A Journey to Love – Liu Shishi, Liu Yuning

Since the fall of the previous dynasty, there has been chaos for nearly a hundred years, with constant friction between Beipan and the Central Plains. The nine states in the Central Plains, each holding its own territory, have been in constant conflict. Among them, the kingdoms of An and Wu stand out, with Emperor An being martial and greedy. This year, he has been gradually annexing numerous cities of neighboring countries. The wealthy and powerful Wu Kingdom has become a formidable enemy coveted by Emperor An. In the sixth year of Yongyou, Emperor An, Li Zun, led his army to seize the gold mines in the west of Wu, and Wu Emperor Yang Xingyan welcomed the battle south of Tianmen Pass. The wheel of fate turned from this point.

Wu Kingdom's Six Dao Tang is known for its expertise in investigating and gathering intelligence, while An Kingdom's Zhuyi Guard is famous for its beautiful female spies. On this day, at the birthday banquet of Sun Shiyi, Han Shizi, intrigued by the dance of Ren Ruyi, hinted at a meeting in the garden after her performance. Ling Long urged Ren Ruyi to go to the appointment, but unexpectedly, Ren Ruyi was insulted by another official during the banquet. Fortunately, Ling Long arrived in time to rescue her. Since Han Shizi was interested in Ren Ruyi, bringing her back to his mansion and stealing the grain and map from Han Shizi's father's study could ensure An Kingdom's victory in the war.

After meeting Han Shizi, Ren Ruyi expressed her desire not to stay in the entertainment quarter and pleaded with him to take her back to his mansion. Han Shizi, driven by his desire for Ren Ruyi, agreed to take her back and made her his concubine. During the banquet, Zhao Ji, the head of Six Dao Tang, and Tiqi Lou Qingqiang arrived with people. Zhao Ji deliberately criticized the banquet's music and dance, prompting Sun Shiyi to voluntarily offer birthday gifts to Six Dao Tang for inspection. To clear himself of suspicion as a spy, Sun Shiyi deliberately pointed out that the dancers were the spies, and Zhao Ji ordered them to be taken away and killed.

The Tiqi riders of Six Dao Tang took the dancers away to be killed. Seeing that Ren Ruyi and Ling Long were about to be harmed, Ling Long had to reveal her martial arts skills to resist. However, she was quickly overwhelmed by the Tiqi riders and got injured. Lou Qingqiang recognized Ling Long as a member of An Kingdom's Zhuyi Guard. To protect her identity, Ren Ruyi ruthlessly killed all the Tiqi riders on the spot. To keep her identity a secret, Ren Ruyi used medicine to make two surviving dancers unconscious.

Ling Long couldn't understand why someone as skilled as Ren Ruyi would be a member of Zhuyi Guard like herself, but Ren Ruyi did not reveal her true identity. Ling Long didn't want to leave, as she joined Zhuyi Guard to repay a debt, and the man she liked, Yulang, was still in the Zhuyi Guard branch. Ling Long decided to go back. She left her valuable bracelet to Ren Ruyi, who, in order not to owe any favors, decided to steal the grain and map from the Han family and give it to Ling Long to redeem herself. Ren Ruyi also hoped that Ling Long could ensure the safety of her family.

Lou Qingqiang brought news that the Wu army was defeated by the An army at Tianmen Pass, and the emperor was in trouble. Five days ago, on the battlefield of Yumen Pass, General Xiao searched the battlefield and saw Ning Yuanzhou, the leader of the Longxiang cavalry. They had a conversation that attracted the enemy, forcing Ning Yuanzhou to kill the imperial soldiers searching the battlefield. Ning Yuanzhou wanted to leave, but General Xiao stopped him. Pointing to an arrow in his back, Ning Yuanzhou accused the emperor of listening to slander, being arrogant, and causing harm to everyone before the war. He refused to serve such an emperor.

Prime Minister Zhang Song believed that the country couldn't be without a ruler for a day and suggested that Danyang Lord Yang Xingjian succeed to the throne. Princess Xiao Yan of Wu received a letter from her cousin Xiao Ming confirming that the emperor was safe for now but residing temporarily in the An army. She was now pregnant, and the imperial physician determined that it was mostly a male fetus. Although Danyang Lord questioned whether the empress's pregnancy must be a male, Zhang Song proposed that Danyang Lord continue to serve as regent, and the succession would be determined by the gender of the child after birth.

Zhang Song questioned why the news of the emperor's capture came from Xiao Ming, and there was no news from Zhao Ji, who led Six Dao Tang. He personally went to Six Dao Tang to investigate and found that all the intelligence reports from the time when Ning Yuanzhou was there had disappeared. He criticized Zhao Ji for neglecting intelligence after taking power. Zhang Song wanted to use Ning Yuanzhou to secretly find the emperor in An Kingdom and bring back the decree regarding the empress's unborn child. However, he was unaware that Zhao Ji had sent Ning Yuanzhou to the battlefield to have him killed. Zhang Song threatened Zhao Ji that if they didn't find Ning Yuanzhou within seven days, both Zhang Song and his niece would undoubtedly die.

