While speaking, Prince Yan began walking. The Crown Prince was also prepared to follow.

But a guard officer below the steps extended his hand to stop them, bowing slightly and saying softly, “Your Highness Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince Yan, please wait a moment.”

The officer extended his hand to block their path. The Crown Prince and Prince Yan raised their eyebrows in surprise and looked questioningly at Cai Ben. Cai Ben shook his head to indicate he didn’t recognize him. One of the Crown Prince’s retainers quickly came over to explain that this was one of the observing officers sent by the Ministry of War.

This middle-aged officer had delicate eyebrows and refined eyes, with an elegant bearing. In different clothes, one absolutely couldn’t tell his identity. As the Crown Prince’s retainer explained, he maintained his slightly bowed posture throughout, repeating, “Your Highness Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince Yan, please wait a moment.”

Below Moling Pass, Jiangwu Hall’s menial workers were moving injured students from the battlefield, and the observing instructors had successively descended from Moling Pass to make inquiries. Nothing appeared abnormal.

The Crown Prince and Prince Yan studied this officer, waiting for him to explain the reason for waiting.

A badge slid slightly out from the officer’s lowered sleeve. Though it was withdrawn in an instant, both the Crown Prince and Prince Yan were greatly shaken.

This officer was an Imperial Guard Qianhu.

In terms of official rank, this Qianhu was nothing before them, but the Imperial Guard…

Even the Crown Prince and Prince Yan had to regard the Imperial Guard, whom the Hongwu Emperor likened to vicious guard dogs protecting the family, with special attention.

The Qianhu remained slightly bowed, saying softly, “This humble officer Shen Guangli, following His Majesty’s imperial decree and under the command of Commander Lu Qianzhizi, escorts Your Highness, the Crown Prince, and Your Highness Prince Yan to inspect the exercises. It would be best if Your Highnesses did not descend from Moling Pass. If you wish to see anyone, this humble officer will summon them.”

The Crown Prince and Prince Yan looked at each other, then turned to survey the battlefield below Moling Pass.

There was nothing unusual—

But when Meng Jianqing turned around and saw two menial workers going to lift the fallen Gongsun Yi, he suddenly noticed something glinting in the sunlight on one worker’s hand. His mind stirred, and he shouted, “Wait!”

Of the two menial workers, one looked up at him blankly, while the other continued reaching toward Gongsun Yi.

As Meng Jianqing’s mind moved, his internal energy had already flowed to his blade. The long saber in his hand whistled out, breaking through the air as it spun rapidly toward that menial worker.

The worker’s right hand had just touched Gongsun Yi’s clothing when he was startled by the blade breaking through the air. He instinctively jumped to the side but was still struck in the right shoulder by the long saber. Fortunately, it was unsharpened, or this arm would likely have been severed.

Meng Jianqing’s expression couldn’t help but change. With the force of his strike, even a big man like Guanxi would probably be knocked to the ground if caught off guard, but this worker’s seemingly clumsy jump had dissipated most of the blade’s force. After just a stumble, he had steadied his footing.

As the worker retreated, Meng Jianqing rode his horse to Gongsun Yi’s side, studying his opponent.

The worker was now looking up at Meng Jianqing, mounted high on his horse, with the same blank expression as his companion.

If Meng Jianqing hadn’t been deeply aware of the force behind his blade, he probably never would have suspected anything wrong with this stupid-looking worker.

In Meng Jianqing’s mind, thoughts flew by rapidly. Should he watch this suspicious worker, or should he report to Guo Ying or some instructor? Perhaps while he was reporting, this worker would hide whatever suspicious items he carried without a trace—

But then, seeing those injured students being carried off the battlefield by workers with no guard whatsoever, Meng Jianqing’s heart jumped. A thought suddenly flashed into his mind, and he shouted, “The attending physician orders: do not move the injured! Instructor Sima orders: all menial workers and other unrelated personnel leave immediately!”

He used his full voice to shout this command. Jiangwu Hall students had developed a habit of obeying orders, and without time to think about who had issued this command, the uninjured ones instinctively moved to stop the workers from carrying people and drove those workers away from the battlefield.

