Zhao Xiyan drank a few cups of tea and then left. Chen Ming watched her depart, taking the last sip of his tea, savoring the slight bitterness followed by sweetness.
After sitting for a while longer, estimating Zhao Xiyan had gone far away, he returned indoors, extinguished the lamp, changed into nightclothes, and left silently.
On the hurried journey, Chen Ming noticed several others on the same path, exchanging only glances from afar and moving along separate routes, avoiding disturbance.
Half an hour later, he arrived in the northern city.
Outside Prince Zhenhai's Mansion, everything was quiet. The walls, overgrown with various plants, isolated the mansion abandoned for over two decades.
Dressed in nightclothes, Chen Ming approached the door, reached out, and knocked twice.
Knock knock.
The knocks echoed far in the stillness of the night.
He said, "Elder Shang, it's me, I've come to see you."
He waited a moment, took a deep breath, and pushed his hand against the door.
