The next morning, the group continued their journey.
Traveling day and night, the mother and daughter had no chance to escape.
After nearly ten days, they arrived at a rural estate.
The mother and daughter were placed in Qiuyue Courtyard.
The courtyard was small, with three side rooms.
Inside, the furnishings were simple—bed, screen, and desk.
A persimmon tree in the yard was heavy with ripe, red fruit.
Ornamental bamboo lined the walls, still green despite the late autumn.
An elderly woman, Madam Jiang, was assigned to care for them but was actually there to guard them.
She was in her sixties, hunched, mostly toothless, with a face full of wrinkles and age spots.
Her cloudy eyes often lingered on people, making them uncomfortable.
Chen Jiao wanted to learn about Xu Zhao and his group.
When Madam Jiang brought lunch, she secretly slipped a hairpin into her hand.
Madam Jiang refused immediately.
Madam Xu said, “No need to be formal, Madam Jiang. You are caring for us, please accept this.”
Madam Jiang glanced at her.
“No need, just ask what you want.”
She firmly refused the hairpin.
Chen Jiao didn’t insist and asked, “Why did Xu Langjun leave us here? Who is he meeting?”
Madam Jiang studied her before replying, “Xu Langjun is away on business. He will return in a couple of days.”
Chen Jiao frowned.
“Who is Langjun Cui?”
Madam Jiang replied, “He serves the Prince of Huai’an. You must wait for him before going to Huizhou.”
Chen Jiao’s expression changed.
Madam Xu, shocked, cried out, “Langjun Cui is the Prince of Huai’an’s aide?”
Madam Jiang nodded, giving them another unsettling look.
Chen Jiao dared not ask more.
After Madam Jiang left, Madam Xu collapsed onto a stool, her face pale with fear.
On the table were four dishes and pigeon soup, but they had no appetite.
A final meal—one less before the end.
After a long silence, Chen Jiao muttered, “Mother, we are doomed.”
Madam Xu almost wept.
“How could I know we’d run into the real master?”
Panicked, she turned to her daughter.
“My dear, you are smart—think of a way to escape!”
Chen Jiao: “……”
Escaping under Xu Zhao and his men’s watchful eyes—how was that even possible?!
She knelt on the couch, silently picked up her chopsticks, and decisively placed a pigeon leg in Xu Shi’s bowl.
“The food is getting cold, Mother, eat.”
Xu Shi wailed, “I don’t want to eat a last meal.”
Chen Jiao said calmly, “Let’s wait until Langjun Cui arrives.”
She paused.
“The world is chaotic. What if he’s unlucky and gets killed by bandits on the way?”
Xu Shi: “……”
Daughter, what kind of comfort is that?!
The following days were agonizing.
While waiting for Cui Jue’s return, Xu Shi racked her brain for an escape plan.
But Madam Jiang watched them closely, and there were servants outside, making it impossible.
Chen Jiao, however, had come to terms with it.
She had already escaped death twice—once after killing Scarface Liu and again when ambushed by the Hu people in Taojia Village.
This was the third time.
At least she had enjoyed a few good days before dying.
Bored, she picked a few persimmons to snack on.
Just then, Madam Jiang arrived and said, “Miss Chen, Langjun Cui will see you tomorrow morning.”
Holding a bamboo pole, Chen Jiao asked in surprise, “He’s back?”
Madam Jiang nodded.
“Yes.”
Chen Jiao acknowledged it calmly, while at the doorway, Xu Shi’s face fell—her time was up.
The Next Morning.
Madam Jiang led the mother and daughter to Tingyu Tower.
This was their first time leaving Qiuyue Courtyard.
Along the way, many house servants curiously observed them.
Xu Shi was terrified but forced herself to maintain the composure of a noblewoman, walking with her head held high.
Chen Jiao, more reserved, was quietly calculating how to handle what was to come.
When they arrived at Tingyu Tower, Madam Jiang entered the courtyard to report their arrival.
A guard stood coldly at the entrance of the side room, scrutinizing them.
