Zhu Yujian hesitated.
He truly did not know whether he should follow the man in the bamboo hat.
If he went with him, he would become a fugitive. And not just any fugitive, but the most dangerous kind. No emperor would ever tolerate a prince beyond his control, even one who had already been stripped of his title.
The Jinyiwei. The secret agents of the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot. They would hunt him relentlessly.
He remembered the fate of the Jianwen Emperor after the Jingnan Campaign. When the Yongle Emperor seized the throne, the Jianwen Emperor vanished. After that, countless agents were dispatched across the realm to search for him. There were even rumors that Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas had secretly been ordered to track him down.
A prince who disappeared was a lingering threat.
Zhu Yujian did not want to become such a shadow.
But if he refused to go, he would spend the rest of his life imprisoned behind the high walls of Fengyang.
His childhood had already been swallowed by confinement. The thought of returning to that suffocating existence made his skin crawl. He could not endure it again. He simply could not.
The choice tore at him.
He trembled from head to toe.
Just as he wavered, the bamboo-hatted man stepped forward without another word, seized him by the arm, and pulled him straight out of the carriage.
"Hey, wait—"
Too late.
He was dragged into the nearby woods.
There, a plain carriage waited. It looked completely ordinary, the kind used by traveling merchants.
Zhu Yujian was pushed inside. The curtains were drawn shut.
Moments later, the carriage began to move.
Outside, the black-clad masked men calmly removed their disguises. Black robes were folded away. Face coverings disappeared. Hand crossbows were concealed. In their place were simple jianghu clothes, the sort worn by bodyguards and caravan escorts.
Within minutes, the ambush party had transformed into a perfectly normal merchant convoy.
Guards chatted casually. Laughter drifted through the air. Nothing seemed suspicious.
Only then did Zhu Yujian truly realize what had happened.
I have not even decided, and I have already been dragged onto a pirate ship.
He sighed inwardly.
At this point, what use was regret?
He straightened his posture and looked at the man in the bamboo hat.
"Who exactly are you?" he asked. "You may not wish to tell the Jinyiwei. But surely you can tell… cough… me."
He almost said "this prince." The habit clung stubbornly to him. Calling himself "I" still felt unnatural.
The man chuckled. "There is no harm in telling you. My name is Zhu Piaoling. In the martial world, I am known as the Wandering Hero of the Four Seas."
Zhu Yujian blinked.
"That is obviously a fake name."
Zhu Piaoling stared at him. "Do you not understand basic jianghu etiquette? Even if you know it is fake, you are not supposed to say it out loud. That is how people get killed."
Zhu Yujian was speechless.
After a pause, he said calmly, "Why save someone like me? If you intend to use my former status to raise rebellion against the Great Ming, you are wasting your effort. I will not allow myself to become a blade against the dynasty my ancestors built."
Zhu Piaoling snorted. "What nonsense are you thinking? Do I need your status? A mere Prince of Tang."
Zhu Yujian bristled. The way he said it sounded almost contemptuous.
Zhu Piaoling waved a hand. "I saved you because I like you."
Zhu Yujian's eyes widened. "I do not have that sort of inclination."
Zhu Piaoling nearly choked. "Nor do I!"
Silence filled the carriage.
"Then why?" Zhu Yujian asked cautiously.
Zhu Piaoling's tone softened.
"You were brave. Braver than I am. You dared to openly raise troops to aid the emperor. I could not bear to see a man like that rot behind the walls of Fengyang for the rest of his life. That is all. I will not use you. I only intend to take you somewhere better. A place like paradise. You can live freely there."
Zhu Yujian stared at him.
He was completely baffled.
Zhu Piaoling leaned back. "You have asked many questions. Now it is my turn."
"Ask."
"When you raised your army to aid the emperor… were you happy? When you led troops against bandits… did it feel exhilarating?"
Zhu Yujian drew in a sharp breath.
What kind of question was that?
He replayed everything the other man had said. The fake surname Zhu. The remark about his courage. The dismissive tone when referring to the Prince of Tang. The confidence that he did not need such status.
Pieces clicked into place.
There was only one possibility.
"You… you are also of the imperial clan," Zhu Yujian said slowly. "And your status is higher than mine."
Zhu Piaoling jerked upright. "You figured that out?"
"That Shaanxi accent," Zhu Yujian continued. "You are the heir apparent to the Prince of Qin. Zhu Cunji."
"Stop!" Zhu Piaoling exclaimed. "Did I not just tell you that one does not speak such things aloud? Keep it in your heart! Why must you say everything directly?"
Zhu Yujian asked calmly, "Will you silence me?"
"If I wished to kill you, why save you?" Zhu Piaoling shot back. "Just keep quiet, understood?"
Zhu Yujian almost laughed.
"I will try not to expose you."
Now that he understood who this man truly was, a strange calm settled over him. Zhu Cunji's status far surpassed that of the Prince of Tang. If he wished to rebel, he would not need Zhu Yujian as a banner.
Perhaps he truly had only meant to save him.
"Brother…" Zhu Yujian began, then froze.
He suddenly remembered that by seniority he was of an older generation within the clan. The word felt awkward on his tongue.
After a long pause, he corrected himself. "Zhu Piaoling. Did you also consider raising troops to aid the emperor, but lacked the courage?"
Zhu Cunji did not deny it.
"I did consider it. But I am not as brave as you. I did not dare act openly. And now… it is no longer my place."
"Not your place?" Zhu Yujian frowned. "What does that mean?"
Zhu Cunji only smiled faintly and did not answer.
The carriage continued its journey.
Several days later, they arrived in Luoyang.
It was Zhu Yujian's first visit, despite how close it lay to Nanyang. The bustling streets, the crowds, the lively markets lifted his mood.
He lifted a corner of the curtain slightly, enjoying the sight.
Then his heart nearly stopped.
Riding ahead on a tall and magnificent horse was a military officer clad in shanwen armor, surrounded by an imposing escort.
It was Gao Jie.
Zhu Yujian's breath caught in his throat.
If he were recognized here, everything would be over.
He lowered the curtain slowly.
Please do not come to inspect this carriage.