“Brother Han.” Ye Li stared at him with a warning that they should get down to business.

“All right, all right. Are you being shy, Jun Wei?” Han Ming Xi blinked his charming eyes with a smile and put on a serious face before Ye Li flared up, saying: “I have everything you are looking for. However, you know what you want is in Nan Zhao while we are still in Great Chu. So, I only have part of the information. I’ll send you the rest after you are in Nan Zhao. But… I’m very curious why you want to go there at such a young age, Jun Wei? If you are going on a tour… there’s no need to investigate the imperial family of Nan Zhao and the Holy Princess.”

Ye Li didn’t bat an eyelid and answered: “To tell you the truth, I’m heading south for a medicine. It seems it has something to do with the imperial family of Nan Zhao.”

Han Ming Xi raised his brows and said in a playful tone: “Jun Wei, you are generous but I’m not cheap either. Whatever it is that you need, I’ll get it back for you as long as you ask me to. You don’t have to go there yourself. I don’t think you want Underworld Flower, the most valuable treasure of Nan Zhao, do you?”

Ye Li nodded seriously: “I do.”

Han Ming Xi’s smile froze. He sighed, frustrated and said: “Well… it’s the most valuable treasure of Nan Zhao, guarded by the Holy Princess herself. I don’t think the emperor of Nan Zhao can have it whenever he wants it, let alone ordinary people. Are you sure you are still going there, Jun Wei?”

Ye Li nodded with conviction. “If not, I won’t spend a fortune buying information from you. I am going to go so please help me with the information otherwise you might lose a business partner over this trip.”

“As long as I know, the Underworld Flower is said to have the effect of bringing back the dead. I don’t know whether anyone has come back to life because of it, but I know plenty who died trying to get it. Jun Wei, is there anyone you want to save?” Han Ming Xi asked, a little worried. “Is it a disease or a poison? I can ask about if there is any other way.”

Ye Li felt a little guilty seeing how worried he was and said in a hurry: “There’s no need for that. I’ll do my best. If I can’t get it, I won’t risk my life for it.”

Han Ming Xi nodded and told her: “I can only set my mind at ease if you do think like that. Nan Zhao isn’t like here. It has its own strange way. Even Tianyi Pavilion has to act cautiously there.”

“I see. Thank you, Brother Han.” Ye Li nodded as she took out an exquisite little glaze bottle with half a bottle of light green liquid from a box on the table. “This is what I’ve promised you, Brother Han. Hope you are happy with it.”

Han Ming Xi took the bottle curiously. As soon as he opened it, a pleasant floral scent filled the room. He said happily: “This is… orchid scent…”

“Well, it seems you don’t like it much. However, it is what I have for now.” To be honest, though Ye Li didn’t know why a man would want to make himself all fragrant, she decided to respect her business partner’s personal taste.

Han Ming Xi didn’t mind at all and can’t let go of the bottle. “No! It’s awesome. Thanks a lot, Jun Wei. Let’s make a deal about Cool Breeze Bright Moon House and the powder and rouge of Grace Fume Pavilion. I’ll order all powder, rouge and scent it needs from you.”

Ye Li nodded and said with a smile: “Thank you so much, Brother Han.”

“You are welcome. We both benefit from this deal. Jun Wei, can you give me something stronger next time? This is better than solid scent. I believe you’ll make a fortune if you put it on the market.”

Ye Li’s lips twitched and said: “This isn’t easy to extract. There are five bottles in total including the one you have. Besides… Brother Han, I’ve been wondering.”

“What. I’ll tell you everything I can tell you.” Han Ming Xi was in a good mood since he had got the scent and said as he waved his hand casually.

Ye Li looked at him and asked: “Given your… profession… is it good to get yourself so fragrant?” It wouldn’t be a problem if he was to visit a normal family. However, if it was a lady of a family with heavy guard he wanted to steal, he would be noticed immediately due to his scent by whoever had a nose.

Han Ming Xi stilled for a second. It took him quite a while before realizing what Ye Li meant by profession. He glared angrily and said: “You are still a boy. You don’t know how to be a gentleman. Those beauties love me for being fragrant.”

