“Stop.”

Outside the small town, at dusk.

Chen Ji, with Bai Li on his back, crouched down, his gaze silently surveying the surroundings through the gaps in the bushes. The Prince and Zhang Xia crouched behind him, holding their breath, too nervous to even blink.

Moments later, four foot soldiers, hands on their sabers, patrolled past, dozens of paces away.

The small town resembled a military encampment, surrounded by wooden fences taller than a man. Foot soldiers, armed with sabers and crossbows, patrolled, creating a grim atmosphere.

Maintaining private soldiers and possessing bows and crossbows were all capital offenses.

Watching the soldiers disappear into the distance, the Prince asked in a hushed voice, “Should we blend in now?”

“Don’t move!”

Chen Ji did not immediately get up. Instead, he waited for three more patrols before whispering, “They patrol twice within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. We must enter the town during the interval between two patrols and find a hiding place.”

The Prince whispered, “But this town is full of people. Where should we hide?”

“We’ll hide in the ironworks.”

Chen Ji kept his eyes on the town and said without turning his head, “The furnace temperature in the workshop is extremely high. Even after the fire is out, it takes until midnight for the temperature to drop. It’s unbearably hot and the air smells foul. No one will be staying inside.”

He glanced back and saw that the Prince and Zhang Xia’s lips were purple from the cold, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

If they didn’t change their clothes soon, there was a risk of hypothermia.

Once hypothermia sets in, survival is highly unlikely.

At this moment, in her sleep, Bai Li tightly hugged Chen Ji’s neck with both arms. Her instinct to escape the cold made her unconsciously seek warmth, resting her head against Chen Ji’s shoulder, like a child.

Seeing this, the Prince wanted to speak up and remind them, but in the end, he said nothing.

Chen Ji said softly, “Just bear with it a bit longer. We’ll be fine once the sun sets.”

The Prince hugged himself, shivering as he complained, “It’s all my father’s fault. He was supposed to attend a literary gathering, but he insisted on stopping to eat fish. Now look at us. No fish, just chased all the way.”

Chen Ji casually explained, “The assassins wouldn’t have spared you just because you didn’t eat fish. In fact, it was the act of buying fish that brought us to the riverside, giving us the chance to jump into the river. Otherwise, trapped on the ox cart, we wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

He carefully recalled the day’s events: The official on the canopy boat was originally feigning being a fisherman in the middle of the river and had no intention of acting there. The assassins ambushed in the mountains had just dealt with the bandits from Dragon King Village and and were not yet ready for an ambush. It was Prince Jing’s sudden whim that prevented the assassins from attacking from both sides, forcing them to charge out all at once.

The Prince mumbled, “Oh. Chen Ji, did Physician Yao teach you all these skills? Is it too late for me to kowtow and become his disciple now?”

Chen Ji gave the Prince a strange look over his shoulder. “Why would you want to learn this when you’re already a perfectly good Prince?”

The Prince thought for a moment and said, “If I survive this time, I won’t be a Prince anymore. I’ll also become Physician Yao’s disciple. Once I’ve mastered his skills, we can roam the jianghu together and make a name for ourselves.”

At that moment, the last rays of the sun finally dipped behind the hills. Chen Ji urged, “Let’s go.”

He then, with Bai Li still on his back, moved like a swallow, darting to the wooden fence during a gap in the soldiers’ patrol. He bent into a lunge, forming a makeshift ladder. “Step on my leg and climb up.”

The Prince skillfully climbed over the fence and landed steadily on the ground.

When it was Zhang Xia’s turn, she urgently asked, “How will you get over with Bai Li on your back later? I’ll be the ladder. You carry Bai Li and step on me.”

Chen Ji urged, “Don’t worry about me. Hurry, the patrolling soldiers are coming again.”

Zhang Xia gritted her teeth, stepped on Chen Ji’s thigh, and climbed over. After landing, she looked back and was astonished to see Chen Ji crouch down and leap with all his might.

In the next moment, Chen Ji, with Bai Li on his back, somehow managed to leap over the fence.

Zhang Xia exclaimed in surprise, “How are you so strong? Are you an official?”

Chen Ji walked on, casually explaining, “Bai Li is relatively light.”

Zhang Xia frowned, “Can you please answer my questions properly for once?”

“Less talk. To the left.”

Chen Ji hugged the edge of the town, and before the next patrol of soldiers arrived, he slipped into the back door of an ironworks. He carefully closed the door.

As if isolating them from danger outside, the inside was a world of its own.

Inside the workshop, the coal ash in the blast furnace hadn’t fully extinguished, and the heat continued to surge.

The Prince suddenly collapsed onto the ground, a wave of comfort washing over him. “It’s so warm. I just want to lie here and sleep forever.”

Chen Ji gently placed Bai Li on the ground, then looked up at the Prince and said, “Stay further away from the blast furnace. Don’t rush to get warm; you could really die.”

The Prince quickly scrambled away from the blast furnace.

When a person is hypothermic, rewarming the body too quickly can lead to low blood pressure and shock, which is even more dangerous than hypothermia itself.

This time, Chen Ji directly reached out and touched Bai Li’s forehead. He then turned to Zhang Xia and instructed, “Could you please look for some spare clothes in this workshop? The artisans here deal with coal fires and molten iron every day, so they must have special work clothes kept here. Please help the Princess change into them later.”

