The Qingxuan Guards lying in ambush all around swarmed out. Six of them protected Ji Weiqiu and Ji Liu, while the rest rushed to various locations. Swords scraped against grappling hooks, creating blinding sparks. It all happened too quickly; so quickly that only when the clang of weapons rang out did Ji Weiqiu hear the cry: “Assassins—!”

Another dozen grappling hooks shot up from under the water, digging deep into the ship's hull. Assassins in black, their faces covered, leaped out of the water and used the hooks to climb aboard the large vessel. They were all highly skilled martial artists. A muffled groan was heard from the stern as a Qingxuan Guard was struck in the chest by an arrow. He pressed one hand to his wound while wielding his saber with the other, struggling to fight off an assassin as he roared, “Hidden arrows—!”

Before his voice could fade, the expressions of the few Qingxuan Guards protecting Ji Weiqiu changed abruptly. Quick as lightning, they raised their shields. With a series of thuds, several distinct bulges appeared on the refined iron shields, and a shower of small black arrows fell to the deck. The force behind them was evident!

“Your Highness, the enemy has archers. Please enter the cabin for temporary shelter,” Xuan San said in a low voice.

Ji Liu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall.

“No need.” Ji Weiqiu’s heart was pounding like a drum, yet his face held a faint smile, as if he had just seen something incredibly interesting. He laughed, “If they can pierce through refined iron shields, what’s the point of going into the cabin? It would only hinder your movements. Let’s just stay here!”

“This Prince is right here. What kind of petty thieves dare to target me?” Ji Weiqiu thought for a moment and felt the situation wasn't so critical as to warrant promises of covering the lifelong expenses for the families of those who lost limbs. Thus, after saying this, he simply stood there with an air of calm and leisure.

What else could Ji Liu say? He could only laugh and remark, “I heard that for the Prince's trip out of the capital, the guards assigned to the ship are all elite soldiers, one in a hundred. Let this be an opportunity for me to witness the valor of you gentlemen, shall I?”

In reality, his gaze towards Ji Weiqiu was filled with meaning: ‘Brother, are you trying to get yourself killed?!’

Ji Weiqiu blinked his smiling eyes, implying: ‘I won't die, don't panic.’

Upon hearing this, the imperial guards and Qingxuan Guards on the ship roared in unison. Their shouts were deafening, their morale soaring like a rainbow, projecting an air of invincibility. At that very moment, a loud boom was heard, and the ship's hull shook violently. The expressions of the Qingxuan Guards changed drastically—someone was scuttling the ship!

They were in the middle of the canal, where the current was swift and treacherous. It was a dark and windy night, with surging waves. Even small boats wouldn't dare to cross the river easily at this time. If the ship was destroyed, everyone would perish!

“Your Highness! Retreat quickly!” Xuan San shouted.

Ji Weiqiu glanced at him a few times, a peculiar look in his eyes. “What’s the panic?”

Seeing everyone's nervous expressions, Ji Liu reminded them in a low voice, “The entire interior of this ship is constructed from several layers of palm-width refined steel, with the gaps between the steel filled with water... Surely there isn't some shameless, peerless master hiding in the water, using his internal energy to scuttle the ship?”

Xuan San paused for a moment, then replied, “...There shouldn't be.”

Those engaged in the chaotic battle on the deck were all experts. Even amidst the din of clashing weapons, they could still overhear bits and pieces. Upon hearing these words, both their own men and the assassins had strange expressions. Their own men were thinking: ‘With this kind of construction, even if a peerless master were really hiding underwater, he’d have to exhaust all his internal energy to make any progress... Wait, our ship is this sturdy? Even the Emperor’s imperial barge is probably just like this.’

The assassins were thinking: ‘If we had a peerless master capable of piercing through several layers of refined steel, why not have him board the ship and assassinate the target directly? Wouldn't that be faster than trying to do it from the bottom of the ship?’

How utterly absurd.

Ji Weiqiu looked at Ji Liu. How did he not know about this?

This time, it was Ji Liu's turn to blink his eyes—he knew! How could he not know! His older brother had supervised the construction of this ship!

Shipbuilding was a lucrative job. Of course, such a profitable venture had to be kept within the family!

Among the assassins, a man in black gazed at Ji Weiqiu standing in the center of the ship. Seeing his radiant smile and the calm demeanor that suggested everything was under control, he knew that their mission today was hopeless. He ordered coldly, “Retreat—!”

At his command, the black-clad assassins ceased fighting and began to withdraw. The Qingxuan Guards naturally wouldn't just watch them escape, and they all used their skills to try and keep one or two behind. The assassins had come from the water, so their swimming skills were excellent. They leaped from the ship one by one. The Qingxuan Guards wanted to give chase, but they heard Ji Weiqiu call out, “Don't pursue a desperate foe.”

The Qingxuan Guards immediately stopped and gave up the pursuit.

Ji Weiqiu yawned and waved his hand lazily. “Alright, this Prince is tired... Such a fine ship, ruined like this. It really spoiled my mood... Tidy it up properly.”

“Yes,” everyone replied in unison.

Ji Weiqiu cast a meaningful glance at the small, jet-black arrow embedded in the cabin wall next to him before turning to leave. He and Ji Liu chatted idly all the way back to the cabin. Inside, Zhou Qing had a grim expression. Seeing them enter, he cupped his hands and said, “The Qingxuan Guard has failed in its duty...”

Ji Weiqiu interrupted, “No rush. Come here first.”

Zhou Qing didn't hesitate and stepped forward. Seeing Ji Weiqiu raise a hand slightly, he reached out to support him. To his surprise, as soon as he did, Ji Weiqiu's body swayed. In his astonishment, he saw Ji Liu also leaning against Ji Weiqiu, using him for support to keep from falling. Most of the weight of two adult men pressed down on Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing quickly supported one with each hand, guiding them to sit by the table. “Your Highness, Young Master, are you injured?! This subordinate will fetch the imperial physician at once!”

