Zhang Yuanqing immediately saw caution and hostility in the young woman's eyes—no need for a stage magician's skill, just the experience of having seen countless people. As their gazes met, the young Chu beauty, around fifteen or sixteen, suddenly bowed low, her knees hitting the ground with a soft thud, and cried out, "Honor the Emperor!" Her voice was fresh and touching, yet the tone carried the boldness of Zhang Fei's own "I'm the same too." How could this be just a daughter from a hunter's family? This was clearly Zhang Fei's daughter! Zhang Yuanqing quickly reached out to help her rise. "Please rise, my lady. I've come hastily and haven't had a meal yet—so I'm just glad to be here with you..." But before he finished speaking, the Chu beauty slightly stepped back, avoiding his assistance. Then she swiftly returned to her seat and declared, "I shall attend to the Emperor's meal." She quickly pushed several dishes of meat and vegetables toward Zhang Yuanqing and tore off a piece of chicken, placing it directly into his mouth. "No, no, please—" Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head to evade, saying, "Let the servants attend to me. The Chu Beauty nodded and bent down to eat, her cheeks swelling with food, resembling a hamster. Zhang Yuanqing first exchanged a glance with two attendants, instructing them to take several maids down to question them, then, under the maid's care, took her time chewing and savoring each bite, occasionally glancing at the young woman beside her. "No!" Chu Beijin firmly rejected it, then added, "I am young and never accompanied my father on hunting expeditions, so I'm not familiar with them." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Since you never went with your father on hunting trips, then why did you ride your horse into my hunting grounds that day?" Chu Beijin momentarily struggled for an answer and simply pretended to be unaware, busily eating her meal. Chu Beijin doesn't seem very intelligent—she probably won't make a good spy, Zhang Yuanqing thought. "By the way," he continued, "Chu Beijin has been in the palace for several days now. Have you missed your family? Today, I can allow you to leave the palace." "No! I don't want to see them at all!" Chu Beijin instinctively refused, then noticed the Emperor's surprise and quickly changed her words, saying, "I would rather stay with the Emperor and not leave the palace." You were clearly avoiding me just a moment ago! Zhang Yuanqing had originally thought the young lady rather dull and possibly unsuitable for a spy, but now he found himself reconsidering. This girl is so odd—she might just be the real spy. Thus, Zhang Yuanqing gently probed with several more questions, carefully steering clear of arousing Chu's suspicion—each query focused on minor details and anecdotes related to the hunters. As he continued, he suddenly noticed something was off. This young lady remained completely unaware of the questions, often lowering her head to eat when she couldn't answer, deliberately appearing ignorant. If she were a spy, wouldn't she be more astute? Yet if she weren't a spy, then every aspect raised questions—so many that even with her eyes closed, one could easily identify a host of inconsistencies. Chu was a traveler from the Spirit Realm? Zhang Yuanqing's mind stirred with a sudden insight. The Spirit Realm travelers' memories were too brief to account for her lack of knowledge on certain topics. Moreover, Chu's unfamiliarity with court etiquette—her posture, manner of eating, and speech style—stood in stark contrast to the customs of this era. New questions then arose: If Chu indeed hailed from the Spirit Realm, then who exactly was she? Did my "Wanderers from the Afterlife" series contain such an unassuming, rather dull member? Zhang Yuanqing went through all the female members who entered this instance and carefully matched them to their roles, eliminating Guan Ya, the aunt, and the small round one. What remained were Sun Miaomiao, the young green tea, and the Queen. Though Sun Miaomiao appeared clumsy, she was actually quite intelligent and had a keen sense of strategy—definitely a thoughtful keyboard warrior. As for the young green tea, she was simply more perceptive and sharp-minded than most adult women. The Queen herself was an experienced traveler of the Spiritual Realm. In my "Return of the Departed," I hadn’t expected such unrefined members—were the internal members of the White Tiger military contingent