In the General of Cavalry's mansion, Zhao Jiaqi, upon learning her husband had gone to the military camp on official business, retired to bed without waiting for him.
In the latter half of the night, wolf howls suddenly erupted in the courtyard, followed by frequent screams, interspersed with muffled human groans.
The people in bed were jolted awake, and the General's mansion was instantly bathed in light.
Even the Prime Minister's mansion next door was alerted, its lanterns also lit up, making the street outside as bright as day.
Zhao Jiaqi threw on her clothes and ran out of the room. Fan Xudong, sword in hand, rushed over from the adjacent courtyard. Wang Zhaodi and her husband, Fan He, also followed.
Fan Xudong looked around and found the dying Great Wolf in a corner, with Second Wolf whimpering softly beside it.
It was covered in blood, with several fresh wounds oozing continuously. Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi immediately stepped forward, pressed her hand over the wounds, and shouted, "Quick, get the hemostatic medicine and fetch a doctor!"
Fan Xudong was swift. He fetched the medicine and, along with his sister-in-law, began to staunch Great Wolf's bleeding. It weakly licked Zhao Jiaqi's hand with its tongue before falling silent, not even a whimper escaping it.
Li Chuang invited a doctor, but Great Wolf was already gone.
Zhao Jiaqi wept. The wolf she had raised since it was young was gone. Wiping away her tears, she looked up at the dark night sky and asked, "Who intruded into my General's mansion tonight? If I ever catch that bastard, I'll mince him into pieces!"
Fan Xiaofeng walked over with a grim expression. "Sister-in-law, a thief broke into the mansion and ransacked the study!"
Zhao Jiaqi, still crying, looked at him blankly. Her main courtyard was still a considerable distance from the study.
Forgetting her grief, she hurried to the study.
Upon inspection, nothing was stolen from the study. Only the books on the desk and bookshelf were in disarray.
No antique calligraphy or paintings, no gold or silver treasures were missing. Even the banknotes remained untouched.
"I feel like this thief was after the calligraphy," Fan Xiaoxu said, pointing at the disturbed items and voicing his guess.
Li Chuang also agreed. There were no valuables in the study, at most, records related to the raising of various animals and plants.
However, the writings by Fan Zehao had all been torn to shreds, while other books were fine.
At that moment, the gatekeeper reported.
"Madam, a servant from the Prime Minister's mansion is here to ask what happened on our side and if any help is needed."
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head slightly. "Li Chuang, please go and reply."
The next day, when Fan Zehao returned home, he learned about what had happened the previous night.
"Wife, how are you? Were you scared?"
"No, everyone in the family is fine. It's just that Great Wolf is gone, Second Wolf is slightly injured, and the study was ransacked."
Fan Zehao gently lifted his wife's chin. Her face was a little pale, with dark circles under her eyes. Her red, swollen eyes clearly indicated she had cried last night.
He pulled her into his embrace and whispered in her ear, "Last night, a spy infiltrated the outer camp. They also turned General Fang's tent upside down. A thief broke into our house too. I suspect these two incidents are related, and they were likely after the 'Art of War' and the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' you taught me."
The 'Art of War' and the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' were already etched into his mind. The books had been burned when he went to the battlefield.
Let alone ransacking his study, even burning down the General's mansion wouldn't yield a single word.
Hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi's pupils contracted sharply. She looked at him, "Then... they didn't find what they wanted. Doesn't that make our home a place they'll keep targeting? How dangerous!"
"Then I will divert their attention."
The couple chatted for a while in the room. When Fan Zehao went out, he carried a book with large characters written on its cover. He galloped his horse through the bustling market, ostentatiously heading towards the imperial palace.
Zhao Jiaqi tidied herself up, applied a light makeup, packed some household items, and went to the Prime Minister's mansion next door. Last night, the other party had proactively offered assistance, and she couldn't pretend not to see it.
The Prime Minister's mansion.
"Madam Fan, please sit down quickly. You didn't have to bring anything, this is too formal!"
The Prime Minister's wife was a woman of about fifty, with a kind face, wearing light makeup. Though advanced in age, she was still graceful and her youthful beauty was evident.
Zhao Jiaqi bowed, and Zhou Qiangwei quickly helped her up.
She said, "Greetings, Madam Song. These things I brought are homemade and not worth much money. Please don't dislike them!"
Zhou Qiangwei observed her at close range. Her features were proper, not seductive, and her speech was gentle, not arrogant or overbearing. She felt comfortable looking at her.
She smiled, "If you had brought truly valuable items, then our neighborly relationship would be too distant!"
As Zhou Qiangwei finished speaking, she asked about last night's events, "What was that screaming I heard from your side in the middle of the night? It sounded terribly eerie!"
"To be honest, Madam, a thief broke into the mansion last night. My wolf protected me and was killed by the thief. Fortunately, nothing was stolen from the house, but... there wasn't much to steal anyway!" Zhao Jiaqi said awkwardly.
Hearing this, Zhou Qiangwei's willow-like eyebrows knitted together. She then looked Zhao Jiaqi up and down, "It's good that you are unharmed, what a pity about the wolf."
"Indeed. And we thank you for your assistance last night."
Speaking of last night, Zhou Qiangwei and their family were merely acquaintances. The two families couldn't be allies in court, but at least they could avoid enmity.
Zhao Jiaqi sat for a while longer before getting up to leave the Prime Minister's mansion.
The Emperor, upon learning of the situation at the General's mansion, offered his condolences and permitted him to select some elite troops to guard his residence.
In less than two days, Fan Zehao had carefully selected thirty men, who were stationed in various corners of the inner residence, patrolling in shifts, changing guard every hour.
In the study.
Zhao Jiaqi took out a small booklet filled with various dumpling recipes and new folding techniques and handed it to Fan Xiaofeng. "First, memorize the contents on this, then go to the small kitchen to practice."
Fan Xiaofeng took it and glanced at the contents. There were over twenty dumpling recipes, and the preparation process was described in great detail.
"Sister-in-law, are you planning for me to open a dumpling shop?"
"This kind of food is down-to-earth. Prices can range from cheap to expensive, and many people come and go. You can learn a lot in such a small eatery. Gain experience first, and we'll discuss the rest later!"
Fan Xiaofeng found his sister-in-law's arrangement quite reasonable. He took the recipe and returned to his residence. Shortly after he left, Li Chuang entered the study.
It was a similar small booklet, but the food items were different, replaced by various noodle dishes.
"Xiaofeng learns dumplings, and you will learn noodles. Small investment, high returns. Go back and memorize all these recipes, and practice with Xiaofeng in the small kitchen."
Li Chuang held the secret manual, his mouth curving into a joyful smile. "My skills can finally be put to use. Sister-in-law, just watch!"
He ran off happily, not disdaining doing the work typically done by women.
The two of them began their studies whenever they had time.