Lai Chenglong had expected the matter Song Chuyi had so solemnly brought to him to be quite significant. To his surprise, it was only this matter. After a brief moment of thought, he readily agreed, "By tomorrow morning at the test, my men will deliver the information to Luo Gui."

  However, Song Chuyi's heart remained tense despite his assurance. She nodded in thanks and then quickly spoke about what y ahead, "After the recent incidents with Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin, many more people will try to curry favor with you. Though you may appear to be in a stable position, you must not let down your guard..."

  Lai Chenglong listened intently. He couldn't help but feel that this young girl was unlike any other he had ever met. When she spoke, her gaze was steady, her eyes sparkled with a confidence that seemed to shine like gemstones, making it almost impossible not to trust her words.

  "After the scandal of Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin selling positions, the Emperor is likely to be on high alert, suspecting that no one in the Jinyiwei is trustworthy. If, at this time, you were to expand your influence by recruiting others and taking their money, you would no longer be the same person you once were," Song Chuyi said, meeting his gaze. "The Emperor brought you back from Fujian all those years ago precisely because of the loyalty and courage you embodied."

  Lai Chenglong broke out in a cold sweat. He had been solely focused on securing control over the Jinyiwei and becoming the Director with absolute power, just like the former court official, Lord Lu. In doing so, he had forgotten that all of this fundamentally depended on Emperor Jianzhang. In the Emperor's eyes, he was a trusted and loyal minister, a "pure" official. A "pure" official shouldn't harbor other ambitions. If he allowed his ambitions to swell and began building his own power now, how would he be any different from Xu Liang or Jia Yingxin?

  He looked at Song Chuyi with a complex expression, feeling both a hint of fear and surprise. This young girl dared to specute on imperial intentions. How exactly had Old Master Song taught his granddaughter, molding her into this perceptive character?

  This strengthened his resolve to help Song Chuyi—not merely out of loyalty to his old friend but because she was genuinely worth assisting. He adjusted his straw hat, stood up, pced his right hand habitually on his sword, and nodded to Song Chuyi. "I'll remember everything you said. Don't wander around in the dark; it's about time to head home."

  The matter with Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin was still unresolved, and he had only managed to come here by taking advantage of a brief pause. Now, it was nearly time to return to the Zhenfu Office.

  Song Chuyi agreed, watching as he disappeared in a few swift moves. She then sat back down on the thickly padded stone stool, wrapped her cloak around herself, and turned to Qingying. "Have Ma Changjiang and the others arrived?"

  Ma Changjiang and Ma San were always diligent in carrying out Song Chuyi's orders. Since they'd been tasked with following Song Yan, they would undoubtedly stay with him from start to finish, likely seeing him safely back to the Marquis of Changning's estate before coming here to report.

  Qingying nodded. "They returned while you were speaking with Master Lai. Shall I call them over?"

  Ma Changjiang and Ma San looked dusty and disheveled, their hair untidy, and their shoes caked in mud. Song Chuyi looked them over and raised an eyebrow. "Did they take the Fourth Young Master out of the city today?"

  Ma San wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding quickly. "Yes, they did. They even wound around three or four vilges... If I didn't have a scout's background, I'd have lost them ages ago. But despite all that, we still don't know exactly which house Fourth Young Master ended up in at Baihe Manor."

  Ma Changjiang added, "Once we arrived at Baihe Manor, seven or eight identical carriages surrounded us. After that, they split off in different directions. We marked each stop where they paused, but each house had different carriages parked at the back entrances..."

  There are countless alleys and houses in Baihe Manor, and with so many carriages blocking the way, even a deity wouldn't know which carriage Song Yan entered or which house he eventually stayed in.

  Han Zhi was truly willing to go all out to guard against her.

  She waved her hand, indicating that she understood. Seeing how exhausted they were, she softened. "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to keep following the Fourth Young Master."

  Ma San and Ma Changjiang exchanged gnces, worried that Song Chuyi was dissatisfied with their efforts. They nervously tugged at their sleeves, hanging their heads in embarrassment. "We were useless... we couldn't be of any help to you, my dy..."

  Song Chuyi shook her head, her expression gentle. "I'm not saying you were useless; it's just that there's no point in continuing. Following him like this only makes you a joke, running around as they lead you on. I've already found someone else for this task. You both deserve a rest. In a few days, join me on a trip to Jinzhong."

  Ma Changjiang still felt a pang of guilt. Song Chuyi had always treated them well, taking care of everything in the household. His daughter had even been adopted as a goddaughter by Nanny Xu and had been married off grandly st month. Now that Song Chuyi's own brother was in trouble, he felt ashamed that they hadn't been able to help. He hesitated, then suddenly brightened. "My dy, why don't I follow Han Zhi instead? He's the true master of Guanshan. By following him, I could pick up some clues."

  But now wasn't the right time. Han Zhi was a ruthless and highly suspicious person, likely well aware that Song Chuyi might send someone to tail him. If he detected anything, the consequences wouldn't be any better than what happened to Ma Wangkun st time.

  Moreover, Han Zhi probably didn't have the time to meddle with Song Yan's affairs in the coming days. With Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin's downfall, the Prince of Commandery was likely covered in scandal, and Han Zhi, as his loyal cousin and advisor, would be occupied helping resolve the crisis.

  No matter how capable a person is, they're still human and can't be everywhere at once. Just as she'd nearly overlooked Song Yan when working to drive a wedge between Prime Minister Chen and the Fang family, Han Zhi would be preoccupied with helping the Prince of Commandery, leaving gaps elsewhere. There were still opportunities to exploit with Zhang Run.

  Having Lai Chenglong investigate what Song Yan was really up to and freeing Ma Changjiang and the others to locate Zhang Run... she could catch Han Zhi off guard. Once Zhang Run was in her grasp, it would be Han Zhi's turn to suffer.

  "Here's the pn: wait here for my instructions," Song Chuyi said calmly, her confidence apparent. "At the test, within a day or two, I'll send Qingying to inform you of your next move."