In the imperial palace, Xie Lin's eyes were bloodshot, having not slept for two days and a night.
Lichun and Chunfen, being young and inexperienced, were ill-suited for heavy responsibilities. The steward of Weiyang Palace, risking his own life, remained by Xie Lin’s side to carry out his orders.
Every guard stationed outside the Xie Residence and every servant working within had been seized by Xie Lin and dragged back to the palace for brutal interrogation.
"Today, we must find out who leaked Her Ladyship’s whereabouts!"
This was the one thing Xie Lin couldn’t comprehend. The Xie Residence, where Jiang Yunshu had been hiding, was known to only a handful as his property.
Before arriving at the Xie Residence, Jiang Yunshu had even taken a detour to a retreat outside the Capital City. Logically, very few should have known she was staying there.
Even many of the servants working in the Xie Residence had no idea Jiang Yunshu was their guest—they only knew an esteemed person had taken up residence.
So how had the Prince of Yanbei discovered Jiang Yunshu was at the Xie Residence?
Xie Lin commanded the Eastern Depot; there were few secrets in the realm that could escape him. Yet this time, Jiang Yunshu’s abduction had caught him completely off guard. Had the Capital City, under the Eastern Depot’s watch, become so porous that outsiders could pry into its affairs at will?
After Jiang Yunshu was taken, everyone inside and outside the Xie Residence had been thrown into the interrogation chambers. Only the maids who attended to Jiang Yunshu personally were spared severe torture—the rest were subjected to the harshest methods.
By now, even the steward of Weiyang Palace could smell the overwhelming stench of blood just passing by the interrogation rooms from a distance.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he felt as if the entire palace reeked of it.
If Jiang Yunshu wasn’t safely recovered, the entire palace might well be doomed to perish with her…
The steward shuddered at the thought, then silently prayed to every deity he knew: Please, let Her Ladyship return unharmed.
With no leads on who had betrayed Jiang Yunshu’s location, it was no wonder Xie Lin’s fury only grew.
The steward, too, found the situation baffling. If no one had leaked the information, had the Prince of Yanbei somehow gained divine insight?
Strangely, Xie Lin moved past this frustration faster than the steward did.
When three avenues of investigation yielded nothing, he set the matter aside without hesitation and turned his attention to two other lines of inquiry.
First: Who were the two groups of men who had ambushed Jiang Yunshu outside the Xie Residence?
Second: Had anyone in or around the Capital City spotted suspicious carriages or any other traces?
The first group of abductors was quickly identified as the Prince of Yanbei’s men.
But the second group, the ones who had ultimately taken Jiang Yunshu, remained a mystery.
After careful consideration, Xie Lin narrowed it down to three likely suspects.
First, the Prince of Yanbei himself—perhaps the first group was merely a diversion for the second.
Second, Empress Dowager Wu.
Third, Duan Jinxing and Jiang Zhaohua.
The latter two had previously sought Jiang Yunshu’s death, though they had failed.
Beyond these, Xie Lin could think of no one else. Jiang Yunshu lived quietly and had never made enemies.
Wen Shiyi, standing nearby, ventured, "It might not be Jiang Yunshu’s enemy. Perhaps it’s yours, my lord?"
Because of her friendship with Jiang Yunshu and her expertise as a spy, Xie Lin had summoned Wen Shiyi to assist in the investigation these past two days.
The steward of Weiyang Palace nearly choked at her words. Now of all times to provoke him?
Xie Lin’s enemies were countless. If Jiang Yunshu had indeed been taken by one of them, they might as well prepare their necks for the executioner’s blade.
To the steward’s astonishment, Xie Lin didn’t erupt in anger.
Instead, after a moment of contemplation, he singled out one suspect from the three: "Duan Jinxing. It’s him."
"Focus all efforts on investigating him."
Wen Shiyi acknowledged the order and left to relay it.
The steward, bewildered, dared to ask, "Why Duan Jinxing, my lord?"
Xie Lin replied coldly, "...Instinct."
He had first ruled out Empress Dowager Wu. Though their interactions were few, Xie Lin had gleaned enough of her nature.
Empress Dowager Wu preferred subtle schemes—poison in the shadows.
A brazen daylight abduction didn’t suit her style.
Moreover, she relied on men to act for her, seldom dirtying her own hands.
