Zhao Mian had been away from home for such a long time and traveled so far that it was naturally impossible for him to bring only Shen Buqi and Zhou Huairang. Wherever His Highness the Crown Prince went, there were always many shadow guards secretly protecting him, ready to be at his command at any time.

The shadow guards were all highly trained, and in less than half a day, they had thoroughly investigated Li Er’s background.

There was indeed a fishmonger named Li Er in Chongzhou City who had been honestly selling fish for twenty years. Both his parents were deceased, and due to his impoverished family background, he had never managed to find a wife. At thirty-two years old, he was still a lonely bachelor – an unremarkable, ordinary person who at first glance seemed to have no suspicious points.

The Zhao girl he mentioned, said to be the most beautiful in the world, also truly existed. She was the daughter of a tofu seller and had been betrothed to Li Er since childhood. She died of an illness at the age of sixteen. Later, the Zhao family moved away, and Li Er gradually lost contact with them.

After hearing this, Zhou Huairang was somewhat moved: “The tofu girl has been dead for more than ten years, and Li Er is still remaining celibate for her, vowing to never marry. Once you’ve seen the ocean, other waters are no longer as appealing.”

“What are you so touched by?” Zhao Mian shattered Zhou Huairang’s beautiful fantasy with one sentence, “Li Er is dark-skinned and poor, no one would be willing to marry him even if he wanted to.”

Zhou Huairang wanted to say something but stopped, hesitated ,and finally said: “His Royal Highness is right.”

Besides Li Er’s background, Shen Buqi also brought Zhao Mian a piece of news: “Your Highness, the entire Liu family in Chongzhou, a total of one hundred and twenty people, disappeared overnight.”

Zhao Mian was slightly surprised: “Disappeared?”

Shen Buqi: “Yes.”

Zhao Mian waited for a while but didn’t receive anything else. With a cold, stern face, he said: “When I ask you a question, it means I want you to elaborate. It’s fine for you to be taciturn, but you can’t be even more sparing with words than I am, because that will make you, a guard, seem more dignified and aloof than I, the Crown Prince – do you understand what I mean?”

Shen Buqi: “Understood.”

Zhao Mian: “…”

Shen Buqi: “…”

Zhao Mian rubbed his forehead: “…Continue.”

Shen Buqi said: “The day before, the Liu family was still preparing for Miss Liu’s funeral. The next morning, everyone in the Liu residence, from the lord and lady to the maids and servants, had disappeared. There were no signs of struggle or fighting in the residence. No one knows where they went. The entire family of more than a hundred people seemed to have vanished into thin air. Rumor has it that Miss Liu’s suicide angered the Imperial Advisor, implicating the entire family and leaving them with no sight of their living or dead bodies.”

Zhao Mian asked, “What’s the situation like within Chongzhou City?”

Shen Buqi replied: “”The people are in a state of panic, daring to be angry but not daring to speak out.”

Zhao Mian was puzzled: “If it was really the Imperial Advisor who did it, he could have directly massacred the Liu family. Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys would have been the better effect.”

Shen Buqi said: “Some say that the Liu family members were taken to the Nangong Palace to be used as food for the Gu worms.”

Although it was a matter of another country, Zhao Mian couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this: “For a Imperial Advisor to treat human lives so carelessly, and for the Empress Dowager to indulge him so wantonly, Dongling will be doomed to ruin sooner or later, even without Beiyuan taking action.”

Shen Buqi said: “Yes.” He thought for a moment, then added, “His Royal Highness is right. Even without Beiyuan’s intervention, Dongling will be destroyed sooner or later.”

“Wait,” a thought struck Zhao Mian and he muttered to himself, “Beiyuan, is it?”

Zhao Mian remembered that the Prime Minister had once taught him that the simplest and quickest way to determine who was behind a matter was to see who benefited the most if it succeeded.

If Wan Huameng were to escalate his actions, stirring up public resentment and prompting officials to remonstrate, ultimately forcing the Empress Dowager to intervene. And if the masters and disciples turn against each other, causing internal strife in Dong Ling, the greatest beneficiary would undoubtedly be Beiyuan, who had always coveted Dongling’s territory.

Zhao Mian had traveled thousands of miles to Dong Ling to retrieve something from Wan Huameng. He was certain that this item was also attractive to Beiyuan, so it was not at all strange that the Beiyuan’s secret agents would take action in Chongzhou.

Dongling, Wan Huameng, the male and female Gu, the seemingly uncomplicated dark-skinned fishmonger… it was already chaotic enough. If Beiyuan got involved, it would only become harder to control the situation.

“Send someone to investigate the disappearance of the entire Liu family,” Zhao Mian said. “This matter may not have been the work of Wan Huameng.”

Shen Buqi: “Yes.”

