They were after her life! Han Yan was shocked – she had anticipated threats and extortion, but not such a direct attempt on her life! Who in Da Zong would be so bold as to try to kill her right under the Emperor’s nose, in broad daylight?
In that split second, Han Yan twisted her body and struck back, leaving a finger-length gash on the neck of the black-clad assassin charging at her. This was merely a panicked counterattack, and her opponents were trained professionals. After only a brief pause, they attacked again. Ji Lan and Shu Hong lunged forward in alarm, ready to shield Han Yan from the blade with their bodies.
Everyone knew that even if Ji Lan and Shu Hong blocked this strike for Han Yan, what then? They might block the first blade, and the second blade, but what about the third and fourth? Despite Ji Lan and Shu Hong’s loud cries, no one came to help – their chances of survival looked grim. With no one coming to their rescue, would she die here, cut down by these blades? How could she accept that? Never!
At this critical moment, a gleaming sword suddenly thrust out from the side, directly parrying the wild strikes. In just an instant, sword light flashed everywhere. Before Han Yan could even see clearly, the black-clad assassins’ necks spurted blood. Someone forcefully pulled her back against a warm embrace, and a cool hand covered her eyes. She faintly heard a sigh echo by her ear. Han Yan wanted to turn her head but ultimately resisted the urge.
“Young Miss!” Seeing the danger pass and the assassins lying in pools of blood, Ji Lan and Shu Hong anxiously looked toward her. Just as Han Yan was about to speak, she felt the presence behind her lighten as the stranger stepped back, releasing her from their embrace.
As Han Yan tried to turn around, one of the supposedly dead assassins suddenly sprang up, blade instantly chopping toward her. Han Yan hadn’t anticipated this – the assassin was too close, leaving her no room to dodge. The person behind her seemed equally surprised. Though they drew their sword, it somehow veered off at the last moment, missing completely. Yet even so, that person suddenly rushed forward, pulling Han Yan into their embrace while taking the blade strike themselves. The blade cut deep into their waist. The assassin froze, and in the next moment, a sword pierced their chest. They stared wide-eyed at the unharmed Han Yan before collapsing.
Han Yan whirled around to look at her savior, asking anxiously: “Are you alright?”
Only then did Han Yan see the person. They wore a dark robe with a large wet patch at the waist – undoubtedly blood, though it barely showed on the dark fabric. Their face was completely hidden behind a mask. The masked person stumbled slightly – very subtly, but Han Yan noticed. Meeting Han Yan’s worried gaze, the masked person’s voice revealed neither joy nor anger: “It’s nothing.” Their voice was deep, unlike that person’s. Han Yan hesitated slightly: “May I ask your name? This great debt of gratitude, I have no way to repay.”
The masked person turned to look at her silently for a long moment, then suddenly leaped away. Han Yan remained standing there as Ji Lan hurried forward asking urgently: “Young Miss, are you alright?”
Han Yan shook her head, her gaze falling on the fallen assassins. She suddenly stepped forward and crouched beside one, reaching into their clothes and searching for something.
“Young Miss!” Ji Lan cried out in alarm: “We should quickly leave this place. What if more of these assassins come?”
But Shu Hong watched Han Yan’s actions and, after thinking for a moment, crouched beside another fallen assassin, quietly mimicking Han Yan’s searching movements.
After a moment, Han Yan stood up, her expression graver than ever before: “Let’s go.”
“Young Miss…” Shu Hong and Ji Lan stood up together, noticed Han Yan’s changed expression, exchanged glances, and followed.
Back at Qing Qiu Court, Han Yan sat on her bed. Ji Lan and Shu Hong didn’t dare speak – they never interrupted when Han Yan was thinking, and today her contemplative expression looked particularly troubling. Had she discovered something?
Time passed until the lamp oil was almost exhausted before Han Yan finally sighed deeply and took a sip from her teacup.
This movement indicated she had reached some conclusions. Ji Lan and Shu Hong had held back their questions for long enough. This time, surprisingly, it wasn’t the usually impatient Ji Lan who asked first, but Shu Hong who couldn’t help asking: “Young Miss, have you discovered something?”
Han Yan gave a bitter smile: “Indeed, I just realized our trouble is far greater than we thought.”
Ji Lan didn’t understand her meaning: “Young Miss… this servant doesn’t understand.”
Han Yan shook her head: “Do you know who those black-clad assassins were?”
Ji Lan and Shu Hong looked at each other and shook their heads.
“They were from the Imperial household,” Han Yan sighed: “Can you guess what this means?”
“Could it be… the Empress Dowager?” Shu Hong boldly guessed. Ji Lan startled, looking around before scolding: “Lower your voice! What if someone hears?”
Han Yan shook her head: “If it were the Empress Dowager, it wouldn’t need to be this complicated. It was the Emperor.”
“The Emperor?” Ji Lan and Shu Hong exclaimed in unison, looking incredulous. Indeed, the Emperor had no grudge against Han Yan. Even when Fu Yun Xi wanted to marry her and argued with Empress Dowager, he only showed slight displeasure, which quickly disappeared due to Fu Yun Xi’s protection of Han Yan. Why would he now try to kill her so viciously? Even if it was to please that Western Rong Princess, there was no need to go this far. Besides, as the ruler of a nation, he had no reason to please some Western Rong Princess. But how had Han Yan offended His Majesty?
Han Yan sighed deeply. Earlier, she had found an Imperial Guard token on one of the assassins. The token couldn’t be fake, nor could this be someone framing the Emperor. The assassins’ movements were indeed very familiar and coordinated. Han Yan recognized these movements from the Imperial Guards she had seen around the Emperor during her palace visits. Nobody but the Emperor himself could command the Imperial Guards. When this thought occurred to her, Han Yan’s heart turned cold. The Emperor wanted her dead – but why?
The first possibility was that Fu Yun Xi was to marry the Western Rong Princess. The Emperor had previously issued an imperial edict betrothing her to Fu Yun Xi. Now he would need to issue another edict to nullify her betrothal and grant Irina the title of Princess Xuan Qing. However, this would make the Emperor appear inconsistent – for a ruler, losing trust was a serious matter. Those in power would do anything to erase their blemishes in the public eye. To avoid his ministers and subjects discussing how he wasn’t a man of his word, the Emperor might simply have her killed, then use her death as a legitimate reason to find another princess for Fu Yun Xi without inviting criticism. This explanation made sense, but for some reason, Han Yan felt the Emperor wouldn’t try to kill her for this reason alone. But if not for this reason, what else could it be?