I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

There was silence in the hall.

The Grand Princess remained expressionless and slowly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks: "Really? I haven't heard of that."

"Your Highness is so busy with state affairs that you naturally wouldn't care about such trivial matters," Cao Jixiang said with a smile. "However, I've heard that the junior officer is also surnamed Chen, named Chen Yuan. What a coincidence, he shares the same surname as Young Master Chen."

All eyes were on Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "There are countless people in the world with the surname Chen. It is an honor for a junior to share the same surname as a hero."

"Just the same surname?" Cao Jixiang stared at him. "Why do I feel that Young Master Chen bears some resemblance to Chen Yuan in the portrait?"

That's already quite straightforward.

The hall was completely silent; even breathing could be heard clearly.

Before the Grand Princess could speak, Chen Yuan laughed first: "Eunuch Cao is joking. I have been weak since childhood and dare not even kill a chicken, let alone fight on the battlefield, much less behead a commander of ten thousand. I'm afraid you've misunderstood."

"Did you see wrong?" Cao Jixiang chuckled. "Perhaps. But I heard that after Chen Yuan escaped Xuanfu, he headed towards the capital. And Young Master Chen came from the border, so this timing, this route..."

"Eunuch Cao," the Grand Princess finally spoke, her voice turning cold, "Are you suspecting me of harboring deserters?"

"I wouldn't dare," Cao Jixiang quickly bowed. "I just feel that there are too many coincidences in the world, which is rather strange."

"Strange?" The Grand Princess put down her chopsticks. "I think that Eunuch Cao's banquet today to celebrate the great victory at the border is a pretense, but a test of me."

These words were so harsh that the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

Cao Jixiang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly put on a smile again: "Your Highness misunderstands, I had absolutely no such intention..."

"Whether it is or not, you know it in your heart." The Grand Princess stood up. "I came here today to give you face. But if you don't appreciate it, then don't blame me for being impolite."

After saying that, she looked at Chen Yuan and said, "Mingyuan, let's go."

"Yes."

The two got up to leave.

"Your Highness, please wait!" Cao Jixiang said urgently. "I misspoke. I will punish myself with three cups of wine to apologize to Your Highness!"

He drank three cups in a row, emptying each one completely.

He then walked up to the Grand Princess and bowed deeply, saying, "I am old and senile, and I speak nonsense. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

The Grand Princess looked at him for a long time before slowly sitting down: "This is the last time."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Cao Jixiang straightened up, his forehead already covered in cold sweat.

He lost this round.

He didn't lose because of his schemes, but because of his status—after all, the Grand Princess was an imperial aunt, and Cao Jixiang wouldn't dare to really break off relations.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere had changed.

Officials are speaking more carefully and their smiles are more fake.

Duke Zhu Yong of Cheng was restless and tried to slip away several times, but Wang Zhen stopped him with a look.

Chen Yuan sat quietly, but his mind was racing.

Cao Jixiang's probing just now may seem to have been suppressed, but the seeds of doubt have already been sown.

Next, he will definitely use more covert methods to investigate.

Just then, a spy from the Eastern Depot rushed in and whispered a few words in Wang Zhen's ear.

Wang Zhen's expression changed, and he walked to Cao Jixiang's side, whispering something in his ear.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Cao Jixiang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He raised his cup and laughed, "I just received news that Liu Qiu, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was attacked at home yesterday and seriously injured. It's a pity that Censor Liu, so loyal to the country, suffered such a misfortune."

The hall erupted in uproar.

"Imperial Censor Liu attacked? Who did it?"

"In broad daylight, is there no law anymore?"

"It must be revenge from the corrupt officials he impeached!"

The Grand Princess's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

She knew who did it, of course, but she couldn't say.

Chen Yuan looked at Cao Jixiang and met his gaze.

In that gaze, there was smugness, provocation, and a hint of cruel smile.

This is a demonstration—look, I even dare to touch the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, what can you do to me?

"Eunuch Cao," the Grand Princess spoke slowly, "Has the Eastern Depot investigated the attack on Imperial Censor Liu?"

