A camphor grove that could be found anywhere, in the middle of nowhere—no village ahead, no inn behind.
“Release our young master!”
Mo Zi heard the urgent shouts of Qian Liang and Bai Liang. The situation seemed dire. She immediately frowned and quickened her pace. Before long, she spotted people ahead. Six or seven bodies lay sprawled on the ground. Qian Liang and Bai Liang were jointly attacking a middle-aged man, one white-bearded old man was fighting another white-bearded old man, and Jin Yin was being held by two people.
“Zan Jin, circle around from behind and rescue Young Master Jin while they’re distracted.” At a time like this, Mo Zi’s military training showed its effectiveness—she immediately identified the most urgent priority.
Zan Jin flickered and vanished.
Mo Zi glanced at Yuan Cheng’s side. “Where are your people?”
“Shadows cannot be seen in the light.” Yuan Cheng watched the situation around Jin Yin. “You and I don’t need to act yet. Two more people without the strength to truss a chicken would only give the enemy more opportunities to exploit.”
So it seemed that Yi Dan was an existence unknown to Hua Yi and the other Qianniu Guards. Continuous shouts reached her ears. Mo Zi pondered, “We can’t just stand here waiting either.”
Yuan Cheng replied, “We must wait. I’ve already instructed Yi Dan—he’ll know what to do.” Weren’t people already deployed in this grove? They just needed to be utilized properly.
While the two were talking behind the tree, Zan Jin made his move on that side. His appearance clearly caught the opposition off guard—the people gripping Jin Yin fell instantly.
The twins cheered. No longer constrained, they fought freely and immediately gained the upper hand. Between the pair of white-bearded old men, the battle situation also shifted.
“Ah, that’s Elder Yi Liang.” Mo Zi recognized him. One of the white-bearded old men was Jin Yin’s old steward—who would have thought he was also a martial artist.
“Bai Liang and Qian Liang’s kung fu was taught by him.” Yuan Cheng had noticed this long ago, which was why he wasn’t anxious. However, the person fighting him also seemed quite skilled.
“These days, those who don’t know martial arts themselves but have experts around them can swagger about.” Like Jin Yin, like Yuan Cheng. She also planned to try swaggering around.
“Ba Liang is the true master.” Yuan Cheng said coolly. “However, such occasions don’t require him yet. At least Young Master Jin treasures him too much.”
“Ba Liang?” Mo Zi quickly made the connection. “Don’t tell me everyone in Jin Yin’s household is named in sequence like Yi Liang, Er Liang, San Liang?”
“Young Master is obsessed with gold. I’m not at all surprised he names people this way.” Though it sounded ridiculous at first, after calling them a few times, one got used to it.
Mo Zi’s face twitched. She thought to herself that if he rescued her, she’d rather not go out than be called “So-and-so Liang.”
Just then, the sound of gongs and drums came from all directions. Many voices shouted that there were bandits in the grove—quickly report to the authorities, quickly save people!
“So this was your method.” It was actually practical. It didn’t expose Yuan family’s people while still frightening the group that attacked Jin Yin.
“This old minister means no harm, only wishes to invite His Highness to return to our Yuling to take charge of the situation!” The old man fighting Yi Liang shouted with heartbroken sincerity.
Behind the tree, Mo Zi heard everything clearly and froze in shock. She looked at Yuan Cheng, only to find his expression unchanged as he leaned against the tree with lowered eyes, his silver robes making him seem like a celestial being descended from the heavens, apparently cold and indifferent to worldly affairs.
“I’ve already told you—you have the wrong person. I’m not any ‘Highness,’ nor am I from Yuling. Though I opened a few modest little shops in Yuling, I’ve now closed them all due to the war.” Despite being ambushed, Jin Yin remained completely composed.
