Zhou Huailing had apparently gotten more clever than before. He started to check the gate and established a pass. She had thought that a man like Zhou Huailing might not have thought about Xie Yan’s return to the most dangerous place, especially since Xie Yan was no longer his strategist.

Well…

Even if they were conducting a search, there was nothing for them to find.

Xie Yan had been disguised and the guards would not be able to recognize him. Also, Mo Bing had already got rid of the clothes covered in blood, leaving no trace for them to find. So they did not need to worry about anything.

However, it was Lord Huai’s wagon… They could not possibly order them around.

Fu Bao took out the authority token for Lord Huai’s Mansion, as he took a step forward.

When the guards saw the authority token, they were startled for a long while before making any response. One of the guards left in a hurry, probably going to ask for orders. The remaining guards said nothing, as they waited quietly for feedback.

The Heir once stressed that anyone who was traveling through the gates had to be checked, and they would put their lives at risk, if a mistake happened.

In the past, they would not have been so worried. The Heir had never put punishment on everybody, since there were too many of them to be looked into one by one, but right now, they were receiving a different notification…

If the fugitive was found in Bingzhou, then guards at Tongzhou would be seriously punished. It was a rule suitable for every other place.

Therefore, every guard was cautious, not daring to make any mistakes, even though it was Lord Huai they were faced with.

Offending Lord Huai was much safer than losing their lives because of one single mistake.

Also, the guards were all aware that Lord Huai and the Heir were enemies, so they could not be sure that Lord Huai wasn’t protecting anyone against the Heir after all.

However, they could not search Lord Huai’s wagon without authorization, nor could they release the wagon without a search. So they were waiting quietly and politely for the response.

Soon another guard arrived and said to Fu Bao politely, “My superior has ordered that we have to look into every wagon, with no exception! You are Lord Huai, but you share the same rights as the civilians! That is the Heir’s order, and everyone has to stick to that!”

The guards were all worried too. Lord Huai should not be offended, but they had offended him under such a circumstance.

Fu Bao was very angry hearing the words.

Lord Huai was a noble, who should not be searched by the Heir just because he wanted to. It was extremely rude and humiliating!

Fu Bao’s face changed and he was about to say something, when Zhou Huaijin got off the wagon and said, “In that case, let’s all get off the wagon and let it be searched.

Having said this, he came to Gu Chaoyan’s wagon and helped her out of it.

Gu Chaoyan did not resist, but went down directly. It did not matter, it was just a search.

And if they accepted the search right now, they would have free access to every pass in the future, and be rid of the possibility that they were hiding anyone.

Gu Chaoyan wished very much that they would conduct the search.

The guards came to conduct the search, but they did not find the one they were looking for. Another group came to do the search again, and found no one either.

The guards sighed in relief and said politely, “Please, Lady Chaoyan and Lord Huai, welcome to the capital.”

Zhou Huaijin nodded, then they got into their wagons respectively.

Xie Yan collapsed when he got into the wagon.