The Ninth Prince has become increasingly stingy in the past two years. He has no gold or silver, but he has quite a few treasures such as jade. However, in chaotic times, who would dare to use these treasures to pay off debts? They would be robbed, double-crossed, or wiped out.

Qi Qi also knew that he was secretly raising troops... But in this world, who with some ability doesn't raise troops? The emperor thought that at most, like in previous dynasties, the rebels would be lured with incentives and the major cities would be suppressed. But he forgot that his troops were no longer loyal to him. He was old and suspicious, and very annoying. When the country is about to perish, everyone knows to protect themselves.

Everyone can run, but princes can't. Qi Qi saw the Ninth Prince's hard work and felt quite helpless.

He also came on this trip to investigate the rampant illegal salt trade in the Jiangnan region.

Salt is an essential commodity for human survival.

Rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—people can make everything themselves except salt. But salt is the only thing they can't do. A person can survive for a few meals without eating or drinking, but without salt, the body has no source of sodium ions. Symptoms develop slowly, but weakness will definitely occur immediately.

Salt was a state-controlled commodity. Unless people were primitive, they had to pay for salt. In some remote areas, salt was used as currency.

The poor eat the lowest grade of salt, which is the most impurities and bitter, while the rich eat the finest salt. However, official salt is expensive. In this chaotic world, many people have become bandits and dare to rob even the official roads. Nowadays, the post stations connecting different places are almost all abandoned except for the capital. Without the escort of government soldiers, the bandits dare to do anything.

Noble caravans and other merchants would never dare to travel far without their own soldiers and guards, or with the assistance of a security escort agency.

Larger areas were fine, but smaller areas would run out of salt if the caravans stopped trading. However, salt was something that could never be completely cut off, so smugglers emerged. They offered salt at a price cheaper than official salt and were still available. Even bandits needed salt, and even if it was illegal, the people had no choice but to buy it.

Even if the government wanted to crack down, it was impossible to stop so many people from making money. As long as there was profit, the merchants would do anything. Moreover, it was uncertain who would attack whom. The soldiers sent out died one after another. In addition, there were only so many places to mine salt, and they were all guarded by the state. The fact that it could flow out made the problem obvious.

It was difficult, difficult, difficult. The more Qi Qi thought about it, the more difficult it became. There was nothing he could do but buy some relief grain and distribute it. He also sent people to tell the refugees that Youzhou was a place they could go.

Besides, Qi Qi doesn't have any time-traveling abilities, he's neither good at literature nor martial arts, and he can't use any of them—wait, the more he thinks about it, the more useless he feels! No wonder he ended up in the cannon fodder group.

Qi Qi: ……(●—●)……

In the past two years, the fourth prince has been getting along better and better in the Ministry of Revenue. He says he has no money, but his ambition and the court's covert suppression of his younger brother are very real.

No one would believe that he wasn't involved in this, which is why the Ninth Prince was so eager to enter the court. Without entering the court, he could never be considered an adult. His two older brothers had gradually built up their own factions, while he only had a handful of people under his command.

The Grand Tutor's group of civil officials had limited strength, and some of them were just seeking fame and fortune. However, the lineage of the Marquis of Zhongyong, the former Crown Princess, could barely hold their own. The old Marquis of Zhongyong was the commander of the Imperial Guards protecting the capital, and his son, Wen Yao, worked in the Ministry of War. Including the rest of his family members, the Imperial Guards members were mostly capable sons of court officials and were also responsible for the position of guards in front of the emperor.

Since the death of the crown prince, cracks have appeared in the ranks. It is no longer the impenetrable army it was five hundred years ago. The number of trusted confidants that can be kept under control is only a mere thirty thousand.

Moreover, the old Marquis is getting old and his health is deteriorating day by day. Although the current deputy commander is a neutral party, no one knows who he will support next.

The Ninth Prince's situation, seemingly that of a favored legitimate son at the height of his power, is in reality already on a downward spiral.

This investigation into smuggled salt was both to prove himself to the ministers and to strike a blow against the fourth prince.

Jiangnan has always been a prosperous land and one of the few provinces with a large population. Now that the Fourth Prince has come here, he will surely take some action.

The two pretended to be on a normal outing, freely enjoying themselves in the city for several days, while secretly conducting an investigation in disguise.

Qi Qi is always involved in entertainment, but the Ninth Prince rarely takes him along for investigations. He usually brings his secret guards and private soldiers to do these things because Qi Qi's martial arts skills are poor; he has only learned basic fist and foot techniques so far.

Moreover... although Qi Qi was tall and well-proportioned and very handsome, he was really not suited for such delicate movements. His hands and feet were very clumsy. He could be described as the only eunuch in Fengyi Palace with a professional skill score of 50, who could do nothing and was mediocre at everything.

The Ninth Prince feared that if he went out, he wouldn't be able to outrun the assassins and would be stabbed to death.

Qi Qi: ...There's no need to be so blunt.

The villa is located on the outskirts of the provincial capital. In order to alert the enemy, the Ninth Prince will still return to sleep at night.

So every night, shortly after Qi Qi fell asleep, someone would pull back his blanket and pull in a cold-blooded person to hug him.

That's right, Qi Qi has been sleeping with the Ninth Prince all these years... There's no particular reason, just a matter of habit.

After all, who wouldn't love a soft, fragrant pillow that can lull them to sleep? The robot with the scent of sunshine and grass smells just right.

The Ninth Prince had tried sleeping alone, but he was probably used to using Qi Qi as a pillow, and he felt uncomfortable if he didn't hug something at night. Fortunately, he didn't need anyone to serve him at night, and An Eleven had kept his mouth shut for the past two years and hadn't told anyone. Dongmei and the others only thought that Qi Qi was sleeping on the small couch and didn't know that he was also sleeping with the Ninth Prince...

Qi Qi was furious when he woke up from his dream again.

Qi Qi suggested, "It's getting hot, Your Highness. I think we should sleep in separate beds."

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