Zi Shu Sui heard the sound and slowly opened her eyes. Her moist eyes, clear and bright, looked at the scene before her.
Xiao Jinse’s raised hand did not fall — it was grabbed by Xiao Bi’an at her side.
Xiao Bi’an’s face darkened. “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?”
These words were directed at Xiao Jinse.
Seeing the fear on her daughter’s face, Madam Liao immediately stepped forward to smooth things over. “Alright, alright, Jinse, that’s enough trouble. Let’s go back first and talk later.”
Madam Liao did not argue on her daughter’s behalf at all. When Xiao Bi’an said Xiao Jinse was embarrassing herself, Madam Liao tacitly accepted it, treating it as her daughter’s own foolishness.
Zi Shu Sui saw with painful clarity the benefits of power. In the Wu Ning Marquis’s residence, the second branch had no voice at all.
Aside from the Marquis himself, the greatest authority was the Heir Apparent.
Even though Madam Liao was Xiao Bi’an’s aunt by generation, she did not dare to argue with him.
Whatever he said became law.
Of course, this also had something to do with Xiao Bi’an’s cold and gloomy temperament.
Madam Liao led her heartbroken and indignant daughter away.
Zi Shu Sui lowered her head, looking as though she were frightened, and said in a muffled voice, “Thank you, Cousin.”
Her reply was silence.
After the silence came Cui Shi’s flat words—
“Sui girl, the Zhen Guo General’s residence had a marriage agreement with Jinse first. Whether it succeeds or not, you must not involve yourself in it.”
These words carried a warning.
They also declared her stance.
Zi Shu Sui gradually gave up arguing. She looked to the side with a wounded yet stubborn expression.
Xiao Bi’an swept her a cold glance. “Mind yourself.”
With that, he turned and left.
Although there were not many witnesses to the incident, the news still spread throughout the Marquis’s residence.
For Zi Shu Sui, the biggest impact was that the food box Silver Apricot brought from the kitchen changed from two meat dishes and one vegetable to two plain vegetable dishes.
Silver Apricot clenched her teeth. “Miss, everyone in the residence is talking about you now.”
“Talking about what?” Zi Shu Sui faced the two plates of greens, her appetite greatly diminished.
At least they could have given different kinds of vegetables.
“They say you’re an ungrateful traitor, that you seduced Second Miss’s fiancé. They even stopped giving you proper dishes. This was probably their own decision,” Silver Apricot said, watching her expression.
Sigh.
She would put this debt on Xie Yan’s account.
Outside the door came Yun Xiu’s noisy voice again—
“Hmph, shameless! Who knows when you’ll be kicked out. You still want to eat well?”
Silver Apricot hurried to shut the door. “Miss, don’t listen to her. I heard that Young Master Xiao Er from Longchuan will soon arrive in the capital. Counting the travel time, at most it’ll be about a month!”
“When Second Young Master arrives, he’ll definitely stand up for you!”
Silver Apricot spoke with firm confidence, because in her eyes, Second Young Master Xiao was the young miss’s own cousin.
But after hearing this, even the greens in Zi Shu Sui’s mouth tasted bland.
She still had to finish her real task as soon as possible before she could feel at ease.
Tonight — she would steal the sword.
Late at night.
Under the hazy moonlight, a slender figure stood silently atop a roof beam.
The girl wore night clothes, with none of her daytime weakness visible. Her hair was tied up, and her gaze was sharp like a hawk in winter.
Before her lay a lake, and the study stood in the middle of it.
What she intended to steal was the Imperial Sword bestowed by the late emperor upon the Wu Ning Marquis — a weapon that could be used to execute corrupt officials and even tyrant rulers, granting the power to act first and report later.
Although the Marquis had never used it, he kept it well hidden. Aside from the Marquis and his son, probably no one knew where it was stored.
When Zi Shu Sui had visited the study yesterday, she had already noticed the heavy guard around it. Even the female members of the household were forbidden to approach, making it highly likely that this was where the sword was hidden.
To reach the study safely, swimming across was the safest option.
Seizing the moment when a guard turned away, Zi Shu Sui lightly leapt down from the beam, cleverly avoiding their line of sight. When she entered the water, there was barely any splash.
The lake water was icy cold, making her shiver for a moment.
After reaching the opposite bank, she lightly flipped onto the rear corridor of the study.
Just as she was about to climb through a window, voices came from inside the pitch-dark study.
“The Crown Prince is already twenty-four. The Crown Princess passed away three years ago, and the Eastern Palace still has no heir. Your aunt intends to choose a new Crown Princess soon, but unfortunately our residence has no suitable young ladies.”
The man’s voice was aged and worried.
Zi Shu Sui remembered what Guard A-Yuan had said: only Xiao Bi’an and his father could enter this study. The speaker must be the Wu Ning Marquis.
In the two days since she entered the residence, she still hadn’t seen this “cousin uncle.” He was clearly a busy man.
Then Xiao Bi’an’s voice sounded. “Second Sister is of suitable age.”
“Hmph. Even if Jinse breaks off her engagement with the Lu family, how could her temperament ever satisfy your aunt?” the Marquis sighed.
Outside the window, Zi Shu Sui couldn’t help smacking her tongue at what she heard.
These father and son, staying up late in the dark, were seriously discussing the position of the future Crown Princess?
However, since someone was inside the study, her plan to steal the sword could not continue.
Just as she was about to leave, a sudden shout rang out from inside—
“Who’s there?!”
The Marquis’s voice became alert.
Zi Shu Sui’s heart tightened.
She was standing outside the window. Inside the room was pitch black, but faint light shone under the corridor eaves.
It seemed the Marquis had seen her shadow reflected on the window.
Zi Shu Sui silently cursed — the old man had surprisingly good eyesight.
At the same time, she pulled a small stone from her sleeve and flicked her wrist, throwing it into the lake, sending water splashing high.
Hearing the disturbance in the lake, the patrolling guards looked over and spotted the dark figure under the corridor.
“Assassin!”
A rough shout rang out as the guards rushed toward Zi Shu Sui’s direction.
She ran toward an unguarded area and leapt into the water.
When she came ashore, the wind seemed to whisper in her ears.
An arrow flew past her and landed on the ground.
She stopped, picked up the arrow, snapped it into two pieces, then pulled out a jade bottle from her clothes and quickly poured the blood inside onto the broken half of the arrow. She also dripped several drops of blood along the direction the arrow pointed.
As for the arrowhead, she took it with her.
Then, stepping lightly on her toes, she leapt back onto the roof beam.
Tonight.
The Wu Ning Marquis’s residence was destined to be restless.
Inside Youlan Courtyard, Zi Shu Sui quickly changed into her sleeping clothes, loosened her half-damp hair, and had Silver Apricot bring a basin of hot water.
Before long, the entire courtyard grew noisy, mixed with the voices of Silver Apricot, Yun Xiu, and others.
“Miss Cousin, a thief has appeared in the residence. Please open the door and cooperate with the search,” a guard said sternly outside.
“I… I’m not convenient right now…” Zi Shu Sui replied while washing her hair.
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was kicked open from the outside.
The guards showed her no respect at all.
The leading guard could not see Zi Shu Sui clearly, as a folding screen blocked the view. Only the vague silhouette of a girl could be seen.
Seeing this, Silver Apricot rushed forward and stood in front of the screen. “How dare you! Is a young lady’s bedroom a place you can barge into?!”