Shen Wei and Yuan Fu followed the main road and arrived at the county town first.
Prince Wu loved liveliness. After coming to this rundown county, he abolished the existing curfew system and encouraged the common folk to go out at night to do business. Prince Wu also enjoyed strolling through the night market after dark, buying grilled fish, shrimp, and fine wine.
Prince Wu often patrolled the night market in person.
With his imposing presence, thieves and bandits dared not show their faces. The night market was safe and orderly, and gradually, more and more businesses sprang up—restaurants, taverns, cosmetics shops, and all kinds of trades flourished.
"Let’s buy some provisions at the night market, then leave Wu County and head straight for the Imperial Capital. The Eastern Lin Kingdom is small; if we hurry, we can reach the Imperial Capital in five or six days." Shen Wei bought a map of the Eastern Lin Kingdom at the night market and calculated the journey to the Imperial Capital.
Just as Shen Wei was rapidly turning over the route in her mind, she overheard a conversation nearby.
"What does the notice posted by Prince Wu’s residence say?"
"His Highness Prince Wu is going on a diplomatic mission to Qing State and is recruiting a guide well-versed in Qing State’s culture, as well as accompanying cooks and servants."
"Our shabby county has dozens of fishing villages. The people here have been fishermen for generations—who knows anything about Qing State?"
"Lately, many foreign merchants have come to Wu County. Maybe one of them has been to Qing State."
Shen Wei walked up to the newly posted notice.
Her eyes scanned the notice swiftly, and in an instant, they lit up with excitement.
...
...
Under the night sky, Prince Wu’s residence was brightly lit.
Prince Wu, Zhao Ziqi, couldn’t sleep. With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced back and forth in his study. He sighed deeply as he approached the enormous bronze mirror beside his desk, staring at his reflection.
His looks—still the most handsome in Eastern Lin.
His demeanor—still the most refined in Eastern Lin.
Yet he knew that this elegant and handsome life of his might soon come to an end.
"Your Highness, I bought your favorite grilled squid from the night market. Please try some," a guard said, presenting a bowl of grilled squid.
Prince Wu closed his eyes and pushed the bowl away, his voice hoarse and weary: "My life hangs by a thread—how can I eat anything now? Ah, back then, the Yue Kingdom’s National Preceptor said I was destined for greatness, that after my twentieth birthday, I would encounter a noble benefactor. It seems his divination was false."
Prince Wu’s heart ached.
When he was five, his elder sister, Princess Zhenmin, had been sent to Qing State as a political bride. Grief-stricken, young Prince Wu had gone alone to the beach, urinating while cursing his father the emperor, weeping bitterly all the while.
Perhaps his cries had been too pitiful, for the Yue Kingdom’s National Preceptor happened to pass by.
That immortal-like man had cast a divination for him, declaring him "destined for immense wealth and nobility." His life would be bitter only for the first twenty years. After his coming-of-age ceremony, as long as he remained virtuous, he would encounter an extremely noble benefactor, ensuring peace and prosperity for the rest of his days.
At the time, Prince Wu had wiped his tears and, after listening to the preceptor’s words, casually asked, "Then... will my future wife be beautiful?"
The preceptor’s divination disk had spun for a long time before he answered, "You will meet an extraordinary woman."
The preceptor seemed to have foreseen something else as well. His expression grew unusually grave before he turned and left.
Prince Wu had taken the preceptor’s words to heart.
For years, he endured loneliness in the Eastern Lin imperial court, withstanding the torment of palace servants, the mockery of his thirty-nine elder brothers, and the disdain of his dozen younger brothers. Finally, at twenty, he was sent far from the Imperial Capital to this backwater called Wu County.
Yet before he could even settle in, disaster struck—his father had ordered him to escort tribute goods.
A mission with almost no chance of survival.
Prince Wu sighed, gazing at his handsome reflection in the mirror. "The notice recruiting capable people has been up for so long, and still no one has come forward. Ah, such is the fate of beautiful men—their lives are often cut short."
