Beiyang at dusk.

Ji Baiyue was on patrol. The camps stationed here were divided into two sides, and the people from Shangjin and Xiajin were quite incompatible. Wu Yu of Xiajin followed behind him, and the two walked from the camp to an uninhabited slope. Wu Yu plucked a wild flower and secretly gestured with it behind Ji Baiyue.

"Is everything arranged properly?"

Ji Baiyue suddenly spoke, and the wild flower at Wu Yu's fingertips trembled, but he still steadfastly tucked it into the other man's hair, nodding repeatedly.

"Properly, of course, properly. The matter you spoke of, I will naturally handle it with the utmost propriety."

Ji Baiyue didn't notice what he was doing behind him, only standing on the slope overlooking the camp. The Shangjin tents were brightly lit. They had been entangled here for five or six days, and Chou Deyao only sneered and refused to cooperate. It was ironic that the Beiyang Army had finally gathered, only to fight among themselves.

"But I'm really afraid the imperial court will come to fight me." Wu Yu sidled up to Ji Baiyue, secretly observing his expression. "My Xiajin only has 60,000 men, half of whom are still farming. If we have to fight, we really can't stand up to you." Ji Baiyue's gaze shifted, meeting his shifty eyes. Wu Yu, afraid of being beaten by him, quickly retreated a few steps and warned, "I'm praising you, don't hit me."

"Even the rabbits on the prairie are bolder than you." Ji Baiyue crossed his arms. "For a few years, I've been confused as to why the Young Master chose you to guard Xiajin."

"Of course, it's because my wisdom is unparalleled." Wu Yu looked slightly shy. "The Young Master has praised me like this more than once."

"No." The scar above Ji Baiyue's eyebrow twitched. "Because you're shameless."

Wu Yu clutched his chest dramatically, then added, "This time, Chou Deyao cursed me as a beggar. If I can't make him beg later, I won't be able to swallow today's insult."

"It's hard to deal with petty people."

"I'm a true petty person." Wu Yu said slyly, "But don't compare me to a hypocrite." He added, "But even a petty person fears a ruthless one. Especially someone like the King of Hell. If he comes to Beiyang, I'll have to walk a wide circle around him."

"It's rare for you to know fear." Ji Baiyue's hair moved. He reached up, felt around, and pulled out a flower. His refined face also darkened like the sole of a shoe. "Wu, Yu!"

Wu Yu covered his head and ducked, shouting, "Easy, easy, of course I'm scared! A little ghost doesn't meet the King of Hell, lest he lose his soul!"

"You haven't even met him, what are you afraid of?"

"Haven't met him but have experienced him." Wu Yu pointed to the Shangjin tents below. "Isn't this a lesson? When great gods fight, even the rotten fish and shrimp can't escape. If it weren't for the King of Hell's tacit approval, how would I dare challenge Chou Deyao? Direct confrontation is your and Meng Chen's skill; my body is delicate, and I can't fight with brutes. Besides, this time the Crown Prince got the sweetness first, didn't the bitterness follow? Who among us doesn't understand his intentions in promoting the Northern Commerce Decree? But even if we understand, no one can do anything about him. Take the Heir, for example; if the King of Hell hadn't protected him, let alone the Court of Judicial Review, he would have been in trouble back at the Prince of Qin's residence."

This man spoke quickly, his words were unpleasant but every sentence was true.

Wu Yu added, "There's just one thing I don't understand."

"Speak!"

"He has no apparent connection to us, yet he has helped us greatly multiple times. Are there free pies falling from the sky in this world? If the heir returns smoothly this time, he will truly have the confidence to contend with the emperor." Wu Yu pouted, "The Beiyang Army is mighty, you see. Even if we can't defeat them directly, we can drown those local government troops with our spit."

Ji Baiyue tossed the wild flower away. "Worrying about trivial things."

"You're also very strange." Wu Yu, hands behind his back, circled beside him. "This matter clearly screams 'something's wrong,' yet you act as if you don't see it. I suspect this King of Hell has a significant connection to us."

"Worrying about trivial things, yet so perceptive." Ji Baiyue said faintly, "It's a shame we didn't make you a scout."

