Xiao Yintang's father was Xiao Lie, the King of the Clouds, enfeoffed in Yunnan.
As the Heir Apparent of the princely estate, by law, he could not leave Yunnan without an imperial decree or permission. Otherwise, it would be seen as contempt for the court's authority at best, or outright rebellion at worst. Moreover, this trip out of Yunnan was undertaken privately, without prior approval from his father, the King of the Clouds.
Three years ago, after the Young Emperor died in a hunting accident, rumors persisted that he had not actually perished but had escaped into the wilderness due to prior precautions. Given the gravity of the matter, Xiao Yintang had been secretly searching for the Young Emperor’s whereabouts over the years, but to no avail. Just a few months ago, he received intelligence from his spies that the Brocade-Clad Guards of the court had been frequently spotted around Quanzhou in Fujian, possibly linked to the Young Emperor’s location. At the time, the King of the Clouds was accompanying the court-appointed Pacification Commissioner, Lord Ma, on a mission to Mengding Prefecture in western Yunnan to summon and instruct the leaders of southwestern barbarian tribes, such as the Mengmi King and the Mubang King, in order to propagate imperial authority. He was not present at the princely estate.
Fearing a missed opportunity, Xiao Yintang secretly sent word to the King of the Clouds and, with a few trusted followers, disguised himself and slipped out of Yunnan overnight. After a long and arduous journey, he finally tracked the trail to Quanzhou—only to arrive a step too late. When he reached the seaside outside Tongjin Gate the night before, all he found were the corpses of several Brocade-Clad Guards.
According to recent reports, the events of that night seemed connected to the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord, who had risen to prominence in recent years along the coast.
Who was the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord? Why was he involved in the case of the Young Emperor? Was the Young Emperor truly alive—had he fallen into the hands of the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord that night, or had he long since perished, making the incident merely a clash between the Brocade-Clad Guards and the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord? These were all unanswered questions, and in such a short time, he could not determine the truth.
But one thing was clear: at this stage, staying any longer would serve little purpose. Moreover, he needed to return to Yunnan as soon as possible.
That Lord Ma, ostensibly sent to Yunnan for pacification, was undoubtedly dispatched by the emperor to monitor his father, recording his every word and action—so much so that even the King of the Clouds had to act deferentially before this minor Pacification Commissioner. If news of Xiao Yintang’s unauthorized departure from Yunnan were to leak now, it would give the court the perfect pretext to take action.
According to the planned itinerary, Lord Ma would return to Kunming by the end of the month. As the Heir Apparent of the King of the Clouds, Xiao Yintang had to be present at the princely estate by then. Time was running short, and he needed to leave Quanzhou and return to Yunnan immediately.
But after that night, Quanzhou imposed strict daytime inspections and nighttime curfews for two consecutive days. Before Xiao Yintang could withdraw, the city had already been sealed off, with all ports closed, cutting off all escape routes.
Before leaving, he had naturally prepared forged travel permits to support his false identity, which had always worked flawlessly in the past. But this time, he had been careless.
Early yesterday morning, just as he was about to use his travel permit to exit the city, a merchant from Yunnan ahead of him was stopped and arrested. The merchant protested his innocence, but the gate guards cited orders from above: any outsider carrying a Yunnan-issued travel permit was to be detained without question.
Why was the government arresting Yunnan natives arriving in Quanzhou?
Xiao Yintang deduced that the Brocade-Clad Guards must have linked this incident to the estate of the King of the Clouds.This was an extremely dangerous signal, indicating just how wary the emperor had become of his father.
Since the Travel Permit was useless, he had immediately retreated to devise another plan.
He quickly recalled the owner of the ship that had clashed with his subordinate Liu Yi on Fuming Island that day.
He remembered clearly—the young dandy who had rushed out had claimed to be from the Zhen family. Judging by the ship and the dandy’s tone, this Zhen family must be one of the wealthiest in Quanzhou.
