Chapter 2

On the way back.

Shen Que always felt something was off around him. Although he had been mute since childhood, his senses were sharper than most.

He could sense another presence in the forest, footsteps hidden in the night and the sound of falling snow, and the faint rustle of fabric brushing against branches.

And that sound was following him.

Who could it be?

Just as he was pondering this, a gray figure suddenly leaped out from the snowy forest, and at the same time, a dagger glinting with cold light came straight at him.

Shen Que immediately turned his head, dodging the attack.

By the moonlight, Shen Que saw the dagger in the attacker’s hand. The blade was pitch black, engraved with a crescent moon, named “Que Yue,” clearly the handiwork of the Miao family.

Miao Taihou and his Prince had always been at odds, and since he was close to the Prince, the Miao family would naturally want to eliminate him as soon as possible.

But hadn’t they sent several experts to capture him in the past? Why only one today?

As Shen Que pondered, he drew the curved knife from his waist and faced the attacker head-on.

The person wore a strange mask, obscuring their true appearance, yet Shen Que felt as if he had seen them somewhere before.

After a few exchanges, Shen Que realized this person was not his match. The gray-clad man’s skills were a mix, but upon closer inspection, Shen Que could discern a familiar taste in his moves.

It was clearly his master’s swordsmanship.

Shen Que kicked the person into the snow, and when the gray-clad man stood up, Shen Que was already behind him.

Swiftly, he sliced the strap at the back of the gray-clad man’s head, causing the mask to fall—

The person hurriedly covered their face with their hand.

But unfortunately, their speed was no match for Shen Que’s. With just a glance, Shen Que had already seen the outline of that face, and he was almost in disbelief.

The face hidden under the mask was Shen Luo.

His colleague, whom he regarded as a brother.

“Ah Que…”

Shen Que heard him sigh.

Shen Luo couldn’t have come to kill him for no reason, so there was only one possibility: the person who wanted him dead was Xie Shiguan.

“Your Highness…” Shen Que stared blankly at Shen Luo, then signed, “Don’t want me anymore?”

Shen Luo didn’t answer immediately. After a while, he said, “I’ve never been as skilled as you since childhood. His Highness sent me here, probably intending to spare your life. You just need to injure me and then escape south, find a secluded village to hide in…”

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Que shook his head.

Xie Shiguan surely knew the strength of the two of them. Sending Shen Luo alone couldn’t have been an intention to let him escape; it was just because he saw the two of them getting along well and wanted to test Shen Luo’s loyalty.

Shen Que didn’t know about others, but he had served Xie Shiguan for thirteen years. If he couldn’t understand the Prince’s intentions, he would have long been a pile of bones underground.

If Shen Luo couldn’t bring back his corpse this time, the one who would die might be Shen Luo.

Over the years, Shen Luo had treated him so well, he couldn’t possibly harm him like this.

“If it weren’t for His Highness buying me back to the Prince’s Mansion with a few taels of silver, I wouldn’t be here today,” Shen Que raised his hand and signed, “Now that His Highness wants my life, it’s just taking it back. I…”

Before he could finish signing, Shen Luo, who was only half an arm’s length away, suddenly struck the side of his neck with a hand chop. The blow was heavy, and Shen Que didn’t even have time to struggle before he fainted.

Shen Luo caught him with his other hand, preventing him from falling into the snow.

In fact, before leaving the mansion, he had already planned everything for Shen Que in his heart. He had a few hidden lines buried in the outskirts and had already sent out a secret signal.

After a stick of incense, someone would secretly take Shen Que to the port, letting him go south along the canal with a batch of goods. By the time he woke up again, he would probably open his eyes to the vast rivers.

When Shen Luo first learned of this, he was also shocked, but he never thought the Prince would have murderous intentions, only thinking it would be a punishment for Shen Que.

The Prince’s unpredictable temperament, Shen Que had served him for over ten years and had hardly made any mistakes.

Just this time, a little maid had caused such trouble, and it was going to cost him his life.

As he was lost in thought, suddenly a few owl calls came from not far away, short and seemingly urging Shen Luo.

Shen Luo heard the sound and looked into the depths of the forest, seeing a few figures hidden there, waiting for Shen Luo’s command to take Shen Que away.

But at the same time, the branches and leaves in the forest trembled slightly, and Shen Luo heard the sound of horse hooves landing. Soon, he saw another figure riding a horse coming.

The horse was followed by another horse, and both horses stopped abruptly in front of him. The person on the horse spoke, “His Highness has ordered you to bring Shen Que back to the Prince’s Mansion…”

“What happened to him?”

“He was knocked out by his apprentice just now,” Shen Luo paused, turned sideways, shielding Shen Que behind him, and then asked, “His Highness’s order… does he want to see him alive or dead?”

Shen Xiangzhi sat on the horse, looking down at Shen Luo, and after a moment, he replied, “Naturally alive.”

Shen Luo breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Xiangzhi dismounted and helped Shen Luo lift Shen Que onto the horse. Shen Luo, still worried, tied him securely with a rope.

“Father,” before mounting, Shen Luo suddenly grabbed Shen Xiangzhi’s reins, “Tell me the truth, does His Highness want to kill or keep him?”

“His Highness’s thoughts, how can you and I fathom?” Shen Xiangzhi said coldly, “And, whether in front of others or behind, you, like them, should call me ‘Master.'”

Shen Luo didn’t withdraw his hand despite the coldness, still staring at Shen Xiangzhi, “Master, Ah Que was raised by you, and he’s like a brother to me. Can you really harden your heart and watch him die?”

For a moment, there was silence.

