By the time Prince Ji Sheng finished answering all the servants' inquiry and sent them out, an incense time had passed. He finally sent the servants away as he led Yang Xian and Wei Liuying to his study room.

"We'll talk more in my study. It's cleaner there," Prince Ji Sheng said in low tone.

Yang Xian nodded readily. "It's not a problem for me."

Wei Liuying watched the two of them exchanged words. Even though they were still polite on the surface, their tone was lighter compared to before. It was apparent that they were comfortable near each other and didn't feel the needs to put up so much guard like what they had done before.

Before long, they entered the study and Yang Xian closed the door.

"Yan, you don't need to hide."

"What would I do if the one who come is not you?" Shi Yan's head popped from behind the book rack. He grinned mischievously. "I have to make sure that the one who come is you and not some other servants, right?"

"No servant will dare to come in," Prince Ji Sheng said in a cold tone. His tall figure made way to the center, and he sat down leisurely. His eyes swept the three people before him. "In a week's time, it'll be Xiaoli's 16th birthday. After the birthday party, she'll have her hairpin ceremony and we're going to depart to the north."

Just like the males have their adulthood ceremony, females have hairpin ceremony as a mark that they have turned into adult. The ceremony was simpler than the males because all they have to do was to have their female friends inserted the hairpin to their bun.

Wei Liuying's eyes flickered, and she looked at Prince Ji Sheng. Just like what she had seen before, he had defined features and handsome countenance. However, her mind didn't even think about that. "Your Highness, can I speak?"

"No need to be so polite." Shi Yan laughed from the side. "Sheng won't execute you just from being impolite."

Sheng?

Hearing the way they addressed him, Wei Liuying was thoroughly speechless. The difference in the social status was so high that it was impossible to not greet him politely. After all, a mistake was enough to cost them their lives.

"Yan is always so impolite to Sheng. But yes, you don't need to worry about being impolite with us here," Yang Xian added.

Wei Liuying: "…" even you too?

"Do you really think I'm that polite when we're in private?" Yang Xian asked teasingly when he saw Wei Liuying's expression.

Recalling the time she heard how they greeted Prince Ji Sheng in the hall just now, she felt that the contrast was a bit too much. The three of them clearly didn't care for any manners when they were alone. Well, during the time of life and death in battles, she doubted that Ji Sheng and Yang Xian would be polite too.

But Shi Yan's impoliteness was baffling to her.

Prince Ji Sheng smiled lightly. It was a completely different smile than the one he showed to the servant out of politeness. "You can speak freely, Liuying."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Wei Liuying replied slowly. She was still not used to greet them impolitely, so she will stick with this address for now. "Will I come to the north later?"

"Yes, you'll come along with Xian. He'll be the one to take care of your needs when you're at the north."

Yang Xian's face darkened. "Sheng, you're just reducing me to be a baby sitter now?"

"You're the one who's so adamant to have her, are you not?"

"I thought it's you who said it first?"

The two of them stared at one another, unwilling to lose in their battle of words. On the side, Shi Yan yawned because he had already gotten used to see these two battled it out like this. They were not serious and just tried to joke around, but from outsider point of view, it might look like they were ready to have a war.

Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She had just realized one thing.

Prince Ji Sheng is different from other princes and all high ranked officials whom she had seen. They would never ever show their weakness and real side to their servants like what this prince did.

Prince Ji Sheng withdrew his gaze. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Any inquiry?"

"Yes. I don't understand why Your Highness is willing to help someone like me," Wei Liuying replied.

This time, Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian, who arched his eyebrows. Yang Xian laughed lightly. "You can say that His Highness is more interested in capable people regardless of their background rather than those who has power but no real capabilities."

"Even a woman?"

"Girl, you're not even an adult yet. How can you be a woman?"

Wei Liuying kept a poker face. She knew that she hadn't had her monthly something due to the fact that her body was malnourished, and she learned martial arts. However, it should be soon since she had reached 14 years old.

"Yes, regardless of gender too."

Shi Yan rubbed his nose. "Well, you see. The one who caught Sheng's eyes in the first place is my sister and not me."

"I thought your sister is only 16?" and based on the way they interacted, they had known each other for years, right?

Sensing the gaze on Wei Liuying's eyes, Shi Yan's face darkened.

"NOT IN THAT WAY!"

Wei Liuying's lips curled up into a smile when she saw Shi Yan's exasperated face. Somehow, she felt that teasing him was also quite fun considering how he seemed to treat everything so seriously.

"Shi Yan's sister is an aspiring doctor," Prince Ji Sheng elaborated. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Despite being a girl, she's good, so I wish to have her in the troops."

"How about me?"

"You're a good strategist and schemer," Yang Xian was the one who answered. "As time passed, the number of cities under Prince Ji Sheng will increase and there will be a lot of battles. I need someone to share my burden."

Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Are there no capable men?"

"There are a lot, but not many of them can be trusted."

"And you can trust me?"

Yang Xian smiled and walked around Wei Liuying. "A concubine daughter with no real power to speak off, running away from home, criminals who helps others to escape, and also a young girl with no connection. I believe you don't have any other place that you can rely on, Liuying."

What Yang Xian said was simply stating the fact. He could sugarcoat everything, but he knew that it would be useless. With Wei Liuying's level of intelligence, she would be able to see through him easily. It would be better for him to be upfront with what he wanted right away.

"You're waiting for the right time, Strategist Yang."

Yang Xian smiled. "I won't deny it."

Wei Liuying closed her eyes. She didn't really have any other choice and by taking her here, they were also taking a gamble. If it was known that the third prince was sheltering a criminal, there was no doubt that his reputation would plummet. Not to mention, he would be making an enemy out of the entire kingdom.

Since she could no longer live freely with her original identity and had no other way, staying here was not a bad option.

"You'll need to prepare new identity for me," Wei Liuying said as she opened her eyes. "And I swear to the Heaven that I'll never betray you, Prince Ji Sheng."

An oath made to the Heaven was something that everyone had to treat carefully. No one wanted to make one unless it was necessary because if they broke it, they would be punished by the Heaven.

Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "You know that you don't have to say that, right?"

"Isn't it only normal?" Wei Liuying asked again.

"True enough."

Prince Ji Sheng nodded, satisfied with their intelligence. The only way for him to trust them was by having them give their oath willingly without any hint to do so beforehand. He had known that Wei Liuying had higher level of intelligence, but he didn't expect it to be truly on par with what he wanted.

He felt that he truly had good eyes this time. (A/N: You mean Yang Xian, Your Highness, not you)

"Since you had decided, I'll tell you my view. I don't have any plan to get the throne," Prince Ji Sheng said bluntly. "What I want is a peaceful live on the border and create an everlasting peace with the Xiong Tribe."

Wei Liuying looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "It'll be hard as war has been going on for a long time. However, if we can strike a deal with Xiong Tribe, peace might be possible."

"There are only two methods that we can think off. It's either through violence or through peaceful method," Yang Xian said from the side. "Peaceful method is better, but if we can't reach a deal with them, we'll have to use violence."

"The peaceful method, is it from trade?"

"Yes."

Shi Yan grinned from the side. "It's my role."

"I know."

"Can't you act impressed?"

Wei Liuying cast him a glance without changing her expression in the slightest bit. "There's only one merchant in this room, so who else if it's not you?"

Shi Yan just got another blow to his intelligence.