Zhao Ji arranged for Lou Qingqiang to quickly find Ning Yuanzhou within seven days, believing that Ning Yuanzhou would return if he hadn't died on the battlefield. Ren Ruyi did not wait for Ling Long to go to the appointment. She went to the Zhuyi Guard branch and found that Ling Long had been killed. It turned out that Zhao Ji bought information from Mr. Yue, and they attacked and killed all the members of the Zhuyi Guard branch in Wudou. Ren Ruyi, hiding in the dark, heard that Lou Qingqiang had broken all the bones of Ling Long while questioning her. Ling Long's lover, Yulang, was released because he was Mr. Yue's trusted subordinate. Ren Ruyi almost got discovered by the Tiqi rider of Six Dao Tang but decisively killed him and then left with Ling Long's body.

Ren Ruyi, due to a shoulder injury from poison, took the antidote "Wandu Jie" to detoxify. However, the downside of this antidote is the loss of internal strength within seven days after ingestion. Under the list of names for avenging, Ren Ruyi wrote down several names, including Zhao Ji, Mr. Yue, and Lou Qingqiang, who killed Ling Long.

Lou Qingqiang inspected the bodies at the Zhuyi Guard branch and unexpectedly discovered that someone had killed the Tiqi riders and swapped the bodies. He ordered a citywide search for Ren Ruyi, and at a critical moment, Ren Ruyi jumped into a courtyard and hid in a coffin. This courtyard turned out to be the old residence of the Ning family in Wudou. Zhao Ji and his men arrived at the Ning family's old residence, and the former Hungry Ghost Dao Captain Yuanluo tried to stop them. Yuanluo did not want Zhao Ji and others to disturb the heroic spirit of Ning Yuanzhou, but he couldn't resist Zhao Ji and was eventually captured.

Zhao Ji didn't believe that Ning Yuanzhou was already dead. He used the lives of Yuanluo and the Ning family's old residence to threaten Ning Yuanzhou to reveal himself. Seeing Yuanluo's life in danger, Ning Yuanzhou showed up and saved Yuanluo. Zhao Ji had information about sixteen people, including Tian Dao, below Chai Ming. He used this information to coerce Ning Yuanzhou into going to An Kingdom to rescue the emperor. Zhao Ji revealed that Chai Ming and others went with the emperor, and half of them died in battle, while the other half, including the emperor, were captured.

Knowing the fate of his brothers, Ning Yuanzhou, after personally killing Zhao Ji according to Six Dao Tang rules, lost interest in the court. He only wanted to leave the capital after burying his adoptive father. After sending away the Tiqi riders from Six Dao Tang, Ning Yuanzhou instructed Yuanluo to tightly guard the gates of the Ning residence. He forced Ren Ruyi, who was hiding in the coffin, to come out. Ren Ruyi pretended to be a dancer from the entertainment quarter, claiming that Zhao Ji falsely accused them of being spies, leading to the massacre of the dancers. She escaped risking her innocence. Although Ning Yuanzhou was skeptical of her story, he sensed that Ren Ruyi had no internal strength at the moment and had to temporarily let her go.

The Tiqi rider Jiaoqiong from Six Dao Tang was brought back to Wu Kingdom by Danyang Lord. Danyang Lord learned from him that the emperor was indeed alive, captured by Li Tongguang, the Marquis of Changqing in An Kingdom. Li Tongguang demanded a ransom of one hundred thousand taels of gold and requested the imperial son to come and welcome the emperor. Danyang Lord understood their intentions to capture him, so that An Kingdom could support the imperial son in succeeding to the throne.

Ning Yuanzhou confirmed that Ren Ruyi was indeed a member of Zhuyi Guard, known as the White Sparrow. To force Ren Ruyi to leave, he deliberately revealed suspicions about her White Sparrow identity. Ren Ruyi, pretending to be willing to leave even if she would die, made Ning Yuanzhou reluctantly give up. Yuanluo, being an official slave by birth, and his sister was also a dancer in the entertainment quarter before she died. Therefore, he felt sympathy for Ren Ruyi. Persuaded by Yuanluo, Ning Yuanzhou agreed to let Ren Ruyi stay.

Princess Yang Ying disguised herself as a eunuch to eavesdrop on the court meeting. Imperial Guard Zheng Qingyun exposed her identity. Zheng Qingyun did not look down on her because she was not favored. Yang Ying asked why Zheng Qingyun didn't want to marry her. Zheng Qingyun explained that a husband had to come from a prestigious family, while he was just a guard with no background. Lord Ying, Yang Xingyan, appeared in the court, expressing his willingness to serve as the envoy to greet the emperor. When the empress learned that Lord Ying volunteered for the mission, she was concerned because his leg was crippled to save her. She had promised to protect him, and naturally, she did not want him to go to Wu Kingdom. However, she also knew that Danyang Lord would not want to take on the mission. She decided to find someone from the royal family to be adopted under the late emperor's name, offering a fief of three thousand for the person's cooperation.

Yang Ying not only hopes to welcome back her imperial brother but also desires to use this opportunity to obtain a fief of three thousand, thereby gaining eligibility to choose her own husband. She volunteers to be the envoy to greet the emperor. The empress immediately appears in court and confers the title of "Grand Wulv Li Prince" on Yang Ying. In order to bring back the emperor at the lowest cost, Danyang Lord and the courtiers agree to the empress's decision.

