"Your Highness, the soldiers sent by the Xiao family to transport the grain have now all been replaced by our men. News from BeiMo indicates that another batch of supplies will be sent over soon. My master says he will fully support you in achieving your grand ambition," said a masked man in foreign attire, kneeling on one knee before ChengSangMo.
ChengSangMo glanced at the man and said, "Your master wanted someone found, and I have done that for him. Escort her safely back to BeiMo and settle her properly."
"Yes, Your Highness," the man responded.
At that moment, ChengSangMo's attendant approached and whispered something in his ear.
ChengSangMo's expression darkened, and he asked cautiously, "When did this happen?"
"Just now," the attendant replied.
"You leave now. I will send someone to contact you later," ChengSangMo told the masked man, then mounted his horse and quickly rode away.
Watching ChengSangJY with arms outstretched, LinHuaichu felt a pang of emotion. He rarely saw JY look so relaxed. They had known each other since childhood, and though JY was the Crown Prince, destined to rule, the very world laid before him was what he least desired. What he truly wanted was the simplest thing: a life of his own. Yet this seemingly easy wish was the one thing he couldn't have. LinHuaichu had watched JY gradually break down his true self, piece by piece, to mold himself into what everyone expected the future king to be.
LinHuaichu had grown up under the protection of his mother and elder brother. Though frail and not good at martial arts, even in a family of generals, his brother never forced him to take up arms. He didn't remember his father, but at least he had his brother's protection and his mother's love. No one could force him to do anything against his will. He didn't have to bear the burdens of the Lin family or sacrifice himself for the greater good.
But JY was different. From the day he was born, his life was predestined. He had to be the filial and talented prince his mother, Empress Xiao, envisioned and the brave and wise heir his father, ChengSangKing, desired. No one cared whether he liked it. As the future ruler, he had to be the most exemplary among the royal family, the one praised by the court ministers. Every step had to be perfect, with no room for deviation.
In LinHuaichu's memory, there were very few times he saw JY enjoying such freedom. To everyone else, ChengSangJY was a high-born, pampered prince. But to LinHuaichu, JY was like a golden-winged bird, its wings forcibly clipped, locked in a luxurious cage, yearning for freedom.
Suddenly, LinHuaichu's horse sensed something and became agitated, neighing loudly.
"What's wrong?"
LinHuaichu's ears caught the sounds around them. He signaled ChengSangJY to stay silent, then quickly grabbed the reins, pulling JY close to protect him, scanning their surroundings warily.
A knife flew out from the dense foliage, narrowly missing LinHuaichu's nose.
"JY, mount up!"
Realizing the danger, LinHuaichu mounted his horse and swiftly pulled ChengSangJY up behind him.
"Hold tight, JY! Hyah!"
With a command, the horse bolted forward. LinHuaichu and ChengSangJY lay low on the horse, galloping through the dense forest.
LinHuaichu's horse, a rare and prized steed, raced at full speed, but the sound of pursuing footsteps kept pace with them. Though he couldn't see their pursuers, LinHuaichu could hear at least five sets of footsteps rapidly closing in.
"Their speed matches that of a thousand-mile horse. These are no ordinary assassins," LinHuaichu thought, grabbing a bow and arrow from the side and shooting into the forest.
He zigzagged through the forest, trying to throw off the pursuers. As the horse leaped over a fallen tree, an arrow flew from the forest. LinHuaichu dodged instinctively, then leaned down, swiftly drawing something from the narrow gap between the saddle and the horse's back.
The horse continued to run, and ChengSangJY saw that LinHuaichu now had a cloak in his hand, its black fabric glinting with golden threads. Holding the reins with one hand, LinHuaichu handed the cloak to ChengSangJY,
"JY, put this on."
ChengSangJY quickly donned the cloak, fastening the collar. The horse suddenly reared, throwing both riders to the ground.
LinHuaichu scrambled to his feet and saw several men in black blocking their path, their swords glinting ominously. He shouted to the horse,
"Hei Feng, go find my brother!"
