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It had to be said that he had never shown his face before Young Master Liang Xiao. If only he could...

Shen Zhi's lips moved as if to speak, but suddenly, he heard a commotion outside. It sounded like his personal attendant was intercepting someone.

Upon closer listening, he realized it was Rong Shu.

Nanny Zhang recognized Rong Shu's voice even sooner than Shen Zhi. Her expression changed slightly as she said, "It's Miss."

However, she quickly regained her composure and pulled out a letter from her bosom. Addressing Shen Zhi, she said, "Since the item has already been delivered, you should leave Yangzhou for Fu Jian before Liang Xiao is killed. The matter there cannot wait. If things go south in Yangzhou, we'll have to come up with a new plan."

Shen Zhi nodded solemnly and glanced at the letter. It was a letter from Zhen Niang to Zhaozhao.

As Rong Shu stepped through the Moon Cave Gate into the Three Reflections Hall, she saw Nanny Zhang walking out of the corridor with a letter in hand.

"Miss, you're just in time," Nanny Zhang smiled. "This is a letter your uncle brought back earlier. Since you weren't here, I came to fetch it for you."

Recognizing the handwriting on the envelope, Rong Shu's face lit up with delight.

"It's Mother's letter!" She took the letter without caring where she was and immediately tore it open to read. As she read, she commented, "Mother must be worried that no one will celebrate my birthday with me in Yangzhou."

Shen Zhi emerged from within, hearing this, and took up the conversation with a smile. "On your birthday, Uncle won't be here, but I've already prepared a feast for you. You love the Dongjiang Eighteen Delicacies from the West River Moon. Someone will deliver them to Shen Yuan at the appointed time."

In the past, when Rong Shu celebrated her birthdays and Shen Zhi was not in Shen Yuan, he would arrange such a banquet for her, and she had grown accustomed to it.

"Ever since Zhaozhao returned to Yangzhou, Uncle has been absent from home every day," Rong Shu said with a hint of grievance. "It's almost Zhaozhao's birthday. Can't you wait until after my birthday to leave?" She added, "Also, Uncle never tells Zhaozhao where you're going each time you go out?"

Shen Zhi chuckled. "Isn't Uncle busy with the family business? In two days, I'll be setting off for Fu Jian to oversee the salt trade. This trip will take me away for several months. You should return to the capital after spending another two months in Yangzhou. When Uncle returns from Fu Jian, I'll come to the capital to see you and your mother."

Fu Jian.

Rong Shu's heart stirred. If only the timing were right, she would have followed Shen Zhi on his salt trading journey just to understand if there was anything suspicious about his identity as a salt merchant.

But she knew that Shen Zhi would never agree to take her along.

Well, if Shen Zhi wasn't around, it would be easier for her to act in the Shen household.

Before retiring for the night, Rong Shu stood behind the desk, engrossed in drafting a reply to the Shen family. She laid out the paper, ground the ink, and was about to write when she suddenly recalled Gu Changjin's words.

Unconsciously, she wrote down the names of places like Fujian, Shandong, Liaodong, and Upper Capital. Staring at these geographical names for a long time, she felt as if she had overlooked something crucial.

But what could it be?

Rong Shu thought so hard that her head ached. Eventually, she picked up the paper, tossed it into a nearby copper brazier, and burned it.

She prepared to write a letter to her mother, but after just two characters, Jiang Manager's words echoed in her mind once more.

Jiang Manager said Mama Zhang had specially returned to the Three Reflections Hall to look for something she might have left behind. But if she had indeed forgotten something, considering Mama Zhang's meticulous nature, she would have already sent it back.

Moreover, if her mother had a letter for her, she could have simply delivered it directly to Yi Lanzhu. Why send someone specifically to summon Mama Zhang there just to hand over the letter?

It seemed as though Mama Zhang's visit to the Three Reflections Hall, whether to retrieve an item or collect a letter, was merely an excuse.

If it was indeed an excuse, then why did Mama Zhang go to the Three Reflections Hall in the first place?

This morning, Mama Zhang seemed very reluctant to let her see the painting in the study. Was it because she was afraid Rong Shu would damage her uncle's beloved artwork, or was there another reason?

More importantly, how could a rule-abiding and honest person like Mama Zhang dare to enter Shen Zhi's study without her guidance?

The wolf-haired brush suspended in mid-air, its ink droplet dramatically plopping onto the paper with a "pat."

Rong Shu abruptly lifted her gaze, looking towards the slender figure beyond the screen.

Chapter 53

Not long after Rong Shu left Pine South Street, Gu Changjin received news from the commander of the garrison that there had been progress with General Liang's investigation.

Upon arriving at the garrison headquarters, Liang Xiao handed Gu Changjin a confidential letter, saying, "I received this encoded message three hours ago. It clearly lists the aliases Water Dragon King has used during his visits to Great Yin over the past two years, as well as the places he stopped for rest."

The initial letter of betrayal only mentioned that the Water Dragon King had been colluding with Liao Rao since five years ago, but it omitted any details about their meeting times and locations.

This new letter, however, disclosed all the aliases the Water Dragon King had used during his visits to Yangzhou over the past two years and the places he had frequented. Following these leads, one could likely uncover when and where Liao Rao and the Water Dragon King had met.

Gu Changjin compared this letter with the previous ones and said, "The author of this letter seems to be different from the one who sent the earlier messages."

Liang Xiao's thick brows furrowed. "Lord Gu and Lord Liu share the same view. As a military man, I can't distinguish the differences in these letters, but if both of you agree, then I'll assume that there are two separate groups trying to use us to bring down Liao Rao."

On the side, Liu Yuan sipped his tea leisurely and smiled. "Interesting."

He had always been the one to wield others as his blades, but this was the first time he found himself being utilized.

He lifted his gaze to Gu Changjin and asked, "Does Lord Gu believe these secret letters to be credible?"

Gu Changjin replied, "I have discussed with General Liang before. The reason why the previous five years of informants' letters were vague might be because the writer was not within the borders of Great Yin, thus unable to provide specific details about the meeting between the Water Dragon King and Liao Rao. I speculate that the letter writer is very likely someone close to the Water Dragon King."

Liang Xiao took over the conversation, inquiring, "Since Lord Gu suspects that the previous letters might have originated from the Jiaofeng, why wouldn't today's secret message also come from them?"