Fang Jie and the young man left the Sanjin Marquis's residence around noon. The martial arts academy was closed, so Fang Jie didn't need to report. It was almost February 12th, and he decided to stop by the Red Sleeve Pavilion on his way back. This was the first time Fang Jie had planned to start a business since arriving in the capital. He had originally intended to abandon this line of work, but now he had to take it seriously.
The Sui Dynasty was different from his previous life. Merchants had a very low status in the Sui. In the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were ranked last. Because of this, merchants were not allowed to enter officialdom… Before arriving in Chang'an, Fang Jie had already decided not to do business unless absolutely necessary. But after arriving in Chang'an, he realized that money was essential everywhere.
And those high-ranking officials, which one didn't have a business background?
Although the Sui court's salary wasn't low, relying on it to live would likely leave the officials struggling. Since learning about the many powerful figures behind the "Trade Throughout the World" business, Fang Jie's determination to go into business grew stronger. To advance further in his official career, money was indispensable.
Making a garment workshop was only the first step; Fang Jie had many ideas in mind. But what he lacked most was capital. If the garment business succeeded, everything else would be easier to manage. He didn't want to use too much of Wu Yidao's money, not because he was particularly wise, but because he worried that someone would eventually take it out of him, and he wouldn't be able to repay it.
The young man seemed like someone emerging from a deep mountain forest for the first time, finding everything fascinating. He also seemed completely oblivious to his role as a pageboy, running ahead to look at the cosmetics vendors one moment, and then lagging far behind, squatting on the ground watching the mastiff puppies the next.
Fang Jie ignored him and continued walking.
Passing an alleyway, he noticed a crowd gathered to watch a commotion. Fang Jie went closer to see what was happening and saw a couple arguing. Bottles and jars were being thrown around, and each time something broke, the onlookers cheered.
"You dare smash my cosmetics? I'll smash your writing implements!"
The noise was deafening, and the onlookers outside shouted, "Smash the desk! Smash the bronze mirror!"
Bronze mirrors were valuable items, not something just anyone could afford. Fang Jie listened for a while, smiled, and then turned to leave. Just then, a long sword, like a venomous snake, suddenly darted out from the crowd, aimed straight for Fang Jie's back!
Everyone's attention was focused on the noisy family; no one noticed this sudden, unexpected sword strike. The swordsman moved like a serpent from the crowd, leaping forward with a swift step, making it seem as if the sword was carrying him along. Fang Jie, having just turned to leave, hadn't seen the killing blow from behind.
But then, a sudden commotion erupted in the crowd. No one knew when the dark-skinned boy had squeezed into the crowd to watch the spectacle, but just as the sword was about to pierce Fang Jie's back, he suddenly charged out like a bull. He lowered his body, slammed forward with his shoulders low, and somehow managed to unleash tremendous force from his thin frame, sending the crowd scattering.
The assassin was startled. If his sword struck, it might succeed. But if he didn't dodge, he would surely take a punch from the burly young man.
In a split second, he twisted his wrist and somersaulted in mid-air to dodge. Just as he moved aside, the burly young man punched the wall behind him. With a loud bang, he smashed a large hole in the hard brick wall. After missing his target, the burly young man didn't stop and continued his pursuit.
The assassin turned and thrust his sword at the burly young man's heart. But the burly young man neither dodged nor evaded, seemingly determined to fight to the death. As his sword pierced the assassin's heart, his fist undoubtedly slammed into the assassin's temple. Forced to dodge again by this shameless tactic, the assassin turned around to find Fang Jie already standing in front of him.
Fang Jie was in front, and the dark-skinned boy was behind him.
The assassin hesitated for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "Attack!"
With a loud crash, a wall on one side of the alley collapsed, and a burly man wielding a massive hammer slammed it down towards Fang Jie's head! This man was at least two meters tall, and the heavy hammer in his hand weighed at least three to five hundred pounds. If hit by this hammer, Fang Jie's entire body would be smashed into a pile of mud.
The man crashed through the courtyard wall and charged out, his distance from Fang Jie exactly the length of the hammer in his hand.
Fang Jie frowned and his body retreated sharply backward. Unparalleled explosive force erupted from his feet, shattering several blue bricks under his foot. The hammer crashed down, slamming into the ground. A thick cloud of dust billowed up, and a crater half a meter in diameter was punched into the solid road surface.
Just as the heavy hammer fell, the sword-wielding assassin charged forward. He lightly stepped on the fallen giant hammer, then thrust his sword towards Fang Jie's face.
The dark-skinned boy chased after the assassin, only to be blocked by the burly man wielding the heavy hammer. The hammer swung horizontally, whistling through the air. If it struck the boy's waist, it might send him flying, crashing through the courtyard wall. The boy was thin and small, and the hammerhead seemed even larger than his upper body. The burly man wielding the hammer was strong and imposing; the boy was barely taller than his buttocks.
But what happened next left everyone who witnessed it speechless.
The boy didn't dodge or flinch; instead, he suddenly spread his arms and grabbed the hammerhead! It seemed that his small body, pressed against it, would surely be swept away along with the hammer. But in fact, the hammerhead, larger than his upper body, was held tightly in his grasp, stopping abruptly! This completely defied common sense. Even a galloping horse, wanting to stop, would continue its momentum for a while. But this massive hammer, as if frozen in time, abruptly stopped in the black boy's arms.
The black boy yelled "Ah!" and suddenly lifted it upwards with all his might.