The guard awkwardly reminded him, "Your Highness, the notice has only been up for two hours. That’s not long at all."
Prince Wu kicked the guard lightly. "You talk too much."
Just then, another guard announced from outside, "Your Highness, someone has answered the notice!"
Overjoyed, Prince Wu personally went to the residence’s entrance to greet the newcomer.
The night was deep, and the red lanterns at the entrance cast a crimson glow across the ground. Prince Wu strode forward, catching sight of a slender figure in the distance.
He was slightly taken aback.
What a delicate and beautiful silhouette. Under the glow of the palace lanterns, the figure seemed ethereal, as if plucked from the pages of a fairy tale.
Ah, such a slender waist.
Ah, such long legs.
What a pity—it was a man.
The young man with the graceful silhouette slowly turned around, revealing a dark, rough face with a palm-sized black birthmark on his right cheek. His slightly curly black hair was tied up in a bun, secured with a gray cloth strip. He wore the coarse clothes of a fisherman and rope sandals.
He looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, and his thin, undernourished frame suggested he had gone hungry for a long time.
Prince Wu glanced at him and inwardly recoiled. The silhouette was lovely, but the face... so ugly.
So ugly it was almost familiar.
"This humble one is Shen Wei. Seeing the notice outside Your Highness’s residence, I’ve come to offer my services as a guide," said Shen Wei, disguised as a man, bowing respectfully.
Prince Wu frowned. "With that face and that skin, you look like a local fisherman. Do you truly understand Qing State’s customs?"
Shen Wei replied, "I am well-versed."
She wasn’t lying.
She knew Qing State inside out—even the color of the retired emperor’s undergarments.
With the tribute mission looming and Wu County’s population consisting mostly of locals who knew little of Qing State, Prince Wu had no choice but to let Shen Wei inside.
In the study, Prince Wu lounged in his chair, a white jade fan in hand. "You claim expertise in Qing State? Then I shall test you."
Shen Wei: "Please ask, Your Highness."
Prince Wu first posed a few simple questions about Qing State, all of which Shen Wei answered effortlessly.
Then he raised the difficulty, inquiring about Qing State’s road networks. Shen Wei ground ink and promptly sketched a rough map of Qing State’s territory, marking the main routes.
Prince Wu’s expression changed instantly.
He never expected this dark, ugly youth to truly know Qing State—
And to draw a map of it!
Prince Wu scratched his head and tentatively asked, "How about drawing Qing State’s border defense map next? I could sell it to the Southern Chu emperor, stir up conflict between Qing State and Southern Chu, and let Eastern Lin reap the benefits."
Shen Wei’s lips twitched. "This humble one knows nothing of defense maps."
Asking for Qing State’s defense maps? Might as well ask for the moon.
Prince Wu composed himself and adopted a serious tone. "I was jesting—don’t take it to heart. But Shen Wei, you’re clearly from Eastern Lin. How do you know Qing State so well?"
Shen Wei lowered her eyes.
The night wind rattled the window frames, its cool breath tousling her hair. She sighed deeply. "Everyone has their secrets. If Your Highness presses further, I shall have to leave."
Shen Wei was gambling.
Prince Wu had been discarded by Eastern Lin, left without even a guide to Qing State. Her timely appearance solved his urgent problem.
Thus, even if Prince Wu doubted her identity, he had no choice but to hire her.
Prince Wu did indeed consider her background, his gaze lingering on her face.
It was the face of a true fisherman—rough and weathered, the kind that came from years of exposure to sea winds and sun.
Probably not an assassin sent by the Imperial Capital.
Moreover, Shen Wei’s appearance, filled with the weariness of hardship and sorrow, reminded Prince Wu of the tragic protagonists in storybooks—those who "bore the weight of a bloody vendetta, left their homeland behind, and endured humiliation to fulfill their duty."
Could it be that this person before him truly held an extraordinary identity?
Prince Wu recalled the prophecy once made by Yue Kingdom's National Preceptor.
Perhaps... this was the destined noble person foretold to him...
