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Zhang Jiunian was deeply concerned about the safety of Xu Zhen and entered Youzhou City alone to search for her. However, he encountered obstacles everywhere and had no clues. Just as he felt helpless, he noticed a fortune-telling stall not far from Wanlong Sheng Restaurant and approached it for consultation.
The sign above the stall read "Clever Calculation of Heavenly Secrets." The fortune teller was a Yellow-Robed Daoist with white hair and a youthful face, exuding an air of dignity. Beside him was a clever little girl named Shui Lingling.
Zhang Jiunian stepped forward and gently placed a few coins into the pottery in front of the stall. The old man smiled slightly and asked Zhang Jiunian, "Are you here to inquire about your future or to calculate your fate in love?"
With his keen perception and ability to read people, Qingxiazi could easily see Zhang Jiunian's demeanor. Noticing that Xu Zhen had three hundred personal guards stationed outside the city, he quickly deduced Zhang Jiunian's identity.
Zhang Jiunian merely smiled faintly and said, "Can I ask about good or bad fortune?"
"Of course, I am skilled in various methods such as divination and drawing lots. However, since you seem to be an elegant person with a refined aura, let’s go with divination."
"That sounds good."
Zhang Jiunian did not hesitate, knowing that the old man intended to offer a reminder through this divination. He took a brush, and after the little girl prepared the inkstone and soaked the brush in thick ink, he wrote the character "Xu."
"Beautiful character!"
Seeing Zhang Jiunian's brushwork was both relaxed and vigorous, with a softness that contained strength, Qingxiazi couldn't help but praise him. After lightly tapping his fingers and calculating for a moment, he spoke.
"The character 'Xu' represents two people remaining. The 'remaining' refers to someone standing among the grain. It seems that what you are inquiring about does not concern yourself but rather your relatives or friends. However, the situation is quite dire; this Grain Grass symbolizes something related to imprisonment. It is likely that your friends have already encountered misfortune in prison, with only two able to escape!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiunian felt a chill run through him. Xu Zhen was accompanied by Zhou Cang Caesar and Zhang Suling; if only two remained, it must mean that Caesar and Zhang Suling were in danger!
However, being an experienced strategist, he did not show his emotions on his face. Suppressing his worries, he said, "This time I would like to inquire about my friend's whereabouts."
He then wrote another character. Initially intending to write "Zhen," he worried it might reveal Xu Zhen's identity and changed it to "Cang."
This time, Qingxiazi did not praise Zhang Jiunian's writing again. Since Zhang Jiunian confirmed that Xu Zhen and her companions were indeed in trouble, his mood was affected, causing his once grand script to turn into a more casual style.
"The Cang Clan has water, ruling the north. The Storekeeper, or the warehouse, suggests that your esteemed friend's companions have likely gone north. A family with warehouses is either wealthy or noble, so it should be easy to find them."
With the Xu Zhen and others missing and recalling the events of today at the government office, Zhang Jiunian's first suspicion fell on the people of Youzhou Prefecture. Now, with Qingxiazi's hint, he felt even more certain. After taking a few large coins and thanking Qingxiazi, he oriented himself and hurried down the main street to the north.
Seeing Zhang Jiunian leave in a hurry, Qingxiazi quickly packed up her stall with the young girl and slipped into a small alley, quietly following behind him.
"This person must be an aide to the Xu Zhen. His steps are steady, and his physique is agile; he must be a martial artist. He also writes beautifully, so he is likely a military strategist for the Xu Zhen. If we follow him, we might be able to take advantage of the situation and rescue the young master!"
Qingxiazi suggested this, and the young girl readily agreed. Along the way, they found their items cumbersome and discarded their fortune-telling tools, keeping only what was essential. Before long, they followed Zhang Jiunian's figure to Gao Di's residence.
Gao Di was known for oppressing the locals and extorting wealth, and his mansion was quite impressive—grand and imposing, resembling a crouching golden toad. There were guards stationed at the entrance, creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
Zhang Jiunian pretended to pass by, circling back two or three times to assess the layout of the area and nearby exits before finally making his way to the back door of Gao Mansion.
Indeed, Gao Mansion had strict security; even the back door had two guards. Zhang Jiunian stroked his long beard, sneered coldly, adjusted his attire, and walked straight toward the entrance.
The two guards were thinking about heading to a brothel after their shift and were whispering about last night's escapades when they saw a scholar approaching. They quickly silenced themselves, gripping their blades and feigning authority as one shouted, "Who goes there! The Chief Historian's Residence is here; dare you not stop!"
Zhang Jiunian did not pause; his face was frosty and imposing without anger. Having spent much time in the military strategizing, he exuded an air of profound mystery that momentarily stunned the two guards, who dared not draw their swords.
Qingxiazi and the young girl followed discreetly behind. Seeing Zhang Jiunian walk directly to the entrance left them puzzled about how he would get past security. Logically speaking, Gao Di was greedy; if he bribed these guards with some wealth, it would be easy for him to gain entry.
However, Qingxiazi knew well that since capturing the young master, security at the Chief Historian's Residence had tightened significantly. Without reliable identification, it was unlikely that bribery would allow anyone through Gao Mansion's gates.