Before ChengSangJY could comprehend the situation, he felt himself being hoisted onto LinHuaichu's shoulder as they dashed deeper into the forest.
Meanwhile, ChengSangMo, riding down the mountain, saw a black horse racing past. Recognizing it as LinHuaichu's horse, he thought,
"This horse looks familiar... Wait, that's LinHuaichu's horse!"
His attendant also recognized the horse, saying,
"Your Highness, that seems to be the horse LinHuaichu rode this morning."
"LinHuaichu's horse is riderless? Could it be... Damn!" ChengSangMo muttered, turning his horse and speeding in the direction the black horse had come from.
LinHuaichu, carrying ChengSangJY on his back, sprinted through the forest.
"Huaichu, when did you learn light-footed skills?" ChengSangJY asked, perplexed. Turning, he saw black-clad men closing in and threw a concealed weapon.
"Careful, Huaichu!" ChengSangJY warned.
LinHuaichu, with sharp eyes, detected the movement and dodged, rolling to avoid the weapon while keeping ChengSangJY on his back, moving swiftly and gracefully.
"Impressive speed!"
ChengSangJY marveled, realizing he had underestimated LinHuaichu's skills.
Just as they emerged from the dense forest, LinHuaichu abruptly stopped. Before them lay a cliff dozens of feet high.
"Damn it, no way out!"
As he turned to find another route, several figures jumped down, blocking their only escape.
"Who are you?" LinHuaichu's usual demeanor was replaced with a cold, questioning tone.
"Our master commands that Mr. Yun come with us. As for you, it's best not to meddle," one of the black-clad men said, flipping his sword and lunging at LinHuaichu.
LinHuaichu moved quickly, dodging and kicking the man in the chest. The black-clad man stumbled back, and LinHuaichu immediately followed, engaging him to draw him away from ChengSangJY. Watching, ChengSangJY grew worried but noticed LinHuaichu make a subtle motion at his waist.
ChengSangJY felt that LinHuaichu seemed unarmed, yet his movements suggested he wielded a weapon. The black-clad men's swords were repeatedly deflected by an invisible force, and wounds appeared on their bodies despite no visible weapon.
Focused on LinHuaichu, ChengSangJY didn't notice the commotion behind him until a rope looped around his waist, pulling him off balance.
"Huaichu, help me!"
ChengSangJY shouted, struggling as his hands were tied and unable to gain leverage.
LinHuaichu saw a man had climbed up the cliff and was pulling ChengSangJY towards the edge, seemingly ready to jump.
"JY!"
LinHuaichu swung his hand, revealing a weapon made of special material—an extremely thin and flexible double-edged sword. It was nearly weightless and invisible, concealed in his waistband and used only in dire situations.
The soft sword cut the rope, causing the black-clad man to stumble. He quickly pulled out a handful of powder from his coat and threw it at ChengSangJY. Choking on the powder, ChengSangJY coughed violently, stepping onto a loose stone at the cliff's edge, losing his footing.
ChengSangJY instinctively turned towards LinHuaichu, his mouth opening soundlessly as he fell backwards. Just as he thought he would plummet to his death, LinHuaichu grabbed his collar at the last moment.
With the weight of the black-clad man gone, the ropes on ChengSangJY's arms loosened. As he reached out for LinHuaichu to pull him up, a black-clad man behind LinHuaichu lunged with a sword. ChengSangJY quickly pushed LinHuaichu aside, causing LinHuaichu to lose his grip, and an arrow shot between them.
LinHuaichu, his eyes blinded by the powder, heard the sound of falling stones and turned to grab ChengSangJY again, but his hands grasped empty air.
"JY!"
ChengSangJY, having pushed LinHuaichu aside, completely lost his balance and fell off the cliff.
As he thought his life was ending, a look of relief crossed his face, quickly replaced by disbelief.
In the camp,
"Who else is participating in the sacrificial hunt today?" ShangGuanCY asked.
"The MoLan prince, the Crown Prince, and LinHuaichu," someone reported.
