I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

The third day of the twelfth lunar month.

The first heavy snowfall of the winter has fallen in Beijing.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fell from the leaden sky, and in less than two hours, they had turned the entire city into a pristine white.

The streets were deserted, and most shops were closed to avoid the cold. Only the soldiers patrolling the streets hunched their necks and hurried past, stepping through the snow.

On Xizhimen Inner Street, in Qin Xiang's courtyard, Chen Yuan stood under the eaves, watching the snow falling all around.

He has been here for ten days.

In ten days, he changed his name, his identity, his clothes, and even his tone of voice—from the straightforwardness of the border to the shrewdness of the capital.

Zhu Mingyuan.

He's not quite used to this name yet.

Every time Qin Xiang called him "Young Master Mingyuan", he would pause for a moment before he could react.

"Young Master, it's time to drink your medicine." Chen Jin walked over with a bowl of herbal soup.

Chen Yuan took it and drank it all in one gulp.

The medicine is very bitter.

This prescription was written by the imperial physician whom Qin Xiang had found. It was said to regulate internal energy and heal hidden injuries.

He knew that this was changing his physique, making him look more like a pampered scion of a noble family, rather than a night scout enduring the elements on the frontier.

"Miss Qin said she's going out today," Chen Jin said softly.

"Where to?"

"They didn't say. They just told you to change your clothes, to look presentable."

Chen Yuan returned to his room and changed into the brocade robe prepared by Qin Xiang—a moon-white silk robe embroidered with silver cloud patterns, over which he wore a mink cloak.

The person in the mirror was unfamiliar, dressed in fine clothes, with a handsome face, but the sharpness and vicissitudes in his eyes could not be concealed.

"It doesn't seem like it," Chen Yuan said.

"What do you mean, 'doesn't look like me'?" Qin Xiang's voice came from the doorway. She had also changed her clothes today, wearing a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a fox fur coat over it, looking like a young lady from a wealthy family.

"He doesn't seem like a young master from a noble family," Chen Yuan said. "He's more like a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Qin Xiang laughed: "That's exactly the effect I wanted. There are plenty of gentle and refined young men in the capital, but there's only one wolf that can fight its way through the enemy lines on the border."

She walked over and straightened Chen Yuan's collar: "I'm taking you to meet a few people today. They're all from the Grand Princess's side, but... they're not entirely reliable."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that they are currently loyal to the Grand Princess, but if there are greater interests at stake, they might switch sides," Qin Xiang said. "You need to establish a foothold in front of them, but you can't reveal too much."

Chen Yuan understood.

This is to test him, and also to be tested.

"Where is Chen Jin?"

"He has another mission," Qin Xiang said. "The Chen family has an old steward named Chen Fu, who escaped during the raid and is now hiding in a slum in the south of the city. Chen Jin knows him, so she goes to find him and asks him about the details of the day the Chen family was raided."

Chen Jin's face paled: "I...I'll go alone?"

"We have to take this step eventually." Qin Xiang looked at him. "Chen Jin, if you want revenge, you can't keep hiding behind Chen Yuan. You have to be able to stand on your own."

Chen Jin gritted her teeth: "Fine, I'll go."

Qin Xiang gave him an address, gave him a few instructions, and finally said, "Remember, you must be back before 5 PM. If you encounter danger, run towards crowded places, don't fight back."

Chen Jin nodded, changed into ordinary clothes, tucked a dagger into her pocket, and went out.

Qin Xiang watched his retreating figure and said softly, "This child is braver than I imagined."

"He experienced the annihilation of his entire family, so he naturally matured," Chen Yuan said. "It's just...too fast."

"The times are pressing," Qin Xiang said, turning around. "We should go too."

The two of them set off in a horse-drawn carriage.

The carriage was ordinary, with a gray cloth canopy, but the horses pulling it were top-quality Hetao horses, and the driver was a wiry middle-aged man with sharp eyes, clearly a trained martial artist.

"This is Uncle Zhao, one of our own," Qin Xiang introduced.

