Wei Liuying's eyes narrowed when she heard that voice. It was hard to see the other party in this dark place, but there was no way she would forget the owner of that voice. It was a very familiar voice that she had heard for a long time. She jerked her arm from the hand that was holding her wrist.

"What are you doing here, Strategist Yang?"

"I'm guessing where you might go," the man, Yang Xian, said in amused tone. He looked at Wei Liuying with a smile. "Looking at the map in the bookstore, it's easy to guess that you must be planning to get out through this area with that bandits' plan. I only never expected that you'll go so far as to become a criminal."

"It doesn't matter, isn't it?" Wei Liuying asked back.

Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Releasing prisoners on the death's row deserved death's sentence once it's found."

"I know."

"And you're not afraid."

Wei Liuying raised her head. "I have already done my best. If I still ultimately fail in the end and received death as my punishment, then I'll bear with it with my head hold high."

"You don't care for the law?"

"Why should I care when it's filled with so many rotten and injustice?" Wei Liuying asked back in a cold tone. "Framing other people is easy as long as you can prepare enough and have other people on your hands. Simply putting your items in other people's room would be more than enough to accuse them stealing and by killing the servants who did it, no one will find out."

It was one of the most common scheme in the household that Wei Liuying had seen numerous times. Whenever there was a servant that other concubines wanted to eliminate, there were several ways to do it. One of them would be to accuse them of stealing important person's belonging.

That way, they could kill with borrowed swords.

It was not that hard to do it at all as long as they have enough people who were willing to do their dirty work.

There were so many criminals if all these schemes were accounted for. The only difference was the fact that it was done within their residence, so no one could know aside from people who were wiling under the same roof. As for those who entered the prison, most of them were those who were accused.

"Don't you think you're a bit brash in your action today?" Yang Xian asked again.

"I know."

"Then?"

"But I don't know any other way," Wei Liuying replied back. It was never her style to use violence first when things could be solved peacefully. But with the Emperor unwilling to listen to others and no possibility of him retracting his decree, she truly had no other way out.

If being a criminal allowed her to save her only family member's life, she would be willing to do it.

There was no one else who cared for her. Even though she knew that this was a trap designed for her from her 'kind' first sister and her first sister's future husband, she would still willingly walk to this trap. There was no way she could possibly leave her uncle alone.

Without him, Wei Liuying knew that she would have snapped a long time ago and possibly try to escape. And at that time, there was no doubt that her father would sent his guards to catch a helpless child who were running away. From then on, there would never be any chance for her to get out anymore.

Her action would be monitored heavily.

It was only because she knew the big picture that her uncle helped her to see that she understood the power her father held. If her father had requested an army to chase after her, would it be possible for her to run?

The answer would be an absolute no.

She kept on bidding her time, holding onto a thin string of hope that things would eventually get better while honing her own skill. Reading books, learning martial arts, and also helped her mother scheme so that she gained more access in the household.

Everything was simply for the sake of her own survival.

Yang Xian poked her forehead lightly. "Have you never thought of asking for us to help?"

"Asking you?" Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian from top to bottom. "When the Emperor is furious, he'll be targeting the princes and their subordinates first. The only reason why you can still roam freely is only because the target of this attack this time is His Highness the Second Prince.

Still, it didn't mean that you can act freely yet. If you make the wrong move, His Majesty's attention will fall onto you. There's no telling what will happen if he switches his target to you and His Highness the Third Prince."

Listening to Wei Liuying, Yang Xian's lips curled up to form a smile. Even though she was under heavy pressure to save her only family members, she didn't let it cloud her judgement and still able to analyze the overall situation very clearly. It was as if everything that occurred around her would never escape her field of view.

What she said was correct. The Third Prince was under heavy surveillance because of his position. Despite being an unfavored son, it didn't change the fact that he was still a prince. That position alone was more than enough to make a lot of people watched his movements carefully and make sure that he would never escape their vision and did something strange.

"Being too smart can also kill you, Little Lass."

Wei Liuying chuckled. "It hadn't killed me so far, Strategist Yang. I would say that it's rather beneficial for me so far."

"If you have been born a boy, I'm sure the court will be in a mess."

"if I have been a boy, I would have never been in this situation," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

How much had she hoped that she was a boy in the past couldn't be counted anymore. It was a thought that kept on staying inside Wei Liuying's head even after she grew up. If only she was born a boy, she wouldn't have to suffer so much and be the unfavored daughter.

She would have been able to be a scholar with limitless future.

With her intelligence and capabilities, Wei Liuying knew that it was not impossible for her to reach her father's position if she worked hard.

But it was nothing more than her delusion. It was impossible to change one's gender, so she had to live with what she had. Because of that, Wei Liuying simply did what she could so that she would be able to survive.

This world is just especially harsh to women.

"I'm glad you're not a boy."

"Why?" Wei Liuying's eyes narrowed.

Yang Xian chuckled. "If you're a boy, I'll never have a chance to meet with you and bring you along with me like this."

His words made Wei Liuying stunned. It sounded as if he was thoroughly happy because he was able to meet with her. All this time, everyone she met was cursing her for being born as a girl and snatched all the intelligence from her brother. They were thinking that it would be better for her to not be born instead because she was a girl.

But now, Strategist Yang was telling her the opposite.

Wei Liuying felt strange feelings tucked at the corner of her heart.

Yang Xian chuckled once more when he saw Wei Liuying's expression. He noticed that the hem of Wei Liuying's robe were wet.

Without thinking, he took out his outer robe and draped it on top of Wei Liuying. His body was bigger than her, so naturally it made her look like a child who just stole her parent's clothes.

"This…"

"Keep it on. Let's go. The soldiers will not return back that soon, but it'll be better to leave this place," Yang Xian said and grabbed her hand.

Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She looked down at their hands and pursed her lips a bit. "If you get involved, wouldn't it be detrimental to you?"

Detrimental as in helping criminals.

It would be the same as voicing that they would be going against the Emperor with this simple action they had.

Yang Xian laughed coldly. "Do you think that we care about killers back at the frontline?"

Every soldier was basically killer.

They were paid to kill the kingdom's enemies.

"This is not the frontline," Wei Liuying replied.

"True, but as long as no one knows about this matter, it'll be fine. Besides, I can't possibly let our future advisor die in this kind of petty scheme."

Future advisor?

Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian's back in front of her. He was still guiding her through the dark alleyway without turning his head around even once. However, his words were clearly telling her that they believed in her and willing to be on her side no matter what the situation was.

Believed in her ability and her as a person.