If I traveled back to the Tang Dynasty, all I really wanted to be was a carefree prince.

The autumn wind was bleak, and fallen leaves fluttered in the streets of Chang'an.

Li Ke rode on horseback, with Li Yin beside him. The two brothers, along with Li An, Commander Zhao, and four guards, were heading towards the Qin residence. They had traveled this route countless times: exiting the palace gates, crossing two main streets, turning into a quiet alley, and then walking for another fifteen minutes to reach the Qin residence. High walls lined both sides of the alley, behind which lay several vacant houses, rarely frequented by anyone. Li Ke preferred this route; it was quiet and didn't cause any horse congestion.

Li Yin rode a small horse, humming an unknown tune, looking around. He had been learning riding and archery at the Qin residence for some time and had made considerable progress. Qin Qiong praised him for his "aptitude," which made him happy for several days.

"Third Brother, what will Master teach us today? He said last time that he would teach us mace techniques once I could ride a horse steadily. Shouldn't he teach us today?" Li Yin asked expectantly.

Li Ke smiled and said, "What's the rush? Let's get the horse steady first. Master said that if you don't have a solid foundation, it's all for nothing."

"I ride my horse very steadily!" Li Yin said unconvinced. "My master even praised me last time."

"Praising you is to encourage you, not to say you're actually good enough." Li Ke glanced at him. "Yin'er, you can't rush learning. Haste makes waste."

Li Yin pouted and stopped talking.

The alley was long, with high walls on both sides blocking out the sunlight. Only a narrow sliver of skylight pierced through, shining brightly on the ground like a knife. Horse hooves clattered on the stone pavement, echoing through the alley. An autumn breeze swept in from the alley entrance, carrying a chill and causing robes to flutter in the wind.

Li Ke suddenly felt something was wrong.

It was too quiet. This alley was usually deserted, but today it was unusually quiet. Not even a bird was chirping. He reined in his horse, slowed down, and glanced at the walls on either side. There was nothing on the walls, but his unease grew stronger.

"Ang Lee," he called softly.

"Your Highness?"

"Something's wrong. Call someone—" Before he could finish speaking, an arrow shot down from the top of the wall and landed in front of Li An's horse. The horse reared up in fright, and Li An was thrown off.

"Assassins! Protect His Highness!" Commander Zhao's voice came from behind, and four guards immediately surrounded them, drawing their swords to protect Li Ke and Li Yin.

A dozen or so figures emerged from the wall, their faces covered with black cloth, wielding swords and knives, and leaped down. The leader, a tall man, wielded a long saber, landing with a cloud of dust. His gaze swept over Li Ke and Li Yin, his voice hoarse and icy: "The Crown Prince's blood feud will be avenged today with Li Shimin's children!"

Li Ke's heart sank. These people, ostensibly seeking revenge for Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, had come prepared. They knew this route, this time, and that he had left the palace with his younger brother. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was a long-planned scheme.

"Take His Highness away!" Commander Zhao shouted, leading four guards to meet him. Swords clashed, sparks flying. Li Ke grabbed Li Yin's reins, turned his horse around, and galloped back. But the alley was too narrow, and the horse couldn't run fast. Screams came from behind—one guard fell, then another.

Li An scrambled to his feet, drew his sword, and stood protectively behind Li Ke. "Your Highness, run! This servant will hold you off!"

Li Ke didn't turn back. He whipped his horse desperately, and the horse neighed and charged forward. But there were people ahead of him—three men in black blocked the alleyway, wielding long knives and with ferocious faces. Caught in a pincer movement, there was no way out.

Li Yin's face turned deathly pale, his whole body trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes. "Third Brother... Third Brother, I'm scared..."

"Don't be afraid." Li Ke's voice was steady, but his hands were trembling. He pulled Li Yin off the horse, shielding him behind him, and drew a short sword from his waist. This short sword was a gift from Qin Qiong, who said it was for self-defense. He had always carried it with him, never expecting to actually use it.

Commander Zhao was covered in blood, yet he continued fighting. Of his four guards, two had already fallen, and the remaining two were also badly wounded. Li An had been slashed in the leg and was kneeling on the ground, still swinging his sword. But there were too many men in black, at least a dozen, each one agile and clearly not ordinary bandits.

