Shen Lixue changed into a black outfit and put on a black veil. She silently left the room, quickly climbed over the wall, and rushed towards the Minister's residence. Her slender figure left a black afterimage in the night.
The houses of noble families are divided into areas: living room, dining room, master courtyard, kitchen, guest room, and woodshed and warehouse. Shen Lixue stood on a big tree and carefully observed, figuring out the different areas of the Minister's mansion. She then quietly sneaked into the mansion and quickly ran towards the warehouse where valuables were stored.
Officials' residences are often guarded by skilled individuals at night, and warehouses are important places for storing valuables, so the guards are even more stringent. Shen Lixue carefully avoided the guards patrolling the mansion and the several skilled individuals on guard, quickly arrived in front of the warehouse, took out a silver needle, inserted it into the keyhole, turned it back and forth a few times, and the sturdy lock clicked open.
Shen Lixue smiled and, with her petite body as nimb as a cat, darted into the warehouse, carefully closing the door without making a sound.
The warehouse was filled with gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks, but Shen Lixue didn't even glance at them. She went straight to a large tray, on which were placed various medicines and tonics sent by Commander Lei, each of which was quite valuable.
Shen Lixue exclaimed in admiration: "Zhuang Weicheng and Zhuang Kexin have been disgraced in the Grand Commandant's mansion. Grand Commandant Lei probably feels bad about it and sent these expensive medicines as an apology. It's really a generous gesture."
Shen Lixue picked up the box containing the Tianshan Snow Lotus and quickly opened it. Zhuang Weicheng had injured Cousin Yan, so she took the Tianshan Snow Lotus as an apology gift for Zhuang Weicheng.
The box was empty; the Tian Shan Snow Lotus was nowhere to be seen. Shen Lixue was startled. According to Grand Commandant Lei and Minister Zhuang, Zhuang Weicheng would take the Tian Shan Snow Lotus tomorrow morning. How could it be gone now? Could it have been taken by Zhuang Weicheng beforehand?
Suddenly, a dangerous aura swept through the air. Shen Lixue was startled and instantly realized that someone had been lurking there, and the Heavenly Snow Lotus had been snatched up by someone else...
A sharp palm strike came swiftly like lightning. Shen Lixue quickly dodged to the side, and shot her silver needle at the man.
In the darkness, Shen Lixue could not see the man's face, but she knew that he had profound inner strength and unfathomable martial arts skills. She had no inner strength and could not get close to him to fight him head-on. She had to rely on her agile movements to confront him from a distance and could not be careless in the slightest.
The newcomer's attacks were fierce, one move faster than the next. Shen Lixue dodged while attacking back with silver needles, forcing the newcomer to stay away. The two maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The newcomer's internal energy could not hurt her, and she could not get rid of him. For a time, the battle was at a stalemate.
Suddenly, the man walked towards Shen Lixue's silver needles. His slender figure instantly appeared in front of Shen Lixue, tightly gripping her wrist. In the darkness, the man's eyes flashed with a fierce light.
Shen Lixue was startled. She gripped the silver needle tightly, about to stab the newcomer, when a faint scent of pine resin wafted to her nose. Shen Lixue abruptly stopped, looking up at the newcomer. He was…
With a soft, delicate body in his arms, and a familiar, fresh fragrance wafting in the air, the man reached out and pulled down the black veil covering Shen Lixue's face, revealing her beautiful face. The man's eyes deepened, and his jade-like fingers gently caressed her fair, smooth, and beautifully curved chin: "Shen Lixue, it really is you!"
"Dongfang Heng, what are you doing in the Minister's warehouse in the middle of the night?" Shen Lixue brushed away Dongfang Heng's hand that was gently stroking her chin, frowning as she looked at him. Just now, the two of them thought the other was an enemy and almost killed each other.
"That's the question I should be asking you: Why aren't you resting in the bamboo garden of the Prime Minister's residence? Why are you here?" Dongfang Heng's deep voice carried a hint of anger. The warehouse of a noble family was heavily guarded and full of traps, yet she dared to sneak in alone.
"I asked first, so you answer first!" Shen Lixue sized up Dongfang Heng. He was dressed in an ivory-white silk robe, with a white jade belt around his waist. He stood tall and elegant, and even the ribbon in his hair was white, making him particularly conspicuous in the dark night.
Shen Lixue curled her lips. He sneaked into someone else's warehouse without even changing into night clothes to cover his tracks. He really had nothing to fear.
"I'll take this!" Dongfang Heng held out his jade-like hand, on which lay a magnificent Tian Shan snow lotus, its pink petals glistening and eye-catching in the dark night.
Shen Lixue was taken aback: "The Holy King's Mansion clearly has Heavenly Snow Lotus, so why did you sneak into the Minister's Mansion to steal it?"
"I'm happy to!" Dongfang Heng said calmly, his arm encircling Shen Lixue's waist behind him. With a sudden pull, Shen Lixue was tightly embraced by him, face to face. Their faces were so close, their breaths almost touching, and an ambiguous feeling suddenly arose, surging in a hidden undercurrent: "You came to the Minister's residence, also to steal the Heavenly Snow Lotus?"
