Chapter 19.

The morning after meeting Wei Xihe, Yin Chengyu led a team to inspect the coastal defenses at Dagu Port.

Wan Youliang and Guan Haishan accompanied him.

After a bumpy half-day journey, they arrived at Dagu Port. Yin Chengyu conducted a perfunctory inspection and soon suggested heading to the seaside for a look.

Wan Youliang and Guan Haishan, secretly pleased, feigned reluctance before accompanying him through the city gates toward the coastal defense line.

The Great Yan had long enforced a maritime ban. With the Grand Canal fully operational and pirates rampant at sea, most cargo shipments favored inland waterways. The once-busy coastline had fallen into desolation, littered with jagged rocks.

Yin Chengyu wandered the barren coast, appearing aimless but clearly awaiting Wan Youliang’s next move.

About 30 minutes later, the sound of drumbeats echoed from the watchtower. A soldier on horseback charged out of the city, shouting from afar: "Report! Pirates are attacking!"

Guan Haishan’s expression grew stern. "What’s the situation?"

"Pirates have landed in the southwestern waters—two warships, each 500 tons!" The messenger, breathless and visibly shaken, seemed genuine in his alarm.

"Prepare for battle! I’ll return to the city at once!" Guan Haishan ordered the soldier back to report, then turned to Yin Chengyu. "Your Highness, we must escort you back to the city immediately."

Yin Chengyu shook his head. "The pirates landed far from here. The situation is urgent—General Guan, focus on leading the defense."

After a moment's hesitation, Guan Haishan obeyed, mounting his horse and galloping back to the city.

"We should head back as well." With the pirate attack looming, Yin Chengyu lost interest in sightseeing and led his entourage back to the city.

Inside the city, chaos reigned. Citizens hurried home, fear evident in their haste—proof of the pirates’ past brutality.

"Do these pirates frequently raid the city?" Yin Chengyu’s tone darkened. Whether Guan Haishan’s arrangement was genuine or staged, the people’s panic was unmistakably real.

Wan Youliang sighed. "The pirates are fierce and cunning. Despite General Guan’s efforts to strengthen defenses, some breaches are inevitable. Worse, they often disguise themselves as civilians, sneaking into the city to loot, kill, and burn. They’re nearly impossible to guard against."

Yin Chengyu frowned, his worry apparent. "With General Guan heading to the southwestern waters, the city’s defenses will be weakened. Won’t that leave us vulnerable?" He turned to Xue Shu. "Ride to the garrison and summon reinforcements. The city needs tighter security."

Xue Shu responded promptly, galloping off to carry out the order.

Wan Youliang, caught off guard by Yin Chengyu’s cooperation, had no time to devise a scheme to distract him—Yin Chengyu had already sent his guards away.

Now, with only a handful of guards remaining by Yin Chengyu’s side, Wan Youliang discreetly scanned his surroundings. When he spotted a green cloth tied to a window of a nearby house, he signaled with a subtle gesture behind his back.

Yin Chengyu seemed oblivious, turning to Wan Youliang with a calm demeanor. "Let’s return to the government office and wait for updates."

Wan Youliang agreed, climbing into his sedan chair after Yin Chengyu boarded his carriage. However, Wan Youliang signaled the chair-bearers to slow their pace, deliberately widening the distance between them.

Inside the carriage, Yin Chengyu leaned by the window, lifting the curtain slightly to observe the streets.

Zheng Duobao, seated nearby, grew anxious. "Pirates are ruthless. Your Highness’s safety is paramount. Why not let Steward Xue escort you to safety first?"

He then realized Zhao Lin was also absent. "And where is Commander Zhao today?"

Yin Chengyu silenced him with a gesture, smiling faintly. "They’ll be here soon. Don’t worry."

Zheng Duobao, who had served Yin Chengyu for years, recognized this confident smile and deduced there was more at play than he was privy to. Resigned, he calmed himself and poured tea for Yin Chengyu.

The carriage rolled down the desolate street, the sound of its wheels echoing against the empty ground.

The inner city of Dagu wasn’t large. Just two more streets and they would reach the government office.

But as the carriage rounded the corner, a small band of pirates, their heads shaved in the distinct chōnmage style, charged toward them, blades gleaming.

“Pirates! On guard!” The accompanying guards immediately formed a defensive circle around the carriage, shielding it with their bodies.

The pirates, spotting the luxurious carriage, let out wild cries of excitement and lunged forward, weapons raised.

There were about seventy or eighty of them, while Yin Chengyu had only a dozen guards. At first, the guards managed to hold their ground, but after two skirmishes, they began to falter.

Amid the chaos, one particularly fierce pirate broke through the defensive line and hurled a knife straight at the carriage.

The spinning blade embedded itself deep into the carriage wall, quivering ominously.

Yin Chengyu stared at the vibrating blade, just about to lift the curtain and give the order to fight, when the sounds of intensified battle and war cries erupted outside.

Peeking through the curtain, he saw Xue Shu leading soldiers from the Fourth Guard Battalion in a ferocious charge.

For this trip to Tianjin, Yin Chengyu had brought along 500 soldiers. While fifty remained to guard the lodging, the other 450 were stationed at the garrison. Knowing of Wan Youliang’s schemes, Yin Chengyu had secretly ordered Zhao Lin to mobilize the troops earlier that day. With Wan Youliang and Guan Haishan traveling beside him, news from the garrison wouldn’t reach their ears in time.

Four hundred soldiers against seventy or eighty pirates—a foregone conclusion.

Yin Chengyu signaled for Zheng Duobao to lift the curtain and sat poised in the carriage, observing the battle.

