Chapter 312 Chapter 313

Wang Xiujin and Li Linshan, who had not yet returned to the capital, were living with their child in the military camp. Recently, Yachang had been waking up quite early, then going out into the courtyard to watch the soldiers train. Occasionally, he would mimic them by waving his little fists. Some soldiers noticed Yachang’s posture and glanced his way a few more times, but no one dared to tease him.

Li Linshan also rose early in the camp. Watching his son throw punches, he would stand seriously by his side for a while. After Yachang finished, he would point out what was incorrect. The only one who slept in was Wang Xiujin. In his eyes, he had already gotten up quite early; it was just that in the military camp, it seemed late.

They had been living in the camp for several days, and Wang Xiujin didn’t know if any news had come from the capital. While eating breakfast, he pondered whether to go into town today to see if the magistrate had any new developments. Swallowing his steamed bun and finishing his soup in one gulp, Wang Xiujin got out of bed and stepped out of the tent, only to see Li Linshan returning with their son.

“You and your son are back a bit early today!” Wang Xiujin remarked.

“The Fourth Prince has arrived with his personal guards and the imperial inner guards,” Li Linshan said, patting Yachang’s shoulder and gesturing for him to enter the camp first.

Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. He had thought that if nothing untoward had happened in the capital, the message would have been sent directly to the palace, and the emperor would be very angry, surely dispatching someone. He had expected it to be his father, but it was the Fourth Prince instead.

“Already entered the city?” Wang Xiujin turned toward the tent; he needed to change clothes and could not meet the Fourth Prince so casually dressed.

“Yes, already in the city and at the camp,” Li Linshan followed behind him. “I asked the city guards to welcome them. The magistrate will probably arrive soon as well.”

“Normally, when the Fourth Prince arrives in the city, the magistrate should lead the welcoming party. Has the magistrate not received the message?” Wang Xiujin asked, changing his clothes, voicing his doubts.

“The Fourth Prince didn’t notify anyone beforehand. The news only spread when he entered the city. The city guards are all the magistrate’s men, so naturally the camp got the news first. The gate guards must have long been instructed that when people from the capital arrived, they were to say they were staying at the camp,” Li Linshan explained calmly, seeing no wrong in the city guards’ tactics.

Wang Xiujin pondered and understood the city guards’ mindset. Although the distinction between civil and military officials was not as pronounced as at court, there was still mutual disdain. One side wanted to dominate, the other resented it, so conflict was inevitable.

Just as they finished changing, a soldier’s voice came from outside the tent, “Honorable Mr. Wang, Mr. Li, the Fourth Prince requests your presence.”

The two exchanged a glance and then led Yachang forward to meet the Fourth Prince.

They entered the tent used by the city guards as an office, where the Fourth Prince sat with a commanding air at the head seat. Wang Xiujin and Li Linshan, with their son, bowed to him. The Fourth Prince quickly rose and walked over to Wang Xiujin, helping him up.

“My brother, why look so startled after only a few days apart? Yachang, were you frightened?” he asked kindly.

The city guards listened carefully to the Fourth Prince’s words, then scrutinized Li Linshan and Wang Xiujin. During training, they knew the Li family was close to the royal house and had heard about the Fourth Prince’s sworn brotherhood. They had doubted it before but now had to believe.

Yachang looked at his father and uncle. He usually called the Fourth Prince “Uncle,” but how should he address him now with outsiders present? Wang Xiujin nodded at his son, and Yachang spoke, “Uncle, Yachang is unharmed.”

“Unharmed? You must have been scared. Who wouldn’t be frightened when someone barges in at midnight? Uncle has brought the imperial physician; let him examine you,” the Fourth Prince said with a grand gesture, ordering his attendants to fetch the physician, regardless of how tired the doctor might be from nonstop travel.

Yachang’s heart ached — he was perfectly fine! He didn’t want the physician to check his pulse. What if the doctor, trying to show off, prescribed him bitter, hard-to-swallow medicine?

Seeing his son’s expression, Wang Xiujin guessed what he was thinking and smiled faintly. “Is everything well in the capital?”

“After receiving the letter, I intended to depart the same day but thought it better to investigate first. What if the culprit fled the capital after I left? Working with Mr. Wang, we quickly identified a few suspects. I must thank Linshan; if he hadn’t sent someone to follow that person immediately after the army’s triumphant return, neither Mr. Wang nor I would have suspected him.” The Fourth Prince dismissed the city guards and invited the family to sit, explaining why he had arrived a few days late.

“Who did you have tailing them?” Wang Xiujin looked at Li Linshan in confusion. “If it was a spy, no need to ask.”

“Not a spy,” Li Linshan said, looking to the Fourth Prince. “But the ceremony officer who greeted the returning army?”

“Exactly,” the Fourth Prince nodded.

“The ceremony officer? We have no grievances with him. Why would he want to kill me?” Wang Xiujin was baffled. Although he disliked the ceremony officer’s excessively patient demeanor, he never thought the man capable of murder.

