In a dilapidated wooden hut deep in the bamboo forest on the outskirts of the city, a dark guard had been waiting with his pack. Xue Zileng said to the female dark guard with a curvaceous figure, "She's too badly injured, you bandage her first, this place isn't suitable for staying long either. Later I'll take her away, and you continue to stay in the capital to gather information."

  "Yes."

  **

  Xue Zileng changed into the attire of a rustic mountain villager, pulled an ordinary horse cart, and took He Le'an to rush towards Mount Yuelu. However, whether it was the mountain path or other roads leading to Mount Yuelu, there were already large numbers of government soldiers waiting for them.

  Zhang Sun's face turned cold and stern, "Xue Zilian, leave He Le'an behind, I can spare your life!"

  "She has always been A Ruo's wife, why must you put her to death? She can't possibly harm Little Aunt!"

  "The facts are right in front of you, but you just don't believe it. The breakfast and utensils were all prepared by her. Mother had an accident after eating, who else could it be?! Chong Sun Qian said, "For your sake, I've screened everyone in the mansion again, but I couldn't find anyone suspicious! I don't want to wrongly accuse Ah Ruo's beloved wife either, but how can I ignore mother's injustice?!"

  "I also hope that Xiao Yi can rest in peace. But it's not just a matter of randomly pulling someone out to fill the quota, other cases also need time for careful investigation, why is it that when it comes to Xiao Yi and He Le'an, they have to rush to conclude the case?"

  "Because apart from her, no one else can harm my mother so directly and quickly, Your Majesty also agrees with this reasoning. The lower officials in the mansion have investigated several times, even if you don't want to believe it, that's the fact!" Zhong Sunying didn't want to argue with him anymore, raised his hand and waved, the officers and soldiers rushed towards Xue Zileng one after another.

  Two fists are hard to contend with four hands, Xue Zilian didn't think of wasting his energy entangling with them from the start, he picked up He Le'an and escaped with lightness skill, even though the guards were hot on their heels, in the end they even deployed archers, but he never thought of giving her up for a moment, while Zhong Sunqian shot an arrow at his leg!

  "A-Leng, as long as you leave her behind, I can still forgive your numerous crimes!" Zhong Sun Qian threatened.

  Xue Zileng didn't pay attention to him and directly ran forward, Zhong Sunqian shot an arrow aiming at his back, but because he suddenly jumped, missed it. He only heard the cold command, "Pursue, absolutely cannot let them go!"

  He had thought that no matter what, he could take her to a temporarily safe place, but unexpectedly, Zhong Sunqian had applied medicine to the arrow. As his internal energy circulated, Xue Zileng's consciousness began to scatter. He bit his lip until it was bloody and sweet in his throat, telling himself to stay awake for just a little longer, to continue escaping. But he couldn't hold on for much longer, and soon fell into the grass, sinking into boundless darkness. Before that, he only felt a black shadow silently falling not far away.

  **

  The sweet taste entered her dream, He Le'an woke up dazed and confused, and the luxurious decoration of the room caught her eye. She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, her whole body ached and she gasped in pain. The door suddenly opened, and a man dressed in black told someone outside, "The master is awake."

  "Your Majesty?"

  He Le'an gazed at him blankly, then a middle-aged fat man came over with a medical box on his back, carefully and conscientiously taking her pulse, and then said to the black-clothed man, "There's no major problem, just normal rest and recuperation will do, because the medicine used from the beginning was very good, there won't be any sequelae left behind, please rest assured."

  She suddenly remembered Xue Ziliang who had rescued her from the prison cell, "Where's Young Master Xue?" This might be his place too.

  "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The one who saved your life is fine." Just then, another man dressed in black came in and said with a familiar tone, "He's resting in another room."

  He Le'an gazed at them blankly, "You... why are you calling me Master? Isn't this Xue Shizi's place?"

  "You are our Cloud Country's future monarch, we must show respect to you. This is the Jade Terrace and I am Mu Yi."

