The two of them sent her back to the Yan family before leaving. It was winter, and night fell early; by now, it was almost dark.

Nighttime was precisely when demons and evil spirits roamed. Shi Buyu knew her time was running out. The emperor would definitely move Yan Shian into the palace tonight.

At that moment, the Yan family’s main gate was wide open. People rushed in and out, and even through the thick courtyard walls, one could hear the steward loudly shouting.

Shi Buyu was quite satisfied. She had wanted to pinch her nose and let out a cry to attract the attention of those watching the Yan family, but pinching her nose made it impossible to cry out, so she reluctantly let go and gave up.

Yan Ze hurried over. Because the young master was heading into danger, his heart was tense. Seeing her looking so dazed, his worry lessened. He gathered himself and stepped forward to whisper, “Jingzhaoyin Lord Li Sheng summoned me for questioning and just returned.”

“How was his attitude?”

“He seemed very attentive. When I left, I overheard him say he wanted to request reinforcements from the imperial guards, and he ordered the captain next to him to take men to investigate Guimen Pass.”

Shi Buyu pondered. From this, it seemed Prime Minister Zhang had not specially informed Li Sheng.

Such a huge case under the emperor’s feet would pressure many nobles and aristocratic families in the capital, all feeling insecure and applying pressure. So when Yan Shian first went missing and the authorities were informed, Li Sheng wasn’t concerned. Only when the kidnappers sent a message, and Shi connected it with the previous corpse dumping incident, did he start to take it seriously.

That made sense — the fewer people who knew about this kind of thing, the better.

“Light up the house even brighter. Make more noise and commotion. Have all of Yan Shian’s legitimate shops send money to the house—send it by the cartload, including some valuable items.”

Yan Ze agreed, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “When will the young master return?”

“Make everyone feel reassured. He will definitely be back tonight.” Shi Buyu, usually mischievous at times, was very reliable now: “Here, only the dog emperor’s life is not worth much. Everyone else’s is.”

Yan Ze saluted and withdrew. Compared to the lady of the house, he trusted Miss Shi more now.

Shi Buyu went to Yan Shian’s main courtyard. Everyone’s eyes unconsciously followed her. Seeing her sit in the study was like finding the backbone of the family. The work at hand still needed to be done, but their hearts settled.

Luo Qing relaxed his shoulders and listed the arrangements he had made as well as the reactions from various sides.

“What about that brat from the Chen family?”

Luo Qing replied, “Hasn’t come out since returning home.”

“He’s just a noisy little clown, no need to follow him. Pull him back; there are plenty of places to use him.”

Luo Qing agreed, then mentioned another person: “Prime Minister Zhang has not yet left the palace.”

Shi Buyu asked, “What about Zhu Ling?”

“No news yet.”

Shi Buyu had always had doubts about these two—Zhang and Zhu Ling. Their roles were heavy. With Prime Minister Zhang around, there was no need for a fifth-rank official like Zhu Ling. If Zhu Ling was Zhang’s subordinate, it would make sense, but from several events, it didn’t seem so. So, she and Yan Shian suspected before that Zhu Ling and Zhang did not serve the same master.

In the palace, besides the emperor, only the imperial consort could do such unscrupulous things.

But how could an outsider, not from the consort’s family, take orders from her right under the emperor’s nose?

“Have the people sent to Zhu Ling’s hometown returned?”

“If things go well, they should be coming back.” Luo Qing replied. “Seven days ago, I sent two more there.”

Shi Buyu nodded, putting this matter aside for now, and instructed, “Hide all the tracks that need hiding. Yan Shian has made many connections in recent years, plus the people he met recently. There will probably be someone sending silver money. Tonight, watch the comings and goings at the Yan house closely. Prevent anyone from sneaking into places they shouldn’t.”

“Yes.”

Just after this order, Yan Ze quickly came in and announced, “Mr. Qi Xin has arrived!”

This was someone she had to see. Shi Buyu stood to greet him. Outside the courtyard, she saw a short, stout man hurrying over, holding his robe’s hem.

“I am Miss Luo, greetings, sir.”

“What time is this? Stop with the formalities.” Qi Xin looked anxious and waved his hands, repeatedly asking, “Any other news? How is the silver collection going?”

“Since that letter, no more news.” Shi Buyu invited him into the main room and sat at the lower seat, replying, “Fifty thousand taels of silver—there’s no way it could be gathered in just one day.”

Qi Xin glanced at the praised student: “Is there something going on? Do you know who kidnapped him?”

Yan Shian had told her in detail about Qi Xin and how he had taken good care of him all these years, genuinely kind to him. So Shi Buyu didn’t put on a fake face but still could not say everything.

“I don’t know, but they demanded fifty thousand taels and only gave one day to raise it. Not just for families like us, even those big aristocratic clans wouldn’t have that much ready silver. Even pawning valuables takes time. It’s clearly meant to make things difficult.”

Qi Xin nodded. When he heard the amount, he thought the same, but said: “The silver still has to be raised. I brought all the ready cash from my family. Your madam will pawn some valuable items early tomorrow. Raise as much as possible. Tomorrow I’ll go with you.”

Shi Buyu stood and bowed deeply. Yan Shian’s fate was not good—born into such a background, with that kind of mother—but he was lucky to have someone like Qi Xin. That made his fate a little better.

Good masters are hard to come by.

“Sit down.” Qi Xin looked her over. Although it was chaotic outside, she seemed very composed, showing no hint of panic. “Aren’t you worried?”

“Now the house has only half a master left. I can’t panic.”

Qi Xin nodded. “No wonder Shian praises you so much. This is the time to stay calm and do what needs to be done. What good is crying?”

“There’s still crying to do outside.”

Qi Xin’s mood swung wildly. Having such a capable and intelligent fiancée for Shian was great, but now this happened, and it was uncertain if he could return.

Thinking like this, Qi Xin felt heartbroken. Shian was so good in every way—smart, serious in his studies, impeccable character. Not just longevity, but whenever he had headaches or fevers, Qi Xin took care of him attentively—finding doctors, brewing medicine, doing everything himself, not leaving it to others. He was no less than a biological son.

But now, such a good student’s life and death were unknown.

Qi Xin was deeply distressed but forced himself to hold it together to support his student’s fiancée: “Don’t worry. Before coming here, I first went to see Li Sheng. The piles of visiting cards delivered to him are mountains high. He won’t neglect it. This is right under the emperor’s feet—if Shian really had something happen, who would dare leave the city anymore?”

“Yes.”

Qi Xin got up: “You focus on raising the silver at home. I have to visit a few more people. If there’s any news, send someone to tell me quickly.”

Shi Buyu escorted him to the door, watching the short, plump man toddle away, and felt a little happy for Yan Shian inside her heart.