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

It was the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, at noon.

Standing at the Puzikou Wharf on the north bank of the Yangtze River, Chen Yuan looked at the vast expanse of water before him and truly understood for the first time what a "natural barrier" meant.

The river was so wide that the opposite bank could not be seen; only a white mist of water vapor rose in the thin winter sunlight.

The wind was strong, carrying moisture that hit my face, making it cold and damp.

The dock was packed with people.

Refugees, with their families in tow, waited for ferries to cross the river; caravans shouted as they unloaded their goods, chests of silk, tea, and porcelain piled up like small mountains; and soldiers—patrols of the Nanjing garrison, carrying swords, moved through the crowd with wary eyes.

"Young master, the boat has been found." Uncle Zhao walked over and said in a low voice.

He did not stay in the capital, but volunteered to go south with Chen Yuan—the reason being, "I am familiar with Nanjing; I used to go there often when I was in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The two boarded a covered boat.

The boat wasn't big, but it was sturdy. The boatman was a lean old man who didn't talk much. He collected the money and rowed the boat in one smooth motion.

As the boat left the shore and entered the middle of the river, the wind and waves suddenly grew stronger. The awning boat bobbed in the waves like a leaf.

Chen Yuan sat at the bow of the boat, watching the river flow eastward.

This was his first time in the South and his first time crossing the Yangtze River.

When he was at the border, he thought the Yellow River was the largest river in the world. Now he realized that the Yellow River is just a little brother in front of the Yangtze River.

"What are you thinking about, young master?" Uncle Zhao asked.

"I'm thinking...this river is really wide," Chen Yuan said. "If the Tatars attack, how long can this natural barrier hold them off?"

Uncle Zhao laughed: "Don't worry, young master. The Tatars are all landlubbers and can't cross the river. When Emperor Taizu established the capital in Nanjing, he valued this natural barrier. Later, Emperor Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing so that the emperor could guard the country's gate. But in terms of safety, Nanjing is still the safest."

"Safety..." Chen Yuan murmured, "But the Duke of Cheng is here, and the remnants of the Prince of Han's faction are also here... Is it safe?"

Uncle Zhao fell silent.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, it suddenly slowed down.

Chen Yuan looked up alertly and saw several small boats surrounding them.

There were some men standing on the boat, dressed in short clothes and holding fishing spears and machetes, who didn't look like proper fishermen.

"Water bandits," the old boatman whispered. "Young master, hand over your valuables to avoid further trouble."

Chen Yuan didn't move; his hand rested on the dagger at his waist.

Uncle Zhao also quietly moved to a different position, blocking half of Chen Yuan's body.

As the small boat drew near, a scarred man jumped onto the bow, grinning, "Gentlemen, crossing the river? This river isn't safe, so my brothers and I are helping to keep watch for you, and we'll collect a little extra for our trouble."

Chen Yuan sized him up.

The scarred man was in his thirties, with bulging temples and thick calluses on his hands; he was clearly a trained fighter.

Looking at the men on the other boats, they were all tough and strong, unlike ordinary pirates.

"How much do you want?" Chen Yuan asked calmly.

"Not much." Scarface held up five fingers. "Fifty taels."

"Fifty taels?" the old boatman exclaimed. "Are you robbing me?!"

"Shut up, you old bastard!" Scarface glared. "One more word and we'll sink the boat and everyone else!"

Chen Yuan laughed: "I have fifty taels. But I need to know whose people you are."

Scarface's expression changed: "Why are you asking this?"

"Curious," Chen Yuan said. "Puzikou Wharf is an official ferry crossing, patrolled by soldiers on a regular basis. For you to dare rob people here, you must have someone behind you. Is it a garrison officer? Or... some high-ranking official in Nanjing?"

A fierce glint flashed in the scarred man's eyes: "Kid, the more you know, the sooner you die!"

Before he finished speaking, he pounced on Chen Yuan, his machete aimed straight at Chen Yuan's face.

But Chen Yuan was faster—he sidestepped the blade, and at the same time, he reached out with his right hand, grabbed the scarred man's wrist, twisted it, and pushed him away.

With a "crack," the wrist bone broke.

Scarface screamed in agony, and the machete slipped from his hand.

Chen Yuan caught the knife and held it to his neck: "Can you talk now?"

Seeing this, the men on the other boats all tried to rush up.

Uncle Zhao drew his sword and held it horizontally at the bow of the boat: "Who dares to move!"

Just then, the sound of horns came from afar.

An official boat sailed in from downstream, with an officer standing at the bow, shouting, "What are you doing! Fighting on the river in broad daylight!"

Scarface's expression changed drastically: "It's the navy! Let's go!"

