Yun Kui nestled in the Crown Prince's embrace, the chaotic clamor of the commoners, the sounds of slaughter, and the clashing of weapons all blending together, soon joined by the muffled thuds of blades slicing through flesh.
Having lived secluded in the palace for so long, she had never witnessed such a brutal scene of carnage. Yet inexplicably, sheltered within the man's strong and steady arms, it felt as though there was nothing to fear.
She vaguely guessed that the Crown Prince had known about the lighthouse's collapse in advance and decided to leave the palace for this reason. The officials swiftly diverting the crowds must also have been part of his covert arrangements—prepared countermeasures. Even earlier, he had patiently accompanied her on a stroll. This was true strategic brilliance!
"Your Highness is truly remarkable!"
The Crown Prince gently stroked the rabbit ears adorning her hair.
At least this girl wasn’t entirely foolish.
By the Magpie Bridge, a crowd of commoners had retreated to a distance. Perhaps having heard the black-clad assailants' shouts, they now realized the tall, imposing man in brocade robes was none other than the Crown Prince. Shock and terror seized them, eclipsing even their fear of the collapsing lighthouse at Qiandu Gate.
"It’s the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince has left the palace!"
"Could the lighthouse’s collapse tonight be his doing? Does he mean to kill us all?"
"It must be him! He’s deranged and bloodthirsty—there’s nothing he wouldn’t do!"
Hearing these accusations, Yun Kui’s blood boiled. She turned toward the loudest voice—a man in blue robes—and snapped, "How dare you spout such nonsense! The Crown Prince saved you all! If not for His Highness, you’d have been crushed by the lighthouse. Instead of gratitude, you slander him?"
The Crown Prince was long accustomed to such vilification. During his years away from the capital, he knew exactly how Emperor Chunming and the Empress had smeared his name. He had no time to defend himself.
But it was unexpected—this girl was willing to argue on his behalf in public.
The man in blue traced the voice to its source: the bewitching consort sheltered in the Crown Prince’s arms. Emboldened, he retorted, "Haven’t you heard? The Crown Prince is a tyrant, deserving death! These black-clad heroes are here to deliver divine justice. Today, both the Crown Prince and his witch will meet their end!"
Yun Kui opened her mouth to retort, but the hand at her waist tightened abruptly. Her rabbit lantern was snatched away, and before she could react, its wooden handle was plunged straight into a black-clad assailant’s throat.
"Oh heavens! My lantern…"
The Crown Prince frowned and murmured, "I’ll replace it."
Yun Kui: "…"
Before she could reply, four or five more assailants charged at them, blades raised.
Flustered, Yun Kui yanked the cheapest silk flower hairpin from her bun and pressed it into the Crown Prince’s hand. "Your Highness, use these as hidden weapons!"
"And please return this one too—preferably with a gold hairpin as repayment."
The Crown Prince sighed but accepted it. With a flick of his wrist, the hairpins shot forth like arrows, felling the foremost attackers instantly.
"So impressive!"
The lead assassin noticed their movements. Exchanging glances with three comrades, he lunged from the front while the others fanned out, encircling them from the sides and rear.
The Crown Prince kicked aside a blade from the left, one arm securing Yun Kui’s waist while the other seized a sword to parry attacks from behind and the right.
Now directly before Yun Kui stood the formidable leader of the assassins.
Clad entirely in black, his face concealed by a hood and mask, only his cold, ruthless eyes were visible. After a fleeting glance, he raised his sword and thrust toward her.
Yun Kui shuddered, her back drenched in cold sweat.
"This is it! I’m done for!"
Yet just as the blade was half a zhang away, the Crown Prince pivoted. Steel flashed as his sword intercepted the lethal strike, and he engaged the assassin in a fierce duel.
Yun Kui dodged and weaved behind him, witnessing the Crown Prince’s martial prowess for the first time. His movements were agile, his strikes ruthless, his swordplay a dazzling display—far more thrilling than the flashy but shallow performances at palace banquets.
Her heart raced with exhilaration, her fingertips sensing the tension and ripple of his muscles with each move.
"He’s unbelievably strong! No wonder he wore me out that night."
The Crown Prince: "…"
Every time death seemed imminent, the Crown Prince intervened, shielding her from fatal blows.
But the assassins grew fiercer, fighting recklessly, their attacks increasingly lethal. Yun Kui’s presence became a liability—once they noticed the Crown Prince protecting her, they redirected their assault toward her.
"No! Not like this!"
"I haven’t even had the chance to savor my prized purchase yet—I can’t die here!"
Amid a storm of flashing blades, Yun Kui squeezed her eyes shut. Clutched tightly around the waist, she was lifted and spun through the air, the clang of steel relentless as the battle raged.
Several times, she felt the cold kiss of a blade grazing her cheek, only for the Crown Prince to counter it seamlessly.
But as more assassins joined the fray, the onslaught intensified. Amid the cacophony of clashing weapons, Yun Kui suddenly heard the Crown Prince grunt in pain. Her heart plummeted.
"Your Highness, you’re hurt?"
