The carriage from the South Manor was stopped.
"Are you blind? How dare you stop my young lady's carriage?"
The maid, with an aggressive air, lifted the carriage curtain and berated the soldiers who had halted their progress and intended to search the carriage. The soldiers remained unmoved, drawing their sabers with a "shua."
They had received word that Miss Shen, Shen Man, of the Shen Manor had arranged to go boating with Miss Nan Yuan'er of the South Manor today. Now, seeing only the South Manor's carriage and not the Shen Manor's, they suspected that Shen Man was likely hidden within the South Manor's carriage. Assassinating the prince was a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan. If they let her slip away under their watch, their heads might not be spared.
"His Majesty has decreed a strict inspection of all vehicles entering or leaving the city. We hope Miss Nan can cooperate and not make things difficult for us."
"You..."
The maid recoiled, then her eyes widened in fury. Just as she was about to scold these rough and unreasonable soldiers, Nan Yuan'er stopped her, "Xiao Yue, do not be rude."
Nan Yuan'er lifted the carriage curtain, had Xiao Yue alight, and then followed suit. She then gestured for the soldiers to proceed.
"Pardon us!"
The soldiers apologized and entered the carriage to search. Inside the carriage, there was a look of speechlessness. Outside, no one was hidden. Shen Man was indeed not in the carriage.
"It's alright. You are merely performing your duties diligently. I understand."
Nan Yuan'er smiled amiably, making no trouble for the guards. Xiao Yue helped her back into the carriage. Just as the carriage was about to depart, it was stopped again.
"Miss Nan!"
The soldier who had initially stopped the carriage called out to the inside, "May I ask for your maid to come out again?"
Nan Yuan'er frowned slightly, her voice growing a bit cooler, "Why?"
The soldier replied, "We caught a glimpse earlier, and your maid bears some resemblance to Miss Shen. To ensure your safety, we need to verify again."
"Ah!"
Nan Yuan'er sighed.
"Very well!"
She waved her hand at Xiao Yue, whose face turned pale. Xiao Yue lifted the carriage curtain.
The soldier compared the portrait with the maid, and after a while, extended his hand towards her and bowed, "May I ask Miss Shen to alight and return to the Shen Manor with us to rest."
"You have the wrong person," Xiao Yue protested.
The soldier said nothing further, merely repeating, "Please, Miss Shen, alight from the carriage."
Xiao Yue gripped the doorframe, her fingers turning white. She took a deep breath and, under the soldiers' gaze, slowly stepped down from the carriage.
"Xiao Yue!"
Nan Yuan'er's voice came from inside the carriage.
Xiao Yue turned back, smiling, "It's nothing, I will have to go home eventually!"
...
"Shen Man was sent back?"
As soon as the city guards found Shen Man, the news reached the Prince's Manor. Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing that Shen Man had returned to her manor.
"No!"
Ji Jinmo handed a peeled grape to Nan Shiying. "That was not Shen Man!"
...
South Manor.
Nan Yuan'er, holding her skirt hem, proceeded to the study.
"Father!"
Nan Chaoyin was reclining on a soft couch, holding a treatise. Upon hearing Nan Yuan'er's voice from outside, he signaled for her to enter.
Nan Yuan'er pushed open the door, stepped over the threshold, and then closed it behind her.
"Shen Man has gone to Dongling!"
She stood before Nan Chaoyin, her head slightly bowed. The envelope her father had sent contained two sheets of paper: one was the letter she had given to Shen Man, and the other she had tucked into her embrace.
If Shen Man had truly returned to the South Manor with her, then today's assassination attempt was a ploy.
A ploy orchestrated by Ji Jinmo, using the Shen family against their South Manor.
Nan Chaoyin rubbed the pages of his book. Upon hearing about Dongling, his eyes flickered.
Xilong's Dongling!
"Tell me, word for word, everything she did after seeing the letter," Nan Chaoyin put down his book and looked up at Nan Yuan'er.
Nan Yuan'er said, "At first, she heard about the incident at the Shen Manor and became quite anxious, clutching my hand for a long time. Later..."
Later, she said, "No, I cannot return to the capital. I must go to Dongling to find the clan elders."
Nan Chaoyin remained silent for a while, then softly hummed in acknowledgment. "You have worked hard today. Go back and rest!"
Nan Yuan'er bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Nan Chaoyin rubbed his temples.
Shen Zhong, that fool, must have been caught by Ji Jinmo. Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to set up this scheme to frame them? But where did Shen Zhong reveal any clues?
Nan Chaoyin felt a vague unease, yet he couldn't quite figure out the intricacies of the matter. However, if Shen Man was not one of his descendants, then this matter had not yet reached its worst possible outcome.
Although the Xilong gate-clans were eradicated, the Shen family had betrayed the entire clan, thus preserving and developing themselves. A century had passed, enough time for the once inconspicuous Shen family to grow into another behemoth that dominated a region.
Perhaps... this matter was not Ji Jinmo's scheme.
If the Shen family clashed with Ji Jinmo, then the true mastermind who profited from it might be someone else.
The Emperor, Ji Hong.
...
"A scheme within a scheme!"
Nan Shiying couldn't help but puff out her cheeks.
Nan Chaoyin and Ji Jinmo, both possessing countless schemes, now it seemed Nan Chaoyin only held three hundred and ninety-nine out of eight hundred, with Ji Jinmo holding a slight edge.
Shen Man.
As the sole variable in this affair, if she had indeed disguised herself and entered the South Manor, that would have been a flaw. Nan Chaoyin, that old fox, probably wanted to test her, but before that, Shen Man already had her own destination.
Dongling!
Compared to disguising herself and being confined to the capital, going to Dongling was the superior choice.
...
Shen Manor.
The maid pushed open the door and placed the evening meal on the table.
"Miss, it's time to eat!"
As she turned, the maid lowered her eyes slightly, her long lashes obscuring the ripple of emotion in her eyes. She arranged the dishes from the food container one by one, placing a plate of crystal meat before her young lady.
Her young lady picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of meat.
The maid's hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled slightly.
"Miss..."
The maid spoke softly.
"What is it?"
Her young lady did not look up, leisurely picking up food and bringing it to her mouth.
The maid pursed her lips, then quickly shook her head, swallowing all her thoughts. She used the serving chopsticks to pick up a lychee lotus root meat and placed it in her young lady's bowl, gently comforting her, "Miss, please rest assured, Lord and the others will surely turn misfortune into fortune and adversity into prosperity."
"Is that so?"
She chuckled softly and said, "Then I'll take your good wishes."
After the meal, the maid collected the leftover dishes back into the food container. "Is there anything else Miss would like to eat?"
"No, thank you."
Hearing this, the maid took the food container and left the room, placing it in the small kitchen. She returned holding a plate of fruit.
She placed the fruit in her young lady's boudoir and then retreated.
Head bowed, she guarded the door from the outside.
O, all the Buddhas and gods in the heavens, please protect my young lady. Wherever she may be at this moment, may she be safe and prosperous.