Though merchants held low status, those who amassed great fortunes often had extraordinary connections with local officials. Some matters that others couldn’t handle would be smooth sailing for such merchant families.
Liu Yi’s reconnaissance confirmed his suspicions: the Zhen family had close ties with the prefectural government, and that young dandy was named Zhen Yaoting, the sole heir of the Zhen family, who had lost his father three years prior.
It seemed like a heaven-sent opportunity. After weighing the risks, Xiao Yintang decided to take the gamble—using the Zhen family’s only son as leverage to exploit their connections in Quanzhou and expedite his escape back to Yunnan.
For the entire day yesterday, the young man had not left his home, but Xiao Yintang could delay no longer. Under the cover of night, he and Liu Yi infiltrated the Zhen residence.
Initially, Xiao Yintang had underestimated the Zhen family—merely a merchant household in Quanzhou, no matter how wealthy. He assumed their guards were just for show. Unexpectedly, due to the family’s vulnerable state—with the elderly and young—Old Mrs. Hu took security very seriously. She had hired Old Detective Lin, a retired officer, at great expense. The old detective organized the guards meticulously, and with the recent unrest, he personally guarded the gates at night. Unable to act immediately and wary of alerting the authorities, Xiao Yintang retreated to the Zhen family’s rear garden at dawn, intending to withdraw. But fate intervened—the young dandy wandered into the garden alone at daybreak. Xiao Yintang and Liu Yi followed.
Just as he was about to strike, a stunningly beautiful young girl appeared. Concealing himself in the shadows, he listened intently to the siblings’ conversation, solidifying his plan further.
This daughter of the Zhen family was sharp-witted and composed, and the bond between the siblings seemed strong. Controlling Zhen Yaoting and using her as his messenger was the perfect strategy.
...
Jiafu watched as Xiao Yintang appeared before her without warning. For a moment, a sharp pain pierced her chest, her vision darkened, and an overwhelming despair—akin to what she had felt in her final moments in her past life—engulfed her once more.
She gripped the doorframe beside her, leaning weakly against it. Closing her eyes briefly, she waited for the dizziness to pass before straightening up and slowly opening her eyes.
“This is my home. Who are you? What do you want?”
Her voice was steady and clear as she stared at him, enunciating each word.
Xiao Yintang paused, his gaze lingering on the girl’s face. The strange sensation in his heart grew stronger.
This daughter of the Zhen family was extraordinarily beautiful.The prince's mansion was never short of beauties, but it could be said that this young maiden was the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life. Not only did her skin glow like jade, her peerless beauty was unmatched, but she also carried a delicate charm that made one want to embrace and cherish her. For any normal man, having such thoughts upon seeing such a beauty was perfectly natural.
Xiao Yintang naturally enjoyed the company of beauties as well. But he knew when and what to do.
At this moment, no matter how stunning the beauty, she was merely a tool for him to escape.
Yet this daughter of the Zhen family had just stirred a strange ripple in his heart moments ago.
When he stepped out and she caught sight of him, the color drained from her face, her eyes widening in shock. That initial reaction in her gaze and expression couldn’t lie, nor could it escape Xiao Yintang’s sharp eyes.
She gave him the illusion that she had known him before—and harbored immense disgust and fear toward him. For a fleeting moment, she seemed so weak she might collapse.
But soon, she steadied herself. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze had turned clear and indifferent.
This was even more unusual.
A girl who appeared no older than fifteen or sixteen, suddenly seeing a stranger emerge in her family’s garden—a trespasser who had knocked her brother to the ground—yet she quickly composed herself.
Xiao Yintang suddenly wondered whether this was her true reaction or a forced calm.
But now, he had no leisure to dwell on it further.
He glanced at the young man on the ground, held at sword point by Liu Yi, then raised his eyes, fixing them once more on the girl’s face. “Go now and tell the person in your family who can make decisions. I need to leave the city as soon as possible. Once I’m safely away, your brother will be safe too. Otherwise, he’ll accompany me to the grave.”
