Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"You were recognized by Tang Ling?"

In Chengming Hall, the emperor was practicing calligraphy, copying the "Thousand Character Essay in Cursive Script" by Monk Huaisu. Chi Yue was kneeling in front of the hall. The emperor looked at him, and his brushstrokes broke, making it difficult to continue. The entire piece of calligraphy was ruined, which made the emperor unhappy.

"Yes."

"Well... I recognize you, then I recognize you. In Yuanjing City, do the Xingluo Guards still have the ability to capture you alive or kill you?"

"Eight years ago, the Zhou State Capital and the Xingluo Guards combined were unable to capture me alive or kill me."

The emperor smiled gently. "Tang Ling can't be killed for now, so there's no rush. Do what you should do. As for Old Nine, he should know. There's no need to hide it."

"As ordered."

***

Qi Xiao stayed by Concubine Lin's side the whole time. Imperial Physician Fang was busy in Qiyun Palace the whole afternoon, personally giving Concubine Lin acupuncture and boiling medicine. It was not until Concubine Lin woke up that Qi Xiao's expression eased a little, and he finally felt relieved.

As dusk was approaching, Qi Xiao had already stayed in the palace for half a day. He felt it would be inappropriate to stay any longer. As soon as Concubine Lin woke up, she urged him to leave. Qi Xiao had no choice but to leave without worrying Concubine Lin.

When he left the palace, it was the time when day and night were changing and clouds were intertwined. The heavy darkness pressing down on his head made Qi Xiao breathless. He just wanted to go back quickly and hug Tang Ling.

When Qi Xiao returned to Yangxizhai, Tang Ling was not there. It was Chi Yue who was waiting for him. Qi Xiao was in a bad mood and did not want to pay attention to Chi Yue. Luo Yu's case had been settled and the military pay case was not urgent. However, Chi Yue looked serious, and even Zong Sheng had a strange look on his face. It seemed that this was not a trivial matter.

"I have something to discuss with Your Highness alone."

Qi Xiao glanced at Chi Yue and waved his hand to let Zong Sheng leave: "Go ahead."

"This afternoon, when Zong Sheng and I were returning, we ran into Young Master Tang Ling. I've met Young Master Tang once before, and unfortunately, he recognized me. I dare not hide this from Your Highness."

It was rare that there was no trace of laughter on Chi Yue's face. Instead, it was as cold and sharp as a knife. Although there was no murderous intent, there was a chill.

"Go on."

Qi Xiao had long known that Tang Ling could control the Xingluo Guards within Dachen. Even if Tang Ling knew His Majesty had assigned him to the Tiance Camp to investigate, it wouldn't matter. Given Tang Ling's temperament, she would have turned a blind eye and ignored everything. But now that Tang Ling wasn't waiting for him at Yangxizhai, it only meant that Chi Yue's identity was far more important than Qi Xiao had originally imagined. The fact that Chi Yue and Tang Ling had met before was incredible in itself.

"In the autumn of the sixteenth year of Tianhua, I was picked out of Wudu Prefecture by the Tiance Camp for a mission. Our target was Ni Jue, the then Grand Commander of Wudu Prefecture."

Chi Yue's words were smooth, with almost no ups and downs, as if he was talking about an old story that had nothing to do with him. But when Qi Xiao heard the name of the Grand Commander of the Capital Affairs Office, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and listen to Chi Yue quietly.

"From Yuanjing City to Yuanzhou Prefecture, I crossed Fenglin Mountain and entered Qi before the snow closed the mountains. In the spring of the seventeenth year, I was sold from Qi to Zhou, and in June I entered Ni Jue's mansion. The Dushi Mansion was heavily guarded, and Ni Jue was surrounded by many experts, making it difficult to navigate. The girl from the Xuanji Camp who was sent to Ni's mansion with me didn't make it through the first month, so I lost contact with the Xuanji Camp and didn't get a chance to send a message until half a year later. In the eighteenth year of Tianhua, I took advantage of Ni Jue's trip to Yujin with the emperor to escape the summer heat and plotted to kill him. While escaping, I happened to run into Master Tang, who was also accompanying the emperor, and it was Master Tang who spared my life."

After Chi Yue finished telling the old story, he looked at Qi Xiao and smiled slightly, as if he was no different from the past, but Qi Xiao couldn't laugh at all, and didn't even understand how he could laugh.

Qi Xiao didn't know about the old events of Zhou State's Capital Affairs Office eight or nine years ago, and it was the first time Qi Xiao heard of Ni Jue. However, the Capital Affairs Office was known to the world and it was a place where one could enter but not leave. It went without saying how dangerous it was to assassinate the Grand Commander of the Capital Affairs Office.

