Braziers burned brightly in front of the White Tiger Hall at the Commandery Office, illuminating the area as if it were daytime.

Inside the White Tiger Hall, several tables were pieced together to form a surface where a map, several meters long, was spread out. Guyuan, Quwu Mountain, Ziwei Ridge, and Long Mountain were all clearly marked on it.

At this moment, Li Xuan pointed at the map and spoke softly to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, I went to the city wall today and could only vaguely see the dense camps and cooking smoke of the Jing Dynasty’s Heavenly Strategy Army. Before I could get a good look, Zhou You sent someone to escort me away…”

The Crown Prince looked at the map and sighed, “This magnificent land, yet we are trapped within Guyuan City, as if our eyes have been covered. We can’t see anything clearly, nor can we accomplish anything.”

Li Xuan replied remorsefully, “Your humble servant is incompetent.”

The Crown Prince smiled. “Lord Li, there’s no need to blame yourself. The Imperial Forest Army serves as the Imperial Guards, typically training for royal ceremonies. It’s understandable that you feel constrained here on the Guyuan frontier.”

At this point, the Crown Prince mused, “However, our brother Chen Ji might have made some new discoveries. I wonder if he’ll come seeking us out tonight.”

Li Xuan’s expression changed, and he immediately cupped his hands in a salute. “Your Highness, when it comes to gathering intelligence and adapting to situations, Chen Ji truly surpasses your humble servant. I readily concede.”

The Crown Prince laughed heartily. “Lord Li, has anyone ever told you that your greatest virtue is your candor? These days, people who are willing to admit when others are better than them are rare.”

Li Xuan replied earnestly, “Your humble servant knows his own capabilities. However, Chen Ji is too worldly and driven by greed. He even dared to sell information concerning Your Highness. If Your Highness places significant trust in him, there’s no telling what else he might sell in the future… While he is respectful in his words towards Your Highness, he lacks true reverence in his heart.”

If Chen Ji had been there, he would surely have felt a chill.

The Commander of the Imperial Forest Army had pinpointed the biggest difference between Chen Ji and ordinary people: While commoners regarded their ruler as a father, Chen Ji, having transmigrated, inherently carried a critique of feudal dynasties within him, thus lacking reverence.

Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special lineage?

The Crown Prince gazed intently at the solitary city of Guyuan on the map, his voice calm. “The Qi, Yang, Hu, Xu, and Chen families – how many of them truly revere the majesty of the imperial family?”

Li Xuan’s expression turned serious. He knelt on one knee, cupping his hands, and said, “Your humble servant has lived under the patronage of the Qi family, dependent on others and suffering contempt day and night. Now that I have the opportunity to follow Your Highness, I will gladly go through fire and water for you, without hesitation.”

As he spoke, footsteps approached from outside the White Tiger Hall. The Crown Prince quickly helped Li Xuan to his feet, saying softly, “Lord Li, I understand your sentiment. Please rise quickly.”

Li Xuan rose and turned to look at Qi Zhenzhuo, who was striding in. He calmly asked, “It’s your turn for duty today. Why have you come in?”

Qi Zhenzhuo cupped his hands and reported, “Reporting to Your Royal Highness and Commander Li, your humble servant received a secret report from an informant. A brothel on Kucha Street called ‘Red Sleeve’ is a stronghold for Jing Dynasty spies.”

The Crown Prince seemed surprised. He smiled and looked at Li Xuan. “Deputy Commander Qi has actually placed informants in Guyuan’s civilian areas? It seems that even without brother Chen Ji, our Imperial Forest Army can still find Jing Dynasty spies through its own capabilities.”

Li Xuan felt bewildered. He knew perfectly well that Qi Zhenzhuo had never placed any informants. Where did this suddenly appearing informant come from?

He secretly glared at Qi Zhenzhuo, signaling him not to speak carelessly, but Qi Zhenzhuo gave him a reassuring look in return.

The Crown Prince asked curiously, “Deputy Commander Qi, when did you place these informants? I haven’t heard you mention it before.”

