She didn't know how he had arranged it, but when Song Mingyuan came out, the maids and matrons who had been guarding the courtyard were nowhere to be seen.
She looked at Lu Peifeng.
By now, the man had already changed out of his wedding attire and was wearing a set of black form-fitting clothes, his bearing imposing, as cold and aloof as a falcon in the dead of night.
Seeing her gaze, Lu Peifeng tossed her an oil-paper bundle. "Eat something."
Song Mingyuan caught it in one hand. Before she could even marvel that this ice-cold man could be so thoughtful, she saw him turn and leave her his back.
"Keep up."
Song Mingyuan had already grown accustomed to his aloofness.
Seeing the man leap over the wall, she hastily took two bites of the meat bun in the oil-paper bundle and followed suit.
Outside, the wind howled bitterly, and snowflakes drifted down in a flurry. It was already dark even before the hour of You.
Two black figures raced toward the Grand Tutor's Residence, one after the other, darting across rooftops and leaping over eaves at incredible speed.
Song Mingyuan had a stubborn, unyielding nature—the stronger the opponent, the stronger she became. Relying on the experience and skills she had accumulated in her past life, she managed to match Lu Peifeng's pace.
It wasn't until they reached the outside of the Grand Tutor's Residence that she belatedly realized her legs had gone weak, as limp as two strands of noodles.
She had been so focused on competing that she'd forgotten her current body couldn't keep up with her ambitions!
Song Mingyuan grabbed Lu Peifeng's arm. "Carry me!"
A wise woman doesn't court disaster—when it's time to ask for help, you ask for help!
She'd challenge him again once she cultivated her Spiritual Power!
Lu Peifeng paused for a moment. Seeing the fine beads of sweat on her brow, he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and vaulted into the Grand Tutor's Residence.
Only after she was steady on her feet did he withdraw his hand without so much as a sideways glance.
Song Mingyuan took the lead. "Let's go. We'll rescue Xing'er first—she should be locked in the woodshed."
In the past, whenever Xing'er was punished, she was locked in the woodshed. When the original owner went to plead for mercy, Madam Xu would lock her in there along with Xing'er. At the lightest, they'd go hungry for two or three days; at worst, they'd be beaten, scolded, forced to kneel, and subjected to the servants' bullying—all of which was common.
If not for the fact that the original owner's looks had gradually blossomed over the past two years, making Song Panshan see her value, the mistress and maid would likely still be living in that miserable state.
Relying on her memories, Song Mingyuan avoided the guards. When she passed the kitchen and saw it was empty, she casually swept all the food and grain inside into her Spatial Dimension.
Even though he knew Song Mingyuan was no ordinary person, witnessing the fully stocked kitchen vanish in the blink of an eye still stirred a deep sense of awe in Lu Peifeng.
But his capacity for acceptance was remarkable. Recovering quickly, he joined the operation.
"There's more over here."
The storeroom held a large stock of grains and miscellaneous cereals, along with copious amounts of dried goods like longan and red dates. Precious supplements such as deer antler, ginseng, and bird's nest were too numerous to count.
Lu Peifeng was in charge of finding, and Song Mingyuan was in charge of collecting. Before long, the two had swept through the kitchen, the storeroom, and the cellar and wine cellar clean—not even a single grain of rice was left behind.
After everything was cleared out, Song Mingyuan waved at Lu Peifeng, signaling him to leave.
The woodshed wasn't far from the kitchen, and since the main courtyard wasn't on this side, the security wasn't particularly tight.
However, the woodshed door was currently shut, with two burly guards stationed outside—clearly someone was locked inside.
Song Mingyuan exchanged a glance with Lu Peifeng. No words were needed; they moved in perfect sync.
With lightning speed, they lunged at the guards. Before the two could even cry out, one hand clamped over each of their mouths.
The two guards widened their eyes, but before they could even make out the faces of Song Mingyuan and Lu Peifeng, their necks were twisted with a crack. Even in death, their faces were frozen in terror.
Song Mingyuan and Lu Peifeng moved with uncanny coordination, never once considering leaving any survivors.
After taking the men down, Song Mingyuan pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The woodshed was dimly lit. Xing'er lay curled up, unconscious on a pile of straw. Her clothes were thin, and she was shivering from the cold, her lips tinged purple.
"Miss… Miss… run…"
Song Mingyuan untied the cloak from her own shoulders and draped it over the girl.
Then she turned to Lu Peifeng. "Take her out first. I'll clear this place out and meet up with you."
Unfortunately, her Spatial Dimension couldn't hold living people—otherwise, she could have just whisked Xing'er away directly.
Lu Peifeng stepped forward and hoisted Xing'er up with one hand, the same way he'd carry his younger siblings.
Song Mingyuan's mouth twitched. She seriously doubted he knew any other way to carry someone.
"Take this."
Lu Peifeng tossed her his dagger, gave a brief warning to be careful, then strode out of the woodshed with Xing'er in tow.
With a push off his black boots, he leaped onto the rooftop in a few swift bounds and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
Song Mingyuan looked at the stacked firewood and charcoal in the shed, waved her hand, and cleared it all away.
With the original owner's memories, Song Mingyuan knew the household's daily routines like the back of her hand. Mealtime had already passed by now, so everyone was likely holed up in their rooms.
On such a freezing night, aside from those on night duty, hardly anyone ventured outside—which worked perfectly to her advantage.
Song Mingyuan made her way to the storeroom without incident. She lifted a tile from the roof and peered down—pitch black, nothing visible.
She closed her eyes and sensed the space. There were things inside, but she couldn't tell what they were.
Whatever. Take it all!
With her will covering the room, everything inside vanished into thin air, leaving only the bare walls.
After confirming there were no hidden passages or secret chambers, Song Mingyuan quickly moved to her next target and repeated the same trick, sweeping up all the herbs in the medicine room.
Just as she was about to retreat, a voice drifted out from a room she was passing.
"Miss, don't worry. Even if she's married over there, so what? The young general's engagement is with you. If he finds out she shamelessly impersonated you, he'll despise her for sure. She won't have a good life in the general's mansion."
Another voice sneered with contempt: "She's getting off easy. A lowly piece of trash like her—if it weren't for the emperor going after the Zhenguo General's Mansion, she'd only be fit to be someone's concubine!"
Song Mingyuan halted her steps, crouched down, and lifted a tile to peek inside.
The room was brightly lit. Song Mingyan sat before her vanity, while her personal maid Chuntang helped remove the ornamental hairpins from her hair.
"Tomorrow, spread the word that Song Mingyuan, in her shamelessness, drugged her own sister and took her place on the bridal sedan."
Song Mingyan's face twisted with a malicious smile. "I don't just want the general's mansion to know—I want the entire capital to know that Song Mingyuan, just like her mother, is nothing but a filthy, low-class slut!"
She let out a cold snort, arrogance written all over her features. "So what if she's entered the general's mansion! Even something I don't want isn't something she can just take. If she takes it, she'll pay the price!"
Chuntang curtsied. "Yes, miss! I'll act first thing tomorrow morning. I guarantee it'll be handled properly!"
“Heh heh heh, when the time comes for her to be dealt with, I shall personally go and see her off. It’s sure to be quite amusing. Attend to my bedtime preparations!”
The bed curtains fell, and the lamps in the room were quickly extinguished.
Song Mingyuan took out the knockout powder she had scavenged from the pharmacy earlier and poured it all down without hesitation—let’s see if that doesn’t knock her out!
The weather was freezing cold, and she had originally planned to leave anyway. Since that was the case, she couldn’t be blamed for abandoning the ethics of thievery!