"Your Highness,"
"Your Highness!"
"Wait for us-"
The crown prince flinched at their calls, as though some demons were chasing him.
He looked at Xiao Yu, a trace of embarrassment in his voice. "Little Imperial Uncle, what do we do? They're catching up!"
Xiao Yu raised his eyes.
Sure enough, the maids were already chasing after them-
"Run!"
He grabbed the crown prince's arm, turned, and ran.
The crown prince let Xiao Yu lead him in a headlong dash.
He gazed blankly at Xiao Yu's straight back.
He hadn't expected his seemingly frail little imperial uncle to run without even getting out of breath.
He's amazing.
Though Xiao Yu was younger than him, he somehow felt exceptionally dependable.
It put him completely at ease.
He looked up.
Suddenly, he asked, "Little Imperial Uncle, where are we going?"
"I don't know," Xiao Yu answered honestly.
But his feet never stopped.
No matter where he was headed, as long as he kept running, he would eventually reach somewhere he wanted to be.
The crown prince asked no more questions.
As long as he was with his little imperial uncle, he wasn't afraid to go anywhere.
Seeing Xiao Yu run farther and farther off the beaten path, he finally couldn't help warning him, "Little Imperial Uncle... that seems to be the way to the cold palace."
Suddenly remembering something, he stiffened slightly. "I-I heard there was a ghost there at night a few days ago..."
Xiao Yu's steps faltered.
His eyes flickered.
I was wondering why this place looked familiar. Isn't this where I was buried a few days ago?!
The crown prince froze.
Little Imperial Uncle... was buried??
That ghost the little crown prince mentioned... couldn't have been me, could it?
When I climbed out of the pit that day, a passing palace servant did see me. The moment he spotted me, he turned and shouted, "A ghost!"...
He's the damn ghost! He didn't even ask whether I was human or a ghost before deciding for himself!
Has there ever been a ghost as handsome and distinguished as me?!
The corners of the crown prince's mouth twitched.
Little Imperial Uncle really was... outspoken?
He tried to reassure him. "Little Imperial Uncle, I-"
Thinking he was afraid of ghosts, Xiao Yu comforted him. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Then, worried he might still be scared, Xiao Yu tightened his grip on his hand.
"In this world, people can sometimes be scarier than ghosts. There's nothing frightening about ghosts."
The crown prince paused.
He knew Xiao Yu had misunderstood, but had no intention of explaining. He simply agreed. "Mm."
Thud-
The crown prince stiffened.
Had something just hit him on the head?
He asked Xiao Yu, "Little Imperial Uncle... there seems to be something up there. It just hit me on the head."
Xiao Yu paused.
He looked up into the dead tree behind the crown prince.
Sure enough, he spotted a dark figure in its branches. His legs shook with fright, and he stumbled.
Then he heard a soft chuckle.
He knew who was behind this-
"Very good! You've successfully made me angry!"
"Get down here-"
Xiao Yu shook the tree fiercely.
How dare he laugh at me?!
Just watch me shake him down!
"Little Imperial Uncle, is someone up in the tree?"
At the little crown prince's voice, Xiao Yu stiffened.
Only then did he remember he had someone else beside him.
He cleared his throat. "Crown Prince... the person you just saw wasn't me. I'm not usually this violent."
The crown prince smiled and replied, "Mm. I believe you, Little Imperial Uncle."
Every side of his little imperial uncle was adorable.
Seeing that the crown prince believed him, Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He told him, "Crown Prince, it's getting late. We should head back."
Qi Yunheng takes revenge over the slightest grievance. No one who offends him ends well.
In his previous life, he even destroyed Southern Zhao outright to avenge his mother. Not one member of its imperial family survived... I'd better keep the little crown prince away from him.
The crown prince was speechless. He knew about the hostage prince from Southern Zhao, but hadn't paid much attention to him.
After all, before his little imperial uncle arrived, he could barely look after himself, let alone concern himself with anyone else.
But this hostage prince from Southern Zhao... seemed far too vicious.
Would he pose a threat to the Jin Kingdom?
With Little Imperial Uncle offending him like this, would he hold a grudge against him?
He pulled his wandering thoughts back and answered, "All right."
Qi Yunheng watched their retreating figures until they disappeared from view, then withdrew his gaze and slid down from the tree.
When he caught sight of an illustrated book lying nearby out of the corner of his eye, curiosity struck, and he picked it up.
He opened it.
Once he saw the pictures inside, his hand shook, and he threw it back onto the ground!
His face flushed bright red.
Utterly...
Shameless!
Creak.
At the sound, Qi Yunheng turned his head warily.
"So it's you, you little bastard!"
Li Chunlai had been having a particularly bad few days.
Not only had he somehow offended Commandant Cao after dragging this man to the Commandant's Residence, but several of his fellows had also died one after another recently for no apparent reason...
His master had just scolded him, too. He was seething now and desperately needed someone to vent his anger on!
He looked at Qi Yunheng and sneered. "You little shit, get over here and serve me!"
Qi Yunheng lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze darkening.
He walked over in silence.
Li Chunlai gave a vicious laugh and raised his foot to kick him as he always did!
Suddenly, a dagger plunged into his thigh!
"Aah-"
"You little shit, what are you doing?!"
Clutching his profusely bleeding thigh, Li Chunlai glared at Qi Yunheng. "You dare attack me by surprise?!"
Qi Yunheng gave him a cold glance, then suddenly smiled sinisterly.
"Didn't you ask me to serve you? Here I am."
Qi Yunheng wiped his dagger. "Don't worry. I'm very skilled with a blade. I'll be sure to serve you well!"
Li Chunlai's expression shifted.
Before he could run, the blade gouged into his other leg!
"Aah-"
His entire face twisted in pain. Li Chunlai clenched his fist and swung at Qi Yunheng. "You have a death wish!"
Only to discover that he couldn't move either of his legs!
He suddenly remembered that the man before him belonged to Southern Zhao's imperial family, renowned for their skill with poison. Horrified, he cried, "Y-you poisoned me?!"
No sooner had he spoken than two sinister venomous snakes suddenly coiled up from his feet, opened their gaping jaws, and sank their fangs into his legs!
"Aah-"
Li Chunlai stared at Qi Yunheng in disbelief. "You dare kill me?!"
"If I want to kill you, I will."
Qi Yunheng's gaze was dark and chilling. He looked at Li Chunlai as though he were already a corpse.
"I think I've let you run wild long enough!"
Seeing him now, like the king of the underworld come to claim his life, Li Chunlai finally grew afraid. "Y-you can't kill me!"
"I serve Prince Ji!"
"Yes, I serve Prince Ji!"
"You can't kill me!"
"You deserve to die."
Qi Yunheng spoke coldly.
As though he hadn't heard a word Li Chunlai said, he decided his fate with a single sentence.
Seeing that begging was useless, Li Chunlai glared with eyes stretched wide in fury and cursed, "You bastard, you'll never-"
Slash-
Before he could finish, his throat was sliced open. Blood gushed out, and he died with his eyes still wide.
Though Qi Yunheng dodged in time, blood still splashed onto his clothes.
He caught a bloody stench. Disgust flashed in his eyes, and he quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe it away.
As he prepared to leave, his gaze swept over the illustrated book nearby, and he paused.
He picked it up and brushed off the dust and sand.
Then he tucked it inside his robe.
Before you continue