ing, and King Li within the pass. Your son is the vanguard commander." Mu Yang Hou’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the emperor's face and pretended to be shocked: "Your Majesty… outside the pas...Saint Maiden of Southern Frontier

Saint Maiden of Southern Frontier

An’er II knew many experts in interrogation, such as the charming Feng Sanzi Feng Zhiyao, or the head leader of Dark Warriors who trained them. There was also Mo Shu, the serious and silent but kind-hearted steward of Duke Ding’s Manor. However, An’er II never knew that their master, the delicate Lady Dowager of Duke Ding’s Manor, was also skilled in interrogation. They often wondered silently how much the Ye family had mistreated the Lady Dowager to turn her into such a person.

It would take great effort to sneak the unfortunate assassin out of Princess’s Mansion under the current tight security measures. The cost might not be worth it compared with what they could gain. Therefore, An’er II didn’t wait until tomorrow; he was ready to interrogate the unlucky guard right away. The guest courtyard wasn’t small and Ye Li's inner room was at the far end of the yard, so as long as they didn't shout out loud, even those outside monitoring wouldn't notice any commotion. Of course, the dark warriors already lurking within Princess’s Mansion would prevent anyone from approaching the guest courtyard unnecessarily. After being given a cup of iced tea laced with muscle relaxant powder, the unfortunate assassin was unable to call for help.

Thus, an eerie scene appeared in the tastefully arranged room. On one side, a sleeping Southern Frontier servant girl lay on the bed while a charming young lady sat at the table drawing and writing under the lamp. A merciless interrogation was taking place several steps away. An’er II’s expression darkened as he snapped the assassin's left leg bone. Despite his pale face drenched in sweat, the assassin remained silent and unyielding. Due to space constraints, he couldn't use more brutal methods, which frustrated An’er II further. Even when Ye Li finished her business and looked up, An’er II still hadn’t gotten a single useful word out of the assassin, who nearly got an opportunity to commit suicide by biting his tongue.

"Can’t do it Need help" Ye Li asked as she stood up.

An’er II twitched at the corner of his mouth and shook his head. "Miss, you don't need to trouble yourself with such matters."

"No problem, then even if I break another leg of his he still won’t talk."

"Then I'll crush all his bones." An’er II coldly stared at the assassin.

Ye Li shook her head and smiled. "By the time you’ve broken most of his bones, he’ll be dead."

"Do you have any ideas, Miss"

Ye Li strolled over calmly, knelt down next to the assassin on the ground, smiling at him softly. “You understand Central Plains language, right Don’t worry, I won't be as rough as he is.” The assassin stared warily at the charming young lady before him, her smile full of kindness. His instincts told him that this beautiful and cute girl was truly dangerous.

Ye Li looked kindly at the assassin staring alertly at her, soothingly saying, "Don’t be afraid; I won't break your bones like he does. Instead, I plan to… take all of them out one by one from your body, starting with… your fingers." She held up the assassin’s left hand gently, and a strange snapping sound was heard as his index finger knuckle twisted oddly. Ye Li continued her work, another clear snap echoing as she bent the entire finger. The assassin couldn’t even scream after his jaw was dislocated; only muffled "ah" sounds came from his mouth. Looking at him, Ye Li said calmly, “When you want to talk, just nod your head. But… don't wait until I've taken out all of your bones before you do so, or it will be too late.”

Crack...

Ye Li’s expression remained calm but her actions were orderly and precise. Such composure was even more terrifying than An’er II's harsh threats and intimidation. Just as Ye Li moved towards the assassin’s right hand, the pale-faced assassin finally nodded with great difficulty. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at An’er II. "I thought you were tough; it seems not." An’er II silently wiped his forehead sweat; he felt that this assassin was useless and feared his master's terrifying calmness more than her torturous methods. He too would be scared if the situation were reversed.

"Good. But don't joke with me, or… the consequences will make you regret being alive." Ye Li sincerely warned him.

