Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The imperial guards searching for the prince were moving about outside, their voices drifting near and far.

Madam Hu dared not act rashly. Amidst the footsteps, she looked toward the prince sitting across from her. The Sixth Prince had long been confined to the palace due to illness, reclusive and sickly, only recently had gained the emperor’s favor. In her memory, this prince was naive and uninformed, with no network of connections. How could he know the details of the fox fur that her husband used as a signal among his trusted men? Even the treacherous confidant didn’t know such things, yet the prince understood them completely.

If not for his intervention, she and her daughter would have already fallen to the blade. Yet in this situation, it was precisely the Sixth Prince’s unreserved honesty that made her trust rather than doubt him.

Ying Fusheng could sense Madam Hu’s scrutiny. In his past life, when Hu Buyu mourned his late wife, he had often spoken of her temperament while drunk. Ying Fusheng had some measure of her character. A prince from the deep palace appearing suddenly and speaking strangely would naturally invite suspicion or trust. Had he been evasive, it would only have aroused the suspicions of this clever woman.

The footsteps gradually faded away. Madam Hu seemed to have made a decision. She spoke: "Your Highness’s words astonish me. They differ greatly from what I have heard of Your Highness."

Ying Fusheng saw that the wariness in her eyes was gone. "Madam, do you think my childish prattle—once we leave here, would anyone but you believe it?"

He was completely above suspicion—even if his father the emperor investigated, he would only seem like a sickly prince.

"Are those people outside looking for you, Your Highness? Are they also… those assassins?"

Madam Hu looked at him, waiting for his answer.

In the darkness, Ying Fusheng’s eyes turned cold, only brightening briefly when lightning flashed.

He smiled slightly: "Not quite. They are imperial guards, and they truly are here to find me."

Madam Hu was startled.

All was quiet outside. Ying Fusheng turned his head toward Madam Hu, droplets of rain silently falling from the tips of his hair. "But I came here specifically to find you, Madam."

Surrounded by piled debris, Ying Fusheng sat upright. He continued: "I came to offer Lord Hu a path to survival. You are bold and meticulous, Madam. Would you care to hear it?"

Lightning flashed, and in the cold, damp woodshed, Madam Hu broke out in a cold sweat. She watched his lips move, but the words he spoke terrified her in the rainy night—until footsteps sounded again outside the shed.

"They are here," Ying Fusheng said.

Madam Hu was startled. Who was here?

Suddenly, another sound emerged through the rain curtain. The moment Ying Fusheng and Madam Hu heard it, an arrow flew into the shed with a thud!

Madam Hu was horrified—the assassins who had attacked them at the small Buddha hall had returned!

The shed was small and dilapidated, but for the assassins, once they failed to find any trace in the mountains, they would inevitably return to search carefully. This inconspicuous shed could hide them for a while, but not for long.

The assassins outside seemed to know they were hiding inside. Amidst the rain of arrows, footsteps suddenly rushed in.

A sharp clash of blades sounded, and the shed’s door was sent flying, the frame creaking and ready to collapse, revealing everyone inside and out. A nimble assassin, radiating cold intent, appeared nearby. He saw Ying Fusheng, and also Madam Hu and her daughter. He leaped into the narrow shed, his blade scraping across the ground, closing in on Ying Fusheng first. "Prince… you shouldn’t be here. But now, you cannot stay alive."

He raised his blade, the steel’s gleam reflecting in Ying Fusheng’s eyes.

At the critical moment, a sword thrust in from the side, the blade fiercely turning, piercing through the wall. The sword spun, its edge slashing across the assassin’s neck. Blood splattered onto Ying Fusheng’s face, but he did not flinch. When he looked up again, the debris above him had been cleared. In the rain, a youth lowered his eyes, his face hidden behind a mask, his eyes gleaming with sharp coldness.

Ying Fusheng looked at him without a trace of panic, as if he had known all along that the youth was waiting nearby.

Qi Hanzhou said nothing. He simply reached out and grasped the other’s wrist. When he touched it, he felt how frail it was. Frowning slightly, he grabbed his forearm and forcibly pulled Ying Fusheng out of the shed, then turned and cut down an arrow in midair. Ying Fusheng felt a strong force pulling his arm; by the time he came to his senses, he was already held protectively in the youth’s arms. Glancing sideways, he saw their black cloaks. Looking down, he noticed the muddy boots bearing the imperial python pattern—the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Around the shed, several black-clad figures landed one after another. The surrounding assassins were all slain. In the distance, Madam Hu, pale-faced, was helped up by someone. Six men formed a shield wall to protect her, and the group withdrew into the mountains.