Privately, Zheng Qingyun questions Yang Ying about her choice. It turns out that Yang Ying not only wants to bring back her elder brother but also hopes to use this achievement to absolve Ning Yuanzhou of his guilt and be with Zheng Qingyun. Although she is afraid, she does not want to be an insignificant princess in the deep palace.

While Ning Yuanzhou agrees to let Ren Ruyi stay in the Ning residence, he assigns her to take care of miscellaneous tasks and even do household chores. Ren Ruyi is naturally unwilling to be used as a servant and seizes the opportunity to make things difficult for herself in terms of meals. The palace maid Pei, upon hearing news of Ning Yuanzhou being alive, specially visits the Ning residence. It turns out that when the old master was alive, he had arranged for a marriage between Pei and Ning Yuanzhou. However, due to Ning Yuanzhou's exile and imprisonment, Pei married someone else. Seeing Pei's arrival, Ren Ruyi deliberately behaves intimately with Ning Yuanzhou, causing Pei to leave disappointed.

Ren Ruyi deliberately exposes herself to let Pei discover, hoping that Ning Yuanzhou will take her out of the city. Ning Yuanzhou agrees instantly. Lou Qingqiang learns from Mr. Yue that the escaped Ren Ruyi is a high-ranking Zhuyi Guard. Mr. Yue, not wanting headquarters to know about his betrayal, uses Six Dao Tang members to ambush and assassinate Ren Ruyi. While buying medicine, Yuanluo accidentally hears this information and tells Ning Yuanzhou, also realizing that Ren Ruyi's identity is not simple.

The next day, Ning Yuanzhou, accompanied by Yuanluo and Ren Ruyi, leaves the city. He informs Ren Ruyi about the ambush planned by Zhao Ji's subordinates to kill people from the branches in Luzhou and Tianji. However, Ren Ruyi pretends not to understand and claims she wants to go to her hometown in Shengzhou. After bidding farewell to Ren Ruyi when leaving with Yuanluo, Lou Qingqiang and his men attempt an assassination. Yuanluo gets injured in the middle, and Ren Ruyi, upon hearing the assassination, reveals herself to save Yuanluo and helps deal with the assassins.

However, the three are ultimately unable to escape the pursuit. Prime Minister Zhang Song appears and invites Ning Yuanzhou for a discussion. Ren Ruyi seizes the opportunity when Lou Qingqiang is off guard and kills him to avenge Ling Long. Zhang Song appreciates Ning Yuanzhou's strategic wisdom and reveals that of the thousand people in Six Dao Tang, only Ning Yuanzhou knows the true purpose of the guest spies for the court, which is not assassination or theft but organizing useful intelligence for the country. After Ning Yuanzhou leaves, Zhao Ji idles the Hell Dao, ruins the Senluo Hall, and hence, nine out of ten pieces of intelligence obtained before the emperor's expedition were fake. Zhang Song believes that one of the reasons for the emperor's capture lies within Six Dao Tang and recognizes Ning Yuanzhou's abilities. However, Ning Yuanzhou still refuses to accept the mission. Zhang Song discloses that Yang Ying volunteered as the imperial son to go on a diplomatic mission. He does not care whether Ning Yuanzhou can bring back the emperor; he only hopes that Ning Yuanzhou can obtain a decree written by the emperor for the child in the empress's womb. Afterwards, he will supervise the country based on that decree.

Ning Yuanzhou inquired why Ruyi had returned, exposing her martial arts skills in the process. Ruyi explained that she killed Lou Qingqiang to avenge Ling Long, and Ning Yuanzhou killing Zhao Ji was considered helping himself. As she disliked owing favors, she returned to save Yuanluo. Ning Yuanzhou escorted Ruyi out of the city gates, but she had no intention of leaving alone. She mentioned her awareness of many things happening in An Kingdom's capital. In return, she wanted to join the envoy to discover Mr. Yue's true identity. Ning Yuanzhou shared the information he had about Mr. Yue, speculating that he held a significant position, at least a Purple Cloak Envoy, within the Zhuyi Guard. Ruyi initially intended to ask Ning Yuanzhou for help with a matter but was refused. Considering that the envoy did not lack an assassin like Ruyi, the two went their separate ways.

Six Dao Tang's Tian Dao Cavalry, Jiang Qiong, returned to the organization, and Ning Yuanzhou assigned him and Old Du to guard the main hall, ready to support the envoy at any time. Later, Ning Yuanzhou, along with Yu Shisan and others, left Wu Kingdom for An Kingdom. Emperor An, after capturing three cities, returned to the capital with the victorious army. The second prince, Lord Luoxi, and the eldest prince, Lord Hedong, came to welcome the emperor at Gudeyuan. Li Tongguang, having captured the emperor of Wu Kingdom, had made significant contributions. While the initial noble concubine believed this merited a title, Lord Hedong opposed it, citing Li Tongguang's humble background as a Wu Kingdom native. Emperor An did not express a strong opinion on the matter.

Li Tongguang was in a bad mood due to the ridicule about his background. Late at night, the initial noble concubine came to comfort him. Emperor An initially married the initial noble concubine to consolidate the power of the western region, while she admired Li Tongguang. Li Tongguang presented the phoenix hairpin, obtained from capturing the emperor of Wu, to the initial noble concubine, hoping she would ascend the phoenix throne soon. Li Tongguang agreed to cooperate with the initial noble concubine because he wanted to avoid further conflicts. He only wished for a peaceful and stable situation.