Since she had already aligned herself with the Prince of Yanbei, Xie Lin doubted she would risk seizing Jiang Yunshu now.
As for the Prince of Yanbei, Xie Lin had considered the possibility. The man was arrogant and bold—he might send two waves of attackers as a diversion.
But the Prince would never have dressed the second group in shabby disguises.
Such tactics were beneath him, and unnecessary.
That left only Duan Jinxing.
"Scrutinize Duan Jinxing’s every move in recent days."
The steward hesitated before asking another question. "But hasn’t Duan Jinxing pledged allegiance to the Prince of Yanbei?"
"If he’s working for the Prince… then isn’t his abduction of Her Ladyship the Prince’s doing?"
He couldn’t grasp why Xie Lin treated Duan Jinxing and the Prince as separate entities.
Xie Lin shot him a frigid glare. "You serve me. Does that mean every action you take is in my name?"
"Have you never acted for yourself?"
The steward broke into a cold sweat and dropped to his knees, not daring to speak further.
Xie Lin kicked him lightly. "Get up."
He had only meant to illustrate a point, but the aura of devastation around him left those nearby trembling.
"If Duan Jinxing abducted Jiang Yunshu on the Prince of Yanbei’s orders, then yes, he acted for the Prince."
"But what if the Prince doesn’t even know Jiang Yunshu is in Duan Jinxing’s hands?"
Xie Lin’s expression was icy. "Would you still call that loyalty?"
---
Jiang Yunshu had no idea Xie Lin had already deduced Duan Jinxing was behind her abduction.
Based on the information she had gathered, she was piecing together Duan Jinxing’s intentions.
Duan Jinxing now served the Prince of Yanbei. Ultimately, he would present her to the Prince to curry favor.
But for now, the Prince remained unaware she had been taken.
Duan Jinxing wasn’t in a hurry to hand her over. Instead, he intended to keep her in this dilapidated mountain cottage for some time.
A cook and a young maid had been brought up the mountain with her.
Because of the wound on her arm, medicinal ointment had also been provided.
Duan Jinxing held the medicine bottle, his tone gentle as he asked, "Second Sister, your injury makes it difficult to tend to yourself. Shall I help apply the medicine and bandage it?"
At that moment, Jiang Yunshu finally understood why Duan Jinxing wasn’t rushing to deliver her to the Prince of Yanbei—why he wanted her to stay in this remote mountain shack.
And after saying such things, how could he still have the audacity to put on such a refined and elegant act!
Jiang Yunshu couldn’t hold back and let out a dry heave.
Duan Jinxing was taken aback. "What’s wrong, Second Sister?"
Jiang Yunshu forced a stiff smile. "Perhaps I’m pregnant."
Duan Jinxing’s face froze in shock. "P-pregnant? But Xie Lin is a eunuch!"
Jiang Yunshu smirked. "If a brother-in-law can apply medicine to his sister-in-law, why can’t a eunuch get someone pregnant?"
Duan Jinxing’s face instantly flushed red, his expression shifting through a spectrum of emotions. "Second Sister… you must have misunderstood me… I was only concerned about your injuries and misspoke for a moment…"
Jiang Yunshu gave a slow nod. "So my brother-in-law had only the best intentions?"
Duan Jinxing immediately raised his hand in a vow, locking eyes with her. "I bear no ill will toward you, Second Sister!"
This tactic had always worked flawlessly on Jiang Zhaohua. No matter what he said, as long as he gazed into her eyes with sincerity, spoke earnestly, and added a solemn vow, she would believe every word.
Duan Jinxing assumed all women were this easy to deceive—or at least, for him, they were. With his handsome face, wasn’t manipulating women as effortless as breathing?
Yet this trick had no effect whatsoever on Jiang Yunshu.
She let out a light, mocking laugh. "If you truly mean me no harm, then escort me back to the palace now."
Duan Jinxing was utterly stunned.
"Th-that’s impossible."
Jiang Yunshu tilted her head slightly, her eyes practically spelling out: Go on, spin your tale. Let’s see how you justify this.
Duan Jinxing, thick-skinned as ever, averted his gaze and blurted out, "The Prince of Yanbei and the Nine Thousand-Year Lord are about to go to war. If you return to the palace now, Second Sister, wouldn’t you be walking to your death?"
