For an ordinary man and woman where the lady doesn’t know martial arts, simply finding a few thugs to frighten her would suffice. It was guaranteed to raise the man’s protective instincts, and the lady’s heart would be sweetly pledged.
However, these two lamps—Duanwen and Yuwen Changqing—were far too difficult to handle. In the entire palace, they couldn’t even find two people who could exchange a few moves with them. So Empress Dowager Nian had specially borrowed elite soldiers from the Southern Camp, disguised them as assassins, and had them lie in ambush at the corner of the palace walkway outside the Northern Palace.
Shen Guiyan was just playing a supporting role. Once they left the Northern Palace gates, she would find an excuse to exit the scene and let them go ahead.
The plan was simple and should have been easy to implement.
However, Duanwen and Yuwen Changqing both had rebellious streaks in their bones. Knowing what Shen Guiyan and Empress Dowager Nian were trying to do, they were just waiting to sabotage it.
“I think I dropped my handkerchief on the Empress Dowager’s couch.” After stepping out of the Northern Palace gates, Shen Guiyan let out a soft cry and turned around. “You two go ahead. You can wait for me up ahead. I’ll go back—”
“Is it this one?” Duanwen smiled as she produced a handkerchief. “I saw Your Ladyship had left it on the couch earlier, so Duanwen brought it out for you.”
Shen Guiyan: “…”
Yuwen Changqing looked back at her. “Does Your Ladyship still need to go back? This subject and Princess Duanwen can wait here.”
“…No, no need.” Shen Guiyan took the handkerchief from Duanwen’s hand, wiped her face, and gave Baoshan behind her a meaningful look.
The plan had changed—she needed to quickly consult with the Empress Dowager about the next step.
Baoshan nodded. When the three people ahead continued walking forward, she silently retreated back to the Northern Palace.
As Duanwen walked, she looked around. “There seem to be very few people on patrol tonight.”
Yuwen Changqing nodded as well. In the palace at night, there was usually a patrol every hundred paces. Tonight there was no moon, so logically there should be even more people, yet they’d walked this long without seeing any patrol guards.
Shen Guiyan said nothing. The Empress Dowager had dismissed all the guards near the Northern Palace. They would find out soon enough—truly a case of calling to heaven with no answer and calling to earth with no response.
The corner of the palace walkway was just ahead. Shen Guiyan slowed her steps, letting the two people beside her go first.
“Watch out!” Yuwen Changqing pulled back Duanwen who had been about to pass through the moon gate. His gaze sharpened as his right hand drew the soft sword from his waist.
Black shadows rolled in like ghosts, slashing viciously at Yuwen Changqing with a blade. Duanwen reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side and kicking the person’s wrist. The blade flashed with cold light as it flew into the nearby trees.
More black shadows instantly emerged from the bushes. Shen Guiyan hurriedly retreated while Yuwen Changqing and Duanwen were forced to engage in combat. The men in black were numerous and highly skilled in martial arts. The two struggled to cope, finding it somewhat difficult.
Shen Guiyan hid to the side watching, suddenly feeling something wasn’t right.
These strikes were too vicious, weren’t they? Real blades and real weapons, using lethal techniques. The Empress Dowager wanted to promote feelings, not have them die for love together!
Just as she was thinking this, a black shadow took advantage of the chaos to lunge at her.
Shen Guiyan truly regretted not wearing brightly colored clothes—these people probably couldn’t see clearly and might injure her by mistake.
“Your Ladyship!” Yuwen Changqing’s voice was full of tension. He swung his sword to block the people in front, then turned back to Shen Guiyan’s side, piercing the black shadow’s chest with one thrust.
Blood splattered onto her face, warm and carrying a fishy smell. Shen Guiyan shuddered, frowning as she looked at the person falling before her.
Something was wrong—an incident had occurred!
These people weren’t arranged by the Empress Dowager. Those arranged by the Empress Dowager would never strike with such deadly force.
Duanwen was being besieged on her end. Shen Guiyan had no time to speak—she pushed Yuwen Changqing over there and turned to run toward the Northern Palace. Fortunately, the palace dress she wore now was an improved version of a high-waisted ruqun with a large hem, making it especially convenient to run.
“Assassins!”
She tried her best, shouting with the loudest voice she could muster in her life.
However, there were hardly any patrols in this area of the Northern Palace. The Empress Dowager had specially given instructions that if they heard any commotion, the imperial guards should turn a blind eye.
So now the imperial guards in the Northern Palace were all standing inside with one eye open in a charming, flirtatious expression, not moving.
Black shadows chased after her from behind. Yuwen Changqing couldn’t stop them and could only watch helplessly as that shadow caught up to Shen Guiyan ahead.
“Your Ladyship, be careful!”
Shen Guiyan instinctively tried to protect her belly, but the man in black grabbed her and thrust his sword directly at her abdomen.
“Your Ladyship!” Yuwen Changqing’s eyes turned red. He raised his sword to push aside the people around him, chased over in a few steps, and directly severed the black-clothed man’s hand.
But he couldn’t stop the sword—it was already embedded in Shen Guiyan’s stomach.
Yuwen Changqing drew a sharp breath, his eyes red, looking at Shen Guiyan unable to speak.
Struggling somewhat awkwardly, Shen Guiyan straightened herself, tidied her hair, raised her head to look at Yuwen Changqing and said, “You go save Princess Duanwen first. If I lie here playing dead, no one else will come after me.”
With a gleaming sword stuck in her belly, her expression hadn’t changed at all. She nimbly lay down on the ground and stopped moving.
Yuwen Changqing couldn’t process this. He stared at her stomach in a daze until a roar came from behind where Duanwen was.