  "!" She remembered that Zhong Sunyue and the others had told her that Yao Tai was an assassin organization. They only did things that bought people's lives, as long as they could afford the price, no matter who they wanted to kill, they would accept it. He Le'an covered up the shock at the bottom of his eyes, "Are you mistaken? How could I possibly be the future of Yun Guo——"

  He suddenly pulled out a small glass ball, the ball had rows of small holes, and inside was a blue insect. He walked closer to her, first wiping his own hand with blood stains dripping into the ball, the blue insect remained motionless. He then grabbed her hand, wiped it with blood stains, and the blue insect suddenly violently shrieked and collided inside the ball. He laughed and said:

  "This is the proof, you are the last royal bloodline of our Cloud Nation."

  “……”Since they knew that the jade pendant with the character "Shan" on it was related to the affairs of Yun Guo, they had been trying to find out more about Yun Guo. However, there were very few things they could investigate about this small country. He Le An's previous guess that her mother was from Yun Guo, but she never thought that her mother would actually be a member of the royal family of Yun Guo.

  He Le'an pursed her lips and said, "I want to see Xue Shizi."

  "He hasn't woken up yet, if you're asking about Zhong Sunyu's matter, I can also answer you."

  "What's going on with Ye Ming now!" He Le'an asked anxiously.

  Mu Ge said, "The injury is too severe and he has not yet come to his senses. However, with the Emperor's favor, he should be fine. But you have been accused of plotting against Concubine Qin, murdering your husband, colluding with Ying Dong, and attempting to rebel. You are now wanted nationwide."

  "...It's as if everything has been said by Zhong Sun-yue, but why did he suddenly become like this? She believes that under Zhong Sun-yue's control, there are no spies from the wise king around him, it all happened too strangely, she still feels like a dream, but when Zhong Sun-yue was injured, it was real, and when she was flogged, it was also real."

  "You must be hungry, I'll order someone to prepare porridge for you. Do you prefer sweet or salty flavor?"

  "This is really considerate," He Le'an said, "I don't have much of an appetite. I still want to know the specific news about the capital city. Did Xue Shizi's rescue of me implicate the Jun Ning Hou Fu? What about Huiyu and Shi Qinghe? And what about our main family in Fengzhou City?"

  "No. Before he went to save you, he wrote a letter of disownment and from now on is no longer a person of the Jun Ning Marquis Manor. Zhong Sun Yan after all has familial affection and did not punish Xue Hui Yu and her fiancé, but they were both placed under house arrest. Also, he was put on wanted list."

  He Lian's weak hand slowly clenched into a fist.

  "Your Excellency has just awakened and should not worry excessively. I will keep an eye on the movements in the capital for you. Please take good care of your body to recover our Cloud Country. For the sake of avenging the thousands of innocent lives and your blood relatives, we will shed blood in Zhonglin Country and Tonghui Country."

  "...", but in her heart, there was only Zhong Sunyu.

  **

  He Le'an didn't have the slightest bit of sleepiness, sat by the headboard, and her thoughts kept wandering. It seemed like she wanted to clarify what had happened recently, but now that she was investigating, what made her most suspicious was still Zhong Sunqian's abnormal behavior - to take a step back, if he suspected her, there should be some process, but from the very beginning, he was certain of her guilt.

  That day, when Zhong Sunying made a move to kill Zhong Sunxu, she saw clearly the look of disbelief on his face. This made her deny that they were just acting out a play. She also didn't think that Zhong Sunxu would be willing to push her out to perform some kind of trick without discussing it with her at all. Now, there was even a killer organization from Yao Tai coming out, wanting her to restore the Cloud Country.

  Her mind was a mess, this life's affairs and the previous life's affairs were all tangled together like a ball of hemp, wrapping her up so tightly she could hardly breathe. What she couldn't stop thinking about was Zhong Sunyu, whose life or death was still uncertain. A chill seemed to rise from the soles of her feet to her heart, as if it didn't want to leave.

  Knock knock, the door was carefully knocked on, and He Le'an said, "Come in."

  "Your Majesty, Master Xue has awakened," reported Hong Zhang, her maid, who had been sent by the Empress Dowager to take care of her.

