Emerging from the Armory, it was already evening. A streak of red clouds enveloped a man and his horse, casting Xiao Mingâs elongated shadow on the yellow dirt road of Qingzhou City.
Teaching technology was exhausting. Now, Xiao Mingâs mouth was parched and his throat dry, but today marked a historic step for himâthe pure steel lathe was already in practice.
When he first arrived in this world, he had felt a bit lost. Now, that confusion had been replaced by the fervor of climbing the tech tree.
Xiao Ming never believed that an ordinary person could change an era. He was grateful to be a prince rather than an extra in the crowd.
In the Da Yu Empire, the deeply ingrained mindset of imperial rule and the age-old small-scale peasant economy meant that machinery lacked the driving force to be promoted.
The abundance of population made labor cheap, further diminishing the value of machinery.
In modern times, if it werenât for Western guns and cannons breaking open the doors of feudal imperial power, this self-sufficient agrarian economy of the âCelestial Empireâ would have continued.
Thus, in his view, industrial revolution required a driving force, and he hoped this force wouldnât come from external sources.
This was also why he was glad to be a prince. As the supreme ruler of his fiefdom, he could fully act as this force to drive industrial change, and the existence of the tech library provided the necessary support.
Lost in thought, as he passed by a residential area, the sound of string and wind instruments suddenly reached his ears. Xiao Ming looked up.
Across from him was the Green Bamboo Lane, where the Wang family residence was located. Judging by the commotion, the Wang familyâs banquet must have already begun.
As for the guests at this banquet, he didnât need to guessâit was surely the Qin, Wei, and Sun families.
In Qingzhou, these four prominent families had been intermarried for a long time, maintaining close ties.
Another burst of a womanâs laughter reached him. Xiao Ming quickly urged his horse to return. Having declined Wang Shijieâs invitation, he had truly played the role of a virtuous man.
At the same time, he comforted himself with the thought that such a decadent banquet could lead to illness, and that wouldnât be good.
Just as he was lost in these random thoughts, the sound of a bowstring vibrating echoed not far from him.
Xiao Ming felt his hair stand on end. The Da Yu Empire was founded on martial prowess, and royal children were trained in archery and horsemanship from a young age.
They were especially familiar with bows and arrows, and the laws of the Da Yu Empire strictly prohibited civilians from privately possessing weapons.
Now, the sound of a bowstring in a residential area not far from him could only mean one thingâan assassin.
Instinctively, he rolled to the other side of his horse.
At that moment, an arrow whizzed past and embedded itself straight into the earthen wall of the residential area.
âAssassin!â
The instinctive fight-or-flight response in Xiao Mingâs memory saved his life. He immediately shouted for help.
Just then, a patrol of cavalry in the city heard his cries and rushed over.
âYour Highness!â The leader of the cavalry, Lu Fei, galloped over.
Facing a life-and-death situation, Xiao Ming was still somewhat panicked. Seeing Lu Fei, he said, âSomeone tried to assassinate me. Capture them immediately!â
Lu Fei saw the arrow on the wall and glanced in the direction from which it had been shot. He shouted, âSeal the city gates immediately. No one is allowed to leave the city without my orders. You two, escort His Highness back. The rest, follow me.â
Two cavalrymen responded, flanking Xiao Ming to protect him.
âI want them alive.â After the initial shock, Xiao Ming said coldly. Someone wanted him deadâthis was no joke.
âYes, Your Highness!â Lu Fei led the others to surround the residential area, while one cavalryman went to relay the orders to all the city gates.
Returning to the princeâs residence, Qian Dafu saw Xiao Ming covered in dirt and in a sorry state. He was horrified. âYour Highness, you⊠what happened?â
âSomeone tried to kill me.â Xiao Ming frowned. This Xiao Ming had done so many bad things in the past that he couldnât even pinpoint the most likely suspect.
Qian Dafu was terrified by Xiao Mingâs words. He frantically checked Xiao Mingâs body for any injuries.