The leader of the men in black cleaved Commander Zhao's sword in two with a single stroke, kicked him to the ground, and strode towards Li Ke. Blood still dripped from the long sword, gleaming coldly in the dim alley.

"Your Highness, don't blame us. Blame your father for killing my lord back then." The man in black raised his long sword and slashed at Li Ke.

Li Ke dodged to the side, his short sword blocking the long sword, but the opponent's strength was too great; the impact made his hand go numb, and the short sword almost slipped from his grasp. The man in black brought down a second sword, and Li Ke had no time to dodge, so he could only take it head-on. The blades clashed, sparks flew, and his hand split open, blood flowing down the hilt of the sword.

The man in black slashed at Li Yin with his third blow.

Li Yin was so frightened that he closed his eyes.

Li Ke did not hesitate. He rushed over, shielding Li Yin with his body and using his back to block the knife.

The blade tore through his robes and flesh, and blood gushed out. Li Ke groaned and collapsed onto Li Yin. The pain was excruciating, like someone had branded his back with a red-hot iron rod. His vision blurred, but he gritted his teeth and didn't let go of his brother.

"Third Brother! Third Brother!" Li Yin cried out, desperately pushing him away with both hands. "Third Brother, you're bleeding! Third Brother!"

Li Ke wanted to say "It's nothing," but a metallic taste welled up in his mouth, and he couldn't speak.

The man in black raised his long knife, preparing to strike again.

Just then, a loud shout came from the alley entrance: "Stop!"

A throwing knife whistled through the air, striking the man in black squarely in the wrist. The long knife fell to the ground with a crisp sound. The man in black clutched his wrist, took a few steps back, and looked towards the alley entrance.

A young man rushed in from the alleyway. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a white robe with a long sword at his waist. He had delicate features, but a heroic air about him. He moved extremely fast, reaching the man in black in just a few steps. His long sword was drawn, a flash of cold light, and he deflected the knife aimed at Li Ke.

"Who goes there!" the man in black roared.

The boy did not answer. His swordsmanship was fierce, each move aimed directly at vital points, forcing the several men in black to retreat repeatedly. However, he was not very strong, and facing the combined attack of several men, he gradually lost ground. He did not retreat, but stood in front of Li Ke and Li Yin, refusing to yield an inch.

"Hurry up!" he shouted back to Li Ke.

Li Ke tried to stand up, but the wound on his back prevented him from moving. Li Yin supported him, trembling all over, unable to stand steadily.

The sound of rapid hoofbeats and hurried footsteps came from afar. Someone shouted, "Hurry! Hurry!"

Qin Qiong, mounted on his horse, charged into the alley ahead of everyone else. Behind him followed a dozen or so Qin family retainers, swords and spears drawn, exuding a murderous aura. City defense soldiers also surged in from the other end, completely blocking the alley.

When the men in black saw the soldiers arrive, they knew things were hopeless. The leader gestured, and a dozen or so men turned and ran. Some scaled walls, others disappeared into alleyways, vanishing into the streets of Chang'an in the blink of an eye.

Qin Qiong dismounted and strode up to Li Ke. His face turned ashen when he saw the wound on Li Ke's back.

"Ke'er!"

"Master..." Li Ke's voice was weak, "Ke'er is alright..."

Qin Qiong knelt down to examine Li Ke's wound. The cut ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right waist, deep enough to expose the bone, and blood soaked through his entire robe. His face darkened further, and he turned and shouted, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician! Go to the palace and report to His Majesty!"

Li An dragged his injured leg over and knelt beside Li Ke, tears streaming down his face. "Your Highness... Your Highness, please don't frighten this servant..."

Li Ke wanted to say "Don't cry," but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his vision grew darker and darker. He heard Li Yin crying, Qin Qiong calling for help, and the distant sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't. His consciousness receded like the tide, and the last thing he saw was the boy who had saved him—sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in white robes with a long sword, his features handsome and spirited.

"Who are you..." He opened his mouth, but his voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

The young man squatted down, looked into his eyes, and said softly, "My name is Xue Li, courtesy name Rengui."

Li Ke's consciousness was completely plunged into darkness!