Chapter 25: The Palace is on Fire! 

The young man’s voice was slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of sorrow, as though lamenting the fate of the fallen:

“Prince Qin is loyal and courageous, both scholarly and martial, having led numerous battles where the few triumphed over the many.”

“The fall and exile of the Sheng family’s main branch were orchestrated by a foolish emperor and treacherous ministers. If we can help, we should do what we can…”

The tall man behind him remained silent, deep in thought.

Just then, a sleek-feathered carrier pigeon fluttered down, landing on Guyuan Cheng’s arm.

Guyuan Cheng gently stroked the pigeon’s head before untying the message from its leg and unfolding it to read.

As he read further, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. In the end, he silently activated his internal energy, reducing the paper to ashes.

“This Prince Qin’s residence is truly not simple. Every shadow guard we sent out has gone missing. Not only were all the main storage rooms empty, but even the hidden chambers were completely cleared out.”

His tone was indifferent, without the slightest trace of frustration over a failed operation.

The tall guard behind him, however, was so shocked that his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

“W-What?! Empty?! How is that possible?!”

“The guards of Prince Qin’s residence are all battle-hardened warriors. The reason the Sheng family’s Seventh Master managed to sneak into Ning Shou Courtyard was only because they weren’t guarded against their own people. For outsiders, infiltrating Prince Qin’s residence is even harder than sneaking into the imperial palace.”

“We had an informant inside for over a month, and even they couldn’t get close to the study. How… how could someone, in just one night, not only loot all the storage rooms but also clean out every secret chamber?!”

Guyuan Cheng curled his lips into an amused smirk, his voice remaining as calm as ever:

“Indeed. How could an outsider empty out Prince Qin’s residence overnight? Unless… it was an inside job.”

“I-Inside job?!”

Xuan Feng, the towering guard, suddenly felt like a clueless child in front of his seemingly unperturbed young master.

“Y-You’re saying… that everything from Prince Qin’s storage rooms and secret chambers was taken by their own people?!”

“T-Then does that mean… last night’s citywide burglaries, where all the noble residences were ransacked, were also orchestrated by Prince Qin’s people?!”

“But that doesn’t make sense! The moment night fell, the entire city was under lockdown. How could someone possibly empty out the whole capital in the blink of an eye?! Are they some kind of magician?!”

Guyuan Cheng listened to his bumbling guard’s ramblings without responding.

His sharp, star-like eyes were fixed on a certain someone in the distance—the small, sleeping child nestled against Sheng Yichen’s shoulder.

Then, unable to suppress his amusement, he shook his head slightly. The thought that had just flashed through his mind was utterly ridiculous.

He had been stationed in Prince Qin’s residence as a guard for over a month now and had interacted with this little princess several times.

Although he had always found her a bit peculiar lately, she was, after all, just a three-year-old child who hadn’t even grown all her baby teeth yet. How could she possibly be the mastermind behind emptying out the entire capital overnight?!

That only left one possibility…

Guyuan Cheng’s gaze shifted once more, landing on the tall and composed man holding the little girl.

Sheng Yichen’s long, jet-black hair cascaded freely over his shoulders, his relaxed posture unaffected by the heavy shackles on his wrists and ankles.

In the eyes of many, Sheng Yichen was nothing more than a carefree libertine, drifting through life without a care. But Guyuan Cheng knew better—this was just a facade.

In truth, Sheng Yichen secretly commanded all of Prince Qin’s elite shadow guards, a force that operated from the shadows, spread across the land, moving like ghosts.

And among all of Prince Qin’s direct descendants in the capital, only Sheng Yichen had the ability to pull off something as audacious as looting the entire city overnight.

Prince Qin’s residence was truly a den of hidden dragons, far more formidable than he had imagined…

Guyuan Cheng’s youthful face remained unreadable, yet a storm seemed to brew within his clear, glimmering eyes.

Meanwhile, Xuan Feng, completely oblivious to his young master’s scheming thoughts, suddenly smacked his forehead as if recalling something.

“Young Master, weren’t you investigating the Southern Qi royal family’s secret alliance with the Northern Chen Empress Dowager? You planned to infiltrate the Grand Chancellor’s residence to search for their secret correspondence, didn’t you?”

“We had already mapped out the entire defense layout of the Grand Chancellor’s manor and originally had a chance to slip in. But after last night’s break-in, the place is now heavily guarded with layers of imperial troops—we won’t be able to get in anytime soon.”

