At noon, someone from the Prince's side came to inquire about the results of Yu Hanjiang's interrogation. Yu Hanjiang only replied, "The assassin came from Yan State, and we still need to investigate who the mastermind is."
It seems that if they hadn't arrived at the grove in time to intercept the assassins, they would have been taken back to the palace by Qin Rui and Third Miss and interrogated by the prince himself.
From Liu Qiao
According to the information, these assassins were extremely loyal to their "master," and their families were also controlled by that "master." They could not betray the organization, and besides, they had never seen what their "master" looked like; they were all following Aunt Qing's orders.
Aunt Qing, who knew more information, was not arrested this time, so the prince couldn't get anything out of her.
Information from Yan State still needs to be provided by people who have been there.
It is highly likely that this person is Xiao Lou's younger brother, who has been missing for many years.
In Xiao Lou's memory, he came to Jiangzhou with his mother when he was twelve years old. His father was murdered by a criminal when he was twelve, and his mother took him and fled. She made him dress as a woman, and the mother and son settled outside Jiangzhou as wandering doctors.
His younger brother must have lived in Jiangzhou for a while, since he was still young then. It's impossible for him to have gone to the front lines before he was even ten years old, right? However, he has no memory of his younger brother, probably because his brother hadn't appeared yet and no memory clues were triggered.
Herbal Hut outside the city has been burned down. Liu Qiao won't be staying there for the next few days. Anyway, Shao Qingge has plenty of money, so he 'll book an inn for Liu Qiao in the city for easy communication.
In the dead of night, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang waited by a large tree near Herbal Hut outside Jiangzhou City, while the other teammates hid nearby, ready to provide backup should anything happen.
Liu Qiao used his Lightness Skill card to climb the tree, and Long Sen changed to the color of the tree trunk, blending into the tree. Ye Qi, Shao Qingge, Lao Mo, and others hid nearby using Invisibility Cloak.
So, even though it's just Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang by the tree, all their teammates are actually there!
The night was beautiful, with a bright moon hanging high and the Milky Way sparkling. It was so quiet that you couldn't even hear your teammates breathing. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang stood side by side, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.
Yu Hanjiang spoke first, "Thinking of your brother again?"
Xiao Lou played along, saying, "Well, he hasn't contacted me since he went to the front lines. He's been missing for years, and I don't know if he's dead or alive... My mother's death anniversary is coming soon, and I still can't find my brother. I really can't face her at her grave."
Yu Hanjiang gently put his arm around Xiao Lou's shoulder and whispered, "Madam, don't worry too much. I've already sent someone to the front lines to inquire. Once they find out where your brother is, they'll send us a message by carrier pigeon immediately... Since we haven't found his body all these years, maybe he's still alive."
Xiao Lou nodded gently: "I hope so."
The surrounding teammates: "......"
The Oscars owe you both Best Actor awards!
Ye Qi couldn't help but think to himself, Captain Yu calling Professor Xiao "Madam" is getting easier and easier to say, the two of them playing husband and wife would be so convincing! Professor Xiao is also quite into his female attire, unlike him, he would be driven crazy to play Miss Ye, it seems that at most he can become a singer, there is no chance in the entertainment industry, his acting skills are simply not up to par.
Just then, the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air was suddenly heard—
Everyone around immediately tensed up.
A dart flew straight into the tree in front of Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance. Yu Hanjiang turned his head and saw a masked man in black, Light as a Swallow, jump down from the treetop not far away. He glanced at the two of them and then turned and ran away.
His Lightness Skill was excellent; he leaped and bounded through the trees several times and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Seeing him fly towards the southeast, Yu Hanjiang immediately used his Teleportation Card, gently put his arm around Xiao Lou's waist, and quickly chased after him with Xiao Lou on his back!
Seeing this, the other teammates also took action.
Liu Qiao flew directly through the trees, followed closely by Long Sen using his long jump card. Ye Qi also had a teleportation card that Shao Qingge had paid to copy. Ye Qi, along with CEO Shao and Lao Mo, specifically chose the shade of trees as landing spots, teleporting 50 meters at a time to avoid being detected by the other side.
Soon, a group of people chased after the man in black and drove away.
There was a cave ahead. The man in black slipped into the cave, and Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang immediately followed.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the cave, the man in black drew his sword and stabbed at Yu Hanjiang in the face!