“You stubborn miser! At this point, won’t you show yourself? Do you want to collect my corpse?” Jin Yin grabbed Zan Jin, then remembered to add, “My San’er, I’m not talking about you. Only you think of your older brother and sent people to rescue me. Hide yourself well and don’t let these starving bandits hurt you and make your brother heartbroken. But kick that stubborn miser out here—I need to settle accounts with him.”
One more nauseating than the other. Mo Zi couldn’t help but rub her arms. “Let’s go out quickly. If this continues, people will think the three of us are in some kind of relationship.”
Having said that, she walked out from behind the tree without waiting for Yuan Cheng.
Seeing the opposition gathering their forces to retreat, Yuan Cheng didn’t stop Mo Zi. Of course, he silently pondered the term “duanbei” in his mind, though it wasn’t as easy to understand as “releasing pigeons.”
As soon as Zan Jin saw Mo Zi appear, he brought Jin Yin to stand beside her.
Jin Yin was dressed as brilliantly as ever today, and being attacked had not diminished his splendor in the slightest. A golden fan adorned with dangling jewels and gems swayed as he grabbed Mo Zi’s elbow, smiling with gleaming white teeth.
“My dear third younger brother! It’s been so long—I’ve been thinking of you madly.” He practically draped himself over Mo Zi’s shoulder.
Mo Zi extended her index finger and pushed against Jin Yin’s approaching forehead. “Young Master Jin, did someone beat your bones loose?” She struggled, struggled, struggled hard.
“His bones aren’t loose—they’re soft.” The corner of Yuan Cheng’s mouth curved slightly as he stared at Jin Yin’s hand hooked around Mo Zi’s arm. “He was born that way. No cure.”
“Right, I was born this way, you were born later. But I’m not as soft as you.” He hooked his arm tighter to irritate him. Jin Yin activated his clinging skills.
“That’s true. No matter what we compare, you always lose.” Yuan Cheng smiled. “Believe it or not, if you don’t let go now, you’ll become a one-armed man.”
“Ha—you’re jealous?” Jin Yin also smiled, but wickedly.
“I just think you’re stupid, never knowing when to do things. Your old general is dumbfounded. Do you want me to persuade him that whoever he seeks to take charge of the situation, it shouldn’t be you? A country perishes once—understandable. A country perishes twice—that’s called deserving it.” When it came to eloquence, if Yuan Cheng claimed second place, Mo Zi dared not claim first.
Yuan Cheng’s voice wasn’t quiet either. The old man who had stopped fighting with Yi Liang widened his eyes, his gaze shifting between the three of them, his expression not looking good.
Mo Zi peeled Jin Yin’s fingers off one by one. “I think you’re both people who don’t know when to do things.” The enemy was right before them!
“Your High… Highness…” The white-bearded old man looked at Jin Yin’s frivolous manner—where was his former bearing? If he hadn’t confirmed earlier that the owner of Jin Yin Bank was the young prince, even seeing him now, he might have thought he’d mistaken the person.
Having been peeled away, Jin Yin stood alone. His throat moved, and his tone became unprecedentedly icy.
Mo Zi turned to look at Jin Yin in surprise, but heard Yuan Cheng chuckle softly beside her. She couldn’t distinguish what emotion lay within—as if understanding, as if disdain, and also as if sympathy.
“Prince Yu, I know His Majesty treated you harshly in the past, but with the nation in peril, you shouldn’t dwell on such matters. His Majesty has passed away, the Crown Prince has been captured with uncertain fate—if you don’t step forward, who else can save him?” The sound of gongs and drums outside the grove was closing in. The old man grew anxious.
“Setting aside that Yuling has already fallen, even if it hadn’t, what does it have to do with me? That rotten old man drove me from the palace long ago—I have no relationship with him anymore. As for the Crown Prince, hmph! Since childhood, he and his formidable mother have harmed me countless times. Save him?” Jin Yin laughed loudly. “I wish them all dead! And you ask me to save him now? Do you know that when Yuling fell, I clapped my hands in celebration? Today I’m sparing you. Come bother me again next time, and you’ll leave your lives behind. Now—get lost!”
