“Your Luck is Truly Tremendous.”
Chu Yuan was driven to the brink.
The eunuch smiled as he approached him step by step.
“Prince Li’s Consort is a clever man. Will you step down yourself or shall this servant lend you a hand?”
Chu Yuan glanced behind him. The freezing pool lay only inches away. A large hole had been smashed through the ice in advance, leaving a dark, gaping mouth in the frozen surface.
He looked at that pitch-black hole, a chill spreading through his entire body.
“Are you one of the Empress’s people?” Chu Yuan turned back and asked through clenched teeth.
The eunuch was fearless and admitted it readily. “Naturally. The Empress dotes dearly on the Third Princess. Because of the Consort, the Princess suffered greatly and nearly ruined her health from the cold. The Empress, in her maternal concern, wishes the Consort to experience for himself what it feels like to fall into water in winter.”
“Consort, please.” The eunuch stepped closer.
Chu Yuan retreated involuntarily. His foot slipped upon the hard ice at the edge of the pool, and he fell. His reaction was swift. The instant he went down, he rolled aside, putting a slight distance between himself and the water.
“The Empress awaits this servant’s return to report. Since the Consort refuses to cooperate, this servant will have to act personally.” The eunuch smiled and advanced without hesitation.
In the next breath, he seized Chu Yuan by the arm and dragged him toward the pool.
The eunuch was not old, yet his strength was formidable. Chu Yuan struggled, but could not break free.
“You—”
The eunuch did not allow him to finish. He forced Chu Yuan’s head down and plunged it into the biting water.
Chu Yuan began to struggle desperately.
“Consort would do well to save your strength. The more violently you struggle, the uglier you will look in death. Such a pity for such a pretty face.” The eunuch pressed down with ruthless force.
Chu Yuan’s resistance gradually weakened.
Most of his upper body had sunk beneath the water. His nose and mouth were submerged. His chest filled with icy water, burning with sharp pain.
Consciousness slowly drifted away.
Was he going to die?
His hands moved weakly through the water, stirring faint ripples upon the surface.
Feeling his body go limp, the eunuch smiled and loosened his grip slightly.
“What are you doing?!” A young voice rang out from behind.
The eunuch spun around and met Ning Yuqiang’s astonished eyes.
“Who are you?!” Ning Yuqiang lifted his lantern and shouted.
Behind him stood seven or eight guards from the Marquis of Xuanning’s household. The eunuch narrowed his eyes as they advanced.
His skills were not exceptional. He could handle a defenseless Chu Yuan, but against trained guards, he held neither advantage in number nor strength.
The eunuch sprang up at once, lowered his head, and fled.
“After him!” Ning Yuqiang shouted.
Four guards gave chase.
Ning Yuqiang hurried to the edge of the pool with his lantern. “Pull him out quickly.”
The guards dragged Chu Yuan from the water.
“It is Prince Li’s Consort!” one guard exclaimed in shock upon turning him over.
Ning Yuqiang stared at Chu Yuan’s unconscious face. His expression changed several times.
“Does he still have breath?” he asked anxiously.
A guard placed fingers beneath Chu Yuan’s nose. “Yes, but faint.”
“Help him into the carriage first. Take him back to Prince Li’s residence.” Ning Yuqiang turned toward the carriage.
The guards carried Chu Yuan inside.
“Young Lord, are you not to wait at the palace gate for the Marquis? This subordinate can deliver Prince Li’s Consort back,” one guard suggested.
“It is fine. We will move more quickly,” Ning Yuqiang said. He fed the charcoal brazier and removed his fox-fur cloak, covering Chu Yuan with it.
Chu Yuan lay with eyes closed, like a finely carved puppet.
Ning Yuqiang leaned back and gazed at his face in silence.
If not for the heavy snowfall tonight, and his father’s hurried departure for the palace, he would not have come out so late. If not for wishing to save time by taking this dark shortcut, he would not have passed this way.
