Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 56: Traveling Together

Jiang Xun never expected that he could take a hot bath in the Qi Prince's mansion.

The bathtub that Li Che had prepared was steaming hot, with a few dried flower petals floating on the surface—some servant had scattered them on his own initiative, and the fragrance made Jiang Xun sneeze several times.

He quickly took off his clothes, sat down in the tub, and the moment the hot water reached his shoulders, he went limp.

"That feels so good..."

He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a proper shower.

After leaving Yunzhou, the journey was filled with either rushing or fighting. When we got tired, we would take a nap by the roadside and then continue on our way when we woke up.

I've been wearing this layer of clothing for almost half a month; it's soaked with sweat and mud, and it's as stiff as armor.

Now that it's soaked in hot water, the grime is slowly dissolving.

Jiang Xun looked down and saw a layer of grayish stuff floating on the water.

He paused for a moment, then reached up and rubbed his arm—mud strips fell off in a rustling sound.

Rub your neck again, and you'll see a few more scratches.

He looked down at the things floating on the water and suddenly felt a little embarrassed—if the servants who delivered the water saw them, they would think they were fished out of some mud puddle.

He scrubbed and washed vigorously, turning a bucket of clear water into a murky mess.

When he came out of the bucket, he felt several pounds lighter.

The clothes Li Che had prepared were draped over the screen; he wore a long blue robe made of a smooth, silky material, the type of which was unknown.

Jiang Xun picked it up and gestured with it, then suddenly felt a bit lost.

The best clothes he had ever worn in his life were the ones he bought in Jiangning Prefecture years ago; compared to this, they were practically rags. After much fuss, he finally managed to put them on.

The length and width were just right, as if they were made to fit his body.

Jiang Xun leaned closer to the bronze mirror and looked at himself, then froze.

The person in the mirror had regular features, half-wet hair hanging over his shoulders, and wore a long blue robe, looking like a wealthy young master.

He blinked, and the person in the mirror blinked too.

"Is this me?"

He reached up and touched his face—and it was true.

Jiang Xun suddenly felt a little smug. It turned out that he could be presentable after tidying himself up.

He pushed open the door and went out.

The moonlight in the courtyard was perfect, spreading silver light across the ground, and a cool breeze blew by, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers.

Footsteps approached from afar. He looked up and saw Li Che and Li Tang coming from the Moon Gate.

The two stopped in their tracks when they saw Jiang Xun.

Li Che looked him up and down and smiled: "Brother Jiang, you look completely different after washing up. You look really refreshed."

Jiang Xun felt a little uncomfortable with the praise and scratched his head: "It's the clothes that are good."

"Clothes need to be worn too." Li Tang came over, circled him, her eyes shining. "It's true that clothes make the man. If you dress up a bit more, you'll be just as good as my brother."

Jiang Xun's face flushed instantly.

This girl is too blunt.

He was wondering how to respond when he suddenly noticed that Li Che had changed into armor late at night and had a sword at his waist.

Are you going out?

Li Che nodded: "After all that commotion during the day, I'm still worried about the granary, so I'll go check on it."

Jiang Xun was somewhat surprised that the Crown Prince of Qi would personally inspect the granary in the middle of the night.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Li Che waved his hand: "It's nothing, I'm just worried. You should get some rest, we have to travel tomorrow."

Jiang Xun opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

"Then be careful."

"Don't worry." Li Che smiled, turned to leave, took two steps and then turned back, casually pulling Li Tang along as well, "Let's go, don't disturb Brother Jiang's rest."

As Li Tang was being pulled along, she didn't forget to glance back at Jiang Xun. Her eyes were bright, filled with a hint of reluctance, and something else entirely.

Jiang Xun felt his ears burning for no reason, so he quickly looked away and pretended to look at the moon.

He only breathed a sigh of relief after the footsteps of the brother and sister had faded into the distance.

I stood in the courtyard staring at the moon for a while, until the heat on my face subsided, before turning around and going back inside.

…………

Jiang Xun got a rare, full night's sleep.

Whether it was the hot bath that loosened his bones or the soft bedding in the Prince Qi's mansion, he felt as if he had melted away as soon as he lay down, without even having a dream.

I was sound asleep when suddenly there was chaos outside—footsteps, shouts, doors opening and closing, all mixed together like a pot of turmoil.

Jiang Xun sat up with a start, his first thought being: Has a thief broken into the Prince's mansion?

He grabbed his clothes and put them on, then rushed to the door and opened it.

A servant was running across the corridor, carrying a bucket of water, his face pale.

Jiang Xun grabbed him: "What happened?"

The servant was pulled so hard he stumbled. Turning around and seeing it was him, he hurriedly said, "Guest, guest, the granary is on fire! I must go put it out—"

granary?

Jiang Xun looked up and gazed westward toward the city—and saw flames.

A faint red glow shone in the night sky, like a piece of burning charcoal.

not good.

Jiang Xun released the servant, and with a light step, unleashed the full power of his Azure Lotus Divine Speed. His figure transformed into a blur, passing through the corridors of the Prince's Mansion, leaping over the walls, and speeding towards the west of the city.

The night wind whistled into my ears.

These days, I've been rushing to get somewhere, and my lightness skill has become increasingly proficient. Now, when I unleash it at full speed, I'm as fast as a gust of wind.

By the time he arrived at the granary, the fire had already been brought under control.

But the scene still made his heart sink.

