It wasn't quite mealtime yet, but there were already quite a few people in Qiyun Tower.
The first floor was the liveliest.
Many people, having finished their meals and with nothing else to do, stayed behind, ordering a pot of tea, two or three servings of fruits, and four or five servings of pastries, chatting away while drinking tea and eating snacks.
They would chat for half a day, staying here to eat their next meal before leisurely strolling home.
These were the boring days of these wealthy idlers.
Chu Zhiyuan and his companions went straight to the second floor, where someone noticed the crane-shaped waist牌 at Chu Zhiyuan’s waist, and their expression changed slightly.
Among those who had the leisure to drink tea and chat at Qiyun Tower, there were quite a few retired officials who recognized the waist牌 at a glance.
They knew he was the son of a prince.
Even if they didn't recognize Chu Zhiyuan, the son of Prince Qing, they knew he was someone they couldn't afford to offend.
Chu Zhiyuan went to a square table by the window.
Knowing his habits and preferences, Zou Fang stepped forward and opened the window.
Bright sunlight and cold air rushed in together, a mixture of warmth and crispness that invigorated the spirit.
Chu Zhiyuan sat down: "Brush and ink."
Guo Chi went to the side to find the shopkeeper, and quickly brought brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Zou Fang stood by the window, pressing against the wall to grind the ink.
Chu Zhiyuan wore a leisurely expression, seemingly idly surveying the scenery outside.
On both sides of the street were various shops and stalls, and the jade-like ground had been swept clean, with most of the shoes of the people passing by being clean.
There were always people sweeping the streets, cleaning them over and over again, as if never stopping.
There were also patrol guards and Zhenwu Division members mixed in with the passing crowd.
The people in the crowd looked relaxed, even a little bored, as if worrying about how to pass the time and enjoy themselves.
Chu Zhiyuan admired this scene of prosperity, feeling the vibrancy and bustle.
Zou Fang ground the ink and handed a purple writing brush to Chu Zhiyuan with both hands.
Chu Zhiyuan's eyes scanned the street outside the window, while his right hand moved like a dragon, writing two letters.
Zou Fang took the brush with both hands, and after blowing the two letters dry, folded them into envelopes.
Chu Zhiyuan took a sip of tea and transmitted a secret message to Guo Chi: "Find a waiter to send the letters, one to Huang Shirong, Hall Master Huang, and one to old Feng in the mansion."
"Yes."
Guo Chi glided away.
……
Huang Shirong was walking in the bustling crowd, with two white-clothed girls following her.
The two girls in white floated along, an invisible force pushing the surrounding people aside, watching Huang Shirong move with ease like a fish in water, and were greatly envious.
Huang Shirong wore an apricot-yellow silk dress, her graceful figure mostly concealed, but her swaying gait could not hide her willow-like charm.
A beautiful, round-faced girl in white said: "Senior Sister, more and more experts are pouring into the inner city. Should we restrict them in advance?"
Another fair-skinned, oval-faced girl in white said: "If we restrict them, wouldn't that be showing weakness?"
"Showing weakness is fine, as long as nothing happens."
"If we show weakness, it might be easier for something to happen."
"Then we can't just watch them increase. Once there's trouble, it'll be a big mess, and who knows how many innocent people will be implicated!"
"……"
"Let's treat it as a special case during a special period. We don't have to restrict them all day long. We can restore things after the Great Zhen delegation leaves."
"Yes," the two girls obediently agreed.
"The only way you can silence others is by making contributions, by making contributions in your current positions, not by worrying about the concerns of the upper echelons," Huang Shirong said softly. "Don't look up, look down!"
"Yes, Senior Sister," the two girls obediently replied.
"You two… if you weren't my junior sisters, I wouldn't bother saying these things!"
"Senior—Sister—!" The beautiful, round-faced girl in white giggled: "We know Senior Sister is doing it out of kindness, carefully guiding us."
Huang Shirong said: "Think more before you speak and act. The Zhenwu Division isn't our White Cloud Sword Palace!"
The fair-skinned, oval-faced girl laughed: "Senior Sister, we only say these things in front of you. We won't say a single word more in front of others."
Huang Shirong snorted: "I can't be by your side all the time. There will be times when you have to stand alone."
The two girls' eyes lit up, their bright eyes widening in surprise: "Senior Sister, are you getting promoted?"
Huang Shirong waved her jade hand.
Just then, a gray-clad young servant squeezed out of the crowd, respectfully approaching and bowing deeply: "This one greets Hall Master Huang."
Huang Shirong stopped and sized him up, saying indifferently: "You are…?"
"This one is a waiter from Qiyun Tower, ordered by a nobleman to deliver a letter to Hall Master Huang."