"You flatter me, you flatter me. I just have a slightly keen nose." Wu Yu shamelessly accepted this less-than-complimentary praise, saying, "I'm a person who never likes to speak the truth; I rely on wild guesses for everything. I'll guess again: it's true that this King of Hell has no deep relationship with the Eldest Young Master, but it might not be the case with the Second Young Master."

This dog-like sense of smell was fully deployed for analysis. Ji Baiyue simultaneously disdained Wu Yu's glib and despicable nature, yet also had to admire him. Xin Yi's claim that this man possessed unparalleled wisdom was not without basis.

"Our Second Young Master is truly extraordinary." Wu Yu rubbed his chin lewdly. "In civil matters, he can shock the Hanlin Academy; in military matters, he can subdue the young masters. I always thought it was extraordinary that he could handle the Eldest Young Master."

"Watch your mouth!" Ji Baiyue feigned a kick at him, frowning. "What are you talking about!"

"The truth!" Wu Yu patted off dust and shook his head, saying, "What's wrong with talking about this? Who dares to say no? We hid it from His Highness back then, but did His Highness really know nothing? Those are his sons; His Highness knew exactly what thoughts they harbored. Otherwise, why would the Second Young Master run off to Shanyin? Was Beiyang unable to teach him?"

"Wu Yu!" Ji Baiyue's anger was genuinely rising now.

Wu Yu shut his mouth and dropped his playful grin. The two stood in the night, letting the wind blow. The wild grass rustled and swayed with the wind, and the camp below became more silent. In the end, Wu Yu couldn't hold back. He said.

"I don't mean to belittle." He said, then slapped himself hard. "It's just my loose tongue." The thin-faced, lewd scholar immediately had half his face turn red. He said, "I'm holding it in, you're holding it in, the entire Beiyang Army is holding it in. Aside from ourselves, no one dares to speak of it."

Back then, Xin Jing rarely came to the army, but every time he did, Xin Yi would rush to accompany him until he left, even if it meant making time. Those who couldn't see clearly called it deep brotherly affection; those who could see clearly dared not utter a word. With the Prince of Yan suppressing them from above, these trusted aides endured the pressure of potential flogging and kept silent, their hearts aching for both the Prince of Yan and the Young Master. Could this matter be resolved? 'Cut sleeves' was nothing, but when it came to bloodlines, anything they said was nothing. If everyone had lived happily, then none of this would have mattered...

But they hadn't.

Their guilt towards the Prince of Yan, their pain for the Young Master, their vows to the Beiyang Army, their oaths to themselves.

All, gone.

Not just Wu Yu; when retrieving Xin Jing's body, Ji Baiyue would also think about it all night long. If Xin Jing hadn't died, would Xin Jing have been able to stabilize the situation more, not pursuing so recklessly with a death wish? But Xin Jing still died on the front lines, and Xin Jing watched his brother and parents fall. Prince of Ping and the emperor led his Beiyang Army, and all of Beiyang both needed him and invisibly scourged him. Perhaps, with blood splattered on his hands, he might have wondered if his father would have lasted longer had he controlled himself and not crossed that ethical line.

But all these 'what ifs' had already turned to dust before they even began.

"It won't end like this." Ji Baiyue said hoarsely, his lips twitching at Wu Yu. "We still have the heir."

Wu Yu let out a dry laugh. "The heir, huh? I hope so."

Before the low spirits had completely dissipated, a tent flap in Shangjin below was lifted, and a commotion arose.

"What's wrong with this old dog again?" Wu Yu rubbed his face. "I was just about to sleep, and he just had to start making a fuss. At least wait until I'm asleep."

"Then he chose a good time." Ji Baiyue turned and walked down. "Who doesn't know that when you're asleep, not even ghosts can wake you up?"

"Saying that is an insult to scholars." Wu Yu followed him down, and they chatted idly, but no more was mentioned.

Chou Deyao only had one eye; he claimed one of his eyes was gouged out while protecting the Prince of Yan from a lion. Because of this, he often put on airs and acted grand in front of Xin Yi and his brothers back then. His least favorite was Xin Li, because that kid had the most cunning thoughts, was clever and slippery, and often tripped him up.

He was causing a fuss tonight because he heard the imperial court had sent people. The Crown Prince hadn't given him any word, but he guessed they were likely not his own people. He needed to make Xiajin bow their heads before the people arrived, so he could save face.

