The rear garden of the Mo Residence was no small affair. Though the darkness made it impossible to see clearly, the garden was filled with rare flowers and herbs, and their rich fragrance filled the air, seeping into one's very lungs. Han Li could not help but take a deep breath.
"Hm?" He let out a soft exclamation. Despite the overwhelming floral scent, he had managed to pick out the familiar aroma of medicinal herbs.
"Someone has been growing herbs here." A faint smile crossed his lips. The scent was so deeply familiar that it sparked his curiosity about the planter. It seemed someone in the Mo household had inherited Doctor Mo's medical knowledge.
Han Li did not delay. Following a narrow path through the garden, he crept toward the only building that still showed light within.
Along the way, he spotted several well-concealed sentries. Had his senses not been far sharper than those of an ordinary person, he would never have noticed them. The Mo Residence's security was remarkably tight.
But once spotted, bypassing these sentries was child's play for someone with his skills.
Han Li stopped before a small two-story building. The reason he had chosen this particular structure was simple: the guards stationed around it far outnumbered those at any other location. At least twenty to thirty men patrolled the vicinity.
The second floor was still brightly lit. Someone of importance had not yet retired for the night—ideal for a closer look.
In a flash, Han Li darted forward like a bolt of lightning. His feet left the ground, and he landed silently on the second-floor balcony before any of the guards below so much as blinked. The entire maneuver took less than a heartbeat.
Pressing himself flat against the exterior wall, Han Li merged his body into the shadows, then strained his ears to listen.
Through his sharpened hearing, he picked up the sound of women talking inside. More than one person occupied the room.
"Changping Town outpost delivers seven thousand three hundred taels of silver."
"Luogu Town outpost delivers five thousand eight hundred taels."
"Lanyue Town outpost delivers ten thousand five hundred taels."
"Wuling Town..."
The list went on.
"Those are the amounts sent by the outposts last month. Nearly a quarter less than the same period in previous years."
A pleasant, clear, and youthful female voice reached Han Li's ears. The speaker was unmistakably a young woman, though her final remark carried a note of distinct dissatisfaction.
"Mother, those outpost managers are growing bolder by the day! The silver they send is less and less each month." The girl's voice was sharp with frustration.
"I know. I've noted it." A second voice answered—deeper, richer, carrying a magnetic quality that spoke of maturity and quiet authority.
*Could one of the Mo sisters be in there?* Han Li's spirits lifted. His luck had held. The second woman was almost certainly one of Doctor Mo's wives.
"You always say you've noted it. Can't you do something to set things right? At this rate, the outposts will stop respecting the central headquarters altogether before long!" The young girl's complaints continued unabated.
"I have no good solution at the moment. You must understand—the outposts have always been managed exclusively by your Fifth Concubine. No one else in the household has any authority to intervene." The woman's reply was tinged with resignation.
Silence fell over the room.
After a long pause, the young girl spoke again, her tone stubborn. "Mother, must we really let the Fifth Concubine keep hoarding the outpost's power? Ever since Uncle Ma and the others split off, and with the pressure from rival factions, those outposts have become the Jingzhao Society's greatest pillar of strength. If you are the Society's acting leader, then this power should naturally be in your hands!"
"That is a fair point. But when your father left, he entrusted the outposts to your Fifth Concubine. I truly have no grounds to interfere. Moreover, she hands over the bulk of the outpost's silver profits to the central headquarters each month. It would be awkward for me to press the matter further," the woman replied evenly.
"But the Jingzhao Society is already so weak! If we don't consolidate our power, how can we ever hope to make a comeback? Father is exasperating—if he left the Society's affairs to you, why hand the outposts to the Fifth Concubine separately?" The girl's voice brimmed with resentment, directed squarely at her absent father.
"Enough! Your father had his reasons for doing what he did. It is not your place to question his decisions." The woman's tone turned sharp, and she reprimanded her daughter firmly.
"Fine, fine. I know, I was wrong. It seems Mother's devotion to Father is as unwavering as ever." The girl seemed entirely unfazed by the scolding. Instead, she seized the opportunity to tease her mother.
"You impudent child..." The woman clearly doted on her daughter. She could only shake her head with a helpless smile.
By now, Han Li was certain. The woman inside was Yan Shi—the very person he had come to find. The girl was almost certainly Mo Caihuan, her daughter by Doctor Mo. His luck was extraordinary—he had found the right place on his very first attempt.
Han Li reached inside his robe and touched the letter Doctor Mo had written in his own hand, along with the token. He was about to reveal himself and make his presence known when—
"Mother, that impostor is so detestable! He ran into me in the rear garden today and tried to show off, fawning over me with every flowery phrase he could think of, acting as though he were some great talent in both the literary and martial arts. It made me sick!" The girl suddenly blurted out something that made Han Li's heart jolt. His forward foot, already halfway into motion, retreated involuntarily.
"You should be more polite to Young Master Wu. After all, he is nominally your future brother-in-law. Don't let him see through anything." Yan Shi's tone turned serious, carrying a note of strict caution.
"Oh, please! Sister is constantly harassed by that man, and she has to pretend to be charmed by him and act love-struck. Poor Sister has to endure all of that! If it were me, I would have run him through with a sword long ago." The girl sighed dramatically.
"There is no other way. We know the Wu is an impostor, and we have already uncovered his true identity. But if we wish to buy more time, your sister's reputation must suffer for it while she plays along with his pretenses. The enemy's forces are far too great. If they realized that deception would not work, they would not hesitate to launch a direct assault—and we would stand no chance." Yan Shi's voice carried a deep weariness, the exhaustion of someone who had been stretched to the breaking point.
Han Li lowered his hand from his robes. This was not the right moment to announce himself—not yet. He needed to hear more.