Suddenly, the sound of a horse's frantic neighing reached them, followed by LinMuchuan's voice,
"Heifeng? Why are you back? Where's Huaichu?"
ShangGuanCY quickly left the tent, heading towards LinMuchuan. A bad feeling washed over him, chilling him to the bone as he saw the riderless Heifeng.
LinMuchuan, thinking LinHuaichu had returned, affectionately patted the horse's head,
"Did Huaichu not give you enough feed? Running here to complain?"
Heifeng neighed anxiously, stomping the ground. LinMuchuan, noticing something amiss, inspected Heifeng and found a wound on the horse's leg.
"This is... a sword wound!"
Recognizing the injury, LinMuchuan quickly checked under the saddle and found the black cloak missing. Something had gone terribly wrong.
"What's going on?" ShangGuanCY asked as he arrived.
LinMuchuan, already mounting Heifeng, replied,
"Heifeng wouldn't return alone. Something happened. All troops, listen up! Assemble two teams. One will follow me to search for the Crown Prince and LinHuaichu. The other will block the mountain paths and thoroughly check everyone. No one gets through." With that, he rode off.
ShangGuanCY grabbed a nearby horse and followed, signaling to his camp to send a message.
ChengSangMo, riding through the forest, heard the sounds of a fight. When he arrived, he saw ChengSangJY falling off the cliff, followed by LinHuaichu jumping after him without hesitation.
Seeing more people approaching, one of the black-clad men drew his sword to attack, but a few strange bird calls echoed in the air. The leader threw a smoke bomb at ChengSangMo's feet and disappeared. When the smoke cleared, ChengSangMo walked to the edge of the cliff to search for the two's figures, only to find a shimmering token on the ground.
In the palace, the Imperial Study.
"Fell off a cliff!"
ChengSangKing was so startled by the news that he nearly fell off his throne, but was caught by the quick-eyed Liu Gonggong.
"Have they found the bodies?" Liu Gonggong asked.
"Your Majesty, we have not yet found the bodies of the Crown Prince and LinHuaichu," the guard reported.
ChengSangKing pointed a trembling finger at the kneeling guard, roaring in anger,
"Find them immediately! I want them alive or their bodies within three days, or you will all join them in death!"
As night fell on the mountain, LinMuchuan continued to send people with torches to search everywhere. He stationed empty tents at visible high points, instructing them to light torches in front of the tents, hoping the lost Crown Prince and LinHuaichu would see them.
In his tent, ChengSangMo stared blankly at the token in his hand when a voice came from outside,
"Greetings, Duke Yunqing."
ShangGuanCY stormed into the tent, heading straight for ChengSangMo.
ChengSangMo wondered why ShangGuanCY was looking for him. Before he could react, ShangGuanCY punched him hard. ChengSangMo, dazed, stumbled sideways, crashing into a shelf and falling to the ground.
"How dare you!"
ChengSangMo's attendants shouted, drawing their swords, but ChengSangMo raised a hand to stop them, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Leave us. Wait outside and don't come in unless I call."
"But, Your Highness..." the attendant hesitated.
"Get out!" ChengSangMo commanded.
The attendant reluctantly bowed and left, giving ShangGuanCY a fierce glare before exiting.
ChengSangMo sat on the ground, adjusting to a more comfortable position. He looked at the blood on his hand, rubbed it off, and brushed the dirt from his sleeve.
"Quite the temper you have, Duke Yunqing. Why aren't you out searching for the Crown Prince? Why come here to cause trouble?"
ShangGuanCY, furious, grabbed ChengSangMo by the collar and lifted him from the ground, glaring into his eyes with gritted teeth.
"ChengSangMo, you bastard! You dared to harm JY!"
ChengSangMo laughed at ShangGuanCY's words. JY was indeed ShangGuanCY's weakness; anything involving him made the usually composed ShangGuanCY lose his cool.
"You think I did it?" ChengSangMo asked.
"Isn't it you? Someone saw you at the cliff. How do you explain that?" ShangGuanCY demanded, his eyes searching ChengSangMo's face for answers.
