Chapter 221: A Single Thought Of Kindness

“Your Highness, General Yan and Lord Xie left instructions. Though the war has ceased, Xinzhou City may not be entirely peaceful. If you wish to leave the residence, your subordinates must inform the guards to accompany you. Please forgive us, Princess.”

The soldier guarding the courtyard gate knelt slightly in front of Shen Zhiyi, bowing with a hint of unease.

Shen Zhiyi clasped her hands in front of her, her gaze falling on the soldier before slowly shifting toward the courtyard gate. In the end, she withdrew her steps and suddenly lost interest in going out. She didn’t want to make things difficult for the soldier, so she gave a faint smile and said, “You’re right, it’s getting late and there’s nothing worth seeing outside. I won’t go out. You may rise.”

The soldier remained hesitant and unsure, not daring to stand just yet.

Shen Zhiyi sighed softly in her heart. She knew that if she didn’t return to her room, he’d probably keep kneeling. So she said no more and turned to head back.

But just as she reached the covered walkway, a voice unexpectedly came from beyond the gate.

“Your humble servant Zhou Yinzhi, here to pay respects. Requesting an audience with the Princess.”

Shen Zhiyi halted at once, her brows knitting slightly in surprise. She turned her head—and sure enough, it was Zhou Yinzhi.

He walked in through the gate.

The soldier dared not stop him.

Shen Zhiyi had almost no interaction with Zhou Yinzhi. The only connection might be that he had been sent to the border by her imperial brother, Shen Lang. But even back during the arranged marriage, she had seen things clearly: no matter how noble her status, in the eyes of the one who sat on the throne, she was no more than a disposable pawn. The court had never cared whether she lived or died, and Zhou Yinzhi had only ever saluted her once—at the New Year’s celebration banquet.

So what was he doing here now?

She looked at him and said, “I share no deep connection with Lord Zhou. Your visit to pay respects seems unnecessary. Is something the matter?”

Though Zhou Yinzhi knew this princess had once been abandoned by the court, an abandoned pawn returning during such a pivotal moment was now of uncommon value.

He had come under orders from Shen Lang.

Even sensing Shen Zhiyi’s guardedness and coldness, he did not mind. Instead, he stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Though this humble servant has little interaction with Your Highness, I come under orders—first, to deliver an imperial edict; second, to escort Your Highness back to the capital. I had heard that Your Highness was in poor health and that the young prince still needed rest, making travel difficult. Might Your Highness now be considering a return to the capital?”

Shen Zhiyi remained silent.

Zhou Yinzhi, however, smiled slightly and continued, “You are a most noble imperial princess—naturally, you may go wherever you please. If there is no plan to return to the capital for now, that’s perfectly fine. I shall report this back to His Majesty. However, the road to the capital is long, and His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and Prince Linzi are all deeply concerned about Your Highness. When I departed the capital, I happened to meet Prince Linzi, who specially wrote a letter for me to deliver to Your Highness personally.”

A most noble imperial princess—naturally, you may go wherever you please.

Shen Zhiyi faintly sensed a hidden meaning in his words.

She looked at the letter Zhou Yinzhi pulled from his sleeve, but for a moment, she did not extend her hand to receive it.

Given Shen Jie’s kind-hearted nature, it was indeed possible he had written to her.

But Shen Lang was certainly no benevolent ruler.

If this truly was a letter Shen Jie had intercepted Zhou Yinzhi to deliver, someone as sharp and politically savvy as Zhou Yinzhi would never so easily hand it over. Either the letter had already been read… or—

This letter wasn’t from Shen Jie at all!

Zhou Yinzhi saw that she hadn’t taken it, yet he didn’t withdraw his hand—simply maintaining the gesture of offering it.

After a long pause, Shen Zhiyi finally reached out.

The thin letter passed into her hands.

Zhou Yinzhi smiled and said, “His Majesty misses Your Highness deeply. Knowing you are safe brings him great joy. When you return to the capital, he will surely wash away all the dust of the frontier for you.”

Shen Zhiyi looked at the envelope but gave no reply.