"You should stay here for now. Once the Prince of Yanbei secures the throne and peace returns to the Capital City, I’ll personally escort you back."
Jiang Yunshu blinked innocently. "I’m not afraid of death. I want to return to Xie Lin’s side right now."
"In life, I am Xie Lin’s person; in death, I am Xie Lin’s ghost. I only wish to die on the same day as him."
Duan Jinxing was rendered speechless by her brazen lies.
He gaped for a long moment before finally finding his voice again.
"Second Sister, you’ve been poisoned so deeply by Xie Lin!"
"Xie Lin is a bloodthirsty monster. You must have lived in constant fear by his side, forced to pretend you were hopelessly in love with him… How exhausting that must have been."
His gaze turned tender as he looked at her. "Second Sister, I understand your suffering."
"You only submitted to Xie Lin out of desperation. You must have endured so much hardship, living in terror every day…"
"But now, you’re free of him. There are no more of Xie Lin’s spies around you!"
"You can speak the truth without fear. Don’t worry—your words won’t reach Xie Lin’s ears!"
Jiang Yunshu met his eyes. "So I can tell the truth?"
Duan Jinxing nodded emphatically. "Of course!"
Jiang Yunshu: "Xie Lin is ten thousand times more attractive than you. A toad like you has no right to critique a human."
Duan Jinxing: "…………"
Rage burned inside him, but he struggled to maintain his composed facade.
"Second Sister, you’ve been under Xie Lin’s influence for too long. You’re clearly unwell."
"In that case, as your brother-in-law, I’ll make the decision for you. You’ll stay here until everything settles in the Capital City. Then, I’ll send you back."
Jiang Yunshu hummed. "You say I’m unwell? Then summon my sister to care for me."
A vein throbbed at Duan Jinxing’s temple. How could Jiang Yunshu be so infuriating? Her words were like knives, each one cutting deep!
Where was the demure, virtuous demeanor a woman ought to have?
Through gritted teeth, he forced out, "Your sister is busy at home—tending to my mother above and raising my son below. She has no time to care for you. Don’t blame her."
Jiang Yunshu nodded. "Ah, so Jiang Zhaohua is at home serving your mother and raising your son, while you have all the free time in the world to look after her sister."
Duan Jinxing slammed his fists onto the table. "Enough!"
Every word from her mouth painted him as some kind of irredeemable scoundrel.
And when she mentioned his son, the last thread of his patience snapped.
"Raising my son? That child isn’t mine!"
"She bore someone else’s son! I’ve been wearing a cuckold’s hat, raising another man’s child!"
Jiang Yunshu: …Wow. A live scandal unfolding right before her eyes.
She had already heard from her spies that Duan Jinxing believed Jiang Zhaohua’s child wasn’t his. But why he’d jumped to that conclusion, she couldn’t fathom.
From what she knew of Jiang Zhaohua, her sister had never so much as held another man’s hand—let alone had the opportunity to bear someone else’s child.
But Duan Jinxing was clearly convinced. And Jiang Yunshu certainly wasn’t going to explain on Jiang Zhaohua’s behalf—especially not while he was in a rage.
Duan Jinxing’s face twisted with fury, his complexion alternating between ashen and livid, his eyes wide and unsettling.
He panted heavily, struggling to regain control. After a long silence, he finally managed to choke out, "I’ve lost my composure. I’ll visit you again tomorrow."
After Duan Jinxing left, the bandits who had kidnapped Jiang Yunshu didn’t re-enter her room or tie her up again.
But they didn’t go far either. They remained in the outer chamber, meaning if Jiang Yunshu tried to escape, she’d have to pass through their space.
She was still trapped.
And then, snow began to fall on the mountain.
At first, thick flakes drifted down like goose feathers, but soon they turned into tiny, icy pellets, pattering against the ground.
At a glance, it seemed the snow had lightened, but in truth, the temperature had dropped so much that the flakes could no longer cling together. The small pellets were deceptively harmless—within moments, they had piled into a thick blanket on the ground.
In this weather, escape was impossible for Jiang Yunshu.
Her footprints would betray her path in the snow. Her clothes weren’t warm enough, and she had no food or water. Fleeing now would be suicide.
As she gazed out the window at the relentless snowfall, she wondered—what was Xie Lin doing right now? Had he found the clues she left behind?
How far was he from this mountain?
