When Zhou Yanzhi returned with the fox-shaped lantern after the fire , Jie Xiangsi was nowhere to be seen. Looking up, he saw a long street bustling with people, several children each holding a sugar figurine and lantern, squeezing through the crowd happily.
Looking down at the fox-shaped lantern in his hand, Zhou Yanzhi twitched his lips and slowly uttered a few words, "Little liar."
He knew she wouldn't wait for him obediently, but he hadn't expected her to actually deceive him again. How dare she?
He, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had absolutely no authority over her.
And, cousin, why did you go to Yangqu?
Thinking of something, Zhou Yanzhi walked into a dark alley, raised his right hand to his mouth, puffed out his cheeks, and blew a little air. Instantly, a sharp whistle resounded through the sky.
In the dark night sky, a dark-colored falcon pierced through the clouds, scanned the familiar figure, and with a flap of its wings, flew straight towards the person calling it from the alley.
The falcon cried out, and Zhou Yanzhi also silently raised his right arm.
A gust of wind swept by, and the eagle landed steadily on Zhou Yanzhi's forearm, affectionately nuzzling its master's chin with its forehead and letting out a low hiss.
Zhou Yanzhi affectionately stroked its feathers, then tossed it into the air, giving the order, "Wu Goulang, go find her for me."
Wu Goulang let out a long cry, circled in mid-air for a moment, then flapped its arms and flew higher.
Seeing the falcon fly away, Zhou Yanzhi emerged from the dark alley, carrying a fox-shaped lantern, and strolled leisurely through the streets.
Because Xiao Jiangsheng had not yet been captured, the curfew would not be lifted on New Year's Eve this year; instead, no one would be allowed to enter or leave, although this news had not yet been announced.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Zhou Yanzhi's face.
Ordinary people would just complain a bit, but he wondered how Xie Xiangsi would react when she found out.
He was really curious.
...
Meanwhile, at the city gate, Xie Xiangsi was still somewhat dazed, and incredulously checked with the guards again.
"Really no entry or exit?!"
The guard nodded earnestly, "Miss, you've asked many times, it's really no entry or exit."
Jie Xiangsi was still persistent, gazing longingly at the city gate in the distance, her voice choked with emotion, "Brother, I really have an urgent matter to attend to. My brother is sick and vomiting blood, waiting for me to bring medicine back to save his life!"
The guard hesitated, "But..."
Jie Xiangsi pressed on, her eyes reddening, her voice trembling, "My parents have both passed away, he's my only family left in the world!"
The guard's expression softened slightly, "Then..."
"Pfft—"
A soft laugh suddenly came from behind.
The guard in front of her was startled, then immediately knelt down, respectfully calling out, "Sir."
Jie Xiangsi turned sharply and saw Su Feng, whom she hadn't seen for many days, standing behind her, leisurely watching her with a sugar figurine in his mouth.
Seeing her look over, Su Feng smiled lazily and said, "As Yan Zhi's good friend, how come I didn't know he went to live outside the city and even fell ill? It seems to be a very serious illness?"
Xie Xiangsi: "..."
How come I always run into him?!
Pulling back a smile, Xie Xiangsi lowered her eyes and said, "Sir, you jest. My cousin is naturally healthy and well; how could anything happen to him? Besides, it's really bad luck for you to say such things during the New Year. Please don't say it again."
Su Feng raised an eyebrow. Why was Yan Zhi's cousin turning the tables?
Waving his hand dismissively, Su Feng teased, "Those of us in this line of work don't care about such things."
Xie Xiangsi: "..."
This guy is so annoying!
Looking at Xie Xiangsi's expression, Su Feng remained outwardly calm but secretly chuckled. Last night, Zhou Yan Zhi had sent him a letter, instructing him to guard the city gate to prevent Xie Xiangsi from leaving.
At the time, he hadn't taken it seriously. Why would a young lady like her go out of the city during the New Year?
However, as a General of the Imperial Guard, he was on duty even on New Year's Eve, so why not do a favor?
But...
he really hadn't expected his cousin, Yan Zhi, to actually leave the city.
Yan Zhi was truly prescient.
Clearing his throat, Su Feng ignored the grimace on Jie Xiangsi's face, which was more like a grimace, and happily took a bite of his sugar figurine. He raised an eyebrow at Jie Xiangsi, "Cousin, please go back."
Seeing Jie Xiangsi remain still, Su Feng pointed to the sky, gloating, "Since Wu Gou Lang has already discovered you, it means Yan Zhi knows too. Cousin, you'd better go back, otherwise you might run into Yan Zhi later."
As he spoke, a falcon circling in the sky seemed to echo him, and when Jie Xiangsi looked over, it arrogantly flapped its wings twice, looking at her like she was a trapped beast.
