Chapter 24

[Male protagonist's perspective]

The night was as dark as ink.

Inside the study of the Prince of An's mansion, the candlelight flickered, casting Tang Pu's figure onto the wall behind him, creating a huge and silent silhouette.

Before him lay a huge map of the capital region. However, his gaze did not fall on the map, but was fixed on the several scrolls on the corner of the table that he regarded as top secret.

The top scroll contains the final design of the "Fujian ship," which was just sent back from the coast of the East China Sea by express courier. The streamlined hull and the gun ports reserved for the installation of heavy cannons at any time—every detail silently mocks the ridiculous disguise of a "merchant ship."

Beneath the blueprints lay a thick inventory of goods. Listed on it were not only silks and spices, but also mountains of grain, tens of thousands of kilograms of iron ore, and enough high-quality timber to arm a small army. This was just the tip of the iceberg of what he had risked his life to uncover from Cui Yunshu's heavily guarded secret warehouse.

Further down were detailed files on the corruption scandal involving the canal transport in Jiangnan. Cui Yunshu's almost uncanny "prophecy," and the precise strategies she provided to her brother Cui Yuanjue—strategies powerful enough to deliver a fatal blow to the Second Prince's faction—were now seen by him not merely as cleverness, but as a perfect, strategic "training exercise." She not only dealt a heavy blow to her political enemies but also tested the Eastern Palace's and the Cui family's ability to coordinate operations in court.

Furthermore, the "Yunjian Pavilion" and "Jinghuayuan" shops scattered throughout the country, seemingly commercial outposts, are in fact... the most perfect civilian intelligence and logistics network covering the entire Qin territory.

All the clues, all the evidence, and all the doubts were perfectly connected at this moment by that "quasi-warship" blueprint, like a golden thread.

Tang Pu slowly closed his eyes, and a clear, complete, and logically rigorous "truth" took shape in his mind.

Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng, the seemingly gentle and unassuming heir apparent, is actually ambitious, patiently biding his time, and plotting... a rebellion.

And Cui Yunshu, this seemingly detached young lady known for her laziness and charming naiveté, is actually the Crown Prince's most deeply hidden and sharpest pawn! She is his chief strategist, silently preparing troops, supplies, and paving the way for his upcoming "great undertaking" that will overthrow the entire Qin Dynasty!

Once the thought took hold, it could no longer be contained. It grew wildly, explaining all of Tang Pu's confusion about Cui Yunshu.

Why did she mutter "Three years later, it will be too late" at the spring banquet? Because that was the date they had planned for their uprising!

Why does she possess strategic acumen and insight far beyond her years? Because from the very beginning, she has shouldered a responsibility that ordinary people cannot imagine!

Why did she stockpile strategic resources and build quasi-warships? Because what she coveted was never some incredibly wealthy commercial empire, but... the world!

Tang Pu suddenly opened his eyes, and those usually lazy eyes were now burning with an unprecedented, fervent light.

Instead of feeling angry at being deceived, he felt an indescribable excitement mixed with shock, admiration, and fervent enthusiasm. He was like a lone mountaineer climbing a treacherous peak, suddenly discovering that on this perilous path, there was someone else sharing the same goal... a fellow traveler.

He could no longer stand idly by.

He could no longer remain a "business partner," observing and probing from the sidelines in his ridiculous manner. He had to step forward, stand before her, and tell her that he was willing... to stand by her side!

Tang Pu extinguished the candle, changed into a black outfit suitable for nighttime movement, and like an agile cheetah, silently blended into the deep night.

He was going to find her; he wanted to ask her directly.

He wanted her to know that from now on, she was not fighting alone.

[Cui Residence, Qing Shu Courtyard]

The night was cool as water, and the moonlight was like silk.

Cui Yunshu had just seen off her mother, Song, who had come to visit, and was preparing to go back to her room to rest. The many affairs she had handled at the shop during the day had left her feeling somewhat tired.

Her life is now busy and fulfilling. Watching her business empire expand every day and seeing the money flowing into her warehouse like snowflakes, the fear she once felt about the future seems to have been greatly diminished by this tangible sense of accomplishment.

The fleet of ships that was working day and night in the secret bay was her greatest comfort. She often dreamed of leading her family on the "Kunpeng," the most sturdy ship she had designed herself, sailing away from this place of trouble to a new and free world.

Just as she stepped into the courtyard, preparing to enter the house, a swift, dark shadow flashed out from the shadows of the courtyard wall without warning, silently landing in front of her and blocking her path.

"Who?!" Atao exclaimed in surprise, instinctively stepping in front of Cui Yunshu.

Cui Yunshu's heart skipped a beat, but when she saw the man's handsome face, which was clearly defined in the moonlight, her heart sank instantly.

It was Tang Pu.

His sneaking into the Cui residence late at night and appearing before me in this manner was definitely not for "tea".