Ji Baiyue pushed through the crowd and said, "Is Old Master Chou not sleeping well?"

"With this dry weather and hard bed, isn't it normal for Grandpa Chou not to sleep well?" Wu Yu laughed from behind. "That's a prominent household in Shangjin; he always sleeps on a white jade soft couch. Does he really care for this rotten place? Isn't that right, Grandpa Chou?"

"Don't think I don't know that you, kid, have a mouth dripping with honey but a dagger in your heart." Chou Deyao sneered. "If you really want to call me Grandpa, then come over, kowtow three times and bow nine times, and properly say, 'Grandpa, I'm sorry, little Wu Yu is just a mouthy and annoying person.'"

"Oh." Wu Yu grinned. "Then I'll kneel for Grandpa Chou." With a "bang," he actually knelt before Chou Deyao, looked up, and with a stiff neck, loudly declared, "Sorry, Grandpa Wu! Little Chou Deyao is a foul-mouthed, annoying good-for-nothing!"

The people around immediately burst into laughter. Chou Deyao cursed and kicked him. Wu Yu cleverly rolled away, then sprawled on the ground, saying like a scoundrel, "What's wrong? You think 'Grandpa' wasn't loud enough? Then I'll do it again for you!"

"You scoundrel! You rogue!"

"That's right." Wu Yu stood up, dusted himself off, and laughed. "I am indeed a scoundrel. When a person lives, one must be frank about oneself. I am a scoundrel, and I'm happy. What kind of thing is Old Master Chou? Tell me too, come on."

A group from Xiajin gathered, shouting, "What kind of thing is Old Master Chou? Old Master Chou is a good thing!"

Chou Deyao's face was ashen. Shangjin mostly consisted of prominent families, and they weren't as skilled at street brawling as these people.

"Hack this scoundrel to death!" Chou Deyao gritted his teeth, "It's on my head!"

"Right here." Wu Yu pointed to his neck, smiling. "Cut hard! If you don't kill me tonight, your grandpa will curse you to death tomorrow morning!" After saying that, seeing the blades rush towards him, he darted behind Ji Baiyue without looking back. "Greet his old mother! They're actually cutting! I'm still the guardian of Xiajin!"

"You weren't this cowardly when you were provoking them." Ji Baiyue stepped forward and reprimanded, "We're all from Beiyang, put your knives away!"

"Don't put on a show!" Chou Deyao, completely enraged, rushed out, grabbed Ji Baiyue's collar, and cursed, "You kid only knows how to watch from the sidelines! Who doesn't know you're with this scoundrel?"

"Old Master Chou." Ji Baiyue stood as steady as Mount Tai. "We are all brothers."

"When I was following His Highness, you were still in diapers! What kind of brothers are we talking about?" Chou Deyao raged. "Xiajin smashed my shop, and you, damn it, aren't going to give an explanation? You're at least in charge of Lijin; this is His Highness's name, don't confuse right and wrong and ruin His Highness's reputation!"

"Of course, I can't compare to His Highness." Ji Baiyue broke free from his grip, tugged at his collar, and said, "Put away your knives before you speak!"

From Shangjin, some young punk snorted loudly and shouted, "Don't be shameless! Protecting that scoundrel so much, maybe you're in on it too! Back then, Xin Yi wasn't he also with—"

This time, not only did Ji Baiyue and Wu Yu's faces turn cold, but even Chou Deyao's eyes glinted with coldness. But before the three of them could act, the night wind suddenly turned sharp, and an arrow shot out, piercing straight through the man's hair crown and pinning it to the tent. Just a hair's breadth more and it would have unapologetically taken his head.

The young man was startled, his legs gave way, he cried out in alarm, and fell to the ground.

Hoofbeats gradually approached in the night.

A gentle-faced young man sat upright on horseback, reining in his horse before the crowd. The bowstring in his hand still trembled, his expression was poor, and his gaze was fixed only on the startled young punk. Meng Chen spurred his horse to catch up from behind, dismounted upon arrival, and kicked the man in the chest, cursing, "A rotten tongue!" He then turned and said in a deep voice, "The heir has just returned, what are you doing? What do you intend to do!"

Ji Baiyue secretly let out a sigh of relief.

They finally arrived.