The figure slowly revealed himself. Green robe, small hat, the uniform of outer manor servants. The person’s appearance was ordinary, yet his eyes were very lively. 

Looking at his figure carefully, Liu Sanhu said hesitantly after a bit “You…”

The figure pursed his lips and said “You, what? Don’t ask me, I don’t know who I am right now either.” 

Liu Sanhu’s eyes flashed, recognition dawning on his face… listen to this despondent tone, this is probably a certain someone’s personal guard who intervened and caused her to lose her mother and brother. 

He certainly holds no benevolent feeling towards this person.  

“Oh, Didn’t I hear you have regained your freedom? Why are you showing up here? Did you perhaps hear of the beautiful view in Pucheng and come for vacation?” 

Mr. Liu Sanhu discovered for the first time that he actually had a talent for being sarcastic. 

The man across from him, the proudest guard of the Capital didn’t jump up in anger but only replied “Yes, the view is certainly unique. There are beautiful buttocks that sounded great when slapped, there is the old cheat who instead of being the rabbit ended up playing the rabbit. There is also the good darling who uses the whip to treasure someone every day. Yep, it was great scenery.” 

 “……”

The veins on Guardsman Liu popped to the surface, his eyes narrowed into slits, his fingers made snapping sounds like a burst of firecrackers but there is also some suspicious redness behind his ear… 

“I didn’t come here to fight with you” The man stepped back and tugged on his cotton shirt with a dejected expression, “I came to talk to you. Can you think of a way to send me in there?” 

“Send you in there?” Guardsman Liu laughed then pointed at his own nose, “I can’t even get myself in! I have even been separated from my own people. Send you in? Dream on!” 

“It’s more useful to send me in.” The man said in all seriousness, “I am a better fighter than all of you, I can save the one you are trying to save.” 

Guardsman Liu snorted coldly but didn’t refute his words on his fighting ability, “You will save her? Don’t try to fool me. Back then, her mother and brother, both died indirectly by your hand!” 

“No…” The man anxiously wanted to say something, opened his mouth but then stopped. After a long moment, he finally sighed, “When I wrote that letter, the thing at South Sea still hadn’t happened. I was worried when I saw that His Highness was hesitating. You don’t know this but even though the Gold Feather Guards were given to His Highness he is not the only one with a say over it… After the ancestral hall incident, in my heart…but what I wrote, black ink on white paper, can no longer be retracted…”

“So you regret it?” Liu Sanhu listened quietly then shook his head, “No, I don’t think you are reliable. Everything you do, you do for your master. And everything your master does is for that seat. The two of you can defect at any time for what is the most important to you….I don’t trust you.”

The man was silent, his head bowed. After a bit, he muttered, “He has come this far. That day…you saw it too. Someone in his station…to willingly suffer that kind of thing…can you still not trust?”

“That was what he deserved.” Liu Sanhu replied with anger in his voice, “Everything has its own cause and effect. When it comes to pain, physically or mentally, be it him, be it you or me, who has suffered more than her?”

The man doesn’t speak, drawing on the ground with the tip of his shoe, his fingers couldn’t stop picking at the wall, seemingly wanting to dig a hole into the wall so he could crawl in to see his master. 

“I have figured out most of the paths in the outer manor during this time.” Liu Sanhu pulled out a piece of paper, “There is another side that I can’t go. Looking at the way you are dressed, you are an outer manor servant in charge of cleaning right? Then here, help me finish the other half of this map. This whole place is not what it seems. Inside and outside, there are full of traps. I have marked them on the map. Once you finished your half then we can get figure out a way to send the map in. Even if we can’t get inside then we need to help them figure a way out.”

“You are certain that concubine is her?”

Liu Sanhu was silent for a few moments before replying “There is a place in the outer manor, the northwest corner, something seems off about it. You can help check it out and see if Jin Siyu is trying to use it as a lure.” 

He looked in that direction, his eyes pensive, thinking of the time when he managed to walk past there. Something seemed strange about that stone lion in the garden, and that pond…the water seemed too shallow.

If there is hidden prison, then who is imprisoned there…

—————————————

The next day, Guardsman Liu received an errand– to deliver a document to the inner manor and hand them to the servant in charge of the study. 

Jin Siyu is often in the inner manor so many documents are delivered by the guards of the outer manor to the inner manor’s door. The servant in the study will then come out to get the documents to deliver them to Jin Siyu. Guardsman Liu usually doesn’t have many chances to enter into the inner manor nor could he loiter around the inner manor door but at last, it was finally his turn to deliver documents. 

Holding the box containing the documents in his hand, he walked without looking around but he took in everything out of the corner of his eye.