He carefully took out the letter from his bosom, handed it forward with both hands, and lowered his head, not daring to look at the three women.
In his eyes, the three women were like fairies standing on clouds, looking at them would only make him feel ashamed and unworthy, and he dared not look at them too much.
The beautiful, round-faced girl in white reacted quickly, stepped forward, reached out, snatched the letter, looked it over a few times, and asked: "Which nobleman is it?"
"That nobleman said, you will know when you see the letter."
"Qianqian, let me see," Huang Shirong said.
The beautiful, round-faced girl, Wen Qianqian, stepped back to Huang Shirong's side, presented the letter with both hands, and smiled: "Who is it, Senior Sister?"
As soon as Huang Shirong saw the words on the letter, her jade face immediately darkened, she looked solemnly at the gray-clad servant, and said in a deep voice: "How is this nobleman now?"
"The nobleman is resting in Qiyun Tower."
"Besides that, who else is there?"
"…Only the nobleman's attendants, it seems there are no others."
Huang Shirong nodded, took out the plain paper and quickly scanned it.
The fair-skinned, oval-faced girl took out a small piece of broken silver from her silk sleeve and gently tossed it to the gray-clad servant: "Thank you, young man."
The servant skillfully caught it, then his face showed a struggle.
He wanted to return it, but he was reluctant, conflicted, hesitant, and temporarily froze.
Huang Shirong waved her hand.
The fair-skinned, oval-faced girl smiled sweetly: "Young man, go back first."
The young servant took a deep breath, tightly clenched the silver, cupped his fist, bowed deeply again, and turned to drill into the crowd.
"Senior Sister, who is it?"
"Junior Sister Wen, go find Senior Brother Hu Chunlai… Junior Sister Xu, go find Senior Brother Zheng Lang, and have them rush to the middle section of Xinghua Alley within half an hour to lie in ambush and protect the son of Prince Qing… They all recognize the son of Prince Qing, have them listen to the son's orders."
"Senior Sister…"
"Go quickly!"
"…Yes."
The two girls reluctantly cupped their fists and accepted the order.
"By the way, the two of you don't follow."
"Then what about you, Senior Sister?"
"Across from Xinghua Hutong is Baosheng Tower, we'll meet there."
"Okay!"
The two girls turned and plunged into the crowd, their white figures disappearing in the blink of an eye.
……
Chu Zhiyuan finished his meal and slowly got up: "Let's go."
Most of the dishes on the table were devoured by Guo Chi.
Zou Fang ate both elegantly and quickly, finishing early.
The three went downstairs, talking as they walked.
"Let's take the shortcut to Xinghua Alley, there are too many people and it's too noisy here."
"Yes," the four royal guards who had gathered around responded in a deep voice.
They stood in four directions, pushing people aside to make room, allowing Chu Zhiyuan to stroll leisurely forward, then turned left into a small alley.
This was Xinghua Alley.
Xinghua Alley twisted and turned, with a total of several turns. When they turned the third corner, Chu Zhiyuan suddenly stopped.
This narrow alley could barely accommodate two people side by side, and carriages couldn't pass through.
There was no way to launch an ambush in such a place.
Zou Fang and Guo Chi protected Chu Zhiyuan, one in front and one behind.
What his heightened senses perceived was that two grandmasters from the Zhenwu Division were already pressed against the base of the walls of the courtyards on both sides of the alley, ready to jump into the alley at any moment.
The three middle-aged men who had been following him at a distance of fifty or sixty meters were all grandmasters.
Each of them had a dull expression and a dark face, obviously wearing masks.
Was this the Jade Cauldron Sect's revenge?
But they didn't have the Jade Cauldron Sect's small jade cauldron on them.
It was possible that they were hiding their identities.
But hiding their identities didn't fit the Jade Cauldron Sect's arrogance.
More importantly, they didn't have any killing intent.
It was really strange.
……
Chu Zhiyuan stopped thinking and also stopped walking.
Everyone hurriedly stopped with him.
Chu Zhiyuan said: "Chief Steward Feng."
Feng Xi floated in from the other end of the alley, howling with the cold wind as he arrived in front of Chu Zhiyuan, cupping his fist with a solemn expression: "Young Master, this servant is not late, is he?"
Chu Zhiyuan smiled: "You've come at just the right time."
With Feng Xi here, his side also had three grandmasters, enough to block them one-on-one.
"Mr. Hu, Mr. Zheng, flank them from behind," Chu Zhiyuan said loudly.
The position where he stopped just happened to allow the three grandmasters who were following to pass not far from the two grandmasters of the Zhenwu Division.