Of the dozen or so warehouses, the roofs of the most severely burned ones had collapsed, leaving only charred beams leaning precariously, like a few burnt bones.

The ground was covered in water stains, mixed with burnt grain, making it sticky to walk on.

There was a burnt smell in the air, which made people cough.

The soldiers were carrying food out of the unburnt warehouses, sacks of it on their shoulders, and quickly transporting it to an open area in the distance.

More people lined up in two rows, passing buckets of water and pouring it onto the embers.

Jiang Xun glanced around and spotted Li Che in the crowd.

He stood next to a warehouse that hadn't collapsed yet, his tight-fitting clothes covered in black ash, and his face streaked with black and white, making him look like a cook who had just crawled out of the stove.

Jiang Xun strode over: "Li Che!"

Li Che turned around, saw it was him, and was taken aback: "What brings you here?"

"I came over as soon as I heard the noise." Jiang Xun glanced around. "What happened?"

Li Che's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"The granary was burned down." The voice was low, but beneath it lay anger, resentment, and an indescribable weariness. "It was discovered in time, but the fire was too fierce, and half of it still burned down."

half.

Jiang Xun's heart tightened.

"Was it an accident or—"

"I've already sent someone to investigate," Li Che interrupted him, glancing at the burned-down warehouses.

Just then, Zheng Xiao walked over from a distance.

The commander of the personal guards was also covered in soot, his face was black and gray, and the ends of his hair were burned and curled, making him look even more disheveled than Li Che.

He saw Jiang Xun, paused for a moment, then nodded as a greeting. He then turned to Li Che, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, I've investigated."

"explain."

Zheng Xiao's voice was low and filled with barely suppressed anger: "Traces of tar were found in several places—someone deliberately set fires. In addition, several guards were knocked unconscious, and one brother was stabbed when he tried to stop them."

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

Jiang Xun, who was listening nearby, suddenly asked, "Are they from the martial arts world?"

"It should be." Zheng Xiao nodded. "That person was very agile, making a quick move and leaving without leaving any clues."

Jiang Xun remained silent.

He then recalled that night at the Gu family's house, where the perpetrators were also martial arts practitioners.

"What a wolf in sheep's clothing!" Li Che suddenly sneered, each word seemingly squeezed out from between clenched teeth. "For personal gain, they disregard the disaster victims—they deserve to die!"

Jiang Xun looked at Li Che and suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

This prince of Qi was usually gentle and courteous, but now that he was truly angry, his murderous aura sent chills down one's spine.

Zheng Xiao clearly sensed the prince's anger and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, should I take men to arrest him—"

"Arrest whom?" Li Che interrupted him. "Do you have any evidence?"

Zheng Xiao was stunned, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Li Che sighed, his voice even more weary than before.

"Arresting people without evidence is useless." He waved his hand. "It will only alert them and make it easier for them to distance themselves from the situation."

Zheng Xiao lowered his head: "It was my oversight."

Li Che didn't say anything more, but just glanced at the soldiers who were still carrying grain.

"Commander Zheng, you hold this place for now. Scavenge as much as you can." He paused, then continued, "I'll go back and report to my father, and then we'll decide what to do next."

Zheng Xiao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes! I'll leave this to you!"

Li Che nodded and headed straight for the Prince's residence.

Jiang Xun hesitated for a moment, then followed. The situation was delicate; there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't take advantage of the chaos to harm Li Che.

He bumped into it, so there's no reason for him to stand idly by.

Li Che seemed to have sensed his thoughts. After taking a few steps, he suddenly slowed down, turned his head and glanced at him: "I've taken up your time."

"It's alright," Jiang Xun smiled.

Even at this moment, he can still think of others; this prince's thoughtfulness doesn't seem feigned.

The two returned to the palace side by side.

Li Che told Jiang Xun to go back to his room to rest first, while he went to the main courtyard to report to Prince Qi.

Jiang Xun returned to his room.

He was busy all morning but didn't feel tired. He just sat in his chair, gazing out the window in a daze.

If he wasn't mistaken, the people who set fire to the granary were the same group behind Qian Bancheng.

Even—it was the same group of people who wiped out the entire Gu family.

He had a feeling that Li Che already had the answer in his heart, but just hadn't said it aloud.

There are some things that I don't want to say, but I'm afraid to.

What kind of person could make even the Crown Prince of Qi wary?

Jiang Xun knew very little about court affairs, and after thinking about it for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out.

Lost in thought, I heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Li Che has arrived.

Jiang Xun looked up and saw that his face had returned to its usual calm. He couldn't help but secretly admire him—this young master truly has a resilient character.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have lost their composure long ago after the fire that burned the granary.

Two servants followed behind Li Che, carrying trays.

The tray was laden with steamed buns and side dishes, all ordinary foods, yet steaming hot.

As soon as Li Che entered, he ordered the food to be set on the table. Then he waved for the servants to leave and said apologetically, "I didn't know Brother Jiang hadn't had breakfast yet. Please forgive my neglect."

Jiang Xun waved his hand: "No need to be polite. You haven't eaten yet either, have you?"

The two exchanged a smile, and without much formality, sat down to eat. The steamed buns were soft and fluffy, and the side dishes were refreshing; they finished them off in no time.

After the meal, Li Che finally got down to business.

"I was just discussing with my father that I intend to go to Qiantang to purchase grain." He paused, then looked at Jiang Xun, "I wonder if Brother Jiang would be willing to accompany me?"