Qi Zhenzhuo quickly explained, “Your humble servant hasn’t been idle during my time in Guyuan. I’ve been quietly investigating the civilian areas and placing informants. As I had no results previously, I dared not report to Your Highness. Now that I’ve located the Jing Dynasty spies, I immediately came to inform you.”

The Crown Prince smiled broadly. “Since the border army won’t let us interfere with defensive matters, capturing some Jing Dynasty spies would help alleviate the concerns of General Hu and General Zhou… Deputy Commander Qi, if you can truly capture Jing Dynasty spies, you will take the top credit!”

Qi Zhenzhuo’s face lit up with joy.

Li Xuan cupped his hands. “Your Highness, I will immediately gather the men and proceed to Kucha Street to apprehend the Jing Dynasty spies.”

The Crown Prince shook his head. “I will go with you.”

Li Xuan looked troubled. “Your Highness, it’s getting late. You should rest early.”

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Li Xuan draped a pure white fox-fur cloak over the Crown Prince’s shoulders. The Crown Prince thought for a moment, then took off the cloak and tossed it onto the map. “Let’s emulate Chen Ji and blend into the civilian areas. All Imperial Forest Guards should remove their armor, change into civilian clothes, and go separately. Let’s not make a spectacle.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At midnight, over a hundred Imperial Guards on horseback filed out of the Commandery Office, splitting into three teams and galloping towards Kucha Street. They wore no armor and carried no torches or open displays of arms.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Kucha Street, Li Xuan silently gave hand signals. One team approached from the front street, another flanked from the back alley, and a third climbed onto the rooftops, moving swiftly across the gray tiled eaves.

Li Xuan stayed close to the Crown Prince, guarding him vigilantly, awaiting his subordinates to capture all the Jing Dynasty bandits inside the Red Sleeve brothel in one swoop.

In the cold wind, the Crown Prince, clad in white robes with narrow sleeves, his hair tied with a silver coronet, exuded a valiant and spirited aura.

Holding the reins, he asked softly, “Lord Li, have there been any signs of border army movements nearby?”

Li Xuan replied in a low voice, “Reporting to Your Highness, your humble servant specifically paid attention when we arrived, and there were none.”

The Crown Prince nodded. “This time, we must capture them alive. See if we can interrogate them to find the ‘big fish’ behind this.”

Just then, an Imperial Forest Guard ran over, knelt on one knee before the Crown Prince’s horse, and cupped his hands. “Your Highness, the Red Sleeve brothel is empty!”

“What?!” Qi Zhenzhuo exclaimed in surprise.

The Crown Prince turned his horse and rode to the entrance of the Red Sleeve brothel, where he dismounted and entered the building.

The candles in the Red Sleeve brothel were still burning, thick wax having dripped onto their holders. Yet, the tables, chairs, and benches were neatly arranged, and not a single soul was in sight.

The Crown Prince and Li Xuan both turned their heads to look at Qi Zhenzhuo, who had followed them in. Li Xuan demanded angrily, “What’s going on?”

Qi Zhenzhuo stammered for a long time, unable to utter a word.

Li Xuan raised the whip in his hand, ready to strike, but his hand suddenly froze mid-air. This brother-in-law was his wife’s beloved treasure; he truly couldn’t strike him.

A moment later, he said impatiently, “I’m asking you a question, speak up!”

Qi Zhenzhuo still refused to speak.

The Crown Prince put down Li Xuan’s raised hand and reassured him, “Deputy Commander Qi, perhaps something went wrong along the way. Why don’t you summon your informant and ask him? He might know something.”

Qi Zhenzhuo bowed his head and remained silent.

Enraged, Li Xuan roared, “Speak up then! Where is your informant? There’s no joking in the army; if you dare to falsely report military intelligence, beware of military law!”

Qi Zhenzhuo suddenly looked up and blurted, “Chen Ji!”

The Crown Prince was slightly startled. “Chen Ji?”

Qi Zhenzhuo said urgently, “It must have been Chen Ji who tipped them off, which is why the Jing Dynasty spies got the news in advance and evacuated the building!”

Li Xuan asked doubtfully, “How is Chen Ji involved again? What does he have to do with this?”