Ji Liu waved his hand. “Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no! My legs just went weak... Ah... That was so scary! Commander Zhou, you must not call the imperial physician, or I’ll lose all my face.”

Zhou Qing was slightly taken aback. He then looked at Ji Weiqiu and saw a wry smile on his face as well, presumably for the same reason.

He had assessed the situation earlier and thought Ji Weiqiu would most likely retreat into the cabin. So, he had taken a secret passage directly to Ji Weiqiu's cabin to wait, lest any assassins sneak in to ambush him. He never expected Ji Weiqiu to not retreat and instead stand outside to watch the entire event... He had just been thinking that His Highness, the Prince of Rui, was of royal blood, the Emperor's own brother; how could he truly be such a weak and incompetent person...

...Indeed not weak and incompetent, just strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

Ji Weiqiu and Ji Liu sat for a while to recover. Then Ji Weiqiu said, “Zhou Qing, you are in charge of the injuries outside. For anyone hurt, just call for an imperial physician. Those who died in battle will all have their families compensated by the royal family. Also, find Mian Li and have another sum issued from my funds for any family with orphans, widows, the disabled, the childless elderly, or widowers... The Prince of Rui's Manor will take care of them all.”

An orphan is a child without a father; a widow is an old woman without a husband; the disabled are those with physical impairments; the childless elderly are old people without sons; a widower is an old man without a wife. This meant that not only would the families of the casualties be compensated with money, but the Prince of Rui's Manor would also help manage their future prospects and livelihoods.

Zhou Qing was stunned. He knelt down and said solemnly, “This subordinate thanks Your Highness for your great kindness on behalf of the soldiers!”

Ji Weiqiu said calmly, “It’s what I should do.”

He viewed the imperial court as a large company, the imperial guards as company security, and the Qingxuan Guards as private security as well. The palace attendants were live-in servants. They were all salaried employees. When they were derelict in their duty, their pay would be docked and they would be demoted. When there were casualties, it was only right for the public entity to provide compensation, and for him to give private compensation.

He could only control himself, not everyone else, so at least for him, this was what should be done.

A strange light flashed in Ji Liu’s eyes, and then he pounded his own shoulder. “Count me in! So much has happened today... I’m heading back. I’ll check on Zhang Er and the others on the way, see if they were scared.”

Ji Weiqiu teased, “Perhaps when you knock on their door, the two of them won't even know what happened.”

“That’s possible,” Ji Liu also laughed. “Those two sleep like dead logs. You can’t even wake them up by shouting.”

Ji Liu waved and left. Seeing Zhou Qing still kneeling on the ground, Ji Weiqiu said, “Get up... Counting the days, you’ve been lying down for half a month. Your injuries should have healed.”

Zhou Qing raised his head slightly, his gaze lowered. “Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate will take his leave.”

Seeing him stand up, Ji Weiqiu also relaxed. He was about to call for Mian Li to draw a bucket of hot water for a bath and brew some calming soup when he suddenly heard the sound of wind being cut. He whipped his head around to look, his body subconsciously leaning back. Unexpectedly, the hand-chop that should have missed him miraculously curved around and still landed on the back of his neck. The blood flow to Ji Weiqiu’s brain was cut off in an instant, and he collapsed without a single sound.

‘It's Zhou Qing...? Why...?’

Zhou Qing caught Ji Weiqiu. He whispered, “Forgive me, Your Highness.”

With that, he lifted Ji Weiqiu onto his back and carried him into the secret passage in the cabin. That night, a boat approached the large ship. The helmsman on the boat showed a token and was only then allowed to draw closer.

This was the boat that came daily to replenish supplies. As a Prince, Ji Weiqiu's provisions were only one tier below the current Emperor's, with fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat delivered every day. The Ding Guards on the boat carried boxes of supplies onto the ship and then carried the empty boxes away. The boat slowly sailed away...

......

When Ji Weiqiu woke up, he only felt an intense soreness in the back of his neck, and his vision was pitch black. It took him a moment to remember his current situation.

...Zhou Qing actually betrayed his Imperial Elder Brother?

No, it wasn't a betrayal of his Imperial Elder Brother, but a betrayal of him, the ‘Prince of Rui’.

He moved his arms and legs and found that they were not bound. He must have been unconscious for a while, as his limbs felt a bit weak, but his strength was slowly returning. It didn't seem like he had been given any drugs like Tendon-Softening Powder.

Could it be some other poison?

They couldn't have just captured him and let him sleep soundly, could they?

Ji Weiqiu turned over... Wait, you've got to be kidding. The four-piece bedding set was actually made of Bamboo Jade Heavenly Silk. He was familiar with this material. Its production process was extremely complicated, made by grinding a very special type of soft jade into powder and weaving it with bamboo threads. It was incredibly cool to the touch. Back when his brother was still the Crown Prince, their imperial father had gifted him a set. His brother found it too cold and gave it to him. He slept on it every summer and would only switch to something else when winter began.

Ji Weiqiu fumbled around a bit more. ‘No way? Isn't this stuff supposed to be extremely rare? Hasn't that kind of soft jade already been depleted?! Where did this come from?’

They couldn't have stolen it from his manor and then used it for him, right?!

Suddenly, Ji Weiqiu's fingertips trembled. He had touched another silk-like material, which carried a faint residual warmth. If he moved just a fraction closer, he would be able to touch... what should be a person.

...Who is it?

Ji Weiqiu suddenly thought of someone.

Is it... him?

The author has something to say:

Alright everyone, guess who it is.