Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The next day, after breakfast, Chen tide carefully tidied her clothes, looked at her slightly pale face in the bronze mirror, took a deep breath, and said to Chun Tao, "Chun Tao, take me to the study in the main courtyard. I want to visit Uncle Zhou."

"Yes, Miss." Chun Tao replied and led Chen tide to the front yard.

Along the way, they encountered more servants and guards than yesterday. Upon seeing Chen tide, they all bowed respectfully, but the probing and scrutinizing intent in their eyes was also stronger. Zhou Wenyuan's assassination attempt seemed to have unsettled the people in the mansion.

Upon arriving at the study in the main courtyard, Zhou An was standing guard at the door, his expression equally solemn.

Upon seeing Chen tide, he bowed and greeted her: "Miss Chen Xi."

"Uncle An, is Uncle Zhou here? I'd like to visit him," Chen tide said gently.

"Master is here, but..." Zhou An hesitated for a moment, "Master has instructed that he will not see any guests for the time being and needs to rest."

"I am not an outsider." Chen tide's voice was still gentle, but it carried an undeniable air. "I am very worried about Uncle Zhou's situation and cannot eat or sleep. Please inform Uncle An that Yun Yao requests an audience, just to take a look, say hello, and leave without disturbing Uncle's rest."

Looking into Chen tide's clear and firm eyes, Zhou An hesitated for a moment before finally nodding: "Miss, please wait a moment, this old servant will go and inform her."

A moment later, Zhou An came out and stepped aside: "Miss, Master invites you in. However, Master's injuries have not yet healed, and he is not in good spirits, so please..."

"I understand, thank you for your help, Uncle An." Chen tide nodded and stepped into the study.

The study was filled with the strong smell of medicine. Zhou Wenyuan leaned against the soft couch by the window, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, his face ashen, his eyes sunken, looking much more haggard than before, but his eyes were still sharp.

Upon seeing Chen tide enter, he forced a smile and tried to sit up straight: "Xi'er is here, please sit."

"Uncle, please don't move, please rest well."

Chen tide quickly stepped forward and sat down on the embroidered stool beside the bed, her eyes filled with genuine worry. "Uncle, how are you feeling? Is your injury serious?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. I was just a little frightened. I'm getting old, so I'm recovering a bit slower." Zhou Wenyuan waved his hand, indicating that Chen Xi didn't need to worry, but his gaze lingered on her face. "As for you, you don't look too well either. Are you not used to living in the manor? Or... have you heard some rumors and are feeling uneasy?"

These words carried a probing tone. Chen tide's heart skipped a beat, but her face displayed just the right amount of lingering fear and concern: "How can I be at ease after my uncle's assassination attempt? Has this prefecture... become so treacherous? Were those assassins truly sent by the Prince of Qi?"

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Wenyuan's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and sighed, "Most likely. Prince Qi is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If this assassination fails, he may have other plans. Xi'er, during this time, try to stay in the manor as much as possible and don't go out. I have increased the manor's security, so you are safe."

"Yes, I've noted it down." Chen tide nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "Uncle, there's something I don't understand, and I'm not sure if I should ask it."

"Please feel free to speak."

"I came to you for refuge, Uncle, because I had nowhere else to turn. My grandfather only sent me to find you, saying you could shelter me. But now it seems you yourself are in grave danger... I am truly terrified. Why is the King of Qi targeting you so? Is it related to... to my origins?"

Chen tide raised her eyes and looked directly at Zhou Wenyuan, her eyes filled with just the right amount of fear, confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

Zhou Wenyuan remained silent for a moment, looking at Chen tide with a complicated expression, as if he was weighing his options.

After a long silence, he slowly said:

"Xi'er, some things are not as simple as you think. Prince Qi and I are political enemies, we have different stances. He wants to control everything in Qingzhou, and even has rebellious intentions. As an official of the court, I should do my best to stop him. As for your background..." He paused, "Prince Qi may have some suspicions, but that is not the main reason. You don't need to blame yourself too much and take the blame for this."

This statement was half true and half false, both reassuring Chen tide and shifting the main conflict to political infighting, cleverly avoiding the core of Chen tide's identity.

Chen tide, however, had no intention of stopping there.

