Chapter 15

Jiang Xiurun had self-awareness. Her words just now did not resolve any of the prince’s headaches. When she deduced that the iron-clad ship had left early, Feng Liwu did not show any surprise, indicating that he was already informed.

If her guess was correct, the ship next to the Liang State grain ship should have been arranged by Feng Liwu, just to avoid arousing suspicion and to estimate the cargo on board without alerting anyone. As for the matter of tracking down the refined iron next, the prince should already have a plan in mind.

So, coming to the dock this time, besides freezing her half to death and testing the capabilities of the strategists and retainers under his care, was truly useless.

In summary, being a high-ranking and influential retainer of the Crown Prince was not easy!

Pity those strategists who inadvertently revealed their foolishness; it was uncertain whether the Prince would still value and use them in the future.

However, after the prince flashed a smile like the return of sunlight, Jiang Xiurun finally passed the test.

Perhaps having had enough of the cold wind by the dock, Feng Liwu said to Jiang Xiurun, “Today, don’t return to your brother’s residence. Stay temporarily at the Crown Prince’s residence. Wait until your residence is quiet, then go back.”

Jiang Xiurun, unsure of how the Prince planned to make her residence “quiet,” hesitated and said, “There are still my elder brother and a few loyal servants at home. I don’t know if it will disturb them?”

Feng Liwu ignored such trivial details and just stood up and said, “This matter is Qin Zhao’s responsibility. If you have any concerns, talk to him.”

Knowing that she and Qin Zhao had a strained relationship, Feng Liwu entrusted the matter that involved her life and death to him. What medicine the prince was selling in his gourd was hard to figure out.

When Feng Liwu assured her protection, Jiang Xiurun’s crisis did not dissipate.

Qin Zhao knew about her identity as a woman but kept it a secret. It hung over her head like a guillotine, causing her great anxiety.

The Crown Prince’s residence was large. The steward found her a room in the west wing and assigned a servant to attend to her daily needs.

Jiang Xiurun was not a man; how could she allow a male servant to serve her intimately? After he brought hot water, she waved him away to rest.

There was no hand warmer in the dock, and her hands were getting numb. Due to frostbite in her hands during her previous life, even with careful care later on, it would still recur in the winter.

Her hands were as fair as before, but today’s chill brought back unpleasant memories from her past.

Slowly immersing her hands in the basin, Jiang Xiurun silently reminded herself that she would never endure the hardships of her past life in this life.

At that moment, she heard a door in the courtyard where she stayed make a slight noise.

In no time, Qin Zhao, who had been freezing for two hours below Lu Ming Terrace, pushed open the door and walked in.

The room, which was not large to begin with, felt even more cramped as the tall man entered.

He didn’t say anything upon entering; he only stared at Jiang Xiurun with a piercing gaze.

This scene was so similar to the past!

Jiang Xiurun’s hands were slightly trembling. In her past life, she had always been protected by her elder brother, having no ability to defend herself. When Qin Zhao intruded into the wooden house where she temporarily stayed, she could only cry out helplessly.

Silently reminding herself that she was no longer the weak girl from before, she remained silent until Qin Zhao approached. Then, she slowly wiped her hands with a towel and said, “The servant is boiling water, and there is no hot tea in the room at the moment. If you don’t mind, please have some cold tea.”

This polite remark served both as a reminder and a warning to Qin Zhao that this was the Crown Prince’s residence and that there would be servants coming in soon. He should not act recklessly.

Qin Zhao had heard that Jiang Xiurun was temporarily staying at the Crown Prince’s residence and used that as an excuse to come and ask her for an outer robe.

However, upon entering the room and seeing the girl dressed as the Prince of Bo State sitting in front of the basin washing her hands, whether due to the dim night light or the delicate figure, something else seemed to grow secretly in his heart, causing a tickling sensation…

But before he could figure out what he was thinking, the girl spoke calmly.

This startled him back to his senses, and he found himself sitting in her room, sipping cold tea.

Jiang Xiurun remained vigilant. After wiping her hands, she kept one hand inside her sleeve, hiding a dagger. If Qin Zhao had any malicious intentions, she would risk her life rather than let him succeed.

Qin Zhao sat comfortably with his legs slightly apart, leisurely surveying her from top to bottom. Finally, he asked, “Why like this?”

Jiang Xiurun knew he was asking about her cross-dressing. Sitting upright, she avoided looking at him and replied, “I don’t want to follow my father’s wishes, and it’s more convenient this way.”

Qin Zhao stared at her intently and asked, “What about the royal decree…”

Afraid that the crafty Crown Prince might have informants everywhere and that the walls had ears, she quickly interrupted Qin Zhao’s words, simply responding with a nod, indicating that she had made some arrangements.

At this moment, Qin Zhao seemed to have lost the sarcastic tone he used to have when facing her. Instead, he scrutinized her with a meaningful look and said, “You’ve got quite the courage!”

Jiang Xiurun remained silent, but a vague uneasiness lingered in her heart. Now, many of her vulnerabilities seem to have fallen into the hands of Qin Zhao. He wasn’t exactly a noble gentleman; his fondness for the fairer sex was an ingrained trait.

If he didn’t inform the Crown Prince, she would be at his mercy. Continuing like this was not the kind of freedom she sought in this life.

Seeing Jiang Xiurun stay silent for a long time, her long eyelashes gently drooping, casting a fan-shaped shadow, Qin Zhao felt an itch in his heart. He wanted to get closer to her and have a conversation.

