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

Zong Sheng knelt down in response. Deception was the biggest taboo. Although what he said just now was not a lie, he did want to hide it because he spoke too quickly. After being ruthlessly exposed by Qi Xiao, he felt ashamed to serve Qi Xiao.

"Get up. What nonsense." Qi Xiao frowned. "When did we have the rule of kneeling as punishment here?"

Zong Sheng stood up and said with a deep breath, "Chi Yue is an orphan. He's been wandering the streets begging for food and doing petty thefts since he was little. It's said that he was caught stealing a purse from the family of an official in Wudu Prefecture. It took quite a bit of effort to capture him, and the Wudu Prefecture took a liking to him and recruited him."

Wudu Prefecture has always been open about recruiting children, as long as they are willing. Beggars and orphans have no one to rely on and no worries, so they have always been favored by Wudu Prefecture, especially someone with good aptitude like Chi Yue. It is natural for him to enter Tiance Prefecture later.

Zong Sheng lowered his head, his childhood memories remarkably clear, things he had long thought he had forgotten. "At first, there were over a hundred children, and we were only given thirty steamed buns a day. If you couldn't grab any, you'd go hungry. Chi Yue was small, and on the first day, the older kids tried to bully him, but he beat them up. Later, they became afraid of him, so Chi Yue took the opportunity to subdue them and became their little bully. He'd snatch all thirty steamed buns, leaving only those who followed his lead to have a chance to eat."

Qi Xiao almost couldn't help laughing. It turned out that Zong Sheng was bullied when he was a child. He had been holding this grudge for more than ten years. It was probably not just a matter of a few steamed buns.

"I went hungry for a day and knew I couldn't go on like this. Every day after lunch, I'd team up with a few other kids to fight them. We always lost, but occasionally we'd snatch back a steamed bun or two to fill our stomachs. From the fifth day on, someone couldn't hold on any longer and was dragged away. Later, no one dared to mess with him anymore, except me..."

Qi Xiao seemed to have never heard Zong Sheng talk so much before, and was actually a little surprised. He also understood why Zong Sheng was finally placed with him and failed to enter the Tiance Camp. He was a stubborn person. Once he made up his mind, he would not change. He would be the most loyal guard.

Chi Yue, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was quick-witted, adapting to the situation at a young age and ruthless. Even against children his own age, he felt no sympathy or guilt. Regardless of the situation, he was focused solely on the goal and the means, devoid of any emotion. The terrifying thing was that he didn't need to be taught; it seemed to come naturally. He was a born spy and assassin.

Zong Sheng seemed to suddenly realize that he had said too much. He paused before saying, "We trained together in Wudu Prefecture for five years. After the final exam, we haven't seen each other since. I didn't expect him to join the Tiance Camp."

"Not surprising." Qi Xiao smiled and suddenly raised his voice and said, "Come in."

Chi Yue and Bai Xiqiao came back when Zong Sheng talked about his first time entering Wudu Prefecture, and they stood in the corridor and eavesdropped.

Chi Yue had been scolded by Qi Xiao and didn't dare to act recklessly anymore. He followed Bai Xiqiao inside obediently with a smile on his face, which seemed both flattering and innocent. It was strange that such contradictory feelings really appeared on Chi Yue's face at the same time, which made Qi Xiao even more curious. Are the people in Tiance Camp so interesting?

"Let's talk about serious matters." Qi Xiao looked at Chi Yue and asked, "With your skills, can you sneak into the residence of the Dali Temple Minister in the middle of the night, kill people, set fire, and get away with it?"

Chi Yue smiled calmly, as if he was measuring every detail carefully, and replied, "If it's His Majesty's order, I can do it. If it's His Highness' order, I can't do it."

Qi Xiao smiled and said, "It seems we still need to follow the rules."

"Chi Yue dared not be disrespectful to His Highness, nor did he dare to tell a single lie to His Highness."

"I'll spare you this time. Then let me ask you again, with Zongsheng's skills, can he do it?"

Chi Yue thought for a moment and said, "I can do it."

"What did you just think of?"

"Escape from the Dali Temple's residence is easy, but evading the patrols of the Jingji Protectorate and the Five City Guards is difficult. The incident last night must have occurred at the hour of the first lunar month, and the fire started at two quarters past the hour. Lord Luo's residence is in Qinghuafang, close to Chongmingfang, and on the main street. Once the fire started, the patrols in the district would have been on high alert, and the Five City Guards would have arrived within a cup of tea, yet they didn't even touch the corner of his clothes, or even see his figure."

Chi Yue raised his eyes and looked at Qi Xiao. He probably didn't need to say anything next.

Murder and arson were committed by two people. The Dali Temple Minister was assassinated, and there were people in the mansion to deal with the aftermath, so no one was seen. It was useless for Cao Weishan to be as anxious as a top.

Qi Xiao finished his glass of water, put down the teacup, and asked, "Chi Yue, since His Majesty has asked you to come, you must have extraordinary abilities. How are you going to help me with this case?"

"Your Highness, it's already midnight. Why don't you take a break and go for a walk with me at the beginning of the first hour?"

"it is good."

It was the dead of night, the moon dark and the wind high. The quiet night should have been peaceful, but at that moment, the Yuan capital was filled with a solemn and murderous atmosphere. Inspections were strictly enforced between each ward, with the Five City Guards and the Capital Protectorate patrolling the streets in shifts. Not even rats dared to venture out, let alone people.

At midnight, Qi Xiao, Zong Sheng, and Bai Xiqiao followed Chi Yue out. All four wore black night clothes, dressed like thieves. They scaled walls and traversed streets and alleys, and under Chi Yue's guidance, they evaded the checkpoints and patrols of the Jingji Protectorate, the Five City Guards, and the Five Capitals, and successfully reached the residence of Luo Yu, the murdered Supreme Court official.

The four of them climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard, entering the inner house unimpeded and stepping into the study that was half burned down.

Zong Sheng and Bai Xiqiao were both amazed. The Yuan capital was under strict inspection and patrols, so how could it be so smooth? A major crime had just occurred in the residence of the Supreme Court Justice the previous night, and the Jingji Protectorate had sent troops to seal off the courtyard. And yet, the four of them had entered without encountering any obstacles?

Qi Xiao couldn't help but roll his eyes. If His Majesty knew about this, Cao Weishan would be in danger.

Bai Xiqiao said, "The defenses may seem tight now, but they still can't prevent the coming and going of experts."

Chi Yue interjected, "A major crime has occurred in Luo Mansion. Although the Jingji Duhufu has sent guards and doubled the number of the five city guards patrolling the city, no one expected us to come again in the middle of the night, so naturally they slacked off. As for the checkpoints between the various districts and the patrols within the districts, it's not too difficult to avoid them as long as you know the time and route."

Qi Xiao waved his hand: "Let's proceed as planned."

"Yes." Chi Yue and Zong Sheng responded in unison, and they went in two different directions and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.

The empty courtyard, the dilapidated and collapsed house, seemed to still smell the burnt stench left by the fire. Luo Yu's study was filled with books, which caught fire easily, more easily than dry firewood. The house had not been renovated in some years, and a beam was unstable. When the fire started, the house collapsed soon, leaving it in this tragic state.