The siblings quietly approached the small courtyard where Jiang Shi and her daughter resided.
The neighboring houses still had their lights on.
As they passed by one doorway, they could hear the occupants inside discussing yesterday’s events.
“What a decline in public morals. That mother and daughter next door still have the nerve to move in. From now on, you two sisters must never associate with them. I’m afraid you’ll be led astray.”
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll just spit when I see them.”
“That’s not necessary. After all, they’re the mistress of the eldest son of the Loyal Earl. Just don’t befriend them, but don’t make enemies either.”
Huo Mingchang was very displeased to hear this.
These people didn’t even dare to offend such individuals.
“So cowardly,” Huo Mingchang said disdainfully.
“Second Brother, they’re just ordinary commoners. Those who can afford to live here only have modest means. How would they dare to offend the Zhongyi Bo Fu?”
The two quietly approached the small courtyard.
The courtyard was originally very small, with just one entrance.
It was enclosed by walls.
They circled to the back to see if there was a rear window.
There was no wall at the back, and for ventilation and lighting, there was indeed a small rear window, at most one square foot in size, and it was locked shut.
But it was a bit high, and neither of them could reach it.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shi and her daughter were talking inside.
This room happened to be the bedroom.
“Ning’er, the news spreading on the streets today is truly satisfying,” Yang Shi’s voice said.
“Yes, let’s see how Huo Ningyu will ever get married now,” Jiang Ning sneered.
“Ah, if only your father were still alive, how wonderful that would be.
Perhaps he would have topped the imperial exams like Huo Daren, and you would be the daughter of a top scholar.
If not marrying into an Earl Residence, at least you could have married into a fifth-rank official’s family. You wouldn’t have ended up like today, with nowhere to settle,” Yang Shi sobbed sadly.
“So the Huo Family is our enemy. If it weren’t for borrowing the Huo Family’s influence until I grew up, I would have taken revenge long ago.
Huo Pengcheng would never have had the chance to rise all the way to Hubu Shangshu,” Jiang Ning said fiercely.
“Now, it’s too late for regrets. One wrong step leads to another. Yesterday, you shouldn’t have performed the marital rites with Xie Da Gongzi. It wouldn’t have been too late to wait until you actually married into the Xie Family. Why were you in such a hurry?” Yang Shi lamented.
“Mother, I couldn’t bear to let Zhengyang’s Pure Yang Body be taken advantage of by Huo Ningyu. She can only have what I’ve left behind.”
“Ah, you…”
“Mother, I still can’t figure out how the Huo Family got the news.” Jiang Ning had been pondering this for two days without an answer.
“Could there be her spy in our courtyard?” Yang Shi guessed.
“Perhaps. The servants attending to us are all from the Huo Residence and aren’t loyal to us. Maybe one of them noticed something.
Fortunately, we didn’t take any of them with us. The two maids we bought today are truly our own people. We don’t have to worry about them betraying us anymore.”
“You’re right. I’ve hidden my capabilities in the Huo Family for so many years. For my poor daughter’s sake, I won’t hold back anymore. I will do everything in my power to help you marry gloriously into the Xie Family,” Yang Shi declared with full confidence.
This statement made Huo Ningyu pause in surprise.
Had Yang Shi been hiding her abilities all along?
What skills did she possess that even her wandering spirit hadn’t detected?
That’s right—in her previous life, Jiang Ning successfully married into the Xie Family, climbed up to Da Huangzi, and with the Xie Family’s help, managed to have the entire Huo Family imprisoned and eventually executed. So everything went smoothly, and Yang Shi never needed to reveal her capabilities.
That’s why she never displayed anything special.
“Thank you, Mother. Once Zhengyang has recovered, let’s discuss what would be the best course of action.”
“Well, it’s getting late. Time to sleep.”
Mother and daughter shared the same room.
Soon, the light inside was extinguished.
The siblings beneath the window exchanged glances.
They then circled around to the front main gate.