Satisfied, Ye Li nodded and said, “That’s great. Now tell me who your master is.” She gestured for An’er II to close his jaw, then asked. Fear flashed in the assassin's eyes as he looked at Ye Li, opening his mouth but not speaking. Ye Li frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "If you're worried about your safety, I can guarantee it. And after finishing matters with Southern Frontier, I'll give you money to change your name and start anew." The assassin’s gaze flickered uncertainly; Ye Li saw this and her smile became more sincere. “Your information is crucial to me, so… if what you tell me is true, I promise to keep my word. However, understand that not only you knows the information. Others might talk even without your confession. Then… I’m sorry, but…” Seeing the assassin’s tense expression, Ye Li smiled and said, “No, I won’t kill you. On my way to Southern Frontier, I passed through a valley filled with blood-red flowers, each flower with a little snake underneath it. At that moment, I wondered how so many snakes could grow without eating anything… what do you think”

"Snake... Snake Valley... No..." Not only the people from Central Plains feared places like Snake Valley; although the people of Southern Frontier weren't scared of snakes, no one except snake handlers would be at ease with thousands of uncontrollable venomous snakes.

“So… your answer”

"I’ll say… what do you want to know"

Ye Li turned around and looked at An’er II, nodding approvingly.

In reality, they didn’t get much intelligence from the assassin. After all, someone sent out as cannon fodder wasn't likely a core figure. Nonetheless, Ye Li’s suspicions were partly confirmed, and the target of Xu Qingchen's disappearance was narrowed down. However, Xu Qingchen's exact whereabouts remained unknown. Since it was certain that Xu Qingchen didn’t face immediate danger, Ye Li finally relaxed her worry.

"Junwei... Junwei..."

A cheerful shout echoed on the bustling street. Passersby looked curiously as a handsome man in Central Plains attire waved joyfully at a young boy nearby. Turning around, Ye Li saw the white-clad man rushing towards her and sighed helplessly before smiling up at him. "Brother Han, how are you these few days" Han Mingyi raised his eyes flirtatiously at Ye Li, "Junwei, I traveled thousands of miles to come with you to Nanzhao, but you left me behind… your heart is so cold..."

“I...” Ye Li couldn't help shuddering involuntarily. Although passersby didn’t understand what they were saying, their expressions and tone made them look at the two with strange eyes.

"Brother Han!" Ye Li could not help but press her hand against her forehead, and after struggling to control herself, she smiled and said, "Has Brother Han finally slept enough That's rare."

Han Mingchi was in no way ashamed. He leaned forward and smiled, saying, "Where are you talking about I woke up long ago and walked around the city inside and out. But I didn't see Junwei. Why didn’t he tell me when he had something to do Wouldn't it be safer if I went with you" Ye Li gave him a blank look. "I was just looking around, not entering dangerous places." Han Mingchi shrugged indifferently and said, "Even if Junwei were going into dangerous places, I would accompany him." He then winked at Ye Li, his eyes filled with 'Look how nice I am to you.'

Ye Li frowned. She hadn't expected to run into Han Mingchi, but it was obviously very inconvenient to bring him along now. However, if she didn’t, given Han Mingchi's personality, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause in the capital city After thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "Brother Han, let's talk somewhere else."

After finding a tea house and sitting down in one of its rooms, Ye Li said, "Brother Han, I have some things to do that you may find it inconvenient to follow me around."

Han Mingchi pouted on the table and accused her with his eyes. “You… When you wanted Tianyi Pavilion’s intelligence, did you say it was inconvenient Now, you just want to dump me. You're abandoning me after using me!" Ye Li was speechless. She had paid a price for Tianyi Pavilion's intelligence; she hadn’t asked him to work for free. Seeing that Ye Li didn't seem interested in talking to her, Han Mingchi bit his fingernail and said with a smile, "What’s the point of such a small place like Nanzhao Junwei came here looking for the Dark Lotus Holy Maiden, right I have news about her. Or maybe you’re looking for the sick scholar I know where he is too. But it looks like another group has set their sights on him. It’s best if Junwei stays away from them. Or… Is Qingshen missing" He tilted his head and smiled innocently.