"We're investigating," Cao Jixiang said. "However, no clues were left at the scene, so it's probably the work of江湖流寇 (jianghu bandits). Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my utmost to investigate and give Imperial Censor Liu an explanation."

These words sounded grand and righteous, but everyone could hear the sarcasm in them.

The Grand Princess didn't say anything more, she just slowly drank her wine.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses... She has a high alcohol tolerance, but today she seems to want to get drunk.

Chen Yuan saw this and felt a surge of anger.

Not for himself, but for this woman, his mother.

In her seemingly prestigious position, she actually treads on thin ice.

With powerful enemies outside and internal constraints, they couldn't even protect the people they wanted to protect.

Midway through the banquet, Cao Jixiang suggested playing a drinking game.

The civil officials readily agreed, which was their forte.

Drinking games have gradually evolved from simple poetry recitations into tricky tests of allusions and witty remarks.

Several ministers who were originally military officers were unable to withstand the pressure and their faces turned red.

When it was Chen Yuan's turn, the question was posed by Zhou Chen, the Vice Minister of Rites, a renowned scholar. He stroked his beard and smiled, "Young Master Chen, I'll give you a simple one—'The wind rises, the clouds fly high,' what's the next line?"

This is Liu Bang's "Song of the Great Wind," and the next line is "My might extends throughout the land, I return to my hometown."

But Zhou Chen deliberately only said the first half of the sentence, clearly testing whether Chen Yuan was really studying.

Chen Yuan rose, cupped his hands, and said, "Replying to Lord Zhou, the next line is 'My might extends throughout the land, yet I return to my hometown.' However, I remember the full poem is: 'A great wind rises, clouds fly high; My might extends throughout the land, yet I return to my hometown; Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four directions?'"

Zhou Chen nodded: "That's right. Does Young Master Chen know when and where this poem was written?"

"It was written in the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, when Liu Bang returned to his hometown of Pei County after quelling Ying Bu's rebellion," Chen Yuan replied calmly. "At that time, Emperor Gaozu was drunk, playing the zither and singing, feeling deeply moved and tears streaming down his face."

"Excellent!" Zhou Chen praised, "Young Master Chen is indeed learned. Then let me ask another question—why did Emperor Gaozu 'weep down several streams of tears'?"

This is a more complex issue.

Everyone in the hall was waiting for Chen Yuan's answer.

Chen Yuan thought for a moment and slowly said, "Emperor Gaozu wept not out of sadness, but out of worry. Although the world was at peace at that time, the feudal lords were not yet at ease, and the Xiongnu were eyeing him covetously. Emperor Gaozu knew that he was getting old and that 'brave warriors' were hard to find, hence his sigh."

Zhou Chen's eyes lit up: "Well said! Young Master Chen not only understands the words, but also the meaning. Come, let me toast you!"

The two drank together.

Now, no one dared to underestimate Chen Yuan anymore.

Cao Jixiang's face was gloomy.

He originally intended to embarrass Chen Yuan through the drinking game, but unexpectedly, it backfired and helped him achieve his goal.

The banquet continued, but Cao Jixiang had no interest in socializing.

He beckoned Wang Zhen and whispered a few instructions to him.

Wang Zhen nodded and quietly withdrew.

Chen Yuan noticed this and became alert.

He excused himself to change his clothes and left the room.

The Eastern Depot's headquarters was very large, with winding corridors.

Chen Yuan appeared to be walking casually, but in reality he was observing the terrain—this was a habit of the night scouts; upon arriving at a place, they would first check their escape route.

As I walked into a secluded corridor, I suddenly heard people talking.

The voice was very low, but Chen Yuan had excellent hearing and heard it clearly.

"The person has been caught and is being held in the dungeon."

"What did you find out?"

"He's stubborn and won't say anything. But we found this on him..."

Chen Yuan slipped behind a pillar and peeked out. It was Wang Zhen and another head of the Eastern Depot, standing by the artificial hill, talking in hushed tones. Wang Zhen held something in his hand, its metallic sheen reflecting under the lantern—a dagger.

Chen Yuan's pupils contracted.

He recognized that dagger.

It was Uncle Zhao's dagger.

Uncle Zhao has been arrested.