Tonight's sky was exceptionally clear, with countless stars twinkling beautifully above the Li Mansion.
In one corner of the mansion, two men were enjoying their wine while admiring the wonderful night scenery.
Prince FengEr took a sip from his wine glass and nodded with satisfaction.
"Hmm... I really like how you keep your wine, Wei Di. It never disappoints me..."
Prince Li didn't respond. His attention seemed entirely occupied by his own thoughts.
"Wei Di? Qi Wang Di!"
Hearing his name being called, Prince Li finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked towards Prince FengEr.
"I'm sorry, San Wang Ge. I wasn't listening..."
"What's on your mind? Why don't you share it with your big brother?"
Prince Li remained silent.
"You're worrying about the case, aren't you?"
Prince Li was slightly surprised that Prince FengEr had guessed correctly. Perhaps his concerns were clearly written on his face.
"For all these years, Han Country has been trying to conquer our territory, but they have never succeeded because our weapons are superior to theirs. However, if they manage to obtain the knowledge to produce weapons as advanced as ours, or perhaps even better..." He paused and frowned. "I'm afraid..."
"That's why you've been thinking about who might be behind all this?"
Prince Li didn't answer, but his silence was enough.
"Actually, the military situation isn't entirely our problem. It's the Crown Prince's responsibility. If he, or someone close to him, turns out to be the person we're looking for, then he's practically digging his own grave! That man really is hopeless..."
Prince Li understood what Prince FengEr meant.
Among all the princes, the Crown Prince was probably the most arrogant yet foolish. He was hot-tempered and always believed that violence was the best way to solve problems.
He was completely different from their late Second Prince.
Suddenly, Prince Li spoke in a low voice.
"I miss Er Wang Ge... In a situation like this, he would know exactly what to do..."
Prince FengEr's expression changed immediately upon hearing the mention of their late elder brother. His usual relaxed smile disappeared, replaced by a more solemn expression.
He emptied his wine glass in one go.
"You know, Er Wang Ge would probably tell us to leave this problem to him, saying that he could take care of everything himself..." He paused for a moment before continuing quietly. "But Wei Di, he's no longer here."
"Yeah... You're right, San Wang Ge. He's no longer here..."
It had been years since the Second Prince had passed away.
He had died during one of the battles against the Han army, a particularly fierce battle that had become one of the darkest memories in the princes' lives.
At that time, the King had dispatched the Second Prince and several other princes to protect the border against a furious attack from the Han army.
For some of the princes, it was an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and win the King's favour in the competition for the Crown Prince's position.
However, Prince FengEr, the Third Prince, and Prince Li, the Seventh Prince, had chosen not to participate in that campaign.
When the battle finally ended, shocking news reached them.
The Second Prince had been killed by the enemy.
It was the greatest sorrow and regret for both Prince FengEr and Prince Li. They had lost the elder brother they admired most without even having the opportunity to stand beside him or protect him.
Meanwhile, the First Prince was subsequently appointed Crown Prince for his supposedly successful contribution to defending the border.
However, Prince FengEr and Prince Li had always harboured suspicions that something suspicious had happened during that battle.
They knew how much the First Prince had hated the Second Prince. In their eyes, if the Second Prince had still been alive, he would have been far more deserving of the Crown Prince's position.
Unfortunately, they had no evidence to support their suspicions. It remained nothing more than a painful speculation.
Remembering their late elder brother, Prince Li began drinking more frequently.
One glass became two, then several more.
Before long, the alcohol began to take effect. His usual restraint gradually disappeared, and his emotions became increasingly difficult to hide.
"I will catch those bastards!" he suddenly declared, his voice filled with anger. "This time, I won't disappoint Er Wang Ge! No matter whether it's the Crown Prince, Minister Hua, or anyone else... If I discover that they've made a deal with Han, I'll kill them with my own sword!"
"Hmm... Does that include HuaMuTan?"
