vrcanaries Chapter 309 Life-saving grace
Chapter 309 Life-saving grace
Seeing this, Xie Qingli hurried forward and took Princess Fu'an into his arms. Feeling the frail body of the person in his arms still trembling slightly, his heart ached, and he secretly annoyed that his elder brother did not understand romance.
She gently stroked Princess Fu'an's back and coaxed her softly, "Don't be sad, Your Highness. Those riddles are tricky. To be honest, I didn't guess any of them just now..."
Chu Yuncang's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at Princess Fu'an thoughtfully. He looked around and asked in a deep voice, "Isn't Brother Tingyu with you?"
Hearing that man's name, Princess Fu'an's tears, which she had finally managed to hold back, burst out again, and she sobbed, "Master Xie...he...went looking for you..."
In this situation, the few of them no longer had the heart to play and prepared to return home. As soon as they stepped out of the pleasure boat, they saw Xie Tingyu standing alone on the shore, the moonlight gilding his tall figure with a cool silver glow.
Xie Qingli supported Princess Fu'an and walked in front. When she looked up and saw Xie Tingyu, Fu'an hurriedly lowered her head, while Xie Qingli glared at Xie Tingyu fiercely with her red lips tightly pursed.
Chu Yuncang, two steps behind, saw this scene and understood about 70% of it. He had not expected Xuan'er to harbor such feelings for Xie Tingyu, but after thinking about it, Xie Tingyu's ambition was to fight on the battlefield and was indeed not a good match for Xuan'er.
"Brother Tingyu..." He took a few steps forward, glanced at Xie Tingyu meaningfully, nodded slightly, and said in a calm tone: "It's getting late, it's time to go back."
In the darkness of the night, the few of them walked forward in silence. Suddenly, screams were heard in the distance, and the once bustling streets were instantly thrown into chaos. People fled in all directions, and the streets, which had only been decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, were instantly reduced to a mess.
Everyone's expression suddenly changed. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw dozens of masked men in black swarming towards the center of the street like ghosts, surrounding a group of guards. The guards drew their swords and fiercely protected the man and two women in the middle.
Xie Qingli peered closer, a startled look in his heart. The trapped man in fine clothes was the Third Prince, and the two pale-faced women behind him were none other than the future Princess Cao Xiner and the future Consort Xie Qingyao. How dare someone assassinate a prince at the foot of the Imperial City? The person behind this was truly audacious!
In a flash, the black-clad figure, wielding a sharp blade, not only engaged the guards but also ruthlessly slaughtered any civilians who stood in their way. The flash of the blades swept past, leaving several innocent passersby drenched in blood before they could even utter a cry.
Princess Fu'an shuddered, her almond-shaped eyes wide. Raised in the deep palace, she had lived a life of luxury. How could she have witnessed such a bloody scene? Her fingers clutched tightly at Xie Qingli's sleeve, her once beautiful face drained of all color, her expression blank and vacant, as if her very soul had been shaken apart by the horror before her.
Xie Qingli then noticed her abnormality and said without hesitation: "Your Highness, Big Brother, I will escort the princess away first!" Before he finished speaking, he had picked up Princess Fu'an and carried her sideways, and quickly retreated towards the carriage.
The people along the way panicked and scattered. Xie Qingli stumbled, nearly being knocked down several times by the fleeing crowd. By the time she finally boarded the carriage, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her back. Looking down, she saw Princess Fu'an in her arms, still dazed, her eyes hollow, as if she had lost her soul.
"Your Highness? Your Highness?" Xie Qingli called out several times, but Princess Fu'an didn't respond. Desperate, she gritted her teeth, raised her hand, slapped Princess Fu'an's back hard, and shouted, "Princess!"
The sound was like thunder, and Princess Fu'an was shocked. Her scattered vision finally became clear. When she saw the person in front of her, she cried out "Wow" and threw herself into Xie Qingli's arms: "Li'er..."