At this, Xuan Feng’s gaze wavered slightly, his tone becoming hesitant.

“However… we might have another way to get close to He Huaiyuan. The brothers found out that he’s recently become obsessed with the Tu’er Ye at the Jade Pavilion. No matter how busy he is, he makes sure to visit every day.”

“If we can’t sneak into his heavily guarded manor, slipping into the Jade Pavilion should be a piece of cake. And as it happens, the establishment is currently hiring young courtesans…”

“This… this was a last resort! Didn’t you say that to accomplish great things, one mustn’t be bound by trivialities? You’ve already disguised yourself as a maid, a guard, and even a musician to evade the Northern Chen hag’s assassins. Posing as a young courtesan for a short while…”

Xuan Feng hadn’t even finished speaking when Guyuan Cheng’s murderous gaze sent a chill down his spine. He swallowed the rest of his words immediately.

Guyuan Cheng couldn’t be bothered with his foolish guard any longer. His gaze was heavy as he gave a cold order:

“The old witch’s Shadow Guards should be closing in on the Southern Qi capital soon. Have Xuan Xiao lead a squad to escort my decoy south. You take the rest of the men and follow me north.”

“Huh? Aren’t we supposed to get close to He Huaiyuan to find evidence?”

A mocking glint flashed through Guyuan Cheng’s crystal-clear eyes.

“You think that omniscient thief would leave anything useful behind for He Huaiyuan?”

Realization dawned on Xuan Feng’s face.

“So, we’re following the exile convoy north? Because the Grand Preceptor’s letters are in the Sheng family’s hands?”

“Not just the letters…”

Guyuan Cheng’s lips curled slightly, his gaze dark and unreadable as he slowly walked toward the city gates.

What was surprising was that, despite the thick layer of snow covering the ground, the little boots that stepped over it left no trace behind.

…

By the time the Sheng family’s main household joined the other exiles at the city gates, the sky had already begun to lighten.

Some relatives and friends had gathered at the gates to see the exiles off. Since the capital was still under martial law, those present had spent a hefty sum to gain permission to be there.

The Sheng family saw no familiar faces among the crowd, which wasn’t surprising, yet a faint disappointment still lingered in their expressions.

But just then, a shy voice suddenly called out from nearby:

“Th—Third Master, my lady prepared some travel money for you. She said… she said you would understand her feelings once you saw it…”

Immediately after, more maidservants emerged from the crowd, each carrying a sizable bundle:

“Third Master, Miss Hongxiu sent me to see you off. This is a farewell gift—please accept it.”

Sob “Th—Third Master… my lady fainted upon hearing of your conviction. She woke up this morning and insisted I bring this to you. She said… she said to please take care and that fate will bring you together again…”

“My lady has always admired your literary talent, Master Sheng. Upon hearing of your plight, she instructed me to bring you some pastries. A small token, but heartfelt nonetheless…”

“…”

Women of this era were generally reserved, so many of them chose to have their maids deliver gifts before hurriedly slipping away.

In just the time it took to finish a cup of tea, a small mountain of bundles had piled up in front of the Sheng family members.

Compared to the other exiles, who each had only a bundle or two, the difference was stark!

Sheng Nanxi: …

This was still too modest.

The Sheng brothers were already strikingly handsome—if this were modern times, they’d be top-tier celebrities.

According to the original storyline, once the capital’s curfew was lifted at dawn, even more obsessed admirers would come bearing gifts for her third and eldest brothers.

The road to exile was harsh, making these supplies incredibly valuable for the Sheng family’s survival.

The two brothers sincerely thanked each gift giver and set aside twenty taels of silver to bribe the guards, which allowed them to keep all the gifts in one go.

Sheng Yichen grinned mischievously, tossing Sheng Nanxi into the air before catching her again.

“Heh… Little Sis, see? Exile isn’t so bad! As long as our family is safe, we can be happy anywhere!”

“That’s right, Brother! And it’s going to get even better!”

Sheng Nanxi beamed, her little chubby hand raising toward a certain spot in the capital. Her soft, babyish voice sounded like she was chanting a spell:

“Boom! Shaka-laka!”

“Boom—”

At that exact moment, an earth-shattering explosion erupted from the palace in the direction she pointed.

Flames shot into the sky, casting an eerie red glow over the fair face of the little girl—like drops of blood dripping onto porcelain.