He lifted the hundreds-of-pounds-heavy hammer, along with a burly man weighing at least two hundred pounds, all at once! Holding the hammerhead, the black boy was like an incredibly strong ant lifting a beetle several times his size. The burly man was clearly startled, releasing his grip and falling from mid-air before turning and fleeing.
The black boy hesitated for a moment, not giving chase, but instead rushing towards Fang Jie.
At this moment, Fang Jie was enveloped in a curtain of light. The sword was no longer discernible; a stream of light enveloped Fang Jie entirely. He could find no opportunity to counterattack except to retreat continuously. The assassin's sword strikes were astonishingly fast, making it impossible to distinguish between the sword and the afterimage.
Fang Jie retreated, then suddenly stomped hard on the ground. The blue bricks shattered, creating a deep pit. The assassin, advancing relentlessly, stepped into the pit, his body lurching. His sword flashed, momentarily disrupting its movement. Fang Jie seized the opportunity and threw a punch. The assassin flipped backward, using Fang Jie's fist as leverage to propel himself away like a cannonball. In mid-air, he flung his longsword, which flew down like lightning, aiming straight for Fang Jie. Fang Jie only had time to dodge; the sword sliced through his shoulder, leaving a bloody gash.
The assassin had already darted away like a hawk.
The dark-skinned boy turned to give chase, but Fang Jie stopped him and shook his head. Only then did the onlookers, who had been watching the couple's argument, come to their senses. Someone had shouted first, and they immediately scattered and ran.
The dark-skinned boy examined Fang Jie's shoulder wound, and after confirming it was just a puncture wound, his expression softened.
"Did you bring any medicine?"
Fang Jie asked.
The dark-skinned boy shook his head, grinning to reveal two rows of white teeth: "Medicine? I never need that stuff."
Fang Jie pursed his lips, straightened his clothes, and turned to walk back: "Now I finally understand why the eunuch chose you to be my personal page. Having you with me... really makes me feel safe."
The dark-skinned boy chuckled a few times, turning to look in the direction the assassin had disappeared, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
...
...
News of Fang Jie's assassination attempt spread quickly. Half an hour later, the Imperial Guards began searching the area. An hour later, the news reached the East Warm Pavilion of the Taiji Palace. And an hour and a half later, Fang Jie was already on his way to the palace.
Beside him, besides the dark-skinned boy, were the burly Nie Xiaoju and the scholar Chen Xiaoru. Of course, there was also Shen Qingshan, sitting next to Fang Jie in the carriage.
Prince Yi's Residence. After Qin Liuqi truthfully informed Prince Yi of Fang Jie's assassination attempt, he stood aside with his head bowed. Prince Yi, who was sprinkling fish food into the pond, paused upon hearing the news, turned to look at Qin Liuqi, and asked, "Who did it?"
"We don't know yet."
Qin Liuqi said, "It certainly wasn't someone from the manor. The Snake Guards wouldn't have acted without orders. Fang Henshui has been in that courtyard in the west city and hasn't left. I've already confirmed that."
Prince Yi casually tossed the fish food into the pond, where it landed with a splash. The koi, which hadn't frozen to death despite the cold, swarmed forward, and the water in the small pond churned as if boiling. The koi scrambling for the food created a rather spectacular scene. Prince Yi clapped his hands, paused for a moment, and asked, "Yesterday you said that when those people in the court were discussing things, someone mentioned that Wu Yidao might have given the item to Fang Jie, is that right?"
"Yes."
"Could it be that some idiot couldn't wait and sent someone to look for Fang Jie?"
Qin Liuqi paused, then slowly shook his head: "Probably not. They may be a bit stupid, but they're not stupid enough to be that reckless. Besides, I've already told them that Your Highness has arranged for someone to be with Fang Jie. If the item is in Fang Jie's hands, he'll definitely find it."
"Go ask!"
Prince Yi gestured. He waved his hand: "Everyone must be questioned before nightfall tonight."
"I'll do it right away."
"Wait a moment..."
Prince Yi suddenly stopped Qin Liuqi again: "You just said that the newly bought pageboy accompanying Fang Jie has considerable cultivation? If it were just a simple pageboy purchase, even with incredible luck, it would be impossible to sell a skilled person willingly to be a pageboy. Investigate those three new people accompanying Fang Jie, see who arranged them... Tell Zhuang Die to be careful of those three."
"Understood."
Qin Liuqi responded and turned to leave quickly.
Prince Yi turned around and subconsciously picked up the telescope on the table, looking towards the palace.
"Who's causing trouble at this time?"
He muttered to himself.
...
...
Taiji Palace.
East Warm Pavilion.
The Emperor waved his hand, dismissing the serving eunuchs, leaving only Su Buwei behind. He gestured for Fang Jie to rise, glanced at him indifferently, and asked, "Are you injured?"
Fang Jie lowered his head and replied, "It's a superficial wound, nothing serious."
The Emperor hummed in acknowledgment and turned to look at Su Buwei. Su Buwei quickly lowered his head and said, "We still don't know who did it. This servant has already informed Commander Luo and the intelligence agency to investigate. The two assassins came suddenly, without warning, and escaped quickly, so their identities are difficult to determine. However, one of them is a burly man; such a distinctive feature shouldn't be hard to identify. The Imperial Guards are already searching that area in the shadows, and any news will be immediately relayed back to the palace."
"Your Majesty..."
Fang Jie straightened up, composed himself, and said, "There's no need to investigate. I know who sent the assassins."
"Oh?"
The Emperor's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Fang Jie, asking, "Who was it?"
Fang Jie raised a finger and pointed to his nose: "It was myself."