Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

The third prince is still young, and once the crown prince passes away, the emperor will be left without a son.

In the emperor's mind, he naturally could not allow imperial power to slip away and let a child who was not his close relative succeed him.

It's easy to understand why the Second Prince, who has committed so many heinous acts, has not been dealt with for so long!

Perhaps the ruthless second prince is still considered a suitable successor in the emperor's eyes?

Yu Wanran glanced deeply at the current emperor, concealing the doubt in her eyes, and stood respectfully behind Yan Cheng'an. She would never presume to answer questions that Yan Cheng'an could.

Until the emperor asked her directly.

"Is this Miss Yu, the one who knew about Zhan Ren?"

Yu Wanran stepped forward and curtsied: "Your Majesty, it is indeed I, your humble servant."

"She's an outstanding girl!"

The emperor glanced at her, narrowing his long, phoenix-shaped eyes.

"If you can help the fleet successfully find the medicine and return, I will reward you handsomely!"

He was overjoyed to be able to protect the crown prince! Given a choice, who would care about that rebellious son? However, he was not optimistic about the empress's determination to send people out to sea to find medicine.

So be it. Consider it a sacrifice of two large ships and hundreds of lives to give up on him and the Empress! Otherwise, people will blame him for watching the Crown Prince grow weaker and weaker without doing anything.

After offering some words of encouragement to Yan Cheng'an, the emperor, who was feeling listless, waved wearily, dismissing the two men.

As they exited the palace gates, a group of people came towards them, surrounding a young man dressed in a golden python robe.

The man had fair skin and a restless demeanor. A gloomy aura lurking in his eyes severely detracted from his handsome features, giving him an unsettling air.

"Your humble servant greets Your Highness the Second Prince!"

Yan Chengan stepped in front of Yu Wanran and bowed first.

Yu Wanran stood with the leading eunuch, bowing respectfully as they followed.

"I heard that Yan Ban Du has been quite busy lately."

Zhao Hongzheng stared at Yan Chengan, his eyes flashing with a venomous light.

Yan Cheng'an said frankly, "Serving His Highness the Crown Prince is only right and proper!"

"Then, I hope that Yan, my companion, will not disappoint my imperial brother's expectations?"

Zhao Hongzheng said something ominously, then turned and left.

He didn't notice that Yu Wanran, who was standing next to him, was the culprit behind his repeated failed schemes.

Yu Wanran's height, combined with her men's clothing, gave her an air of heroism. He mistook her for Yan Cheng'an's personal bodyguard.

Yan Cheng'an breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the other person walk away into the distance.

His Majesty is still willing to keep the Second Prince in check, but once the Crown Prince can no longer hold on, all resources will likely be tilted towards the Second Prince.

His political acumen was indeed lacking. Recently, his father and elder brother had a serious talk with him, and he realized how fatally he had neglected these matters before!

Because his family had served as the Crown Prince's companion during his childhood, they had long been aligned with the Crown Prince. It wouldn't be enough for him to simply consider the Crown Prince a friend!

The Crown Prince is not only the heir apparent, but also a powerful protector for the Yan family in the future! Their fate is intertwined with the Crown Prince's; they share both glory and ruin.

Given the Second Prince's temperament, if he succeeds in ascending the throne, it will be the end of the Yan family!

The Yan family spared no effort in providing financial and human resources for this search for medicine. Rescuing the Crown Prince was their family's only hope for survival.

In the past, when the Yan family heard of Yu Wanran's existence, they would scold him. Now, their constant refrain is: "You must protect that Miss Yu! Even if it costs you your life, you will not hesitate!"

Yan Cheng'an glanced silently at "that Miss Yu" beside him.

Unbeknownst to them, the two of them had become comrades-in-arms who had to entrust their lives to each other.

"Let's leave the palace quickly!"

Yu Wanran felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

I haven't done anything to this person recently, so why is their gaze so resentful?

The next day, under a clear and sunny sky, Yu Wanran led two warships and set sail. They first sailed out of Yanghe River and then into Linmenhai Sea.

The naval commander in charge of navigation initially disdained to follow Yu Wanran's orders.

Until Yu Wanran could recite the names of several shipping routes in the waters near Dazhao and the ship's helmsmanship and construction techniques.

She could even accurately determine direction by observing the sun and stars, guiding two warships to avoid reefs and whirlpools. Everyone was convinced of her abilities!

This doesn't look like a novice who's just talking about military strategy on paper at all. He's clearly a seasoned seaman with decades of experience!

Of course, no one thought about it too deeply.

Yan Cheng'an and the others were overjoyed that they had managed to bring Yu Wanran onto the warship to search for medicine at sea. Wangyou couldn't help but wonder why she had never seen her master display this talent before, back in the Duke's mansion.

Is my master's master really so learned that he is even proficient in navigation?

He preferred to believe that his master was exceptionally gifted and had learned all of this on his own. Otherwise, it was simply too incredible!

Anticipating that the Second Prince would be unwilling to accept defeat and would cause trouble, Yu Wanran instructed Yan Chengan and Gao Huaien to intentionally let some spies slip through during the initial screening of personnel.

To prevent the Second Prince from sending more people, the consequences of not being able to eliminate them would be even more terrible.

Only after the fleet set sail and the sea was calm did Yu Wanran order the spies to be dragged out and thrown into the sea to feed the fish!

Having eliminated their anxieties, they set sail without any worries.

They traveled through several small coastal countries, where Yu Wanran used gifts and the gentle local language to foster camaraderie. She also inquired about rumors surrounding the Cham people and the fire coral.

Finally, in a remote seaside fishing village, they found an old sailor who had returned home to live in seclusion due to injury.

After accepting the two gold bars from Yu Wanran, the other party readily began to chat.

"I've never heard of Fire Coral, but our ships went to Champa once. Pirates roam there, and my leg was broken by a falling mast during one of their attacks."

He sighed and suggested to Yu Wanran.

"Although we managed to escape, the pirates in that area are truly rampant! They seem to be colluding with the Cham people, plundering passing ships? You'd better not even think about going to such dangerous waters!"

Yu Wanran didn't explain her own situation, thanked the unfortunate old sailor, and left the fishing village with Yan Cheng'an and Gao Huai'en. Then, she told the two, who were completely bewildered by the language barrier, what the other party had said.

Gao Huaien was eager to try.

"As long as Champa truly exists! What pirates? My mighty Zhao state, do you think I'm afraid of a bunch of bandits?"

The two warships were equipped with the most elite sailors and cannons of the Great Zhao Dynasty. They had something to rely on, not to mention pirates; even if they were to attack a small, backward country, they would have something to rely on.

This time, the preparations for the voyage were indeed more thorough than for previous merchant ships. Yu Wanran did not refute Gao Huaien's words, but only said one sentence.

"Caution comes first!"

Among the dark forces at sea, the pirate gang led by "Blackbeard" is the most rampant. These guys commit all sorts of atrocities, and few of their victims survive.

If they were to meet again, this time, Yu Wanran would definitely seek justice for herself and her crew from her previous life!