Early the next morning, Harris Ma and Jack Golden drove the wagon out to buy supplies, while Darren Chang went ahead to inspect the new house. After taking a quick look around, he stopped by a brokerage to hire several men to clean and tidy up the place.
Lena Sanders left the inn alone, wandering along the riverside until she came upon a small eatery. Choosing a table by the water, she ordered a basket of soup dumplings and a bowl of chicken porridge. She ate at leisure, watching the steady flow of boats—large and small—gliding swiftly along the river.
"Miss, you're not from around here, are you?"
At the next table, a slightly plump elderly man holding half a bowl of wontons turned his chair and sat facing her.
"No." Lena glanced at him, her polite smile gentle yet distant.
"Where might you be from, then?" he asked with warm curiosity.
"Riverton," Lena replied softly, smiling still.
"Ah, Riverton! A fine place indeed. So, Miss, are you just passing through Castleton—or planning to stay awhile?"
The man's tone was cheerful as he slurped another wonton.
Lena's gaze drifted toward a boat sliding slowly downstream. A woman sat at the stern, beating clothes as she cursed and wept. Lena watched her until another vessel drifted between them, blocking the view. Only then did she look back at the man and smile faintly. "I haven't quite decided yet."
"Castleton is a good place to settle," the man said, but his expression had soured; he'd lost his appetite.
"Yes," Lena replied warmly, plucking up another dumpling.
"You're very tight-lipped, aren't you, Miss?" His own smile faded almost to nothing.
Lena's eyes glimmered, but she offered no reply.
"You must have had plans for coming here," he pressed, voice turning sharp.
"Do I know you, sir? Or you, me?" Lena asked pleasantly, her smile unwavering.
"My surname is Fan. You may call me Mr. Fan. I serve in the Ministry of Justice," he said, puffing up a little. "I've been ordered to investigate the attempted assassination of His Highness, the Prince Heir, in Riverford City. Tell me, Miss—what have you heard of that matter?"
"Our business with the Prince Heir—what he knows is connected to his own misfortune. What he doesn't, has nothing to do with it," Lena said calmly, her tone light as ever.
"Miss, that's going too far! Have you never heard of magistrates who ruined families and prefects who wiped out entire clans?" Mr. Fan snapped, his composure slipping into anger.
"I haven't," Lena replied briskly, lifting her bowl and taking a sip of porridge.
Mr. Fan shot to his feet, narrowing his eyes at the serene woman before him. With a sharp snort, he flicked his sleeve and stormed off.
Lena finished her dumplings and porridge unhurriedly, then rose, strolled along the river, and disappeared into the flow of the city.
———
When Gavin Shea returned to the Prince of Rui's residence, William Chen was already waiting at the gate.
Inside the main hall, Gavin motioned for him to speak.
"Your Highness returned this afternoon," William began. "Upon hearing of the attempt on the Prince Heir's life, he flew into a rage—"
"Rage?" Gavin gave a low, cold laugh.
William's gaze fell, concealing the flicker of pity in his eyes. "He ordered Chancellor Pan to uncover the truth at once—no delay, no negligence, no mercy. Pan is to report daily and has been assigned two aides for assistance. Fortunately, all clues in his hands are those we have already verified. He merely needs to finish the formality of arrest."
Gavin acknowledged this with a curt nod, his face like stone.
"As for the trail from North Hollow Town," William continued, "it ends at the brokers. The arrows found in the woods—of that batch, only Shunzhi requisitioned ten bundles. We've confirmed ours are all accounted for. The rest remain in the Ministry of War's stores—thirty-one thousand nine hundred and thirteen in total. The Ministry claims the shipment originally numbered thirty-two thousand, so a few extra—ten, twenty, even fifty—are not unusual. It's a dead end."
He paused before going on, "As for the other two leads—Riverton, according to Miss Li's findings, points to a retainer named Xiangshi, who serves the Marquis of Yongning. But Xiangshi never left Castleton, so there must be another messenger.
"The Ministry of War received urgent intelligence from Southland around the time you were in North Hollow—warning that enemy scouts were passing through. They ordered local militias to remain on alert. On the night of your ambush, someone produced an official token from the Ministry to mobilize North Hollow's soldiers. Since that command matched the Ministry's prior order, no one suspected deceit.
"The token was genuine—but stolen two years ago. Very few knew you had survived the Riverford attack. The Ministry could not have known. They and North Hollow were merely pawns—culpable, perhaps, but not guilty."
He exhaled. "The envoy delegation yields nothing new. At this point, we have no trace. If the Marquis of Yongning truly orchestrated the ambush, the precision of it all is… remarkable. You're alive only by sheer fortune. We've underestimated them."
"You truly believe those archers belonged to Yongning's house?" Gavin asked after a long silence.
"We must be certain," William murmured. "Southland's intelligence network and the envoy corps are both compromised—especially the former. The line to Riverton's messenger must be traced. The envoys are within our reach; Riverton we can handle. But Southland… if we send men there, they may never return."
"Mm." Gavin's tone was grim. After a pause, he shifted the subject. "And Miss Li—how fares she lately?"
William's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Her wit, as sharp as ever…" He sighed, half amused, half helpless. "This morning, Fan Li from the Ministry tried questioning her by the river. She answered every probe without giving him a drop to hold on to. He left fuming, muttering that she hides behind your name and behaves with unbearable arrogance—that it tarnishes your reputation."
"Arrogant?" Gavin's mouth curved. "More than I am?"
William laughed quietly. "I'd say… not quite."
"If Miss Li could build her name from nothing and flourish in Riverford, she won't stumble over the likes of Fan Li. Every word she spoke along the road here is a blade—none meant for his ears. Find out whether Fan Li is truly a fool, or simply playing one."
By the time Gavin finished, his face had gone dark.
"Yes, Your Highness," William said, hesitating before asking, "You're thinking of sending her to Southland, aren't you?"
Gavin looked at him coolly. "What do you think?"
"It makes sense," William admitted. "The trouble in Southland likely began in Riverford. Miss Li knows that city like her own hand—she'd be the perfect choice. But if she goes and the network collapses… we risk losing everything."
"I'm wondering," Gavin said slowly, "whether she would agree—and if not, how to persuade her."
William studied him for a moment, then gave a rueful laugh. "Your Highness, it was precisely this disregard for danger that led to your ambush."
"And if I'd been cautious like my brother," Gavin said, voice icy, "would they have spared me? From the moment I returned, they've tried to poison me—because I stand between them and the Prince's throne. Whether I am reckless or restrained makes no difference. I am the mountain they must tear down to pass."
William fell silent for a long time, then sighed softly.