Gritting his teeth, the Crown Prince didn’t respond. He barely paused before wrenching his sword free from an assailant’s chest and engaging the dozen encircling them.
Fortunately, Qin Ge and others broke through, diverting half the attackers. The assassins faltered, eventually falling to the Crown Prince’s elite guards.
The leader, isolated and cornered by Qin Ge and Luo Zhang, made a desperate leap over a tree. An arrow from Qin Ge only grazed his calf before he vanished into the night.
Yun Kui clung to the Crown Prince’s arm, inspecting him frantically until she spotted the bleeding wound at his waist.
Her eyes welled up, her voice trembling with urgency. "Eunuch Cao! His Highness is injured!"
The attendants rushed forward. Though pale, the Crown Prince dismissed it. "A minor injury. It’s nothing."
The assassins had been well-trained, their assault relentless—clearly bent on taking his life. Had he not anticipated the lighthouse’s collapse and brought ample guards, surviving against dozens of elite killers would’ve been impossible.
Eunuch Cao supported him. "Your Highness, return to the carriage at once. General Qin, summon Military Doctor He immediately!"
Qin Ge nodded and departed.
He Bailing, who had been conducting free clinics nearby, arrived swiftly.
Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep. After stopping the bleeding and applying ointment, He Bailing bandaged it efficiently.
Reports from patrol officers about the lighthouse casualties trickled in, leaving Yun Kui anxiously waiting outside the carriage, unable to check on the Crown Prince’s condition.
Inside the carriage, the Crown Prince’s personal guard commander, Yu Han, was reporting on the arrangements for the injured civilians. When discussing the assassins from earlier that day, Yu Han speculated, "The heir of the Marquis of Ningde is already dead, and the Marquis himself remains imprisoned. The only one who could still mobilize such highly skilled assassins to target Your Highness must be... As for the leader of the assassins, his movements resembled those of the Imperial Guards."
The Crown Prince’s gaze turned icy, but then he suddenly heard a series of sighs and murmurs from outside.
"I wonder how His Highness is doing."
"I heard he was wounded in the abdomen..."
The Crown Prince: "..."
Yu Han was about to report on matters concerning the Water Mirror Terrace when the Crown Prince interrupted, "Stay behind to handle the aftermath. Report everything together tomorrow."
Yu Han immediately realized his mistake—the Crown Prince was injured and had lost blood, yet he had been rambling on and disturbing His Highness’s rest. He promptly rose and excused himself.
Once he was gone, the Crown Prince lifted the carriage curtain and called softly to the frowning young girl outside, "Yun Kui."
Yun Kui quickly raised her head. "Your Highness, you called for me?"
The Crown Prince gave a faint hum. "Come up."
Yun Kui nodded and hurriedly climbed into the carriage.
The faint scent of blood still lingered inside. Remembering the bloodied water and cloth Military Doctor He had carried out earlier, Yun Kui felt as though something were lodged in her chest, her throat tightening. "Your Highness, are you alright?"
The Crown Prince’s complexion had improved slightly. He lifted his eyes to look at her. "Is this the first time you’ve seen me injured?"
Of course, it wasn’t the first time. But in the past, no matter how severe his injuries, they had nothing to do with her. Today, however, he had been ambushed while taking her out of the palace. If not for her being a burden, with his exceptional skills, he could have easily escaped.
Yun Kui whispered, "Your Highness got hurt because you were protecting me."
The Crown Prince replied, "Their target was me. The blade only turned toward you to throw me off balance and divide my attention."
What virtue do I possess, to make the Crown Prince lose his composure over me?!
Yun Kui pressed her lips together. "I thought Your Highness was going to use me as a human shield."
The Crown Prince: "...I took you out of the palace. Naturally, I had to ensure your safety."
That might be true, but with any other master, it would already be a blessing if they didn’t use their subordinates as shields. Who would willingly take a wound to save a mere palace maid?
The memory of the earlier battle still sent chills down Yun Kui’s spine.
Yet she never expected that the Crown Prince had shielded her from start to finish.
She had even prepared herself to be thrown at the assassins like a hairpin, but it never happened.
It gave her a strange illusion—as if... she could always hide behind him, and he would block every blade for her. As long as he was there, she had nothing to fear.
The Crown Prince’s throat moved slightly. After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "Earlier, at Magpie Bridge, what were you arguing about with those people?"
Yun Kui’s face scrunched up at the thought of the civilians’ slander. "Your Highness had just saved them, and yet they bit the hand that fed them—utterly ungrateful."
The Crown Prince scoffed. "You think I’m a good person?"
"Of course!" The girl’s dark eyes sparkled with sincerity as she blinked at him. "After today, Your Highness is a life-saving hero in my heart. I couldn’t stand them slandering you, so I had to argue back."
Seeing his expression soften slightly, Yun Kui glanced at the wound at his waist. "Your Highness, may I see how bad your injury is?"
The Crown Prince knew exactly what she was thinking. "It’s already bandaged. What’s there to see?"
Yun Kui insisted, "I want to see how serious it is."
I want to see if his abs got slashed.
Let me see, let me see!
The Crown Prince sighed in resignation and slowly untied the jade belt at his waist.