The pirates scattered and fled in their boats.

The official boat approached, and the officer jumped onto the covered boat. He looked at Chen Yuan, then at the scarred man on the ground: "Who are you? Why are you fighting?"

Chen Yuan pulled out his Imperial Guard badge from his robes: "Chen Mingyuan, Commander of the Imperial Guard. I am here on official business to travel south."

The officer took the badge, examined it carefully, and immediately became respectful: "So it's Lord Chen! This humble general is Han Cheng, commander of the Nanjing Navy. I was unaware of your arrival, sir, and have failed to greet you properly."

"Commander Han, you're too kind." Chen Yuan put away his waist token. "These river bandits..."

"They're not ordinary river bandits," Han Cheng said in a deep voice. "The river has been rather turbulent lately, with boats frequently being hijacked. I've investigated, and these men are well-trained, unlike stragglers. I suspect... they are military households."

"Military households?" Chen Yuan frowned. "Which military households?"

Han Cheng hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: "In recent years, too many soldiers in the Nanjing garrisons have been drawing salaries without working. Some military households, having lost their pay, have resorted to this kind of shady business. But I feel... it's not that simple. These people are too well-equipped; their swords are standard issue, and their boats are military speedboats..."

Chen Yuan understood.

The garrison system in Nanjing was probably rotten to the core.

"Commander Han, have you reported this matter?"

"I've reported it." Han Cheng smiled wryly. "But the Duke of Wei said that the court is currently at war with the Tatars, and Nanjing cannot be allowed to fall into chaos. He instructed me to... keep things under control for now."

Xu Huizu, Duke of Wei. The person the Grand Princess asked Chen Yuan to find.

Chen Yuan nodded: "I have come here to see the Duke of Wei. Commander Han, please lead the way."

"yes!"

The official boat was in front, followed by the covered boat, heading towards the south bank of the Yangtze River.

When we docked, Nanjing was already in sight in the distance.

It was a huge city.

The city wall is shorter than that of Beijing, but longer, stretching for dozens of miles.

The three large characters "Jubaomen" on the city gate tower gleamed in the setting sun.

Inside and outside the city gates, the flow of carriages and people was bustling and lively, even more prosperous than Beijing.

"Nanjing City is divided into three parts," Han Cheng explained as they walked. "The outer city, the inner city, and the imperial city. The Duke of Wei's residence is in the inner city, near the imperial city."

Once inside the city, Chen Yuan truly felt the prosperity of Nanjing.

The streets were wider and there were more shops than in Beijing, and the pedestrians were dressed more brightly. The shouts of vendors selling silk, tea, antiques, and snacks rose and fell.

Even on the painted boats on the Qinhuai River, the sounds of string and wind instruments could be faintly heard, even in broad daylight.

"The Qinhuai River stretches for ten miles, a place of splendor and wealth for six dynasties." Uncle Zhao sighed. "Young master, Nanjing is a land of gentle pleasures, but also a graveyard for heroes. Emperor Taizu chose this place as his capital because of its prosperity. But when things are too prosperous, people easily become weak-willed."

Chen Yuan nodded.

He noticed that the soldiers patrolling the streets, though their armor was bright, were relaxed and some were even slacking off and dozing off.

If this were at the border, he would have been dealt with by military law long ago.

After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at the Duke of Wei's mansion.

The mansion was large, but not luxurious. Above the gate hung a plaque bestowed by the emperor that read "Zhongshan Prince's Mansion." The stone lions in front of the gate were somewhat mottled, exuding a sense of age.

Han Cheng stepped forward to report.

A moment later, the door opened, and an old steward came out to greet him: "Lord Chen? The Duke is already waiting for you."

Chen Yuan followed the old steward into the mansion. The furnishings inside were simple, unlike the luxurious mansions of Chinese dukes that he had imagined.

After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at the study. Inside, an old man was writing.

The old man was in his sixties, with gray hair, but he stood upright and had bright, piercing eyes. He was dressed in casual clothes, with ink stains on his cuffs, making him look more like a schoolteacher than a powerful duke.

"Your humble servant Chen Mingyuan greets the Duke of Wei." Chen Yuan bowed.

Xu Huizu put down his pen, looked up, and sized up Chen Yuan.

His gaze was sharp, like a knife, scraping across Chen Yuan.

"Chen Mingyuan..." he said slowly, "The Grand Princess mentioned you in her letter. Sit down."

Chen Yuan sat down.

The old butler served tea, then withdrew and closed the door. Only the two of them remained in the study.

Xu Huizu picked up the Grand Princess's letter, read it again, and then put it down: "The letter says that you are a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ordered to inspect military affairs in Nanjing. But I know it's not that simple."