“Because of you!” The Fourth Prince pointed at Wang Xiujin. “Because you mentioned the stele. The elderly official from the Ministry of Rites was very interested in you and dragged you into this mess. He sent that ceremony officer after you. That officer dared not show you disrespect, but he was very harsh to your steward. Your steward is also a difficult man; when you weren’t in the capital, the officer waited in the tea house opposite the granary instead of searching elsewhere. Somehow, this matter got back to the head of the Ministry of Rites. Once the Ministry received the order about the stele, all hell broke loose. The elderly official was furious with nowhere to vent, and the officer happened to be there, so naturally he was sent home.”

“For this? He wanted to kill me just for that? Has he lost his mind? Or is he missing a few screws? He needs treatment!” Wang Xiujin felt tragic and wronged — he had retreated to the countryside but still got caught in the crossfire, even causing his son distress. “Besides, what does this have to do with me? It was the Minister of Rites’ task. If he failed, why blame others? That’s insane!” Wang Xiujin was furious. “No, he must have had backing. Where did he get so many henchmen?”

“There was indeed an accomplice — his teacher. His teacher has some connections in the capital, knows many officials, and has taught many students. Though these students aren’t high-ranking, they’re not low either,” the Fourth Prince said, suspecting the ceremony officer’s teacher but unable to pinpoint the problem.

“Slow infiltration, trying to undermine imperial authority?” Wang Xiujin’s thoughts darkened.

The Fourth Prince stared at Wang Xiujin in surprise. How had he not thought of that? Those officials’ ranks precisely represented the central axis of power. “We must handle this quickly and return to the capital as soon as possible. No matter what pretext, we must capture that man and interrogate him.”

The magistrate and the imperial physician arrived together. The physician glanced at the magistrate and had the Fourth Prince’s guards outside convey a message. The city guards, who had been dismissed, stood far off watching these two, guessing that the doctor would be allowed inside but the magistrate would have to wait.

Shortly after, the physician was summoned in again. When he came out, Wang Xiujin and Yachang followed behind. Wang Xiujin asked the doctor questions as they walked, while Yachang trailed slowly.

The city guards wondered what Wang Xiujin was asking, why Li Linshan hadn’t come out with them. Then one of the Fourth Prince’s guards called Li Linshan back into the tent. The city guard immediately straightened up and smiled smugly at the magistrate, who ground his teeth in anger and pointed accusingly at the guard, cursing inwardly. He had never treated the city guards badly or caused trouble, yet they now plotted against him. He vowed to exact revenge once the Fourth Prince left.

The two men glared at each other before entering the tent together. Soon after, they emerged, looking at each other and shaking their heads, then went about their business. Li Linshan bowed to the Fourth Prince in thanks, and the prince patted his shoulder. He remembered how Li Linshan had taken an arrow for him and even relinquished a great honor in his favor. Both publicly and privately, he owed Li Linshan much.

Back in the tent, Wang Xiujin began packing. Since they were in the camp, they had moved here without their servants. From now on, he guessed they would no longer be able to stay in the camp. His intuition was correct; soon a guard came to explain that the Fourth Prince had found a residence in the city and invited Wang Xiujin to move there. Once the city affairs were settled, they would return to the capital together.

The magistrate, scolded harshly by the Fourth Prince for his poor performance, interrogated the black-clad suspects again. Despite several tortures, they remained silent, gritting their teeth. The magistrate was furious, stamping and shouting for them to confess.

Meanwhile, the city guards had gone to the outskirts. Believing those black-clad men had infiltrated the city that night, they had not sent anyone to investigate outside. Even when Li Linshan suggested it, they waved it off. Now scolded by the Fourth Prince, the city guard realized he had been foolish. He hadn’t considered that although Li Linshan wasn’t his superior, his background was formidable. If he wanted to cause trouble, a letter to the capital could cost him his life. It seemed that after being stationed here, he had become complacent.

Wang Xiujin and his family moved out of the military camp into the small courtyard arranged by the Fourth Prince. After settling in, Yachang saw the Fourth Prince’s eldest son, and the two quickly became playmates. Watching the boy, Wang Xiujin reflected silently: He hadn’t realized the Fourth Prince had never forgotten over all these years. But the child was already quite big. Was it truly wise to keep him so close all the time? Shouldn’t he learn to let go? Of course, this was only a thought he kept to himself, never to be spoken aloud.

“The last time I went with the army on campaign, I left him with the Emperor. When I returned, I found he had grown distant from both of us. It was hard to bond again, and I couldn’t bear to be apart, so I brought him along,” the Fourth Prince said fondly of his eldest son. “He’s not especially clever, but he’s like me.”

Wang Xiujin opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He had never experienced the Fourth Prince’s circumstances, so he couldn’t imagine how he would protect Yachang if it were him. Thinking back on the attack on Yachang, he still dared not let his son out of sight for long.