Knowing he was not welcome in Xinzhou, Zhou Yinzhi said no more. He bowed again and retreated.

He exited the courtyard.

The soldiers at the gate still stood solemnly on either side.

Shen Zhiyi remained standing under the eaves for a long time, gazing up at the darkening sky. She suddenly felt that the sorrow she had once known hadn’t faded with the hardships of the past two years—it had merely taken on a new form, still lingering in her heart, difficult to dispel.

The butcher holds the knife; I am but the meat.

Whether in the palace, among the Tatars, or even here in Xinzhou, in the General’s Residence…

The weak are always pawns in the game.

---

The situation in Xinzhou City had already been thoroughly grasped by Zhou Yinzhi. At this moment, he couldn’t help but marvel at Shen Lang’s foresight and imperial cunning. If the court had truly left Xinzhou to fend for itself, Yan Lin would surely rebel one day. But by sending him here, they could not only pressure these rebels but also trap them in a dilemma—

No matter whether she returned to the capital or not, they’d be put in a reactive position.

If she returned to the capital, she’d surely go alone; if she didn’t return, Shen Zhiyi was still a princess—how could she truly be left to act freely and without restraint?

Still, throughout the journey, he hadn’t dared to open the letter.

He’d secretly touched it several times and could clearly feel a small, hard object inside—this was definitely more than just a simple sheet of paper.

Zhou Yinzhi mulled it over. He figured his mission in Xinzhou was nearly complete—except for one thing…

For some reason, thinking of it made him uneasy.

He walked forward with his hands behind his back and had just turned a corner when he saw someone approaching from ahead. The figure was delicate and calm, with refined features, carrying a few account books. She was moving her lips slightly while walking, counting on her fingers, seemingly working out some calculation.

Zhou Yinzhi stopped and cupped his hands in greeting. “Miss You, what a coincidence to meet again.”

You Fangyin paused, just now noticing him.

She stopped walking too, though she kept her distance. After all, Second Miss had warned her to be wary of this man. Though she felt some uncertainty, she remained courteous but distant, saying, “Greetings, Lord Zhou.”

Zhou Yinzhi glanced at the account books in her hands and said, “I’ve noticed a lot of activity around the residence these days. It seems you and Boss Ren have been purchasing many supplies—are you preparing to return to Shu soon? I must say, it’s surprising how much people have changed after these two years. Back when I was in prison, helping Miss You locate those account books, I never imagined you’d become so capable. Truly, appearances can be deceiving.”

Indeed, Zhou Yinzhi had helped her a great deal back then.

You Fangyin, kind-hearted by nature, couldn’t bear to be cold to him entirely. Her expression softened slightly and she smiled gently. “It’s just a small business—things like tea and fabric. Xinzhou’s local goods are scarce, so there’s not much to expand.”

Zhou Yinzhi had intended it as small talk, but when he heard the word “tea,” he suddenly recalled something—on the city gate tower that day, Jiang Xuening had mentioned Aunt Yao’s tea brewing.

That look on her face that day had left a lingering sense of unease in him.

His eyes flickered slightly, though he remained casual as he said to You Fangyin, “I’ve had quite a lot of tea in the capital that was supplied by your chamber of commerce—you, the guild leader. How could that be considered a small business? I even heard some of your teas are better than those in the palace.”

At the mention of the palace, You Fangyin didn’t dare reply too freely, afraid of drawing trouble to herself. She quickly said, “You jest. Tea matters across the realm are always handled with strict hierarchy. The best teas are always set aside for tribute first. As merchants, we can only negotiate with tea farmers once the tribute periods have passed. If officials from the prefectures are late in collecting their tributes, we still have to wait for them to select the top batches before we can take what’s left. We would never dare overstep our bounds.”

At that moment, the corner of Zhou Yinzhi’s eye twitched slightly.

Once the tribute period ends…

He finally realized what had been bothering him since that day atop the city gate.

He’d slipped.

Zhou Yinzhi’s heart sank.

You Fangyin hadn’t noticed anything amiss. She continued in a soft voice, “It’s really been too busy in Xinzhou this time, and there hasn’t been time for proper thanks. If I ever go to the capital, I’ll be sure to visit and express my gratitude to Lord Zhou for the help back then.”