However, at that moment, the Crown Prince’s personal guard came looking for Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao, having concealed something from the Crown Prince, felt a bit uneasy. Seeing that the Crown Prince had specially sent someone to find him, he didn’t dare stay longer. Following the guard, he left Jiang Xiurun’s room.

When he arrived at the Crown Prince’s study, Feng Liwu was bent over, reviewing memorials. The Emperor’s health was “unwell,” and now most state affairs were handled by him, inevitably leading to some late-night work.

Seeing Qin Zhao come in, Feng Liwu put down his brush, rubbed his straight nose, and then looked at him, saying, “I heard that Prime Minister Qin has already found a marriage proposal for you—a daughter from the Xu family in Jiangxi. Elegant and virtuous, a suitable wife. Congratulations in advance.”

The Prime Minister Qin mentioned by Feng Liwu was Qin Zhao’s father.

Originally, Qin Zhao didn’t care about who he married, as his father’s choice wouldn’t be lacking in any way. However, now he couldn’t help but nitpick. Did the woman his father selected for him have that smooth and slippery skin?

Seeing his distracted state, Feng Liwu guessed his thoughts and casually said, “You’ve been with me for a long time, and in my heart, you’re like a brother. If it’s just for amusement, playing around with those fake phoenixes is fine, but if it spreads, it’s not appropriate. The Xu family values Confucian rites, and the marriage your father has painstakingly arranged should be cherished.”

This afternoon, he noticed the unusual behavior between the two of them in the Feng Residence. It might not have meant much, but Qin Zhao, who was not on duty tonight, specially came back to the residence to ask for clothes from the young master…

This wasn’t seeking revenge; it had a bit of the impetus of a young lad sticking close to a boy! If the two were of the same mind, he wouldn’t bother, but observing Jiang Xiurun’s obvious fear of Qin Zhao, he couldn’t help but feel some natural sympathy. Since the Prince of Bo could still be of use, providing him with some protection wouldn’t hurt. Therefore, he specifically had someone summon Qin Zhao to give his favorite general a bit of a lesson, so he wouldn’t be constantly hanging around Jiang Xiurun.

At first, Qin Zhao found the situation confusing, but later he realized that the Crown Prince had actually misunderstood him, thinking that he was interested in same-sex relationships. How did it come to this?

He wanted to explain hastily, but Feng Liwu felt that he had spent too much time on these worldly matters and didn’t want to discuss them further.

Next, Feng Liwu instructed Qin Zhao to eliminate the trouble caused by the guards at Prince Bo’s residence. After giving a few orders, he waved his hand, letting Qin Zhao leave.

On the second night of Jiang Xiurun’s temporary stay at the Crown Prince’s residence, thieves infiltrated her mansion. Besides Jiang Zhi himself, who was out visiting friends and hadn’t returned, and two maids he brought with him, along with a guard named Zhao Guo, all the other guards in his residence met a tragic end.

As soon as this incident occurred, the entire alley was sealed off. Neighbors watched as officials from the yamen carried bodies out on stretchers.

No one could believe that in Lu’an City, known for its good public order, there could be such rampant thieves.

The situation clearly indicated that there was a powerful figure in the capital eliminating dissidents with brutal methods. The bloody approach was beyond imagination.

Jiang Zhi, upon hearing that all his guards had been killed, was scared out of his wits. He could only temporarily stay in a nearby inn, feeling lost and helpless, sending Zhao Guo to inquire about his sister’s situation.

Previously, he had felt uneasy when he heard that the Crown Prince had invited his sister to stay for a few days. Now, with the tragic deaths, he naturally suspected that his sister had exposed her identity, provoking the Crown Prince’s anger.

Anxious to find his sister at the Crown Prince’s residence, Qin Zhao, the general of the Crown Prince’s guards, had people watching over them, preventing them from going anywhere.

Bai Qian comforted Jiang Zhi in a low voice, saying that she would sneak out when night fell to try to gather information about the young master.

However, at that moment, Jiang Xiurun arrived in a carriage to visit them.

Jiang Xiurun didn’t say much to her brother, but she revealed to him the plot by Shen Yong to assassinate her and silence her forever.

The surviving guard, Zhao Guo, who had escaped the massacre, had no reason to hide any longer. He candidly revealed the instructions given by Shen Yong.

Jiang Zhi was shocked and furious, wanting to write a letter to explain the situation to the emperor. However, Jiang Xiurun stopped her naive brother. He might not understand yet, but the moment their father sent them away, he was no longer fit to be a father.

As abandoned children, they were not worthy of having a noble uncle to elevate their status.

Jiang Xiurun gave Zhao Guo enough gold and provided him with a false identity to secretly return to his hometown and bring his old mother elsewhere to start a new life.

The official list of deceased displayed by the government included Zhao Guo’s name, but he only faked his death. This way, Shen Yong wouldn’t suspect him of betraying and informing, bringing trouble to his family.

The amount of gold given was too much for Zhao Guo to earn even in a lifetime as a guard. He was extremely grateful and left in a hurry.

After settling everything, when Jiang Xiurun looked in the direction of her family’s residence, apart from the gate of the inn, she couldn’t help but sigh softly. She had hoped to sell the mansion at a high price, but who knew that in just one night, it had turned into a cursed place!

Before Jiang Xiurun could lament further, the mastermind behind the troubles came to seek credit and reward.