The closer he got to the inner manor, some sounds become clearer– the grating sounds of machine springs were everywhere. It was easy to imagine, within the shadows, behind the rocky mountains, on the eaves, between the flower walls, everywhere that provides some cover, all have Da Yue’s sharpest weapons, coldly aiming at all those who dared to enter into the inner manor. 

This is still on the periphery of the inner manor, what would it be like around her? What kind of traps are laid there? 

His heart burns with anxiousness at the thought of her injured and weak, trapped in the middle of this, imprisoned by the side of a tiger, under the watchful eye of all, death awaits with one misstep.

In this kind of environment, can she eat and sleep? Can she rest well and not go crazy under Jin Siyu’s endless attacks and probes? 

As for himself, he didn’t spare much thought– Everyone knows that Jin Siyu would have never kept her alive due to her beauty. This legendary prince with sharp intellect, and Da Yue’s strongest contender for the throne, could only have let her live for one purpose– to use her as bait. 

As long as she is alive, then there will be a never-ending stream of rescuers. From the rescuers, he can figure out her identity and catch an even bigger fish. 

So, none of them can fail. 

Liu Sanhu pressed his lips together, tightened his hold on the box in hand, pondering all the while if things really go south to the point of hopelessness…would it be faster to die by biting his own tongue or slit his own throat? 

Sigh…I have seen my fair share of “perfect male second lead” and they actually kinda annoy me but Helian is hands down my absolute favorite.

       ……………………………..

Inside the inner manor door, a man dressed in the servants’ outfit is waiting for him. The man stood with his hands clasped together by the door, his posture stiffer than Guardsman Liu, looking even more true to the image of a careful and intimidated servant. 

Guardsman Liu observed him through squinted eyes, and couldn’t suppress a smile. 

Handing the box over, the servant raised his head to accept it. Their fingers touched under the box then quickly pulled back.

Both of their sleeves moved. 

Surrounded by people on all sides (in secret of course), the two exchanged a look, sparks went flying when their gaze met but they both quickly suppressed them.

The two entered into the manor at the same time so it wouldn’t make sense for them to not exchange any pleasantries…even if neither of them actually want to exchange any pleasantries.  

“How can I address you, friend?” Guardsman Liu squinted his eyes and smiled at the man, “We met the other day and were almost assigned together.” 

“Qiu Shu.” The man raised his head and smiled, “I am not as lucky as you. See, study boy.” 

“Liu Sanhu” Guardsman Liu grinned, “You are serving right next to His Highness, not something me as a second-class guard can compare to. Please look kindly on me in the future.” 

“I couldn’t, I couldn’t” (Straight translation would be “I don’t dare” but it’s more polite speech to appear humble.)

“Definitely, definitely.” 

After exchanging a few polite mumble jumble, Guardsman Liu immediately turned to leave, walking so fast that it seemed like someone is holding a fire to his behind. The servant name Qiu Shu also turned without hesitation and with the box in hand, walked back towards the inner manor. 

Holding the box, Qiu Shu walked into the second courtyard where a group of guards was training. Qiu Shu walked around the guards but then suddenly heard a yell behind him “Hey!” 

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

A few readers have commented that it’s pretty confusing to match names to characters which is totally true. I myself had to read this part quite a few times to figure out who’s who. 

Liu Sanhu- Helian

Qiu Shu- Ning Yi

The outer manor servant Helian gave the map to- Ning Cheng

Physician- Zong Chen

Apprentice- Gu Nan Yi 

By the way, to give more context to Ning Cheng’s discussion with Helain, I do want to discuss why Ning Cheng would use Ning Yi’s “sacrifice” as proof to Helian that our hero is trustworthy. What Ning Yi did- allowing himself to be branded as a slave, is essentially handing everyone who witnessed it or will find out later second hand, a way to forever block him from becoming the emperor. To become the emperor, he cannot have any physical “flaws” (we are obviously not talking about minor scars or bruises unless they are to the point that one could be counted as disfigured.) A branded slave is a second-class citizen that can be tortured and killed at will by his/her master. So for Ning Yi to now be branded a slave…of the enemy state no less, would be a great disgrace that cannot be forgotten or forgiven. In any other circumstances, Ning Yi would’ve rather died than suffer something like this. 

I have to admit before this point of the story I wasn’t sure that our heroine really should end up with Ning Yi. Just as there are some things that will always be more important to our heroine, the throne seemed to be something that will always be more important to Ning Yi. However, with this one single action, our hero proved that he is willing to throw EVERYTHING, including his pride as a prince, as a man away for our heroine. One more thing, remember that Ning Yi is keenly aware of the fact that Zhi Wei now considers him a mortal enemy? That means, he has also handed Feng Zhi Wei a deadly weapon she could use to defeat him.  

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