She lowered her head, her voice even softer and trembling slightly: "Uncle, I know that Grandfather sent me here not just to seek refuge. He... he gave me something, saying it might be useful to you, or perhaps... it could help me find a way to survive. But I'm too foolish to know what it's for, let alone where the way to survive lies. Uncle, you are so knowledgeable, could you... perhaps enlighten me?"

She didn't specify what it was.

But the words "given by his grandfather," "may be useful to his uncle," and "can find a way out" were enough to evoke Zhou Wenyuan's associations.

Sure enough, Zhou Wenyuan's eyes instantly sharpened, and he leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Chen tide: "What...did your grandfather give you?"

Chen tide met his gaze, her composure tinged with a perfectly measured helplessness: "It's a... token. Its design is ancient, neither gold nor wood, and it's... engraved with dragon patterns."

The Golden Dragon Token! She finally brought it up herself! This was a test, and also a showdown.

She needed to know exactly how much Zhou Wenyuan knew about this and what his attitude was.

Zhou Wenyuan's breathing quickened almost imperceptibly for a moment, but he controlled it well. His gaze became even more profound, as if he wanted to see into Chen tide's heart through her eyes.

"Dragon Pattern Token..."

He murmured repeatedly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the soft couch, "Your grandfather... really did pass it on to you."

He really knew it! And judging from his tone, it wasn't the first time he'd heard of it!

"Does Uncle recognize this?" Chen tide pressed.

Zhou Wenyuan did not answer immediately, but closed his eyes, as if recalling something, or as if calming his mind.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, which had regained their usual deepness, but the solemnity remained undiminished.

"This item... has far-reaching implications, involving a long-ago matter, and may even be related to a secret from the previous dynasty."

Zhou Wenyuan spoke slowly, his voice low.

"Your grandfather entrusted it to you with trust and a heavy responsibility. But this thing is also the root of trouble. You should understand the principle that possessing a treasure can bring disaster."

"I understand, my niece." Chen tide nodded.

"That's why I'm even more terrified. This thing is like a hot potato in my hands; I don't know what to do with it. Grandfather said that perhaps it can help me find a way out, but where is that way out? I have no clue. Uncle, do you... know what this thing is for? And where is that way out?"

She threw the question back at Zhou Wenyuan, both to ask for his advice and to test whether he knew the secret of the other token and the treasure vault.

Zhou Wenyuan fell silent again, his gaze fixed on the window, as if piercing through the courtyard and looking towards a more distant past. The study was quiet for a moment, broken only by the dripping of the water clock, its rhythmic patter striking at the heart.

"The use of this thing..." Zhou Wenyuan finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of etherealness.

"According to your grandfather, it was a key, or rather, half a key. It could unlock a... long-forgotten place. There, perhaps, lay something that could change the situation or provide a place to settle down. But what exactly it was, where it was, and how to unlock it... your grandfather never told me. He said the time was not right, and the fewer people who knew, the better."

Half a key? A place long forgotten?

This statement matches what my grandfather said!

Zhou Wenyuan did indeed know something!

But he didn't seem to know everything, or... he was holding back some information.

"What about the other half of the key?" Chen tide couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Wenyuan glanced at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "The other half... as far as I know, was taken away by the loyal ministers who escorted Prince Jing through the siege, and their whereabouts have been unknown ever since. Over the years, I have also secretly investigated, but the clues are faint. Perhaps, it has long been lost in the chaos of war, or perhaps... it has fallen into the hands of some people with ulterior motives."

Missing... Chen tide's heart sank slightly. If she couldn't find her other half, wouldn't this Golden Dragon Token be useless?

"However," Zhou Wenyuan changed the subject, looking at Chen Xi, "since your grandfather sent you to find me with this item, he must have some plans in mind, or... he must have some clues that I don't know about. Xi'er, did your grandfather tell you anything else? For example, certain special places, names, or... markings?"

He was testing whether Chen tide knew more.

Chen tide understood immediately, shook her head, and said sadly, "Grandfather only told me to come and find my uncle to keep this item safe, saying that my uncle is a trustworthy person and will tell me what to do. As for the rest... he didn't say much." She shifted the responsibility back to Chen Miao, and also hid her own speculation about the arrow markings and possible clues.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhou Wenyuan's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He sighed. "Your grandfather was always cautious. In that case, keep this safe and never mention it to a third person. As for your survival..." He paused, his gaze hardening again. "Right now, the most urgent matter is to deal with Prince Qi. If we can bring him down this time, the situation in Qingzhou will stabilize, and you will be safe. Then, we can slowly search for the other half of the key. If things don't go as planned..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Chen tide could see the determination and a hint of worry in his eyes. If they couldn't bring down Prince Qi, not only would she be in danger, but Zhou Wenyuan himself would also be in jeopardy, let alone finding any secret treasures from the previous dynasty.