If it were just assassination, it would be fine; the Tian Ce Camp existed for that very purpose. But the mission was assigned to a child for a single reason: only the child could be close to Ni Jue, and only the child could be brought by Ni Jue to accompany him on his summer vacation to Yu and Jin... Chi Yue was Ni Jue's concubine, having spent a full year at the side of the Grand Commander of the Capital. Therefore, he couldn't disguise himself, and that's why Tang Ling was able to recognize him...

So... is this the Tiance Camp...

"I understand." Qi Xiao sighed unconsciously.

Qi Xiao opened his palm, and the small jade token of the Tiance Camp was already in his hand. The small jade token looked and felt like a very ordinary, ordinary token. Apart from the dragon lying on the auspicious cloud, there were no carved patterns. It was smooth, flawless, and translucent.

Qi Xiao raised his eyes and saw Chi Yue still standing there.

"What else?"

"Huang Zexian went out this afternoon and bought two jars of apricot blossom rain."

When Chi Yue spoke, there was a smile in his eyes and on the corners of his mouth, but Qi Xiao's expression became worse and worse, and his brows became more and more furrowed.

With so many servants in the guild hall, even if two jars of apricot blossom rain were worth platinum, it wouldn't be worth bothering Huang Zexian, the Zhou envoy, to make a personal trip. This was a case of trying to cover up one's mistake. Huang Zexian was too anxious, or rather, Tang Ling was too anxious.

Seeing Qi Xiao didn't respond for a while, Chi Yue continued, "My portrait has already been sent out of Yuanjing City. Does Your Highness have any solution?"

Qi Xiao glanced at Chi Yue. The playful smile in his eyes made Qi Xiao very unhappy. So he lowered his head again and continued to "admire" the small jade token in his hand. He slowly said: "Back then, they couldn't even catch a ten-year-old child. Now you are in Yuanjing City, what can they do to you if they get your portrait?"

This statement is exactly the same as your Majesty's!

Chi Yue almost wanted to laugh out loud, but he suppressed it with great effort. He coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and smiled, "Back then, Ni Jue couldn't believe that he had died at the hands of a child until the moment he breathed his last. It shows that things in this world are unpredictable and there is no absolute certainty."

Qi Xiao was much calmer than Chi Yue had expected. From the moment he learned that Tang Ling had recognized his identity as a member of the Tiance Camp, to hearing about the mission to assassinate Ni Jue, and then to learning that Tang Ling and Huang Zexian had sent his portrait, although Qi Xiao was surprised, shocked, and at a loss for a moment, he was much calmer and more composed than Chi Yue had expected. There was no nonsense, no stupid questions, and he grasped all the key points in Chi Yue's concise words.

Qi Xiao's attitude towards Chi Yue, and the look in his eyes, had not changed much. There was no useless pity, no panic fear, and no worldly disgust. This actually surprised Chi Yue a little. Qi Xiao really looked like His Majesty.

Qi Xiao slowly raised his eyes and looked at Chi Yue. "We're not at a disadvantage either. Compared to the Xingluo Guard's stronghold in Yuanjing City, your portrait is nothing. Your disguise skills are superb. Even if everyone in the Xingluo Guard is as meticulous as Tang Ling, they wouldn't be able to recognize you. Even if they did, with your Qinggong skills, you can always escape unscathed."

Chi Yue finally couldn't help laughing: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

"Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?"

Chi Yue tilted his head and blinked at Qi Xiao: "Your Highness is not worried about me or the Tiance Camp, but is worried about Young Master Tang?"

Qi Xiao turned his wrist, and the jade token in his palm disappeared in an instant. He imitated Chi Yue and slowly turned his head over: "Since there is nothing, you can go down."

Chi Yue made the same head tilting movement as a joke, but Qi Xiao made it as a silent threat.

Chi Yue smiled: "Yes."

After Chi Yue left, Qi Xiao couldn't help but sigh deeply. What should he do?

Why did Your Majesty give the Tiance Camp to him?

Without Chi Yue's help, Luo Yu's case wouldn't have been handled so smoothly, but Qi Xiao would have been able to investigate it just as well. Having him investigate alongside Pei Hao was a test of his abilities; having him solve the case effectively made Cao Weishan owe him a debt of gratitude, helping him to clarify the situation in Yuanjing. He was also a way to deter the various evildoers within the court.

Was Chi Yue's mission to monitor him? If so, why not just say Chi Yue was a secret guard? Why mention the Tiance Camp? Or should he say it in front of Pei Hao?

Things that Qi Xiao originally had no time to think about carefully, now he had to think about them carefully.