In front of the White Tiger Hall steps, the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards carefully wrapped tung oil-soaked cloth strips around wooden sticks to make torches, then lit them in a brazier.

Carrying their lit torches, the group started to leave. The Crown Prince led the way, but Li Xuan stopped him, saying, “Your Highness, if what Chen Ji says is true, tonight we may clash with Jing Dynasty rebels. Your esteemed self should remain at the Commander’s Office.”

The Crown Prince laughed heartily, “General Li, why do you take me for a coward? We came to Guyuan together, and we should face hardships together! How can I hide behind while you shed blood and sacrifice yourselves on the front lines? Since its founding, our Great Ning Dynasty has never had a fearful emperor, nor a fearful Crown Prince.”

Li Xuan was moved and said, “Your Highness, if anything were to happen to you, how could I explain it to His Majesty?”

The Crown Prince raised a hand to stop him. “No more talk… Third Young Master Chen, where are these Jing Dynasty rebels?”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and replied, “In Taohuai Ward, Shache Street, east of the city. It’s the house with an elm tree in front of it.”

The Crown Prince asked loudly, “Does anyone know where Shache Street is? Lead the way immediately.”

The Imperial Feathered Forest Guards exchanged glances. They had only been in Guyuan for a little over ten days and had stayed close to the Crown Prince since their arrival, having no opportunity to familiarize themselves with the city.

Li Xuan interjected, “Your Highness, I can simply appoint a border guard to lead the way shortly.”

The Crown Prince nodded, “Good!”

Holding their torches, everyone mounted their horses. Over a hundred cavalry on white horses galloped out of the Commander’s Office, startling the border guards stationed at the gate, who quickly moved out of the way.

In front of the Commander’s Office’s red lacquered gate, the torchlight illuminated Old Wu’s face, showing surprise and uncertainty. “Your Highness, where are you all headed?”

“This is a military secret; don’t ask about things that don’t concern you,” Li Xuan said, pointing to a border guard. “Mount your horse and lead the way for us.”

Old Wu suddenly cupped his hands and said, “General Li, the infantryman you chose is not skilled in horsemanship. I am more familiar with Guyuan. Why don’t I lead the way for you?”

Li Xuan sneered, “No need. I can ride and bring him along!”

Old Wu said nothing more, turning to instruct the border guard, “Lead the way carefully for His Highness; don’t make any mistakes!”

The border guard clasped his hands and acknowledged, “Yes!”

Once the border guard was mounted, the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards, holding their torches, escorted the Crown Prince as they galloped away. Their white pheasant tail feathers and cloaks looked imposing, and the long military formation resembled a flawless ivory blade piercing into the heart of Guyuan City.

At the rear of the procession, Chen Liqin also rode along. As he watched Chen Ji’s back, his mind was heavy, as if overshadowed by a gloom that had lingered for over a decade.

After much hesitation, Chen Liqin finally raised his whip, intending to catch up to Chen Ji. Just as he drew near, Zaobao suddenly accelerated, leaving him behind.

Left with no choice, Chen Liqin called out, “Chen Ji, I have something to tell you!”

Chen Ji gently patted Zaobao’s back. Understanding his master’s intent, Zaobao slowed down. Chen Ji glanced sideways and asked, “What does Lord Chen wish to say?”

Chen Liqin looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, then whispered mysteriously, “Have you seen anyone recently?”

Chen Ji slightly frowned. “What do you mean by that, Lord Chen?”

Chen Liqin pondered for a moment. “Have you already met her?”

“Who?” Chen Ji asked, confused. “What exactly are you asking, Lord Chen?”

Chen Liqin said in a deep voice, “Don’t pretend. I’m asking you, where did you learn all these skills?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “To answer Lord Chen, I learned them from my master at the medical hall.”

Chen Liqin intensified his tone. “Don’t try to deceive me. Imperial Physician Yao has practiced medicine in the capital for decades; has anyone ever heard of him being a skilled practitioner?”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Then Chen Liqin suddenly said, “Chen Ji, have you seen your mother? Do you already know… that she’s still alive?”

