“That might be inconvenient.”
“No, they each have exceptional skills and are small in stature, agile and flexible. Picking three to follow you would be best.”
Gu Qingtong understood Han Yue’an’s concerns and thought his plan was not bad, nodding in agreement.
“But these children grew up in the mountains, naive and simple. You’ll need to be careful.”
“I know. But adoptive father, you must also be careful in the capital. If Ruan Niang tries to deal with you, you must protect yourself. Sometimes, for her own good, it’s not about covering for her, but making her abandon her evil intentions.”
Han Yue’an was surprised she would say this, frowning but deeply moved: “Tong’tong, you’ve grown up, become smarter and more composed.”
“Adoptive father, I grew up by your side, benefiting from your teachings. I couldn’t be too foolish.”
Han Yue’an smiled: “Mm, Tong’tong wait here, I’ll be back soon.”
Gu Qingtong watched his tall figure walk away, seeming slightly hunched, as if bearing a heavy burden.
She looked down at her wrist, removing the Huahaoyuequan Pavilion jade bracelet and placing it on the table: Though the road ahead is long, her heart was clear about what she wanted and what she should do.
Although Han Yue’an said he would send Gu Qingtong away in the evening, an assassin suddenly appeared in the palace in the afternoon. The assassin was not captured and even broke through the palace’s heavy encirclement. To ensure the capital’s safety, Shen Yuqing had begun house-to-house searches; they could not act rashly.
Gu Qingtong guessed this was certainly related to her. Searching for assassins was a pretext; secretly searching for her was the real intention. Shen Yuqing’s influence on the Emperor and Empress Dowager was far greater than she had imagined.
Because Han Yue’an’s courtyard was not very secluded, Gu Qingtong had to quietly move to another location after the afternoon hours.
Gu Qingtong covered her face with a light veil, sitting in the carriage, her heart in turmoil, unsure of how far Han Yue’an could hide her. Getting off the carriage, she looked up and realized she had arrived at the Zhen Yuan Marquis’s residence.
