Perhaps noticing Jiang Xiurun’s unusual silence, Xu Ying looked up and asked with a puzzled expression, “Senior brother, why aren’t you eating?”

Jiang Xiurun calmly averted her gaze, picking up some food as she replied, “I’m just a bit overwhelmed by the alcohol, need to take a break… Speaking of which, the wine from your sister’s estate is the most fragrant. Ah, yes, a few months ago, the Xu family presented a jar of aged wine called ‘Biying Xiang’ to the Crown Prince. It’s said that this wine was buried by the Xu family’s patriarch when General Qin’s wife celebrated her full moon. There were only three jars in total, incredibly fragrant. The Crown Prince received one and couldn’t get enough of it. I wonder if you managed to get a share at the wedding banquet?”

Xu Ying hesitated for a moment before smiling, “There were only two jars left, and they were reserved for esteemed guests. How could a distant relative like me, staying at the Xu residence, get any? I only caught a whiff of its aroma but never tasted it.”

Jiang Xiurun chuckled along but didn’t say anything more.

Xu Ying drank another cup and then excused himself to the restroom. It wasn’t until the banquet was nearly over that he returned, his steps unsteady, as if he had dozed off in the restroom.

The group didn’t disperse until they had drained the last drop of wine, still reluctant to part ways.

By the time they reached the streets, it was almost deserted.

Jiang Xiurun’s guards, seeing the young master emerge, called for the carriage to take her back to the inn.

However, her classmates teased, “We all know your carriage is luxurious, but for such a short distance, why bother? The night breeze is refreshing and perfect for sobering up. Let’s walk back together, chatting and laughing along the way. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

The inn was indeed close to the tavern where they had been drinking. The cool night breeze felt pleasant against their flushed faces.

Truth be told, among the classmates who had followed Master Mufeng, there were several sons of nobility, but they all traveled lightly, accompanied only by their bookboys or servants.

Jiang Xiurun, with her carriage and three or four attendants, stood out as somewhat out of place. Her classmates, emboldened by alcohol, voiced their long-held grievances.

However, Jiang Xiurun knew that the guards sent by Feng Liwu were not just for her safety but more for surveillance.

But now, on the long street, with the tavern and the inn in sight and no one else around, Jiang Xiurun thought it wouldn’t hurt to walk. It was only a short distance, and walking would help digest the food. Taking the carriage would mean a detour and delay in returning to the inn.

At this moment, she wanted to return early to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

So, Jiang Xiurun instructed the guards to take the carriage back, while she, along with Qian’er and two remaining guards, walked with the others, chatting and laughing.

Since they were walking, they could take a shortcut. After crossing a small bridge, they would reach the street where the inn was located. The group walked in single file.

Jiang Xiurun had been walking behind Xu Ying, silently observing his figure and back view.

The more she looked, the more he resembled Feng Liwu. The alcohol she had consumed earlier, combined with her growing certainty, turned into cold sweat.

That damned Biying wine! She had made it up on the spot, yet the young man had played along, elaborating on the nonexistent wine as if it were real.

At the very least, this person was not a distant relative of the Xu family and had never stayed at their residence.

What was Qin Zhao’s plan? Why had he arranged for such a frail young man? What was he really up to?

As Jiang Xiurun’s thoughts raced, she stepped onto the stone bridge. Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her feet loosen. She slipped, and the stone slab tilted, causing her to fall into the river.

Xu Ying, seeing his classmate fall into the river, reacted the fastest and was the first to jump in. Qian’er and the two guards quickly followed, diving in to rescue her.

In an instant, the dark river surface was in chaos, with shouts from the shore and the water blending together.

The guards who had returned to the inn heard the commotion and rushed back with poles and ropes to assist in the rescue.

After a short while, Jiang Xiurun was finally pulled ashore by the guards. However, Xu Ying and Qian’er, who had jumped in to save her, were nowhere to be found…

Dou Siwu, who had almost reached the inn, heard the news and hurried over. Ignoring his classmates’s advise, he also jumped into the river. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a strong swimmer and swallowed several mouthfuls of water before being pulled ashore with a rope.

Jiang Xiurun, now rescued, was in a sorry state. After vomiting water on the riverbank, she sharply stopped the guards from helping her up and ordered them to continue searching for Qian’er and Xu Ying.

Then, mustering her strength, she staggered back to the inn.

This incident of falling into the water caused Master Mufeng so much distress that his hair turned white overnight.

How could two people just disappear into the water like that? He immediately sought out the local magistrate, asking the steward to find skilled swimmers to search along the river.

Soon, the swimmers returned, explaining that due to past drainage projects, the local river had many hidden channels connected to the nearby river.

If the missing persons couldn’t be found, they were likely swept away by the undercurrents into the river.

Jiang Xiurun, now changed into dry clothes, covered her mouth with her sleeve and wept, insisting that no matter the cost, Qian’er and Xu Ying must be found.

