Chapter 345: What Are We to Do?

Chapter 345: What Are We to Do?

The imperial messenger, being perceptive, did not show sympathy for the He family but also did not wish to witness their further embarrassment. After uttering a few auspicious words, he signaled his departure.

As soon as these people left, the two servants kneeling at the gate immediately rose and closed the main door.

Soon after, Mo Jiuye heard faint sobbing from within the courtyard.

"Sir, what are we to do?"

Madam He's voice was very soft; if not for Mo Jiuye's exceptional martial arts and keen hearing, he would not have been able to hear it.

Indeed, he wanted to know how his in-laws would react to this situation. Therefore, he quietly slipped away from the crowd, circled around to one side of the Minister Mansion, leaped high onto a large tree, and peered inside.

The He family of three all had their heads hanging low, sighing deeply.

"The imperial decree has decreed marriage; what can I do?" He Yueming said, turning to look at his son, who seemed utterly dejected.

"When your mother arranged so many good matches for you, you refused them all. Now that Princess Yu has taken a fancy to you, our entire family is implicated."

Madam He, seeing her son blamed, spoke somewhat unhappily:

"It's all your fault for insisting that Ziming participate in the imperial examinations. If not for that, how could he have been seen by Princess Yu during the parade?"

"You... I wanted Ziming to participate in the imperial examinations so that his talents wouldn't be wasted. How can you blame me for that?"

Seeing his parents about to argue, He Ziming quickly stepped between them.

"Father, Mother, please stop arguing. The emperor's command cannot be disobeyed. Since I must marry Princess Yu, I might as well set up my own household to prevent you both from suffering."

Hearing her son say this, Madam He's tears began to flow.

"How can that be? No matter how arrogant Princess Yu may be, she is still a junior before your father and me. She will have some restraint. If you set up your own household, you won't have a single day of peace."

Madam He thought that as a mother-in-law, she could at least exert some influence.

Mo Jiuye listened to the conversation among the three members of his in-laws' family and silently resolved to help them.

He quietly left the Minister Mansion and headed back toward the Nine Princes' Mansion.

Perhaps due to the imperial decree granting marriage to Princess Yu, the usually low-profile Nine Princes' Mansion was unusually bustling today.

Though the main gate was not fully open, the side gate saw constant traffic, with servants coming and going.

If Mo Jiuye did not know that Mr. Si Meng had connections with the Nine Princes' Mansion, he might have assumed the prince was being discreet.

Now, however, he did not think so. The Nine Princes' Mansion's actions were clearly intentional.

Whether intentional or not, Mo Jiuye now dared not underestimate the prince.

After observing the front gate for a while, to avoid arousing suspicion, he decided to circle around the mansion's perimeter wall.

Arriving at the rear courtyard of the Nine Princes' Mansion, Mo Jiuye faintly heard the sound of a zither.

This area was much quieter than the front courtyard. Although the zither music was not loud, Mo Jiuye, with his martial arts skills, could hear it clearly.

He had no expertise in music; he only occasionally heard his mother and sisters-in-law play at home.

Even so, he could sense that the music carried a tinge of resentment, and the melody was different from what he usually heard.

As Mo Jiuye pondered, there was suddenly a sharp break in the music, indicating that a string had snapped.

The music ceased.

Mo Jiuye was curious. According to his knowledge, in such grand residences like the Nine Princes' Mansion, the rear courtyard typically housed servants or guards.

Yet, there was zither music here, and the player seemed skilled.

Unusual circumstances often indicated something strange. Mo Jiuye decided to investigate.

He looked around and, seeing no one watching, leaped onto the courtyard wall.

There were trees providing shade, which concealed him from view, so he did not worry about being discovered.

Mo Jiuye focused his gaze on the courtyard below.

It was different from what he imagined. The ground was overgrown with weeds, and in the thickest patch, a small courtyard was nestled.

Inside the courtyard, a tall figure dressed in white robes and wearing a hat sat before an ancient zither, lost in thought.

Although Mo Jiuye had not seen Mr. Si Meng's face, everyone he had interrogated mentioned that Mr. Si Meng had white hair.

Thus, he could confirm that this person was indeed Mr. Si Meng.

Fortunately, his rationality prevailed, and upon seeing his enemy, he did not act rashly.

He noticed that the courtyard was surrounded by hidden black-clad guards.

Without doubt, these men were protecting Mr. Si Meng.

If he acted rashly, he might succeed in capturing him, but if he failed, he would lose any chance of a second attempt.

He suppressed his impulse, leaping down from the wall.

Mo Jiuye was certain that Mr. Si Meng would not leave the Nine Princes' Mansion until he obtained the Golden Eagle.

As long as he remained, Mo Jiuye needed to devise a foolproof plan to capture him.

Murkyue Ye pondered as he once again arrived at the gates of Fei Mansion.

A plan suddenly arose in his heart.

...

As night fell, Murkyue Ye donned a black night-cloak and left Yongan Lane.

He returned to the familiar place, observed for a moment, and then leaped over the eastern courtyard wall.

The courtyard was pitch-black, starkly different from when the Mo family had resided there.

Murkyue Ye knew this place well. He surmised that Fei Nanyu likely lived in the main courtyard and thus sprinted swiftly toward his target.

To his surprise, the main courtyard was also dark, but the study room, separated by just a wall from the main courtyard, had a faint light emanating from its window.

Murkyue Ye moved cautiously toward the study, sensing many unfamiliar presences around him, indicating the presence of guards.

He held his breath and circled around to the back of the study, poking a small hole in the paper of the rear window to peer inside.

Fei Nanyu showed no signs of noticing him. He was reclining on a soft couch, eyes slightly squinted, yet his breathing suggested he wasn't deeply asleep. Murkyue Ye guessed he was thinking.

It was deep into the night, and Murkyue Ye's black attire made him inconspicuous. Moreover, he had deliberately suppressed his movements, ensuring the guards didn't detect him.

However, Fei Nanyu was not skilled in martial arts. Without making any noise, it was unlikely Fei Nanyu would notice him at all.

Earlier today, outside Fei Mansion, Murkyue Ye had already deduced that Fei Nanyu might have informants planted by Nan Qi. Therefore, he did not want anyone to discover his presence tonight, as he couldn't afford to cause Fei Nanyu any trouble.

Thus, he shifted his position to a hidden spot and observed, finding only one guard who could possibly see the rear window of the study.

Murkyue Ye leaped up, knocked out the guard with a swift hand strike, and placed him in a safe location before breaking through the window.