Zhang Xia quickly rushed to the front of the workshop to search, and indeed found several sets of clothes worn by artisans for work.

The clothes were very loose, making the girl look like she was wearing an opera robe, with the sleeves covering much of her hands.

“You two change first. The Prince and I will wait elsewhere. Call us when you’re done!”

Chen Ji stood up to give them privacy, but then noticed Bai Li had somehow grabbed his sleeve.

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then gently pried Bai Li’s hand away and turned to Zhang Xia, saying, “Thank you for your trouble.”

He walked deeper into the workshop, searching every corner while the Prince changed his clothes.

In the southwest corner, Chen Ji saw some molds neatly stacked. He picked one up and was immediately startled. “These are… molds for casting copper coins? Look, molten copper is poured through this hole, and when the mold is opened, it’s a copper coin. After trimming the rough edges, they can be circulated in the market. They’re not just making ironware here; they’re also privately minting copper coins.”

No wonder there were organized infantry, cavalry, and hounds by the river. Those people were originally the town’s garrison. If they hadn’t been led away by the dark clouds, Chen Ji and the others wouldn’t have been able to get in.

The Prince took off his damp long robe and put on the dry artisan’s clothes.

As he buttoned his clothes, he said nonchalantly, “My father says that private minting of copper coins is nothing new. The Xu, Liu, Hu, Chen, Yang, and Qi families are all doing it. The imperial court has incurred huge losses over the years, all thanks to them.”

“Doesn’t the court do anything about it?” Chen Ji asked, puzzled.

The Prince scoffed, “The court? Everyone, from top to bottom, in the court is one of *them*. They are the real court. Even if they get caught, they just push out a few scapegoats. Look, my father wanted to arrange some cotton gloves for the border army. He still had to consider the Chen family’s opinion.”

Just then, Zhang Xia called out softly, “We’ve changed.”

Chen Ji and the Prince returned to the blast furnace. Zhang Xia, dressed in loose-fitting clothes, looked up at Chen Ji. “What’s the plan now?”

Chen Ji folded a piece of clothing and placed it under Bai Li’s head as a pillow, then looked at Bai Li, falling silent.

In that silence, Bai Li, eyes closed, whispered, “Father, someone wants to kill us.”

The Prince quickly leaned closer. “Bai Li, are you awake?”

However, Bai Li did not open her eyes, but mumbled, “Brother, where are you…?”

The Prince quickly said, “I’m right here. Open your eyes and see.”

Bai Li still didn’t open her eyes.

The Prince secretly wiped the corner of his eye, then looked up at Chen Ji and said, “She’s not awake, just delirious.”

No sooner had he spoken than Bai Li softly called out again, “Chen Ji…”

The Prince glanced at Chen Ji. “See this child… she’s really starting to talk nonsense!”

After a long while, Chen Ji spoke, “I need to go out for a bit.”

The Prince, who had been sitting on the ground, was startled and stood up upon hearing this. “The outside of this town is full of their people. You dare to go out now?”

Zhang Xia also sat up straight. “It’s too dangerous.”

Chen Ji looked at them. “The Princess’s illness can’t wait; she needs medicine. There should be a pharmacy in the town. I’ll go steal some medicine for her and get some food for you all.”

The Prince opened his mouth but no words came out. Although he was very worried about Chen Ji, he couldn’t just abandon his sister. “I’ll go with you…”

“No!”

Chen Ji shook his head. “The infiltration isn’t dangerous. These soldiers in the town don’t wear uniforms and don’t need passwords to identify each other, so no one will notice me even if I blend in. Besides, it’s ultimately easier for me to act alone. You all stay here, get warm, dry your clothes, and look after the Princess. I’ll be back soon.”

Saying this, he walked to the door in the soldier’s clothes and stopped.

Chen Ji lowered his head, thought for a moment, then looked back at the Prince and said, “If I haven’t returned by midnight, you must carry the Princess and escape. Remember to watch for gaps in the patrol, and flee southwest, as far as you can. If the town suddenly erupts into chaos later, stay here and don’t make any rash moves. Then, sneak away at dawn. Before entering Luhan Villa, be sure to carefully observe if anyone is waiting outside. Only enter if you are certain no one is guarding it for you.”

“Wait.”

The Prince tried to stop him.

But Chen Ji ignored him, pushed open the door, and stepped into the night. “Don’t follow me; you’ll only slow me down. I’ll be fine.”

The Prince stood frozen in place.

Zhang Xia looked at the reclosed wooden door, then at the Prince. “So, this is why you and the Princess trust him, isn’t it?”

The Prince nodded.

Zhang Xia sighed. “No wonder my father always spoke about him to me.”

The Prince asked, “What did Lord Zhang say? Did he praise him to the heavens? I think Chen Ji certainly deserves it.”

Zhang Xia replied wistfully, “My father doesn’t like flowery language. He only said that Chen Ji is dependable and trustworthy.”

The two fell silent. The Prince went to the front yard of the workshop to get some water, then dipped his finger in it to moisten Bai Li’s lips.

Zhang Xia suddenly asked, “Why exactly does the Liu family want to ambush you and the Princess? If it’s for the succession of the princely estate, wouldn’t it be better to wait until Consort Jing gives birth to a son before making a move? Now she only has Zhu Lingyun. What’s the rush?”

The Prince said gravely, “Only the Liu family knows that.”