“Miss Cui,” said Li Yunping, who wore a black eye patch over one eye, as she stepped over the threshold and stood in the snow, cupping her hands in salute to Yuan Fuyu. “We have all read Ah Yu’s handwritten letter. I recognize it—it is undoubtedly Ah Yu’s own writing! So we trust you.”
Through the veil of falling snow, Yuan Fuyu’s gaze rested on Li Yunping’s eye covered by the black patch, her hand tightening slightly within her sleeve.
How many years had it been since anyone had called her Ah Yu, after her elder brother, sister-in-law, parents, and Yang Jianlin had passed away one after another.
Li Yunping looked at Yuan Fuyu. “Ah Yu’s death was sudden and suspicious. Pei Du insisted that it was the noble families, dissatisfied with the Princess’s decrees, who colluded with Lu Pingxuan to kill Ah Yu. But we don’t fully believe it! Yang Jiancheng was investigating Ah Yu’s death when he was expelled from the Mystic Eagle Guards. He Yichen was stripped of his power after Ah Yu’s death and later forced to leave the capital.”
“Over the years, we have secretly looked into Ah Yu’s death as well. But we have been away from the court for too long, especially after Ah Yu’s passing when the court underwent drastic changes. The people we knew were either unreachable, out of contact, or dead. We found nothing.”
Du Baorong, his face covered with a stubbly beard, emerged from the house carrying his long-unused Horse Chopping Blade. “After Ah Yu gained power, we kept causing trouble in court, often being used by others. Each time, Ah Yu had to clean up our mess. So we listened to others, thinking that if we withdrew from court, we wouldn’t cause problems for Ah Yu. But leaving her was the biggest regret of our lives. This time… we cannot retreat again!”
Yuan Fuyu’s heart warmed slightly at Du Baorong’s words.
“I have already made arrangements to meet Pei Du. There is no need for any of you to get involved,” Yuan Fuyu said, calming her breath as she looked at the group. “Back then, the Princess allowed you to leave and live ordinary lives away from the turmoil because, though the court seemed calm on the surface, undercurrents were raging. She wanted to protect you—that was her wish. Moreover… now is not yet the time when I need to trouble you.”
“Finding out the truth about Ah Yu’s death is our wish as well,” Yu Yunyan said solemnly.
“Since we have this chance to learn the truth about Ah Yu’s death, of course we all had to come,” Lin Changxue, who rarely smiled, remarked while holding her sword. “If Pei Du truly betrayed his master, then he deserves to die by our hands.”
Liu Mei also smiled. “I just regret being falsely proud back then and refusing the silver Ah Yu offered. Otherwise, we could have hired dozens of assassins. If Pei Du betrayed her… we could even kill Xie Huaizhou, the master he serves now.”
“Before my elder brother died, his greatest concern was the Princess. He asked me to protect her and ensure her safety and happiness, but I failed. If we are to avenge the Princess today, I am willing to be the vanguard,” Yang Jiancheng said earnestly, cupping his hands toward Yuan Fuyu.
Su Ziyi, who had been silent until now, glanced at his empty sleeve tucked into his belt and gripped the Miao blade behind him with his right hand.
He spoke gently, “Miss Cui, though I have lost my left arm, I am still the best fighter among them. I will not hold you back or ruin your plans.”
Du Baorong and Li Yunping nodded in agreement, while Yu Yunyan rolled her eyes.
“Aside from Liu Mei and Yang Jiancheng, all of you have families. If Pei Du has betrayed his master, your families will be implicated,” Yuan Fuyu said, her resolve softening slightly. “Once I uncover the truth behind the Princess’s death, I will have He Yichen inform you.”
Liu Mei chuckled, turning to her companion: “You know us? Young lady, you’re not very old but know quite a lot! Seems you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve!”
“Miss Cui, to be frank… before Ah Yu’s letter appeared, we were all investigating Ah Yu’s death separately – a scattered mess without any leads!” Su Ziyi glanced around at the others, his voice carrying laughter. “In her letter to you, Ah Yu said she could die, wasn’t afraid to die, but if her death didn’t bring about court reforms and heavy blows to the noble families, then it would be a wrongful death. She asked you to return to the capital and investigate! That’s why we’re willing to gather together and work with you, following your lead.”
It was Yuan Fuyu’s personal letter that had brought them together again.
