They lived this way for a full ten years.

In these ten years, Xiao Ze became the Crown Prince’s number one person. Wherever the Crown Prince went, he was there.

Xiao Ze no longer had time to sleep in his bed—the Crown Prince couldn’t be without him for a moment.

Zhang Tianxing became the leader of the shadow guards, directly under the Crown Prince’s command.

He had no ambitions. If there were assignments, he took them. If not, he rested. Though Xiao Ze and Tianxing verbally scolded him for laziness, in their hearts they knew he simply didn’t want to compete.

None of the three married or had children.

He and Zhang Tianxing were in the shadows. Without leaving shadow guard status, they couldn’t marry or have children.

Xiao Ze was in the open. He could, but he was unwilling.

The reason stemmed from the Xiao family seeing his success and wanting to use him for a marriage alliance.

Once a man has wife and children, he has weaknesses. Xiao Ze’s position by the Crown Prince’s side was pivotal, even affecting the whole situation.

As long as the Crown Prince hadn’t ascended to the throne, he couldn’t allow himself to have weaknesses for even one day.

“We three agreed that when we got old someday, we’d petition the Crown Prince to let them leave and find a place with clear mountains and beautiful waters to live in seclusion.”

Lu Da: “Daily we’d drink wine, bask in the sun, leisurely pass our remaining years. Whoever died last would collect the corpses of those who died first.”

“Would the Crown Prince let you go?” Zhu Qing suddenly interjected.

“I don’t know about other masters, but he definitely would. This is one reason we three were loyal to him. He was a person who…”

Lu Da’s gaze swept over Yan Sanhe: “Forget it. He’s been buried for so many years—there’s no point saying more.”

Yan Sanhe knew he was being considerate of her, so she redirected: “Later you were sent to Lu Shi’s side?”

Lu Da: “He sent me. I wasn’t very willing—couldn’t bear to leave Xiao Ze and Tianxing. He gave me one night to think it over.”

That night, both Xiao Ze and Tianxing came.

Xiao Ze said: “Fool, His Highness is indirectly releasing you. At Lord Lu’s side, you can marry and have children, live a normal person’s life. Should all three of us really remain bachelors?”

Tianxing said: “Being able to follow Lord Lu traveling all over—no longer confined to the Crown Prince’s residence, it’s actually a good thing. You’ll see more of the world.”

Seeing he remained silent, Xiao Ze’s expression turned serious: “His Highness’s situation isn’t good. If something happens, in the future you could collect our corpses for us.”

Tianxing: “Can’t put all eggs in one basket.”

These words struck his heart.

The Crown Prince’s situation—no one in this world understood more clearly than the three of them. If not guarding against ten thousand, at least guard against one in ten thousand.

He nodded: “Alright!”

Thinking that after following Lord Lu, meetings would be even harder.

So the three agreed that every year on His Highness’s birthday, they’d find a way to meet, drink together, chat, or spar.

He left the Crown Prince’s residence on a rainy morning.

After passing two streets, at a turn he saw Xiao Ze holding an umbrella. Walking forward several more zhang, he saw Zhang Tianxing standing under eaves.

They used this method to see off their good brother.

“After following Lord Lu, he gave me this name. I cursed it inwardly though I didn’t say so aloud. When I first arrived at Lord Lu’s side, neither of us was comfortable—we mutually disliked each other.”

He had previously slept during the day and worked at night. After over twenty years, suddenly living like a normal person—sleeping and rising at normal hours—his whole body felt uncomfortable.

Add to that Lord Lu speaking even less than him, the two often just looked at each other without a word.

After half a year of adjustment, their interactions gradually became harmonious.

Every year on His Highness’s birthday, he’d find ways to return to the capital for their meeting.

They met at Xiao Ze’s small courtyard in the capital, buying a few good dishes from outside, bringing out wine saved for a year. The three would drink and chat.

First discussing His Highness’s matters, then court affairs, finally their own situations.

When talk was nearly done, they’d spar a bit. Whichever one’s skills had deteriorated, the other two would scold him together.

They didn’t dare get dead drunk, only mildly intoxicated.

Even so, this day was Lu Da’s happiest day each year.

As dawn broke faintly, the three would clasp fists, each returning to their positions, anticipating meeting again next year.

Yan Sanhe: “This continued until the eighth year of Yonghe.”

Lu Da closed his eyes: “Yes!”

Seventh month of Yonghe’s eighth year.

Lord Lu left the capital for Quanzhou in the south to investigate flooding matters.

On the morning of the thirteenth of the seventh month, upon waking his left eyelid began twitching. He felt something was going to happen.

Shadow guards’ intuition was generally very good, especially regarding danger. He vaguely sensed something must have happened in the capital.

And it wasn’t something small.

Strangely, Lord Lu had also seemed distracted those days, often waking startled at night.

Master and servant discussed it and decided to return to the capital early once matters were concluded.

But before they could depart for the capital, they learned the Crown Prince had raised troops in rebellion, been defeated, and committed suicide.

His heart shattered from the shock.

If the Crown Prince raised troops, whether open guards or shadow guards, all would fight. The official bulletin said all the Crown Prince’s faction were annihilated—meaning Xiao Ze and Tianxing were both gone.

That day, he raged at Lu Shi.

He wanted to return to the capital immediately. Lu Shi insisted on waiting until their work was complete.

For the first time in his life, he shouted himself hoarse: “My master is gone, my brothers are gone. I’ve become a lonely ghost.”

“What would you do returning now? Collect their corpses? Are there even corpses left?

Is your master someone who would raise troops in rebellion? Why did he rebel? Who forced him to rebel? Is there something in all this we don’t know?”

Lu Shi’s brow furrowed into a deep line.

“Lu Da, impulsiveness solves nothing. Don’t forget—he was my master too.”

Hearing this, he stood stunned for a long while, then squatted on the ground, covering his face and silently weeping.

Lu Shi squatted before him, hand on his shoulder: “You’ve never told me about your brothers. Now that they’re dead, tell me.”

He used half the night to speak of the three of them over twenty-plus years, bit by bit.

After listening, Lu Shi used the other half of the night to speak of his time in the Tang family, of Chu Yanting, and said that fellow had probably gone too.

That night, master and servant completely opened their hearts to each other.

“When we returned to the capital it was already late October. The weather was very cold. I didn’t go to the Crown Prince’s residence. Old friends were all gone—what was there to see?

The Crown Prince’s birthday was the twenty-sixth of the twelfth month. By custom we three should drink together. I prepared some paper money and good wine, and at night went to Xiao Ze’s residence.”

Lu Da took a deep breath: “I didn’t expect to encounter someone there who should have been in the underworld.”

Li Buyan: “Who?”

Lu Da: “Zhang Tianxing!”

Li Buyan exclaimed: “He didn’t die?”

Lu Da: “He didn’t die.”

Li Buyan: “Why didn’t he die?”

Lu Da’s peripheral vision swept over Yan Sanhe, unable to hide the relief in his eyes.

“Because the moment before the Crown Prince raised troops, he was ordered to take a newborn infant to the Zheng family and protect her for life.”