With that, she gave a courteous bow and was about to walk on.

At first, Zhou Yinzhi said nothing. It wasn’t until he cupped his hands to bid her farewell and they had already brushed past one another that he suddenly turned back, as if remembering something, and called out, “Miss You, did you also purchase a good amount of Xinzhou’s local tea this time?”

You Fangyin paused and turned back. “That’s right.”

Zhou Yinzhi then smiled, seeming a little sheepish, and said, “I’m just a rough fellow who doesn’t understand tea. But I do have a concubine at home who’s quite fond of it—she came from a tea farming family and had a difficult life. I’ll be leaving the borderlands and returning to the capital in the next few days, and I do have an impolite request. The tea Miss You has purchased must be of excellent quality—might I trouble you to spare me a little to take back with me? I’d like her to have a taste.”

You Fangyin was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Yinzhi quickly added, “I’ll pay whatever it costs, of course. But if Miss You is too busy, that’s fine—I can always ask someone else.”

His manner was humble, and he mentioned a concubine at home.

Although You Fangyin didn’t know who this woman was, she recalled that Zhou Yinzhi had helped her in the past, and now, after traveling all the way to Xinzhou, he still thought of someone back home. Her heart softened slightly. This wasn’t a big request, so she nodded. “It’s no trouble. The tea from the border region is a bit coarse, though—I fear it might not suit her taste. Let me put these account books away. Lord Zhou may come with me to fetch it.”

Zhou Yinzhi thanked her politely.

You Fangyin led the way, and he followed behind.

But as soon as she turned her back, a shadow fell over Zhou Yinzhi’s face. After a moment of hesitation, his expression hardened into grim resolve: The flaw had been exposed, and at this point, there was no room left for choice. He would press on, come what may—perhaps, from danger, fortune could still be seized.

---

Jiang Xuening had finished dinner, washed up, and was just about to undo her hair and prepare for bed.

She hadn’t expected someone to come that night.

It was Jian Shu, outside, his voice noticeably tense and heavy: “Miss Ning, the people we sent to gather intelligence have returned with an urgent update. Zhou Yinzhi entered Guanzhong in late December, but not via the official road from the capital. Someone saw him coming from the southwest—from Shu! It seems he went to Shu first before arriving in Xinzhou!”

Jiang Xuening’s fingers, holding her ebony comb, froze in place. A chill shot up her spine in an instant.

Her thoughts raced—and all she could feel was dread.

What had Zhou Yinzhi gone to Shu for?

With a snap, the comb was thrown back onto the vanity. A spark of realization lit in her mind, and an ominous feeling surged up, making her spring to her feet. She flung the door open and strode straight past Jian Shu, heading swiftly toward the courtyard where You Fangyin lived.

She only said, “Get someone to notify Ren Weizhi! Tell Dao Qin to seize Zhou Yinzhi before he escapes—and make sure no one from his party moves a step!”

Jian Shu dared not delay and followed her out immediately, sending orders down the chain.

Jiang Xuening didn’t dare stop for even a moment.

The closer she got to You Fangyin’s quarters, the louder her heartbeat grew. Even the lanterns hanging under the eaves seemed to blur her vision.

But just as she stepped through the courtyard gate—

Her footsteps halted.

A faint scent of blood lingered in the dim courtyard.

Dao Qin had just stepped out from inside, apparently rushing out to find someone, but now froze in place, standing at the door. A fresh cut bled down his cheek, and in his hand, he still clutched a blood-streaked blade, trembling with confused panic.

He saw Jiang Xuening.

His lips moved, hesitant to meet her gaze. After a moment, he finally choked out, “Miss Ning…”

At that instant, Jiang Xuening’s ears buzzed and her vision swam—her body felt weightless and heavy all at once. She could barely remain standing.

The dim lamplight flickered.

Through the wide-open door, vivid red blood stained the floor, slowly seeping through the cracks between the tiles, pooling at the threshold, soaking into a patch of deep, dark color.

“Fangyin! Fangyin—!”

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