Song Qi didn't dare to dey, nor did he bother to pursue Ye Jingchuan anymore. He turned around and called for help. Fortunately, Song Chuyi was accompanied by a dozen guards every time he went out, and they came in handy at this moment.

  Song Chumi and Chen Jinxin lived separately, each of them occupying a separate yard, separated only by a wall.

  Song Qi took people to check outside and saw that there were several guards standing in front of the two women's courtyards. He felt relieved and went forward to ask about the situation. They said that except for a maid from the kitchen who brought lunch and did not enter the house, he was completely relieved.

  Before he came, Old Lady Song and First Lady Song repeatedly reminded him to keep a close eye on the household, especially Song Chumi's pce, and that nothing must go wrong. If anything really happened, he would not be able to face his grandmother and stepmother.

  Due to the incident with the Li family, Song Qi felt increasingly uneasy. In addition to specifically instructing Uncle Zhang and Nanny Xu to strengthen security measures and ensure strict registration for anyone entering or leaving, he also urged Song Chuyi to return to the residence earlier.

  Song Chuyi was the apple of the Song family's eye. If anything went wrong, Song Qi truly wouldn't know how to expin it. Moreover, he needed to discuss with his grandfather and father whether they should send more personnel to this private estate. Although he didn't understand why Fourth Sister, Song Chumi was also being closely monitored, his grandfather always had his reasons for doing things; he wouldn't act without purpose.

  Originally, Old Lady Song had agreed to let them stay the night and return the next day without rushing, fearing they might catch a cold in the windy and rainy weather. However, with the incident involving the Li family, and with Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao present—although Zhou Weizhao brought a few soldiers, Ye Jingchuan came alone—if anything were to happen with these two together, no one could take responsibility. After some consideration, Song Chuyi agreed to return early.

  Nanny Xu felt guilty and couldn't help but berate herself. "If I hadn't been so x in my supervision, and if I hadn't insisted on keeping these women at the estate to bide their time, we wouldn't have ended up in this situation. It almost harmed An An, and if they had been bolder, wouldn't you have been in danger too..."

  It was still uncertain whether the Li family had truly given up on these women. Because of this concern, Song Chuyi would rather mistakenly eliminate a thousand than risk keeping these people around.

  "Let it go," Song Chuyi reassured her. "No one expected this; after all, they've been behaving themselves these days. They had to strike at a time when no one was on guard..."

  They had to make their move when everyone was unsuspecting and in high spirits. If they truly succeeded, everyone would be left crying with no tears.

  Song Chuyi vaguely felt that only one person could time their actions so accurately: Song Chuning. Moreover, with the people First Lady Cui sent to Changsha returning in defeat, she couldn't help but feel anxious—once a mad dog goes wild, no matter how down-and-out it is, it can still bite off a piece of flesh, leaving you in unbearable pain.

  Thinking of Song Chuning reminded her of Song Yan and Song Jue, who were far away in Shuzhong. Considering Song Chuning's temper and character, she couldn't help but wonder whether she might do something if she found out that Song Yan and Song Jue had gone to Shuzhong.

  "Your Highness." She stared bnkly for a while, then turned to look at Zhou Weizhao, who had been silent all along, her eyes filled with a hint of unease. "Could you do me a favor?"

  Zhou Weizhao smiled upon hearing this, his white teeth almost blinding. "I remember saying before that I still owe you a favor. Given my father's matter this time, I owe you more than just one favor, don't I? I've been troubled about how to repay you. If there's anything I can help with, I will certainly do my best."

  Ye Jingchuan frowned, feeling quite uncomfortable. Ever since Zhou Weizhao intercepted his deal with Song Chuyi st time in Tongzhou, Song Chuyi seemed to have developed a habit of turning to Zhou Weizhao whenever something came up.

  However, he also understood that without the permission of the King of Zhennan and Ye Jingkuan, it would indeed be difficult to accomplish anything. After thinking it over, he decided not to be angry but instead moved closer with concern to hear what Song Chuyi needed Zhou Weizhao's help with.

  "You should know that my father took one of my younger sisters to Changsha," Song Chuyi said carefully, then looked earnestly at Zhou Weizhao. "I've thought about it for a long time and feel that leaving her out there isn't a long-term solution... I'd like to ask for your help in bringing her back to the capital."

  Although Song Yi had said he would bring Song Chuning back to the capital for the New Year to apologize, given Song Yi's favoritism, as long as he stubbornly held onto his stance, Old Lady Song and Old Master Song would be wary of causing damage to a precious item while dealing with a mouse and wouldn't be able to truly do anything to Song Chuning.

  What's more, Song Chuning posed a significant threat; keeping her far away in Changsha was riskier, as one could only guess what she might do.

  Both Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan understood that she was referring to Song Chuning from the Li family. After a moment of thought, Zhou Weizhao replied, "I'll send Qingzhuo and Hanfeng to go along."

  Since Song Chuyi sought his help, it meant she didn't want to do this openly, or rather, she couldn't do it openly. However, Qingzhuo and Hanfeng under his command indeed had some abilities.

  Song Chuyi nodded and saw Nanny Xu bringing Luyi and Qingtao to finish packing their things. She let Nanny Xu drape a thick cloak over her, poked her head out from under the hood, and looked at Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao. "Let's go together. If we head back now, we should be able to enter the city around evening."

  The Song family had brought plenty of guards, and with Zhou Weizhao's soldiers, it would certainly be safer.

  Zhou Weizhao appreciated her good intentions and nodded in agreement. Seeing that Song Qi wasn't riding, he thought for a moment and then pulled Ye Jingchuan and Song Qi onto a carriage. In the North, winter meant strong winds and heavy snow, and the roads were slippery. Since Song Qi was worried about Ye Jingchuan riding a horse, he decided to take the carriage instead, and they certainly couldn't make it difficult for the Song family.

  Fortunately, there were no further incidents along the way, and they safely entered the city. Song Qi let out a soft breath, bidding farewell to Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao. At this moment, he still didn't realize that the little Daoist beside Ye Jingchuan was truly the important one; he only felt he had successfully brought Ye Jingchuan back.

  Zhou Weizhao didn't want to meddle, so Ye Jingchuan naturally didn't bring it up either, smiling as he cupped his hands in salute to Song Qi. "I'll come to thank you with my mother in a few days"

  Song Qi quickly shook his head, instructing the driver to hurry along. Having already sent someone home with the news, aside from the gatekeeper at the West Corner Gate, a few servants were waiting. Once the carriage was unloaded and entered the second gate, they hurried over to help Song Chuyi down.

  "Miss, you've returned just in time; we have an esteemed guest at our residence."