Jie Xiangsi lowered her eyes, secretly gritting her teeth.
Under Su Feng's increasingly cold gaze, Xie Xiangsi turned and walked into the city. She knew she
wouldn't be able to get out today. If she tried to force her way out, not only would she be caught by Su Feng before she even reached two miles, but a charge of disturbing public order would be enough to keep her in jail for days.
Damn Zhou Yanzhi! Why was he so careless today? He was so sure she couldn't get out!
Thinking this, Xie Xiangsi had only taken two steps when a commotion suddenly erupted ahead, a large crowd pushing towards the city gate.
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
"Murder!"
"Assassins!"
Screams, stomping, and the sound of things being toppled mingled together in a chaotic cacophony.
Xie Xiangsi quickly looked up and saw that the residence of some powerful official was on fire. The flames shooting into the sky were particularly blinding in the darkness; even from a distance, one could almost feel the heat radiating from them.
Amidst the chaos, the sounds of clashing swords could be heard. Chaos
erupted as people frantically rushed towards the city gates.
Su Feng was startled and abruptly looked towards the other side of the capital.
Today, he and another colleague were on duty for the security of the entire capital, and he was responsible for this area.
Now that something had happened in the city and caused a riot, if he didn't handle it well, even if the Emperor found out tomorrow, he might be stripped of his official hat and forced to return to farming—that would be a mercy from the Emperor.
Thinking of this, Su Feng turned around and shouted sharply to those behind him,
"Zhencheng Army, listen to my command! Close the city gates!"
"Jinwu Guards, listen to my command! Spread out and form ranks, and follow me to maintain order!"
The culprit must still be inside the city; he couldn't let him out!
But as the city gates closed, some of the already panicked people rushed towards this side even more frantically. Although Su Feng had already sounded the drums to warn them, and the Jinwu Guards had already set up their shields for protection, the sheer number of people meant they were quickly scattered by the massive charge.
Some agile individuals seized the opportunity to slip out through the gaps in the still-open city gates.
One of them got out.
The remaining people rushed out one after another.
Three, four…
until they couldn't even count them all.
Soldiers shouted, "Why are you running?!"
But they were immediately silenced by the frenzied crowd, one punching a soldier, "Damn it, someone's killing people! If you don't run, you can die! I don't want to die with you! I want to get out!"
Meanwhile, Jie Xiangsi, forced into the crowd, secretly chuckled to herself; this was a golden opportunity.
Chaos was good, the more chaotic the better, so she could slip out of the city. She
then pushed even harder towards the city gate.
As she drew closer to the gate, a figure leaped through the throng, throwing behind someone clinging to the gate and struggling with soldiers.
A blade flashed coldly, blood splattered.
A severed arm fell to the ground with a thud.
The newcomer flicked his wrist, shaking off the bloodstains from the blade. His black boots stepped on the severed arm. Zhou Yanzhi lowered his gaze coldly to the person on the ground, groaning in agony, and said indifferently, "Take him to the Dali Temple."
Immediately, two soldiers stepped forward and dragged the person away, leaving a long trail of blood.
Then, Zhou Yanzhi looked up at the trembling crowd around him, his tone icy and devoid of emotion, "Anyone who crosses the city gate without permission will be executed." As
soon as he finished speaking, the city gate behind him slammed shut with a bang.
Su Feng, his hair a mess, squeezed through the crowd to Zhou Yanzhi's side. Blood still trickled down his forehead, and he looked like he'd escaped from a beggar's den. Seeing Zhou Yanzhi, he acted as if he'd seen his own father.
"Yanzhi!"
Zhou Yanzhi frowned at his appearance. "You're injured."
Su Feng wiped the blood from his face, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. His handsome face!
But now is not the time to worry about that.
Grabbing Zhou Yanzhi's sleeve, Su Feng hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened in the capital? Why are so many people rushing here?"
Zhou Yanzhi pulled his sleeve back as he spoke, "An assassin broke into the Fourth Prince's residence. Before leaving, he set the residence on fire and disappeared. There are people committing violence in the streets, killing anyone they see, but it's uncertain if it's the arsonist."
As he said this, a cold glint appeared in Zhou Yanzhi's eyes; his fox-shaped lantern had been lost in the chaos.
Su Feng hissed upon hearing this, somewhat despairing, "Heavens, with something like this happening in the capital, I feel like I won't see the sun rise tomorrow."
Zhou Yanzhi patted his shoulder, coldly reminding him, "General, you should go on patrol."
Su Feng: "..."
How heartless.
With a soft sigh, Su Feng waved for the Imperial Guards to line up and begin their patrol. He then turned to the throng of people and said in a low voice, "Now, everyone return home immediately. Anyone who leaves without permission will be considered a traitor and executed on the spot!"
