AUBTN -Chapter 67 Letter from the Huamei

“If they find out anything… you won’t escape either!”

Jiang Ruyi clenched her fingers, the hatred in her heart growing wild like untamed weeds.

But she could only endure it.

“…Yes.”

She forced the word out through gritted teeth, her voice trembling beyond recognition.

“Go!”

Jiang Huai waved his hand impatiently.

Jiang Ruyi staggered to her feet, suppressing the sharp pain in her knees, and limped out of the main hall.

Only after her figure disappeared into the rain did the loyal steward, who had been hiding behind the screen, quietly step forward.

“Master.”

“This girl is a calamity. Now that Shen Jue and Lu Yan are in Su City, if she truly turns against us, or even slips her tongue… our trouble would be immense. In my view, it’s better to either do it fully or not at all, just…”

The steward made a slitting-the-throat gesture.

Jiang Huai picked up his teacup and gulped down a mouthful of cold tea, suppressing the fire in his heart, and said grimly, “You think I don’t want to kill her?”

“That girl still has great use! You know the family rules—only if Jiang Ruyi is alive and married with children can my eldest brother’s enormous private estate truly be transferred under my name. Who would’ve thought she’d slip away to the capital, and even attract two killing gods! Go check—there must be someone helping her behind the scenes!”

“Yes, Master!”

Greed and calculation shone in Jiang Huai’s eyes.

“Bear with it a little longer. Find her a few men—this month, I want to see her married!”

“And then, how I want to get rid of her… isn’t that up to me?”

In a side wing of the Jiang Manor, in a modest yet clean chamber…

Jiang Ruyi had just pushed the door open when her body went limp, nearly collapsing.

Warm arms reached out just in time, holding her steady.

“Sister Ruyi!”

Song Zhaoyuan looked at the bedraggled Jiang Ruyi in her arms, her face full of worry and pain.

“What happened to you? Did that old fox Jiang Huai trouble you again?”

Using her support, Jiang Ruyi forced herself to the bedside and sat down, her face pale as paper, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

“I’m fine… close the door first.”

Song Zhaoyuan hurried to secure the doors and windows, then turned back to the bed and crouched to lift Jiang Ruyi’s skirt.

Seeing the knees shredded with blood and flesh, and the porcelain shards embedded deep in the wounds, Song Zhaoyuan gasped, her eyes instantly reddening.

“You call this fine?”

She fumbled for the medicine box, trembling with rage.

“That old bastard! This is beyond cruel! I’ll kill him myself! If necessary, we’ll die together!”

Song Zhaoyuan reached for the short dagger hidden under her pillow, her eyes flashing with murderous intent.

“Mei’er! Don’t be impulsive!”

Jiang Ruyi grabbed her wrist, but the movement tugged at her wound, making her groan in pain.

“Sister Ruyi!” Song Zhaoyuan immediately froze, torn between worry and fury.

“How much longer are you going to endure this? Now that the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot agents are here, this is our chance! Why don’t we expose him?”

“It’s not that simple…”

Jiang Ruyi weakly shook her head, a flicker of clarity piercing through the despair in her eyes.

“Jiang Huai is holding my parents’ ashes… and, moreover, he already knows.”

“Knows what?”

“That he knows about Shen Jue and my sister, and that I’m impersonating her.”

Jiang Ruyi closed her eyes, and at last, tears slid down her cheeks.

“Mei’er, in this world, officials protect one another. Even though Shen Jue and Jiang Huai seem at odds now, who knows if there’s any exchange of benefits behind the scenes? If we rashly go over to surrender, not only will we fail to avenge our family, we might get ourselves caught in the crossfire.”

“We only have one chance.”

She gripped Song Zhaoyuan’s hand tightly, her gaze growing cold and resolute.

The station’s paper windows rattled under the night rain, and the dim candle flickered in the wind.

Yu Qing lay on the bed, clutching a crumpled note. On it was a doodle of a small, angry-looking bird, and beside it, two lines of crooked writing in charcoal:

“Yanyu Pavilion, at the Hour of the Pig. If you want news of your family head, come alone.”

“Wanwan, look at this drawing style—it’s practically abstract art!” Yu Qing rolled over, handing the note to Su Hewan, who was seated at the table organizing documents, still nibbling on half a piece of osmanthus cake.

“This bird looks like a chicken with its feathers all puffed up.”

Su Hewan took the note and glanced at it, her brows immediately knitting together.

“The handwriting is sloppy, the ink not even dry—clearly written in haste. But Yanyu Pavilion…” She paused, rapidly scanning the Su City maps she had studied over the past few days.

“It’s a brothel in the southern part of the city, right at the edge of the Jiang family’s territory. Yu Qing, this is clearly a trap aimed at you.”

“I know that.” Yu Qing swallowed her cake, brushed crumbs off her hands, and her face showed no fear—only an eager thrill.

“I know this plot. Classic ‘inviting the guest into the trap.’ They insisted on ‘come alone’ and even mentioned Lord Lu—clearly aiming for my weak spot.”

Su Hewan put down the note and looked at her seriously. “Since you know it’s a trap, don’t engage. The Jiang family is like rabid dogs right now. If you go, it’s suicide.”

“You can’t catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den!”

Yu Qing vaulted upright like a carp flipping in water.

“Wanwan, think about it. We’re in the open, the enemy in the shadows. These past few days investigating the salt case have been so frustrating. Finally, someone’s offering themselves on a silver platter—even if it’s a Hongmen Banquet—I have to go and see what’s real. What if it’s someone holding core technology… no, core evidence?”

Seeing Su Hewan about to protest, Yu Qing hurriedly leaned in and clung to her arm, pouting. “Please, Wanwan, let me go. We’ll use their plan against them! I’ll go first as the bait, then you notify Lu Yan and Shen Jue. We’ll coordinate inside and out—let’s give them a dumpling trap!”

Su Hewan looked at her expression—clearly “if not now, then when”—and sighed helplessly.

She knew Yu Qing too well: the girl looked timid on the outside but had a reckless streak in her bones.

“There’s only one hour.” Su Hewan glanced at the water clock.

“I’ll notify them, but if you’re not out by the third quarter of the Hour of the Pig, Lu Yan will definitely tear down Yanyu Pavilion.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Yu Qing made an OK gesture, then awkwardly switched to a traditional salute when she realized the era didn’t match.

“Mission guaranteed!”

A quarter of an hour later, in the station’s rear courtyard under the covered walkway, Shen Jue and Lu Yan stood side by side, chatting about something unknown.

Thinking of Yu Qing’s plan, Su Hewan still approached.

“Lord Lu, Overseer!”

“What’s the matter?” Lu Yan looked at Su Hewan.

Without wasting words, Su Hewan handed him Yu Qing’s note.

“In short: someone invited Yu Qing to Yanyu Pavilion. She’s already gone. She says this is an opportunity and wants to coordinate inside and out.”

“Foolish!”

Lu Yan’s gaze stiffened.