The Crown Prince’s guards, however, were sweating bullets. To them, the drowning of a maid was insignificant, but if anything happened to Jiang Xiurun, they would have to answer to the Crown Prince with their lives.

Fortunately, Jiang Xiurun was unharmed, just shaken. But the guard captain, still uneasy, called for a local renowned physician to check her pulse and prescribed calming medicine.

Jiang Xiurun, seemingly troubled, waved her hand, indicating she needed to rest and signaling for them to leave.

When the room was finally empty, Jiang Xiurun sat quietly for a while, then knelt before the bronze mirror on her dressing table, gazing at her reflection.

It was late at night, and the candlelight was dim, casting a blurry light on her reflection. Yet, her delicate features were still visible. She carefully examined herself, picked up a comb from the dressing table, and tidied the stray hairs at her temples. Then, tilting her chin slightly, she glanced sideways, her eyes seductive, and said, “Your Highness, you’ve finally come to see me…”

Not satisfied with this attempt, she turned slightly, her eyes cold, and said, “Your Highness, you’ve decided to visit me?”

She tried several more times, her voice fluctuating, until finally, she smiled with satisfaction. That smile, however, was eerie and fierce, as if possessed by a malevolent spirit…

Meanwhile, along the river, the search for the missing persons continued noisily.

Once outside the city gates, the countryside became quiet.

With no sign of the missing persons after so long, it was clear that the situation was dire.

The local magistrate, pressured by the renowned scholar from Great Qi, had to make a show of organizing a search along the river to ease the guests’ anxiety. However, no one was sent to search outside the city.

In a secluded courtyard in the countryside , a light was still on.

By the next evening, Qin Zhao, having traveled from the border of Wei, arrived at the courtyard. After being searched by the guards, he was allowed into the inner courtyard.

There, a young man was sitting on a woven mat, sipping tea. He was tall, around twenty years old, but his features bore a faint resemblance to the young Xu Ying.

Qin Zhao immediately knelt and said, “Greetings, Second Prince.”

The young man smiled, “I’ve already told you, since I’m living among the common people, there’s no need for such formalities. Just call me ‘Young Master.'”

Qin Zhao lowered his head further, “I dare not. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Wasn’t the plan for you to stay close to that woman, observe her appearance and preferences, so that the shadow woman trained by Your Highness could imitate her more accurately? Why did you act so quickly?”

The young man sighed, “I wanted to wait longer, but that woman is too sharp. She probably noticed something… I had no choice but to act sooner.”

Qin Zhao was stunned, “How could she have discovered your flaw?”

The young man remained silent for a moment, then smiled and asked, “Tell me, did your wife serve aged Biying wine at her wedding?”

Qin Zhao was puzzled, “What Biying wine? I’ve never heard of it.”

The young man shook his head, chuckled, and said to Qin Zhao, “This woman is even more cunning than the Princess Jiang in your dreams.”

He was now grateful for his keen intuition. Sensing something was amiss, he had acted decisively, using the opportunity during the banquet to signal his hidden subordinates to act sooner.

The most regrettable thing was his years of practicing the shrinking bone technique, which could alter one’s height and appearance but couldn’t completely transform a person.

After all, he was a man and couldn’t impersonate Feng Liwu’s concubine.

To impersonate that woman, he needed someone with a similar figure and appearance. So, he had selected one from the shadow women he had trained and spent the past few days coaching her, achieving some initial results.

However, since he hadn’t been lurking by her side for long, despite his careful observations, he had only grasped about seventy to eighty percent of her charm. It was still uncertain whether the shadow woman could deceive Feng Liwu and achieve to kill him…

Qin Zhao, now too anxious to ask why the Second Prince Feng Wu had acted sooner, urgently asked, “Since Your Highness has succeeded, where is she now?”

Feng Wu, the Second Prince of Great Qi, who was rumored to have been imprisoned and killed, smiled gently, “General Qin, why the rush? She’s resting in the inner courtyard. The night water was cold, and she was dragged through it for a while, catching a slight fever. The skilled physician is treating her. Once she’s calmed down, I’ll arrange for you to meet the woman of your dreams.”

Qin Zhao wanted to say more, but Feng Wu was already ushering him out, saying indifferently, “Xu Ying’s incident will soon reach Master Mufeng. You, as his relative, will likely receive a letter soon. You should start thinking about how to respond. It’s getting late, and you shouldn’t linger here too long. Best to prepare early.”

Qin Zhao had come determined to see her, and now, not knowing whether she was alive or dead, how could he leave?

Seeing this, Feng Wu calmly stood up and said, “Since you’re worried, why not come with me to see her?”

Under Feng Wu’s guidance, Qin Zhao entered a bedroom in the inner courtyard. Behind the flowing curtains, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair lay sleeping on a soft bed, her delicate brows furrowed. Her elegant features, straight nose, and cherry lips, along with her snow-white skin tinged with a faint blush, were unmistakably those of Jiang Xiurun, the Princess from Bo.