Prince FengEr, who seemed to have a considerably higher tolerance for alcohol, asked curiously.
"HuaMuTan...?"
Prince Li frowned as he tried to gather his thoughts.
"That woman... She makes me confused, you know, San Wang Ge? She's changed... so much..." He shook his head slightly. "I don't know what kind of evil scheme she's planning this time... But she makes me feel uneasy... That evil... HuaMu... Tan..."
His words became increasingly slurred.
Before he could say anything else, Prince Li finally leaned back and fell asleep, completely overcome by the alcohol.
Prince FengEr looked at his younger brother and chuckled softly.
"Hmm... So you've already noticed that HuaMuTan is different..." He took another sip of wine and smiled faintly. "Perhaps you're also beginning to feel attracted to her, Wei Di... Just like I am?"
After finishing his last glass, Prince FengEr stood up and left the place.
A few hours later, inside TanTan's room, FangFang was still sleeping peacefully beside her.
TanTan had been watching the little girl sleep for some time. However, after singing the lullaby several times, she began to feel thirsty.
She slowly got out of bed and reached for the water jug on the table.
Unfortunately, it was empty.
Sigh... Do I really have to go all the way to the kitchen just for some water?
She glanced at her ankle. The pain had subsided considerably, although it hadn't completely disappeared.
After a moment of hesitation, TanTan decided she could manage a short walk.
She carefully opened the door and stepped outside.
However, just as she was about to leave, her instincts suddenly alerted her to someone's presence.
"Who's there?"
TanTan stopped and looked around cautiously.
A moment later, a shadow emerged from behind a nearby tree.
It was a man wearing a black mask.
TanTan immediately recognized him.
It was the same mysterious man who had helped her escape from the woods the last time.
Her expression turned guarded, and she instinctively took a step backwards.
"What do you want?"
"Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you."
The masked man approached her and held out a dagger.
TanTan's eyes widened as soon as she recognized it.
"The dagger...?! It's yours? You...!"
"Yes. But I'm not the one who tried to kill you. At that time, one of the assassins managed to retrieve it after I used it to protect you. So there's no point in continuing to investigate that dagger, HuaMuTan."
"But... who are you? And why did you help me last time?"
"I'm nobody."
The man didn't seem interested in answering her questions.
"I'm here to warn you. Stop investigating that dagger, and don't get involved with me anymore. Otherwise, you'll put yourself in even greater danger than you're already in. Do you understand?"
Before TanTan could respond, the masked man took her hand and placed a small bottle in her palm.
"What is this?"
TanTan looked at the little bottle in confusion.
"Medicine for your ankle. It should relieve the pain immediately."
TanTan widened her eyes.
"How do you know about my ankle?"
She looked at him more intently, trying to figure out who might be hiding behind the black mask.
However, the masked man immediately turned around, seemingly unwilling to let her examine him any further.
"Wait!"
Just as he was about to leave, TanTan hurriedly stopped him.
"If I can't investigate through your dagger, how am I supposed to find out who tried to kill me? Do you know who they are?"
The masked man had already leapt onto the branches of a nearby tree. He paused and turned towards her.
"Your enemies might be closer to you than you realize. Don't trust anyone around you..."
He paused briefly before adding,
"You'll learn more when you go to the palace."
With that, he disappeared into the darkness.
TanTan remained standing in the same place, completely puzzled.
She lowered her gaze to the small medicine bottle in her hand.
Can I trust him? Is he really an enemy or a friend?
He knows about my injured ankle... Does that mean he's been watching me all this time? Could he actually be somewhere nearby?
One question led to another, leaving her mind filled with uncertainty.
She was so preoccupied with the mysterious man's words that she completely forgot about her thirst.
After a while, TanTan decided to return to her room.
Looking at the little bottle again, she made up her mind.
Well... let's see whether this medicine really works.
She decided to try it, hoping the result would help her determine whether the mysterious masked man was truly someone she could trust... or another enemy hiding behind a friendly gesture.