Uncle Zhao turned around, nodded to Chen Yuan, and said nothing.

His name is advantageous; his surname is Zhao and his given name is Shu, so whoever calls him that must be a generation younger.

The carriage moved slowly through the snow, passing through several streets, and arrived at a mansion in the eastern part of the city.

The residence was not large, but it was very exquisite, with a plaque that read "Li Mansion" hanging above the gate.

"This is the residence of Li Xian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel," Qin Xiang said in a low voice. "He was promoted by the Grand Princess, but recently he has been getting very close to Cao Jixiang."

"What are we here for?"

"Today is Li Xian's fiftieth birthday, and we're having a small banquet," Qin Xiang said. "Most of the people here are from the Grand Princess's side, but there are also a few whose stance is ambiguous. You go in as my cousin, speak less, and observe more."

Chen Yuan nodded.

The two got out of the car, and the butler greeted them at the door.

Qin Xiang handed over the invitation. The butler glanced at it, bowed, and said, "Miss Qin, please. And this is...?"

"My cousin, Zhu Mingyuan, just came to Beijing from Jiangnan to study," Qin Xiang said.

The butler glanced at Chen Yuan and, seeing his extraordinary bearing, dared not be negligent and quickly led the way.

The house was bustling with activity. There were twenty or thirty guests, most of whom were dressed in official robes, and a few were dressed as scholars.

Three tables of food were set up in the main hall. A middle-aged official sat in the main seat. He had a thin face and three long wisps of beard. He was the host, Li Xian.

Qin Xiang led Chen Yuan over to pay their respects.

"Lord Li, congratulations on your birthday." Qin Xiang bowed gracefully.

"Miss Qin has arrived, please have a seat." Li Xian was very polite, but his eyes fell on Chen Yuan. "And this is..."

"My cousin Zhu Mingyuan," Qin Xiang said. "He's new to the capital, so I brought him here to broaden his horizons."

Chen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Li."

Li Xian sized him up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Young Master Zhu doesn't look like someone from Jiangnan."

"My mother is from the North." Chen Yuan had already prepared his explanation. "I grew up in the North with my mother and only returned to Jiangnan last year."

"I see." Li Xian nodded. "Young Master Zhu, please have a seat."

The two sat down at a table near the door.

The table was mostly filled with young officials and scholars, who all cast curious glances at Qin Xiang when she brought a strange man with her.

Qin Xiang seems to be quite famous in the capital, and people often come over to greet her.

She handled the situation with grace and a smile, introducing Chen Yuan to everyone.

Chen Yuan didn't say much, only nodding in greeting, but his eyes were sharp, taking in the expressions and gestures of everyone present.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation turned to politics.

A middle-aged official sighed: "Xuanfu has fallen, Datong is in dire straits, the border is in such a state of disarray, yet the officials in the court are still fighting for power and profit. It is truly disheartening."

A young scholar beside him sneered, "A power struggle? Is someone trying to take this opportunity to bring down the Grand Princess? I heard that Eunuch Cao has already drafted an impeachment memorial, saying that the Grand Princess's poor personnel choices led to the loss of the border."

"Be careful what you say!" Li Xian frowned. "How can you speak recklessly about matters of the court?"

"Lord Li, we're all on the same side here, what harm is there in speaking your mind?" another official said. "Since the Grand Princess assumed regency, she has rectified officialdom and reduced taxes. What has she done wrong? Those eunuch faction just want to seize power!"

"That's true, but the Grand Princess is, after all, a woman..." someone whispered.

"So what if she's a woman? Princess Pingyang could lead troops into battle back in the day!"

The crowd began to argue.

Chen Yuan listened quietly, without showing any emotion.

He discovered that although they were all on the Grand Princess's side, their attitudes were clearly divided into three factions: one faction firmly supported them, one faction hesitated and watched, and the other faction... might be wavering in secret.

Qin Xiang gently touched his hand under the table, signaling him to pay attention to the person sitting to Li Xian's right.