The imperial envoy, who was astute, neither expressed sympathy for the He family nor intended to witness their embarrassment any longer. After exchanging a few auspicious words, he beckoned for his men to leave.
As soon as these people departed, the two kneeling servants at the door immediately stood up and entered the courtyard, closing the main gate behind them.
Shortly after, Mo Jiuye heard a faint sobbing sound coming from within the courtyard.
"Madam, what are we going to do?"
Madam He's voice was very soft, and if it weren't for Mo Jiuye's exceptional martial arts and keen hearing, he wouldn't have heard it at all.
He was indeed curious about the reactions of his in-laws to this matter. Therefore, he quietly left the crowd, circumvented the side of Minister Hao's residence, and leaped up a tall tree to get a glimpse inside.
Minister Hao and his wife and son all hung their heads, sighing deeply.
"The imperial decree has ordered the marriage. What else can I do?"
He Yuanming spoke and turned to his despondent son.
"So many excellent young ladies were introduced to you by your mother, but you refused them all. Now, you've caught the attention of Princess Yu, and the whole family is implicated."
Madam He, displeased with her son being blamed, said somewhat unhappily:
"It's all because of you. You insisted on sending Ziming to participate in the imperial examination. If not for that, how would he have ended up parading in the streets and caught the attention of Princess Yu?"
"You... I sent Ziming to participate in the imperial examination because I didn't want his talent to go to waste. How can you blame me for this?"
He Ziming, seeing his parents about to argue, quickly stepped between them.
"Father, Mother, please stop arguing. The imperial order is hard to defy. Since I must marry Princess Yu, I can simply live separately, sparing you both from suffering."
Upon hearing their son's words, Madam He burst into tears.
"How can that be? No matter how arrogant Princess Yu is, she is still a junior in front of your father and me. She will have some considerations. If you live separately, I'm afraid you won't have a single good day."
Madam He thought that as a mother-in-law, she could at least have some deterrent effect.
Listening to the conversation between his in-laws and his wife, Mo Jiuye made a silent resolution to help them.
He quietly left Minister Hao's residence and headed once again towards the direction of the Ninth Prince's Mansion.
Perhaps due to the imperial decree for Princess Yu's marriage, the usually low-key Ninth Prince's Mansion was surprisingly bustling today.
Although the main gate was not fully open, people were constantly coming and going through the side entrance, and servants were busy back and forth.
If Mo Jiuye didn't know about the connection between Mr. Si Meng and the Ninth Prince's Mansion, he might have mistaken it for the Ninth Prince deliberately keeping a low profile.
Now, however, he didn't think so. The Ninth Prince's Mansion's actions were clearly intentional.
Whether intentional or unintentional, in any case, Mo Jiuye would not dare to underestimate the Ninth Prince.
After observing at the front gate for a while to avoid raising suspicion, he planned to walk around the walls of the Ninth Prince's Mansion.
Arriving at the backyard of the Ninth Prince's Mansion, Mo Jiuye could faintly hear the sound of a qin.
This place was much quieter compared to the front courtyard, and although the sound of the qin was not loud, it was clear to Mo Jiuye, who possessed martial arts skills.
He had never dabbled in music theory, and in the past, he would occasionally listen to his mother and sisters-in-law playing the qin at home.
Even so, he could sense a hint of resentment intertwined within the melody, and the tune was different from what he usually heard.
As Mo Jiuye pondered, a sudden discordant sound rang out, indicating that a string on the qin had snapped.
And just like that, the qin music ceased.
Mo Jiuye was curious. Based on his understanding, places like the Ninth Prince's Mansion were usually inhabited by servants or guards.
Yet here, he heard the sound of the qin being played, and the skill of the musician seemed impressive.
Unusual circumstances often imply something sinister, so Mo Jiuye decided to investigate further.
After surveying the surroundings and confirming that no one was watching, he leaped onto the wall of the courtyard.
There was a tree's shade that conveniently concealed his body, so he didn't have to worry about being discovered.
Mo Jiuye focused his gaze on the courtyard and took a closer look.
It was different from what he had imagined. The ground was covered in weeds, and amidst the thickest patch of weeds was a small courtyard.
Inside the courtyard, a tall figure dressed in white robes, with white hair and a bamboo hat, sat in a daze in front of an ancient qin.
Although Mo Jiuye hadn't personally seen Mr. Si Meng's appearance, he had questioned people who described him as having white hair.
Therefore, he could conclude that the person before him was undoubtedly Mr. Si Meng.
Fortunately, he still had his wits about him and refrained from rashly taking action upon encountering his enemy.
Because he noticed numerous black-clad guards lurking in the shadows around the courtyard.
It was evident that these people were here to protect Mr. Si Meng.
If he acted recklessly, he might be caught, and if he startled the snake in the grass, he likely wouldn't get a second chance.
Mo Jiuye suppressed his impulses and leaped down from the wall.
He was certain that Mr. Si Meng wouldn't leave the Ninth Prince's Mansion unless he obtained the Golden Winged Eagle.
As long as the man was present, Mo Jiuye needed to devise a foolproof plan to capture him as quickly as possible.
Lost in thought, Mo Jiuye arrived once again at the entrance to the Fei Mansion.
Suddenly, an idea sprang to his mind.
...
Under the cover of night, dressed in black night attire, Mo Jiuye left Yong'an Lane.
He returned to the most familiar place and observed his surroundings before leaping over the east courtyard wall.
The courtyard was pitch black, unlike the scenes he remembered when the Mo family lived there.
Mo Jiuye was familiar with everything here. He surmised that Fei Nanyu likely resided in the main courtyard, so he quickly made his way toward his target.
To his surprise, the main courtyard was equally dark, but a faint light emanated from the study just beyond the courtyard wall.
Mo Jiuye cautiously moved toward the study because he could sense many unfamiliar auras around it, indicating the presence of guards.
He held his breath and circled around to the back of the study, gently poking a hole in the paper covering the window to peer inside.
Fei Nanyu remained oblivious, reclining on a soft couch with slightly narrowed eyes. He wasn't in a deep sleep but seemed lost in thought.
In the quiet of the night, Mo Jiuye's black attire didn't attract attention, especially since he had intentionally suppressed his presence to avoid detection by the surrounding guards.
Fei Nanyu was a person who knew nothing about martial arts. If he didn't cause some commotion, it was highly likely that Fei Nanyu would never notice his presence.
Today, in front of the Fei residence, Mo Jiuye had already suspected that there were spies planted by Nan Qian around Fei Nanyu. Therefore, he didn't want to be discovered when he arrived tonight. No matter what, he couldn't trouble Fei Nanyu.
Hence, with a swift movement, he arrived at a hidden spot and observed that there was possibly only one guard behind the study window.
Mo Jiuye leaped into the air and swiftly knocked out the guard with a hand chop before placing him in a safe position. Only then did he break into the study through the window.
