He always treated Sheng Xiang as a child who had never grown up. Sheng Xiang's ability to act spoiled and throw tantrums was unmatched, and if he agreed to this request, who knew what odd requests would follow in the future?

  Shàng Xuán, like Liú Yīn, was one of the Four Powers. Upon hearing that Liu Yin was being treated like a commodity to be given away, his temper fred. Seeing Sheng Xiang smiling happily made him even more dissatisfied—he already disliked Emperor Zhào Jiǒng, and with Zhào Jiǒng's fondness for Sheng Xiang, his dislike for Sheng Xiang grew.

  Zé Níng, however, knew that Sheng Xiang 's pyful antics must have a reason behind them. Though he didn't like Sheng Xiang's appearance as a carefree young master who seemed to know nothing, despite clearly being talented, he wouldn't show it; he knew that Sheng Xiang's insistence on finding Liu Yin must have a purpose! If he remembered correctly, a few months ago, when Hai Ling was forcefully sent to the Qin Wang's mansion by Shàng Xuán, Liu Yin had already visited the mansion. Was there something that even the sinister Liu Yin or the delicate Sheng Xiang couldn't solve?

  He decided to stop paying attention to other matters. Hai Ling was still at home, waiting for him to return and expin what had happened that night.

  Today, people said that the young master would return. Hai Ling was combing her hair when suddenly she felt a wave of sorrow. The young master—did he still remember her?

  It was already early morning, after the fourth watch. She didn't know when the young master would return, but she was waiting—waiting for him to expin that night's events.

  Ze Ning would expin she knew he wasn't the type to toy with people's emotions. Besides, she was just a maid—what would be worth pying with? Back then, she wasn't who she was now.

  The sky gradually brightened.

  "The young master is back!" From a distance, there was a commotion. Hai Ling knew Ze Ning had returned, and she should go to welcome him.

  Ze Ning did not return to the mansion immediately. Since it was rare for him to encounter Rong Yin, he had to ask him about Hai Ling.

  -----

  In the Róng Mansion's Qīngyuán Garden.

  Héxīn Pavilion, a pavilion on the water, surrounded by mist and a hazy view of the water in every direction.

  Ze Ning was dressed in official court attire, while Rong Yin wore a loose robe. The two sat across from each other at a stone table.

  "Who is Hai Ling?" Ze Ning asked, using his hand to trace patterns on the surface of the table. "She comes from the Róng Mansion, and you must know her story."

  Rong Yin gnced at him. "She's just a maid." As a high-ranking official, his insight was sharp. How could he not see Zé Níng's attitude toward Hai Ling? Furrowing his brows, he coldly said, "As the Chief Military Commissioner, there are many matters you should be concerned about. You wouldn't put it at the top of your priorities, would you? There's an epidemic of chills in the pace, a poison deliberately spread. You're not investigating the culprit but are concerned about a mere maid from the Róng Mansion? Don't make me lecture you on what's important!"

  Rong Yin always spoke with an air of superiority. Even in front of Zé Níng, a prince from the Qin Wang mansion, he still spoke arrogantly, offering no courtesy.

  "The culprit is being investigated by Yù Xiū. Don't avoid the question." Ze Ning wasn't intimidated by Rong Yin's domineering tone. He kept his sharp eyes fixed on him, calmly continuing to write. "What is Hai Ling's status? Do you know she has martial arts skills?"

  Rong Yin looked into his eyes. "Do you really want to know?" He had never seen Ze Ning look at someone so seriously. Ze Ning usually appeared indifferent, as if nothing could touch his emotions, like an empty paper figure.

  Ze Ning nodded. Hai Ling's situation was important to him because he truly could not be separated from her. After five days apart, he had forced himself to suppress his longing, but his patience was running out. He could not bear the thought of zoning out or standing there in a daze. He needed to know about her so he could return to her as soon as possible.

  "If—" Rong Yin's gaze suddenly turned cold and sharp. "If you have any other intentions toward her, I advise you to abandon such thoughts." He smmed his hand on the table and stood up. "Let me tell you who Hai Ling is. After you know, you'll understand what you should do. I've painstakingly turned her into a completely ordinary maid. If you dig up her past, are you trying to bury her with no chance of a proper burial?" With a swift movement, he tossed his sleeve and moved to the other side of Héxīntíng.

