Aunt Ping didn't panic but just closed her eyes.

Yingnuo walked forward to talk to Zhan Qi. "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry, Miss Yingnuo. I didn't recognize you just now. So who's sitting in the carriage?" Zhan Qi smiled at Yingnuo, pretending that he didn't detect anything.

Yingnuo smiled back and continued, "Aunt Ping, from the Snowy House."

"Oh, Aunt Ping. I'm sorry but I was ordered to do this. Please..." said Zhan Qi who looked at the carriage and cupped his hands.

In the carriage, Jiang Wei couldn't help but knit her eyebrows. Zhan Qi was obviously implying something and he wanted to search the carriage.

If Zhan Qi insisted, she would...

While she was lost in her thought, Aunt Ping said, "Oh, Mr. Zhan, it's you. Anything wrong here? Why does it even bother you to do this?"

"Not a big deal. Two thieves sneaked into the palace last night but they escaped by luck." Zhan Qi explained.

Hearing his explanation, Aunt Ping continued, "I see. Those thieves are quite bold. They should sneak into the palace. Are they asking for their doom? But you should bother to catch them by yourself. You're so responsible."

"This is what I should do as an official. Aunt Ping, where are you going?" Zhan Qi asked her.

The latter laughed and replied, "It's quite embarrassing. I'm actually free today, so I'm out to buy some cloth to make new clothes."

"I see. But Aunt Ping, please allow us to check your carriage. Thank you for your cooperation." Zhan Qi directly requested.

Jiang Wei who was sitting in the carriage frowned while Aunt Ping remained calm and didn't panic at all.

And she calmly turned around to press a hidden button in the back of the carriage.

Then a secret compartment popped out and Aunt Ping whispered to Jiang Wei, "What are you still waiting for? Get in."

Jiang Wei nodded and sat in, after which Aunt Ping pressed the button again and the secret compartment disappeared.

At this time, Zhan Qi who stood outside continued, "Aunt Ping, don't worry. We just want to have a check to make sure you're not in danger."

"You worry too much. It's cold outside so I'm putting on my coat. If you want a check, just do it." Aunt Ping explained and got off the carriage after pulling back the curtain.

Seeing that, Yingnuo walked to her quickly to help her get off.

When she got off, Zhan Qi signaled to a soldier behind to search the carriage.

The soldier behind understood and walked forward to pull back the curtain and take a look into the carriage.

But he noticed nothing wrong.

Then he walked back to Zhan Qi and shook his head.

Seeing that, Zhan Qi stepped to Aunt Ping and apologized with his hands cupped, "Aunt Ping, please forgive us for holding you up here."

"It's fine. You are ordered to do so, after all. If there is nothing wrong, I'll leave with my people then." Aunt Ping looked at Zhan Qi and said.

Zhan Qi nodded, watching Yingnuo helping Aunt Ping get on the carriage.

Then he reached out to motion for soldiers to make way for them.

Seeing the carriage riding away, Zhan Qi said to the man next to him in a low voice, "Follow them to see where they are going."

"Yes," responded the man who then lost no time to catch up with the carriage.

Aunt Ping whispered to the groom, "Change the route. Go to the clothing shop first."

The groom responded and steered the carriage at the turning to another road.

Aunt Ping knew Zhan Qi would surely send his people to spy on them to find out where they went.

Thus, she asked the groom to ride to the clothing shop first. After all, she indeed needed some new dresses.

After a while, Zhan Qi asked the man who spied on Aunt Ping.

"Where did they go?"

"A clothing shop. She didn't lie." The man nodded and answered.

Hearing that, Zhan Qi raised his eyebrow. Did he think too much?

Soon, he led his people to search East Street.

In the clothing shop, Aunt Ping picked a few plain dresses and asked the manager to wrap them up.

Walking out of the shop, she looked around and found that the man Zhan Qi sent to spy on her was gone. She lifted the corner of her mouth and got on.

Then, the carriage made a turn and rode to the place Jiang Wei talked about.

Aunt Ping pressed the button to pop the secret compartment out again and said, "They're gone. You can get out now."

"Thank you, Aunt Ping." Jiang Wei cupped her hands and expressed her gratitude.

The latter smiled and replied, "No need. If they found you in my carriage, I would also be affected."

Jiang Wei nodded and didn't say anything then.

As they arrived, Jiang Wei jumped down first to knock at the door.

Still, Uncle Lyu opened the door. Seeing her, he asked, "Finished?"

Jiang Wei nodded and turned around to walk to the carriage. "Aunt Ping, we've arrived."