He wore a wooden hairpin, a dark gray cross-collar robe, a broad belt, a six-panel skirt, and leather boots, with a sword resting in his arms.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and lean, with a fox-like face—thin lips, narrow single-lidded eyes—giving off a sharp, sinister aura.
Madam Jiang bowed and respectfully said, “Guard Wang, please inform Langjun Cui that Madam Xu and her daughter are here to see him.”
Wang Ni glanced at them before turning to report inside.
Moments later, he returned and said, “Langjun invites you in.”
Madam Jiang gestured for them to proceed.
The mother and daughter, their faces tense, stepped into the side room.
A faint medicinal scent lingered in the air.
The overcast sky cast dim light into the room, creating a stifling atmosphere.
A curtain blocked their way forward.
Madam Jiang led the mother and daughter to the beaded curtain and bowed.
“Langjun Cui, Madam Xu and Miss Chen have arrived.”
The man seated on the couch remained silent.
Instead, Xu Zhao said, “You may leave.”
Madam Jiang obeyed and stepped out.
The mother and daughter stole glances inside, but the beaded curtain obscured their view.
The man sat near the window, his back to the light, his hair neatly tied with a jade hairpin.
He wore a plain white wide-sleeved robe with a dark half-length outer coat.
A thin cashmere blanket covered his legs.
He remained motionless, like a statue.
Though he hadn’t spoken, Chen Jiao could keenly feel his scrutiny.
The man behind the curtain suddenly raised his hand.
Xu Zhao spoke, “Madam Xu, please present the golden locket.”
Xu Shi quickly took out the gold locket from her sleeve pocket.
Xu Zhao took it and placed it in Cui Jue’s hand.
The mother and daughter lowered their heads, their hearts pounding.
After a long silence, Cui Jue finally spoke.
“Miss Chen, raise your head.”
His voice was calm, slightly weary, but carried a deep-seated indifference.
Chen Jiao composed herself and lifted her gaze, catching sight of a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.
His eyes were long and narrow, a pale amber color.
His face was bloodlessly pale, almost ghostly.
Startled, Chen Jiao instinctively avoided his gaze.
Her reaction did not escape Cui Jue’s notice.
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze growing sharper.
Xu Zhao had already informed him of their background in detail, so Cui Jue asked no further questions.
If Chen Jiao was truly the Prince of Huai’an’s illegitimate child, her resemblance to him would be proof enough.
The man remained silent for a long time, making Chen Jiao increasingly uneasy.
The oppressive silence was suffocating.
Just when she could no longer endure it, Cui Jue finally spoke again.
“Miss Chen, step aside. I have questions for your mother.”
Chen Jiao glanced at Xu Shi, who was barely holding herself together.
Their nerves stretched to the breaking point.
Gritting her teeth, Chen Jiao said, “My mother is timid. Please do not frighten her, Langjun Cui.”
At these words, the man behind the curtain suddenly laughed.
It was a light chuckle, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke.
His thin lips parted slightly as he spoke slowly, “You two killed a man and buried his body in Shenyang—and you call that timid?”
The words struck like a thunderclap.
Xu Shi collapsed, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees on the spot.
Panic surged through Chen Jiao as she rushed to support her.
Xu Shi was completely useless, her face deathly pale as she trembled like a pile of mud.
Chen Jiao’s own face was grim.
Every instinct screamed that disaster was upon them.
Despite her fear, she shielded Xu Shi behind her like a hissing, defensive kitten.
Cui Jue’s expression turned ice-cold.
His chiseled face was thin and sharp, exuding a chilling aura.
Though dressed as a scholar, his presence was oppressive and unsettling, as if tainted by illness and darkness.
At first glance, Chen Jiao detested this sickly pale man.
He felt like a venomous serpent, poised to strike.
The suffocating silence deepened.
Cui Jue had more questions and ordered Chen Jiao to be taken outside.
She refused.
Wang Ni received his orders, strode inside, and effortlessly lifted her like a chick, carrying her out.
Knowing they were doomed, Chen Jiao lashed out, clawing and biting him like a furious wildcat.
