Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

The candlelight inside the cell remained dim. Zhao Zhong stood with his head bowed beside Shui Rong, his face showing some difficulty. He bowed and said:

"My lord, I was just about to report to you that since the assassination of the Crown Prince, Wan Jin Lou has been completely taken over by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it is now completely surrounded by them."

"Forget about investigating the details, I can't even contact Zhao Wenhui inside the building. All communication has been cut off."

Shui Rong's brows furrowed suddenly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cloud pattern on her cuff, her eyes deep and cold as a pool.

Wan Jin Lou and Xiao Jin Ku were two secret forces that his father had left him. They had been rooted in the capital for more than a decade and had a very deep foundation. There was no reason for them to betray him easily.

What puzzled him even more was that he had never heard of the "Miss Su" mentioned by the assassin before. It was really strange that such a key figure had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"First, separate and detain these three assassins, keep them under strict guard, and do not allow anyone to approach them, and above all, do not let them commit suicide."

Shui Rong gave the order in a deep, authoritative voice:

"The current situation is shrouded in mystery: the crown prince's treason, Wan Jinlou's betrayal, and collusion with the Mongols—these claims are too far-fetched to be true."

"The Crown Prince has no courage or strategy to back this up. There must be something else going on. They still have a use for us."

"Your servant obeys!" Zhao Zhong bowed and accepted the order, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Shui Rong said no more, frowned and stepped out of the dungeon. The cold air seeped into his clothes, but it could not suppress the doubts churning in his heart.

He walked to the study, pushed open the door, and casually glanced at the desk before his gaze suddenly fixed on the unfolded map of the territory.

Beside the fiefdom of Jingzhou, the words "King of Chu" were prominently displayed.

Prince Zhu Changjin of Chu, the eldest prince of the current emperor, lost his mother at a young age and went to his fiefdom in Jingzhou. He had a very low profile among the imperial family in the capital and was almost forgotten.

But the more lurking an entity is, the easier it is to stir up trouble in the shadows.

Shui Rong lightly tapped the words "King of Chu" on the map with his fingertips, a hint of amusement and inquiry flashing in his eyes, and a bold guess quietly took shape in his mind.

"Gongji," he called out in a deep voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the hidden compartment in the study was silently pushed open, and the black-clad guard Gong Ji stepped out, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his aura restrained: "Your subordinate is here."

"Go to the dungeon and find Zhao Zhong. Have him casually say a few words of Jingzhou dialect or Chu slang during the interrogation to test the three assassins' reactions."

Shui Rong's eyes were deep and clear as he gave the order, word by word:

"If they understand, or if their expressions are unusual, report back immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Gong Ji bowed in agreement, and with a flash, he disappeared from the study like a ghost, his movements extremely swift.

"King of Chu... I hope it's not you pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Shui Rong murmured softly, her fingertips tapping the table with a rhythmic, light sound, her doubts growing ever stronger.

Just then, steady footsteps sounded outside the study, and the voice of Qin Feng, the bodyguard, rang out through the door, respectful and solemn: "Your subordinate Qin Feng greets Your Majesty!"

Shui Rong concealed the thoughts in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Qin Feng pushed open the door and entered, holding a veiled woman unconscious with her hand behind her back.

Qin Feng bowed and said, "Master, we found this person acting suspiciously around the secret camp, trying to evade the Imperial Guards' checks. His movements are highly suspicious."

"She claimed to know her master, and the subordinates dared not act on their own, so they brought her back."

Shui Rong stepped out of the study, his gaze falling on the veiled woman. He gestured for Qin Feng to release his grip, then reached out and pulled off the black cloth covering the woman's face.

The first thing that caught my eye was an extremely beautiful face, with a foxy and charming look in her eyes, and a simple dress that couldn't hide her exquisite figure.

Although she was captured in a disheveled state, she still exuded a captivating charm.

A knowing glint flashed in Shui Rong's eyes, and she already had a guess in her mind.

"Bring her in." Shui Rong turned and entered the study, instructing calmly, "She didn't realize the secrets of the Prince's residence, did she?"

"Rest assured, my lord, I knocked her unconscious and imprisoned her the whole way, never letting her near any confidential places, nor revealing any details about the Prince's mansion."

Qin Feng replied in a deep voice, his tone resolute.

Shui Rong nodded, took his seat in the main seat of the study, closed the hidden compartment, and casually put away the map on the table. After arranging everything, he said to Qin Feng, "Wake her up. I have some questions for her."

Qin Feng agreed, stepped forward, and lightly pressed his fingertip on an acupoint on the woman's neck, a force flowing into her.