“Oh, right, Your Highness,” Zhou Huairang said, “Li Er has finished bathing. He says he still wants to talk to you.”

Zhao Mian composed himself, took the veiled hat from Shen Buqi, and put it on. “Bring him in.”

Li Er was forced to bathe for an hour until the smell of fish was gone, stripping a layer of skin off in the process. Today, he was wearing clean clothes, making him look much more upright, but his face was still ugly.

Zhao Mian sat on the sandalwood chair and looked up at him. “What is it?”

Li Er stepped closer and asked curiously, “Why are you wearing a veiled hat indoors?” To show respect, he added, “Young Master?”

Zhao Mian said indifferently, “Then why did you make yourself so dark?”

Li Er was baffled: “That’s not the same thing. I was born like this.”

Zhao Mian was too lazy to waste words with the fishmonger: “Speak quickly.”

“Oh, it’s like this, I…”

“Kneel and speak.”

Li Er tilted his head, examining the young master before him.

He was dressed in exquisite and luxurious brocade clothing. His face hidden behind a veil, only allowing a vague, indistinct outline to be seen.

But even without seeing his face clearly, he could imagine the young man’s expression – that kind of expression that suggested the world should kneel before him.

Zhao Mian said, “You don’t want to?”

“It’s not that.” Li Er smiled. “It’s just that you’re not my mother-in-law. Why should I kneel to you?”

“Because I like watching others kneel,” Zhao Mian said matter-of-factly, “And also because your life is now in my hands, and I can dispose of it as I please.”

Li Er didn’t seem frightened: “But what can you do to me? I’m not afraid of death, and you and I are now grasshoppers on the same boat. If we can’t find the antidote even if you kill me, you’ll still have to suffer from the poison alone and you’ll die a worse death than I will.”

“You seem to be overlooking one point. Although it’s inconvenient for me to take your life right now, I can slowly torture you,” Zhao Mian spoke calmly. “For example, grabbing your hair and slamming your head against the wall, or hanging you from the beam then saving you when you’re about to die, repeating this cycle again and again.”

Li Er was silent for a moment: “I’m sorry, Young Master. I admit that my attitude was a bit poor just now, but…”

“But you still don’t want to kneel, do you?” Zhao Mian said meaningfully. “I wonder where you get this admirable integrity from.” 

“You misunderstand.” Li Er chuckled and said, “What kind of integrity could a fishmonger like me have? It’s just that I’m getting old, my legs aren’t as nimble as they used to be. Of course I don’t want to kneel if I don’t have to. But since you’ve threatened me to this extent, I’m also very afraid. If you really like seeing people kneel that much, I’ll kneel.”

As he said that, he knelt down.

Zhao Mian was born a crown prince. From the common people to the high-ranking officials and powerful ministers, he had long lost count of how many people had knelt before him. Now, Li Er was another person who had bowed the knee to him. But for some reason, he didn’t feel particularly superior.

Li Er knelt before him just like that, deliberately keeping his back unstraightened to show his inner defiance, yet without being perfunctory. He knelt so casually, as if he didn’t care about the matter at all, so where was the humiliation or unwillingness?

Li Er looked up at him: “Can we talk business now?”

Zhao Mian suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart, but showed no change in expression: “Speak.”

Li Er said, “We should be heading to the capital to find the Imperial Advisor now, right? I want to ask about our plan.”

Zhao Mian said, “There is no plan.”

Li Er sighed, adopting a tone of “today’s young people really don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth,”: “Our Great Dongling’s Imperial Advisor, one of the Four Grandmasters, in this whole wide world only three people can even contend with him. We’re trying to steal the antidote from his hands, not going to the capital to sell fish at the market. How can we not have a plan?”

Zhao Mian retorted, “What brilliant ideas do you have?”

Li Er waved his hand, “None. I get a headache as soon as I start thinking.”

“Then what’s the point of me talking to you?” Zhao Mian said coldly, “I won’t entertain pointless chatter. Guards, throw him out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Buqi came to Li Er’s side.

Li Er quickly said, “No, no, no, I’ll walk out myself. Being carried hurts my arms.”

As Li Er reached the door, Zhao Mian suddenly stopped him again, “Your beloved, Miss Zhang.”

“Miss Zhao,” Li Er corrected seriously, “It’s Miss Zhao.”

Zhao Mian said “Oh,” and continued, “How old was she when she died of illness?”

Li Er lowered his head, saddened, “She had just passed her sixteenth birthday when she left. I still remember that day, I came home after selling fish, and she…”

“Enough.” Zhao Mian interrupted impatiently, “You remember it very clearly.”

Li Er opened his eyes wide, looking at Zhao Mian in disbelief, “She was my beloved. How could I not remember?”

Zhao Mian said coolly, “It’s good you remember everything.”

The next morning, Zhao Mian and the others packed their luggage and left Chongzhou with Li Er, heading for the capital of Dongling.