Irritated, Wang Ni threw her aside.
Undeterred, she scrambled up and lunged at him again, biting relentlessly.
Wang Ni, fed up, drew his sword. Only then did she hesitate.
“Shrew… sh-sh-shrew!”
The young man had clearly tolerated her for a long time.
If not for his master’s silence, he would have snapped her neck by now.
Chen Jiao, quick to read people, immediately noticed something—he was a stutterer.
She wasn’t one to back down and deliberately provoked him, “L-l-little stutterer.”
Wang Ni’s weakness was struck.
His fox-like face turned crimson with humiliation, his eyes burning with fury.
Chen Jiao quickly backed away.
Wang Ni glared at her, his fists clenching and unclenching before he ultimately shut down, turning to face the wall with a contorted expression.
Chen Jiao: “……”
So he looked sharp but was actually a coward.
Inside the side chamber, Xu Shi was enduring sheer torment.
She knelt, not daring to breathe.
The pale-faced man questioning her felt like a death envoy.
She answered every question without a trace of deception.
After about a quarter of an hour, Xu Shi finally stumbled out, her soul seemingly absent from her body.
Seeing her, Chen Jiao rushed forward, concerned.
“Mother?”
Xu Shi saw her daughter and nearly broke down, but Chen Jiao quickly shot her a warning look, stopping her from speaking.
Not long after, Madam Jiang arrived and led them back.
Cui Jue seemed exhausted.
Xu Zhao handed him a bowl of warm medicinal soup.
Years of medication had dulled his sense of taste.
Without hesitation, he drank it all.
After rinsing his mouth with warm water, he wiped his lips with a handkerchief and said indifferently, “Tomorrow, have Hu Yan escort the mother and daughter to Huizhou.”
Xu Zhao hesitated before asking, “Are you certain of their identities, Wen Yun?”
Wen Yun was Cui Jue’s courtesy name.
He replied unhurriedly, “The master is known for his affairs. If this turns out to be a mistake, just kill them.”
Xu Zhao fell silent.
Xu Shi was like an ant on a hot pan, muttering anxiously, “It’s over, we’re finished.”
The interrogation had deeply shaken her.
She kept murmuring to herself,
“His face was as pale as a corpse… like a White Impermanence reaper coming to take our souls…”
She was lost in her own terror, ignoring Chen Jiao’s calls.
Only when a bowl of cold water was splashed on her face did she snap out of it.
Dazed, she looked at Chen Jiao, momentarily confused about where she was.
“Mother?”
Xu Shi wiped her face and belatedly reacted, “Why did you splash me?”
Seeing that she was back to her senses, Chen Jiao said worriedly, “You were in a daze.”
Xu Shi had endured the murder and burial without breaking, yet just a few questions from Cui Jue had completely shattered her.
It was clear how terrifying his presence was.
Xu Shi’s composure collapsed again, wailing, “We won’t survive past today!”
Chen Jiao, now much calmer, asked, “What did he ask you?”
Xu Shi, frantic, replied, “About the murder in Shenyang.”
Chen Jiao’s face stiffened.
Xu Shi was utterly panicked, rambling, “I was terrified and confessed everything!
“Murder must be repaid with life! He won’t let us go. Ah Ying, we must escape, right now—”
She kept repeating “murder must be repaid,” incoherently muttering over and over.
At first, Chen Jiao was anxious, but as Xu Shi rambled on, she grew more composed.
If every murderer must pay with their life, then what about the countless people in the twelve provinces taken by the Hu people?
Who would atone for their deaths?
Chen Jiao scoffed inwardly.
People like Scarface Liu deserved to die.
At noon, Madam Jiang brought them their meal.
Xu Shi refused to eat, but Chen Jiao ate heartily.
Ever since arriving in this wretched place, this was the first time she’d had consistent meals.
In these war-torn times, common folk barely ate twice a day—only nobles could afford to be well-fed.
Mother and daughter had resigned themselves to their fate.
But unexpectedly, that evening, Madam Jiang arrived with a message:
Tomorrow afternoon, they would be sent to the Huai’an Prince’s residence in Huizhou.