"Tianyi Pavilion's information is indeed well-known," Ye Li sighed softly.

Han Mingchi said with a smile, "Is Tianyi Pavilion selling intelligence If we don’t know about the major events in Nanzhao’s capital recently, what are we doing here So… Which one does Junwei want to deal with first" Ye Li looked at him steadily for a while and then softly smiled and asked, “Do you know where Qingshen is” Han Mingchi's gaze flickered. Slightly displeased, he said, "You really want to find him first Junwei, I thought the Blue Lotus Flower and Dark Lotus Holy Maiden were more important to you." Ye Li replied, “I can go get the things at any time; if I don’t find Qingshen, they may not be in good condition.” Han Mingchi propped his chin up and looked at her. "You want to know about Qingshen Tell me what your relationship with him is"

Ye Li shook her head and smiled. “Even you don’t know Xu Qingchen’s whereabouts. Otherwise, why would you be making demands this moment”

Han Mingchi made a noise of displeasure and looked at her glumly. "Do you want the news about the Dark Lotus Holy Maiden If not, I will burn it."

"He is my elder brother," Ye Li replied.

Han Mingchi frowned and sized him up for a while before asking, “Brother Are you Xu Qingbo or Xu Qingyan By age… you seem more like Xu Qingyan. But as far as personality, it's closer to Xu Qingbo. However… Isn't it true that no one in the Xu family is known for martial arts skills" Ye Li smiled and said, “Tianyi Pavilion’s intelligence isn’t all that reliable either. The third young master of the Xu family, Xu Qingfeng, is currently serving in the military. Doesn’t Brother Han know this” Han Mingchi stared at her suspiciously. "Could you really be from the Xu family" Ye Li smiled but did not speak or deny it.

Han Mingchi paced restlessly around the room, occasionally mumbling his dissatisfaction to Ye Li: "You’re lying… You’re actually not looking for Dark Lotus Holy Maiden at all! You're here to find Xu Qingchen! Junwei, you deceived me…"

"Young Master," a voice came from outside. The door was pushed open and An’er looked over Han Mingchi before addressing Ye Li: "Young Master, there’s news."

Ye Li nodded, “Come in and tell us.”

In the room, Ye Li and An’er both turned their gaze toward Han Mingchi. Unexpectedly, the usually tactful Fengyue Young Master showed no consideration for others' feelings and sat down comfortably in a chair munching on snacks instead of leaving them alone to talk privately. With a sigh, Ye Li waved at An’san and said, "Forget it, just tell him."

An’er nodded and said solemnly, “Today, Princess Anxi came into contact with Qingshen or someone related to him.”

Ye Li frowned. "How so"

"When Princess Anxi returned home today, she had some special scent on her body. The people of Nanzhao don't use incense much and aren’t particularly knowledgeable about it. However, they are unaware that there are many differences in the rules regarding scents between the Central Plains even if they’re the same type. For instance, among the Xu family's young masters, except for Young Masters Three and Five who do not use any scent, Second Young Master usually uses plum scent, Fourth Young Master likes orchid scent, while Qingshen’s scent is personally prepared by Lady Xu with some beneficial medicine added to it which makes his unique. Common people would find it extremely difficult to distinguish this fragrance or even replicate it."

Ye Li frowned and asked, "Where did Princess Anxi go"

"To the palace. In the morning, King Nanzhao summoned Princess Anxi. After she left the palace, she went directly back to her residence," An’er said confidently.

Han Mingchi smiled curiously and remarked, "Is Qingshen in the palace"

An’er hesitated for a moment before saying with a frown, “Princess Anxi probably wouldn’t have seen Qingshen personally. She was within our line of sight from when she entered the palace until she left it, except when she was meeting King Nanzhao in the morning. If she were to meet Qingshen, that would be only during her audience with King Nanzhao. Furthermore… After returning home, Princess Anxi dispatched more secret agents to search for Qingshen.”

