Yawning from fatigue, Qiu Huaixin couldn't help but wonder what to say, thinking of Zhan Feiyu sleeping soundly in the carriage.
He had previously seen Zhan Feiyu as sophisticated as an old fox in officialdom, but now she appeared to be an undeveloped young girl, capable of sleeping in such a dangerous situation. Truly a carefree and foolish girl.
"Shisong, do you think Zhan Feiyu isn't worried at all?" Qiu Huaixin asked. His father and elder brother had repeatedly warned him to be careful and had even sent Brother Yuan with a guard detail. Zhan Feiyu had offended Commander She.
Qiu Huaixin peered through the carriage curtain at the soldiers in armor hurrying past, their weapons stained with blood.
Commander She might take advantage of the chaos to kill Zhan Feiyu. No matter how powerful the Forbidden Dragon Guard was, their numbers were limited. Commander She could mobilize tens of thousands of troops. If he were to strike with deadly intent, Zhan Feiyu would be unable to escape.
As Qiu Huaixin's personal bodyguard, Shisong had taken a knife to his arm while protecting him during the breakout. Fortunately, there were no further dangers. He was currently wondering who wanted to kill Qiu Huaixin.
Hearing Qiu Huaixin's question, Shisong replied, "Miss Zhan doesn't need to snatch the token."
It was as if his young master was merely going through the motions, and it didn't matter to him who took those items.
Shisong glanced at Qiu Huaixin, who was safe. A traitor had appeared among his father's personal guards. It was better to remain here under the watch of the three divisions than to risk returning to the Qiu mansion. It would be safer to return tomorrow, and the young master could also get some sleep.
"If she doesn't want the token, why would she get involved with Hesheng Xuan?" Qiu Huaixin leaned back against the carriage wall, his eyes half-closed as he reviewed everything in his mind.
Zhan Feiyu had previously agreed to help the third branch retrieve the dowry, and in exchange, she could pick out anything she liked from the dowry. This meant that if Zhan Feiyu knew what the token was, she could have taken it beforehand.
It was just that the token was very likely among the one hundred and twenty items sealed by Lord Tao.
Confirming that the surroundings were safe, Shisong felt a little more at ease. He placed his long sword on the low table to his right. "Young Master, Commander She not only mobilized the soldiers from the Qianzhong Garrison but also brought the elites from the Commander's Office. No matter who it is today, they cannot escape. However, with Lord Qiu and Lord Ge present, the token will ultimately belong to the court, and the Forbidden Dragon Guard represents His Majesty."
In Shisong's opinion, Zhan Feiyu didn't need to wade into this muddy water, which was why she could sleep.
Qiu Huaixin shook his head. He also wanted to sleep, but the faint pain in his neck made him involuntarily recall the personal guard who had ambushed him. Who exactly wanted his life? Thinking about these messy things made him completely unable to sleep.
...
As dawn broke, the insufficient light of early morning could not illuminate the surroundings, but the dried bloodstains on the ground were clearly visible, as were the scattered weapons. All of this indicated that last night had been an extremely perilous battle.
After a night of hard work, not only were the soldiers from the Qianzhong Garrison and the Commander's Office exhausted, but even Lord Qiu and the others who were overseeing the scene had bloodshot eyes. Fortunately, their previous deployment had been good, and no one had escaped.
"Prevent anyone from hiding the items elsewhere..." Lord Qiu gave a stern order, instructing the men from the three divisions to form teams of six and search inch by inch, centering on Hesheng Xuan, until the eighteen missing items were recovered.
Because the four streets around Hesheng Xuan were sealed off, all residents had also been ordered to close their doors and refrain from going out last night. Two soldiers guarded each household's entrance, making it only a matter of time before the hidden items were found.
Qiu Huaixin lifted the curtain and felt a chill. Indeed, after the beginning of autumn, the weather grew colder day by day. Coupled with being cooped up in the carriage all night, Qiu Huaixin's waist and legs ached, and he was disheveled, showing no aristocratic grace.
As for the more than twenty carriages parked nearby, the people emerging from them were similar to Qiu Huaixin. They had all gone to Hesheng Xuan to participate in the bidding according to the rules, so after the incident, they were temporarily housed here until the yamen clarified the situation.
As for the elites and personal guards secretly dispatched by each family to snatch the items, regardless of whether they were captured alive or killed, they had no apparent connection to the people present.
