Found

At the end of the secret passage lay a small Underground Palace. Two men guarded the entrance, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Shen Shixu turned to Xiao Jinyi, whose expression had darkened beside him. "Your Highness, what should we do now? Knock these two unconscious and take a look inside, or go back and bring more men?"

Xiao Jinyi pressed the firelighter into Shen Shixu's hand and instructed him, "Find somewhere to hide, or leave now. I'll go and see what's hidden in this underground complex that requires guards around the clock!"

Xiao Jinyi felt that whoever was behind this was openly slapping the imperial family in the face. In a capital this vast, right under the emperor's nose, someone had built an underground complex without anyone noticing.

If they could build an Underground Palace here today, could they tunnel into the imperial palace tomorrow?

A vein throbbed in Xiao Jinyi's head. He was certain that if his imperial father learned of today's discovery, the entire Capital would be swept by a bloody purge.

Shen Shixu knew Xiao Jinyi was formidable. He had not earned the title of young god of war for nothing. But they had no idea what was inside. If there were too many people, or someone launched a sneak attack, wouldn't Xiao Jinyi be in danger?

In public, Xiao Jinyi was a prince and he was a subject; in private, Xiao Jinyi was a friend he had just made. He could hardly stand by and watch him risk his life alone.

"Your Highness, let me go with you!" Seeing Xiao Jinyi frown in disapproval, Shen Shixu insisted, "I know you're worried I'll be in danger, but I'm the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. This case is my responsibility too. I can't back out just because it's dangerous!"

"Besides, I'm no frail scholar. I might not be able to cut down enemies on every side like you, but I can protect myself."

Seeing his determination, Xiao Jinyi said no more beyond one final warning. "If you insist on going, then come. But make sure you look after yourself. If anything goes wrong, run immediately. Don't worry about me!"

Shen Shixu nodded, extinguished the firelighter and put it away, then loosened up his arms and legs.

Once he was ready, Xiao Jinyi picked up two pebbles from the ground and flicked them out. They struck the two guards squarely in the forehead, knocking them unconscious on the spot.

Shen Shixu could not help giving Xiao Jinyi a thumbs-up at the sight. Then he jogged over to the unconscious guards and confiscated their swords.

He kept one and handed the other to Xiao Jinyi.

Together, they dragged the unconscious men to one side. Worried that they might wake up, Shen Shixu picked up another stone from a corner and struck each of them on the head again.

He hit them hard enough to draw blood, without feeling the slightest guilt about injuring them.

As far as he was concerned, what decent person would lurk underground in broad daylight with a sword in hand? Besides, he had not killed them. He had only injured them.

Watching him crack both men's heads bloody with a stone, then eagerly clutch his sword as he prepared to open the iron door, Xiao Jinyi could not help chuckling.

He walked over, pulled Shen Shixu behind him, and pushed open the iron door. Then he drew the sword Shen Shixu had given him and led the way.

Understanding that Xiao Jinyi was protecting him, Shen Shixu followed his example and drew his own sword in advance, obediently staying behind him.

After walking a short distance, they reached a bend. Xiao Jinyi and Shen Shixu rounded it, and before long, a sweet fragrance reached them.

Shen Shixu felt a sneeze coming on. Afraid of alerting anyone, he pinched his nose and said to Xiao Jinyi in a muffled voice, "Your Highness, this should be where Qiaoying was kept during the two years she was missing. That sweet scent is women's face powder—the latest fashionable kind, Nian Nu Jiao.

"With a scent this strong, there must be a lot of women held here. I just don't know whether anyone is guarding them."

"Whatever the situation inside, we need to be careful. I'll go in first. Wait outside, and only come in when I call you."

Shen Shixu nodded and quietly tightened his grip on his sword. Xiao Jinyi went inside with his sword in hand.

Shen Shixu heard screams from within, along with men's furious shouts and the sounds of bodies being kicked through the air. Then came the soft sobbing of women.

"Come in. It's safe for now!"

Hearing Xiao Jinyi call him in, Shen Shixu ran inside with his sword. When he saw what was there, the sword slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a clatter.

Apart from the few men Xiao Jinyi had kicked aside, everyone inside was a young girl. Dressed in thin clothing, they huddled against one another, staring at him and Xiao Jinyi with frightened, uneasy eyes.

They were all very young. The oldest was no more than seventeen, while the youngest were only seven or eight.

Shen Shixu clenched his fists at the sight of them. Struggling to compose himself, he forced a smile and reassured them gently. "Don't be afraid. We aren't bad people. We're here to rescue you. I'm Shen Shixu, the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and he is Prince Jing Xiao Jinyi. Can you trust us now?"

The girls watched them in silence. Finally, the oldest gathered her courage and spoke. "Are you really here to save us, and not to hurt us like those disgusting people?"

Shen Shixu nodded solemnly. "Of course. Was there a girl named Qiaoying among you? Her older brother is a soldier under Prince Jing. We found her and followed the trail she left to this place."

Shen Shixu knew the girls were wary of them. He thought that mentioning a familiar name might help ease their suspicions.

Sure enough, the girls visibly relaxed at the mention of Qiaoying. The younger ones could not hold back their words. Crying with joy, they hugged the older girls beside them and said, "Qiaoying really got out! She really found someone to save us!"

Seeing hope rekindle in their eyes, Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi now found themselves troubled as well. What would happen when the girls got out and learned that Qiaoying was already gone?

But this was not the time to think about that. Shen Shixu said to Xiao Jinyi, "Your Highness, sorry for the trouble, but please arrange for men to arrest these villains and lock them up for questioning. We also need to work out where to house these girls."

Xiao Jinyi lowered his head and considered this for a moment. "I'll have Mo Yu take them to the Court of Judicial Review's prison shortly. Someone there will interrogate them. As for the girls..."

Xiao Jinyi looked at the girls, their hopes newly kindled. He did not know where to house them either. Then he remembered that Xiao Yuanqi seemed to have given him an estate some time ago. Perhaps that place would do.