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

Bai Xiqiao was so angry that he snatched the tea that Qi Xiao had just poured with his other hand and drank it all in one gulp. The hotness made him gasp. "How can this be compared? In Fuzhou Prefecture, you are the King of Chu."

"Oh, I'm not the King of Chu in Yuanjing?"

"Tsk tsk, are you trying to piss me off to death?"

Qi Xiao smiled and filled the two teacups in Bai Xiqiao's hands: "Have some tea."

"The original plan was that after arriving in Yuanjing, you would first meet with Noble Lady Lin to see if you could find out any information. After all, the harem is where information flows most frequently. Otherwise, since Lu Fangjin is now so popular with His Majesty and is constantly entertained by banquets, he would naturally be able to find some clues. But you, on the second day after arriving in the capital, immediately set off on a dangerous and precarious journey. What were you thinking?!"

Qi Xiao lowered his crossed legs, sat up straight, stopped laughing, and said seriously, "Brother, I'm just following the flow."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"I certainly didn't intend to rescue Tang Ling last night. Not doing anything would have been the best option, but since I'm doing it, I'll just do it openly. If I hadn't let Zong Sheng take Tang Ling away quickly, he would have left on his own, but he would have been stopped, which delayed him a bit. After all, Wanqinzhai doesn't dare offend Zhao Yi, and they can't afford to be accused of letting the suspect escape. The people from the Jingji Protectorate will come to Wanqinzhai and will definitely question everyone present. Do you think I can hide?"

Qi Xiao's words were absolutely correct. He knew very well in his heart that when Ye Huai and Zhao Yi just started fighting, he should have disappeared immediately while the chaos was going on.

"What happened last night is a done deal. I won't discuss it further. I'll just ask you, why did you go see Tang Ling just now? Don't tell me he was just there to thank you for your kindness, and you just went there to get a free meal."

Qi Xiao sighed softly: "Yes, I want to borrow the power of Xingluo Guard."

"Are you crazy?" Bai Xiqiao stood up and smashed all the teacups in his hands in an instant.

Zong Sheng rushed in when he heard the noise. Seeing Bai Xiqiao angry, he stepped forward and protected Qi Xiao behind him.

"Get out of the way." Bai Xiqiao stretched out his hand to push Zong Sheng away, but Zong Sheng was like an immovable wall, standing still.

"Zong Sheng, it's okay." Qi Xiao stood up, walked around to Zong Sheng, gave him a wink, and asked Zong Sheng to close the door.

Zong Sheng then moved away. Qi Xiao didn't let Zong Sheng go out, so he simply stayed in the house, in case Bai Xiqiao went crazy again, at least he could stop him.

"Brother, when General Bai got into trouble, you and I were still young. We only have a general idea of ​​what happened. Although General Bai died of illness on the way back to Yuanjing, we don't know why His Majesty suddenly and urgently summoned him back to the capital, or where he got the charges of stationing troops for self-reliance, colluding with people from the underworld, and intending to rebel. How did it later bring disaster to the Hanchen Sect? If the inside story was easy to investigate, we wouldn't have been running around like headless flies for so many years." Qi Xiao took a new teacup and poured tea for Bai Xiqiao, handing it to him, and said slowly, "Yesterday I saw Lu Fangjin, and I am even more certain that he is in danger at the moment. I'm afraid he will be in trouble soon. It's better to think of other ways to rely on him. As for my mother... if it weren't for the commotion last night, I'm afraid it would be a long time before I could see her again."

Bai Xiqiao frowned and looked at Qi Xiao. After a moment's silence, he said, "I don't want you to be in danger."

"Brother, this isn't just your blood feud. We already agreed on this."