After a while, Shen Luo heard Shen Xiangzhi finally speak, “With Shen Que gone, I’ll have Shiyi take his place. That kid is quite clever, deliberately clumsy to annoy His Highness, and His Highness is reminded of Shen Que’s goodness.”

Hearing this, Shen Luo finally felt at ease.

He mounted the horse, ready to take Shen Que forward, but then heard Shen Xiangzhi suddenly speak, “Wait.”

Shen Xiangzhi turned his horse around, looking up at an owl in the snowy forest. The night owl was all white, tilting its head and staring at Shen Xiangzhi.

“Your people?” he asked Shen Luo.

In the increasingly cold winter night, Shen Luo broke out in a cold sweat. All these people were trained by Shen Xiangzhi, and these little actions couldn’t escape his eyes.

So Shen Luo thought for a moment and could only admit, “Yes.”

Shen Xiangzhi said nothing more, turned his horse around, leading in front of Shen Luo, and whispered, “Don’t keep His Highness waiting.”

Shen Luo dared not disobey, following him with a heavy heart.

The Prince’s Mansion was very quiet tonight.

The inner mansion was filled with bright lights, yet all the servants held their breath, not even daring to yawn.

“Why haven’t they arrived yet?” Xie Shiguan put down his teacup, turning to ask Shiyi.

Shiyi bowed and retreated to the door, tiptoeing to look into the distance, then returned, respectfully saying, “A light is on in the left tower, it seems Master and the others are on their way to the inner mansion.”

“So slow.” Xie Shiguan slowly stood up, picking up a pair of scissors placed by the candlestick, fiddling with the wick.

His movements were quite leisurely, and Shiyi couldn’t see any impatience in him.

But past experience told him that those who kept the Prince waiting never ended well.

Before long, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and then Shen Xiangzhi led two people in, with Shen Luo following a step behind, carrying Shen Que, not daring to lift his head.

“Subordinate reports late, Your Highness…”

Before Shen Luo could finish, Xie Shiguan gracefully sat down again, hearing the voice, he smiled faintly, his lips parting slightly, uttering only a few words, “Throw him on the ground, wake him up.”

He didn’t ask how Shen Que had fainted, leaving Shen Luo’s prepared explanations useless.

With Xie Shiguan’s sudden command, no one dared to move for a moment, so he said again, “What, are you all reluctant?”

The Prince’s personal attendant could only be offended by him. If someone else acted now, and Shen Que regained favor with Xie Shiguan later, the unpredictable Prince might blame them.

They dared not act, and Xie Shiguan wasn’t angry, picking up a pot of cold tea, slightly bending down, pouring the lukewarm tea directly into Shen Que’s nose.

About a cup of tea later, Shen Que, lying on the ground, seemed to be choking, suddenly coughing violently.

He coughed while opening his eyes, immediately meeting Xie Shiguan’s upside-down face.

“Awake?” Xie Shiguan’s lips curled, pulling out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, wiping his face with almost gentle movements, “You made a mistake, yet dare to sleep so soundly in front of me, who gave you the courage?”

Shen Que was stunned, clearly on his way back a moment ago, and now he opened his eyes to see Xie Shiguan.

The carved beams above, clearly the main hall of the inner mansion, surrounded by his colleagues, all with faces as cold as ice, silent as cicadas in winter.

Shen Que got up from the ground, raising his hand to speak, but then heard Shen Luo, standing by, suddenly say, “Reporting to Your Highness, Shen Que was knocked out by me during a fight.”

Standing beside him, Shen Xiangzhi immediately gave him a “mind your own business” glare, then said, “His Highness asked about Shen Que, is it your place to speak?”

And Xie Shiguan didn’t even lift his head, just tossing the handkerchief used to wipe Shen Que’s face on the ground.

“Ten strokes,” Xie Shiguan glanced at Shen Luo, “a small punishment as a warning.”

“Yes.” Shen Luo briefly met Shen Que’s eyes, then was dragged out by two other guards.

Shen Que lowered his head, kneeling straight on the ground, not understanding what crime he had committed, even Shen Luo, who spoke for him, was implicated.

Xie Shiguan returned to the hall, looking down at him for a long time, then suddenly raised his hand, throwing all the letters on the table in front of Shen Que.

Shen Que couldn’t read, but he recognized several of them as letters exchanged between the Prince and friendly officials, all handled by him, most without private seals, likely forged by someone.

This person must have sneaked into the Prince’s study, examining these letters.

Who could it be?

These were just daily letters, so there was no need to destroy them after reading, usually stored in Xie Shiguan’s study, destroyed every season.

But although not confidential, if taken by someone with ulterior motives and used to make a fuss before the Emperor, the Prince would be hard-pressed to defend himself.

“Do you know who these were found on?”

Shen Que was stunned, a name gradually forming in his mind, but he dared not answer or think further.

“Oh, I forgot you can’t read,” the Prince casually called someone, “Shiyi, read it to him.”

Shiyi picked up the short notes from the ground, each with only a sentence or two, but every word was like a knife, piercing Shen Que’s heart without hesitation.

“Yesterday Que went to the post house, seeking last year’s top scholar.”

“Xie Meng’s friendship is not superficial, letters as proof.”

“Que has an opportunity, test with sachet.”

…

There were a dozen or so such letters, revealing that since last June, His Highness had discovered Ling Er’s identity as a spy, yet he remained silent, allowing him and Ling Er to grow closer.

He was probably testing whether he would betray.

It turned out Ling Er’s approach was with ulterior motives, what he thought was mutual sympathy was just wishful thinking, and…

Thirteen years, over four thousand days and nights, His Highness still didn’t trust him.