Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Nianyao didn't let Ba Mei follow her when she went out. Seeing Ba Mei looking aggrieved, Hu Zi leaned over and asked, "What did you do to upset her?"

Eighth Sister told Tiger everything.

Tiger, not understanding the intricacies of the situation, scratched his head and said, "Come on, I'll treat you to something to eat."

Eighth Sister asked, "You just paid for my clothes and shoes, do you have any money left?"

Tiger patted his chest proudly: "Don't underestimate me just because I'm young. I make a lot of money. In the Great River Gang, I earn more than Young Master."

Eighth Sister asked, "Are you young?"

Tiger touched his face, asking the same question, "Twenty-one years old, isn't that old?"

Eighth Sister said, "I thought you were thirty years old..."

Tiger said, "What kind of taste do you have? And you, in your twenties?"

Eighth Sister cried out, "Twenty-something? Twenty-something is old maidhood! I'm already married!"

Tiger exclaimed in surprise, "Someone would actually marry someone like you?"

"If you can fight, don't just talk." Eighth Sister howled and pounced, while Tiger turned and ran away. The two ran all the way to Hefang Street.

When Nianyao arrived at the Yuan residence, the crowd had mostly dispersed. Remembering what Luo An had said about brothels and teahouses being hubs of information and intelligence, Nianyao went to a teahouse.

The teahouse was packed today, with no private tables available. An elderly man with thick eyebrows and large eyes sat at a table by the window, exuding an air of authority and aloofness.

Nianyao's father was the same way—outwardly stern, but inwardly kind. Nianyao, naturally unafraid, sat opposite him. The little girl was quite bold, and the man glanced at her a few more times.

The discussion in the teahouse was lively. As Nianyao listened, she couldn't help but marvel at how Bianjing truly was a bustling place, even its gossip was extraordinary:

Some say that Young Master Nan and the Princess of the Northern Desert rekindled their old flame, and their passion ignited the Yuan family mansion...

Some say that the princess of the northern desert tried to force herself on the mansion, but when that failed, she was so ashamed and angry that she set the Yuan residence on fire...

Some say that Young Master Nan, oppressed by both General Yuan and the Princess of Mobei, lost all will to live and set the Yuan mansion on fire...

Some say that the son-in-law of the Yuan family was having an affair with the princess of the northern desert, and the gods above sent down divine punishment, setting the Yuan family mansion ablaze...

Nianyao shook her head as she listened, muttering to herself, "What utter nonsense..."

Luo An said that the rumors circulating in the streets were all exaggerated and unfounded, and that was absolutely true. Luckily, she didn't come to these places to gather information.

Nianyao left the teahouse and returned to Xizhai, walking sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The old man sitting opposite her followed behind her at a leisurely pace.

Nianyao thought to herself: You can't judge a book by its cover. At her age, she's acting so slyly, doesn't she care about being shameful...

Nianyao turned into a small alley and waited against the wall. Sure enough, the man followed her.

Nianyao raised her leg and swept it horizontally. The old man's eyes gleamed, as if he had anticipated this move. Without moving his base, he executed an over-the-shoulder throw.

Nianyao braced herself on the ground and leaped up, and the two began to fight back and forth in the alley.

The old man tested her like he was toying with a child. After a hundred moves, Nianyao didn't gain any advantage whatsoever.

Nianyao charged headlong into the air, delivering a punch straight to the chest, leaving her defenses wide open. The old man was somewhat surprised, but not wanting to truly injure her, he tried to grab her with a grappling technique.

This was a feint. Nianyao swept her leg over, and the old man sat down on the ground. Nianyao crossed her arms and looked down at him with a cold snort.

The old man also swung his leg horizontally, but Nianyao was prepared and jumped up. This was also a feint; the old man instantly stood up, struck her on the back with a palm, and then pulled her up along her neck.

Nianyao lay on the ground and suddenly felt a void around her neck; the longevity lock was already in the old man's hand.

Nianyao leaped up again and got into position.