Ning Yuanzhou's group caught up with Yang Ying and others. Fearing assassination, Yang Ying was assigned Sun Lang to ensure her safety, and he would act as a bodyguard, cooperating with the envoy's mission. Ning Yuanzhou introduced Yang Ying to the brothers of Six Dao Tang. Du Changshi and Ming Court Lady, accompanying Yang Ying on the mission, were strict in their requirements, causing Yang Ying considerable distress. Yang Ying knew little about An Kingdom, and Du Changshi and Ming Court Lady had no good plans for the An Kingdom mission.

Ning Yuanzhou guessed that Danyang Lord did not want Yang Ying to return safely to her country, so he sent Du Changshi, who was not familiar with intrigue, to accompany her. Unable to change the female official, Ning Yuanzhou thought of Ruyi and sent a message to headquarters to investigate Mr. Yue's whereabouts. At the same time, Mr. Yue, with his lover, arrived at the Zhuyi Guard's Kaiyang branch to search for Ruyi. At that moment, someone impersonating Ruyi appeared at the Kaiyang branch. Mr. Yue realized this only after capturing her. The personnel at the Zhuyi Guard's branch confirmed that Left Envoy Ren Xin had undoubtedly identified their identities, and he was subsequently assassinated.

Mr. Yue feared Ren Xin, hurriedly left the Kaiyang branch with his wealth, and aimed to return safely to An Kingdom. Ren Xin, once a small member of the Zhuyi Guard, became the most successful assassin in the history of the Zhuyi Guard. Five years ago, she attempted to assassinate the then Queen Shajibu, surrounded and self-immolated in the palace after being besieged. However, Mr. Yue never expected Ren Xin to be alive.

Ruyi orchestrated a plan to lure out Mr. Yue, quickly subdued him with a few moves, and, seeing danger, Yuanluo fled on horseback. Mr. Yue revealed herself as Purple Cloak Envoy Yue Sanniang. She claimed she betrayed the Wu Kingdom branch on orders from headquarters, leading to the deaths of forty-seven members. Due to internal corruption, she collaborated with Six Dao Tang to make money to compensate for the losses. Yue Sanniang noticed Ruyi's lack of recovered internal strength and attacked her. In the crisis, Ning Yuanzhou, along with Yuanluo, arrived to help. Ruyi successfully killed Yue Sanniang, and Ning Yuanzhou promised to cooperate with her. Ruyi agreed to help educate the prince about An Kingdom, and Ning Yuanzhou would assist in uncovering the mastermind behind her benefactor's death. The two entered into a partnership, and Ruyi revealed her true name as Ren Xin, surprising Ning Yuanzhou and Yuanluo.

Emperor An, for his military achievements, appointed Li Tongguang as a first-class marquis and General of the Imperial Forest. However, Li Tongguang overheard Emperor An promoting him to keep the two princes in check and to keep him confined to the capital by commanding the Imperial Forest. Aware that Emperor An intentionally let him hear this conversation, Li Tongguang publicly expressed his anger. Although the initial noble concubine admired Li Tongguang, he had always avoided getting close to her. When the two met privately and were seen by a maidservant, Li Tongguang intended to kill her. Surprisingly, the maidservant was a former Zhuyi Guard named Luli who recognized Li Tongguang.

Li Tongguang's mind flashed with images of practicing martial arts with his master Ren Xin. Among them were subtle feelings of adolescent admiration, leading him to spare Luli's life. When pursued by the eldest prince, he pretended to take the laundry girl Luli as a personal maid, extending his favor. Later, the initial noble concubine questioned Li Tongguang about why he spared the girl and still approached her. She thought Li Tongguang despised her, but he explained that he despised his own humble lineage and felt unworthy of the initial noble concubine. Hearing Li Tongguang's words, the initial noble concubine felt sorry for his plight.

Ning Yuanzhou, with Ruyi, joined the small team. The flirtatious Yu Shisan tried to flatter Ruyi, but she ignored him. Due to long-standing grievances between Zhuyi Guard and Six Dao Tang, Ning Yuanzhou concealed Ruyi's true identity, only mentioning that she was a "troubled person" from Chu Kingdom. Ruyi discovered that everyone in Six Dao Tang obediently followed Ning Yuanzhou's words. Through Yuanluo, she learned of Ning Yuanzhou's excellence. Recalling Queen Shajibu's advice not to easily fall in love but to have her own child, Ruyi directed her thoughts towards Ning Yuanzhou.

Yu Shisan teased Ruyi, but she easily subdued him and Qian Zhao. Ning Yuanzhou introduced Ruyi to Yang Ying, starting her training to educate Yang Ying about An Kingdom affairs. Although Ming Court Lady was unwilling to comply with this arrangement, facing Ruyi's domineering manner, she had no choice but to be sent back to Wu Kingdom.

Ruyi noticed that Yang Ying feared Ming Court Lady more than herself. After examining Yang Ying's body, she found that Ming Court Lady had secretly punished her. Ruyi arranged for Yuanluo to use a bone-corroding needle to punish Ming Court Lady during the return journey. Ning Yuanzhou publicly declared that Ruyi was a female rider of Six Dao Tang, without revealing her previous identity as a White Sparrow in Zhuyi Guard.