…
A carriage departed from the Zhen residence, driven by a coachman, accompanied by Zhang Da on horseback and a Zhen family servant. The wheels rumbled as they headed toward Yicheng Gate in the west of the city.
The duty officer at Yicheng Gate today was Centurion Shi Quanyou, leading a squad of men stationed on either side of the gate, meticulously inspecting everyone leaving the city. They lifted sedan chair curtains, prodded baskets with the tips of their blades, and ordered pedestrians to open their bundles, barking orders and flaunting their authority. Suddenly, they spotted a carriage approaching from a distance. Recognizing Zhang Da riding alongside, Shi Quanyou let out a surprised “Oh!” and stepped forward to greet them. Zhang Da quickly dismounted and signaled the carriage to halt, exchanging pleasantries. Before they could speak more than a few words, an impatient male voice came from inside the carriage: “Zhang Da, is there a corpse blocking the road ahead? Why has the carriage stopped?”
Shi Quanyou immediately realized that the carriage carried the infamous young master of the Zhen family, Zhen Yaoting.
The Zhen family’s son was known to everyone in Quanzhou. Shi Quanyou had glimpsed him from afar before, and now, hearing his voice, it was clear he was no upstanding character. Smiling, Shi Quanyou said, “Ah, Young Master Zhen! My apologies, but surely you’ve heard the city hasn’t been peaceful these past few days. I’m just following orders. Where might you be headed, Young Master Zhen?”Zhang Da sighed and said, "It's all because of this unrest. You know, our Old Madam is getting on in years. Managing so many affairs was already a strain on her. With all this commotion in the city these past few days, she heard that the ships might not even set sail by the end of the month. The anxiety got to her, and yesterday she caught a chill. Today, she’s bedridden and can’t get up. But she had promised to go to the estate at Zimao Mountain outside the western city today, so our young master had to go in her stead. I’d trouble you to do the inspection quickly, so I can accompany our young master there and back early. When you’re free tomorrow, I’ll come find you for a drink."
As he spoke, Zhang Da gave him a meaningful look, then leaned in closer and whispered, "Since we’ve run into each other here, I might as well mention this. Our boss had a ship return late last year with a lot of good cargo. A few days ago, our Old Madam happened to mention how you and your men often patrol the docks for us and how hard you work. At the end of last year, things were so busy we didn’t get a chance to properly thank you. So, whenever you’re free these next couple of days, come by in the evening, and I’ll take you to have a look."
Shi Quanyou was overjoyed, knowing he was about to score some benefits. Normally, he might have let them pass without inspection, but this time, the higher-ups had issued strict orders, and he didn’t dare slack off. "Orders from above—everyone leaving the city must be inspected. Young Master Zhen, my apologies," he said, stepping up to the carriage. He pushed open the door and peered inside, only to see the young master of the Zhen family slumped against the seat, his hair disheveled, half of it hanging loose. His fine clothes were in disarray, and in his arms sat a woman. He was nuzzling her shoulder, only his forehead visible. The woman had her back to the door, her glossy black hair cascading down. Her collar was slightly undone, revealing a stretch of snow-white nape. Though her face couldn’t be seen, just that glimpse of her neck was enough to stir endless fantasies.
Shi Quanyou’s eyes widened in shock. He didn’t dare look any closer. Coming to his senses, he hastily shut the carriage door and steadied himself. He thought, I’ve heard the Zhen family’s son is a spoiled wastrel, and now I see it’s true. Even when leaving the city on business, he can’t resist indulging in pleasure along the way. But then, he was born into the Zhen family—such is his fate. He sighed inwardly, comparing his own life of toil just to scrape by. Truly, comparisons are odious. With a wave, he signaled his men to let them pass.
Zhang Da bowed to him in thanks, then called out to the driver. The carriage rolled forward and soon passed through the city gates.
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