"Father, what do you mean by that?"

“Those bandits were clearly arranged by Zhao Cheng.”

How do you know?

"The bandits killed and looted, killing all those who accompanied you. Why did they spare the three of you? It's because Zhao Cheng gave instructions not to harm my Wang Ren's family. These are extraordinary times. If they harm my Wang Ren's family, Zhao Cheng fears things will get out of hand."

Wang Ren sat back down in his chair, held up three thick fingers, and said, "Son, there are three things in you who are inferior to Zhao Cheng."

"Your IQ is not as high as his."

"The experts around you are not as good as him."

“Your heart…” Wang Ren hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s not as dark as his.”

"With these three inferiorities, how can you possibly fight him?"

Wang Yuluan sighed dejectedly and said, "Mother also said that you should make the decision; the matter of revenge can only be left to Father."

"Don't think about this for now."

"father……"

Wang Ren raised his hand to interrupt Wang Yuluan and said, "When I was a child, I taught you brothers a principle: what should you do when you are no stronger than your enemy?"

Wang Yuluan thought for a moment and said, "Strengthen ourselves."

Wang Ren nodded and said, "Your elder brother got carried away just because he was granted the title of Zhaoyong General by the imperial court and forgot this saying. His fate is sealed, but you must not forget it."

Wang Yuluan clenched his fists and nodded heavily.

...

"Your Highness, Chen Chong has arrived."

As the servant was applying medicine to Zhou Jinghuan's face, someone outside announced that someone was outside.

Afraid of aggravating his injured muscles and causing too much pain, Zhou Jinghuan didn't dare to speak loudly, and whispered, "Let him in."

The door opened, and Chen Chong, with short hair and a cloth strip hanging vertically on his back, walked in and asked with concern, "Your Highness, are you alright?!"

"He's not dead."

"It was my dereliction of duty!" Chen Chong clasped his hands and said, "I should have stayed by your side every step of the way!"

"It was I who ordered you to do this; it has nothing to do with you."

Zhou Jinghuan adjusted his posture and looked at Chen Chong, saying, "I have also thought about it. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. It is better that you are not here."

"Why is that?" Chen Chong asked, puzzled.

"If you're not here, I'll at most get a beating. But if you are, how could those people in the General's Mansion be a match for you, the successor of the Hunyuan Sword? The state banquet hasn't even started yet, and we've already beaten up the son of the main character. How are we supposed to negotiate with the Emperor of Jingguo then?"

"But you are a prince, how can you suffer such humiliation?!"

"None of that matters. Don't forget why His Majesty sent me here. As long as we can settle the matter with the Second Prince, this little grievance of mine is nothing!"

"Just this once!" Chen Chong said through gritted teeth, "I will never allow anyone to harm Your Highness again!"

"Mmm, I know you're loyal."

Zhou Jinghuan glanced upwards, staring at the strip of cloth on Chen Chong's back, and asked, "Is there a sword wrapped inside?"

Chen Chong nodded.

“Envoys are prohibited from bringing ironware and bows and crossbows into Changsui. You think you can just cover them up? Don’t treat the officers and soldiers of Changsui like fools.”

"Your Highness, my sword is not made of iron."

"What's that?"

"Black copper".

Seeing Chen Chong's serious expression, Zhou Jinghuan patiently said, "Chen Chong, you may not have fully understood what I mean... What I mean is, if you go out on your own and are investigated by the soldiers, do you think they can distinguish whether your sword is made of iron or bronze?"

Chen Chong said, "I won't go out on my own. I will protect the Prince every step of the way. No one will dare to investigate if I stand behind the Prince!"

Zhou Jinghuan: "..."

"I've been talking to you for nothing... Ouch!" Zhou Jinghuan patted the servant applying the medicine and shouted, "Be gentle!!"

...

Suiyue Tower, second floor private room.

Cai Yilu set up two tables in the private room: one for the soldiers and the other for Zhao Cheng, Zhao Wu, Xia Qi, and Qiu Shu.

Zhao Cheng saw that this guy was very good at handling things. Not only did he order all the Changsui dishes, but he also ordered a small portion of Yanchuan dishes. Before the dishes were served, he chatted with the soldiers, which made the ten soldiers have a good impression of him and they all relaxed.

"We've arrived at our destination. Eat and drink as much as you like!" Fearing that the soldiers would be caught in the middle, Zhao Cheng decided to let them relax.

Now that we are under the emperor's nose, even if someone targets us, it won't be a large-scale attack.

But if it's an assassination, Zhao Wu is there openly, and Zhou Chuan and his sister are there covertly. They are enough, and the guards won't be of any use.

The main reason is that Zhao Cheng believes Cai has no malicious intent.

Zhao Cheng not only trusted his own feelings, but also observed Cai Yilu's eyes and details along the way. There was nothing suspicious about him; he was just someone who wanted to curry favor with her.

Of course, such a friendly relationship wouldn't be without reason, and his true intentions would probably only be revealed during their drinking session.

"Hahaha, listen to this! How good the young prime minister is to you! He's already spoken, so drink as much as you want! Let me tell you, we Yun Jing people dare not drink too much of Chang Sui's wine; it's definitely stronger than your Yan Chuan wine!"

Cai greeted the soldiers well before sitting down next to Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng asked, "Brother Cai, are you from Yunjing?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

“Yun Jing is on the southern border, quite far from Chang Sui.”

"Doing business inevitably involves leaving your hometown, as long as you can make money, that's all that matters!"

"It seems Brother Cai is doing quite well in business."

"I won't starve, hahaha!"

Cai Yilu got up to pour wine for Zhao Cheng and Zhao Wu. Zhao Wu pressed his finger against the cup and shook his head, saying, "I don't drink."

Cai Yilu nodded without trying to dissuade her, but instead looked at Xia Qiqiu and asked, "Ladies..."

He turned to look at Zhao Cheng.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!