At that moment, Chen Shimei gently placed Nianyao's body on the bed, stood up, and walked to the window. The night outside was as dark as ink, and his reflection was distorted and dim on the window paper.

"This child was born to bring good fortune to the Chen family." His voice was as calm as if he were talking about something ordinary. "She brought offspring, and now, she has brought Liu Xinyi."

He turned around, looked at Qiu Banxian, and his eyes gleamed with excitement and danger:

"Tell me, how should I thank such a good child?"

Qiu Banxian bowed and said, "Your plan is meticulous. If Miss is watching from heaven, she will surely be pleased."

"Relieved?" Chen Shimei chuckled softly, the sound echoing eerily in the empty embroidered pavilion. "Of course she'd be relieved. When she was alive, she ate the best, wore the best, lived in the best, and even cared more about her upbringing than her own children. Now that she's dead, she can still contribute to the Chen family—such an adopted daughter is hard to find even with a lantern."

He walked to the bedside, leaned down again, and gently closed Nianyao's eyes, which she was unable to close.

Even in death, those eyes still held a longing for life, a fear of death, and a sense of bewilderment towards the man she had called "Father" for thirteen years.

"Sleep well, sweetie." Chen Shimei's voice was as gentle as if he were soothing a child to sleep. "I'll take care of the rest."

He straightened up, the gentleness on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a cold, determined smile.

"With Liu Xinyi imprisoned, Wang Zhonghua's backyard is in turmoil. That little hussy Qin Tiehua will surely go north to file a complaint—once she makes a move, the charge of stealing and selling official iron will be confirmed."

"He caused a death through medical treatment and stole official iron—two capital offenses. Let's see how Wang Zhonghua turns things around!"

The front line in Junzhou, thousands of miles away.

Wang Zhonghua was discussing military matters with Di Qing. Suddenly, he looked up, gazing in the direction of Chenzhou, his brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Di Qing asked.

Wang Zhonghua shook his head and remained silent.

He had a feeling that something bad was happening, and this premonition grew stronger and stronger.

Outside the window, the lingering festive atmosphere of the New Year still hung in the air. Inside the embroidered tower, Qiu Banxian was directing his servants to "protect the scene," but in reality, he was discreetly erasing all traces of the "Jade Silkworm Gu." Chen Shimei held Nianyao's cold body, weeping uncontrollably, his acting skills at their peak. Unseen by anyone, his lowered hand tapped three times very lightly and quickly on the already stiff blue vein on the side of Chen Nianyao's neck.

The signal has been sent. The next step is to force the ethereal Liu Xinyi to submit to his and the young prince's tyranny; otherwise, prison will be her final resting place!

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away at the Junzhou front, Wang Zhonghua was strategizing with Di Qing, unaware of the impending crisis at home. His most trusted medical expert had fallen into a carefully woven trap by a hypocrite. This unjust imprisonment, like a boulder thrown into a still lake, will eventually cause ripples that reach the imperial palace, culminating in a heart-wrenching lament:

"The Prince Consort stepped closer to examine it closely. It stated that Qin Xianglian was thirty-two years old and was suing the current Prince Consort..."

The night was as dark as ink, but the oil lamps in Wangjiagang, Sanyizhai, burned all night long.

Yao sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes tightly. Her usually gentle eyes were now filled with a resolute frost. Wang Zhuacai silently wiped the "Dragon Gall" gun, its black barrel gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the lamplight.

"Her father," Madam Yao raised her head, her eyes slightly red, "that child Xinyi fell into this trap because of us. With Zhonghua gone, we can't just stand by and watch her be ruined."

Wang Zhuacai's hand, gripping the gun, veins bulging, was about to speak—

"Knock knock knock".

Three very soft knocks on the door.

The two exchanged a glance, and Wang Zhuacai stood up with his gun, while Yao Shi slipped to the side of the door.

"Master, Madam, it's me."

It was the voice of the butler, Shen Zhou.

The door opened, and Shen Zhou slipped inside, closing it behind him. He was still dressed in coarse cloth and short brown clothes, no different from an ordinary tenant farmer, but the light in his eyes was more solemn than usual.

"Butler Shen, it's so late..." Before Wang Zhuacai could finish speaking, Shen Zhou quickly stepped forward and lowered his voice:

"Master, Madam, something's not right outside. I went to the backyard to feed the horses and noticed some unfamiliar faces at the village entrance, acting suspiciously. They don't seem like they're just passing through."

Wang Zhuacai frowned: "Chen Shimei's men?"

"Most likely," Shen Zhou nodded. "They've been watching us ever since Miss Liu had her accident. If you go out now, sir, you'll be playing right into their hands."

Madam Yao's face paled: "But Xinyi, she..."

"Madam, please don't worry." Shen Zhou took out a letter from his bosom. The envelope was plain and unmarked. "I have a distant cousin who works in the Shangshui County government. He has always respected Doctor Liu's medical ethics. He sent word that Magistrate Yao is an honest official who cannot tolerate wrongful imprisonment. If someone can go to Shangshui tonight and tell Magistrate Yao about Miss Liu's injustice, and ask him to speak up for her in court tomorrow, perhaps Miss Liu can be spared from torture."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "But someone has to walk this path. Those spies outside are watching the master and madam; they don't really care about me, their steward."

Wang Zhuacai stared at Shen Zhou for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Steward Shen, how long have you been following us?"

"Reporting to Master, it's been almost half a year." Shen Zhou said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Young Master has treated me well, and Sanyi Village is my home. If something happens at home, I can't just stand by and watch."

Wang Zhuacai was silent for a moment, then patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Okay! Go ahead! Be careful on the road!"