As Ruyi taught Yang Ying about key An Kingdom political matters, she made strict demands. Ruyi observed Yang Ying's submissive nature and proposed a different lifestyle for her as a woman. Although Yang Ying initially trusted Empress Xiaoyan, Ruyi revealed the truth, stating that Queen Xiaoyan wanted to send Yang Ying to the underworld. Ruyi told Yang Ying the reality: Danyang Lord did not want Emperor An to return safely, and the empress had no intention of saving King An. Instead, she planned to delay for a few months until the prince was born and then rule as empress dowager.

Ruyi hoped Yang Ying would change her weak and indecisive nature, urging her to study hard and strengthen herself. Yang Ying, learning from Ning Yuanzhou, confirmed that Ruyi spoke the truth and felt the pain of being betrayed by her family. Yang Ying, using menstruation as an excuse, sent Ruyi away. Later, she tried to escape back to the capital, taking advantage of Ning Yuanzhou being affected by a softening agent. Ruyi revealed her feelings to Ning Yuanzhou, stating that Queen Shajibu was like a sister and mother to her, the best person in her heart. She went to the Yuelou that day to save Queen Shajibu. When the queen was dying, she urged Ruyi to leave the Zhuyi Guard, live happily and healthy, and have her own child. Later, Ruyi faked her death, escaped to Shengzhou, and recovered at a kind woman's home, who had just lost her daughter. Zhuyi Guard came to select a White Sparrow and took her away. She wanted to uncover the truth behind the queen's death and plotted against the Zhuyi Guard.

Ruyi decided to name her future child Ren Xiaochuan and chose Ning Yuanzhou as the child's father. Initially planning to seduce Ning Yuanzhou gradually, she unexpectedly seized the opportunity when Ning Yuanzhou revealed his interest. Despite Ning Yuanzhou's persuasion failing, he revealed that he was poisoned by Zhang Song. Seeing Ruyi determined to act, Ning Yuanzhou promised to act after taking the first antidote, and Ruyi gave him the Heart-Aligning Butterfly, agreeing to postpone their actions for a few days.

Ren Ruyi brought back the fleeing Yang Ying and used a sleeping fragrance to make her rest peacefully. Ruyi originally planned to control Ning Yuanzhou with the Heart-Aligning Butterfly. However, Ning Yuanzhou unexpectedly changed his mind on the spot and resisted Ruyi. Yu Shisan saw Ruyi chasing Ning Yuanzhou to demand a child and came to help Ning Yuanzhou control Ruyi, who had temporarily lost her internal strength. Ning Yuanzhou also used his internal strength to force out the Heart-Aligning Butterfly in Ruyi's body, leaving her infuriated.

Realizing the poisoning incident, Ning Yuanzhou understood that the formation of the embassy and the merchant caravan was too hasty, and there might be some laxity among the members. He arranged for everyone to take turns patrolling every two hours and not to share meals. Yu Shisan, dressed up and presenting himself to Ruyi, was directly thrown out of the room by her.

In the evening, when everyone was asleep, Ning Yuanzhou suddenly noticed that Ruyi was missing. From the hoofprints, he deduced that Ruyi had gone in the direction of Yuzhou. Rushing to Yuzhou, Ning Yuanzhou left Qian Zhao temporarily in charge of embassy affairs. In the Yuzhou inn, Ruyi found the escaped Yulang. On the one hand, she wanted to verify the truth of what Yuesanniang had said through Yulang, and on the other hand, she sought revenge for Ling Long. Using the Dream Butterfly, Ning Yuanzhou found Ruyi and learned that she originally intended to kill Yulang. He also understood that Ruyi did not plan to break her promise.

Ning Yuanzhou persuaded Ruyi not to leave the embassy without authorization. Killing someone would attract the attention of the Zhuyi Guard, affecting everyone's rescue plan and the safety of the embassy. Ning Yuanzhou knew that Ruyi wanted to investigate the cause of Queen Shajibu's death and would not want to break their agreement. He also saw that although Ruyi was tough in words, she had a soft heart and wouldn't use the lives of embassy members to threaten him into having a child. Apologizing for his previous words and actions, Ning Yuanzhou was caught off guard when Ruyi unexpectedly kissed him.

The next day, Ning Yuanzhou, with Ruyi, rejoined the embassy, and he helped fabricate reasons for Ruyi's temporary departure. No one suspected Ruyi. When Yu Shisan tried to introduce himself to Ruyi, Ning Yuanzhou warned him that Ruyi was a comrade they must respect, not a woman to be teased casually.

Yang Ying, refusing to eat and resisting, wanted to return to the capital. She wanted to go back and find out why Danyang Lord and the empress deceived her. A servant girl at the relay station persuaded Yang Ying, accidentally revealing her true identity. Ning Yuanzhou initially planned to kill this servant girl to conceal Yang Ying's identity, but Yang Ying, to protect the servant girl, promised Ning Yuanzhou not to resist eating anymore. However, Yang Ying, seeing Ning Yuanzhou threaten her, became even more disappointed in them. She cried out her grievances and dissatisfaction, unable to understand why her family treated her this way.