There were two carriages for the journey. One was bright and luxurious, occupied by Zhao Mian and Zhou Huairang. The other was plain and simple, holding the luggage and Li Er, guarded by Shen Buqi.

The closer they got to the capital, the more cautious they had to be, paying attention to hiding their tracks. When they were fifty li away from the capital of Dongling, Zhao Mian and his party turned onto a sparsely populated path.

Unlike Nanjing, whose terrain was mostly plains, Dongling had continuous mountain ranges and many dense forests and swamps in the wilderness. There was much miasma, and countless types of crawling and flying insects, many of which were poisonous. One had to be exceptionally careful when traveling outside.

Nanjing valued literature and had a profound heritage, a haven for scholars and literati. Beiyuan esteemed martial prowess; its hundred thousand iron cavalry could strike swiftly over a thousand li. And the reason why Dongling likes to play with poisons and curses is closely related to its terrain. 

After traveling for half a day, Zhao Mian ordered everyone to take a short rest by a river and have lunch.

Even when dining in the wilderness, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince could never be careless or negligent with his meals.

Zhou Huairang unloaded the pots, pans, and the vegetables, meat, eggs, and fish purchased earlier in Chongzhou from the carriage Li Er was in. Finally, Shen Buqi, the only one in the group who could cook, took charge of the cooking.

As a shadow guard of the Crown Prince’s palace, Shen Buqi originally only needed to ensure that he wouldn’t starve during his missions, so his cooking skills were limited to roasting ingredients until edible. However, a month before His Highness left Nanjing to go to the capital, His Majesty specially summoned him and said with a smile: “Buqi, how about you go to the Imperial Kitchen to study for a month? I’ll give you a raise.”

In short, everything was for the sake of the noble and beloved Crown Prince.

Shen Buqi’s achievements at the Imperial Kitchen yielded pleasing results. A whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and baked in the earth soon filled the forest with a fragrant aroma that made mouths water.

Zhou Huairang opened the lotus leaves and carefully arranged the dish, even garnishing it with fresh fruits and vegetables. “Young Master, please enjoy.”

Zhao Mian said, “Divide it into three portions and let’s eat together.”

“Three portions?” Li Er asked expectantly, “Then what am I going to eat?”

Zhao Mian didn’t even lift his head: “I only said I’d take you to the capital. I didn’t say I’d feed you.”

Zhou Huairang kindly reminded him: “There’s a river over there, you can eat fish.”

Li Er said, “I’m only kill fish, I don’t catch them.”

Despited his words, Li Er was forced by the need to survive went down to the river.

The river water in early spring carried a chill, clear enough to see the sand and stones at the bottom. Li Er walked along the shallows, the water reaching past his calves. He bent down and searched for a long time, his dark skin showed no signs of fading.

Zhao Mian withdrew his gaze from Li Er and asked Shen Buqi: “Any recent news from the Fuxue Tower in Beiyuan?”

The Fuxue Tower was to Beiyuan what the Nangong Palace of Wan Huameng was to Dongling, and the Qianji Institute was to Nanjing. Half of the top experts in Beiyuan worked for the Fuxue Tower. Half of Beiyuan’s top experts served Fu Xue Tower. These individuals possessed unique skills and mostly hid in the shadows, silently lurking in foreign lands – Western Xia, Dongling, and possibly even Nanjing had their presence.

Without the Fuxue Tower, which commanded intelligence across the land, Western Xia would not have been destroyed by Beiyuan in just two short years.

Shen Buqi said, “No.” He paused, “There has been no news of Beiyuan’s Fuxue Tower recently.”

Zhao Mian snorted coldly: “Hiding deep enough.”

At this moment, the busy Master Li finally had a reward. With a splash, Li Er emerged from the river holding a lively, wildly thrashing large carp in his arms which looked to be at least five or six jin.

Li Er, dripping wet, walked towards Zhao Mian holding the large crucian carp. His soaked clothes clung to his chest, revealing lean and firm dark skin. He shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere: “Could I trouble you for some fire?”

Zhao Mian did not respond, which was considered tacit approval.

Li Er put his hands together and bowed to Zhao Mian to show his thanks. He casually threw the big carp to the side and wrung out his soaked clothes, saying, “Actually, I don’t like eating fish. I eat it every day, day after day, and I’m completely sick of it.” He turned to Zhou Huairang, whose temper was clearly much better than his master’s, and said, “Little brother, can I trade my fish for a chicken wing in your bowl?”

Zhou Huai Rang wasn’t stupid: “…Who knows if your fish tastes good or not.”

“You won’t know until you try.” Li Er began skillfully gutting the crucian carp. “Right, do you eat spicy food?”