Chen Ji’s heart jolted, but he feigned surprise. “My aunt is still alive?! Lord Chen, what exactly is going on? Didn’t my aunt die?”

“Stop pretending!” Chen Liqin pressed on with a barrage of questions: “Did she go to Luocheng to find you? When did she find you? What did she say? Where is she now?”

Chen Ji’s mind raced. The information revealed in Chen Liqin’s two sentences was immense: his birth mother, Lady Lu, was truly not dead!

But if Lady Lu wasn’t dead, why didn’t she return to her homeland in Jing Dynasty? What exactly happened that year that forced Lady Lu to fake her death and go into hiding, adopting a new identity?

And why did Xiao Man seem unaware of this?

Seeing Chen Ji remain silent, Chen Liqin, his brows furrowed, continued incessantly, “I told her long ago that if she was going to leave, she should do so completely. Why come back to see you again? Just because she taught you these skills, do you think she means well for you? What she’s doing will only drag you into trouble!”

Chen Ji calmly replied after a long pause, “Lord Chen, are you confused? My aunt passed away long ago, how could she come to find me? I’ve said that all these skills were taught to me by my master, Imperial Physician Yao Qimen. If there’s a single lie in what I’ve said, may I be struck by lightning.”

Chen Liqin snapped, “How much longer will you lie? Just remember, don’t see her again, and don’t casually display your skills to anyone, especially those she taught you. Also, stop associating so closely with the Crown Prince and other princes. Be careful that she doesn’t use you to cause immense trouble!”

By this point, Chen Liqin was convinced that Chen Ji’s birth mother had returned. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the origin of Chen Ji’s skills, as he didn’t believe an old imperial physician could teach Chen Ji the ways of a skilled practitioner.

Chen Ji turned to stare at Chen Liqin and asked directly, “Lord Chen, what exactly happened back then?”

Chen Liqin’s expression changed, and he said angrily, “That’s none of your business. You only need to remember not to see her again. I would never harm you!”

Chen Ji fell silent. So Chen Liqin had this concern… It seemed certain that Chen Liqin knew many inside details, and perhaps even Lady Lu’s identity in the Jing Dynasty!

Perhaps the other party had long detected his abnormality but dared not speak of it. Now, unable to hold back any longer, he had come to question him.

Seeing his prolonged silence, Chen Liqin softened his tone. “You don’t understand your mother’s character. She’s full of lies; sometimes she even deceives those closest to her, and herself. Take my advice: don’t have any further involvement with her. Steadily pursue an official career; that is the proper path.”

Just then, the border guard pointed to a narrow street. “Generals, we’ve arrived at Shache Street.”

Chen Ji looked and saw three elm trees within Shache Street. He wondered which house the informer was referring to.

He had a faint feeling that something was wrong. “Your Highness, the information I received earlier said it was the house with an elm tree in front. But there are three elm trees here, so perhaps…”

Li Xuan said gravely, “No matter. We can search all three houses at once!”

He glanced at Shache Street and immediately signaled to the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards on his left and right. The guards dismounted, climbed onto the rooftops, and stealthily approached the three houses.

Chen Ji did not dismount. He remained on horseback, still, at the entrance to Shache Street, his brows deeply furrowed.

Just then, the Crown Prince adjusted the fox fur on his shoulder, reined in his horse, and rode back to Chen Ji. “Third Young Master Chen, didn’t you leave last night? Why did you suddenly send news today?”

Chen Ji explained, “To answer Your Highness, I left yesterday to gather information. Guyuan is a complex place; if some stand in the open, others should naturally be hidden in the shadows.”

The Crown Prince praised him, “Third Young Master Chen is indeed worthy of being a student of Master Wang Daosheng, possessing both literary and military strategies. However, I wonder where you obtained this information?”

Chen Ji replied without changing his expression, “To answer Your Highness, from entertainment quarters and common houses. It’s nothing worth mentioning.”

The Crown Prince smiled, then changed the subject. “Both your elder brothers passed the imperial examinations this year, ranking first in the classics. Why did you not participate?”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment before replying, “Your Highness, what I learned from my master was not classical texts but military strategy, so I had no intention of participating in the imperial examinations.”