  He Le'an was overjoyed, and she quickly got out of bed, ignoring the pain from her wound. "I want to see him!" In a strange place like this, being able to see someone familiar was already a rare stroke of luck for her.

  **

  In the similarly decorated room, Xue Zilei sat pale-faced on the bed, watching He Le'an rush in. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, this place is a hundred times safer than a prison cell."

  He Lian was really impressed that he still had the mood to make jokes at this time. She waved her hand to signal the maids in the house and those who followed her to retreat, and when the door closed, she asked: "How's your injury? Is it serious?"

  Xue Zilian said, "It's not serious, just a bit of poisonous torture."

  "This is Yao Tai's place." He Luan said, "They say I am of royal blood from the Cloud Country."

  "Things are developing more and more like a play on stage."

  "But I don't want to be the main character."

  "Anyway, this is a good place to recover from injuries, for both of us," Xue Zileng said. "You don't have to worry, no matter what Ah Yue says, he's Zhong Sunqian's own brother, he won't really take his life."

  He shook his head and said, "He's coming for real. The sword that pierced Ye Ming, I saw it clearly. Even if he spared his life, he wouldn't let him off scot-free." At least not before she died, "Now you and I are both wanted criminals. You've paid too much for me, it's really not worth it."

  "There's nothing worth or not worth it, for Ah Yue and Zhuan Zhuan's spring scroll, even if it's for Huiyu that girl, I couldn't ignore you, let alone the fact that blood ties can't be cut off. I'm just not bothered with those fame and wealth, parents are still parents, brothers and sisters are still brothers and sisters." Xue Zileng said, "Besides, I believe you." She and Zhong Sun Yue loved each other, without any reason to harm the humble king's consort.

  "Thanks for believing me." He Lian'an smiled, curling up his lips.

  **

  Perhaps the medicine given to her by Mu Jin was very effective, and in just seven or eight days, the terrifying scars on her body gradually healed. The maidservants served her attentively, almost catering to her every need, and there were no restrictions on her personal freedom; she could go wherever she wanted.

  Although there were many black-clad guards everywhere, they wouldn't stare at her with unblinking eyes, making her feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it was just because they were certain that she, who had no martial arts skills, couldn't escape from this place, so they acted like this.

  It was still the same doctor who changed the dressing for Xue Zileng. He Lei'an was afraid that they would not take care of Xue Zileng as well as she did, so he almost came every day to watch the doctor change his dressing. Fortunately, they were still taking good care of him, and the wound where he was shot by an arrow was healing at a visible rate. She put her mind at ease a little.

  Whenever Xun couldn't find anyone in her room, she would automatically go to Xue Zilei's room. Although it was just a garden away, he still admired He Le'an's determination to run to Xue Zilei's room every day. And each time he went to Xue Zilei's room, he would first bow to He Le'an and then say:

  "Tonghui country's envoy has arrived in the capital, it is the Seventh Princess Nangong Jiaqian and the Crown Prince of Xie Zheng, Nangong Qinglan. The ones who received them are the Eldest Son of the Emperor, Zhongsun Yining, the Wing King, and Zhongsun Shaojie, the Lazy King. It's said that Nangong Qinglan came this time to visit relatives."

  "This commotion has nothing to do with us anymore," said He Lian.

  Mu Ge smiled and said, "It's related." Seeing her puzzled look at him, he continued, "In order to provoke a conflict between Zhong Lin and Tong Hui, we have replaced the Seventh Princess with a substitute who will assassinate Emperor Hui Xi. The Crown Prince of Xie will also die on the spot."

  "No way," said He Le An, "can't kill innocent people!"

  Mu Ge's expression turned cold and stern, "If you say innocent, wasn't our Cloud Country also innocent?! When they joined forces to slaughter my country, did they ever think about the innocence of the civilians or the desolation of the imperial family? Your mother was murdered to death! They didn't even know that their parents were killed by the Emperor's concubine, all for a treasure map, and now they want to exterminate our last remaining bloodline!"

