The moonlight was like water, draping a thin veil over the night.
While everyone else was asleep, Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan slipped out the back door and headed straight for Mingyuan Inn.
Huo Chong, who had been waiting in a second-floor room for three hours, saw them coming and immediately opened the window wide, waving downstairs.
“Over here,” his voice drifted down like a midnight ghost’s whisper.
The two men hurried into the inn, saw the clerk dozing on the counter, and quietly turned up the stairs.
Only one candle was lit in the room, casting an orange glow across their faces.
Huo Chong couldn’t hold back the question that had tormented him all night.
“Uncle Qu Ya, Uncle Guan, why are you here in Suining City?”
He had wanted to bring them here before, but they hadn’t agreed—yet now they’d come on their own.
Guan Nianshan sighed. “The County Princess discovered the connection between us. She wants to build a good relationship with you, so she brought Qu Ya and me here.”
Huo Chong’s eyes widened, his heart racing with unease.
“Does she know my identity?”
Qu Ya shook his head uncertainly.
“Probably not. We told her your father was a former subordinate of the Wu family’s army, and she never brought up Marquis Wuying.”
Huo Chong breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s what I told her before. At least the stories match.”
Remembering seeing Zeng Boyan at the medical clinic a few days ago, Qu Ya blurted out: “A few days ago, I saw Zeng Qing’s son, Zeng Boyan, at the clinic. Have you contacted Zeng Qing?”
Huo Chong opened his mouth but didn’t reveal his full plan to them.
Instead, he said in a grave tone: “I’ve already reached out to him. Zeng Qing wants to help me, and Zeng Boyan has met with me too.”
“But over the years, they’ve been repeatedly sidelined in Panzhou. Zeng Qing is old and idle at home, and Zeng Boyan doesn’t have many men under his command. They want to help, but it’s beyond their power. Marching on the capital is as futile as a mayfly trying to topple a tree—next to impossible.”
Qu Ya lowered his head, his eyes dimming with despair.
Guan Nianshan rubbed his hands together, his expression hesitant.
The room was so quiet, you could hear the beating of hearts.
“County Princess Linghui is eager to build ties. Will you consider meeting her?”
Huo Chong paused briefly, then shook his head. “Her goodwill is aimed at helping the court stabilize the southwestern tribes.”
“Song Jinzhao is of noble status, and Song Qiming has a bright future ahead. We’re not on the same path.”
Guan Nianshan’s brows drooped; he didn’t know what to say.
Huo Chong looked at them earnestly. “I’m returning to Ningzhou tomorrow. Don’t let Song Jinzhao know I came to Suining.”
The two nodded, but Qu Ya still had doubts.
“Why did the Young Master come to Suining City?”
He must have had a reason; he wouldn’t just travel here for sightseeing.
Huo Chong replied: “Yang Cenan was attacked. Mu Ji’an wanted to know if he would die, so he sent me to check.”
Qu Ya’s pupils shrank. “Did you orchestrate the assassination of Yang Cenan?”
Huo Chong shook his head quickly.
“It has nothing to do with Ningzhou. The assassins were sent by Yang Ruiping’s other two sons. We just wanted to see if Panzhou could be thrown into chaos.”
Guan Nianshan pursed his lips. “Then there’s hope. Yang Cenan has been saved by County Princess Linghui.”
“A wife’s murder and a son’s loss—he’ll definitely seek revenge when he returns.”
Huo Chong looked at their faces, hesitating for a long moment before asking: “I saw you working in the government office. Does Song Jinzhao treat you well?”
Qu Ya was stunned.
Guan Nianshan, on the other hand, smiled as he replied: “Not bad. We have enough to eat and clothes to wear, and the children are studying at the academy.”
“It’s better than the capital. In Suining, we can live in the open without having to hide.”
A faint smile tugged at Huo Chong’s lips. “That’s good to hear. It puts my mind at ease.”
Qu Ya stared at the smiles on their faces, his heart sinking to the bottom of an abyss.