Meng Jianqing kept his eyes fixed on that suspicious worker. The menial workers in Jiangwu Hall were all selected by the Ministry of War and sent in only after reliable people vouched for them, so he shouldn’t have been suspicious, but…

That worker had already mixed into the crowd.

Meng Jianqing flicked his left hand, and the thin rope silently swung out, the five-claw hook at its end grasping toward the worker’s suspicious right forearm. With a light “clang,” the iron hook seemed to strike iron, and in that instant of contact, it swung back.

Meng Jianqing hesitated no longer and shouted, “Stop that worker who has a blade on him!”

When Meng Jianqing was falsely transmitting orders, Meng Jianchen had already recognized his voice and was greatly surprised. He rode over to see what was happening. Seeing Meng Jianqing testing that worker and shouting this command, he immediately understood his meaning and thrust out his spear. But that worker had already darted into the crowd. All the workers wore identical clothing, and once that person mixed into the crowd, he couldn’t be identified for the moment. Using the crowd as cover, the man shouted, “There’s an assassin! Run!”

Those workers were startled and involuntarily began running about in confusion.

Meng Jianchen spat, “Damn it, he’s using this trick of muddying the waters!” While horizontally sweeping his long spear to knock away two workers who were running toward him.

In the chaos, someone suddenly screamed in agony.

Outside the battlefield, Archery Instructor Kong Xuan shot three arrows in rapid succession.

In an instant, over ten menial workers had been shot through their feet by Instructor Kong and pinned to the ground, clutching their feet and howling in pain.

The rest didn’t dare run anymore and froze in place.

Only then did Instructor Kong leisurely lower his bow and arrows.

Each worker was called forward for individual body searches. Meng Jianqing found the worker from before, but there was no weapon on his right forearm. That sharp dagger lay quietly on the ground—no one would admit to being its owner. Meng Jianqing’s face turned pale. He thought he had probably made a grave error. Falsely transmitting orders was a great taboo in the military, especially since he hadn’t been able to catch his opponent.

Moreover, the exercises explicitly prohibited carrying personal weapons, yet in his carelessness, he had failed to remove the rope and hook that he wore daily around his waist.

Fortunately, a dagger had been found, proving that someone on this battlefield had indeed carried a private weapon with intent to assassinate, preventing Meng Jianqing’s previous actions from appearing too outrageous.

The attending physician suddenly cried out, “What’s going on?”

Three injured students had been stabbed in vital points without anyone noticing. By the time their companions realized something was wrong, they could no longer be saved.

When this news was reported, the Crown Prince’s expression was very unpleasant. Three students had died in an exercise, right under his nose, with such bold and ruthless assassins…

Shen Guangli had somehow appeared beside the Crown Prince and Prince Yan, saying softly, “Your Highness Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince Yan, the assassins’ original target was probably Your Highnesses.”

In such circumstances, given the Crown Prince’s character of caring for his subordinates and his nominal role as Chief Instructor of Jiangwu Hall, and Prince Yan’s military knowledge, martial prowess, and desire to recruit talent, they would certainly personally comfort Jiangwu Hall students—the future officers of the Great Ming. Even menial workers would have opportunities to approach them.

Seeing that the Crown Prince and Prince Yan had been dissuaded and would not descend from Moling Pass, the assassins mixed among the workers could only settle for second best. In this important exercise setting, they killed a few students as a demonstration to dampen military morale.

Speaking of it, those students were scapegoats.

Understanding this, the Crown Prince’s expression became melancholy.

Those three students had all been sons of heaven upon whom the nation had placed high hopes…

Prince Yan said angrily, “Killing has reached Jiangwu Hall’s exercise grounds! Shen Guangli, what have you people been doing that the court supports?”

Shen Guangli’s face still showed no expression, slightly bowing his head in reply, “This humble officer will investigate the assassins’ origins and root out whoever is behind them.”

Prince Yan snorted, “This prince departs the capital in three days. I hope this prince can receive your news before departing.”