"Clang, clang, clang!"
The sounds of fighting were rather abrupt in the silent night. For the alert Li Yue Shu, she was almost instantly awakened from her dreams.
She rushed over, only to see a figure suddenly drop from the wall.
Li Yue Shu was just about to attack, but her movements paused when she saw that splash of red.
The sounds of fighting stopped at that moment, and the Prince's Mansion's pursuers did not break into Ru Mo Ju.
Hong Dai put away her weapon, her posture returning to one of boneless grace.
Li Yue Shu retracted her scalpel into her spatial storage and looked at her suspiciously, "Why are you barging in here in the middle of the night?"
"Isn't it to see you, you heartless wretch?" Hong Dai looked wronged, "You ordered me to travel thousands of miles to Chong Zhou for business, and after arriving for a few days, you didn't come to find me, but instead moved into another man's home. I thought you had forgotten about me!"
Faced with her demeanor, even Li Yue Shu, a woman, couldn't help but feel a shiver.
She quickly pushed Hong Dai away as she leaned closer and asked, "Are you alone?"
Hong Dai pouted, no longer leaning forward, "Of course, I'm alone. Do you think the Regent's Mansion is a place you can just barge into if you have enough people?"
Li Yue Shu didn't quite understand her meaning.
Hadn't she barged in unharmed all by herself?
Seeing Li Yue Shu's expression, Hong Dai knew what she was thinking.
She clicked her tongue, "This is the Regent's Mansion. Without the nod from the Lord upstairs, not even a fly could get in. Do you really think my martial arts are that high?"
Li Yue Shu finally understood.
No wonder the fighting had stopped as soon as Hong Dai entered, and no guards had come in. They had intentionally let her in.
Hong Dai moved her shoulders, some resentment in her voice, "However, the people in the Regent's Mansion are truly unromantic. They were so ruthless towards me, a weak woman."
Li Yue Shu: "..."
Weak woman?
She seemed to have a deep misunderstanding of herself.
Li Yue Shu turned and walked into the house, adding, "This is probably a deliberate lesson for you. Although you were allowed in, you must understand that the Regent's Mansion is not a place anyone can just trespass into."
If it were her, she would have done the same.
Hong Dai pursed her lips and quickly followed.
As soon as she entered, she curiously observed the room's decoration.
Seeing this luxurious and exquisite room, even the well-traveled Hong Dai couldn't help but exclaim, "What a display, truly worthy of Ru Mo Ju!"
Hearing this, Li Yue Shu turned her head curiously, "You know Ru Mo Ju?"
Ru Mo Ju was just one of the many courtyards in the mansion, but from Hong Dai's words, it seemed this courtyard had a story.
Hong Dai's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she asked with some curiosity, "You haven't heard that the plaque of Ru Mo Ju was personally inscribed by the Empress?"
Li Yue Shu nodded but still looked confused.
Seeing this, Hong Dai was amused.
Qin Mo Yuan had arranged things quite well, but unfortunately, the other party couldn't grasp his intentions at all.
Hong Dai couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude and did not intend to reveal anything, directly changing the subject, "I've found out what you asked me to investigate."
Li Yue Shu naturally sensed that she was hiding something and was about to ask, when Hong Dai directly said, "The Crimson Flame Vine is indeed the dowry of Princess Yong He, but the fire at the Ting Mansion back then destroyed everything. If the Crimson Flame Vine wasn't destroyed, it must have been hidden somewhere else."
Li Yue Shu's attention was instantly diverted.
What was the Ting Mansion?
What was its connection to Princess Yong He?
She had doubts in her heart but did not ask, instead changing the question, "Where is Princess Yong He now?"
"The Imperial Temple," Hong Dai said, half-reclining on the soft couch. "The Princess Consort and their two children all died in that fire. Princess Yong He was so overcome with grief that she voluntarily requested to enter the Imperial Temple, taking refuge as a nun."
She leaned back lazily, "The Imperial Temple is not a place ordinary people can enter, but with the Regent here, it won't be difficult for you to get in."
After all, she was currently residing in Ru Mo Ju.
Li Yue Shu also thought of Qin Mo Yuan, a plan subtly forming in her mind.
At the same time, she remembered another matter, "Sister Hong Dai, have you chosen a location for the new medicine hall?"
She had asked Hong Dai to come to Chong Zhou in advance not just to buy a house.
And Hong Dai was willing to help out of course not for free.
Li Yue Shu had agreed to give up a portion of the dividends from Heng De Medicine Hall, in exchange for Ming Yue Lou providing her with any intelligence information she needed, free of charge.
Given the current situation of Heng De Medicine Hall, Hong Dai was at a disadvantage.
But she had known Li Yue Shu for so long, and had witnessed the growth of both her restaurants and medicine halls, so she naturally understood Li Yue Shu's potential.
Therefore, Hong Dai agreed without hesitation and even personally came to Chong Zhou to handle this matter.
"I've selected a few locations, take a look." She took out a slip of paper, on which the selected addresses and their surroundings were clearly marked.
After a long while, Li Yue Shu pointed to two of the addresses, "In a few days, we'll go and check out these two places."
Hong Dai glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
In a few days?
She was afraid that in a few days, the Regent wouldn't let her leave!
Hong Dai wore an expression of amusement, with no intention of exposing anything.
She feared that if she spoke too much, that cold-faced King of Hell, Qin Mo Yuan, would render her speechless for the rest of her life.
The night had deepened, and Hong Dai had planned to stay the night. However, before she had even fully removed her shoes, Xing He suddenly appeared, "Miss Hong Dai, it's getting late. Please return soon and do not disturb Miss Li's rest."
This was a blatant request to leave, even a fool could understand.
Hong Dai: "...But I want to stay here tonight?"
Xing He's expression was serious as he gripped the saber at his waist, "Then Miss Hong Dai, please don't blame me for being merciless."
His master had been extremely angry with him lately. If he let another woman stay in Ru Mo Ju, he would be skin and bones even if he didn't die.
Hong Dai noticed his movement, and after considering the difference in their martial arts, she silently put on the shoes she had half-removed.
However, before leaving, she gave Li Yue Shu a mournful look.
Li Yue Shu couldn't help but want to laugh, but she didn't say much, as this was Qin Mo Yuan's territory after all.
Ever since Hong Dai impersonated an assassin and helped her expose Qin Mo Yuan's disguise, these two had always been at odds.
Because of this, Li Yue Shu didn't think much about Qin Mo Yuan's insistence on driving Hong Dai away.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, after everyone had finished breakfast, Li Yue Shu proactively approached Qin Mo Yuan, expressing her desire to visit the Imperial Temple.
Clever Qin Mo Yuan instantly guessed that it was the news Hong Dai had brought last night.
He pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "You want to directly ask Qin Yi Jia for the medicine?"
Li Yue Shu looked up at him, then shook her head, "I don't want her to know that my target is the Crimson Flame Vine."
She had promised A Wen that she would never abandon them in exchange for medicine, so she couldn't let Qin Yi Jia know her true intentions yet.