joining in? That didn’t make sense. After all, Xiao Fu’s strong emotional intelligence wouldn’t typically bring in strangers into a familiar group setting. Zhang Yuanqing remained mentally agile, constantly thinking ahead, yet couldn’t reveal any information about the Spiritual Realm travelers. Although the instance didn’t explicitly state any penalties for exposure, in such a high-stakes challenge, it was best to follow the instance’s established mechanisms. Otherwise, even a minor misstep could unravel the entire team, leading to total defeat. After all, his role is that of a negligent ruler, and the quest itself is titled "The King Who Lost His Kingdom"—his mistakes are different from those of ordinary characters. After drinking a bowl of lamb soup, he began to suspect something and turned to the Chu Beauty beside him, smiling, "Ah, Beauty, at your age, you should learn music, calligraphy, painting, and literature, and be well-versed in the written word. Tomorrow, I'll have the Grand Scholar come to teach you." The Chu Beauty's delicate face stiffened instantly, and in reflex, she shouted loudly, "I don't want to read! I don't want to read!" The very next moment, her gaze shifted subtly, and she adjusted her voice, saying, "I'm not uninterested in reading—I simply find that studying takes away my focus, making it difficult for me to properly attend to the Emperor." Zhang Yuancheng nodded, his tone relaxed, "Ah, I've forgotten your name." The Chu Beauty blinked, as if she hadn't quite understood. "What is your name?" Zhang Yuancheng asked in plain language. "My name is Chu Xiaoi," the Chu Beauty replied. Zhang Yuanqing said nothing, continued eating. The Chu Beauty straightened her back, her face tense, her appetite for the food fading. She kept glancing at the Emperor, as if caught in the act, her demeanor full of nervousness. Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "What's your father's name?" "Jiang..." The Chu Beauty jolted, giving a reflexive answer, then stopped abruptly. Her face turned pale as she plucked a piece of tender ginger and bit into it, smiling bashfully. "Ginger is delicious, Your Majesty. My father is called Chu Lao Si—he's the fourth of his siblings in the family." How had she ended up in this world? Why hadn't Fu Qingyang told her earlier! Zhang Yuanqing's expression remained calm, but inside, he was deeply energized—he already knew who the Chu Beauty was. Jiang Jingwei! If the Chu Beauty were indeed Jiang Jingwei, then all the inconsistencies now made perfect sense; all the awkwardness now seemed entirely natural. The age also matched perfectly. With Jingwei by my side, even if I don't uncover the spy today, I won't be reduced to mere fish flesh on the chopping block—well, not exposed as to my identity. Zhang Yuanqing rose with a bright, radiant countenance and said, "I've finished my meal. Chu Beauty—graceful in nature, pure-hearted, like a child—has deeply impressed me. I shall have her attend upon me tonight for the imperial bedchamber!" Upon saying this, he gave orders to his attendants, while the others watched in astonishment: "Serve another roasted lamb to the Chu Beauty." Under the gentle pulls and subtle glances of the attendants beside him, Chu Beauty hurriedly knelt and expressed her gratitude with delight: "Thank you, Your Majesty... thank you." After leaving the third-floor pavilion, Zhang Yuanqing took the deer-wagon and continued on his way. Along the way, he received updates from his guards: there were no issues at Chu Beauty's residence—at least, no suspicions had been raised. The maids and eunuchs found her ordinary, only slightly less intelligent and lacking in etiquette. His next target was Wan Beauty—the woman who had been shrieking all night long in the midst of The deer-carriage, gliding through the royal rear quarters that resembled a celestial palace, stopped after half a minute before a slightly modest building—a two-story structure, though adorned with carved beams and painted eaves, not quite refined, and its courtyard plants sparse and ordinary. Zhang Yuanqing lifted the curtain, with a court official assisting him to step down, and led the group into the small courtyard. The number of attendants and eunuchs was small, and their appearances were unremarkable. Wan, it seemed, wasn't particularly favored... Zhang Yuanqing was just thinking this when a eunuch suddenly announced, "Your Majesty is here!" A few seconds later, heavy footsteps echoed from within