Ning Yuanzhou took Yang Ying to the rooftop, showing her the territories governed by the Yang family. He explained the cities facing them, mentioning that Wu Kingdom had thirty-eight such cities. Due to the emperor's reckless expedition, Wu Kingdom lost three cities. Those in power should stop wars and love the people; the people should live and work in peace and happiness. This was the right way for the world. However, the emperor's trusted ministers caused over ten thousand people to suffer in the war, with families broken and lives lost. Yang Ying, as a princess, received an annual stipend of at least five hundred guan, but those who died in battle only received one guan in compensation.

Ning Yuanzhou told Yang Ying that everyone accompanied her to An Kingdom not out of loyalty but to prevent the two countries from falling into war again, and to clear the names of their brothers who died in battle but were unjustly accused. Seeing Yang Ying acknowledge her mistake, Ning Yuanzhou stated that although the journey to An Kingdom was full of uncertainties, as long as she remained firm in her beliefs and worked hard, everyone would be with her through thick and thin.

Due to Yang Ying's poisoning affecting sixty-nine members of the embassy, Ning Yuanzhou punished her with twenty strokes. To save Yang Ying face, he took her into a room for the punishment. Knowing that Ning Yuanzhou couldn't bear to punish her, Ruyi took on the task of disciplining Yang Ying. While punishing Yang Ying, Ruyi asked why she, disguised as a man, took the risk of becoming an Imperial Envoy. Learning that Yang Ying did it to marry Zheng Zhiqing, Ruyi exposed Empress Xiaoyan's malicious intentions. She believed that, with proper education, Yang Ying could become a stronger woman than Xiaoyan. Ruyi thought that when Yang Ying achieved success, she could marry Zheng Zhiqing and step on those who had insulted her.

Ning Yuanzhou saw that, under Ruyi's persuasion, Yang Ying regained her composure. He couldn't understand why Ruyi helped him like this. Ruyi candidly admitted that Ning Yuanzhou's teaching style from a high place was charming, hoping to help him a few more times to make him agree to have a child.

After calculating the speed of travel, it was estimated that Zhou Jian would catch up with the expedition in about an hour, and a fierce battle was unavoidable. Ruyi asked Yuanluo for two thunderfire bombs, intending to blast the mountain road on the way back, gaining half an hour for everyone. Yuanzhou urgently adjusted the plan, deciding to lead Zhou Jian to the strategically difficult Tianxing Gorge, where several ambushes would be set up to intercept Zhou Jian's scout team.

Yang Ying was unwilling to leave alone and ultimately chose to witness the impending battle with everyone. Yuanzhou instructed Ruyi to assassinate Zhou Jian, while Qian Zhao placed poison along Zhou Jian's route. Exhausted from marching a thousand miles, the army would surely use the water source, but Qian Zhao, being from Wuzhou, did not poison it, only weakening their strength. At the fork in the road, Yu Shisan set up an ambush, successfully defeating some of Zhou Jian's advancing troops.

Later, Zhou Jian continued to pursue the expedition, encountering a double ambush of mist and thunderfire bombs, resulting in countless casualties. Ruyi, Yuanzhou, Yuanluo, Qian Zhao, and others took advantage of the chaos to enter the canyon, where Yang Ying was almost killed but saved by Du Changshi in a critical moment. With too many people under Zhou Jian's command, Yuanzhou and Ruyi decided to capture the leader first. They cooperated to approach Zhou Jian, successfully holding him hostage and persuading the soldiers to lay down their weapons. Despite the difficult process, the outnumbered forces eventually turned the tide in this large-scale battle.

Yuanluo collapsed from exhaustion due to the intense battle, and Qian Zhao rushed to bring him back to the inn for treatment. Ruyi inquired about Yuanluo's fainting, and Yuanzhou explained that Yuanluo had a weak pulse since childhood and couldn't handle too much excitement or fatigue. After this battle, Ruyi experienced the feeling of fighting together for the first time.

Worried that Yang Ying, witnessing so much death and injury for the first time, might be emotionally unstable, Du Changshi arranged for her to be received by the local governor of Lingzhou. Yang Ying didn't want anyone else to die because of her, so she asked Ruyi to teach her how to kill. Yuanluo's injuries worsened, and Qian Zhao urgently needed a Silver Ring Snake Gall as a medicinal catalyst. Learning that both Qingjing Mountain and Shahe Gou had this snake, Ruyi and Yu Shisan went to search for it together.

Du Changshi asked the governor of Lingzhou to send someone to escort Zhou Jian to the capital. Yet, before entering Anguo, they encountered an assassination attempt, making him more worried about Princess Yang Ying's safety. Yuanzhou learned from Qian Zhao that Ruyi had gone to help find the Silver Ring Snake Gall. Worried about Ruyi's injuries, he hurriedly went to Qingjing Mountain to find her. Ruyi and Yu Shisan searched for the snake in Qingjing Mountain, with Ruyi almost getting injured. Fortunately, Yuanzhou arrived in time to save her.