"It's rather... improper for the young prince to visit so late at night." Cui Yunshu dismissed the pale-faced Atao and spoke with forced composure, her voice carrying a hint of coldness.

Tang Pu did not answer her. He simply looked at her quietly, his deep eyes appearing particularly solemn in the moonlight. He took out a thick stack of files from his robes and walked step by step to the stone table in the courtyard, where he laid them out one by one.

The first document was a detailed list of the Cui family's secret warehouse, with words such as "grain," "iron ore," and "ship timber" heavily circled in vermilion ink.

The second document is an analysis of the entire Jiangnan canal transport corruption case, detailing how Cui Yunshu accurately "predicted" and helped her brother complete what can be described as a perfect political counterattack.

The third and final document was the "quasi-warship" blueprint, urgently sent back from the coast of the East China Sea, marked with standard gun positions.

Each and every one of these things was her most core secret, yet this man had laid them bare before her in an undeniable manner.

Cui Yunshu's face gradually paled. She felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen at that moment.

He found out... He actually... knew everything!

“I’m not curious about why you have such extraordinary abilities,” Tang Pu finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an unprecedented seriousness and earnestness, “nor do I intend to investigate where your incredible methods come from.”

He raised his head, his gaze sharp and fixed on Cui Yunshu's eyes, and asked, word by word:

"I only have one question: did you do all this for... His Highness?"

[From the female protagonist's perspective]

When Tang Pu asked that question, Cui Yunshu's mind went completely blank.

Your Highness?

Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng?

Looking at the stacks of so-called "evidence" spread out on the stone table, and at Tang Pu's eyes filled with solemnity, determination, and even... a hint of "I understand you" fervor, she instantly... understood everything.

She understood why he had "coincidentally" lent a helping hand time and time again.

She understood why he didn't doubt her seemingly crazy "Great Voyage Plan" at all, but instead gave it his full support.

She understood even more now why he had sneaked into this place in the dead of night and used this method to have this thrilling "showdown" with her.

It turns out he had misunderstood everything.

He regarded all her preparations for "running away" as the strength she was accumulating for the crown prince's "rebellion"!

This misunderstanding was so huge, so absurd, yet... so logical! So much so that Cui Yunshu couldn't find any reason to refute it for a moment.

Her brain began to work at an unprecedented speed.

explain?

How could she explain it to him? Tell him that everything she did was not to help the Crown Prince rebel, but because she knew he was going to rebel, she was terrified and prepared a boat and money in advance, ready to lead her whole family to escape at any time?

He'll just think of her as a complete madwoman!

A madman who foresees the future! A madman who curses the crown prince to rebel!

This secret was her greatest asset, but also her most fatal weakness; she could never reveal it to anyone.

So... no explanation? Remain silent?

Cui Yunshu looked into Tang Pu's eyes. In those eyes, she saw a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve. He hadn't come tonight to expose her, nor to threaten her. He had come… to surrender! He was betting his life, his entire fortune, even the future of the Anjun Prince's Mansion, on her, or rather, on what he believed to be the "Crown Prince's cause"!

He had already considered himself an "accomplice".

If she denied it now, all their previous cooperation would collapse instantly. He might not immediately turn against her, but the fragile trust between them would vanish. And she would lose her most powerful and indispensable ally. Her shipbuilding plans, her dream of going to sea, would all turn to dust.

In a flash, Cui Yunshu made a decision that would change everyone's fate.

Since you've misunderstood, then... let you continue to misunderstand.

Since you're going to get involved, then... I'll drag you down with me!

Meeting Tang Pu's burning, expectant gaze, all the shock and panic on her face slowly faded, replaced by a deep, unfathomable calm and resolve, just like his.

She didn't answer his crucial question; instead, she gently rolled up the blueprint depicting a "quasi-warship" and held it in her hand.

Then, she looked up at him and calmly asked in return:

"Young Prince, now that you're in this game, is there any way back?"

This rhetorical question, though seemingly light, is more powerful than any affirmative answer.

It didn't admit it, but it implicitly acknowledged everything.

It made no promises, yet extended the most poignant invitation.

To Tang Pu, this was the most resolute and exciting answer!

He smiled.

It was a feeling of relief and joy that came from the heart, after shedding all pretense and testing, and finally finding kindred spirits.

“No more.” He looked at her, his eyes as bright as if they had fallen into a galaxy. “From the moment I stepped into your courtyard, there was no turning back.”

He knew he had made the right bet.

At this moment, under the cool moonlight, a fragile yet unbreakable "political alliance" was formally formed based on a huge and absurd blunder.

Looking at the laughing young general before her, Cui Yunshu felt a chill in her heart.

She knew that she had just tied the most dangerous and powerful soul to her own "pirate ship," whose destination was unknown.

She didn't know what lay ahead—whether it was life or death, wealth or ruin.

All she knew was that from this night onward, there was no going back.