“Overestimating fools!” Duanwen saw the situation here, her eyes reddening with urgency. She immediately kicked away several men in black around her, took out the dagger from her sleeve, and started slitting throats and stabbing chests one by one.
Yuwen Changqing turned and went to help. Eight or nine men in black—after half an hour of fighting, they finally subdued them all.
“Where’s Noble Consort Yan?” Duanwen asked breathlessly, urgently pulling Yuwen Changqing to check on Shen Guiyan.
With the chill of early spring, lying on the ground wasn’t too cold. Shen Guiyan had been listening to the sounds the whole time. Only when the surroundings quieted down did she dare open her eyes.
Yuwen Changqing and Duanwen didn’t seem to have made any romantic progress. On the contrary, both of them looked very anxious. Just as she was about to say something, Yuwen Changqing had already stepped forward with a low shout of “Pardon me” and picked her up, heading toward the Northern Palace.
Her face and body were covered in bloodstains—she looked quite frightening in this state. But in her belly was…
“Noble Consort has been attacked, struck by a sword, and it may have harmed the child in her womb!”
The Northern Palace instantly erupted in chaos. Empress Dowager Nian looked at Shen Guiyan with a sword stuck in her stomach and was so shocked she nearly lost half her life, quickly having someone notify the Emperor.
Gu Chaobei was at Concubine Fu’s chambers preparing to retire for the night.
Concubine Fu had broken her right hand, and the Emperor had been using this as an excuse to share a bed without doing anything, claiming beautifully, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
At first, Concubine Fu had been very moved, but after so many days of just sleeping under covers and chatting, this wasn’t working—she needed to conceive an imperial heir quickly.
So although she had turned and left at the Imperial Garden today, she had later sent Herong with silver to buy a bra from Concubine Shen, planning to show it to the Emperor tonight.
“Your Majesty seems somewhat restless today.” Concubine Fu changed into her nightclothes and stood beside Gu Chaobei. “Are you thinking of Noble Consort Yan? You haven’t visited her in quite some days.”
“How could that be?” Coming back to his senses, Gu Chaobei smiled with a roguish expression. “There are so many beauties in the palace—I like them all. I’ve grown tired of Noble Consort Yan’s ways. Recently I’ve developed a preference for your flavor.”
Concubine Fu’s face flushed red. She gave a coquettish reproach, then her soft hand reached for the Emperor’s collar. “This concubine will serve Your Majesty in retiring.”
Gu Chaobei smiled without agreeing or refusing.
He had never thought that men would have the concept of preserving their chastity, but for some reason, every time he saw these women’s bodies, he would think of one face—clever, crying, smiling—flashing before his eyes, making him lose interest in doing anything else.
Was it some strange curse? This couldn’t go on long-term—people would suspect he was impotent. The three thousand beauties in the harem weren’t just decorative vases to look at.
Following Concubine Fu’s movements, he removed his outer garments. Gu Chaobei took a deep breath.
Why not try tonight and see if it was truly impossible to engage with anyone else?
“Your Majesty…” Concubine Fu was coquettishly reluctant yet welcoming, her face full of shy charm as she watched the Emperor’s face lower, about to kiss her neck.
“Your Majesty! This subordinate has urgent news to report!” Zhuiyun’s voice was exceptionally loud, like a clap of thunder, startling even Concubine Fu.
Gu Chaobei frowned, released Concubine Fu, and turned to look outside. “What is it?”
“Assassins entered the Northern Palace. Noble Consort Yan has been struck by a sword and her life hangs by a thread!”
Gu Chaobei froze.
Whose life was hanging by a thread?
He pushed Concubine Fu aside, threw on his outer robe, and the Emperor turned to pull open the door.
Zhuiyun’s face showed genuine anxiety without any pretense, sweat beading on his forehead from urgency. “Do you want to go see the Northern Palace?”
Did that even need asking? Gu Chaobei’s face was ashen. His clothes not even properly fastened, he rushed urgently toward the Northern Palace.
Truly running—passing palace servants and imperial guards, sprinting all the way, even scaling several palace walls where no one was around to take shortcuts.
He arrived faster than anything. Even Zhuiyun couldn’t catch up to him.
Outside the Northern Palace was full of people. Whether they had run quickly to see the excitement or just happened to be nearby, Consort Hua and Concubine Xi had both arrived. Upon seeing the Emperor, before they could even pay their respects, the Emperor pushed them aside.
Gu Chaobei looked at no one, directly bursting into the Northern Palace side hall room surrounded by the most people.
Inside was a faint smell of blood. Empress Dowager Nian and Princess Duanwen stood quietly to the side. Someone lay on the bed, slowly turning their head at the sound.
“Yan’er…” Gu Chaobei’s voice had gone hoarse, his legs somewhat cramping, unable to take another step for a moment.
“Your Majesty.” The sword was still embedded in Shen Guiyan’s stomach—it truly looked firmly lodged. Perhaps it was only because the sword hadn’t been removed that she had the strength to call out to him?
How could assassins have entered the palace?
“I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” Gu Chaobei sat stiffly by the bedside, his eyes already red. He couldn’t see anything around him, only seeing his Yan’er’s somewhat pale face.
They had been married for less than a year—why must they be separated by death already?
Shen Guiyan looked at the person before her whose expression of grief looked as if she had already died, and couldn’t help reaching out to grasp his hand. “Your Majesty, this subject is fine.”
Gu Chaobei’s voice choked. “I know. You’ll be fine.”
The room fell quiet for a moment. Empress Dowager Nian coughed lightly, unable to bear it any longer. “Imperial Son, Noble Consort Yan truly is fine.”
Gu Chaobei turned to look at her in a daze.
“We were just waiting for you to arrive.” Empress Dowager Nian said, “Later, go out and announce that Yan’er has lost her child.”