“That’s right!” Shen Lixue nodded, placing her hands on Dongfang Heng’s chest and taking a step away from him: “Dongfang Heng, do you have a friend who is seriously ill and urgently needs Tianshan Snow Lotus?”
“No.” Dongfang Heng’s gaze darkened, and he shook his head.
Shen Lixue's eyes lit up: "Your injury is to your heart meridian, so the Tianshan Snow Lotus won't be of much use to you. Why don't you give it to me!"
"I obtained the Heavenly Snow Lotus, why should I give it to you?" Dongfang Heng glanced out the window, his tone slightly arrogant, as if he were casting a long line to catch a big fish.
"The Tianshan Snow Lotus is very precious. You have no injured friends and you don't need it yourself. You'll just put it in the warehouse if you take it. I want it to save people!" Shen Lixue's cold eyes revealed an unusual solemnity.
Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened: "Who are you going to save?"
"Cousin Yan, he was seriously injured by Zhuang Weicheng!" Shen Lixue recounted the blind date banquet in a simple and clear manner, deliberately exaggerating Lin Yan's injuries, as if he would die without the Tianshan Snow Lotus: "Cousin Yan urgently needs the Tianshan Snow Lotus. You obtained the Snow Lotus, and I won't take it for free. I can exchange it with you for something else!"
"No trade, I love the Heavenly Snow Lotus!" Dongfang Heng raised an eyebrow and refused outright. Looking at Shen Lixue's dark face, a beautiful smile curved his lips.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue glared angrily at Dongfang Heng. She realized that he had stolen the Tianshan Snow Lotus to oppose her.
Her gaze sharpened, and Shen Lixue parted her lips slightly, shouting in alarm towards the door, "Help! There's a thief! Catch the thief!"
A scream caused a huge commotion, alerting the patrolling guards and skilled fighters outside, who rushed towards the warehouse.
Dongfang Heng was taken aback: "What are you doing?"
"Of course, we're arresting you, the thief who stole the Tianshan Snow Lotus!" Shen Lixue's lips curled into a slight smile.
“You were in the warehouse too, so you were part of the theft!” Dongfang Heng stared at Shen Lixue, knowing that this desperate measure would benefit no one.
Shen Lixue scoffed: "The Heavenly Snow Lotus is in your hands. You are the main culprit, and I am at most an accomplice. My sentence will definitely be lighter than yours!"
Dongfang Heng raised the corners of his mouth and turned to leave, but Shen Lixue reached out and grabbed his arm, her tone firm: "Give me the Tianshan Snow Lotus, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, don't even think about leaving!"
The hurried footsteps grew closer. Dongfang Heng stared at Shen Lixue without saying a word. Shen Lixue glared at him defiantly, feeling uneasy. She had only sent people to force him to hand over the Tianshan Snow Lotus. He would rather die than give her the Tianshan Snow Lotus. But he had no use for the Tianshan Snow Lotus, so why was he so protective of it?
"Catch the thief!" The guards' shouts were right next to her, but Dongfang Heng still wouldn't budge. His dark eyes were fixed on her intently. Shen Lixue frowned tightly. She decided to leave this place first and then think of another way to get the Tianshan Snow Lotus.
Shen Lixue's small hands loosened slightly, but suddenly her waist tightened, and her slender body was carried out of the window and quickly flew out of the mansion.
The wind whistled past her ears. Looking at Dongfang Heng's handsome face so close to hers, Shen Lixue's eyes burned with anger. She couldn't break free from him, and he even brought her out with him. How clever and hateful! With a flick of her slender hand, a small wooden plaque flew through the window into the warehouse and gently fell to the ground.
The guards and experts who rushed to the scene kicked open the warehouse door, only to find it empty, without a single person in sight. Upon closer inspection, everything else was there, except for the Tian Shan Snow Lotus.
The snow lotus from Tianshan was a crucial medicinal herb that the young master specifically instructed us to protect, as it was needed early tomorrow morning. Now it's gone! What are we going to do?
"There's a wooden sign over there!" Just as they were at a loss, a sharp-eyed guard spotted the sign on the ground and quickly picked it up.
"It might have been dropped by a petty thief. Hand it over to the Minister immediately!"
In the study of the Minister's residence, Minister Zhuang quietly looked at the wooden plaque on the high table, his gaze deep and unfathomable. The plaque was triangular in shape and a very light bronze color. One side was smooth, while the other side had the character "雷" (Lei) written on it. This was the wooden plaque worn by the guards of Grand Commandant Lei's residence.
"Master, Grand Commandant Lei gave us Tianshan Snow Lotus, why do we still want to steal it back?" Madam Zhuang asked, standing to the side, puzzled.
Minister Zhuang snorted lightly: "Is that even a question? He doesn't want Cheng'er to ruin his Tianshan Snow Lotus!" Grand Commandant Lei and Minister Zhuang had a good relationship. Normally, he would not have suspected this, but now, Zhuang Weicheng and Zhuang Kexin were committing incest, and Minister Zhuang's family had lost all face and become infamous.
Who would want to associate with a notorious minister? And what ruler would trust a minister of questionable character?