In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

Before long, Steward Zhou led his men into the side courtyard.

Yesterday, Manager Zhou was all smiles, but today even that superficial deference has diminished.

Upon entering, he first glanced at Yang Xuan on the couch, his gaze carrying an undisguised scrutiny, before bowing to Yanhe.

"Princess."

"The Prime Minister has ordered that since the eldest son is leaving the mansion, it would be best to tidy up all the items in the courtyard first, lest public property get mixed up and cause problems later."

Yanhe sat calmly on the edge of the tatami mat.

"Let's get it right."

Her answer was so straightforward that it left Steward Zhou speechless for a moment.

He had prepared a set of excuses, thinking he would first use the rules to suppress the issue, and then use the guise of inventory to cut off a batch of items that could be taken away.

Unexpectedly, Yanhe did not stop them at all.

"In that case, I will proceed according to precedent."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and two servants behind him stepped forward to search the boxes.

Inside the box were nothing more than a change of clothes, a few personal items, a few packets of medicine, and some loose silver coins. It looked quite shabby, not like the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family leaving the capital, but more like some unlucky minor official being sent out to leave his fate to heaven.

Manager Zhou watched, but he was not at all at ease.

It's too clean.

It was so clean it looked like it was deliberately placed there for him to see.

His gaze shifted and landed on the account books and a string of small keys on the table.

"These are..."

Yanhe didn't even look up.

"My dowry account book and treasury key."

Manager Zhou smiled.

"Princess, in my opinion, since they are all kept in the same courtyard, it would be more appropriate to investigate them all at once."

"Can you find out?" Yanhe asked casually.

Manager Zhou's smile froze instantly.

Yanhe finally raised her eyes and looked at him.

"You are here on orders to investigate the items in the Prime Minister's residence. You may do so."

"You want to investigate my dowry, palace rewards, and gifts from members of the imperial family?"

"Steward Zhou, is this your own idea, or the Prime Minister's?"

A single sentence, spoken softly.

But this put Steward Zhou in a very difficult position.

If it is said to be one's own idea, then that would be overstepping the bounds.

If it was the Prime Minister's intention, then it would be tantamount to asking him to admit to Yang Guozhong in person that "the Right Prime Minister wanted to search the dowry of a princess from the imperial clan."

He can't bear this charge.

Steward Zhou, sweat beading on his forehead, quickly bowed his head and said, "Your Highness has misunderstood. I was merely asking a routine question and dared not have any other intentions."

"That's good."

Yanhe's tone remained flat.

"Then you should investigate what you should investigate, and keep your hands clean of what you shouldn't touch."

Manager Zhou had no choice but to agree, albeit reluctantly.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Uncle Wen has returned.

He bowed to Yanhe first, then, as if he hadn't seen Steward Zhou and the others, said in a flat voice, "Princess, the silver you asked me to withdraw from the bank has been exchanged."

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhou's eyelids twitched violently.

Exchange for silver?

What silver?

How much was exchanged?

But what Uncle Wen said next was like a blow to the head.

"The carriage company has also replied. The old blue-curtained carriage has been modified, and a secondary carriage for carrying medicine and valuables has been added. In addition, with two fine horses from Hexi, it can leave the city at any time today."

Manager Zhou felt a chill run down his spine.

What does this tell us?

This shows that they weren't just sitting in the side courtyard waiting to be kicked out.

This means that they had already paved the road outside before dawn!

He subconsciously looked at Yang Xuan on the bed.

Yang Xuan didn't speak, but just leaned there, his face pale, but his expression calm.

That quietness didn't resemble that of a defeated dog who had been flogged thirty times and was about to be kicked out of Chang'an.

It's more like a chess player who has already calculated which move to make first when leaving the game.

Manager Zhou suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

He came today on Yang Guozhong's orders to deliver the final blow.

But he suddenly realized that when he slashed down, he might not be hitting Yang Xuan's escape route, but rather the flesh that the other party had already shown him.

The truly valuable and important things have probably already been moved out.

Thinking of this, he dared not delay any longer. He hurriedly ordered someone to finish packing the boxes, hastily noted down the contents, and then wanted to go back to report.

But Yang Xuan spoke up at that moment.

"Manager Zhou."

His voice was low, and even carried the weakness of being injured.

Manager Zhou turned around immediately, as if someone had pressed down on his back.

"Young Master...do you have any further instructions?"

"It's nothing serious," Yang Xuan said calmly, looking at him. "I just need you to pass on a message to the Prime Minister when you return to the front hall."

"Please speak."

Yang Xuan tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Just tell him, my son accepted the thirty strokes of the cane outside the building last night."

"Today, my son has accepted this dignified expulsion from the family."

"From now on, if anyone in Chang'an asks me which family I, Yang Xuan, belong to, then please don't bother to clarify."

"Because it won't be long before others find out—"

He looked at Steward Zhou and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"It's not that the Yang family doesn't want me."

"I am Yang Xuan, there is no need for me to acknowledge the Yang family anymore."

The room fell silent.

Manager Zhou felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

He said these words once last night outside the Hua'e Xianghui Tower, and today he wants to repeat them again through his own words.

This is not a message relay.

This is clearly using oneself as a knife to continue stabbing Yang Guozhong in the heart.

But he dared not leave it behind.

"I've got it."

After Steward Zhou left, the tense atmosphere in the room dissipated somewhat.

Pei Zhao clicked his tongue and couldn't help but grin.

"Young Master Yang, you're on the verge of death, yet your words are more venomous than knives."

Cui Shen, however, did not laugh.

Looking at Yang Xuan on the couch, he suddenly realized that the place he had just stepped into was not a side courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence at all.

It was a ship that had already left the shore.

Although the ship was wrecked and the owner was half-dead, the ship was still determined to sail outwards.

"My lord, since we are leaving today, there are a few things that need to be clarified regarding the accounts and the people we have on hand," Cui Shen finally spoke. "How much of the money is flexible and how much is non-negotiable; should we load the medicine or the silver onto the cart first; if Pei Zhao is accompanying us, he should have a title that can cover up his old military status. Also, where will we stay first after leaving the city? If we don't decide, things will easily get chaotic later."

Pei Zhao glanced at him.

"You pedantic scholar, you've barely boarded the ship and you're already bossing me around?"

Cui Shen coldly replied, "If all you know is how to wield a knife and not how to navigate, you'll just be a dog stumbling around aimlessly once you leave Chang'an."

"you--"

That's enough.

Yang Xuan silenced him with a single sentence.

Both of them stopped talking at the same time.

He leaned against the pillow, clearly very weak, yet his voice still commanded respect.

"It's not wrong for the two of you to be arguing."

"One is crucial, the other is crucial, the other is crucial, if either is lacking, one will not live long."

Pei Zhao remained silent.

Cui Shen also withdrew his sharp edge.

Yang Xuan then said, "Cui Shen, you need to sort out the accounts and the first stop after leaving the city."

"Yes."

"Pei Zhao, go check the carriages, check the medicine, and see which of the people who are going with us can handle things and which are just for show. Before we leave today, I need to know which carriage is the most stable, which horse can still run, and which servant will be the first to run away halfway."

Pei Zhao's eyes lit up.

"I can do this."

"Then let's do it."

The two responded and withdrew.