  "If it weren't for the first leader of Yao Tai who vowed to protect your mother with his life and escaped, but unfortunately died halfway due to injuries and was picked up by Lao Zhuo Yi Bo, would you think you could still be born in this world?!" Mu Ge said, "Our Yun country has been thinking about guarding a clean land for generations, getting a place to settle down, but they don't care about the means, using all their strength, and want to slaughter our bloodline!"

  "Do you know how the 44th Female Emperor of Yun Country was killed? The brilliant Prince Tong Hui was left to die, but was rescued by the people of Yun Country. He then gradually gained the trust of the Female Emperor and eventually joined forces with the previous emperor, trampling on the imperial bloodline! Even when the Female Emperor offered to hand over the treasure map in exchange for sparing her people, they still wanted everyone in Yun Country to die! You may not have experienced it personally, but after years of fighting at the borders, can't you imagine that atmosphere of death?"

  "It's just that, unlike when fighting at the border, in your imagination, those who fell were all your own flesh and blood!"

  "Our Mu family has been the loyal servant of the Yun family for generations, we were born to assist and support the master of the Yun family. These are the bloody histories that I've heard since birth from my ancestors, generation after generation, can you imagine? I was born to assist you!"

  There was a visible hatred in his eyes, but He Lian didn't know if it was directed at her as the last bloodline of the Yun Kingdom's imperial family or at those who had destroyed the Yun Kingdom. She pursed her lips and said, "You can, but don't tell me about any related matters from now on."

  Mugun looked at her stubborn appearance with her eyes downcast, silent for half a moment. He turned and left.

  After a long silence, Xue Zilian broke the silence and said, "He Liu, are you okay?"

  "I'm thinking of what he said, that my mother was murdered." He Lan said, "I wasn't born for long, and my mother passed away. My grandmother said she died of depression, her life was ruined by my father. At that time, she didn't know whether she was the biological daughter of Old Zhuo Yibo or the legitimate miss of the Zhuo Yibo Mansion, just because of my father's foolishness. And for me in her belly, she became a concubine."

  "What I know about my mother's affairs were all told by my grandmother, she was a particularly bright and clever person."

  Later, I also learned from my uncle that the reason she left Zhuo Yi Bo's mansion for Jianing Hou's mansion was because of a quarrel with He Shi. He spoke in a reserved manner, but judging from He Shi's cruel nature, it's not hard to imagine that it was all caused by He Shi's meddling. Therefore, on that day, I didn't let her off lightly, and a large part of the reason was to avenge my mother.

  She tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I care about my mother because my grandmother has been telling me about her since I was a child, and I also understand Mu Ge's feelings, but...my impression of my biological grandparents is hard to make me empathize, I still can't do it for Yun Guo, even if it means using every trick in the book to teach Zhong Lin and Tong Hui a lesson."

  Originally, I only sought a husband as ordinary as possible to spend the rest of my life with, but unexpectedly fell under the gentle spell of Marquis Chong Sun Yue. Later, I only wanted to live a peaceful life with him, be a small town tycoon who doesn't feel pain or itch, and raise children together. However, I still didn't expect that as time went on, troubles piled up, and I sank deeper, unable to extricate myself.

  Xue Zi Leng said, "Just do what you think is right."

  He Lan looked at him dazedly, "In the past, Ye Ming would also say such things to me." She really missed him.

  Xue coldly smiled and said, "Wait until I'm healed, then I'll take you to see him."

  **

  Humble and kind prince's mansion, another secret room in Xue Lou.

  Zhang Sun Qiang slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Still can't find them? What am I feeding you for? You can't even find two people!"

  The lone kneeling guard trembled and said, "Your subordinates have been searching day and night, but the Princess of Yue and Xue Shizi are like they vanished into thin air, without even a trace left behind. It's feared that they may no longer be in the capital..."

  "It's impossible." Zhong Sun interrupted, "A Leng has been shot and poisoned, the Princess of Yue is also seriously injured, it's impossible for them to run far. Continue searching, if you can't find them, come back and see me, remember, don't hurt them again!"

  "Yes." After the dark guard left, another dark guard came in with a bow.