"You've got some skills, you didn't embarrass Du Jiming." The old man tossed the safety lock to her and was about to leave.

Nianyao reached out to stop him: "Who is Du Jiming?"

The old man asked in surprise, "I've mistaken you for someone else? You're not Du Nianyao?"

Nianyao's heart skipped a beat: "My name is Xue Nianyao."

The old man clicked his tongue twice: "Your father is really... utterly useless, yet deeply affectionate..."

Nianyao said, "You..."

The old man flicked his forehead: "What do you mean 'hey'? Call me 'uncle'. You've got some skills, but no manners at all."

"It really hurts!" Nianyao clutched her head, stubbornly saying, "Uncle my ass... I..."

Before the word "spit" could even be uttered, the old man hooked his leg, and Nianyao fell to the ground with a thud, her bottom bruised and battered.

The old man said slowly, "What?"

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Nianyao, with tears in her eyes, said, "I was wrong!"

The old man asked, "Who did I say something wrong?"

Nianyao said, "Uncle, I was wrong!"

The old man asked, "What's wrong?"

Nianyao got up and bowed, apologizing: "I was wrong..."

She rammed her head into the old man, pinning him against the wall, then swung him around the waist with lightning speed.

The old man was feeling quite pleased with himself when he was caught off guard by this move and fell hard to the ground, unable to get up.

Nianyao put her hands on her hips: "Wrong my ass!"

The old man clutched his back, lay on the ground, and cried out, "My back is broken!"

Nianyao snorted coldly, sat down next to him, shook the longevity lock, and threatened, "Tell me, what's going on with my parents? Tell me everything you know. Otherwise, your old back will really break!"

Luo An returned from the palace, but Nian Yao hadn't returned yet. Hu Zi and Ba Mei returned, but Nian Yao still hadn't returned.

Luo An said to Hu Zi, "If you don't follow Madam when she goes out, what if she encounters thieves..."

Tiger said, "Under the emperor's nose, in broad daylight, how could we possibly encounter thieves?"

Gu Yu stated factually: "Wasn't the Yuan residence attacked by thieves and burned to the ground?"

Tiger asked matter-of-factly, "Wasn't it Madam who set fire to the Yuan residence?"

Given Nianyao's temper, it's entirely possible that she wasn't satisfied with just tearing down the Yuan residence, and instead burned it down in the middle of the night. That's how Hu Zi understood it.

Gu Yu was skeptical when Luo An retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Luo An rarely loses his temper, but when he does, it's terrifying. Gu Yu was stunned, and so was Hu Zi.

Luo An got up to go find Nian Yao, and just as he stepped down the stairs, he saw Nian Yao strolling over with a string of candied hawthorns in her hand.

Luo An asked, "Where did you go?"

Nianyao said, "The teahouse is for gathering intelligence."

Luo An asked, "What did you hear?"

Nianyao said lazily, "What else could be going on with the Yuan family?"

Luo An scrutinized her. Her expression was normal, but Luo An sensed something was off.

Nianyao held the last candied hawthorn to his lips.

Luo An ate it as if possessed, and it was so sour that his teeth almost fell out.

Nianyao smiled happily, her eyebrows curving upwards.

War raged for three months, and a letter from home was worth a fortune. When Yuan Feng's father was still alive, she received letters every time.

Yuan Feng's father always wrote four words in his letters, and this remained unchanged for several years: "Is Feng'er well?"

Yuan Feng always replied with a single word, and it hadn't changed for years: Peace!

I knew what the letters from home were about without even picking them up. Even so, I always looked forward to them. Now that Dad's gone… that anticipation is gone…

The soldiers excitedly shared the letters from home, while Yuan Feng simply returned to his main tent.

She sat in the tent, thinking of her mother. Her mother's state of mind over the years was probably the same as hers now—a mixture of expectation and despair, a glimmer of hope amidst the void.

Like a drowning person reaching out hopelessly. As long as they're not completely dead, they always hope someone will save them, always believe someone will...