Who said the eldest daughter is crazy? She's clearly a woman of high rank and influence in the

Helian Jing deliberately emphasized those three words more than the others, as if reminding her of the words Xiao Yanzhi had used to address him.

Xi Yueli's lips finally curved into a smile. She reached out and took the revised document, reopening it. "Your Highness even remembers what people say."

Helian Jing bent down and whispered in her ear, "Not only will I remember, but I will do even better than he said."

As he stepped back, the cuff of his pale white robe brushed against her earlobe, bringing a slightly cool touch. Xi Yueli looked down at the documents, but the tips of her ears turned red again in the morning light.

"I understand," she said, her voice carrying a hint of feigned composure. "Dr. Lian is the most considerate."

Helian Jing, carrying the empty medicine bowl, turned and walked towards the back window. Before climbing out, he tilted his head and said, "I will deliver the Imperial Preceptor's midday medicine on time."

At the same time, several secret guards left by the Tian Shu Division in Bei Shuo territory were squatting on the roof of the side room of the guest courtyard, their expressions like they had just eaten a raw persimmon: "...Our master adjusted the Imperial Preceptor's collar three times yesterday in the small garden behind the Imperial Kitchen, and the day before yesterday he even personally wiped the Imperial Preceptor's mouth."

The older guard beside him cleared his throat: "Let's not discuss the master's affairs."

The young guard held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but say, "But when Master used to scold people in the court of Daying, he didn't even lift his eyelids. Now he's wiping someone's mouth... and he even wiped it up to their collar."

The older guard was silent for a moment, then finally squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...That's called strategy."

"Just now, the master was arguing with the chief envoy of Daying over a woman. In the seventeen years of the Tian Shu Division, the master has never even glanced at any one person. Now he is arguing with someone over a woman."

He paused, his voice carrying a sense of resignation and bewilderment, "If this gets back to headquarters, the reputation of the Tian Shu Division will be ruined—forget it, even our master has no shame, why should we cover for him?"

The young bodyguard opened his mouth, but ultimately buried his face in his knees, his shoulders twitching suspiciously.

Helian Jing, who was brewing medicine in the kitchen, was completely unaware of this. He was only focused on blowing on the medicine bowl to cool it down, thinking to himself that when he delivered the medicine at noon today, he should wipe her collar more thoroughly.

In the Northern Shuo royal court after winter sets in, night falls exceptionally early.

Just after 7 PM, the lights in the side hall of the Qin Zheng Hall came on. Tuoba Zhao had not returned to his bedchamber today. After finishing reviewing the last stack of memorials, a eunuch came to report that Shen Qingya was waiting outside the door, wanting to present the newly revised map of the inner guards' patrols.

"Let him in." Tuoba Zhao placed the vermilion brush on the brush holder, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingertips lightly twice on the desk.

When Shen Qingya pushed open the door, he had changed into a dark blue military officer's uniform, which was a little looser than the tight-fitting outfit he wore during the day, but the leather belt around his waist was still neatly fastened.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." He bowed deeply.

Tuoba Zhao raised his hand. "No need, just give it to me."

Shen Qingya walked to the desk and spread the map out on the table. It was a detailed map of the defenses inside and outside the Northern Shuo Royal Court. He had revised it three times in the past seven days and marked every gap in the garrison and the entrance to the secret passage with a vermilion pen.

"I have filled in the gap between the guard shifts at the East Corner Gate. Now the two shifts are staggered by half a minute, leaving no gaps." His fingertip pointed to the small door on the east side of the blueprint. "However, I still feel there is a problem with the entrance to the drainage ditch on the west side."

Tuoba Zhao followed his fingertip and leaned slightly closer to the map.

Shen Qingya stood to her right. When she leaned over, her shoulder line brushed against the back of his hand hanging by his side, carrying a bit of warmth from the charcoal fire through her clothes.

Shen Qingya's hand stiffened slightly for a moment after that touch, but he didn't pull his hand back. He simply moved his fingertips from the drain entrance to a more western position and continued speaking.

"There is an abandoned old culvert here. I have consulted the old files of the Ministry of Works and found that it was left over from the construction of the underground canal thirty years ago."

Tuoba Zhao's gaze fell on the spot he pointed to, and he frowned slightly. He leaned forward to get a better look, almost pressing his entire body against Shen Qingya's arm. The faint scent of ambergris from her hair wafted over with his movements, brushing against his nose.

Shen Qingya's breath hitched for a moment, and his fingers gripping the edge of the map tightened unconsciously.

"This culvert," Tuoba Zhao began, his voice slightly lower than usual at such close range, "leads to which place?"

Shen Qingya withdrew his gaze from her profile and returned it to the map. He cleared his throat before speaking: "Your Majesty, the old records do not indicate the exits. I intend to personally inspect them tomorrow."

"No need for tomorrow." Tuoba Zhao straightened up, walked to the stack of old files on the corner of the desk, flipped through them, and pulled out a yellowed Ministry of Works record book, handing it over.

"We'll be able to find it tonight. This scroll is a complete map of the underground canal from thirty years ago. The Ministry of Works misfiled it. I only found it a few days ago when I was looking through other documents."

Shen Qingya reached out to take the booklet. Tuoba Zhao's hand did not immediately let go when he took it; her fingertips were still pressing on a corner of the cover. Their fingers overlapped for a moment through the thin booklet.

She glanced down and saw her fingertips pressing on his knuckles. She released her grip, as if that glance had reminded her of something, and withdrew her hand a beat faster than usual.

"Your Majesty..." Shen Qingya held the scroll, his voice a degree lower than he had expected.

Tuoba Zhao had already sat back down in his chair, picked up his teacup again, and took a sip, his posture as dignified as ever.

"Shen Qingya," her voice came from behind the teacup, gentle and soothed by the tea, "You don't need to be so reserved here with me. Sit down and let's talk."

Shen Qingya was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the low stool next to her desk, which was less than three feet away.

"I... obey your order."

He sat down on the low stool, his knees only two inches from the edge of her desk. This distance was so close that when he looked down to flip through the booklet, he could catch a glimpse of her hand resting on the desk.

He opened the old Ministry of Works book and searched for the culvert route page by page. Tuoba Zhao also came over to look at it with him. The two sat side by side under the copper lamp, with less than half an arm's length between their shoulders.

"Found it." He pointed his finger to a spot marked by a thin line.

Tuoba Zhao followed his fingertips and leaned closer to look. When she turned her head, the hairpin in her hair gently touched his forehead, but Shen Qingya seemed to be gently nailed to the low stool by something.

When her hairpin touched his forehead, a strand of hair slipped down and fell to his side, brushing against the back of his hand, carrying a slightly dry warmth.

"The exit of this culvert—" Tuoba Zhao's voice suddenly stopped.

She turned her head to look at him, and because they were so close, her gaze met his pupils.