"Take this," said Aunt Ping who pulled the curtain back and handed the dresses she just bought and the little case she brought to Jiang Wei.

Jiang Wei took those over quickly.

Aunt Ping got off and whispered to Yingnuo.

Then Yingnuo stepped to the groom, and the groom turned the carriage and left.

Afterward, Aunt Ping looked at Jiang Wei and said, "Let's go."

"Aunt Ping, please," Jiang Wei reached her right hand out to make a gesture.

Aunt Ping walked into the courtyard.

When she got in, Uncle Lyu looked outside and then quickly locked the door.

For fear that soldiers would become suspicious of why the carriage was parked here, Aunt Ping asked Yingnuo to park the carriage with the groom somewhere else.

When she finished, she would come out to find them.

Just now when they heard the knock, Yang Zijin and other people thought it might be soldiers, so they hid in the room.

But after a moment, they heard nothing. Then, Yang Zijin knew it was Jiang Wei.

Therefore, they walked out of the room.

Seeing Aunt Ping walking to them with Jiang Wei, Yang Zijin curtsied to her and said with a smile, "Aunt Ping, thank you for coming to help us."

"I'm not helping you, but myself. The Beiling Emperor killed my people. If he catches you, I don't believe you are so tight-mouthed that you won't bring me to light. The Emperor has tried every means to cause trouble to my place these years." Aunt Ping took a look at Yang Zijin and said. Then she walked past Yang Zijin into the room and sat down.

Hearing that, Yang Zijin frowned. Aunt Ping was quite well-informed. Other than Yang Zijin and her fellows, the Beiling Emperor might be the only one who knew how the two people disguised as Yang Zijin and Jiang Wei died. And he would definitely not tell anyone about that.

With this thought, Yang Zijin followed to step in and walked to Aunt Ping. She said, "You once offered us a hand, so how will we turn against you when getting caught?"

"Who knows? I've met so many people who bit the person who fed them." Aunt Ping raised her eyebrow and said.

Hearing that, Yang Zijin didn't panic but picked up the water kettle on the table to fill a cup of water. She pushed the cup to Aunt Ping and said, "Well, now you met us, who are not that kind of people."

"Just get down to business." Aunt Ping took a glance at Yang Zijin and said straightforwardly.

Yang Zijin nodded and sat on the chair before Aunt Ping. "Aunt Ping, please make some human-skin masks for us."

"Why were you so sure that I would come here?" Aunt Ping looked at Yang Zijin and asked.

The latter smiled and answered, "I don't know the man you were talking about, but you've promised that he will help us. As an old saying goes, helping others means you have to make sure they're truly out of trouble. So I think, you don't want to see us trapped here, right?"

"It makes sense. Alright, give it to me." Aunt Ping turned to Jiang Wei and said after taking a long breath.

Hearing that, Jiang Wei quickly handed the case over and put it down on the table before Aunt Ping.

The latter opened the case and took some tools out.

At that moment, Yang Zijin saw her taking out several pieces of skin that seemed to be peeled off from humans.

"Aunt Ping, are these..." asked Yang Zijin whose face twitched uncontrollably.

Before she finished, Aunt Ping interrupted, looking at her with disdain, "Yes, human skin. Anything wrong? Scared?"

"No, I'm just curious." Yang Zijin shook her head and replied.

Aunt Ping didn't say anything then, but pulled out a small box and was about to apply the potion in it to Yang Zijin's face.

Seeing that, Jiang Wei standing aside couldn't help but walk forward and suggested, "Your Highness, please let me..."

Before she finished, Yang Zijin shook her head and signaled her to step back.

Jiang Wei understood and stayed quiet.

"Suspecting me of hurting you?" Aunt Ping swiveled the box in her hand and asked.

Yang Zijin put on a smile and explained, "Aunt Ping, you get us wrong. I'm ready."

Then, she closed her eyes.

Aunt Ping sneered and then focused on applying her special potion to Yang Zijin's face.

When the potion was applied, Yang Zijin felt cool and comfortable.

It was totally different from what she assumed. She thought the potion would be sticky for it was used to glue the skin and the mask.

When Aunt Ping finished applying the potion, she picked the human skin up to compare it with Yang Zijin's face.

Then, she chose a tool to tailor the skin.

When finished, she put it in another potion-filling box to let it get immersed.

Shortly after that, she took it out.

She explained to Yang Zijin, "At first, your skin may get irritated, which is normal, but soon, the sting will pass."

Yang Zijin nodded and closed her eyes.