***

Back in the twentieth year of Tianhua, six years ago, Qi Xiao had just arrived in Fuzhou Prefecture, in his second year. One day, while out hunting, he encountered a majestic wild horse at the foot of Fenglin Mountain and chased it all the way. Bai Xiqiao was also chasing the horse, and the two engaged in combat as soon as they met. Qi Xiao was young, and his martial arts skills weren't as good as Bai Xiqiao's, so he was nearly beaten by Bai Xiqiao. Fortunately, he brought Zong Sheng with him, and after a fight, he realized that the horse was Bai Xiqiao's, but he couldn't tame it, so it escaped, allowing Qi Xiao to discover it.

"My name is Bai Xiqiao. Whose family are you from? The martial arts skills of the guards around you are quite good."

"My name is Qi Xiao. He is Zong Sheng. Your martial arts are very good."

"Hehe, of course. My father is General Bai Liu of Huiyun, and my master is Gu Shanmo, the leader of Hanchen Sect."

"General Huiyun Bai Liu? Really?!"

"What are you lying to?"

Qi Xiao had no friends since he was a child. When he met Bai Xiqiao, who was of similar age and had excellent martial arts, he was quite interested in him. When he heard that Bai Xiqiao was the son of General Huiyun Bai Liu, he became even more yearning and asked Bai Xiqiao a lot of questions.

"Everyone says that General Huiyun is the God of War of our Great Chen. Tell me about it!"

Bai Xiqiao was a free and straightforward person. He was extremely satisfied with his father and admired him greatly. He praised his father endlessly when he spoke of him. He brought Qi Xiao into the Hanchen Sect that day without even having the chance to ask where Qi Xiao came from.

"Hey? You're not in the military camp, staying with the general. Why did you come to the Hanchen Sect?"

"My father and my master have a life-long friendship. I joined the Hanchen Sect since I was a child, and my father entrusted me to the care of my master. My father would come to the Hanchen Sect to see me whenever he had time."

"It's winter now, and the west side of Fenglin Mountain should be closed. There won't be any fighting. General Bai should be free, right? When will he come? Can I meet General Bai?"

"I haven't seen him recently. Just two days ago, my father received an imperial edict from Yuanjing and hurried off to Yuanjing. My father's cough and asthma become more severe in winter. I don't know how hard it would be for him to go back to Yuanjing now..."

Bai Xiqiao's brow furrowed as he spoke, his cheerful expression instantly vanishing. Qi Xiao then realized that Bai Liu had been shot in the chest during a battle years earlier. Although he narrowly escaped death, the arrow had damaged his lungs, leaving him with a chronic illness. He subsequently developed a cough and wheezing every time the weather changed, especially in winter, and his condition had worsened in recent years.

Everyone calls Bai Liu a god of war, but who would have considered that he was, after all, a mere mortal, a mere human being? Bai Liu had led his troops in battle for twenty years, his hair already graying despite being in the prime of his life. His father and brother were buried in Fenglin Mountain, as were the comrades who had fought alongside him in battle. He did not want his only son to be buried there like them. Back then, Bai Xiqiao was unaware, believing his father to be a peerless hero. Later, he gradually understood that even fame was a burden; his father's unwavering loyalty and sincerity could never withstand the treacherous power struggles of the court.

If Bai Liu had not died of illness on the way back to Yuanjing, but had returned to Yuanjing safely, the false charges might not only have cost Bai Liu's life and the lives of the Bai family, but would also have cast an indelible stain on General Huiyun's lifelong reputation.

But Bai Liu’s death was not the end of the matter. On the contrary, everything was just beginning.

Qi Xiao followed Bai Xiqiao into the Hanchen Sect, and then he confessed his identity. He used sweet words to make Bai Xiqiao, a newcomer, pretend to be his own brother. Relying on Bai Xiqiao's persistence, he became the disciple of the Hanchen Sect's leader Gu Shanmo, and began to practice martial arts and sword skills with Bai Xiqiao.

At that time, Qi Xiao longed to wield a sword in the martial arts world and also longed to make great achievements. He was unwilling to be the "King of Chu" and the son invisible to his father. He longed to be recognized and remembered, and to be called a hero of Dachen like Bai Liu.