Ye Li shook her head and said, "King Nanzhao must know my brother’s identity; if anything were to happen to him now in Nanzhao it would not benefit him. So… It's unlikely that he is in the palace. The scent... probably means that Qingshen wants us to know he is safe for now."

An’er was puzzled and asked, “Since Qingshen isn’t in the palace, why did this message come from there How could his personal scent be found in the palace”

“Obviously because the person who left the message is someone with free access to the palace. If not a member of the royal court, then at least someone who can enter and leave freely.”

Han Mingchi lazily shook his head and said, "That’s not right… Junwei. In Nanzhao other than the King and Crown Princess, no one else is allowed free access to the palace, including the princesses. Of course, even this princess isn't in Nanzhao anymore." Ye Li glanced at him with a look that said, “If it’s not done openly, won’t it also be hard to do secretly”

"In secret" The two people asked in unison.

Ye Li frowned and asked, "Have you found any traces of those assassins"

Ansan nodded. "We've found them, but it was too late. They were killed on a small hill about two li outside the city walls, their bodies dumped in an abandoned cave."

"Tell me more," Ye Li said.

When we looked for the bodies, they were in a secluded cave ten miles west of the city outskirts. There was no sign of struggle at the scene, and that place is hard to reach even though it's not far from the capital. Even if those assassins had been fleeing for their lives, they wouldn't have headed in that direction. Fortunately, we traced them using a drug on the darts that wounded them. We found them after an entire night of searching; they were killed shortly after leaving the city and then dumped at that cave.

Ye Li rubbed her forehead as she thought, "Which direction were they heading when they were silenced"

"East."

This means they originally intended to head east but were murdered and their bodies thrown westward. What's on the eastern side

Ye Li stood up, "Give me a map of the Nanzhao capital."

Ansan retrieved a thin paper from his chest and carefully laid it out on the table. Han Mingxi glanced at it and said with a pout, "A full map of the Nanzhao capital Did you really need to investigate this at Tianyi Pavilion back then" Ye Li smiled, "The more information I have, the safer I feel. Besides... I don't believe that Tianyi Pavilion couldn’t produce such a map." This isn't some defensive blueprint; it's just a layout of the city. She took a charcoal pencil and circled the palace, Princess Anxi’s mansion, Xu Qingchen’s disappearance location, where the bodies were dumped, and where the assassins had been silenced on the map. Ye Li looked up and asked, "Do you have any insights"

Han Mingxi pointed at the map and said, "If we don't consider this dumping place and Princess Anxi’s mansion, these locations seem close to Shengni Hall. Speaking of which... without this map, I wouldn’t have realized how near Shengni Hall is to the palace."

The Shengni Hall is located on a mountain five li east of the capital city. But if you start from the royal palace and add the ascent up the mountain, it would be at least ten miles away.

Ye Li pointed while looking down, "Ordinary people only think about how far it is to reach Shengni Hall from the palace. The royal palace is built against a mountain with steep cliffs behind it; climbing over them is difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, no one pays attention to this route. In fact, the straight-line distance between the royal palace and Shengni Hall is less than two miles."

"Tunnel" Ansan said.

Ye Li asked with a smile, "Have we not learned about the tunnel-digging skills of the Nanzhong people on this journey" Both of them fell silent as they thought back to those mountain peaks nearly excavated out.

"Why did the founding King of Nanzhao build his palace like this" Han Mingxi asked, puzzled. In Central China’s history, such a construction would only happen in imperial villas or secondary palaces, never in the main capital city where the emperor's prestige and authority are displayed.

Ye Li replied nonchalantly, "It must be different customs."

Han Mingxi saw through her evasion and glared at Ye Li for a long time before realizing she was still lost in thought. His face turned dark as he cleared his throat to get the two people’s attention, then smiled, "Are you suspecting that Mister Qingchen is hiding in Shengni Hall Everyone knows that Nanzhong's Shengni are pure and chaste; men aren't allowed there, let alone hiding a man. If others find out about your thoughts, I assure you... you’ll be drowned by the anger of the Nanzhao people."

