Liu Ji displayed an expression of surprise and regret, and then inquired when he could meet the State Preceptor, what kind of person the State Preceptor was, and so on, as if he was deeply in admiration of his idol.

The gentlemen around Lu Xiaofeng started to chat enthusiastically with him, from the mysterious means of the State Preceptor to life philosophy, and from life philosophy to secret gossip.

They felt that no matter what they talked about, Liu Ji could always respond positively and aptly, making the conversation feel truly enjoyable.

By the time Qin Yao bypassed the guards at the main gate of the National Master’s Residence and sneaked into the narrow empty alley, Lu Xiaofeng and others were setting up an altar, preparing to become sworn brothers with Liu Ji, despite having different fathers and mothers.

To ensure the State Preceptor’s secluded praying would not be disturbed, the Emperor had dispatched a squad of palace guards to the National Master’s Mansion, to prevent any interruption in the praying.

Qin Yao found it odd; although she hadn’t lived long in Sheng Country, whose family prays for blessings in the National Master’s Mansion?

Isn’t it usually done at something like the Heavenly Altar or Blessing Hall to be deemed solemn?

Moreover, with so many palace guards added, it didn’t seem like they were preventing the prayer from being interrupted, but rather like they feared the State Preceptor might be assassinated.

A residence guarded so strictly is truly peculiar.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but remember the scene of yesterday morning’s house raid, where the Princess seemed concerned about whether the assassin who attempted to kill the Crown Prince had been captured.

Bai He replied they had captured... Really?

Looking at the Imperial Guards of the National Master’s Mansion, Qin Yao had some doubts.

Besides, the person hiding under her bed that night at Yunlai Inn hardly seemed like a martial arts master, at most just a nimble ordinary person.

If someone like that could be sent out as an assassin, it would be a disgrace to the profession.

So who exactly was the assassin Bai He caught?

And who was trying to kill the Crown Prince?

It seemed everyone pointed fingers at the Princess, but Qin Yao thought if she were the Princess, she wouldn’t expose herself by doing such things during such intense conflicts.

Another point, Qin Yao still remembered the kind warning given by Gongliang Liao when she was in Liu Family Village, that the Baili family would remain a unit, and that outsiders who got involved would suffer the most.

So the possibility of sibling infighting was low.

If so, then what kind of assassin did Bai He capture? What sort of blessings were being prayed for in the National Master’s Mansion?

The Imperial Guards at the entrance, were they really there to protect the State Preceptor or to guard against someone?

Qin Yao never worried herself with troubles. Now, she would find out what secrets lay hidden in the National Master’s Mansion!

Ears keenly listening for surrounding sounds, she heard footsteps receding from within the walls. She leapt up instantly, landing silently on the high wall like a cat, lying prone without moving.

The National Master’s Mansion certainly had many guards. There were guards by every entrance, and patrols constantly going back and forth within the courtyard.

Perhaps they thought there wasn’t much to guard against during the day, as the tense atmosphere carried a hint of the laxess of workers slacking off.

The National Master’s Mansion was vast; rows and rows of buildings, with seven or eight standalone courtyards arranged in the eastern, western, and northern directions.

Besides numerous rooms, there were many pavilions, platforms, and artificial landscapes within. Inside, there were ponds, lively springs, and even more extravagantly, a man-made lake with boats to sail upon!

With just one quick glance, Qin Yao felt like she had snuck into a 5A garden scenic spot without a ticket.

Seeing the busy maids and servants coming and going in the mansion, Qin Yao couldn’t help a momentary dark thought — to hell with these rich people!

Taking a deep breath, she cast a glance at the blue sky and the ordinary folks on the street toiling for survival, finally suppressing that dark thought.

The place was too big; after squatting for quite a while, Qin Yao still couldn’t decide on a direction to explore, she simply avoided those slack-working guards in the mansion and enjoyed all the scenic views in the National Master’s Mansion.

When the midday sun became strong, she climbed down from the wall and hid in the shade.

Seeing pretty maids carrying delicious offerings pass by, she even grabbed a piece of offering cake to eat on the sly.

Parched from eating dry, she picked an aromatic pear. Watching the Golden Peacock in the ’zoo’ of the National Masters’s Mansion’s back courtyard, brushing aside the hair blown into her face by the gentle breeze, she sighed silently, so this is what invincibility feels like, loneliness.

Footsteps suddenly came from a corridor behind the viewing wall.

Qin Yao, who was just watching the Golden Peacock slowly unfurl its tail feathers towards her on the opposite side, quickly retreated to the wall base from the shady tree.

Two maids walked over.

One said, "Sigh~ No breakfast for the master, how can it go on like this?"

The other worried, "If Lord State Preceptor blames us, we’re doomed."

The first one continued, "Let’s send lunch first. This is already the eighth cook they’ve changed to, hopefully, it suits the master’s taste."

The other one was very frustrated, whispering, "Hopefully, but I don’t see what’s good about these rural dishes; full of the capital’s good food he wants none, but insists on this taste..."

A patrol of slacking guards walked by.

"Shh, stop talking."

The two maids immediately closed their mouths and passed the guards, heading towards a secluded courtyard ahead.

After passing through the ’zoo,’ a corridor, and two moon gates, a courtyard named "Pu Courtyard" appeared before them.

As the two maids approached the courtyard with food boxes, two dark-clad guards appeared from nowhere on either side, raising their hands to stop them.

"Lv Wei." The two maids nodded towards the guard on the left.

Hiding outside the Moon Gate, Qin Yao found this guard called Lv Wei somewhat familiar, and seeing the black soft armor attire she’s seen three times before, a face flashed in her mind.

It was that Black Cavalry slashed on the hand by her marbles in Liu Family Village.

So his surname was Lv after all.

But that was not the point. The point was, she most likely found the old man Gongliang Liao.

Following Lv Liang’s instructions, the two maids opened the food boxes for inspection. Confirming there was only food inside and nothing forbidden, Lv Liang then opened the door to let them in.

Leaving one to continue guarding the door, Lv Liang personally led the two maids inside the courtyard.

Not only was there the obvious Black Knight Guard at the door, but there were also three hidden experts in inner strength, two additional teams of National Master’s Mansion guards patrolling around Pu Courtyard.

Qin Yao had no way to enter, she could only continue hiding at the corner of the Moon Gate.

Luckily, the gate remained open after they entered, and she could peek into a bit of the interior through the gap.

Qin Yao was surprised to find the setup within Pu Courtyard was identical to the front yard of Lotus Courtyard, complete with the lotus pond crafted by Qi Xian himself, the vegetable garden, and the floral decor personally planted by Gongliang Liao, including various accessible facilities.

Except, even with identical furnishings, due to a completely different surrounding environment, this replica of Lotus Courtyard felt extremely oppressive.

The State Preceptor went to great lengths to create a replica of Lotus Courtyard for Gongliang Liao; Qin Yao didn’t know whether to say it was good or bad.

Yet, she could confirm that Gongliang Liao was indeed inside.