Only after getting on the carriage did Qing Ying dare to breathe a sigh of relief. Patting her chest, she asked Song Chuyi, "Miss, how did you know that seemingly unimpressive dog would be so powerful?" If it weren't for betting on that dog to win against Han Zhi, Han Zhi might not have been so infuriated.

  Song Yan was also curious. The seasoned experts he had previously hired to give him advice had all gone to the dog yard to observe the dogs, and without exception, they had picked the tall, muscur mastiffs, as they were more aggressive and fierce in fights. Yet, without a second thought, Song Chuyi had chosen this unique dog the moment she saw it, deciding immediately to pit it against Han Zhi's wolfdog.

  This was thanks to Han Zhi himself; in her previous life, Han Zhi had used this very dog to achieve victory in front of the other nobles' sons, undefeated. Given a few more years, he would have discovered the dog's true strengths. This time, she was simply benefiting from the knowledge of her previous life.

  However, gaining this advantage from her past life was one thing; drawing the attention of Zhou Weiqi was another, for which she owed thanks to Zhang Run and Wei Yanxi.

  Thinking of this, she asked Qing Ying, "So, did they bring the person out?"

  Earlier, she'd had Ma Changjiang keep a close eye on the movements at Han Zhi's estate in Tongzhou. Once he had news, she'd enlisted Lai Chenglong's help. The men Lai Chenglong brought were skilled, and with Ma Changjiang's team assisting, she had finally managed to locate Zhang Run.

  And it was fortunate she found Zhang Run, for only then did she learn about the recent subtle tension between Han Zhi and the Fan sisters. The matter with Han Yueheng had been orchestrated by Consort Fan. Though Han Zhi hadn't said anything openly, he had argued with his birth mother, Lady Fan, over it. However, he remained deeply resentful about the issue. This highly sensitive and brooding person was always acutely aware of others' emotions. When Consort Fan, who once treated him so well, suddenly turned her back on him, it was an immense blow to Han Zhi.

  It turned out that the seemingly unbreakable alliance between the Han family and Consort Fan from the Eastern Pace wasn't as impenetrable as it seemed. Since Han Zhi wanted to dig a pit for her, she naturally wouldn't sit idly by. She knew that the Prince of Commandery was recently troubled by matters involving Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin. If, at this time, Han Zhi disregarded the bigger picture, offended the Song family, and created more issues for him, then neither Consort Fan, who may already harbor resentment towards the Han family, nor Zhou Weiqi, would protect Han Zhi as they had in the past.

  The reason she hadn't taken decisive action against Han Zhi earlier was due to the potential fallout and the risk of offending both Consort Fan and Zhou Weiqi. Now, with Han Zhi essentially digging his own grave, she only needed to give a little push to sever his path. With Consort Fan and Zhou Weiqi distancing themselves, it was the perfect time to strike. Therefore, she had to provoke Han Zhi, ensuring he acted recklessly, revealing his intention to eliminate her and Song Yan to the Prince of Commandery, thereby making him give up on Han Zhi entirely.

  Now was the time for Zhang Run to come into py. By taking action now, Consort Fan would certainly stand aside and do nothing.

  Qing Ying nodded quickly. "He slipped out with the convoy when the eldest young master and the second young master Ye left the city today. He should be on our estate in Tongzhou by now."

  Ye Jingchuan, already as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, grew increasingly restless as evening approached, with nterns about to be lit, yet still no news. He urged Song Jue repeatedly, "Shouldn't we just go and check? I don't believe Han Zhi could really do anything to us if we forcefully took the person!"

  Of course, there was nothing he could really do, but it would mean all their previous efforts would go to waste. Song Jue stifled the unease in his heart and firmly shook his head. "If anything had changed, there would certainly be some signal from Xiaoyi's side. No news is the best news."

  Before he even finished speaking, Uncle Zhang, who had been waiting by the door, cheered, "Sixth Miss and Fourth Young Master's carriage has arrived!"

  Song Jue and Ye Jingchuan exchanged gnces and quickly went out to greet them.

  Both Song Chuyi and Song Yan appeared perfectly fine, without a trace of dishevelment, indicating that things had gone retively smoothly. Song Jue let out a sigh of relief, though he shot Song Yan a cold gre first. If it weren't for Song Yan, today's trouble wouldn't have arisen.

  But now wasn't the time to assign bme. As he walked alongside Song Chuyi into the room, he lowered his voice and informed her, "Governor He should already be on his way to investigate that illegal gambling den. I heard there were two fatalities there today."

  In truth, deaths occurred almost daily at that pce; it was just that no one had investigated before. Now that someone was finally probing into it, things would take a different turn.

  Ye Jingchuan chimed in, "Even though they've already prepared a scapegoat, the Zhang family's assets, life, wife, and children are all held in someone else's hands. With a little encouragement, he confessed everything."

  That's the thing about dealing with smart people. Someone like the elder Lady Fan, if she wants to target someone, will always ensure every exit is meticulously covered without a single fw.

  In the end, the real charges—running these illegal gambling dens, loan sharking, and causing harm to people—will all fall on Han Zhi, leaving the Eastern Pace untouched.

  In recent years, several noble families have engaged in such dark businesses. Some were caught, but luckily these matters usually don't lead to the extermination of families; at most, it's exile. Those who couldn't afford bribes might face a harsher punishment after the autumn season.

  This outcome suits Song Chuyi perfectly. Officially, this matter has nothing to do with her or the Song family; it's all because Han Zhi ran the illegal gambling den and got into trouble. Consort Fan just stood by and watched as Han Zhi fell into this predicament.

  If Han Zhengqing and Lady Fan harbor any resentment, it should be toward Consort Fan and Zhou Weiqi, who shared the profits when business was good but pushed him under the bus when things went wrong.

  "Where's Zhang Run?" Song Chuyi asked as she walked quickly. Upon entering the hall, she saw Zhang Run sitting there, upright and waiting.

  He immediately stood up. Though his face was a bit pale, he looked spirited enough. He asked Song Chuyi, "How did it go, Sixth Miss? Did the Prince of Commandery go as pnned?"

  If the Prince of Commandery hadn't witnessed the act, he wouldn't have resolved to abandon Han Zhi as an important pawn, and all the intelligence Zhang Run had gathered would have been in vain. Han Zhi would once again slip away unscathed.

  Han Zhi had long noticed Zhang Run's connection with Song Chuyi but said nothing, pying with him like a cat with a mouse. Occasionally, he'd throw Zhang Run a few scraps, making him think he'd discovered something valuable, only for him to run repeatedly to report to Sixth Miss Song.

  Later, Han Zhi even pnned to have Zhang Run and Wei Yanxi killed to silence them. If it hadn't been for Song Chuyi's people acting swiftly and being prepared in advance, Zhang Run would already be bound and tossed into a carriage bound for Suzhou, with Wei Yanxi dead.

  Zhang Run did want to die—to reunite with his parents and sister—but he refused to die in vain without achieving anything. He would drag Han Zhi down with him so he could face his family in the afterlife with pride.