Mo Zi finally understood how she’d become sworn siblings with Yuan Cheng and Jin Yin. All three had a complete mess of rotten accounts to shirk, to escape, to forget.
She never would have imagined that Jin Yin was a prince of Yuling.
Wait… Yu? Chu Yu? Jin Yin was Chu Yu?
Mo Zi couldn’t help but step back, too shocked.
“What? Waiting for me to invite you to dinner?” Jin Yin sneered again. “Qian Liang, Bai Liang, give them a banknote. Life as wandering homeless dogs isn’t easy. At least the old general is one of Yuling’s few remaining loyal subjects. Out of respect for such virtue, I, Young Master Jin, won’t go too far. Take the banknote, divide it among yourselves, and don’t return to any Yuling. Stay in Great Zhou and start anew.”
Tears glistened in the old general’s reddened eyes. Without even glancing at the banknote, he knelt and rose again. “Prince Yu, please think again of Yuling’s common people. We will return.” Saying “let’s go,” the group of ragged men all knelt toward Jin Yin before running toward the other end of the grove. Their figures were soon obscured by the trees.
“Yuan Cheng, tell your people not to act rashly.” Jin Yin gazed ahead.
“Young Master Jin spoke so absolutely just now—I thought you’d want to kill them immediately.” Yuan Cheng’s face showed jade-like warmth as he smiled coolly. “Turns out you’re a paper tiger—one poke and you’re exposed.”
“That old man is a general from the water frontier who strongly advocated my return to the country. Unfortunately, distant water can’t quench immediate thirst. He’s extremely stubborn about seniority and cannot be used by me, but he’s also not my enemy. Verbal threats are sufficient.” Jin Yin spoke, then glimpsing how Mo Zi was staring at him intently, reverted to his devil-may-care expression. “Third brother, do you suddenly find your elder brother tall, mighty, and imposing?”
Mo Zi slowly asked: “You’re Chu Yu?”
Jin Yin’s eyes brightened, his smile joyful. “Sister Ah Zi finally remembered! You’ve kept me waiting so long.”
“Where did he keep you waiting? On Mid-Autumn night when we became sworn siblings, didn’t you blurt it out yourself?” Yuan Cheng’s cool voice.
“Yuan Cheng! Didn’t you say you were dead drunk and didn’t remember anything?” Jin Yin bellowed.
Mo Zi perked up her ears. The mystery of the sworn brotherhood was about to be revealed?
“I was talking about Mo Zi, not myself. Besides, you were also too drunk and spilled everything about your affairs in Great Qiu—you were just short of kowtowing to Mo Zi in gratitude. Seeing you so sincere, and with Mo Zi suggesting becoming sworn siblings, I just grabbed some incense and kowtowed to heaven and earth. Afterward, you seemed the happiest. Was it because having someone younger than you meant you wouldn’t seem so stupid? But I think among the three of us, you’re still the least intelligent.” Yuan Cheng began walking out of the grove.
Mo Zi didn’t avoid anything improper. She was destined to deal with men in shipbuilding, so she grabbed Yuan Cheng’s sleeve. “I suggested becoming sworn siblings?”
Two affirmative responses—one from Yuan Cheng, one from Jin Yin.
Mo Zi clutched her head in despair.
Jin Yin stepped forward and patted her shoulder. “Third brother, don’t be sad. When people are drunk, all kinds of strange things happen. Pulling people into sworn brotherhood is quite ordinary. Besides, isn’t it wonderful? You suddenly gain two elder brothers to look after you.”
One moment calling her “third brother,” the next “younger sister,” not to mention “Brother Mo” and “Mo Zi”—just the forms of address alone created utter confusion. He might not feel it, but she certainly felt dizzy.
And she was the instigator of all this?
Hadn’t she brought this upon herself?