As the matter of visiting the palace was not a decision that could be made alone by a Noble Consort, Liu Guiya took her leave after dinner and promised to send news by pigeon soon. Anji and Yihao bade her goodbye as Hong Nian Niang escorted her guest off.
With the three siblings finally left alone, Mingshen turned to Anji immediately.
"How bad is the real situation?" he asked. "You can tell me. We don't have to let Father know in my reports. Is the capital city already too deep in their clutches?"
Yihao listened closely. He might not understand the whole war situation, as he had only emerged from isolated training lately. However, the enemy must be very crafty and powerful if even his foxy older brother was concerned.
Anji nodded with a deep frown.
"I noticed it when I first arrived. It was subtle but everywhere. I suspect there are many more in circulation in places we don't know about. Thankfully, it's not difficult to identify them, although collecting them might be tough."