They also did not need to worry about these personal guards breaking under torture. Since they were sent to carry out missions, even if the yamen used severe torture, the personal guards would remain tight-lipped. However, losing so many carefully trained personal guards at once would be painful for any family.
It was at this moment that everyone once again confirmed that Lord Qiu had previously allowed Lord Tao to "act arrogantly" precisely because he had this plan in mind. After this battle, all the families were severely weakened, and the ultimate beneficiaries would be the Qiu family.
"Oh, I thought you were worry-free, but it turns out you're just like the rest." Qiu Huaixin said with a sarcastic smile.
Zhan Feiyu, who had just gotten out of the carriage, also looked tired, as if she hadn't slept well. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating she hadn't slept all night.
Zhan Feiyu rolled her eyes ungracefully but couldn't help but yawn. Meeting He Nuan's slightly surprised gaze, Zhan Feiyu grinned, though the smile was somewhat guilty.
Qiu Huaixin couldn't be bothered to talk to the people around him. At a glance, he could tell that half of them were from merchant families, and he was not interested in who their patrons were.
As for the other half, they were from prominent families in Qianzhong Circuit. However, they were either disciples managing the family's subsidiary affairs or the heads of smaller families, possibly acting under someone's instructions.
These people showed a degree of fawning on their faces, which made Qiu Huaixin walk towards Zhan Feiyu, who dared to roll her eyes at him.
"You say that after all this trouble all night, with so many dead and even more injured, and the items ultimately returning to the government, what were these people struggling for?" Qiu Huaixin kicked an arrow lying by the carriage wheel and looked down to see the Qianzhong Garrison's emblem at the tail end of the arrow shaft.
Zhan Feiyu glanced at the bored Qiu Huaixin, strongly suspecting he was speaking sarcastically and gloating over his good fortune.
The Qiu family was the biggest winner of last night's battle. The dowry of the Dou family was returned intact after this turmoil. The families in Qianzhong Circuit had worked in vain and lost many personal guards.
If any of those personal guards had broken and confessed, the survival of their entire families would be in Lord Qiu's hands. With such immense benefits, Qiu Huaixin was still not satisfied?
Qiu Huaixin didn't mind Zhan Feiyu not speaking, but he was surprised that as soon as he finished speaking, several scrutinizing gazes fell upon him, all filled with malice. This made Qiu Huaixin wonder if he had done something that angered heaven and earth.
Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps could be heard from a distance, accompanied by the crisp clanging of armor as it moved.
"Miss." He Nuan called out softly and then followed Zhan Feiyu to the side of the carriage, clearing the way. Four Forbidden Dragon Guards also moved to Zhan Feiyu's sides, protecting her from any unexpected events.
Shisong did not dare to be negligent. After all, there had been a traitor among Lord Qiu's personal guards. At this moment, Shisong quickly shielded Qiu Huaixin behind him. To Qiu Huaixin's left was a Forbidden Dragon Guard protecting Zhan Feiyu.
Commander Xu, with his iron-blooded aura, had likely been fighting all night, making his gaze sharp with killing intent and fighting spirit.
"Someone, bring in the last eighteen items, then guard the entrance and await the Lord's command!" Commander Xu gave the order, and seven or eight soldiers approached. If the objects were small, they were carried in hand; if they were decorative items, they were held with both hands. All eighteen items were recovered, not one missing.
"These items are definitely ill-gotten gains." Qiu Huaixin leaned towards Zhan Feiyu and spoke, looking at the soldier walking at the front. In his hand was a green-glazed pottery pot with hunting motifs.
Although Qiu Huaixin was not particularly gifted in his studies, his second brother, Qiu Wangshu, was proficient in antiques and jade. Qiu Huaixin immediately recognized the pottery pot as a rare treasure, likely several hundred years old.
In the past, the third branch of the Qiu family had split from the main lineage and become a collateral branch. Although they could receive a considerable amount of family property, according to the Qiu family's rules, collateral descendants were generally given money, then land and shops.
Decorative items would also be divided to some extent, but if they were rare treasures, they would only remain with the main lineage, especially rare books and manuscripts, which would never be handed out. That was why Qiu Huaixin dared to speak to Zhan Feiyu like this.
"My Lord..."
A startled cry rang out, followed by a loud crack. Everyone peered over and saw that the pottery pot, which Qiu Huaixin had just "critiqued," had shattered on the ground.