Ye Li said indifferently, "Isn’t it more likely if everyone knows that"

Han Mingxi rolled his eyes and asked sarcastically, "How do you plan to enter Shengni Hall, a place guarded like the royal palace, and find Mister Qingchen who might be hidden somewhere If you’re caught without finding anyone, we’ll really get killed by the Nanzhao people."

"I don’t intend to enter via Shengni Hall," Ye Li said.

Han Mingxi’s face was full of astonishment and admiration. "So Mister Junwei plans to bravely charge into King Nanzhao's palace Even though the royal palace here is smaller than a third of our Chu capital city, you shouldn't underestimate it, right Don’t forget... there won't be venomous snakes in our Chu capital’s royal palace, but who knows about this place" Ye Li smiled slightly. "It sounds like Lord Fengyue has never been to the imperial palace. Who was boasting a few days ago that he had explored all the inner courtyards of every country's palaces" Han Mingxi was speechless and silently regretted bragging about his past exploits during their journey.

"Even if you manage to enter, find Mister Qingchen, how do you plan to bring him out" Han Mingxi asked. "As far as I know, Mister Qingchen doesn't have any martial arts skills."

Ye Li frowned and said, "This needs careful consideration." A direct assault wouldn’t work; even if the Dark Guards were strong enough to snatch someone from Nanzhao’s royal palace, post-incident handling would be troublesome. If others found out that it was the Ding King's mansion that did this, things would become more complicated.

Seeing Ye Li's contemplative expression, Han Mingxi happily said, "How about it Do you need any help"

Ye Li shook her head after looking at Han Mingxi. She and Han Mingxi were only partners; last time he had already taken a lot of risks by accompanying her. This time she couldn’t drag him into danger again.

Han Mingxi smiled at her and said, "Don't reject so quickly. Tianyi Pavilion still runs on business principles. As long as Junwei pays the bill, we don't just gather intelligence." Ye Li’s heart moved and asked Han Mingxi, “Brother Han, what do you want" Han Mingxi proudly replied, "Xunya Pavilion's share plus two more percent."

Ye Li said, "I thought Tianyi Pavilion preferred real gold and silver You should know that no matter how much it is, whether from the Xu Family or me, we’ll pay."

Han Mingxi looked at him with a pitiful expression. "Junwei and I are friends; friends shouldn't take advantage of each other's difficulties."

Friend Ye Li raised her brows indifferently. “Tianyi Pavilion isn’t good at these matters, so there’s no need to trouble Brother Han.”

"You're too formal," Han Mingxi said with a smile. "Even though Tianyi Pavilion doesn't specialize in this, they’re very familiar with the Nanzhao capital city. Compared to our relationship, shouldn’t Brother Han find it more reliable to trust Tianyi Pavilion" Ye Li frowned and thought for a while before saying, “Then please help us. Afterward, I’ll be responsible for any losses of Tianyi Pavilion. Naturally, Xunya Pavilion's two percent share will remain."

"I told you," Han Mingxi sighed helplessly. "Junwei is too formal.

Ye Lü smiled faintly, lowering her head and pondering if she might need the Princess of Anxi's help.

In a dimly lit room, heavy stone doors were opened. A woman dressed in golden attire no longer exuded her usual ease; instead, her hurried footsteps seemed to carry great anger. "Xu Qingchen!"

Xu Qingchen, who was resting his eyes, opened them and turned back calmly, furrowing his brows as he asked, "What's wrong" The woman swept her sleeves angrily, sending a green porcelain teacup crashing to the ground. "Tell me! How did they find out that you were here!" Xu Qingchen shook his head and said lightly, "I can't even leave my room here; how would I know this Did someone cause you trouble"

"How could you not know! You must have spread the news. Tell me, what did you use" The woman asked, trying to suppress her anger.

Xu Qingchen shook his head and sighed, "You think too highly of me. I'm just a weak scholar, not a hidden expert. Instead of worrying about this, it would be better if you considered whether you've offended anyone recently."