Ye Li was speechless. Did he think she knew no man else? The five sons of Xu Family, Mo Xiu Yao, Feng Zhi Yao, including Mo Jing Li would have light scent on their clothes at most, for example the scent of ambergris, musk or sandalwood. Mo Xiu Yao, on the other hand, only had the fragrance of ink on him probably due to the fact he stayed in the study all the time. She had not known any men who would use scent as much as Han Ming Xi did. He might as well make himself into an incense burner.

Having promised Han Ming Xi she would see if she could make better scent after coming back from her trip to Nan Zhao and seen him off, Ye Li finally had time to read what he had given her.

“My Lord, when shall we leave for Nan Zhao?” Secret Guard No.3 and No.4 were handling those things Ye Li told them to buy as they watched her reading the records.

Ye Li was still reading and didn’t look up as she said: “Everything is settled here. I’ll leave in the morning in two days’ time. Have a look at these yourselves.” Ye Li threw them some paper.

Secret Guard No.1 and No.2 caught that and started to read attentively.

“Besides, it is me who is leaving. Only one of you come with me.”

All four of them stopped what they were doing and looked at her calm face in shock. “My Lady… My Lord, what…” Secret Guard No.1 said with a frown. Nan Zhao wasn’t Great Chu after all. They didn’t know that place. It would be extremely dangerous if the princess only brought one of them.

Ye Li looked up with a smile as she said: “Don’t you think it a little too conspicuous if the five of us travel together? Nan Zhao isn’t very hospitable. I’m afraid we’ll be under surveillance as soon as we step in it.”

“But, My Lord, it is too dangerous if you only bring one of us with you. If something happens…” said Secret Guard No.3.

“Is it me you don’t have faith in or is it yourself?” Ye Li asked with her brows raised.

The four looked at each other without a word.

Ye Li said with a smile: “Well, it’s settled, then. Secret Guard No.3, you come with me. Secret Guard No.4, you stay here and keep watch on Cool Breeze Bright Moon House. Send me a message immediately if Han Ming Yue comes back or anything else happens. Be careful and don’t let him find out about you. Secret Guard No.1, go to Scattered Snow Pass and get yourself in the army. Don’t do anything unless you receive my instruction. If you see anyone of us or someone from the manor, just pretend you don’t know us or them. Besides, keep an eye on Ling Zhou. Secret Guard No.2, you leave for Nan Zhao tonight. Take my keepsake and find my big brother. Stay with him once you find him.”

The four had to nod and accept their tasks since Ye Li had it all planned.

She looked at them smilingly: “Don’t contact the manor unless it is absolutely necessary. I think… you know what I mean, right?”

They answered in resignation. Secret Guard No.3 wore a bitter expression with drooped head who was looked at with sympathy by the other three. He’s going to be killed by His Highness.

Ye Li didn’t have time to think about what was on her subordinates’ minds since she was occupied by the records about the Holy Princess of Nan Zhao who didn’t seem to be a mere nominal figure without power as she believed before. Instead, the Holy Princess had great power over the politics of Nan Zhao, more powerful than the imperial family in some aspects. However, the Holy Princess can’t marry nor bear a child. Besides, once a new Holy Princess came along, the last Holy Princess had to go to the shrine of Nan Zhao to guard the Underworld Flower, after which she can’t step out of Nan Zhao nor was she allowed to see anyone from outside. That diminished the Holy Princess’s threat against the imperial power. The current Holy Princess was named Shu Man Lin, aged 23. Nan Zhao prescribed that a Holy Princess had to retire at the age of 28.

Ye Li frowned and suspected that was the reason that the Holy Princess wanted to commit treason. Keeping a girl in the flush of her youth at a so-called shrine, not letting her meet anyone from the outside world sounded cruel to everyone.

“My Lord, are we going to take the Underworld Flower?” Seeing that Ye Li was focused on the records about the Holy Princess, Secret Guard No.3 asked out of curiosity.

Ye Li spoke in an offhand way: “It’ll be good if we can get it. But let’s focus on the affairs of Nan Zhao first.” She would decide whether she was going to take it after asking if it was good for Mo Xiu Yao’s health.