CMWKSD -Chapter 264 Turning the Tables

Shao Qing frowned as he looked toward the crowded street.

Quite a few people had just passed by.

Truthfully, even Shao Qing himself didn’t know why he had suddenly developed such a feeling.

It was simply the sense that someone was watching him.

Yet whenever he focused his gaze and looked carefully, there was nothing there at all.

Still, Shao Qing was the sort of person who always planned ahead.

Even if there was clearly nothing suspicious, he still mentioned it to Ji Yiqing and Jiu Yue.

Ji Yiqing immediately glanced at Jiu Yue with concern.

Jiu Yue, however, was completely unconcerned. “Do you think it might be people sent by Prince Hui?”

Ji Yiqing furrowed his brows. “When we spread the news about Shen Zongsheng, we didn’t include you at all…”

They had even deliberately downplayed Jiu Yue’s existence.

But…

It seemed to have had no effect whatsoever.

Jiu Yue shrugged. “With all the things I’ve done in Great Qi, do you really think other countries wouldn’t know about me?”

Seeing how indifferent Jiu Yue looked, Ji Yiqing knew very well that her abilities already surpassed those of many people.

Yet he still couldn’t help worrying.

“Besides, Zhuo Mu and the others have already gone back. If they want to save their lives, they’ll definitely trade information about me. I’m afraid I’ve long since become a thorn in the side of the Northern Barbarians’ royal family—an eyesore they want gone.”

Ji Yiqing knew this was the truth.

Given Jiu Yue’s temperament, even if she weren’t doing errands for Emperor Fengyuan, sooner or later she would still make waves across the entirety of Great Qi for one reason or another.

Now that she had Emperor Fengyuan backing her, things were at least somewhat better.

“Then what should we do now?” Shao Qing knew he wasn’t being overly paranoid, and at last felt a little relieved.

Jiu Yue pursed her lips. “What else can we do? If soldiers come, we block them. If water comes, we build a dam.”

Ji Yiqing shot Jiu Yue a look, then waved at Shao Qing.

Shao Qing immediately left.

Ji Yiqing sighed, took Jiu Yue’s hand, and said, “Come with me.”

Jiu Yue looked completely confused.

Then Ji Yiqing led her straight into Ji Wanqiao’s courtyard.

The moment Ji Wanqiao saw Jiu Yue, he sprang up from his stool.

The entire room was filled with various pieces of wood, along with many contraptions combining wood and iron.

In short, they were all things Jiu Yue couldn’t make sense of.

Truth be told, Ji Wanqiao really did have remarkable talent in carpentry.

Back then, Jiu Yue had only casually mentioned movable-type printing.

Everything afterward had been handled by Ji Wanqiao together with Ji Zhaomian and Ji Yiqing.

Originally, Ji Wanqiao had worried about what would happen if he failed the imperial exams.

Who would have thought Jiu Yue would say that passing the provincial exam—becoming a juren—would be enough.

Although artisans did not hold as high a status as officials, Jiu Yue had told Ji Wanqiao that as long as he passed the juren exam, she would find a way to send him into the Ministry of Works.

Many of the mechanical devices used in Jiu Yue’s special training camp had all been designed by Ji Wanqiao.

That alone showed just how gifted he was in carpentry.

Jiu Yue glanced at Ji Yiqing, not understanding why he had brought her here.

Ji Yiqing looked at her helplessly yet indulgently.

“I asked Wanqiao to make something. It’s small and easy to carry. If you really are kidnapped, don’t rush in on your own. At the very least, leave me some kind of information.”

As he spoke, he handed Jiu Yue a wooden hairpin.

Jiu Yue took the wooden hairpin, puzzled.

Ji Yiqing twisted it twice.

The magnolia flower carved at the top of the hairpin slowly seeped out a liquid, like ink.

“This pigment doesn’t dissolve in water, and it won’t burn away in fire. The magnolia blossom can also indicate direction. You can stamp it on the ground, on trees, on tables… and it carries a special scent as well.”

