The princess regretted it.

"Bang, bang, bang, it's dry, be careful with fire."

The night watchman's call echoed through the capital's night, breaking the stillness of the night. The rhythmic knocking echoed across the stone pavement, as if reminding people of the approach of night and the potential danger.

As the sound spread, the streets of the capital gradually became shrouded in darkness. Inside the Grand Tutor's Mansion on Zhengyang Street, a study stood quietly. The candlelight from within filtered through the windows, intertwining with the light from the lanterns in the corridor. From outside, one could vaguely make out the silhouette of the person inside, reflected in the window.

The figure stood tall and straight, motionless, like a silent sculpture. In the dim light, only a rough outline could be discerned, yet it inexplicably exuded a sense of majesty. He stood there quietly, lost in thought, as if merging with the stillness of the night.

Suddenly, a dark figure, like a ghost, leaped from the wall, instantly shattering the silence. Dressed entirely in black, the newcomer swiftly and lightly landed outside the study, then gently knocked three times on the door. The figure on the window moved, and then the door slowly opened from the inside. The newcomer slipped inside, and the door closed again.

A faint voice could be heard from within the room, the voices extremely low, as if afraid of being overheard. Then there was a crisp sound, the sound of something falling to the ground, which seemed particularly abrupt in the silent atmosphere. Then, the study fell into a brief silence, as if even the air had frozen.

A moment later, another voice was heard, still so low that it was impossible to hear from outside. Almost half a cup of tea later, the study door opened again, and a figure flashed out like lightning, then flew into the darkness and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

A moment later, the lights in the study went out, and the tall figure emerged. With steady steps, he walked down the corridor toward the backyard. Through the hallway light, he could clearly be identified as Zhang Hengrui, the Left Commander of the Imperial Guards. His face was dimly visible in the light, and his expression was solemn, suggesting a difficult situation had arisen in the study earlier.

At the same time, in the Feiyu Palace deep in the palace, Ye Yi, dressed in black secret guard uniforms, and another secret guard Ye Wu appeared in Princess Jin'an's palace. The autumn night was a little chilly, and Jin'an had already gone to bed, so she did not put on her makeup again. She sat in the palace with her hair casually tied up with silk and a thin cloak draped over her.

Ye Yi and Ye Wu bowed at the same time. Ye Yi said, "Your Highness, Ye Wu went to check on Cheng Xiao and brought back some news."

Jin An said "hmm" softly, turned his head slightly and looked at Ye Wu beside him.

Ye Wu immediately stepped forward, lowered his head and whispered, "Your Highness, someone is chasing Cheng Xiao..."

"What?" Jin An's expression changed, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze became sharp. "Do you know who it is? Where is she now?"

Ye Wu: "When I arrived, there were only the bodies of the guards and maids lying on the ground, but no sign of Cheng Xiao. I followed the traces of the fight and found a pile of messy footprints on the edge of a cliff, and found pieces of clothing hanging on the branches at the bottom of the cliff." As he spoke, Ye Wu took out a few pieces of green dress wrapped in a white brocade handkerchief, and handed them to Jin An with both hands.

Jin An frowned as he looked at the fragments, but didn't take them. He continued, "Are you saying she might have fallen off the cliff? Did you ever go down to check?"

"This is just my guess. To confirm it, I went down the cliff to look, but I didn't find her body. However, when I was checking the dead guards, I found that one was still breathing, so I took the initiative to bring him back." Ye Wu said while observing Princess Jin'an's expression.

"There's still one alive? You did a great job!" Jin An showed a hint of relief on his face and nodded slightly, "Ye Yi, do your best to treat him and make sure he lives. He's fought with the people chasing him before, so maybe we can find something."

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jin An's heart was in turmoil at this moment. She could guess that someone might not let Cheng Xiao go easily, allowing Cheng Xiao to return to her hometown safely and smoothly to avoid trouble. She thought that at most they would send someone to teach Cheng Xiao a lesson, but she didn't expect that they actually wanted Cheng Xiao's life.

She was overthinking this, clearly trying to kill two birds with one stone. With Cheng Xiao's death, she could spread rumors and use the dirty laundry to smear herself, making Cheng Zhijing hate her, and successfully pull the Dali Temple's Shaoqing into their camp.

But now Jin An was unsure who had given the order. Was it Zhangsun Jiaoyu? Or the Imperial Concubine? Or someone from the Zhang family? Could it be the Zhao family? Or was it all a conspiracy?

Jin An pondered for a moment, raised his hand to Ye Yi and the others, and said, "Go down and continue to keep an eye on those families. Report any situation in time." Ye Yi stepped forward, took the pieces of cloth and the wrapped white brocade handkerchief in his hand, bowed with Ye Wu, and flew out of the window.

Jin An lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. The news she had received tonight had a profound impact on her, leaving her feeling that she was growing too slowly. The other party was too powerful. Perhaps she could look for her maternal ancestors. She just hoped they weren't angry with her. Or perhaps she could use her Third Brother, since everyone believed they were one and the same.

Jin An sighed softly, slowly closed his eyes, and thought about his next plan.

At this moment, the moonlight outside the window was like water, quietly sprinkling on the eaves of the palace, as if it was also waiting for the next wave to be set off.