Right, Haohao was still in the palace. What would happen to Haohao if Ning Yuxuan and Zhao Zhe started messing around? Ji Man was somewhat anxious, and she looked at Ning Yuxuan with anger.

  Ning Yuxuan said, “Since Haohao is in the palace, this one will need your Highness to act out a good show with me when you breach the capital.”


  In Zhao Li’s eyes, he was someone that had never betrayed him. Ning Mingjie had been the one that continued to hold the army back and wouldn’t send them out, and he was the one that repeatedly urged his older cousin to listen to the imperial edict. However, the army was under Ning Mingjie’s control, and there was seemingly nothing he could do about it. The spies in the army should have already conveyed his attitude to the emperor by now.

  “Of course,” Zhao Zhe said, “This war has already lasted a while, and it’s time for a victor and a loser. Marquis, what kind of excuse should we use to have Ning Mingjie withdraw the troops?”


  Ning Yuxuan’s expression slightly sunk. He glanced at Ji Man and seemed somewhat unhappy. “Your Highness, since you brought her here today, do you still need to ask this one this question?”


  “Isn’t it because I was concerned that you would be unhappy about using her as the reason?” Zhao Zhe loudly laughed and patted his shoulder. “I know that your heart has Sangyu, and you’re reluctant to push her out. But, you can see that she’s the most suitable person. Didn’t you dig up that box in Feiwan Courtyard a long time ago? It’s time to have someone hand that box over to the emperor to be used as foreshadowing.”


  Ji Man was startled. What box?

  It couldn’t be the box that she had buried a long time ago? The one that was filled with portraits of her that had been painted by Ning Mingjie? How did they know about that box?

  She quickly raised her eyes to look at Ning Yuxuan, but the latter was busy contemplating. There was coercive pressure in Zhangjun Prince’s gaze. He had obviously already decided there was no other choice that could be made. Nie Sangyu was the only reasonable excuse for why these two cousins would turn against each other.

  “Alright.” Ning Yuxuan furrowed his brow and said, “Qing-er will make the arrangements in the estate, and I’ll have a falling out with Mingjie in the next half month. Mingjie will retreat with the army and go back the capital, and I’ll follow after the army at a delayed pace.”


  “Okay,” Zhao Zhe agreed with a smile. “The prime minister’s gaze was very accurate. Yuxuan, he was sure that you would be willing to help me. As for the things that happened before, let’s let bygones be bygones.”


  Ning Yuxuan stood up and saluted Zhangjun Prince. His gaze was thick with worry when it drifted over to Ji Man.

  Ji Man hadn’t fully understood the latter part of this conversation. Why had they dragged her into it? Did this count as her being struck by a bullet that she had buried? Why were they using her as an excuse? Just because Ning Mingjie had drawn some portraits of her? And, what was the situation with Mu Shuiqing? Hadn’t she originally been Zhao Zhe’s minion? Why did it seem like she had become loyal to Ning Yuxuan?

  Ji Man was somewhat muddled-headed by the giant pile of questions. When they walked out of Tianxiang Building, she didn’t even notice that the nearby Zhao Zhe had left already, and only Ning Yuxuan was left.

  “Last summer, I decided to plant qiangwei flowers in Feiwan Courtyard and had the servants till the soil. I didn’t expect that they would dig up a box.” Ning Yuxuan kept his gaze looking ahead and softly said, “He’s really has feelings for you.”


  (T/N: It’s mentioned in chapter 15 that the qiangwei is Nie Sangyu’s favorite flower.)

  Ji Man returned to her senses and looked around. There weren’t other people around by the willow riverside. The surface of the river had almost frozen over.

  Ning Yuxuan’s side profile was very good-looking, and white puffs of condensation came out as he talked, “Zhangjun Prince’s intention is for me to use someone to inform the emperor that Mingjie had already fallen in love with you a long time ago. And then, it would be expected that Ning Mingjie would withdraw the army because Zhangjun Prince was using you to threaten him. I’ll act as a person that doesn’t care about my relatives and who has pledged my life to helping the emperor stay on the throne. I’ll write a letter to the emperor to clearly state Ning Mingjie’s betrayal, which will force Ning Mingjie to side with Zhangjun Prince. After that, I’ll return to the capital.”


  Luckily, Ji Man was able to understand this long list and her position in all this. She nodded her head and said, “So, what you’re saying is that I can return to my original appearance, and I don’t have to crossdress as a man anymore, right?”


  “En.” Ning Yuxuan’s stride suddenly quickened a bit. “Take off your mask once you go back to where you’re staying.”


  Ji Man was somewhat at a loss. She had been wearing this mask for too long and almost thought of herself as a man. Finally…… Nie Sangyu’s face could be seen in public again?

  So, she no longer had to hide her identity, and this information could no longer be used against her. Even if Liu Hanyun betrayed her, or if Wen Wan regained her memories, no one would be able to threaten her by exposing her identity.

  She let out a big sigh of relief. However, a new problem soon arose. Would she end up with a bad outcome if she took on the role of a femme fatale that brought disaster?

  As soon as she thought of the endings of various femme fatales in ancient times, Ji Man couldn’t help shivering.

  Ning Yuxuan glanced at her. He reached out and held her hand. When his big, warm hand wrapped around her icy hand, she felt warmth spreading through her body.

  Ji Man slightly paused, but she didn’t pull her hand out. She only lowered her head to seem as if she contemplating and didn’t say anything.

  Ning Yuxuan’s lips curved up into a smile, and he brought her back to Zhangjun Prince’s estate. By the time Ji Man took off her mask, changed into a woman’s clothing, and came out in high spirits, he had already left.

  Instead, it was only Guibai standing there. This time, there was finally a smile on his face. “My lord said that he would be too reluctant to leave after seeing you, so he left first.”


  These weren’t the words that his master had told him to pass on, but Guibai felt that these altered words conveyed his master’s thoughts more accurately.