"I understand, my niece," Chen tide said in a low voice.

"Everything is up to you, Uncle. But... I'm truly uneasy about the west wing..." She seemed to bring it up casually, her gaze turning to Zhou Wenyuan with a hint of doubt, "I passed by yesterday and found it unusually deserted, unlike the rest of the mansion. But... is there anything special about it?"

West Wing!

She finally steered the conversation here!

Zhou Wenyuan's eyes instantly sharpened like knives as he glared at Chen tide. Although he quickly regained his composure, that momentary sharpness and vigilance did not escape Chen tide's notice.

"The west wing?" Zhou Wenyuan asked casually. "It's where old furniture and belongings from years ago are piled up. No one lives there, so it's naturally deserted. What, is Xi'er interested in that place?"

"It's not that I'm interested, I just find it a bit strange." Chen tide pretended to recall something. "Yesterday I asked Chun Tao to go to the front yard to get some embroidery thread. When she came back, she said that when she passed by the west wing, she seemed to smell some... medicine? And she also saw some bloodstains near the threshold that hadn't been cleaned up properly? Chun Tao is a timid girl, and she came back suspicious. I was thinking, maybe someone in the manor was injured and was being treated there temporarily? Or maybe... a thief broke in?" She attributed her discovery to Chun Tao, which made perfect sense.

Zhou Wenyuan's face seemed even paler in the candlelight. His fingers, resting on the soft couch, curled up almost imperceptibly.

"Chun Tao is mistaken, and she's also mistaken about smelling it." Zhou Wenyuan's voice remained steady, but his pace was slightly faster. "The other day, during the guards' drills at the manor, someone accidentally injured their hand. It was indeed given a simple bandage there, and some special wound medicine made by the army was used. The smell might be different from usual. The bloodstains must have been accidentally spilled at that time, and the servants were careless and didn't clean it up properly. I'll have Zhou An clean it up carefully later. It's nothing serious, Xi'er, don't worry about it."

The explanation is reasonable: injuries sustained during drills, specially made wound medicine in the military (explaining the unique smell of the medicine), and carelessness on the part of the servants.

But Chen tide's doubts only deepened.

Zhou Wenyuan's reaction was too deliberate, too eager to explain. Moreover, why would the army's specially made wound medicine need to be taken to that secluded west wing? Was there no better place in the mansion to treat the wounded?

"I see, I was just being paranoid." Chen tide looked enlightened and apologetic. "There are many things to attend to at home, and Uncle is still injured. I shouldn't have bothered him with such trivial matters."

"It's alright, you're just concerned about the safety of the manor." Zhou Wenyuan waved his hand, a tired look on his face. "Xi'er, your uncle is a little tired. You should go back first. Remember your uncle's words, stay here in the manor and don't overthink things or wander around. Your uncle will take care of things outside."

This is to see the guests off.

Chen tide stood up, curtsied, and said, "Yes, Uncle, please rest well. I will take my leave."

Leaving the study and stepping into the courtyard, the afternoon autumn sunlight was somewhat dazzling.

Chen tide narrowed her eyes slightly, but her heart was filled with icy coldness.

Zhou Wenyuan was indeed concealing information about the west wing. The bloodstains and the smell of medicine were far more than just a "practice injury" he had casually dismissed. Moreover, his understanding of the Golden Dragon Token seemed to stop at "half a key" and "a sealed place." He was vague about specific clues and the whereabouts of the other half of the key, and perhaps... knew even less than she imagined, or knew but was unwilling to speak.

The mystery surrounding this seemingly gentle and caring "Uncle Zhou" is perhaps even more unsettling than the swords and shadows of King Qi.

She had to uncover the secret of the west wing as soon as possible, and she also had to find other channels to obtain information. Zhou Wenyuan might not be her only hope.

The first step is to uncover the bloody secret of the west wing. Perhaps, it holds another side of Zhou Wenyuan that he doesn't want to show, or perhaps... we can find clues about the previous dynasty, about the Golden Dragon Token, or even... unexpected clues.