Zhao Mian was quite familiar with Zhou Huairang’s taste. Zhou Huairang had a typical Nanjing upper-class palate, preferring the original taste of ingredients and disliking heavily oiled and spicy food. Most Dongling people, on the other hand, were the opposite, loving both numbing and spicy flavors, as if they couldn’t cook without chilies.

Li Er’s question… was asked rather casually.

Just as Zhou Huairang was about to answer, Zhao Mian said, “Why eat fish? Isn’t the chicken enough for you?”

His Highness had spoken, so how could Zhou Huairang dare to disobey: “Right, I don’t eat fish, I only eat chicken!”

Li Er shrugged, seemingly unconcerned: “Oh.”

After lunch, the well-fed group continued on their journey. Zhao Mian was reading a book in the carriage, while Zhou Huairang sat beside him, serving tea.

The carriage was extremely spacious, even able to accommodate a small desk and a small bookcase. The desk was laden with fruits and candied plums. Zhao Mian sat in the back, propping his head up with one hand while studying a military treatise with the other.

Zhou Huairang handed a washed jujube to Zhao Mian and asked, “Your Highness, why didn’t you let me trade with Li Er just now?”

Zhao Mian turned a page of the book: “What do you think? I don’t eat jujubes.”

Zhou Huairang took the jujube back and ate it himself, pondering: “Could it be because he might poison it?”

“Because your taste is too characteristic of Nanjing, it could expose our identities,” Zhao Mian was exasperated by his lack of understanding and couldn’t help but say, “You idiot.”

Zhou Huairang still smiled even after being scolded: “So that’s it, Your Highness is so smart. But I didn’t want to eat fish myself, I know Your Highness really likes eating fish, so I wanted to get it for Your Highness.”

The Emperor had once described Zhou Huairang with the words “silly, sweet, and simple,” and said that this kind of person held a special charm, but Zhao Mian couldn’t see it at all. But when he met Zhou Huairang’s carefree smiling face, the anger that had been building up inexplicably subsided.

Although Zhou Huairang was silly, sweet, and simple, he had never been a burden to him. Not even once.

Zhao Mian’s voice was neither warm or cold: “I don’t like eating fish that much either.”

Outside the carriage, Shen Buqi rode a black steed steadily and unhurriedly leading the way. He had to keep an eye on both carriages and the surroundings, not letting even the slightest movement escape him.

They were the only ones on the narrow mountain path that afternoon. The wind was still, and the only sounds along the way were the sound of hooves and wheels rolling.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, rustling the leaves. Shen Buqi’s ears twitched, faintly catching a trace of something unusual in the wind.

He reigned in his horse to a halt, slightly turning his head, discreetly searching for the source of the disturbance without making a sound to not alert the enemy. Only after he was certain of what he thought did he turn his horse around and report to the Crown Prince: “Young Master, someone is following us.”

Zhou Huairang spat out the jujube pit from his mouth,”Pfft! Ah!”

Zhao Mian’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked: “Are you sure?”

Shen Buqi nodded in affirmation: “This subordinate is certain it’s at least two people. These two are very skilled and have light footwork. They are most likely women.”

“Assassins!” Zhou Huairang panicked and stood in front of Zhao Mian protectively: “Protect the prince! Protect the prince! Old Shen, what are you waiting for? Quickly call back the shadow guards who are scouting ahead!”

“Don’t panic.” Zhao Mian, pushing Zhou Huairang’s head aside, calmly stated, “These ‘assassins’ may not be after me.”

He had been away from home for half a year, traveling from Nanjing to Dongling, and had never encountered any assassins— not counting that insidious old man, Wan Huameng, because he couldn’t rule out the possibility of coincidence.

Even if his identity was exposed, the people of Nanjing wouldn’t touch him, and Dongling and Beiyuan wouldn’t dare to either. The assassins came precisely when he brought the fishmonger along. This was enough to indicate something.

“Not after Your Highness?” Zhou Huairang was completely bewildered. “Then they’re after me?”

Zhao Mian’s expression was complex: “No wonder when the Father Emperor wanted you to be my study companion, the Prime Minister strongly objected, and they almost argued over it.”

Zhou Huairang heard about this for the first time, his face turning pale as he muttered, “What? I actually committed such a monstrous mistake…”

Shen Buqi said, “What His Highness means is that the ‘assassins’ might be after Li Er”

Zhou Huairang was even more confused: “But what’s worth assassinating about a fishmonger?”

If the assassins were not after Li Er’s life, then it was highly likely they wanted to protect Li Er’s life.

Zhao Mian made a decisive decision: “There’s a simple way to determine the visitors’ intentions.” He looked at Shen Buqi, “Act according to my signal.”

Shen Buqi said, “Understood. Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness.”

The author has something to say:

Old Shen’s daily small tip for quitting your job: When the leader asks a question, I answer “Hmm.”