Yu Yunyan, small in stature but fierce in temper, declared: “Let me make this clear – if you let us go, we’ll cooperate with you! If you don’t let us go, we’ll do it ourselves!”
Li Yunping waved her hand to calm Yu Yunyan: “Before coming here, we’ve already made arrangements for our families. Miss Cui need not worry.”
Not giving Yuan Fuyu a chance to speak, Su Ziyi continued: “Miss Cui, now that we’ve seen Ah Yu’s letter and have Pei Du as our direction, if we help each other and work together we might achieve twice the results with half the effort. But if we continue working separately and end up disrupting your plans, please bear with us.”
Threatening her?
At this point, Yuan Fuyu knew she couldn’t stop them.
“Aren’t you afraid Pei Du might have set an ambush, that you might go and never return?”
Liu Mei sounded like she’d heard a joke: “That would be perfect! This old lady could reunite with the other Golden Banner Eighteen Guards down below, maybe even follow Ah Yu in starting another rebellion in the underworld! Then we could add a few strokes in the Book of Life and Death and drag all those who deserve to die down with us.”
“Miss Cui, the fact that a single letter in your hand could gather us few discordant people together should make you understand what the Princess means to us!”
Li Yunping’s gaze toward Yuan Fuyu was sincere.
“Even though the Princess is gone, as long as one command from the Princess remains in this world, we would not hesitate to fight for her again! Even at the cost of our lives.”
Since they were determined to go… what could she do?
Then Yuan Fuyu could only do as she always had – no matter what they planned to do, she would cover for them.
·
In the deep winter, snow drifted down, painting the gates and multiple eaves of the capital city in pure white.
After curfew, the nine main streets and eighteen lanes stood deserted and silent, with only the howling wind and cold snow moving through them.
In the narrow alley between two residences in Anxing Ward, Yu Yunyan moved with swallow-like agility along the high walls, maintaining vigilance and observation throughout.
He Yichen and Yang Jiancheng led the way with quick steps at the front, while Yuan Fuyu, followed by her martial maid Jinshu holding an umbrella, walked steadily in the center. Lin Changxue and Liu Mei, both carrying swords, protected her left flank from front and back, while Li Yunping and Su Ziyi, holding long spears, closely followed on the right side.
Six female guards from the Cui Family followed behind Cui Siniang, with Du Baorong bringing up the rear carrying his Horse Chopping Blade.
In the wind and snow, Yu Yunyan leaped onto the roof ridge above the main gate of the Pei residence.
She scanned the snow-covered courtyard with its winding streams and connecting bridges, finding nothing unusual. The main room was brightly lit. Only then did she turn back toward the alley and emit a short whistle, signaling all clear.
He Yichen and Yang Jiancheng stepped onto the stone stairs and pushed open the two tightly closed black lacquered doors of the Pei residence. Yuan Fuyu ascended the steps, looking toward the brightly lit main hall with its closed partitions amid the swirling snow, then stepped across the courtyard gate.
Yuan Fuyu took the umbrella from Jinshu and instructed, “Have people guard the entrance.”
Jinshu acknowledged the order and led six female guards to stand watch inside and outside the open gate.
As the group crossed the wooden bridge in the courtyard, He Yichen impatiently stepped onto the gleaming white stone steps, striding ahead toward the brightly lit central hall’s partition doors. Just as he raised his hand to knock—
“Miss, be careful!”
“It’s an ambush!”
The shouts from Jinshu and Yu Yunyan overlapped with the sudden clashing of blades outside the courtyard gate.
Holding the umbrella, Yuan Fuyu lifted her gaze, scanning the rooftops of the flanking buildings and the central hall’s ridge, where masked Mystic Eagle Guards emerged, each gripping iron nets and crossbows.
Yang Jiancheng, Lin Changxue, Liu Mei, Li Yunping, Su Ziyi, and Du Baorong had already drawn their blades with sharp reflexes upon hearing the metallic clashes behind them. Their formation tightened seamlessly as they shielded Yuan Fuyu in the center, retreating with coordinated, steady steps.
The double doors of the central hall burst open from within. In the instant the blazing candlelight spilled onto the moss-covered stone pavement of the courtyard, the Mystic Eagle Guards seized He Yichen with lightning speed.
Standing framed in the doorway, illuminated against the backlight while languidly toying with a jade pendant in his master’s chair, was Xie Huaizhou—his expression frosty and detached.