That night, Zhu Yu and Lu Qing returned to the front of the Yunyin Pavilion, ordered a pot of wine and a few small dishes, eating sporadically while listening to the chatter around them.

The Yunyin Pavilion was unusually lively that night. The events that occurred on the street during the day had spread across every corner of the Capital by then, becoming excellent topics of conversation.

High-ranking officials and nobles were not uncommon in the Capital, but those who once wielded immense power and then fell from grace were not something you encountered very often.

The people surrounding Zhu Yu were all discussing these matters.

Previously, when scholars discussed such topics, there was still a sense of cautiousness and subtlety, but now, the drinkers seemed much more assured and fearless.

Zhu Yu initially listened attentively, and as the people around them became bolder after drinking several rounds, the conversations flowed freely. One person, slightly tipsy, even approached their table to ask Zhu Yu and Lu Qing’s feelings on these matters.

Fortunately, she and Lu Qing had great rapport and quick reactions, echoing along in confusion to send away those trying to chat them up.

After a while, Zhu Yu saw Liu Yueyao pass by nearby, appearing to subtly gesture towards them. Lu Qing indicated to her, and the two got up to leave, circling back to the backyard.

Soon after, Liu Yueyao joined them.

"Master, Mistress." She bowed to Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, and recently she had increasingly gotten used to reporting to two masters instead of just Lu Qing.

Initially, she did this mostly out of respect for Zhu Yu’s identity as "Mistress," but after witnessing Zhu Yu’s methods and courage, Liu Yueyao truly admired her. Now, when she spoke, she no longer regarded Zhu Yu as merely an observer but as a master who, like Lu Qing, had decision-making power.

Lu Qing nodded at her and asked, "Did you call us back because there’s some important news?"

"Exactly." Liu Yueyao nodded quickly, "Earlier, Master instructed me to keep an eye on Gu Lingyun’s whereabouts.

At first, I received no information. There were even rumors at one point that she was hiding in the Prince Shu Mansion.

But I just received word that she should now be hiding here." Liu Yueyao took a piece of paper from her breast and passed it over.

Lu Qing took it, unfolded it, and read it together with Zhu Yu, finding an address written in very tiny characters.

Zhu Yu was unfamiliar with the Capital, but Lu Qing instantly recognized it as a residential area in the north of the city — a place where the lower classes lived, densely populated and rife with all sorts of characters.

Lu Qing’s brows furrowed slightly but spoke calmly to Liu Yueyao, "Previously, there was no trace of her at all. Only recently have we suddenly been able to confirm she settled here?"

"Yes." Liu Yueyao nodded firmly in response.

Lu Qing thought silently for a moment, then motioned for Liu Yueyao to go, "Alright, you may carry on with your business.

There’s a lot happening in the Capital lately, I expect Yunyin Pavilion’s business will be much better.

Remember, anything else is fine, but make sure no one causes a drunk disturbance and brings trouble to the pavilion."

"Don’t worry; we are vigilant." Liu Yueyao nodded, "You and Mistress should rest early, I’ll be leaving." She quickly left and returned to the front to attend to her duties.

After Liu Yueyao left, Zhu Yu spoke up about the address. Upon learning about that place, she understood the purpose behind Lu Qing’s earlier questioning of Liu Yueyao.

Looking solely at Gu Lingyun’s hideout, there doesn’t seem to be any issue; such a low-class mixed area is bustling and cramped, yet because of the constant flow of people, newcomers don’t attract any attention.

Moreover, in a chaotic place, it’s much harder to track someone down, and if discovered, it’s easy to stir up some chaos and conveniently escape.

But this all stands on the basis that her secret is genuinely hidden from most people.

What if Liu Yueyao’s informants aren’t the only ones privy to this?

Someone who was initially hidden so well that even someone as resourceful as Manager Liu took ages to gather any clues, suddenly got uncovered after Duke Yan’s side encountered trouble...

That makes this matter rather unusual.

"It seems someone wants others to know where Gu Lingyun is hiding, to go search for her whereabouts." Zhu Yu furrowed her brow.

"Indeed." Lu Qing stood up, pulling Zhu Yu to the screen, and handed her a cloth package, "Change your clothes; let’s go take a look."

Zhu Yu took the package, went behind the screen and opened it, finding a set of black night attire inside.

She quickly changed, grabbed her small leather pouch, and tucked it into her breast.

Noticing Lu Qing watching her tuck away the pouch, she sighed, "From hearing you question Liu Yueyao earlier, I reckon the chance of us seeing Gu Lingyun alive and well is slim."

Then she couldn’t help asking, "But, what if the other party’s efficiency isn’t as good as ours?

If we arrive and find Gu Lingyun still alive... then what? Should we move her somewhere else to hide?"

"Matters unrelated to us, we won’t interfere. Those with no benefits to us, we won’t do." Lu Qing shook his head, "Besides, we currently don’t have the capability to protect others.

That Gu Lingyun is hardly a frozen rabbit in the snow that one could take home and care for without precaution."

"I understand this logic, I’m familiar with the fable of the Farmer and the Snake." Zhu Yu nodded casually, "That Gu Lingyun is not just a snake beauty, she’s a snake with a lethal bite!"

"Oh? The Farmer and the Snake fable? That’s one I haven’t heard." Lu Qing asked with interest, "What’s the story?"

"Let’s go, let’s go; I’ll tell you the story when we return tonight!" Zhu Yu felt a bit helpless for blurting without thinking, but knowing the story could be told in another form, she calmed down, pulling Lu Qing’s arm, "If we tarry, it’ll be late night, running into patrols will be troublesome."

Lu Qing laughed and nodded, and the two quietly left the room, sneaking out the back door of Yunyin Pavilion.