The woman groaned, slowly opening her eyes. She looked around blankly at first, then, seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, she instantly bristled, struggling to her feet and arrogantly shouting:

"Who are you people? How dare you kidnap me! Do you know who I am? Believe me, one word from me and your entire family will be wiped out!"

Shui Rong raised his eyes, looking down at her, his voice calm yet carrying a chilling pressure:

"I am Prince Shui Rong of Beijing. Tell me, who are you, and why are you lurking suspiciously outside the city?"

Upon hearing the words "Prince Bei Jing," the woman froze, her arrogant demeanor vanishing instantly, a barely perceptible hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

She quickly changed to a pitiful look, her eyes slightly red, gazing at Shui Rong with a resentful look, her voice soft and tearful:

"Please, Your Highness, save me! I was only out of the city searching for my lost relatives when this brave man mistakenly captured me. I beg Your Highness to investigate and release me."

Shui Rong looked down at her, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. The oppressive aura emanating from him grew stronger, and he was not moved in the slightest by her delicate appearance.

"No need for pretense. Tell me your name, your ancestral home, and why you are hiding from the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Su Xiaoxiao felt uneasy under his gaze. She had thought this prince, who looked like an immortal, was gentle and easy to talk to, but she did not expect him to have such a powerful aura.

She forced herself to remain calm, bowed her head, and choked back tears:

"Your Highness, my name is Su Xiaoxiao. I am a native of the capital. I only took this detour because my relatives are outside the city and I was afraid of being questioned and delayed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I had no ill intentions."

"Su?"

Shui Rong chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes; her gaze was full of amusement. "Interesting, very interesting indeed."

He glanced at Qin Feng, then caught sight of Gong Ji who had just reached the study door, and changed the subject:

"Qin Feng, hand her over to Gong Ji, take her to the dungeon, and have Zhao Zhong guard her. Separate her from the three assassins and forbid anyone from speaking to her privately."

Upon hearing this, Gong Ji immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Su Xiaoxiao's expression changed drastically. Just as she was about to speak in her defense, Qin Feng silenced her by striking her acupoint, and she was escorted away by Gong Ji.

After the two left, Shui Rong looked at Qin Feng, her tone softening slightly:

"You've always been cautious in your actions. If it were just a routine family visit, you wouldn't have captured her. Tell me the truth, why did you arrest her?"

Qin Feng bowed, his expression solemn:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, during my patrol, I noticed that she not only deliberately avoided the Imperial Guards, but also secretly observed the deployment of the Prince's Palace's secret guards."

"His accent wasn't pure Beijing dialect either; instead, it had a bit of a regional accent."

"I tested her skills, and her martial arts moves were ruthless and vicious, unlike those of an ordinary young lady; they seemed more like those of a death squad."

"I am certain that she is involved in the assassination of the Crown Prince, so I took it upon myself to capture her. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

"You did the right thing, what crime have you committed?"

Shui Rong nodded, now certain that this Su Xiaoxiao was indeed the Miss Su from Wan Jin Lou mentioned by the assassin. "Is her martial arts style truly the same as the assassin who tried to kill me?"

"It's absolutely true. Although I only tested it a few times, I exchanged ideas with the guards who participated that night and learned that their moves were indeed similar."

Qin Feng replied with certainty.

Shui Rong didn't ask any more questions, but instead brought up another important matter, her fingertips still lightly tapping the table, her tone calm:

"How is the progress of the firearms training I had you do?"

A hint of admiration flashed in Qin Feng's eyes, and he bowed and said:

"Reporting to the Lord, everything is going well! The brothers outside the city are already skilled at mixing gunpowder and loading firearms, and the range and power have far exceeded expectations."

"The Lord's improved gunpowder formula is several times more powerful than ordinary gunpowder, and the brothers all praise it highly."

"very good."

A glint of light flashed in Shui Rong's eyes, and he solemnly instructed:

"Continue the secret training, without revealing the slightest bit."

"If you are questioned, silence them if possible. If you are outnumbered and outmatched, prioritize your own safety and don't fight back."

"You are all my trusted confidants, more important than any secret, understand?"

Qin Feng felt a warmth in his heart and immediately knelt on one knee, his voice resounding: "Your subordinate will remember Your Majesty's orders and swear to serve Your Majesty to the death!"

"Get up. Go back and train hard. Report any unusual activity immediately." Shui Rong waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

"This subordinate takes his leave!" Qin Feng bowed and turned to leave quickly, his figure disappearing outside the study door.