  He knelt down on one knee and said, "Reporting to the young master, King Rui is still as usual, occasionally receiving guests, occasionally going out for a stroll, and his men have not found Princess Yue of Vietnam and Xue Shizi. Today, he has also added more manpower to search for them, and even Dongfang Er has taken action."

  "Go tell His Majesty, as expected, King Rui intends to take in the Princess of Yue, but the Princess has lost her trace and we can't find her. Now even the plan to deceive Duke Yue is unlikely to succeed. The top priority should be to dispatch people to search for the Princess of Yue and Xue Shizi."

  If this plan, called He Le'an and Xue Zileng both unexpected, then Zhong Sunyue and his mother woke up. It must be that he cannot be spared, regardless of whether he is listening to Emperor Hui or not, or whether it is a helpless move forced by Emperor Hui.

  **

  The moon seemed to have been secretly hidden away, the inky night sky was dark and heavy, not a single star's faint light could be seen. He Lian and Xue Zi-Leng wandered around this large mansion, seemingly aimlessly, but as they walked further into the remote areas, they quietly slipped out unnoticed. What they didn't expect was that this mansion was actually built right under the Imperial City - it truly was the most dangerous place, yet also the safest.

  Because tonight is a palace feast, Mu Jin and the others have taken action. All the dignitaries in the capital who can attend are unwilling to miss it, which is exactly the right time for them to sneak back to Qianqin Wangfu to visit Zhong Sunyu. Although Zhong Sunyu is staying home to observe mourning rites, Xue Zileng still has the dark guards left behind in the capital to use, so they have come despite the risk.

  Following the familiar yet secretive route to the main bedroom of Zhutouyuan, Xue Zileng only wanted to lift a tile to let He Le'an take a look at Zhong Sunyu inside when several sharp flying darts suddenly shot towards them. He waved his sleeve to block them and saw that those darts had an eerie green glow on them, obviously coated with poison.

  The guards in the Bamboo Cutter's residence heard the noise and shouted angrily, "Who!"

  At the sound of this order, all the guards in the house rushed out. Xue Zileng had no choice but to pick up He Le'an and turn around to escape. However, those flying darts were like vengeful spirits, chasing after them relentlessly. He blew his whistle, and the dark guard appeared to escort them. A large group of assassins blocked their way in a small alley beside the Wang Mansion. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the dark guard intercepted the assassins, Xue Zileng took He Le'an away.

  At the same time, the patrol team that was usually slow and sluggish suddenly arrived quickly, and the deputy general in charge looked at them coldly and said: "It's actually two wanted criminals, come on, catch them quickly!"

  Xue Zileng was about to respond casually when several black figures suddenly appeared, and He Le'an exclaimed: "Qingsen!"

  "Go!" Aomori said, and with that, he led his troops in a charge towards the Chōshū army's camp.

  Xue Zileng knew he was Zhong Sunyue's undercover guard left for He Le'an, and immediately took He Le'an away without hesitation. However, they were like insects trapped in a spider web, and before they could take a few steps, another group of unidentified black-clad men jumped out to capture them. Soon after, the guards from the Qianqin Wangfu chased out, demanding their surrender. Taking advantage of the chaos when the two groups clashed, he slipped away and fled swiftly.

  Just as they thought they could escape, a strong gust of wind brought dozens of poisonous flying darts, Xue Zileng dodged and turned to see a burly figure, with more than 20 experts, surrounding them in the dark alley. The leader was none other than General Andong, the younger brother of Empress Wanhuang. He said:

  "A fugitive dares to return with such arrogance, don't blame us for showing no mercy."

  He waved his hand, and those masters rushed towards them. Normally, Xue Zileng could dodge and even be unscathed, but now he had to protect He Le'an as well. As a result, it was not only strenuous for him to cope with the situation, but he also gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. At this moment, several smoke bombs exploded nearby, and a familiar voice shouted, "Quickly leave!"

  Upon hearing this, Xue Zilian immediately abandoned all thoughts of fighting and quickly fled with He Le'an. However, the opponent seemed to have anticipated this move and put on a defensive mask before charging forward with his sword pointed directly at He Le'an's back!