Novels online

Chapter 1085: Who Are You, Exactly?

Zhu Yujian hesitated, unsure whether he should follow the man in the bamboo hat.

If he went with them, he would become a fugitive—the most dangerous kind. No emperor would tolerate a prince beyond their control, not even one stripped of his titles.

The Jinyiwei and secret agents of the East and West Depots would hunt him across the land.

It was like when the Jianwen Emperor vanished after the Yongle Emperor’s successful Jingnan Campaign. The Yongle Emperor dispatched countless agents to search for him, and rumors even claimed that Sanbao Eunuch Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas were secretly to find the Jianwen Emperor.

Zhu Yujian truly did not want to become a fugitive.

But if he didn't go with the man in the bamboo hat, he would likely be imprisoned for life within the high walls of Fengyang.

His entire childhood had been spent in confinement; the mere thought of such days sent a chill through him. He absolutely refused to endure it again.

The choice was excruciating!

Zhu Yujian trembled from head to toe.

There, a very ordinary carriage waited, one that looked fit for a common merchant.

The man in the bamboo hat pulled Zhu Yujian inside and drew the curtains shut.

Then the carriage started moving. The black-clad, masked subordinates shed their black robes, removed their masks, and hid their hand crossbows, changing into casual jianghu attire. Suddenly, they looked like the ordinary bodyguards and servants of a wealthy merchant family.

The carriage began to move slowly forward. The guards surrounded the carriage, front, back, and sides, all the while pretending to chat and laugh leisurely. The entire group now appeared indistinguishable from a regular merchant convoy.

It was only then that Zhu Yujian truly woke up to his situation, thinking: "Damn it! I hadn't even decided whether to go with him, and now I've already been dragged onto a pirate ship. Is it too late to get off? Probably."

Since things had come to this, he might as well be philosophical about it.

Zhu Yujian composed himself and asked the man in the bamboo hat, "Who exactly are you? You don't have to tell the Jinyiwei, but surely you can tell this... *cough*... me?"

His habit of referring to himself as "this prince" was hard to shake; calling himself "I" felt incredibly awkward.

The man in the bamboo hat chuckled: "There's no harm in telling you. My name is Zhu Piaoling, and I'm known across the martial world as the 'Wandering Hero of the Four Seas'."

Zhu Yujian blinked, then quickly said, "That's a very obvious fake name."

Zhu Piaoling huffed, "Hey! Don't you understand the basic etiquette of those who roam the martial world? Even if you recognize a fake name, you shouldn't blurt it out so bluntly! You'll just cause trouble and get yourself killed. In situations like this, you should know it in your heart but show no outward sign, understand?"

Zhu Yujian was speechless.

After a few stiff moments, he replied, "Why would you save a useless man like me? If you intend to use my princely status to rebel against my great Ming Dynasty, then there's no need for that. I'm not so foolish as to let myself be used as a blade to cut down the nation passed down by my ancestors."

Zhu Piaoling retorted, "Pfft! What are you thinking? Do I need your status? Don't you know your own standing? A mere Prince of Tang, *heh*."

Zhu Yujian bristled with anger. What arrogance! The title "Prince of Tang" sounded almost contemptuous when he said it.

Zhu Piaoling said, "I had no other agenda in saving you. Simply put, I quite like you."

Zhu Yujian started in alarm: "I don't have a taste for men."

Zhu Piaoling exclaimed, "Pfft! What are you thinking? Neither do I!"

His face was filled with wariness. "Then why are you..."

Zhu Piaoling sighed deeply: "You are brave, stronger than I am. I couldn't stand to see a man like you confined within the high walls of Fengyang for the rest of your life. That's all. I won't use you for anything; I only intend to take you to a place like a veritable paradise, where you can live happily and freely. That would be enough."

Zhu Yujian gasped, "Eh?"

This truly baffled him.

Zhu Piaoling said, "Alright, you've asked me many questions, and I've answered them all. Now it's my turn to ask you."

Zhu Yujian said, "Please ask."

Zhu Piaoling questioned, "Were you happy when you raised an army to aid the emperor? Wasn't it exhilarating? Leading an army to fight against bandits, was it fun?"

Zhu Yujian hissed in surprise.

What kind of person was this? What bizarre questions was he asking? Wait, although this fellow concocted a fake name, it also happened to be "Zhu." And he said I was brave, stronger than him—that must refer to the campaign to aid the emperor. He also said he didn't need my status, and that I was "a mere Prince of Tang"...

He meticulously analyzed Zhu Piaoling's scattered remarks.

There could only be one truth!

Zhu Yujian suddenly realized, "You... you're also a member of the imperial clan, and your status is even higher than that of a Prince of Tang."

"Damn it!" Zhu Piaoling jumped in surprise. "You could guess that?"

Zhu Yujian continued, "That Shaanxi accent... You are... you are the heir apparent to the Prince of Qin, the foremost princely fiefdom of the realm, Zhu Cunji."

Zhu Piaoling cried, "I'm amazed by you, fellow! I just told you that people in the martial world can't be so blunt! Don't just blurt out whatever you think! You should stay silent; just knowing who I am in your heart is enough. You just *had* to say it out loud! Don't you know that could easily get you silenced?"

Zhu Yujian asked, "Will you silence me?"

Zhu Piaoling scoffed, "If I wanted to kill you, why would I have saved you? Hey, keep your mouth shut, alright? Otherwise, you'll drag me into trouble."

Zhu Yujian was torn between laughter and exasperation. After a few awkward moments, he replied, "I'll try my best to be careful not to expose your identity to others."

Knowing the other man's identity, Zhu Yujian felt much calmer, and his emotions grew steadily more stable. It was clear that Zhu Cunji wouldn't use his status to stir up trouble, because his own status was far more exalted.

It seemed he truly had only meant to save him.

Zhu Yujian let out a long sigh. "Brother..."

Zhu Cunji was in his forties, while Zhu Yujian was only in his early thirties. So, when he started to address him as "Brother," he suddenly remembered that he was two generations senior to Zhu Cunji.

The title caught in his throat.

After a long, awkward silence, he simply switched to using his full pseudonym: "Zhu Piaoling, did you also consider raising an army to aid the emperor, but didn't dare to do it?"

Zhu Cunji replied, "I did! But I wasn't as brave as you. I didn't dare to do it openly and grandly. Besides... at this point, such a thing is no longer my place."

"Not your place?" Zhu Yujian detected a strange undertone in his words and grew curious. How could it "not be his place"? Could it be that someone incredibly powerful was already aiding the emperor?

His mind buzzing with questions, the carriage traveled for several days before arriving in Luoyang.

Although Luoyang was so close to Nanyang, this was Zhu Yujian's first time visiting the city. The city's vibrant bustle lifted his spirits.

He gently lifted a corner of the curtain, happily watching the lively street scene, when he suddenly saw an imperial military officer approaching. Clad in shanwen armor, riding a tall, magnificent horse, and surrounded by an imposing entourage, it was none other than the rustic-handsome Gao Jie.

Zhu Yujian started in alarm: "*It would be disastrous if I were recognized. I hope this fellow doesn't come to inspect our carriage.*"