Jiu Yue raised an eyebrow. When it came to scent—

That was her specialty.

There was no need to make things so complicated. “How’s the dog Ji Weizhou is raising doing?”

Ji Yiqing smiled. “I never knew before that Weizhou was naturally close to animals. Now that you’ve discovered his talent for training beasts, he’s practically forgotten to eat and sleep.”

Jiu Yue had always wanted to create something like a canine unit.

But in this era, there weren’t that many dog breeds.

Mostly wolfdogs.

Ji Weizhou was currently training them, hoping to meet Jiu Yue’s requirements.

Jiu Yue brought Ji Yiqing back to her room.

Right in front of him, she swallowed a pill.

Ji Yiqing didn’t even have time to stop her.

“This pill will make my body emit a certain scent from the inside out. Human noses can barely detect it, but dogs have extremely sharp senses. I’ll take the hairpin too—double insurance.”

Ji Yiqing gave a quiet hum and reached out to pull Jiu Yue into his arms.

Jiu Yue tilted her head up slightly. “How did you think of preparing all this for me?”

Ji Yiqing let out a soft laugh, but there was a trace of bitterness in his smile.

His heart felt sour and swollen with worry, so much so that he didn’t even know what to say.

He also felt useless.

“Because you’re not someone who would just sit and wait for death.”

And also because Jiu Yue was never the type to wait for others to come and catch her.

She cherished her life, and she wasn’t the sort who would knowingly provoke danger.

This situation, however, was different.

Prince Hui had very clearly set his sights on Jiu Yue.

Rather than letting Jiu Yue be kidnapped without warning, leaving them with not a single clue—

It was better to strike first and turn the tables.

Still, no matter how much they prepared, there was no telling how useful it would be.

After all, they were still not seasoned enough. When facing Prince Hui, they inevitably seemed immature.

Prince Hui’s intelligence was well known across all nations.

That was Ji Yiqing’s greatest concern.

Jiu Yue’s combat ability was formidable, but Prince Hui was a strategist whose cunning bordered on the monstrous.

Ji Yiqing couldn’t help worrying that if Jiu Yue were to match wits and courage with Prince Hui, she wouldn’t stand a chance at all.

…

The very things Ji Yiqing worried about also troubled Emperor Fengyuan and the Crown Prince.

Although they had deliberately downplayed Jiu Yue’s abilities—

Like hiding away a dazzling pearl—

Even a pearl hidden from view could not have its brilliance completely concealed.

“Ying One, from today onward, take three members of the Eagle Eyes and protect Jiu Yue in secret.”

Ying One nodded.

The Crown Prince also ordered Jiang Xunan to take several members of the Crown Prince’s guard and secretly ensure Jiu Yue’s safety.

Three days passed like this.

Jiu Yue sighed every time she went out, feeling utterly helpless.

That night, just as Ji Yiqing was about to pull Jiu Yue into his arms and fall asleep—

Jiu Yue suddenly flipped over and climbed out of bed.

Ji Yiqing was startled, thinking danger had appeared.

Instead, he saw Jiu Yue calmly getting dressed. “I’m going to chat with someone. You go on sleeping.”

Chat?

Ji Yiqing was still dazed.

Jiu Yue had already vanished soundlessly through the window, ghostlike.

Jiang Xunan was hiding in a tree within Jiu Yue’s courtyard.

He suddenly felt a chill by his ear.

He lightly raised his hand to touch it—only to feel a sharp pain at his fingertips.

Turning his head, he found a cold-glinting surgical knife already pressed against his neck.

Jiu Yue had appeared behind him like a vengeful spirit.

And he had been completely unaware—had no idea how long Jiu Yue had been there.

“P… Princess,” Jiang Xunan felt his heart pounding wildly.

Jiu Yue withdrew the knife and said leisurely, “If I truly wanted to kill you, you would’ve died a thousand times over.”

Jiang Xunan lowered his head in frustration.

When facing Jiu Yue, even Ying One still had some ability to fight back.

Yet he himself didn’t even have the slightest chance.