Plan 073 in Progress

"Rescue? How do you plan to rescue him? A jailbreak? Just the two of you? Do you really take my prison for a marketplace where anyone can come and go as they please?" Master Xu let out a cold snort, his expression severe, and You Huan was left speechless by his words.

Watching Master Xu's departing figure, You Huan gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. He sighed, "It seems he’s dead set on sending Brother Li to his doom!"

"He won’t," Chen Yage walked ahead alone, and You Huan hurried to catch up. "How can you be so sure? He shows no intention of releasing Brother Li at all."

"Because he’s a good father. He won’t let his daughter hate him for the rest of her life." Chen Yage stopped and murmured to herself, "I should check on the progress. Are you coming? If so, follow me and keep quiet. If not, go home and wait."

"So mysterious? Of course I’m coming," You Huan replied immediately.

Chen Yage smiled faintly and whispered, "Thank you." The gentle sunlight cast a beautiful glow over her face.

"Remember, when the time comes, watch my expression before you speak. Don’t contradict me." Chen Yage reminded him again.

You Huan feigned grievance, protesting loudly about the unfairness, yet his performance was solo: Chen Yage ignored him completely, and his act ended in embarrassment, unseen and unheard.

Chen Yage led You Huan to the ruined temple, but it was empty; evidently, Tiger and his companions hadn’t returned from scouting the prison. So Chen Yage simply sat down on the straw.

You Huan paced back and forth in the temple, frowning and showing clear disdain. Seeing Chen Yage sit on the straw without a care for her image, he was even more astonished. He approached her, pinching his nose, "Why did you bring me to this dump?"

Chen Yage sniffed; admittedly, the temple’s air was unpleasant, but not to the point of needing to cover one’s nose—especially for a grown man. Irritated, she decided not to respond and instead mocked, "Young Master You is delicate and unaccustomed to hardship. I thought I’d give you some training, lest you find yourself unable to endure the slightest discomfort in the future."

"Young Master You? When did I become a young master? I can’t accept that title. Calling me ‘Young Hero’ would be much more fitting." You Huan laughed and sat down on the straw to Chen Yage’s left, smugly declaring, "Everyone here calls me Young Hero You, though I hardly deserve it. The title isn’t easy to live up to, but after hearing you call me ‘young master,’ I realize ‘young hero’ is far more pleasant." He laughed heartily.

Chen Yage cut his laughter short, speaking coldly, "Stop flattering yourself. I’ll only call you Huan Huan. If you want me to call you Young Hero, then—"

"Then what?"

"Then you’ll have to rescue Brother Bai." Chen Yage stopped abruptly, realizing rescuing Li Bai was no simple matter. She didn’t want her words to tempt You Huan into reckless action. If he were to impulsively attempt a jailbreak and something happened, she’d live with guilt forever. "I was just speaking thoughtlessly. Don’t take it seriously. I’ll rescue Brother Bai myself."

"Yage, what brings you here? And who is this?" Just as Chen Yage and You Huan fell into silence, Tiger returned with his group.

Chen Yage rose and smiled gently, "This is my friend, You Huan." She then introduced, "And this is my friend, Tiger."

Introductions made, Tiger and You Huan exchanged smiles in greeting. Chen Yage asked eagerly, "How did it go?"

"We’ve gathered all the information," Tiger replied hesitantly.

"Is there trouble?" Chen Yage saw Tiger had something on his mind and spoke directly. "If you need anything, just ask. I’ll do my best to help, as long as I can."

Tiger said, "It’s not that we want any reward. But you know, we’re just a bunch of beggars relying on others’ charity. We have no tools, so we can’t start work. If you could provide us with some tools, Yage, it would help."

"Do you have any silver?" Chen Yage again turned to You Huan. At that moment, she profoundly realized the importance of money. She couldn’t help but sigh: with money, one can travel the world; you can leave your parents and home, but never your silver. With silver, survival isn’t guaranteed—but without it, you won’t last long.

You Huan slowly took out an ingot of silver and placed it in Chen Yage’s palm, then asked, still puzzled, "What are you planning?"

"We’re working on a top-secret plan, so I have to keep it under wraps for now. When the time is right, you’ll know." Chen Yage handed the silver to Tiger and asked, "Is it enough?"

Tiger nodded, "It’s enough. Don’t worry, just leave it to us. We promise not to disappoint and will fulfill our mission with honor."

You Huan felt utterly confused. He didn’t know what Chen Yage was planning, but he could see she was determined not to tell him, so he stopped asking and simply played along with a forced smile.

Chen Yage and Tiger didn’t linger; she squeezed another ingot of silver from You Huan and gave it to Tiger to buy food for everyone. She entrusted the tunnel-digging plan to Tiger, since he’d been in Xiangyang longer than she had. To minimize the workload, Chen Yage instructed Tiger to start digging in a hidden spot outside the prison, but under no circumstances could they be discovered.

Chen Yage often wondered, with Li Bai’s temperament, would he escape through a tunnel? Or would he stubbornly insist on paying for Wang Fugui’s life? If that were so, she’d rather Li Bai marry Xu Ziyan—at least then he’d survive.

Whenever she recalled the records in the Historical Annals, Chen Yage’s heart grew anxious. A woman’s intuition told her this would be the end for her and Li Bai, and the beginning for Xu Ziyan and Li Bai. Xu Ziyan would surely save Li Bai, making all her current efforts seem pointless.

This thought gave rise to a troubling idea: she wanted to go into the prison to accompany Li Bai, every minute, every second. But a simple visit would be brief, and she wanted to stay longer. Her mind quickly pictured Wang Zhiguo’s unpleasant face. With her resolve set, Chen Yage sent You Huan away, asked directions all around, and finally arrived at the Wang residence.

Wang Zhiguo, Xiangyang’s richest man, lived up to his reputation: his house was vast and grand, far more impressive than the government office. Compared to the Wang residence, the Xu family’s home seemed almost quaint. The massive gate bore the inscription "Wang Residence" in bold, powerful script, inlaid with gold; Wang Zhiguo must have spent a hefty sum on this facade alone.