the building. Then, the screen door was forcefully pushed open, and a woman emerged—broad-shouldered and sturdy, standing about 1.75 meters tall. Her face was round like a plate, her eyes large and bright like copper bells, her brows thick and her lips full. Her figure was strong and masculine—indeed, one who could gallop a horse on her arms and stand a man on her fists. Zhang Yuanqing stepped back, startled. The strong woman stopped a few paces away, "Zhang Yuanqing's lips were trembling. He thought: Didn't I say, 'Mei Xin's eyebrows are like a crescent moon, her hair flowing like clouds, so stunning that one is amazed'? Who is writing the official chronicles? I'm going to have him beheaded!" "Your Majesty, I've waited day and night, day and night, and at last, I've finally seen you come!" Wan Meiren seized Zhang Yuanqing's hand firmly. Zhang Yuanqing struggled, but couldn't free himself; he struggled again, still couldn't break free—frightened, he cried out, "Rescue the Emperor! Come and rescue the Emperor!" Two attendants and three eunuchs rushed forward and pressed Wan Meiren to the ground. Zhang Yuanqing, protected by two palace maids, escaped like a hare in flight, back to his chariot. The wheels rolled steadily, the deer called softly. As he fled, Zhang Yuanqing learned the truth: There were actually two Wan Meirins in the imperial harem. One of them had recently sung beautifully in the garden, winning the admiration of Zhao Shun, who then granted her the title of Wan Meiren. This particular Zhao Shun has few virtues, but he is deeply grateful—his reward for women is a formal title. Thus, he conferred the title of "Wan Beauty" upon this noble man, hoping she would safeguard the peace of the imperial harem. It had always been clear to me from the start: Zhao Shun lacks outstanding character, and his aesthetic sensibilities are inviolable... Zhang Yuan was thinking this as suddenly, the majestic male deer pulling the carriage gave a series of urgent calls, then quickened its pace, charging toward a nearby pavilion with a steady, rhythmic trot. Zhang Yuan focused his gaze and saw several fresh green branches planted outside the pavilion, their leaves glistening with dew. The deer rushed straight in, nosing and gnawing wildly. Zhang Yuan inhaled deeply, and then detected a subtle briny aroma emanating from the leaves. He wondered—had salt water been sprinkled? His curiosity about the Wan Beauty deepened. At that moment, a delicate, ethereal voice rose from the second floor. Turning to follow the sound, he saw a woman seated beside a slender figure in light imperial robes, adorned with an elegant headdress. … After lunch, Fu Qingyang inspected the defensive equipment and supplies, surveyed the terrain around the city walls, checked the official granaries, and then hurried back to the marshal's quarters. Seeing his five teammates sitting silently in the room, their faces looking pale and concerned, he said, "I've been looking around the army, and there's no woman present—both the returning female sage and the sovereign should be in the capital." Xia Hou Aotian's expression grew serious: "There's an even more troubling update—the Red Rooster isn't in the army either." Ling Jun sighed and summarized: "The ones without brains are all there, and the ones without strength are also gone." Fu Qingyang thought for a moment and said: "Actually, Jiang Jingwei has arrived too—I didn't expect her to be part of this character-driven storyline." The Mage-Eyed King stood up and slammed his palm on the table: "We must immediately retreat to the capital." "Stay calm," said Zhao Chenghuang, reassuringly, "as long as we hold firm in Linxia, the capital will remain safe." Having said that, a soldier hurried in, stopped at the door, and declared loudly: "General, there's a confidential report." Fu Qingyang stepped forward swiftly, took the scroll from the soldier's hands, and unfolded it—his gaze grew slightly concentrated. He turned to his companion and frowned: "The report states that the Northern Dynasty has sent a special assassination unit into the capital, and furthermore, there may be spies operating within the palace, with the aim of targeting the Southern Dynasty's emperor." Just as the Magi-eyes King had sat down, he suddenly rose again and pounded the table: "Retreat immediately to the capital." Then, another soldier hurried in: "General, the soldiers in the army are suddenly experiencing diarrhea and vomiting—signs of poisoning."