After failing to get help from the system, Qi Huan muttered softly: "It's better to rely on yourself than others."
In the evening, she pestered Yan Ge to take her out to buy meat buns.
While Yan Ge was counting the copper coins in his palm and waiting in line, she came over and tugged at his sleeve. "I also want to eat peanut cake."
"Wait a moment, Miss Qi. I'll buy it for you after I get the buns."
"No need, I'll go myself. But I forgot to bring my purse. Can you lend me some silver?"
Hearing this, Yan Ge untied his purse. Just as he was about to take out some silver for her, she suddenly grabbed both the silver and the purse.
Qi Huan weighed his purse in her hand, smiling brightly. "I'll return it to you in a bit."
With that, she opened her oil-paper umbrella and walked towards the nearby pastry shop. After buying the peanut cake, she secretly slipped the necklace into the purse.
Upon returning, she said to Yan Ge, "I've bought what I wanted. Here's your purse back."
Yan Ge took the purse and casually hung it at his waist, then said, "I've bought the buns too. Miss Qi, please get in the carriage quickly. Let's hurry back to eat them while they're hot."
"Alright."
Qi Huan obediently nodded in agreement.
After returning home, she finished the buns and cake, then sipped her flower tea while secretly observing Yan Ge's movements.
Seeing him walk out of the courtyard, Qi Huan quickly followed. The sound of rain masked her light footsteps.
As she approached the threshold, looking at Yan Ge who had just walked a short distance away, she silently mouthed "enter" and flashed into the space.
The system congratulated her: "Luckily, host, you ran fast enough. If the distance had been any greater, you wouldn't have been able to enter."
"Hehe, back in the day, I came first in the 800-meter run for the high school entrance exam."
After bantering with the system for a moment, Yan Ge's voice suddenly came from outside the space.
"Is there any news of His Highness?"
"Not yet."
Yan Jiu's voice sounded heavy: "The footprints in the valley were too chaotic, and His Highness and his group deliberately concealed their tracks, leaving no marks. Our people couldn't track them."
"Could His Highness have entered Mi Mountain?"
Yan Ge asked worriedly: "Mi Mountain is a labyrinth of peaks, blocking out the sky. Its depths are filled with fierce beasts and poisonous plants. Legend has it that only one in ten who enter ever return. His Highness and his group have no food or water. If they're injured and still being pursued by assassins, isn't their situation extremely dire?"
"You crow of ill omen, spit it out quickly!"
Yan Jiu's saliva sprayed all over Yan Ge's face.
"Phooey! Phooey! Phooey!"
Yan Ge spat back.
Then, he added with concern: "Miss Qi has asked me about this several times already. Each time I answer, I dare not look her in the eye..."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Yan Jiu said in a muffled voice: "Let's keep it from her for now. His Highness certainly wouldn't want her to worry herself sick."
Yan Ge nodded in agreement: "That's what I think too. ...After all, His Highness loves Miss Qi so much."
"Perhaps Miss Qi doesn't know, but His Highness's arrangements were never about having someone avenge him. Instead, if anything were to happen to him, everyone in the Yunying Caravan would be at Miss Qi's command, to protect her completely. All of His Highness's businesses in the three kingdoms would also go to her, to keep her comfortable and well-provided for."
"His Highness values Miss Qi so highly, and Miss Qi only has eyes for His Highness. If Miss Qi knew that His Highness was being pursued by assassins and his whereabouts were unknown, she would surely be very worried."
In the space, Qi Huan listened to all this in shock, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs.
Yan Ge had her necklace, so he could hear her voice. She couldn't make any noise.
She cried silently.
It turned out that Li Shuchen had already thought of all the contingencies. The struggle for imperial power was a matter of life and death.
If he succeeded, there would be a proper wedding with all the traditional rites.
If he failed, he would gift her with secret guards and wealth to protect her for the rest of her life.
Tears fell like broken strings of pearls, wetting the back of her hand.
Qi Huan wiped her tears, her gaze gradually becoming determined.
Shuchen would definitely be alright. He was the man who could make her points multiply incredibly.
She pricked up her ears to listen carefully.
She heard Yan Ge continue: "Since we can't find His Highness for the time being, let's station people at all the entrances to the mountain. If any more assassins try to enter, kill them all."
"Exactly. We also need to find a way to keep Prince Zhong occupied. Of the ten assassination attempts His Highness has faced, nine were basically his doing. This time must be related to him as well."