Qi Zhenzhuo had to bite the bullet and explain, “Tonight, between 9 PM and 11 PM, Chen Ji came to the Commandery Office. But Commander Chen had previously ordered that he not be allowed inside, so I took the initiative to stop him.”

Li Xuan raised his eyebrows. “And then?”

Qi Zhenzhuo explained, “Then he simply said that the Red Sleeve brothel on Kucha Street was a Jing Dynasty spy stronghold and left. I figured he must have held a grudge because I stopped him, so he secretly tipped off the Jing Dynasty spies.”

Li Xuan, exasperated, said, “If Chen Ji was the one who delivered the information, why did you deceive His Highness?”

Qi Zhenzhuo cringed. “I just didn’t want that kid to get too arrogant, always acting like a lone wolf, as if he’s the only capable one.”

The Crown Prince did not dwell on the matter, but instead looked at Li Xuan. “Lord Li, what do you think? Did Chen Ji really release the Jing Dynasty spies beforehand?”

Li Xuan didn’t answer. He paced inside the Red Sleeve brothel with powerful strides, occasionally lowering his head to examine subtle details.

After a long while, Li Xuan suddenly squatted on the ground and said, “The Jing Dynasty spies didn’t flee; they were killed.”

“Killed?” All eyes of the Imperial Forest Guards turned towards him.

Li Xuan pointed to a crack in the wooden floor. “Though the perpetrator cleaned this area, the bloodstains in the floor crack haven’t dried yet. Your Highness, look here as well: there are fresh knife slash marks on the table.”

Prompted by this, the Imperial Forest Guards looked around. “The gauze curtains here have also been slashed open!”

“And on the rafters too!”

“There’s also a severed finger here.”

This large Red Sleeve brothel, seemingly unharmed on the surface, was in reality a slaughterhouse permeated with the scent of blood. Every strike had been lethal, every blow incredibly brutal.

Li Xuan frowned. “The fighting covered the entire Red Sleeve brothel. I’m afraid many people died.”

Qi Zhenzhuo cautiously asked, “Did Chen Ji do all of this?”

Li Xuan shook his head. “I’m afraid not, unless he has many helpers here in Guyuan City… Could it be that the border army acted first again to silence them?”

The Crown Prince clasped his hands behind his back, looked around, and then smiled. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you going, Your Highness?” Qi Zhenzhuo asked, flustered.

The Crown Prince glanced sideways at him. “To ask your informant, Chen Ji. Perhaps he’ll know what happened.”

Qi Zhenzhuo’s face showed embarrassment. “Your Highness…”

The Crown Prince raised a hand to stop him. “Lord Li, Deputy Commander Qi, this brother Chen Ji indeed possesses extraordinary abilities. If we wish to achieve anything in Guyuan City, I’m afraid the two of you must set aside your past grievances and cooperate fully.”

Qi Zhenzhuo quickly agreed, “Yes, Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince asked, “You mentioned earlier that he lives at the Dragon Gate Inn?”

“Yes, it’s right next door.”

The Crown Prince laughed heartily. “Come, I’ll go and experience the long-renowned Dragon Gate Inn of Guyuan City myself.”

Li Xuan shot a fierce glare at Qi Zhenzhuo, then quickly followed.

They exited and turned right, arriving at the inn’s entrance after a few dozen steps. The Crown Prince quietly instructed, “Lord Li, assign two officers to accompany me inside. The rest of you stay nearby; don’t make a big show of it and scare the innkeeper.”

Li Xuan nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Qi Zhenzhuo eagerly pulled aside the cotton curtain for the Crown Prince, who bent his head and stepped over the threshold.

Inside the inn, the innkeeper stood behind the counter, holding a brush and checking accounts. Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, having just changed into clean clothes, entered from the back courtyard, shivering and rubbing their hands together, chilled to the bone.

At this moment, the Crown Prince asked gently, “Excuse me, innkeeper, does Chen Ji, the third young master of the Chen family, reside here?”

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu exchanged glances, then suddenly, uncontrollably furious, pulled cleavers from behind their waists. “The roof of Room A hasn’t even been repaired yet! You again? Chop him!”