âIâm fine. Commander Lu happened to pass by, and I wasnât hurt.â Xiao Ming calmed down and said.
âThatâs good, thatâs good. You scared me to death, Your Highness. For the next few days, you should stay in the residence and not go out until the assassin is caught.â Qian Dafuâs concern was evident on his face.
However, Xiao Ming underestimated Lu Feiâs efficiency. Before he even entered the residence, the sound of thundering hooves approached. Lu Fei arrived with a squad of cavalry.
Now, Lu Fei and his menâs horses were all replaced with sturdy barbarian steeds, tall and strong, their armor gleaming. Lu Fei threw a person down from his horse.
âYour Highness, weâve caught the assassin.â
âDead?â The body on the ground was that of a lean man, but his neck now had a large gash, blood flowing freely.
âWhen we found him, he slit his throat rather than be captured. Your Highness, this is no ordinary assassin. He must have been trained; otherwise, he wouldnât have been so decisive in taking his own life.â Lu Fei frowned.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Ming said, âSo who would want to kill me?â
Generally, the motive for murder could be deduced by figuring out who stood to gain the most. The local gentry wouldnât want him dead for now, as the previous Xiao Ming had been sufficiently incompetent and still had some use.
If Emperor Xiao Wenxuan wanted him dead, it would be simpleâno need for such elaborate measures. Such assassinations usually stemmed from power struggles within the royal family.
âYour Highness, Iâve seen this type of arrow in Shu. Itâs the âPiercing Cloud Arrowâ produced there.â Lu Fei handed Xiao Ming an arrow engraved with clouds.
âShu? The Prince of Shu?â Xiao Mingâs expression darkened.
Among the princes, the Prince of Shu had the worst relationship with him. Being of similar age, the two had engaged in numerous conflicts during their time in Changâan, even coming to blows once.
But Shu was thousands of miles away. Would the Prince of Shu really send an assassin all this way to kill him?
âThe Prince of Shu?â Qian Dafuâs eyes flickered.
âNot necessarily.â Lu Feiâs thoughts aligned with Xiao Mingâs. âAlthough the Piercing Cloud Arrow is a specialty of Shu, itâs not exclusive to that region.â
âIf I died, who would stand to gain the most?â Xiao Ming said gravely.
At this, Qian Dafuâs body trembled slightly, and a look of concern flashed in his eyes.
Noticing Qian Dafuâs strange expression, Lu Fei asked, âSteward Qian, do you know something?â
After hesitating for a moment, Qian Dafu sighed. âThis old servant is merely speculating. Your Highness, do you remember the Third Prince, who has always been close to the Fifth Prince?â
âOf course. The Crown Prince is incompetent, and now the Third and Fourth Princes are the most favored by His Majesty. There are rumors that the Emperor intends to depose the Crown Prince. The Fourth and Third Princes are currently locked in a fierce struggle. But what does this have to do with me?â Xiao Ming said.
âYour Highness, have you forgotten who spoke on your behalf before the Emperor three years ago, allowing you to be spared?â Qian Dafu asked.
âThe Fourth Prince!â Xiao Ming suddenly felt like vomiting blood. Back then, when the Fourth Prince had saved him, he had essentially pledged his allegiance.
This was tantamount to telling the other princes that he was siding with the Fourth Prince.
âExactly. Once the Crown Prince is deposed, the princes will vie for the throne, and the Da Yu Kingdom will likely be plunged into another bloody storm. Behind each prince, you can see the shadows of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans.â Qian Dafu said. âRecently, there have been reports that the Fifth Prince was also targeted by an assassination attempt in his fiefdom. Some suspected it was the Fourth Princeâs doing to weaken the Third Princeâs faction.â
Xiao Ming slowly said, âAre you suggesting that this is the Third Princeâs retaliation against the Fourth Prince, aiming to weaken his factionâme?â