Behind the Eastern Governor's Office is a row of heavily guarded barracks, where prisoners are held. Because people from the sword-making school are being held here at this time, the defenses here are even tighter.
But even the most heavily armed soldiers can't prevent a skilled and cunning individual from visiting. Today, an uninvited guest appeared in a corner out of the soldiers' sight, moving stealthily towards his chosen target.
There's a period after lunch when the soldiers are least vigilant, as they become drowsy after a large meal, and their alertness and reaction time drop significantly. The intruder's ability to choose this time to infiltrate demonstrates exceptional cunning and understanding of human nature.
Among those imprisoned in the sword-wielding quarters of the Eastern Governor's Mansion, Yusuf's beloved concubine, Rou Niang, naturally received the best treatment. Because of her betrayal, Aurelian Dragon was able to successfully complete her charade, so the man who benefited from it naturally took special care of her. She was given a fully equipped room to herself, and apart from a lack of freedom of movement, she was essentially no different from an ordinary person.
"It's been three days already, how come there's still no movement?"
Rou Niang lay on the bed, gazing idly upwards, silently plotting in her mind.
The window of the room opened silently, and a tall, graceful figure floated in lightly, arriving in a flash without touching the ground. The window then closed silently again, and the person's movements were completely calm and composed. This person's skills were truly remarkable.
"who?"
Rou Niang was startled to find an unfamiliar face suddenly appearing in front of her. She sat up abruptly in bed, but when she tried to scream, she realized that she couldn't make a sound. For some reason, a strange pressure had been pressing down on her, sealing off the entire space.
"Rou Niang, is it really you?"
The visitor had already retreated to the chair by the bed and sat down in an elegant posture. Her beautiful face showed no expression, but the change in her tone clearly revealed the complex emotions in her heart.
"Who are you? What do you want here?"
Rou Niang discovered that she could speak again, and knew that her life and death were completely in the hands of the beautiful woman in front of her. She dared not shout loudly, but instead tried to save herself.
"This place is heavily guarded. If I shout, you won't be able to escape!"
Don't you recognize me?
The beautiful woman smiled bitterly, raised her hand to touch her face. Her delicate face had smooth, flawless skin, without the slightest blemish.
"Those two girls are really clever, but I don't know why they altered my appearance..."
Rou Niang looked into the familiar eyes of the beautiful woman in front of her and gradually realized that her face was vaguely familiar. She began to examine her carefully, and the more she looked, the more doubtful she became.
"You're...Young Miss?"
Her gaze finally fell on the emerald green bracelet on the beautiful woman's wrist. A faint wisp of smoke seemed to flow inside the bracelet, making it exceptionally beautiful. Startled, Rou Niang hesitated and asked in a low voice.
"You finally recognized me!"
The beautiful woman composed herself and made a gesture with her hands in front of her chest that only her own people would understand.
"Young Miss!"
Rou Niang could hardly believe her eyes. The beautiful woman in front of her was actually Madam Sorenblade, the head of the Gongsun family, the person she respected most.
Coming to her senses, Rou Niang jumped off the bed and was about to bow to Madam Sorenblade, but Madam Sorenblade raised her hand to stop her, saying, "No need for formalities, I have something to ask you!"
"Yes, Miss!"
Rou Niang respectfully responded with her hands at her sides. She had served Madam Sorenblade before, so she did not change her address to Madam Sorenblade, but always called her Miss.
Madam Sorenblade's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she asked in a deep voice, "What exactly happened? Where is Yunniang, who is in charge of Esnia affairs? Why would you do such a thing?"
As questions came one after another, Madam Sorenblade's expression grew increasingly grave, for she saw the puzzled look and astonishment on Rou Niang's face.
"Young Miss, isn't this what you wanted me to do? Yunniang didn't meet with you, but she was the one who relayed and arranged all of this."
Rou Niang's low mutterings made Madam Sorenblade's heart sink. Her worries were indeed true. Yun Niang, the person in charge of Esnia, had sided with her younger sister, Gongsun San Niang. In this way, all the questions could be answered. The fact that her whereabouts could be manipulated must have been Yun Niang's doing.
"why is that?"
Madam Sorenblade was secretly heartbroken. She had always been kind and generous to her subordinates, and Yunniang from Esnia was someone she had personally trained. How could she betray her?
"Young Miss, what brings you here?"
Rou Niang's question brought Madam Sorenblade back to the scene. Now was not the time for sadness and anger. The most urgent task was to regain control of the situation. Otherwise, if her sister continued to act recklessly and dragged the Gongsun family into unpredictable political struggles, who knew what consequences it would bring to the Gongsun family?
"Let's go, I'll take you away from here first. We can talk about the details later!"
Madam Sorenblade stood up from her chair and took Rou Niang's hand.
"No, Miss. The security here is too tight; we can't get out at all!"