Xue Shu and Zhao Lin split their forces to encircle the pirates, cutting off their retreat. Zhao Lin led a fierce charge, while Xue Shu snatched a pirate’s blade mid-fight, dual-wielding his way from the periphery to the center.

Panting heavily, he stopped in front of the carriage and looked up at Yin Chengyu. His eyes scanned the prince for injuries before speaking in a hoarse voice, “This servant came late to your rescue. I hope Your Highness was not too alarmed.”

For once, Yin Chengyu didn’t reprimand him for acting without orders. Instead, he nodded curtly. “Leave a few alive.” He glanced back and added, “And don’t let Wan Youliang slip away.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Xue Shu discarded his dulled blade and yanked the pirate’s knife from the carriage wall.

His gaze locked onto the pirate who had thrown it. Striding forward, blade in hand, he closed in relentlessly.

The pirate barely realized the danger before Xue Shu struck, decapitating him with one swift motion.

With bloodied blade in hand, Xue Shu bent down, grabbed the severed head, and swept his cold, predatory eyes toward the back, searching for Wan Youliang.

Wan Youliang, uneasy and suspicious, sensed something amiss.

This ambush wasn’t meant to simply scare the Crown Prince, as Xue Shu had claimed. The goal was to make him suffer enough to leave Tianjin. According to the plan, Xue Shu should have arrived to stage a rescue, killed a few pirates for show, and allowed the rest to escape.

Yet the sounds of the battle ahead didn’t match that script—it was too real.

Hesitating, Wan Youliang considered checking the situation, but fearing accidental injury, he stayed put. His thoughts were interrupted by screams nearby. Startled, he threw open the curtain of his sedan chair—only to meet Xue Shu’s menacing grin.

The four sedan carriers lay sprawled on the ground. Xue Shu, balancing the pirate’s severed head on his blade, greeted him with a chilling smile. “Lord Wan.”

Wan Youliang forced a calm expression, though his face had turned pale. “Xue Overseer, w-what is the meaning of this?”

Xue Shu didn’t bother explaining. With a swift motion, he plunged his blade into Wan Youliang’s leg, eliciting a pig-like scream. He yanked him out of the sedan and threw him to his subordinates. “Take him back.”

The battle was over quickly. Only ten pirates were captured alive; the rest were killed on the spot.

As Zhao Lin led efforts to clean up the bodies and streets, Yin Chengyu listened to Xue Shu’s report.

“Scouts confirmed the pirate attack was a diversion. Two 500-ton warships circled offshore before retreating,” Xue Shu said.

“It seems Guan Haishan is deeply entangled with the pirates,” Yin Chengyu remarked, his gaze drifting toward an alley. He paused. “Is that a child?”

The alley was just across from the battlefield, mere steps from where the fight had occurred. If it was a child, they were likely terrified by the bloodshed.

Moved by pity, Yin Chengyu approached. A frail boy stood there, trembling. “Who knows where this child came from?” Yin Chengyu sighed and turned to Xue Shu. “Have someone take him to the government office for now. If we can’t find his family, send him to a charity—”

Before he could finish, Xue Shu suddenly shouted, “Watch out!” He shoved Yin Chengyu aside and kicked the boy, sending him sprawling.

Clutching his lightly injured arm, Yin Chengyu stared in shock. The boy, lying on the ground with a dropped dagger nearby, glared at him with chilling ferocity—none of a child’s innocence remained.

Xue Shu strode forward, grabbing the boy by the neck and lifting him like a ragdoll. The boy, no older than ten, flailed helplessly, soon choking as his eyes rolled back.

“Xue Shu!”

Yin Chengyu frowned, finally intervening. “Enough. He’s just a child, likely under someone’s orders. Lock him up for now.”

Xue Shu turned, his dark eyes heavy with tension, but he eventually obeyed. He tossed the boy to the guards before marching to Yin Chengyu’s side.

Examining the prince’s wound, he saw it was shallow and let out a rough sigh of relief. “I’ll bandage this for you. We need to return to the office and call a doctor immediately.”

Pulling out a handkerchief, he carefully wrapped the wound.

Noticing Xue Shu’s remorseful expression, Yin Chengyu relented. “It’s a minor wound—no need to fuss. I’ve heard pirates sometimes raise orphans to infiltrate cities and gather intelligence. It seems that’s what we encountered today.”

His thoughts turned grim. These pirates had not only ruled the seas but were now infiltrating coastal towns. If left unchecked, they would become an even greater menace.

For now, however, he set aside his worries.

Due to the attack, the group hurried back to the government office.

Zhao Lin stayed behind to manage the aftermath, while Xue Shu sent the prisoners to the dungeon for separate interrogations.

As for Yin Chengyu, Zheng Duobao practically dragged him to a temporary room to rest and summoned a doctor.

“It’s just a scratch,” Yin Chengyu protested, but Zheng Duobao wouldn’t have it.

“You lost so much blood. How is that a scratch?” he fretted, carefully unwrapping the bloodied handkerchief and urging the doctor to hurry.

Resigned, Yin Chengyu sat still as his wound was treated, his gaze wandering.

“Pick up that handkerchief,” he said suddenly, eyes flicking to the basin.

Zheng Duobao, puzzled, retrieved it and unfolded it for the prince to see.

Yin Chengyu inspected the intricate embroidery on its corner, recognition dawning. He had Zheng Duobao fetch another handkerchief from his belongings for comparison.

The patterns matched exactly.

These handkerchiefs were custom-made for him by the Imperial Weaving Bureau.

How did Xue Shu get one?

——— Author’s Note: Yin Chengyu: “Where did you get that handkerchief?”

Yin Chengyu: “And what exactly have you been doing with it?”

Xue Shu: “...”