In an instant, the crowd dispersed like a receding tide, fearing they would be mistaken for traitors if they were late.
Looking around the crowd, Zhou Yanzhi spotted a familiar figure and grabbed Su Feng, who was about to begin his patrol, asking, "Where's my cousin?"
Su Feng stumbled from the pull and punched Zhou Yanzhi hard. "I didn't see her when I closed the city gates. She probably didn't leave the city. Don't worry."
Zhou Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief; at least she hadn't left.
Su Feng, however, seemed a little uneasy. He asked curiously, "Why didn't you let my cousin leave the city?"
Zhou Yanzhi glared at him. "Go patrol quickly. It'd be best to find the perpetrator, otherwise, we might not see the sun rise tomorrow."
Su Feng: "..."
Such cold words.
Su Feng walked away heavily.
Zhou Yanzhi glanced back at the closed city gate, looked up at the sky, whistled to summon Wu Goulang, and said in a deep voice, "Go, search again."
The falcon received the order and flew back into the sky.
...
Dusk fell, and because of the crime, the once bustling street was now silent, every house was dark, and an eerie quiet prevailed.
Xie Xiangsi walked alone on the street, running frantically towards the Prince An's mansion.
It was terrifying.
She was just about to reach the city gate when Zhou Yanzhi appeared. His aura, cultivated over many years in officialdom, was indeed different; his cold face was particularly intimidating, and she almost immediately squeezed out of the crowd.
Su Feng would definitely tell Zhou Yanzhi that she wanted to leave the city. Although Zhou Yanzhi hadn't seen her hidden in the crowd, after this incident, leaving the city would definitely be much more difficult for her in the future.
Zhou Yanzhi would also be even more suspicious of her.
Thinking of this, Xie Xiangsi felt like crying.
Suddenly, a long cry of a falcon echoed from above.
Looking up, she saw a male eagle circling overhead. Upon seeing her, its eyes gleamed, and then it swooped down towards her.
In the falcon's understanding, it didn't understand why its master kept sending it to find this person, but since its master couldn't catch her, it would lend a hand!
The air seemed to tear open, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, as the falcon extended its sharp talons.
The talons were incredibly strong, capable of slicing through flesh with a single swipe. Jie Xiangsi didn't want to be hit, so she quickly dodged, but even the fastest eagle couldn't outrun a well-trained one. Just as the eagle was about to touch her, a deep voice rang out.
"Wu Goulang, don't hurt her."
It was Zhou Yanzhi.
Wu Goulang abruptly turned around, confused but obediently retracting his talons, and ran towards Zhou Yanzhi.
Seeing Jie Xiangsi, who dared not turn around, Zhou Yanzhi chuckled, "Cousin, turn around."
His tone was teasing.
It was as if she was saying, "You have nowhere to run now.
" After a long silence, Xie Xiangsi obediently turned around and gave Zhou Yanzhi a sweet smile, "Cousin."
Her tone was calm, as if nothing had happened.
Zhou Yanzhi raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you say you'd wait for me where you were?"
Xie Xiangsi twisted her handkerchief, blinked, and tried to look innocent. "There were too many people there, and it was a bit stuffy, so I thought I'd go to an open space to catch my breath before coming back to meet you, Cousin."
Zhou Yanzhi pretended to say "Ah," thinking to himself: Liar.
Running this far just to catch her breath, he thought Xie Xiangsi's stamina was pretty good; she shouldn't be out of breath.
Smoothing Wu Goulang's feathers, Zhou Yanzhi said, "So you went to the city gate?" Xie Xiangsi
nodded, "It's more open there, and the air is fresh."
Zhou Yanzhi: "..."
Nonsense.
Rubbing his temples, Zhou Yanzhi sighed softly, "Then, cousin, can you come back to the manor with me now?"
With this opportunity, Jie Xiangsi naturally took the chance, "Of course, cousin. I was planning to go back to the manor anyway because I couldn't find you."
The unspoken message was: I've been honest; you're the one who's been thinking nonsense.
Listening to Xie Xiangsi's fabricated story, Zhou Yanzhi chuckled, nodded, but said nothing more. He walked to her side and said, "Alright, my mistake. Let's go, cousin, let's go back to the manor."
Xie Xiangsi was about to nod when suddenly, her left arm was violently pulled, and she was thrown into Zhou Yanzhi's arms. Before
she could even understand what was happening, she felt a warmth around her waist, and was tightly embraced. Then, a feeling of weightlessness washed over her. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself on a rooftop with Zhou Yanzhi.
Where they had just stood, a long sword gleamed coldly. Xie Xiangsi was terrified; if Zhou Yanzhi hadn't pulled her in time, she would probably be dead. The newcomer was hostile
.
Zhou Yanzhi's eyes turned cold as he looked down into the darkness.
"Shadow."