Rou Niang said anxiously. As a well-traveled and knowledgeable Golden Flower Dancer, she had witnessed many changes in Esnia's society over the years. The actions of the Eastern Governor's Mansion that day had really shocked her, especially the strength shown by Aurelian Dragon and his group, which made her realize that the Eastern Governor's Mansion was no longer just a nameplate.
"Don't worry, I got in easily, didn't I? Since I could get in like that, I can naturally get you out safely too!"
Madam Sorenblade said confidently, while tightening her grip on Rou Niang's hand. Just as she was about to use her movement technique to leave, a clear and melodious voice, tinged with a hint of mischief and playfulness, rang out from outside the window.
"I say, Rou Niang, you're really not being fair. You should have been satisfied with just letting the two of you meet properly. Why did you have to take him away? If that's the case, tomorrow's court hearing will be missing a main character. Although I really enjoy making that lecherous, infatuated man look bad, Sister Feng will be very unhappy. So I have no choice but to be an unwelcome guest blocking the way."
From the very first sentence, Madam Sorenblade already knew who the newcomer was. Out of fear of the girl's unfathomable skill, she took no action and listened to her long, rambling speech.
"Who else is outside? Come in!"
The horizontal bolt behind the door moved silently, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, slowly sliding to the side. Then the door opened by itself without any wind, and a dragon girl with a ponytail stood smiling in the doorway.
Lyra Draconis's masterful telekinetic skills sent a chill down the spines of the two beautiful women in the room. Rou Niang was especially astonished; how could a girl who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old possess such unpredictable and incredible abilities? Had she been practicing since she was in the womb?
Madam Sorenblade's expression hardened, and her eyes revealed her wariness.
"Didn't General Yu come with you?"
"Without Sister Feng's arrangement, would you have been able to get in here so smoothly?"
Lyra Draconis stepped into the room and casually uttered words that made Madam Sorenblade uneasy.
"Don't think this place is so easy to come and go as you please. That lecherous man has quite a few skilled men under his command. Don't you think it's a bit too easy for you to get in?"
Rou Niang leaped in front of Lyra Draconis, blocking her path, and said urgently to Madam Sorenblade, "Young Miss, you should leave now!"
Before Madam Sorenblade could speak, Lyra Draconis frowned slightly, waved her small hand, and unleashed a tremendous burst of true energy, pushing Rou Niang back several steps involuntarily, causing her to fall onto the bed.
"You're overestimating yourself. You think you can show off with skills like that?"
Madam Sorenblade sighed inwardly. Although she had expected this outcome, she was still somewhat surprised and disheartened that Rou Niang, a Golden Flower Dancer of the Gongsun family, could not even make a single move against Lyra Draconis.
What exactly do you want to do?
Madam Sorenblade secretly gathered all her inner energy and coldly stared at the smiling, beautiful girl in front of her.
Lyra Draconis shook her head vigorously, her long ponytail swinging back and forth behind her head, looking very lively and cute. But in the eyes of the two beautiful women in front of her, she was simply the incarnation of a devil.
"I'm your savior, how can you talk like that? It's so hurtful!"
Seeing that Madam Sorenblade remained unmoved, Lyra Draconis had no choice but to reveal her purpose.
"Sister Feng wants to have a serious talk with you!"
"Phoenix Vane? Her?"
Madam Sorenblade lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then looked up at Lyra Draconis and said, "Alright, I'll go with you to see General Yu."
※ ※ ※
That afternoon, a guest arrived at the Phoenix Mansion, and Phoenix Vane received him in the front hall.
Upon seeing the newcomer's appearance, Phoenix Vane frowned slightly. The newcomer had half-open eyes, a goatee, high cheekbones, a protruding jaw, a bluish complexion, and a thin build, giving off an overall very unpleasant feeling.
After giving General Feifeng a very standard military salute, the visitor got straight to the point and introduced himself and his background.
A strange light flashed in Phoenix Vane's phoenix eyes. The man in front of her had appeared in the military's files before, but she hadn't connected him to the real person just now.
Lu Tuxian, from Jiangmen, was once a commander of a thousand cavalry in the Southern Army Corps. As a member of the Southern Army Corps' staff, he participated in the war against Yunyang Kingdom. He was said to be extremely ruthless, cunning, and treacherous. In one battle, his assigned unit was completely wiped out, yet he escaped unscathed, raising serious doubts about his military integrity. After being demoted, he became extremely estranged from his colleagues, and ultimately, he was forced to retire by the military for injuring one of them—a major news story at the time.
What could this person want with Aurelian?
Phoenix Vane considered many possibilities, but outwardly still politely invited Rutu to sit down first. When asked about his purpose for coming, Rutu first said that he would talk about it after seeing Aurelian Dragon.
"I'm sorry, Aurelian hasn't returned yet. You've made a wasted trip, sir."
Seemingly oblivious to the implied dismissal in General Fei Feng's tone, Lu Tu remained seated, his expression flat but very polite, indicating that he intended to wait for Aurelian Dragon there.