Xu Shi thought she had misheard.
Disbelieving, she asked, “Madam Jiang, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”
For once, Madam Jiang was polite.
“Langjun Cui instructed me. Tomorrow afternoon, Hu Yan will escort you both to Huizhou.”
Xu Shi still refused to believe it.
“He said this himself? We’re not being sent somewhere else?”
Understanding her concern, Madam Jiang assured her, “I am neither deaf nor blind. You are indeed being sent to the Huai’an Prince’s residence in Huizhou—no mistake.”
Xu Shi finally relaxed—they had a chance to escape!
As soon as Madam Jiang left, she was overjoyed, humming a tune.
Having survived a near-death situation, she felt completely at ease, not even questioning why Cui Jue had let them go.
This was exactly what puzzled Chen Jiao the most.
She paced back and forth in the room, trying to piece everything together.
Xu Shi, busy packing their belongings, found her movements distracting and said, “Child, stop pacing like a donkey. You’re making me dizzy.”
Chen Jiao suddenly stopped and asked seriously, “Mother, could my father be the Prince of Huai’an?”
Xu Shi nearly choked on her own saliva and spat, “Keep dreaming!
“If your father was the Prince of Huai’an, then I’d be a princess!”
Chen Jiao: “……”
Xu Shi crossed her arms.
“Your father doesn’t have the imperial surname. The Prince of Huai’an is the Emperor’s uncle—what right does he have to claim royal blood?”
Chen Jiao frowned.
“Then do you know what my father did for a living?”
Xu Shi waved dismissively.
“He never told me. He had some money and liked to show off.”
She paused.
“I was just a courtesan, and not even one from a brothel—just kept outside. I rarely asked about his personal affairs.”
Chen Jiao fell silent.
What kind of situation would lead Cui Jue to personally send them to the Prince of Huai’an’s residence?
The answer was obvious—some part of Xu Shi’s story must have aligned with the Prince of Huai’an’s own history.
Chen Jiao pressed further, “Mother, Cui Jue is a trusted aide of the Prince of Huai’an. If he knows we committed murder, why would he still send us to the Prince’s residence?”
Xu Shi, folding clothes, froze.
Chen Jiao continued, “Would Cui Jue really take such a risk?”
Xu Shi hesitated before muttering, “Then… what is his goal?”
Chen Jiao tapped her head.
“Think harder.”
Xu Shi suddenly looked horrified.
“Does he want to kill us?”
Chen Jiao sighed.
“If he wanted us dead, he could’ve done it here.”
Xu Shi’s expression shifted into something odd as she mumbled, “If your father really is the Prince of Huai’an, wouldn’t that make us nobility overnight?”
“I, Xu Huilan, have been unlucky all my life—how could I suddenly get this lucky?”
Chen Jiao clasped her hands behind her back and continued pacing.
“Mother, do I resemble my father?”
Xu Shi snapped out of her thoughts and nodded.
“Sons take after their mothers, daughters their fathers. You look about 80-90% like your father.”
Chen Jiao smirked.
“Then that explains it.”
Xu Shi still found it hard to believe.
Going from a lowly courtesan to a noblewoman overnight—such an immense stroke of fortune inflated her ego.
That night, neither of them could sleep from excitement.
They bid farewell to Xu Zhao and his men and left the estate under the protection of Hu Yan.
Hu Yan was the same foul-tempered man from Taojia Village.
He was leading a group of four skilled fighters.
One man drove the carriage while the other three rode horses.
The journey to Huizhou would take over twenty days by land, meaning they wouldn’t arrive until the winter months.
The trip was long and arduous, but the mother and daughter felt no exhaustion—they were fueled by the hope of a better future.
That hope was what kept them going.
For once, Chen Jiao was genuinely excited.
She was tired of living meal to meal, tired of being looked down upon as a lowly commoner.
Even if the battlefield inside the Prince of Huai’an’s estate was far crueler than the outside world, she wasn’t afraid.
After all, she was a girl who dared to kill and bury a man—straight from hell itself.