Yu Hanjiang immediately shielded Xiao Lou behind him, and with a quick turn of his foot, narrowly avoided the sharp sword.
The man's attacks were all aimed at Yu Hanjiang's throat. Yu Hanjiang dodged swiftly, and more than a dozen moves had passed in the blink of an eye. Xiao Lou stood by and observed. Although the man's swordsmanship was sharp, Xiao Lou had a feeling that he didn't want to take Yu Hanjiang's life; it seemed that he was just testing him...
In the darkness, Xiao Lou suddenly met a pair of deep, dark eyes.
In that instant, countless memories flooded my mind...
As a child, he followed him around, holding his hand and begging for candy; as an adult, he always pestered him to teach him how to perform autopsies; at eighteen, upon hearing of the emergency at the front, he resolutely joined the army despite his mother's objections...
Although this was just a younger brother arranged for him by Secret Room World, Xiao Lou still felt deeply connected to those vivid memories.
Thinking of his cousin in real life, Xiao Lou's heart softened slightly, and he said sharply, " Xiao Yu, stop!"
The young man's back stiffened slightly, and he stopped what he was doing. He snorted coldly and sheathed his sword.
Yu Hanjiang also realized what was happening and asked in a low voice, "You're Madam's younger brother, Xiao Yu?"
Xiao Yu sneered, "Madam? Brother, you really surprise me with your actions. Not only did you dress as a woman, but you actually married a man?! So, should I call this Lord Yu my sister-in-law or my brother-in-law?"
Xiao Lou: "..."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
The younger brother's thinking is a bit unconventional; calling her "sister-in-law" or "brother-in-law" is neither appropriate. Xiao Lou is, after all, a man, and getting married like this makes the choice of address rather awkward.
" It's settled." Xiao Lou coughed awkwardly and explained, " Hanjiang and I are in love, and our marriage has already been approved by my mother. He treats me very well, so please don't be prejudiced against him."
Xiao Yu gave Yu Hanjiang a hostile look: "Is that so?"
Yu Hanjiang assured him, "That's right, my feelings for your brother are as clear as day. I've only ever loved one person in my life."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lou's ears turned slightly red, even though Yu Hanjiang was acting.
The teammates outside the cave: "..."
Captain Yu, if you don't become an actor, the entertainment industry has truly lost a great actor.
Only Shao Qingge smiled and thought, this is probably not acting, but a genuine expression of emotion!
Xiao Yu didn't dwell on the matter any longer; he took off his veil... The handsome guy really did look a bit like Xiao Lou, and the locked-room mystery plot in Red Heart A wasn't just a random idea.
Yu Hanjiang couldn't bring himself to dislike his younger brother, who looked like Xiao Lou, and his gaze softened as he looked at him: " Xiao Yu, why did you suddenly return to Jiangzhou?"
Xiao Yu said in a low voice, "Brother, there's something I want to tell you privately."
Xiao Lou glanced at Yu Hanjiang and said, " It's the same to say it in front of Hanjiang. There are no secrets between us. Besides, he has already guessed why you came."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Is that so?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "When you disappeared on the front lines back then, it was very likely that General Who Conquers the West deliberately arranged a completely new identity for you, so that you could infiltrate Yan State and become an inside agent."
Xiao Yu looked at Yu Hanjiang with some surprise, clearly not expecting him to be able to guess it.
Yu Hanjiang said, "This time, you must have received orders from your master to assassinate the Perfect of Jiangzhou and the Eighth Prince. You took the opportunity to come to Jiangzhou, firstly to find the whereabouts of your brother and mother, and secondly to try to pass on the news from Yan State to the Eighth Prince... Am I right?"
Xiao Yu's expression gradually became complicated.
Yu Hanjiang guessed all of them correctly.
Unexpectedly, the "husband" his brother had chosen was so capable, able to analyze so many truths. Upon closer observation, he noticed that his brother's gaze towards this man was full of trust... which slightly lessened his aversion to Yu Hanjiang.
With my brother's intelligence, he wouldn't marry just any man. Since he chose Yu Hanjiang, Yu Hanjiang must be exceptional. Xiao Yu put aside his prejudices and nodded, "That's right. Yan State is about to launch a major operation. The general told me to go back to Jiangzhou and inform the Eighth Prince. Yan State's assassins have not only been sent to Jiangzhou—they've also been sent to the Imperial Palace in the capital!"