Yu Shisan hurried back to deliver the snake gall, leaving early. Both Yuanzhou and Ruyi were concerned about each other's injuries. Ruyi helped Yuanzhou reset his dislocated arm and asked him to check her back wound, causing Yuanzhou, who already had an inexplicable affection for Ruyi, to become even more confused. On the way back, the delayed poison in Yuanzhou's body flared up for the first time. Unable to obtain the antidote, he could only suppress it with internal force, and Ruyi also helped with this. After suppressing the poison, both exhausted, they leaned on each other and slept. The next day, Ruyi, enjoying the beautiful morning scenery in the mountains, felt particularly happy. Yuanzhou and Ruyi returned to the inn, learning that Yuanluo had been successfully rescued, making both of them very happy. Ruyi, with a flower she picked herself, gave it to the awakened Yuanluo, causing Yuanzhou, who had only one flower, to feel a bit jealous.

In Anguo, Guide Commander Jialing, the current right commander of the Zhuyi Guard, was reprimanded by the newly arrived Commander Deng for being accused of only flattering the officials. She was given seven days to investigate the situation of the expedition. Deng's father died at the hands of the White Sparrow, so he harbored hatred for all female Zhuyi Guard. Based on various reports and evidence from her subordinates, Jialing concluded that the deaths of Yuesanniang and Yulang were related to the White Sparrow Ruyi from the Wudufen division. She did not believe that Ruyi was the former left commander Ren Xin and had personally examined Ren Xin's remains in the fire years ago.

Jialing considered Ruyi a rogue from Chuguo and dispatched trusted subordinates to investigate rogues and Yuesanniang. She also sent another team to investigate the details of the Wuguo expeditionary force. The Crown Prince of Anguo noticed the Empress's interest in Li Tongguang and sent subordinates to investigate their interactions.

In Lingzhou Inn, to celebrate the victory in the great battle, a bonfire party was held. Under mutual exchange, Yu Shisan agreed to publicly dance and invited Ruyi to dance together. Ruyi, in a spontaneous mood, danced with Yu Shisan, earning continuous cheers from the crowd, leaving Ning Yuanzhou, sitting alone, feeling a pang of bitterness. Yuanluo woke up to join the bonfire party, and his brothers, concerned about his health, forbade him from drinking. Only Ruyi, understanding that Yuanluo might not want to be treated as a patient, actively shielded him from others, allowing him to drink. Yuanluo noticed that Ruyi hadn't given up on Ning Yuanzhou, specifically telling her that Yuanzhou was tough on the outside but soft-hearted and couldn't resist when someone silently treated him well. So, going along with Yuanzhou's preferences in their interactions would be more effective.

Ruyi, Yang Ying, and Ning Yuanzhou danced together. Qian Zhao unexpectedly noticed the subtleties of Ruyi's dance moves, arousing suspicions. Ruyi intentionally baked pastries for Ning Yuanzhou, leaving him puzzled about Ruyi's intentions. Secretly, he instructed Yu Shisan to keep a close eye on Ruyi. Yang Ying wanted to learn horseback riding, and Ruyi, Yuanluo, and others patiently taught her.

Emperor An wanted to bestow Princess Chu Yue, the niece of Empress Chu, in marriage to Li Tongguang, much to the dismay of Empress Chu. Knowing that this marriage would not only please Emperor An but also strengthen ties with the Shaxi region, Empress Chu believed Li Tongguang would agree to the marriage.

When the expedition reached Jiangcheng, Yang Ying saw many refugee children begging in the city and hoped that Ning Yuanzhou could help them. However, with too many people in need, Ning Yuanzhou and others were unable to provide assistance. Though he outwardly refused to help the refugees, Ning Yuanzhou instructed his subordinates to use his jade token to seek help from the local magistrate for the refugees.

Seeing Ning Yuanzhou leave the inn, Yang Ying pleaded with Ruyi to accompany her to give alms to the beggar children. Ruyi, in the street, noticed a secret signal left by the Zhuyi Guard and deliberately left a mark. On the way to fetch medicine for Yuanluo, Ruyi encountered Ning Yuanzhou. She gave him a small knife made of celestial meteorite, expressing her desire to please him. Ruyi inquired about Ning Yuanzhou's plan to investigate the case of Empress Zhaojie after arriving in Anguo. He planned to go to the long-sealed archive room in Anguo to find relevant documents and identify key figures involved in Empress Zhaojie's death. By targeting these individuals, he believed he could find the true culprit.

On the way back to the inn, Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou discussed their pasts. Surprisingly, despite their high positions in the Zhuyi Guard and the Six Paths Hall, they had never met before. Both the Six Paths Hall and the Zhuyi Guard had strict punishment and survival-of-the-fittest systems, but Ning Yuanzhou believed that a good undercover organization should not only select talented individuals; ordinary people working together could also achieve surprising victories. This way, he met Yu Shisan and Yuanluo. Ruyi talked about her experiences when she was brought to the Zhuyi Guard, expressing pessimism that most women in the Zhuyi Guard didn't live past thirty. Ning Yuanzhou comforted Ruyi, reminding her that she had left the Zhuyi Guard.

Ning Yuanzhou inquired about the appearance of the Purple Robed Commander who had whipped Ruyi thirty-one times. Based on Ruyi's description, he used a celestial meteorite knife to carve the likeness of the Purple Robed Commander, but his carving skills were lacking, resulting in a small cat sculpture. Ning Yuanzhou claimed to have carved exactly three hundred and ten times, considering it as avenging Ruyi. Ruyi received the small cat wood carving and was touched by Ning Yuanzhou's efforts.