Ying Fusheng glanced sideways at the brightly lit Huguo Temple. The retreating assassins were heading toward the temple’s mountain gate. He lowered his voice: "Hu Buyu has a trusted subordinate who sent a message to Madam Hu and opened the small Buddhist gate for her. He must be the coachman who escorted her into the temple."

Qi Hanzhou’s eyes flickered with coldness at his words. The other’s voice was so low that only he could hear it. Instead of answering directly, Qi Hanzhou said: "Your Highness’s person is invaluable. You should not have come here in person."

Ying Fusheng, suspended in the air, grabbed his collar. Upon landing, he found himself still firmly held by the youth, his feet not touching the ground. He frowned slightly: "This place is not far from the small Buddha hall. You should have arrived no later than the imperial guards."

This implied that he had known the Embroidered Uniform Guard was nearby all along, and that was why he remained silent when the imperial guards passed.

The two lingered in the rain. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had been lying in ambush, had already begun to encircle and eliminate the remaining assassins.

"You should put me down," Ying Fusheng said.

Qi Hanzhou frowned but still let go, setting him down. He gestured to his deputy, exchanged a few brief words, and the deputy rushed off toward the mountain gate of Huguo Temple.

"Tonight, I was merely playing and accidentally ended up in the small Buddha hall, where my younger brother and I were unexpectedly attacked," Ying Fusheng said.

Qi Hanzhou raised an eyebrow but did not respond.

Ying Fusheng pulled his sleeves together, unable to ward off the biting cold wind. He tilted his head slightly and continued: "Leave the coachman at the mountain gate for Junior General Qi."

Qi Hanzhou’s expression changed subtly.

For the first time, Qi Hanzhou truly looked at this prince he had only glimpsed a few times before. Soaked through, his clothes clinging tightly to his thin frame, Ying Fusheng seemed no heavier than he had at the palace banquet or the Shen residence. Standing there, he looked frail and weak. If that blade had not been blocked earlier, even without the assassin turning his sword, the mere force of the blade’s momentum could have killed him.

Yet Ying Fusheng showed no sign of panic. Only when he landed had his breath faltered slightly, but he quickly regained composure and openly colluded with him.

Collusion—as if he had no fear of being reported.

"Junior General, by entering the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you intend to accomplish something. Four years ago, the souls of Youzhou never came home…" Almost as soon as Ying Fusheng’s voice sounded, a small dagger was suddenly pressed against his neck. Qi Hanzhou stood like an apparition, his wrist blade already horizontal, as if one more word from Ying Fusheng would be enough to take the prince’s life.

Ying Fusheng showed no fear of the threat at his neck. Instead, he turned his head, bringing it closer to the blade. The blade instantly drew blood, the crimson mixing with the rain. He left behind only his eyes, seemingly gentle but sharper than a blade: "I will not interfere with you, General. I only ask that you do me a favor."

In the rainy night, the distant sounds of killing went unnoticed by those in the corner.

Qi Hanzhou’s gaze grew colder.

Ying Fusheng looked back at him calmly, even though another inch could have cost him his life.

After a moment of silence, the blade moved away from Ying Fusheng’s neck. He smiled: "Thank you, General."

Perhaps the commotion in the forest was too loud. The imperial guards, who had left not long ago, returned. Qi Hanzhou turned his head and heard the Grand Prince’s voice coming from the mountain. He raised an eyebrow slightly. He was about to signal the Embroidered Uniform Guard to restrain themselves, to avoid exposing their night operation, when he suddenly heard a loud shout beside him: "Elder Brother! Help!"

In the forest, the Grand Prince heard the cry and immediately called out to the guards: "There’s a sound over there!"

Several Embroidered Uniform Guard ahead froze, clearly not expecting anyone to shout so loudly. They turned abruptly to look at Qi Hanzhou.

Qi Hanzhou hadn’t expected that this person, who had seemed so frail moments earlier, would still have the strength to call out.

It was too late to cover his mouth now—once the imperial guards approached, they would discover the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s presence.

