Almost at the same time that Han Zhi received the news, or perhaps even a bit earlier, Song Chuyi also got wind of it. Feeling that the weight lodged in her chest because of Song Yan had finally eased a bit, she beckoned Ziyun over to her. "Go to the outer study and check if the Master is there. If he is, ask him to come to Guanju Courtyard for a visit."

  Song Jue wasn't in the outer study. His attendant outside said that he'd gone out the previous evening and hadn't returned since. However, he had sent word saying he'd certainly be home in time for dinner that night.

  This indicated that the issue had indeed escated. As a Qianhu (Commander of a Thousand) in the Imperial Guards, Song Jue naturally had to take charge of creating a new defense yout and assist in weeding out those whom Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin had infiltrated into the Imperial Guard. He was a martial schor, appointed by the Emperor himself, and suspicion couldn't easily be cast upon him. As the Imperial Guard faced disgrace over the infiltration, he naturally became even more indispensable and was kept extremely busy.

  Song Chuyi nodded, closed the book in her hands, stood up, and instructed Qingying, "Go and inform Luo Gui to find Master Lai Chenglong. Tonight, I'll be waiting for him at the courtyard near the Shizi Pavillion in the North City."

  But just as Qingying exited, someone from Ningde Courtyard arrived, saying the Old Lady and Old Master were looking for her. Frowning thoughtfully for a moment, Song Chuyi changed her clothes and went to Ningde Courtyard, where she indeed found both Old Master Song and Old Lady Song present, but not Xiang Mingzi.

  "Xiao Yi, has Yan'er told you where he's been going recently?" The Old Lady, rarely so stern, looked at her with a solemn expression and concern in her eyes. "Your eldest aunt said he withdrew three thousand taels of silver from the account this morning..."

  Song Chuyi's eyes immediately widened. Her palms felt cmmy, and her head spun slightly as she struggled to gather her thoughts.

  Old Master Song and Old Lady Song could tell from her reaction that she hadn't known, and they sighed. "He recently received quite a bit of spending money. Each of your two maternal aunts gave him a thousand-tael note, and Yun kept these recorded. When I found out he'd drawn funds from the account, I called Yushu over. But upon inspection, the box holding the silver notes had vanished..."

  What could Song Yan be doing with such a huge sum of money?! The total amount—six to seven thousand taels—was equivalent to the household's expenses for an entire quarter. What could a mere ten-year-old possibly need such an amount for?

  Song Chuyi hadn't expected that after her warning to Song Yan yesterday, he would still dare to draw such a rge amount from the account today. Children are children—they don't realize the bookkeeping system won't allow unrestricted access to funds, and every transaction is recorded by a dedicated accountant. Major expenses require reporting to the First Lady, who in turn must inform the Old Lady.

  In contrast, Old Master Song seemed more composed than Old Lady Song. He looked at Song Chuyi thoughtfully. "It seems that from about half a month ago, Yan'er began going out repeatedly. I thought it strange and questioned him; he said he was visiting old school friends. I didn't think much of it. The end-of-year performance review at the Ministry of Personnel has me busy with a mountain of work, and your eldest brother is preoccupied with defense pn investigations. But you've always been meticulous and very attentive to Yan'er. Surely you noticed something unusual... Xiao Yi, tell me honestly, do you know anything?"

  Song Chuyi, after some thought, had no choice but to expin everything she knew to Old Master and Old Lady Song. She sighed in frustration. "I only noticed something odd a few days ago. I've been busy dealing with the Ninth Princess and building connections with Lady Fang, so I neglected to keep a close eye on him."

  When the Old Lady heard Han Zhi was involved, she immediately sat up straight and asked with a serious tone, "What exactly does he want to do?"

  In this world, the soft fear the harsh, and the harsh fear the reckless. Han Zhi was precisely the reckless type. Not only was he unafraid, but he was also exceedingly cunning and careful, never leaving any incriminating evidence behind.

  This was why Song Chuyi had kept him around for so long; he was incredibly challenging to deal with. While Song Chuning's schemes had been deep and terrifying, she was still a girl bound by the limits of a woman's quarters. Han Zhi, on the other hand, was the heir to the Marquis of Jinxiang, with ample manpower and wealth at his disposal. If he wished, he could accomplish anything.

  Old Master Song asked Song Chuyi, "Do you know what exactly Yan'er is being lured into doing?"

  Song Chuyi shook her head. "I sent Ma Changjiang to follow him. They reported that Yan'er's movements are unpredictable; he often sits in a tavern for no more than a moment before switching carriages at the back door to another location, sometimes even leaving the city. If it weren't for Ma Changjiang's sharp eyes, he wouldn't have even spotted Guan Shan. I didn't initially suspect Han Zhi."

  Three caves for a cunning hare—truly, this was Han Zhi's style. During the recent incident in the Northwest, the Han family had come through unscathed, and Han Zhi's maneuvering was rgely responsible. Although he wasn't entirely behind it, he had provided critical guidance, accurately predicting that Grand Secretary Chen would avoid making Zhang Tianhe speak. Swiftly, he bribed the Jinyiwei.

  Old Master Song chuckled. "That boy has truly been trained to the point of brilliance. It's as if he can predict everything. I heard that on the day Zhang Tianhe arrived in the capital, he sought out the Jinyiwei and even went to the Ministry of Justice's prison to release Zhang Tianhe's legitimate children, pulling a clever switch."

  In other words, the ones sent into svery and official punishment were not truly Zhang Tianhe's son and daughter but people Han Zhi had pced there.

  This was a huge vulnerability. The Old Lady's eyes brightened. "Why not just bring this to light? The Zhang family is well-connected. Wouldn't verifying their identities reveal the truth?"

  Seeing Old Master Song gnce her way, Song Chuyi shook her head. "He's always cautious, never leaving any evidence. The real people were likely disposed of long ago. The Zhang family members were sold off and transferred into government custody. Given Han Zhi's nature, he likely arranged for them to disappear the next day under some pretense. We won't find anything now. And he surely prepared all the paperwork for his 'rescued' individuals..."