“Oh?” The Crown Prince became interested. “So, you intend to join the military?”

Chen Ji nodded. “Originally, after my master’s period of mourning was over, he was to be reinstated to the Ministry of War, but somehow it was delayed. So I had to return to the capital with my family first and find something to do.”

The Crown Prince sighed, “I know a little about that matter. Grand Secretary Hu submitted a memorial recommending Master Wang to Renshou Palace, but it was rejected by the Directorate of Ceremonial. The Grand Eunuch said that Master Wang was overly aggressive and greedy for merit when he led the border army in his early years, and still needs more refinement.”

Chen Ji lamented, “It’s a pity, considering my master’s talent.”

The Crown Prince observed Chen Ji with interest. “My virtuous brother Chen Ji, what are your plans after returning to the capital?”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and replied, “To answer Your Highness, I have no plans yet.”

The Crown Prince smiled ambiguously, “Very good.”

Suddenly, Li Xuan’s voice came from afar, “Your Highness, there are no Jing Dynasty rebels here as Chen Ji claimed, nor are there any of the so-called dozen vats of boiling excrement!”

The Crown Prince paused, then reined his horse into Shache Street. “None of the three houses have them? Is it possible the Jing Dynasty rebels heard wind of our coming and moved those dozen large vats away?”

Li Xuan, escorting the residents of the three houses, walked out. “Your Highness, absolutely not possible. Even if those dozen vats of boiling excrement were moved, there would at least be some smell left in the courtyards. But these three houses are completely clean, without any trace. We’ve been deceived!”

At this moment, the seventeen people from the three households were kneeling on the ground, their faces pale. “Good sirs, have mercy! We don’t know what wrong we’ve committed?”

The Crown Prince quickly said, “Everyone, please rise quickly. We made a mistake.”

Qi Zhenzhuo glared fiercely at Chen Ji. “Young man, you dare to come and deceive His Highness based on some baseless rumors you heard in the marketplace? What is your crime?”

Chen Ji lowered his head and remained silent.

Chen Liqin quickly rode forward, cupped his hands to the Crown Prince, and said, “Your Highness, my son was merely concerned for Guyuan’s safety, and committed no major error. Fortunately, it only caused Your Highness a wasted trip and no real loss…”

Qi Zhenzhuo, with his hand on the long sword at his waist, said coldly, “That’s not how you should put it. What if His Highness were assassinated during his outing tonight? Could he bear that responsibility?”

The Crown Prince suddenly spoke, “Qi Zhenzhuo, say no more.”

He then turned to Chen Ji and smiled, “I know my virtuous brother Chen Ji meant well; it was merely a fruitless trip. How can that be considered a mistake? Haven’t we also come up empty-handed every time these past few days while investigating the case of falsely reporting achievements by killing innocent people? My virtuous brother Chen Ji is simply young and acts a bit impulsively. More experience will refine him; it’s nothing serious.”

However, at this very moment, Chen Ji, still on Zaobao’s saddle, suddenly looked up. “No, something’s wrong. Seize that border guard… Wait, where is the border guard who led the way? He went into the courtyard with you just now. Where is he now?”

The Imperial Feathered Forest Guards, holding their torches, exchanged bewildered glances. They searched among the crowd for a long time but could not find the border guard.

One of the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards recalled, “He said he needed to use the latrine…”

Chen Ji said gravely, “If Shache Street has many elm trees, the person who gave me the information would absolutely not have used ‘the house with an elm tree in front’ as a clue. This isn’t Shache Street!”

Having said this, he looked at the disturbed residents in Shache Street. “What street is this? Is it Shache Street?”

The residents looked bewildered. “Officer, this is Kule Street. Shache Street is still about a mile from here.”

Chen Ji said no more. He rode past a young man, leaned down, grabbed him by the waistband of his trousers, and took him along.

Without looking back, he instructed the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards, “Everyone follow. The border guard who led the way is a Jing Dynasty spy. He must have gone to warn the Jing Dynasty rebels on Shache Street by now. We must find them immediately! If they manage to contaminate half the wells in Guyuan City, then when the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army arrives, all will be lost!”