Not only that, but after Ying Fusheng shouted, the previously demure Madam Hu and her daughter also cried out "Help!" in the direction of the imperial guards. Madam Hu and her daughter had always been cautious and reserved; their current behavior was truly surprising. Qi Hanzhou frowned at Ying Fusheng, then waved his hand, ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to haul away the assassins’ bodies and retreat. He leaped up into a tree.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard withdrew. The imperial guards, sharp-eyed, saw them in black cloaks: "Assassins!"

By the time the Grand Prince arrived with his men, Madam Hu and her daughter were drenched and disheveled, as if they had fled in panic through the forest. When his younger brother saw him, his pale face lit up briefly with joy. He took a few hurried steps and stumbled. The Grand Prince quickly caught him. "Sixth Brother, are you—"

Ying Fusheng didn’t have time to say anything more before his consciousness began to slip. The Grand Prince lifted him into his arms, surprised at how light his brother was. His gaze swept over the terrified Madam Hu and her daughter, and he ordered his subordinates: "What are you waiting for? Take them away now! Look after Madam Hu!"

The subordinates hurriedly led Madam Hu and her daughter to rest in a nearby side chamber. A strategist approached the Grand Prince: "Your Highness, those are the Hu family."

The Grand Prince watched the mother and daughter leave, still holding his unconscious brother. A physician nearby had already arrived. "I know that…"

By the tree on the mountainside, Qi Hanzhou leaned against the trunk. The violent storm had come abruptly and now quietly faded. He watched the Grand Prince carry the young man away, and finally looked away.

The Secret Service agents looked at the inscrutable Deputy Commander. "Our mission to secretly protect Madam Hu..."

"Leave it to the Grand Prince's men," Qi Hanzhou said.

The Secret Service remained puzzled: "We haven't yet identified who the mastermind is..."

"With so many people seeing Madam Hu under the Grand Prince's protection, someone deliberately pushed her into his care." Qi Hanzhou glanced toward the direction of the imperial city. The night's events had shifted the moment the two princes appeared near the Buddha hall—this was an open scheme. "Have the others stand down; no one will make another move. An incident at Huguo Temple is a slap in the face to the Yun family."

He sheathed his blade, noticing a trace of blood left on the knife, his gaze deepening. "Guide the Imperial Guard. Leave the Eighth Prince to them as well."

...

The side chambers were brightly lit, and good news came one after another.

The Imperial Guard, led by the Grand Prince, had found both princes. The Eighth Prince was discovered hiding in the Buddha hall, while the Sixth Prince had been pursued by assailants into the woods and narrowly escaped harm, with the Hu mother and daughter caught up in the chaos. The Empress Dowager was enraged at the news; the Grand Prince stayed by her side to calm her and immediately summoned a garrison from the outskirts of the capital to protect the royal family.

When the Sixth Prince was brought to the side chamber, he was drenched through, and the attendants hurried to change his clothes. Ying Fusheng kept his eyes open, letting them dress him. Turning his head slightly, he saw the Eighth Prince sleeping soundly under a blanket in the distance, unharmed, with only a physician attending him. He steadied his mind, then looked up to see Empress Xu standing there.

She was still dressed in the plain robes she had worn for today's prayer ceremony, her entire focus was on the Eighth Prince, her usually calm eyes now tinged with anxiety.

Suddenly, Empress Xu looked over.

Ying Fusheng did not look away, meeting her gaze.

Soon, Empress Xu averted her eyes and spoke with her attendants.

Ying Fusheng was frail by nature, and after being caught in the rain for half the night, he began to develop a fever. The Eighth Prince was still unconscious, and now the Sixth Prince was running a fever. Empress Xu stayed by the Eighth Prince's side, but when she turned her head and saw Ying Fusheng drifting into a feverish sleep, she suppressed her emotions. When she looked again, Ying Fusheng had closed his eyes; amid the noise, his breaths came in short gasps.

"Mother..." The Eighth Prince opened his eyes.

Empress Xu was startled. "My son, how are you?"

Half-asleep, the Eighth Prince murmured, "Save Brother Six... The assassins came; he told me to hide..."

Empress Xu instinctively looked toward Ying Fusheng's direction.

At the same time, beneath the flickering lamplight, Consort Ning noticed that Ying Fusheng's increasingly distinct profile seemed to overlap with Empress Xu's features, and her heart sank.