Phoenix Vane stared at Rutukian, and under her unwavering gaze, Rutukian was surprisingly calm and fearless, which surprised Phoenix Vane greatly. This man was not as his appearance or military records suggested.
Since she couldn't see any hostility from Rutukian towards Aurelian Dragon, and on the contrary, he seemed to have a strange confidence in Aurelian Dragon, Phoenix Vane made a tentative move. She got up from her seat, apologized, and went back to the back hall, leaving Rutukian alone in the front hall.
The tedious and boring wait went unnoticed by Rutu Xian. He remained sitting there calmly, without a trace of displeasure or any other expression on his face.
"This man is no ordinary person! He possesses such terrifying composure!"
After listening to the maid's report, Phoenix Vane came to this conclusion. Unfortunately, she had not yet fully mastered the art of mind reading and could not truly see through a person's thoughts, and the dragon girl with this ability was not by her side.
Just as they were about to go out again, Lyra Draconis arrived with Madam Sorenblade.
The first thing Madam Sorenblade did upon meeting Phoenix Vane was to bow deeply to her.
"Thank you so much, General Yu! I will never forget your kindness!"
Phoenix Vane stood up, took Madam Sorenblade's hand, her face beaming, and nodded with a smile, saying, "I really don't deserve it. Phoenix just wanted to ask if there's anything I can help you with, but please let me know."
Madam Sorenblade gazed deeply at Phoenix Vane's stunningly beautiful face. The captivating smile on her lips momentarily mesmerized even Madam Sorenblade, a woman herself. But what surprised her even more was knowing that this beautiful female general possessed unparalleled wisdom; a simple sentence contained a wealth of meaning.
"I'm so sorry, there was indeed a bit of an accident at home, but I'll get things under control!"
Madam Sorenblade gave a wry smile; facing Phoenix Vane, she could only tell him the truth.
Phoenix Vane greatly admired Madam Sorenblade's wisdom and straightforwardness, so he stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "Someone in the Gongsun family is working for Gilmans. With Lord Zuo Zai as their backer, I don't think the situation is so easy to control!"
"I see..."
Madam Sorenblade's expression changed, then the light in her eyes dimmed. No wonder her sister had become so powerful; she had Gilimans backing her up. Just how many people had already been lured away?
"I don't want to see the Gongsun family, which has always held a superior position, interfere in Fast's politics. This would not be good for the Gongsun family or the situation in Fast."
Phoenix Vane's words interrupted Madam Sorenblade's chaotic thoughts. Looking at Phoenix Vane, Madam Sorenblade felt a strange sensation. This woman's every word and action exuded a powerful aura and confidence; her stage was definitely not limited to this place. The wider world outside was where she could truly unleash her potential.
"So I want to have a good talk with you about how to restore the traditions of your Gongsun family, focus on artistic creation, and no longer get caught up in worldly disputes."
Madam Sorenblade shook her head, a hint of confusion in her voice, and said, "To be honest, I don't know the specific details either; it's always been them who report to me. The original plan was to come out and assess the situation in various places, but I didn't expect to be ambushed near Esnia. My men..."
At this point, Madam Sorenblade sighed deeply, thinking of her loyal subordinates, and felt a pang of sadness.
"To break through the defenses of your Gongsun family, we would need a lot of manpower. Could you please provide more details?"
Phoenix Vane gestured for Madam Sorenblade to sit down, then sat down opposite her. Lyra Draconis also sat down beside her, leaning close to her.
"Alright, I'd also like to hear General Yu's thoughts and suggestions."
Madam Sorenblade composed herself and began to recount the whole story in detail. Upon hearing that Gilmans had invited people from the Sword Inquiry Sect, Phoenix Vane frowned slightly. If he were to gain the strength of the Gongsun family, coupled with the formidable martial prowess of the Sword Inquiry Sect, his power would be significantly increased, a situation she desperately wanted to avoid.
What worries Phoenix Vane even more is that Gilmans' strength has been greatly enhanced, but he has become more conservative than before during this period. What exactly is he planning to do?
It seems we need to make Aurelian Dragon pay close attention to this unusual event, lest we be caught off guard and find ourselves in a passive situation.
Just as Phoenix Vane was about to speak, a Golden Phoenix Guard rushed in from outside.
"Miss, something terrible has happened!"
"What happened?"
Phoenix Vane and his two companions stood up at the same time, looking at the slightly out-of-breath Golden Phoenix Guard.
"The delegation from Yunyang was ambushed by unidentified troops in the suburbs of Esnia, suffering heavy casualties and causing chaos in the city. His Majesty was furious and summoned the young master to the Palace of No Joy."
"Aurelian is really in trouble this time; how could something like this have happened!"
Phoenix Vane knew that Aurelian Dragon, as the Governor of the East, had an unshirkable responsibility for the security of Esnia. Moreover, this kind of incident with a diplomatic background was the most difficult to handle. Aurelian Dragon was indeed having a lot of troubles. He had to think of a way to change this situation and take the initiative into his own hands!