Taking advantage of the expedition's deep sleep, Ruyi disguised herself to meet with members of the Zhuyi Guard. She had deliberately left a mark to facilitate the meeting and convinced them that she had infiltrated the Wuguo expeditionary force after being injured. Jiang Xiu, the deputy chief of the Jumen branch of the Zhuyi Guard, inquired about the details of the expedition, further confirming Ruyi's identity for Qian Zhao, who had been tracking her.

Jiang Xiu revealed that Ruyi was a rogue from Chuguo who had infiltrated the Wuguo branch. The headquarters had dispatched the Yuheng branch to handle the matter. Ruyi couldn't understand why she was considered a rogue by them and suspected that Ning Yuanzhou had erased the clues she deliberately left and intentionally left traces of a rogue.

Yu Shisan investigated Ning Yuanzhou's feelings towards Ruyi. Ning Yuanzhou openly admitted that Ruyi was the first woman who made him feel the taste of protection, and their cooperation in battle made him feel particularly at ease. He admitted to developing genuine feelings for Ruyi. However, disregarding their roles as undercover agents from different countries, Ning Yuanzhou found Ruyi too mysterious and unfamiliar. With the heavy responsibilities he carried, he claimed to have no mood for love. Considering the blood debts they both carried, he suggested that once the mission with the Anguo envoy was complete, they might end up as adversaries, so there was no need to start a romantic relationship.

Ning Yuanzhou could see that Ruyi didn't know how to interact with men. Seeing her deliberate attempts to please him, he softened and carved the small cat for her. However, he assured her that he didn't take advantage of her and that monitoring her was for the safety of the expedition. In everyday situations, he genuinely wished Ruyi to live a happier life, given her challenging past. Ruyi overheard the conversation between Ning Yuanzhou and Yu Shisan and decided to trust Ning Yuanzhou one last time.

Jialing presented the gathered information to Commander Deng, who was dissatisfied with the obtained intelligence. Deng instructed Jialing to patrol the streets directly. Princess Chu Yue of Chuguo, the daughter of the Duke of Chuguo, saw Jialing being harassed on the street and intervened, reprimanding the Feather Forest Guards and demanding an apology. Emperor An specifically summoned Chu Yue, and upon learning of the planned marriage, Chu Yue, with her straightforward personality, went to meet Empress Chu. Empress Chu informed her niece about the betrothal to Duke Changqing Li Tongguang. Chu Yue was displeased with the arrangement, considering it as Emperor An deliberately humiliating the Shaxi region. However, Empress Chu explained that it was a decision made to balance various power dynamics. She advised Chu Yue to be content.

Chu Yue initially thought she was betrothed to King Luoxi but learned from Empress Chu that it was Duke Changqing Li Tongguang. Chu Yue resented this marriage, believing it to be Emperor An's way of humiliating the Shaxi region. However, Empress Chu told her niece that Duke Changqing was talented in both civil and military affairs and encouraged her to be content. Chu Yue witnessed Duke Changqing punishing a member of the Feather Forest Guards from the Shaxi region and intervened to stop the punishment, but she could only offer healing medicine to the punished soldier. Due to this incident, Chu Yue harbored resentment towards Li Tongguang.

As the expedition reached the border between the two countries, Ning Yuanzhou arranged for the group to split into the envoy and the merchant caravan. Ruyi, accompanied by Yang Ying, arrived at the government office in Anguo's Xucheng Prefecture. The commander guarding Xucheng, Shentu Chi, intentionally mistreated Yang Ying and others. Ruyi informed Yang Ying about Shentu Chi's characteristics and urged her to endure when speaking to him.

Shentu Chi came to meet Yang Ying and others, displaying disrespectful behavior that angered everyone. Ruyi persuaded them to endure, and reluctantly, they held back. Shentu Chi arranged a run-down inn for the envoy. Yang Ying was dissatisfied but decided to adapt to the situation as advised by Ruyi. Yang Ying was unhappy with Shentu Chi's hospitality and openly cursed him, including the Queen who raised him. Ruyi, hearing Yang Ying's insults against Empress Zhaojie, became angry and physically attacked Yang Ying.

Feeling guilty for hitting Yang Ying, Ruyi decided to buy a sugar rabbit, Yang Ying's favorite, to console her. Upon returning to the inn, Ruyi found only Qian Zhao there. Qian Zhao attacked Ruyi, and later Sun Lang joined in to help. Both believed that Ruyi was a spy sent by the Zhuyi Guard, and they decided to kill her while Ning Yuanzhou was away. Upon returning, Yu Shisan and Yang Ying discovered Qian Zhao and Sun Lang attacking Ruyi and were surprised to learn about Ruyi's affiliation with the Zhuyi Guard. Initially, Yu Shisan wanted to wait for Ning Yuanzhou's return to decide on the matter, but Qian Zhao mentioned Sun Lang's father being forced off a cliff by the Zhuyi Guard and the deaths of countless comrades due to intelligence from the Zhuyi Guard. Eventually, Yu Shisan agreed to join forces against Ruyi, and the three of them teamed up, resulting in Ruyi getting injured.