  Ze Ning suddenly stood up. So, it turns out that Hai Ling's background indeed has its own mysterious secret!

  “She is the female disciple of the Sword Forging Master from the Sword Forging Valley of the Liao Kingdom. She has the bloodline of the Song people but grew up in the Liao Kingdom, named ‘Zhū Jiàn’ (Sword Execution). The Sword Forging Master is a Khitan from the Liao Kingdom, and he sent his female disciple to kill me with the purpose of sabotaging the Song army's command strategy—because they don't know that the authority to command the army in the Great Song doesn't rest with me but with the generals leading the troops. He sent Hai Ling to assassinate me.” Rong Yìn′s tone this time wasn′t cold but carried a slight feeling of sympathy. “If the military power were with me, this would be a fantastic pn! But—though Hai Ling's martial arts aren't weak, she was captured by me. She has a remarkable nature and an innocent personality. She came to assassinate me purely at her master's orders. I couldn't bear to see her imprisoned because of this. After being injured by me, she lost all her memory. I hid her appearance and kept her in the Rong Mansion, hoping she could stay away from the Song-Liao conflict and the battlefield and live the life she should live. I set her free as a commoner, unwilling to see her as a servant. She arranged for an old farmer to be her father, hoping she could live a peaceful and joyful life. But unexpectedly, that old farmer died early. Hai Ling sold herself to bury her father, went to the Yan Wang Mansion, and eventually ended up in your Qin Wang Mansion. She has a miserable fate, and you are just meddling in other people's business!”

  Zé Níng's eyes sparkled. He had already known that Hai Ling's background must be extraordinary, but he never expected her to be an enemy assassin! As he listened further, his surprise grew. He heard Rong Yìn's voice turn cold again. “The Sword Forging Master is an old friend of Empress Dowager Chéngtiāng of Liao and Yelü Xiūgé. His disciple's status is on par with that of a Liao princess. Zé Níng, I'm not interested in meddling with the affairs of your Qin Wang Mansion. But if you want to keep Hai Ling, you must bear the responsibility of sheltering an enemy princess. As the commander of the front court, you should understand the gravity of the situation. If you want to ensure that Hai Ling lives a life free of worries, then don't investigate her background. Let her live peacefully and safely for the rest of her life.”

  Zé Níng shook his head and drew characters in the air with his hand. “You can't arrange her life like this. What you've pnned for her isn't necessarily what she wants. Once she regains her memory, you'll only cause her greater pain, because she is a swordswoman from the Liao Kingdom. Yet, you've made her develop feelings for the Great Song. Rong Yìn, you are too cruel!”

  “That's because you've developed feelings for her,” Rong Yìn said coldly, gncing at him. “I won’t concern myself with so much. Letting her go was already a mistake on my part, and it has caused you trouble today. If I could choose again, I would not hesitate to kill her.” His words were clear—he had let Hai Ling go without pursuing the crime of assassination, which was a concession. Expecting him to consider her feelings and what would happen once she regained her memory was asking too much—he wasn't a saint, and he couldn't do that!

  Zé Níng didn't expect that Rong Yìn would expose his private feelings. He admitted that he had feelings for Hai Ling, but ever since he realized these feelings, he had been too busy to think it through. Rong Yìn′s cold, indifferent attitude reminded him of how difficult it was to maintain this affection. "That's because you've developed feelings for her," Rong Yìn had said. She was a disciple of the Sword Forging Valley and an important figure for the enemy, while he was a prince of the Great Song and a guardian of the imperial city. This wasn't a strange story, but the difficulty was that Hai Ling didn't know the truth. She only wanted to be a faithful servant. Telling her that she bore the blood and tears of two nations and was carrying the fate of the rise and fall of both would be too much for her to accept.

  She was such a delicate, easily contented little woman. Zé Níng couldn’t imagine what her feelings must have been like when she took on this mission, nor what her emotions were when practicing the killing sword techniques.

  “Don’t look at me. You should hurry back to your mansion, or the servants from the Qin Wang Mansion will come looking for me,” Rong Yìn said, not liking commotion. “As for Hai Ling’s matter, think it through yourself. I won't get involved in it any longer. Go back.”

  Zé Níng smiled faintly and waved his hand to write, “Thank you.”