Xie Qingli gently stroked Princess Fu'an's back, soothing her with soft words. Gradually, the sobs of the person in her arms became softer and softer, eventually turning into even breathing. Princess Fu'an actually fell asleep in her arms.
After about a cup of tea, Leng Shuang tiptoed into the carriage. Xie Qingli quickly raised his index finger to his lips and asked in a low voice, "What's the situation outside? Where are His Highness and Big Brother?"
Leng Shuang whispered in her ear, "Miss, the assassins have all been killed. His Highness is dealing with the aftermath with the Jingzhao Yin, and the eldest young master is guarding outside the carriage."
Xie Qingli frowned slightly: "Are they all dead?"
Leng Shuang nodded and said, "As soon as you and the princess left, the Jingzhao Prefecture's yamen runners arrived. We couldn't just stand by and watch, so we stepped in to protect the people and took care of a few men in black."
She paused, her voice even softer. "Those yamen runners and the Third Prince's guards weren't particularly skilled in martial arts, but they relied on their numbers to capture the remaining men in black one by one. However... those yamen runners were inexperienced, and before they could interrogate them, the men in black had already bitten through the poison sacs in their mouths and committed suicide."
Xie Qingli frowned deeply. The person behind such a well-trained assassin must be quite influential. She raised her eyes and asked, "Is the Third Prince injured?"
Leng Shuang shook her head: "The Third Prince and Miss Cao are both safe and sound. Xie Qingyao was stabbed in the arm."
Seeing Xie Qingli's suspicious expression, Leng Shuang explained, "I saw it clearly. At that time, an assassin was aiming for the Third Prince's vitals. Xie Qingyao had originally dodged to the side to avoid an attack from the other side, but unexpectedly, by mistake, she actually blocked the fatal sword for the Third Prince."
She continued sarcastically, "The Third Prince, upon seeing this, actually thought Xie Qingyao had risked her life to save him, and immediately embraced her. That distressed look...tsk tsk...even Miss Cao was left aside. Truly...their love and loyalty are truly profound!"
A cold glint flashed in Xie Qingli's eyes. In her previous life, Xie Qingyao had ascended to the throne through the Jiang family's influence. In this life, perhaps she could rely on this life-saving grace to surpass Cao Xiner. Well, let her be proud for a few days. The higher she climbs, the harder she'll fall.
"Don't... don't..." Princess Fu'an suddenly muttered in his arms, her cheeks flushing unnaturally. Xie Qingli hurriedly reached out to touch her forehead, then took her pulse, his brow furrowing. The princess had suffered a setback today, then suddenly encountered blood, and had developed a high fever.
She ordered in a deep voice: "Go to Miaoxin Hall quickly!"
Soon, Princess Fu'an was safely settled in a wing room in the backyard of Miaoxin Hall. Xie Qingli personally applied medicine to her forehead, and only after noticing that the princess's temperature had gradually subsided did he feel a little relieved.
As soon as I stepped out of the wing room to stretch my muscles, I saw Xie Tingyu standing quietly in the corridor, his brows full of worry and self-blame.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Xie Qingli's eyes. Love is something that cannot be forced, not to mention that his elder brother still does not understand the depth of love.
She sighed softly and said, "Don't worry, brother. The princess is fine. I will stay here tonight to take care of her. You should go back home first, lest Father and Grandmother find fault with you again."
Xie Tingyu's expression relaxed a little, his eyes unconsciously looked towards the wing room, and he whispered, "Thank you, Li'er." Then he turned and left.
Just as Xie Qingli was about to return to his room, Steward Chen hurried in. "Master, someone from the palace has arrived today, urgently summoning Master Wuwang to the palace for a medical consultation tomorrow. I originally declined, citing the Master's absence from the capital, but the eunuch who delivered the decree..."
He paused slightly and lowered his voice, "That eunuch said something unpleasant, saying that this was a favor given by the Empress Dowager, and if we don't appreciate it..."