Shen Youying and Xue Shen had just come out of the palace and hadn't even had a chance to rest or catch up on some sleep when Zhou Qing, the commander of the Palace Guard, arrived with a hundred elite Imperial Guards.

One hundred imperial guards, fully armed and in formidable, surrounded the Prince of Qin's residence with astonishing momentum. Anyone unaware of the situation would have thought that the Prince of Qin's residence had committed a crime.

Shen Youying and Xue Shen came out to receive the imperial decree, only to find out that it was actually the Emperor's will.

"The arsonist is still at large. His Majesty is concerned for the safety of Prince Qin, Prince Chen, and Prince Shou, so he specifically ordered me to send additional guards. These imperial guards are all elite soldiers selected from the army. If Your Highness and Princess need escorts when they go out, they can also be sent with them. Your Highness and Princess must not find it troublesome to leave them behind. If the arsonist strikes again in secret, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhou Qing's words sounded earnest, but Shen Youying sensed a threatening undertone.

She glanced at Xue Shen from the side and saw that Xue Shen indeed looked displeased.

He tapped his finger on the armrest with a hint of irritation: "If that thief really dares to be so brazen, then it is the Palace Guard and the Three Departments that have failed in their duties. So many people and they can't even find a petty arsonist. How come now, after Commander Zhou's words, it's as if it's my and the Princess's fault?"

Xue Shen sneered: "How about this, the king and the queen will go to the imperial prison with you, and release us after you catch that little thief. That way, we can ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Zhou Qing had always known that the Prince of Qin was not someone to be trifled with; once this man got angry, he wouldn't give face to anyone except the Emperor.

He had come prepared, but he hadn't expected the King of Qin to be so aggressive. He could only force a smile and say, "King of Qin, please don't be angry. We are just following orders. We have no choice."

Xue Shen scoffed and turned his wheelchair to return to the backyard: "Go and talk to the head guard of the Prince's mansion yourself. I'm too lazy to listen."

After saying that, he turned his wheelchair around and left. After taking a few steps, he saw that Shen Youying was still sitting and hadn't moved. He turned his head and stared at her: "What are you still standing there for, Princess? Come back with me to rest."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking slightly tired, and said sarcastically, "Nothing goes right this morning, and I keep running into unlucky people."

Zhou Qing: "..."

Shen Youying glanced at Zhou Qing's ever-changing face and almost couldn't help but laugh. She quickly lowered her eyes to hide her expression and hurriedly walked to Xue Shen's side, following him to the backyard.

.

The hundred Imperial Guards remained.

In addition to the Qin Prince's mansion becoming as solid as an iron fortress, the mansion's patrols were also reinforced by Imperial Guards, and even the shift changes of the guards were shortened.

After her afternoon nap, Shen Youying got up and wanted to open the window to let in some fresh air. However, when she opened the window, she saw two tall and burly imperial guards standing at the entrance of Tingmei Pavilion, so she closed the window again.

Xue Shen maneuvered his wheelchair to stand behind her and, seeing this, asked, "Why are you closing the window?"

Shen Youying explained that there were imperial guards protecting the courtyard, which made it inconvenient.

Xue Shen scoffed and gestured for her to open the window, then called the two imperial guards in through the window.

The two imperial guards, bewildered, waited outside the Tingmei Pavilion with puzzled expressions.

Xue Shen slowly walked to the outer room, picked up a cup of tea and took a sip: "Zhou Qing said that during your time in the Prince's mansion, you must obey my orders?"

The two imperial guards looked at each other, wondering why Commander Zhou had said such a thing.

They were simply told to be cautious in their actions and not to offend the King of Qin.

But since the King of Qin had already asked, they couldn't very well say that Commander Zhou hadn't mentioned it, so they could only cup their hands and ask, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Xue Shen did not answer, but asked again: "You are all elites in the Imperial Guard, so you must be quite skilled?"

The Imperial Guards hesitated for a moment, unable to figure out his intentions, and could only humbly reply, "It's alright, we will do our best to protect the safety of the Prince and Princess."

Xue Shen nodded and instructed, "Go and fetch four more men, of similar build, strong and robust. Also, their appearance cannot be too ugly." He then instructed Danzhu, "Go and tell Wang Deshun to find some musicians... preferably those skilled in drumming and playing the guqin. Also, tell the kitchen to prepare iced drinks, fruit, and fine wine."

Both sides were completely confused and had no choice but to follow his instructions.

A moment later, two imperial guards arrived with four other imperial guards to report back. Almost simultaneously, the musicians arranged by Wang Deshun also arrived and began setting up their formation around the courtyard.

Meanwhile, the kitchen servants quickly and efficiently presented the wines and food that Xue Shen had ordered, filling the table to the brim.

Xue Shen moved the wheelchair to the table and then asked Danzhu to invite Shen Youying out.

Shen Youying came out of the inner room and was still a little confused when she saw the scene: "What are they trying to do?"

"Has Your Highness ever seen a wrestling performance?"

Shen Youying nodded, vaguely guessing what he was going to do.

Sure enough, Xue Shen said, "In the past, wrestling performances were all performed by acrobats. They were all just for show and were only good for entertainment. But now Zhou Qing has sent so many elites over. They are all very skilled. I think the wrestling performances will not disappoint."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and clapped his hands, saying, "Play music."

The musicians understood his meaning, and with a flick of their wrists and a pluck of their fingers, the stirring drumbeats and the resounding notes of the zither began to play.

The six imperial guards stood blankly in the center of the courtyard, looking at each other blankly.

Xue Shen urged impatiently, "What are you standing there for? Let's begin. Two people per group, the winner gets ten taels of gold, the loser gets ten lashes." He narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression revealing a hint of ruthlessness: "If I find out that you are just going through the motions, then each of you will get twenty lashes."

Twenty strokes of the cane would be a severe beating even for the strongest and healthiest imperial guards.

The six imperial guards dared not hesitate any longer and immediately split into pairs, resignedly beginning their wrestling match.

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