To their surprise, Zhang Jiunian did not pull out any coins but instead approached and slapped the guard who had shouted at him several times while cursing loudly: "Blind dog slaves! You dare block someone from the Prefectural Office? Is this how Gao Di teaches you to do your job?"
Naming names directly and referencing connections between the Prefectural Office and Gao Di's Chief of Staff left both guards stunned by Zhang Jiunian's demeanor; they were momentarily dazed by his boldness!
Seeing that the two guards were in a daze, Zhang Jiunian shouted again, "What are you still standing there for? Do you want me to ask you to open the door? If this delays the important matters of the governor, I won't hesitate to skin you both alive!"
The guard who had been slapped felt a chill in his heart and quickly trembled as he took out the key from his waist, nervously unlocking the door to let Zhang Jiunian in.
After crossing the threshold, Zhang Jiunian let out a long sigh. However, the courtyard was deep and he had no idea where Xu Zhen and the others were being held. As night fell, lights began to be lit throughout the residence, with servants bustling about, delivering meals and attending to various tasks, creating quite a scene.
To ensure safety, Zhang Jiunian took a turn and followed a helper-like servant to the woodshed. Taking advantage of the helper's distraction, he swiftly knocked him out with a chop to the neck, changed into the helper's clothes, and began searching through the estate.
Qingxiazi did not expect Zhang Jiunian to enter so boldly. Upon reflection, he couldn't help but admire Zhang Jiunian's boldness and meticulousness; such insight into human nature was not something simple-minded individuals possessed!
However, he lacked Zhang Jiunian's charisma and courage. He signaled to a young maid, who pouted and mumbled as she went outside. When she reached the back door, she pretended to panic.
Two guards were discussing who Zhang Jiunian was and were puzzled by it. They returned to their original topic, talking about how one of their family's young maids seemed ready to come of age—just at the right time for picking. As their lustful thoughts began to rise, they noticed a young maid appearing flustered as if she were lost. They couldn't help but smirk.
The young maid pretended to be genuinely confused, acting shy as if she wanted to ask for directions. Seeing the two men smirking at her, she quickly feigned panic and tried to leave but was blocked by them.
"Little sister, are you lost? Let your brother take you back," one of the men said eagerly as they reached out to grab her. Unexpectedly, the young maid let out a cold laugh and released a cloud of white smoke. The two guards rolled their eyes and immediately fainted.
Despite her petite and delicate appearance, the young maid effortlessly laid both men down on the ground. Qingxiazi hurried over, took the keys from them, unlocked the door, and dragged both guards into the backyard. Before long, they had changed into guard uniforms and made their way toward the dungeon.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhen had practiced internal cultivation techniques from the Book of Changes and soon regained consciousness. She found herself trapped in a cell while Zhou Cang was still fast asleep. She called out to Zhou Cang several times without response and then pinched his acupoints until he finally sprang up from the ground.
Xu Zhen scanned her surroundings; in addition to herself and Zhou Cang in the large iron cage, there was another person sleeping on a straw bed inside. She called out to that person and after some questioning learned that this was Gao Di's underground prison, which made her grit her teeth in anger.
Zhou Cang was strong enough to grab hold of the iron bars of the door and attempted to pry them open; however, how could he possibly bend bars as thick as his arm?
Xu Zhen usually hid lock-picking tools in her shoes, but this time she found that even her shoes had been stripped away completely. Unable to open the door and fearing for Caesar and Zhang Suling's safety made her anxious beyond measure.
Zhou Cang was left with nothing but his underpants, and he wondered how he could open the iron door.
Just as he hesitated, he noticed that the person in the cell was well-dressed, wearing a blue robe and white face, resembling a scholar. He quickly approached and asked, "May I ask your esteemed name? What brings you to this unfortunate place?"
The young man appeared to be around twenty years old, with a handsome face, red lips, and white teeth. His sword-like eyebrows added to his charm. Upon hearing Xu Zhen's question, he furrowed his brows, clearly reluctant to reveal his identity.
However, seeing Xu Zhen's sincere inquiry, the young scholar clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "My surname is Gou, and my name is Renwu. I have offended the Youzhou Chancellor, which is why I am imprisoned here... May I ask for your name?"
Xu Zhen instinctively searched his memory but found no mention of Gou Renwu in the Historical Records. Feeling somewhat disappointed, he still introduced himself and then asked, "Brother Renwu, do you wish to leave this place?"
Gou Renwu's expression changed immediately; he feared that Xu Zhen and Zhou Cang might be insiders planted by Gao Di. He hesitated to agree and simply shook his head in feigned shock.
Xu Zhen did not press him further. He noticed a hairpin on Gou Renwu's head and boldly requested it. Although Gou Renwu was unsure of Xu Zhen's intentions for the hairpin, he felt respect for Xu Zhen's straightforwardness and removed it. His long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, displaying a certain elegance.
Xu Zhenxin was worried about Caesar and Zhang Suling and had little time to consider these matters. He straightened the flower wire of the hairpin and inserted it into the keyhole. After fiddling with it for a moment, there was a click, and the iron lock opened!
Gou Renwu initially thought Xu Zhen was joking but was astonished when the cell door actually opened. He took a few steps forward and earnestly pleaded with Xu Zhen, "Brother Xu Zhen, could you take me with you as we leave?"
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