And yet by such coincidence, he had stumbled upon Chu Yuan moments from drowning.
“Your luck is truly tremendous,” Ning Yuqiang murmured, looking at that exquisitely beautiful face.
The carriage had not gone far when it came to an abrupt halt.
“Young Lord, a group of black-clothed people approaches from ahead. They are surrounding us!” a guard shouted.
The horses were also startled, emitting sharp cries.
“What is happening?” Ning Yuqiang lifted the carriage curtain. After one glance, his face drained of color.
In the dark night, masked figures in black closed in like ghosts. They blended with the shadows, but the silver of their drawn swords gleamed with chilling, murderous light.
“Turn around, quickly!” Ning Yuqiang cried, his voice sharp with fear. He had never witnessed such a scene. His legs nearly gave way.
“It is too late,” the guard answered.
The black-clothed people quickly surrounded the carriage.
The commotion outside was too great. The carriage rocked violently. Chu Yuan’s lashes trembled as he slowly opened his eyes.
“Cough, cough…” He turned to one side in pain and spat out the water in his mouth.
His body curled in upon itself. His organs ached. Heat and cold alternated through him. One moment he felt as if roasted in fire, the next as if rolled across ice.
The black-clothed people heard movement within and raised their swords.
“Hand over the person inside the carriage and we will spare you,” one of them called out.
Ning Yuqiang immediately turned toward Chu Yuan. Joy burst forth in his originally despairing expression.
He steadied the secret delight in his heart and called out loudly, “The one inside is Prince Li’s Consort. Are you certain you have not mistaken the target?”
“We are certain. Young Lord Ning, please step down from the carriage. We will not harm the innocent,” the man in black replied.
Ning Yuqiang glanced back. Chu Yuan’s eyes were open but unfocused. He likely did not even know who stood before him.
Ning Yuqiang clenched his fists and stepped down without hesitation.
The guards gathered around him protectively as they retreated to the side.
The black-clothed people moved quickly to surround the carriage. Their movements were neat and efficient. The one who had spoken earlier climbed onto the driver’s seat.
Ning Yuqiang watched nervously. As the man reached for the reins, his sleeve shifted upward, revealing his wrist.
On the wrist, a conspicuous vermillion red character 赤 (Chi) was clearly imprinted.
Ning Yuqiang’s eyes widened. “The Chi Yan Jun? You are Cousin’s men?”
The black-clothed person glanced back at him, snapped the reins, and struck the horse. The animal cried out in pain and bolted forward.
Said men moved like wind, and soon Ning Yuqiang’s shout was swallowed by the night.
Chu Yuan lay inside the carriage. It jolted violently. He gripped the fox cloak and tried to prop himself up with one hand against the carriage floor. He tried several times, only to fall back heavily each time.
The carriage sped on at great speed. It took sharp turns. Chu Yuan was flung sideways, striking the carriage wall. His head hit the thick wooden boards with a dull thud, drawing a stifled groan from him.
After an unknown length of time, the carriage finally stopped.
The curtain was yanked aside. He was dragged down.
Two black-clad men held him upright on either side. Chu Yuan lifted his gaze forward.
The surroundings were desolate. They seemed to have left Ye Jing and reached some remote wilderness.
A black-clothed person walked before him carrying a sword.
Chu Yuan moved his eyes with difficulty. The darkness within them had dimmed, leaving them dull and vacant. He looked at the man before him and tugged faintly at his lips.
“Does His Highness intend to kill me?”
He had long since regained consciousness. He had also heard Ning Yuqiang’s final words.
The one who sought his life tonight was Lu Ronghuai.
No wonder he had not been permitted to attend the palace banquet. It had all been planned in advance.
The black-clothed person wiped his blade. “How does the Consort think His Highness’s former fiancées met their end?”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Ronghuai: I didn’t, I haven’t, so don’t talk nonsense.
Next chapter, Doggy Lu makes his dazzling entrance!
0 Comments