On their way to the cliff, ShangGuanCY's men had arrived first, seeing ChengSangMo looking down the cliff before mounting his horse and leaving. Shortly after, LinMuchuan's men found the black cloak at the bottom of the cliff, with dried blood stains nearby.
ChengSangMo disdainfully pushed ShangGuanCY's hand away, stood up slowly, and coughed lightly. He brushed back the white hair from his chest and said mockingly,
"I never thought the usually calm Duke Yunqing could be so irrational."
"What do you mean?" ShangGuanCY asked.
ChengSangMo leisurely walked to a chair, sat down, and took a sip of tea.
"If the Crown Prince were harmed, who would be the prime suspect? Every time something happens to him, I am the first to be blamed, regardless of my involvement. Why would I choose such an obvious occasion to set myself up? Even if I wanted to harm the Crown Prince, I wouldn't be foolish enough to do it myself, would I?"
"Then why were you there?" ShangGuanCY, now calmer, realized ChengSangMo's reasoning made sense.
ChengSangMo didn't answer but glanced at the token on the desk.
Following his gaze, ShangGuanCY picked up the token and gasped. The dark red, gold-edged token bore the character for Xiao.
"A token from the Xiao family's army!"
ShangGuanCY was stunned. He had considered many possibilities and suspected everyone, but the idea that the attackers were from the Xiao family was beyond belief.
"Anyone can see this was meant to frame the Xiao family," ChengSangMo said calmly, then added, "If something happens to JY, the Emperor would use it as an excuse to punish the Xiao family. The Xiao family's power has become a threat to the Emperor. Moreover, who stands to gain the most if the royal family and the Xiao family clash? You know the answer."
ChengSangMo's implication was clear, but ShangGuanCY didn't want to believe it. Even if MuJinling had promised not to harm JY, he wouldn't risk LinMuchuan by attacking LinHuaichu. It made no sense.
Seeing ShangGuanCY's disbelief, ChengSangMo continued,
"Don't delude yourself. Since he left the capital, MuJinXB is no longer the person we once knew. He is now the master of Zuiyue Pavilion, and his return has a purpose you and I both understand."
Both ChengSangMo and ShangGuanCY knew the nature of Zuiyue Pavilion. Surviving there and rising to the position of master, MuJinling was no longer the gentle scholar he once was.
In the Crown Prince's residence,
Empress Xiao, taking advantage of ChengSangJY's absence, led people into his study, rifling through his belongings to check for anything unrelated to his studies. The eunuchs in the residence were used to such inspections, especially with the Empress herself conducting them, and dared not interfere.
Soon, the maids and eunuchs brought several boxes, neatly placing them on the desk for the Empress to inspect.
The first box contained trinkets ChengSangJY had won at the temple fair, small, exquisite items made by common folk.
Empress Xiao glanced at the items, frowned in distaste, and waved her hand.
"Throw these vulgar things away."
The second box held ChengSangJY's carving tools, clean and placed on red silk. Seeing them, the Empress recalled the wooden box she had smashed. She rubbed her temples, closed her eyes, and waved her hand again.
But at the third box, Empress Xiao's eyes widened in shock. Stepping back, she reached out with a trembling hand to touch the cloud-patterned jade pendant inside.
Before she could pick it up, a eunuch rushed in, shouting,
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Crown Prince, the Crown Prince..." The eunuch tripped over the threshold, falling face-first before the Empress.
"Such disgraceful behavior!" a maid scolded.
Empress Xiao, looking down at the eunuch, coldly asked, "What is it?"
"The Crown Prince went hunting this morning and was attacked by assassins. He fell off a cliff and his fate is unknown," the eunuch reported, trembling.
Before the words finished, another eunuch's voice called from outside,
"Chief Steward Duo, Chief Steward Duo has fainted!"
Chief Steward Duo, waiting outside, had fainted upon hearing the news about the Crown Prince.
Empress Xiao's face twitched slightly, and after a moment of silence, she slowly said,
"Summon Minister Xiao to the palace immediately. I need to see him."