The woman snorted, saying, "How could I offend someone Except for that woman from Anxi... hahaha, her delicate fiancée seems to have caused trouble."

"I told you not to touch her," Xu Qingchen said solemnly.

The woman sneered, "Rest assured, your precious fiancée is unharmed. However… being fine now doesn't mean she will be later. The last time was just a scare tactic. By the way... it seems that her bodyguard's skills are quite good."

Xu Qingchen paid no heed to this, replying, "Are you referring to her personal guard Noble ladies of the Central Plains usually have several guards when they go out; nothing unusual about that."

"You trust her so much. Why don't we see if her bodyguard can truly protect her Who knows, maybe he'll develop feelings for her. After all, isn't it what women dream of—having a hero save them"

Xu Qingchen glanced at her and said, "Instead of wasting time here, why don’t you tell me what happened to make you so angry."

At this mention, the woman's face twisted under her mask. With hatred in her voice she spat, "Someone threw those assassins' corpses outside the Holy Maiden Hall!"

Xu Qingchen was somewhat surprised but soon relaxed. "Even if that happened, there’s no problem. Let the Kingdom of Nanzhao or the authorities handle it."

"That's out of the question! Don't tell me you don’t know—someone knowing about corpses outside the Holy Maiden Hall would make Anxi seize the chance to search through the hall. Hmph! You think I’m unaware She’s always wanted to meddle in the affairs there but lacks the authority!"

Xu Qingchen took a book and said, "If people knew about corpses outside the Holy Maiden Hall, Nanzhao's citizens would doubt the holiness of the Southern Border Holy Maiden. The most important issue is that with another year or two you could blame this on Chu or Western Li but now... you’re not even prepared to declare war against Chu."

The woman’s eyes darkened and she stared at him coldly, "You know too much; do you fear me killing you"

Xu Qingchen nodded slightly. “Because you still hope to learn more from me.”

"Indeed!" The woman admitted bluntly. "If not for your secret support of Anxi, she wouldn’t have won against me. If you can help her, why can't you help me"

Xu Qingchen shook his head. “I will not assist you.”

"You’ll come around!" the woman sneered. Xu Qingchen put down the book and looked at her with pity. "You are unsuitable for this role; every Southern Border Holy Maiden has been. Even if you’re smarter than them, you still can’t compare to Princess Anxi in governing a country."

The woman’s eyes flashed with anger as she retorted coldly, “Who says I’m not suitable You admit that I’m smarter than her.”

“You are merely better at scheming. But running a nation isn’t about plots; besides, your schemes aren't even effective.”

"So what if they’re not" She said arrogantly. "After all, you're in my hands now." Xu Qingchen smiled faintly without speaking. Seeing his calm demeanor, the woman felt intensely angry and spat out viciously, “You look down on me!”

Xu Qingchen frowned and replied, "I don’t look down on you; I just disagree with your methods."

"You know it! You do look down on me!" she screamed. "What do you know about my life What does Princess Anxi know that I don't Why is everything hers"

Xu Qingchen said, “You are the Southern Border Holy Maiden and highly respected.”

“Haha... Respect At three years old I never saw my mother. At five, I was alone. Forbidden to speak with servants or play outside, not allowed to cry, meet strangers, even feel affectionate. And when I'm 28, I must go to that cursed holy place—nobody wants to go there! All of Nanzhao is mine, everything belongs to me!” the woman shouted.

Xu Qingchen shook his head. "The life of a Southern Border Holy Maiden is indeed pitiful but it doesn’t include you. Nobody has ever restricted your actions; otherwise how would you have met Prince Li and clashed with Princess Anxi Moreover, a new Holy Maiden should have appeared two years ago—only she killed her. The latest age for becoming a Holy Maiden is 28, but most leave office before they turn 25."

“Anxi told you all this” The woman stared at him. "It seems she truly trusts you.Mo Xiuyao’s apologetic expression, she smiled faintly and said, “Of course it’s great to have time to travel around the mountains and rivers; however, if you want me to wander between different countr...