Chapter 16: Serving as Bait Again

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

"Thud!"

Several feathered arrows shot from directly in front of the carriage, one of them striking the carved wooden dragon head on the roof. The force was so great that not only did the dragon head instantly shatter into wood shavings that drifted down, but Xia Qiqi herself was jolted by the impact.

Chuntao’s eyes flickered with panic, but upon turning to see that Xia Qiqi’s expression remained as calm as ever, her heart settled significantly.

"Meow! Xia Qiqi, we’ve run into some tough trouble!"

"Don't worry, if they dare to come inside, I’ll make sure they get a taste of my soul-snatching claws!"

Xia Qiqi glanced at Xiao Ai, stroked its head, and sighed softly.

*Sigh.*

Liu Mingyu was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence and the prospective Princess of the Jin Prince’s manor, yet her fate was fraught with misfortune. Not only did Liu Yuanqing fail to cherish her as the apple of his eye as rumors suggested, but even her future husband, the Prince of Jin, treated her as nothing more than bait.

When the wedding procession set off, Xia Qiqi noticed that not only was the Prince of Jin absent, but even Yu Chi, who had helped her perform surgery the previous night, was nowhere to be seen. Now, with unseen figures lurking behind them and such formidable assassins appearing in front, she was truly pitiful.

There was no help for it. Xia Qiqi had seen much of life and death, but she was exceptionally protective of her own life. She would never sit idly by and wait for her demise.

She would observe the situation first, then plot her survival!

Xia Qiqi straightened her posture slightly and pricked up her ears to listen to the movements outside. The few breathing patterns that had been trailing her since they left Anzhou City had become hurried, as if the pursuers had leapt up from behind the carriage to surround them completely. Amidst the roar of the rushing wind, the sharp clashing of swords could be heard!

"Capture the Princess of Jin alive!"

"Ten thousand taels of silver as a reward!"

In an instant, battle cries erupted, and the sounds of a fierce struggle broke out outside the carriage. The people who had been trailing them were clearly not there to take her life; they must have been guards sent by the Prince of Jin to protect her in secret.

Unfortunately, there were too few of them.

"Ah!"

"Ah! Ah!"

A series of screams, chillingly close, followed by the sound of blood splattering against the window, made it clear that the guards were no match for the assassins' onslaught.

Xiao Ai, seemingly sensing the danger permeating the air, leapt from Xia Qiqi’s lap, arched its back, and raised its tail toward the carriage door.

Suddenly, the world outside the carriage fell into a deathly silence.

A pungent scent of blood drifted in through the gaps in the carriage. Every guard in the wedding procession had likely been slaughtered by the assassins. Soon, voices began to murmur in a language Xia Qiqi did not understand—the assassins were foreigners!

Then came the stifled sobs of the maids and nursemaids. They were undoubtedly searching every carriage, determined to find her, the prospective Princess of Jin.

The clamor grew louder, and it was clear they were about to reach the carriage she occupied.

Xia Qiqi abruptly pulled Chuntao behind her, gripped a short blade tightly in her hand, and stared fixedly at the door.

She would see which blind fool dared to enter first!

"Meow! Xia Qiqi, be careful! Someone is coming!"

Sure enough, the sound of hoofbeats approached from a distance, moving with such speed that they reached the carriage in a blink.

Xia Qiqi could no longer resist; she used one hand to lift the curtain just a crack and peered out. Not far away, dozens of warhorses were charging through a cloud of dust.

They were coming from the direction of Jin City!

Wait!

Was that not the white horse that had begged for her help the previous night?

Xia Qiqi’s heart skipped a beat. Looking more closely, she saw the rider on the white horse. He wore a brilliant red war robe that fluttered in the wind, and his picturesque features were tempered by a cold, arrogant aura.

Ah! It was him!

The guard who had been keeping watch on the roof of the Prime Minister’s residence for the Prince of Jin!

He was the one the Prince had sent to provide support?

Given the small connection between them, if she weren't currently wearing the face of Liu Mingyu, Xia Qiqi would have certainly invited him out for a good drink!

Thinking of her current identity, her heart tightened. She was masquerading as his master’s future wife, walking on the edge of a blade; how could she drag him into this?

Since she had volunteered to take Liu Mingyu’s place at the Jin Prince’s manor, this was the first time she felt a pang of regret.

"I recognize him! He’s here to save you, Xia Qiqi!"

He spent every night guarding the roof for that scoundrel of a Prince—no wonder Xiao Ai recognized him too!

"If nothing goes wrong, we are likely safe now," Xia Qiqi said, lowering the curtain and letting her muscles relax. "However, until we reach the Jin Prince’s manor, we are also likely unable to escape."

"Kill!"

As that sharp, bone-chilling word rang out, the sound of clashing steel erupted once more, followed by a sudden, shrill shriek!

This time, in the span of a breath, silence returned to the surroundings.

"Yu Chi!"

Chu Hanxiao frowned, wiping the blood from his longsword with a look of distaste.

He had received word the previous night that assassins from the Western Regions would intercept his wedding party. So, after carrying Xia Qiqi back to her room, he had set off immediately, taking a shortcut back to Jin City to bring his shadow guards.

His shadow guards were all elite warriors; before being assigned to the border region, they had served as imperial guards in the palace. Chu Hanxiao had only secured them from the Emperor by trading in the military merits he had earned from crushing the Northern Barbarians.

Although the guards left to protect the prospective princess had been decimated, fortunately, he had arrived in time with his shadow guards. The carriage appeared undamaged, so the people inside must still be alive!

He wondered, was she injured?

"This subordinate is here," Yu Chi replied, bowing.

"Has the secret guard I told you to watch appeared?" Chu Hanxiao asked, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather.

Yu Chi, having followed him since childhood, understood his meaning perfectly.

"Reporting to Your Highness, she has not appeared!"

Hmm?

Could she have stayed behind at the post house? That was impossible; she had only been exhausted the night before, not injured or ill. She would surely be protecting her mistress from the shadows throughout the journey.

Seeing the doubt in Chu Hanxiao’s eyes, Yu Chi quickly added, "In this subordinate’s opinion, she must be inside Miss Liu’s carriage, protecting her closely."

*Hmph,* the Prince of Jin kept referring to her as "she" and "her," not even knowing the woman's name, yet he was so concerned!

"Oh," Chu Hanxiao replied, suddenly enlightened. He ordered, "You and the shadow guards are to stay and escort them personally."

"May I ask, Your Highness, where you wish for me to escort them?"

Yu Chi was confused. They had already discussed the plan. Since Prime Minister Liu was willing to use his own daughter as bait to eliminate his rivals, the Prince could also use the prospective princess as bait to lure out the restless Western Region spies.

Who would have thought that because that secret guard had saved the Prince’s red hare horse, the Prince would change his mind, rush back to Jin City for reinforcements, and lead the charge himself to slay the assassins?

He was clearly worried about that secret guard getting hurt!

Before the procession, the Prince had ordered that the prospective princess be sent to the Jin City post house and left to her own devices. Did that order still hold?

"Uh, naturally, to the Jin Prince’s manor," Chu Hanxiao said, as if it were the only logical conclusion.

"Understood!"

Yu Chi felt lucky he had asked; otherwise, he would have been the one in the wrong!