"How do we keep him occupied? Prince Zhong values his life greatly, and he's surrounded by numerous expert guards. Trying to assassinate him wouldn't be easy. Besides, our people's main task right now is to find His Highness. How can we spare the energy to deal with him?"
Yan Jiu sounded somewhat dissatisfied, saying angrily: "You could sew some voodoo dolls, and we can stab them when we're free. Curse him to choke while eating, or drown in a latrine... Oh right, he's an old drunkard, it would be best if he could drink himself to death."
"Is that all you've got? If curses worked, would the Emperor still be alive today?" Yan Ge rolled his eyes.
Yan Jiu retorted, "I'm just a secret guard, what kind of brains do you expect me to have? It's enough that I'm good at martial arts!"
"Huh, loser."
"..."
The two parted on unfriendly terms.
After returning to his room, Yan Ge took off his clothes, quickly washed up, and soon fell asleep.
At the same time, Qi Huan quietly left the space, retrieved the necklace, and prepared to sneak back to her room.
But just as she tucked the necklace into her sleeve, she heard Yan Ge ask puzzledly: "Miss Qi, why are you here?"
Qi Huan awkwardly pretended to have sleepwalking syndrome.
And was awkwardly carried back to her room by Yan Ge.
After Yan Ge left, she began to plan how to help Shuchen.
First, while Yan Ge and the others couldn't spare the manpower to deal with Prince Zhong, she could. She had just received a chest of gold, and she was going to use it to hire assassins!
Since Prince Zhong frequently targeted Shuchen, she would give him a taste of his own medicine.
However, she had just heard Yan Ge say that Prince Zhong was surrounded by many guards. Assassins alone might not be successful.
Qi Huan continued to think. Remembering that Prince Zhong loved to drink, she quickly recalled a phrase she had heard in her previous life and took out her medicine box.
"Host, I advise you to be kind. You actually want to kill someone proactively..."
"He's bullying Shuchen."
"Host, in the past, you only killed those who wanted to harm you, so this system could turn a blind eye."
"But Prince Zhong has never moved against you. If you actively kill him, you'll lose points! Many, many points! Think thrice before you act, host."
"He's bullying Shuchen."
Qi Huan repeated this sentence, her voice tinged with tears but very firm.
She would make Prince Zhong pay the price!
The system paused for a moment before saying, "Host, helping Li Shuchen deal with his enemies will only earn you 100 points, but killing someone who has done you no wrong will deduct 10,000 points. Is it worth it?"
"It's worth it."
"He's more important than 10,000 points."
"I won't allow anyone to hurt him."
"Besides, according to legend, Prince Zhong is arrogant, tyrannical, and impulsive. He's not a good person either. I'm doing the people a favor by eliminating him. Shouldn't you be giving me points for that?"
"I should. But the points you gain are far less than what you lose. Host, my heart aches! 10,000 points, you know!"
"You don't have a heart. You're a system."
"I suppose that's true."
Qi Huan stopped entertaining the foolish system and carefully searched through the medicine box, finally finding the drug she wanted.
The next day, she began casually inquiring about reputable and capable assassin organizations in the area.
She wanted to deal with Prince Zhong first, eliminating the source of Li Shuchen's pursuers, before going to find him.
She forced herself to remain rational, not to rush blindly into Mi Mountain like a headless fly. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to help Li Shuchen and might even cause more trouble.
But in truth, she was very anxious inside.
So, she directly approached Yan Ge, wanting to join forces with her.
"Miss Qi, how did you know something happened to His Highness?" Yan Ge asked suspiciously, then immediately followed up with, "Was it that big-mouthed Yan Jiu?!"
"It must have been him! A grown man gossiping all day, I hope His Highness beats him when he returns!"
After venting her complaints, Yan Ge looked at Qi Huan helplessly, "Miss Qi, don't worry. Our people are all searching for His Highness. No news is good news. His Highness will surely turn misfortune into blessing."
Qi Huan nodded in agreement.
Seeing her so calm, Yan Ge suddenly felt uneasy.
His Highness treasured Miss Qi like a precious jewel, yet now that His Highness was missing and his fate unknown, Miss Qi seemed so composed?
Did Miss Qi truly care for His Highness at all?
However, Qi Huan's next words nearly made her jaw drop.
