Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

It was only at this moment that Bian Yushu noticed the night clothes His Majesty was wearing.

This is so cool!

Bian Yushu took the night clothes with stars in her eyes.

Qin Ji glanced at the unfinished dinner on the small table in front of the memorial tablets. "Are you full? Would you like to eat a little longer?"

Bian Yushu, who had changed into his night clothes at some point, had an eager look on his face. "Your Majesty, where shall we go for fun?"

The apprentice's head and face were completely covered, leaving only a pair of dark, bright eyes that were filled with excitement; he was clearly a restless fellow.

Qin Ji looked him up and down, then asked leisurely, "Do you know what time it is?"

Bian Yushu was puzzled. "It's exactly 20:00 (戌时正)."

"So that means there's already a curfew outside." Qin Ji glanced at him indifferently. "Those who violate the curfew will be punished with forty strokes of the cane. Are you sure you still want to go out and play at this hour?"

Bian Yushu was stunned.

Wasn't it His Majesty who ordered him to change into night clothes?

If you're not going to leave the mansion, why change into night clothes?

Qin Ji didn't leave him stunned for long. With a half-smile, he said, "Wanting to go out and play with me isn't impossible. Don't you have your exemption dice?"

Bian Yushu's eyes widened.

There were only three in total, and he hadn't even warmed them yet.

Besides, if you roll three ones, it won't even cover the "expenses" of going out to play.

But... going out to play with His Majesty dressed in night clothes!

This kind of exciting opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime chance...

Bian Yushu obediently took out a die and threw it on the table. By sheer coincidence, she rolled a "one", and her heart ached so much that she almost burst into tears.

But if we give up going out to play, wouldn't it be a waste to use this die?

He looked at Qin Ji pitifully, his hands trembling as he reached for the second die in his pocket.

Qin Ji looked at his cheap apprentice, who seemed so stingy, wanting to go out and play but unwilling to part with the dice, and a smile flickered in his eyes.

He raised his hand and flicked Bian Yushu's forehead with a loud thud. "You're a coward but have a lot of nerve. Put away your precious dice. I'll let you off easy this time because it's your birthday."

Bian Yushu covered her head, quickly put away the dice, and smiled brightly, "Thank you, teacher~"

"Hyacinth bean".

The lentils sprouted out silently, startling Bian Yushu so much that she jumped to the side.

With a glance from Qin Ji, Bian Dou picked up Bian Yushu like a chick, leaped out the window, and jumped onto the roof.

"ah--!"

Bian Yushu exclaimed in surprise, and a servant in the distance turned to look at them upon hearing the commotion.

The lentils hid among the houses under the cover of night, avoiding the servants.

Qin Ji caught up with you in a few leaps and said calmly, "If you make any louder noises and alert the Five Cities Garrison on night patrol after we leave the border, I'll throw you to them for punishment according to the law."

Wouldn't that mean it would fall into Shang Jingming's hands?

Absolutely not!

Bian Yushu immediately covered her mouth tightly with both hands. Although her face was a little pale, her eyes were full of excitement.

He's flying around on the rooftops!

That's so cool!

He would definitely have a good talk with his father and brothers when they returned.

The three left the border residence, passing over the rooftops.

The night wind was biting cold, and despite it being the dead of winter, Bian Yushu's palms were sweating.

He clung to the lentil like an octopus, afraid of falling off. Every silent rise and fall of the lentil would startle his heart in a frantic rush.

They moved silently through the snow, repeatedly evading the night patrols of the Five Cities Garrison.

The three of them quickly crept into the shadows at the base of the city wall.

The heavily armed and well-equipped garrison was stationed at the city gate, and soldiers patrolled back and forth from time to time.

Although Bian Yushu had been a playboy in the past, he had never done anything so exciting before. His eyes sparkled, and he asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, shall we leave the city?"

Your Majesty? Where did this Your Majesty come from?

Why would the Emperor of Dayin do something so sneaky and unbecoming?

The man in black glanced at him. "Call me teacher."

Bian Yushu obediently nodded and changed her form of address, "Teacher, what are we going to do outside the city?"

Of course, I'm going out to give you a surprise.

The man in black didn't answer the curious child's question, but casually asked Bean, "Is there a way to scale the city wall without alerting the guards?"

Bean: "..." Why not use the secret passage? Why blatantly climb over the wall?

The secret guards have a special, extremely well-hidden passage for entering and leaving the city. Their identification tokens can activate mechanisms for entry and exit. The passage is guarded by secret guards, and they can leave the city silently with His Majesty's edict.

Of course, His Majesty is aware of this.

Since His Majesty had asked if it was possible to climb over the wall, Bean had no choice but to bite the bullet and observe the defenses on the city wall. "The southeast corner tower seems to be under renovation recently. The scaffolding hasn't been removed, making it easy to hide in the shadows. We can wait for the patrolling soldiers to cross over and then use the grappling hook to get up there."

"Time is short, we need to get up there quickly and without making a sound."

Qin Ji asked casually, and upon hearing Bian Dou's response, he narrowed his eyes slightly, "Then let's give it a try?"

If they can't get through, it's because the beans are incompetent; if they can, it's because the defenders are incompetent. There's always room for improvement on one side.

Bean: "..." He was so capable that the tasks became increasingly difficult, which led to a miscalculation.

"I have done my best, but as a student's assistant, I am afraid I cannot guarantee success."

Your Majesty, please understand! It's not that I'm incompetent that I can't get through this!

Qin Ji glanced at him indifferently.

Bean resignedly took out the grappling hook and adjusted the rope length.

Bian Yushu shrank back to minimize her presence, but the excitement in her eyes was uncontrollable.

Seizing the opportunity, the grappling hook pierced the air and firmly gripped the city wall at the southeast corner tower. Using the rope, Bean climbed up lightly and landed on the city wall with a few quick leaps.

Qin Ji followed closely behind.

Bian Yushu didn't dare to breathe loudly. As a burden who didn't know martial arts, he was afraid of slowing down His Majesty's journey, and his heart was almost jumping out of his throat.

For him, this year's birthday was truly thrilling and exciting; just climbing over the city wall with His Majesty is enough for him to brag about for a lifetime!

Hidden in the shadows of the scaffolding, the three had almost succeeded in scaling the city wall. As they listened to the footsteps of the two patrolling soldiers receding into the distance, Bean was preparing to lead the team.

"Achoo—!"

The lentil quickly turned its head.

Bian Yushu waved her hands in terror: No, I didn't!

Qin Ji's sharp gaze shot towards the back of the scaffolding, his hidden arrow aimed at the shadows where a man in black was hiding.

"Who goes there?!" The patrolling city guards were startled by the sneeze and immediately shouted.

Regular footsteps sounded, and the sounds of armor rubbing and metal clanging quickly approached. The scaffolding at the southeast corner tower was surrounded, and long spears gleaming coldly were pointed directly at four men in black in the shadows.

"Anyone who crosses the capital city wall at midnight will be considered a bandit. Come out now, or you will be killed without mercy."

The man in black, huddled in the shadows, clutched his head and muttered despairingly to the other three men in black who were glaring at him, "It's over, it's over. Climbing over the capital's city wall in the middle of the night, the lightest punishment is a hundred strokes of the cane and exile for three thousand miles."

...

Another failed attempt to time the event... Just five minutes short, oh no!