There was no other way—the window was too high to put the snakes through.
“Elder sister, even if we release them over the courtyard wall, these five snakes might not crawl into their bedroom,” Huo Mingchang said somewhat dejectedly.
“No matter. If it doesn’t happen tonight, we’ll come again tomorrow. If we keep trying for several nights in a row, eventually some will make it inside.” Huo Ningyu had long prepared for a protracted effort.
Huo Mingchang crouched down, and Huo Ningyu stepped onto his shoulders. He then slowly stood up.
Even with their combined height, they only just reached the top of the wall, barely peeking over.
Huo Ningyu lifted the cage onto the wall, settled it, and used a stick to open the cage door.
With an exit available, several large snakes slid out through the cage door, tumbling down the wall into the courtyard.
Unbeknownst to the two, not far from them, two figures stood atop a nearby roof.
They watched as the siblings clumsily released the snakes into the small courtyard.
“Boss, this is just childish mischief. Is it worth standing here in the cold wind for?” Yu Zheng found it amusing.
Only children of a few years would do something like this.
“Go, drive those snakes into the mother and daughter’s room,” Zhao Bingyu ordered calmly.
“Yes.”
Huo Ningyu climbed down from her brother’s shoulders.
Meanwhile, a dark figure leaped into the courtyard in a flash.
It was dark, and the two didn’t notice.
“Let’s go back,” Huo Ningyu glanced at the courtyard wall.
She feared that returning late would lead to their parents discovering them.
“Don’t rush. Let’s wait and see if the snakes go into the room as we hoped,” Huo Mingchang, excited from his first time doing something like this, wanted to see the outcome.
“If they really get in, they’ll surely scream and shout, waking the neighbors. Then we won’t be able to leave. We can just send someone to inquire tomorrow,” Huo Ningyu said, pulling her brother along to leave.
But just as they stepped out of the alley, they heard distant screams.
“Ah, snakes! Snakes!” It was Jiang Ning’s voice—both recognized it.
The siblings exchanged a smile and turned to leave.
“Sister, how did the snakes get into their room so quickly?” Huo Mingchang found it almost miraculous.
“Perhaps the snakes Elder Brother bought understood our intentions.”
“True. Otherwise, they’d be destined to be eaten. Now they have a chance to survive—it’s their fortune to have met us.”
But they hadn’t gone far when a dark figure blocked their path.
“Who are you?” Huo Mingchang sensed danger, pulling his sister behind him and stepping forward.
He postured like a true man, ready to guard the pass.
The dark figure slowly turned around.
By the faint moonlight, Huo Ningyu saw a face like Zhong Kui’s.
At the sudden sight, Huo Mingchang thought he’d seen a ghost and nearly screamed in fright.
Huo Ningyu, quick-eyed and swift-handed, covered his mouth.
“Mmph…”
“Second Brother, it’s Imperial City Envoy Lord Zhao,” Huo Ningyu whispered a reminder into her brother’s ear.
He quieted down at once.
“This humble girl pays respects to Lord Zhao,” Huo Ningyu greeted him openly and politely.
“This humble boy pays respects to Lord Zhao,” Huo Mingchang greeted him nervously and fearfully.
What bad luck—why did they have to run into him?
“Why are you here in the middle of the night?” Zhao Bingyu asked, though he already knew.
He waited to see what excuse they would offer him.
“Well, Lord Zhao, the moonlight is quite lovely tonight. My brother and I came out to enjoy the breeze and admire the moon.” Huo Ningyu’s lie slipped out without a second thought.
Knowing his identity, she wasn’t afraid of him.
“It’s already late at night.” Zhao Bingyu exposed her falsehood.
“The curfew hasn’t started yet.”
Zhao Bingyu was momentarily speechless.
“Foolish. Those petty tricks are utterly useless.” Zhao Bingyu’s tone was clearly mocking.
Both Huo Ningyu and Huo Mingchang froze.
What did this completely irrelevant remark mean?