Chapter 100 Zhuozhuo, you are lighter than the last time I hugged you.

Beixing Palace.

The palace is located on a mountainside, a little remote, and is usually not very popular, so it is very quiet.

A few years ago, the third prince Xie Tingxuan got married. At that time, Xie Jing was still Princess Qingjia, who was raised by the queen. She had been ill for a long time and had not recovered completely.

It wasn't serious at first, just a frequent cough, but the maids at the Queen's place exaggerated the situation. Xie Tingxuan was afraid that Qingjia would stay there and affect the wedding, so she moved him and several palace maids around him to the Beixing Palace.

Xie Jing had lived here for a few months and was quite familiar with the place.

Before he arrived, the palace's trusted aides and the doctors who cared for him were also secretly sent here. In addition, there were also the secret guards and assassins assigned by his brother and Duan Zhirui, which actually amounted to a considerable number of people.

I had met this doctor before when I was in Jiangnan. The medicine he gave me always had a strange taste when I drank it, and I always felt dizzy afterwards, as if it was particularly hypnotic.

"Doctor, is this medicine right?" Xie Jing asked doubtfully, "Did I accidentally put a knockout drug in there?"

The doctor stroked his beard and shook his head.

"...Your vitality is low, and you have less energy than others during illness. It's normal for you to fall asleep easily when the medicine takes effect," the doctor said. "This is also the way to nourish your body. Your Highness needs more rest, otherwise it will be exhausting."

It was true. Xie Jing was fine when he could sleep, but he was always anxious every time he was awake.

He was relatively safe here, but the situation in the capital was undoubtedly turbulent. Knowing that things would be turbulent upon his return, Prince Rui hadn't allowed him to stay in the palace. He feared he would be affected if unrest broke out, and he wouldn't be able to withstand the turmoil since he wasn't fully recovered. So, he was sent to the Beixing Palace to recuperate.

But here, without any relatives around, sending messages back and forth at this moment is also risky. Xie Jing is alone and feels very uneasy. He always wonders what to do if things fail.

The leader of the secret guards said that they had been keeping an eye on the signals from the capital, and if anything unexpected happened, they would immediately take him away through the mountains and forests and hide south, and told him not to worry.

The secret guards had no idea how to comfort people. After hearing this, Xie Jing became even more pessimistic.

If his brother died, his mother would most likely not be able to be saved either. Yu Qing might be better off, but she was also in the spotlight... What was the point of him running away alone? If something really happened, he didn't want to live anymore.

Only Qiu Lian and Dong Li understood him better and were able to offer some words of advice, saying that the Second Prince had already made all the necessary arrangements, so how could anything possibly change? Furthermore, your Highness knew how powerful the Crown Prince was, and the other ministers and generals were not to be underestimated either. With the entire Xuanlin Guard and a small portion of the Jinyu Guard at his disposal, it would be difficult for him to lose.

This way Xie Jing would feel a little better.

The secret guards take turns to check outside every day and also pay attention to the developments in the capital.

He was feeling a little uneasy today. He took medicine in the afternoon. With the doctor by his side, he fell into a deep sleep. When he was finally awakened, he opened his eyes and saw that it was already dark. However, there were many people in the room. He felt confused and had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, the secret guard said, "Your Highness, we saw fire at the foot of the mountain just now, and there are people and horses coming up the mountain."

Xie Jing asked: "...Whose side are you from?"

"I didn't receive any message. I'm afraid the person coming has ill intentions," said the secret guard.

We can't stay in this place anymore. Xie Jing looked unhappy. He was not worried about himself, but because the enemy had come, but there was no news from other people in the capital. Could it be that... ?

"Perhaps your Highness's whereabouts have been leaked. Those troops don't look like legitimate soldiers, but rather private assassins," the secret guard said. "I'll go investigate first. The rest of you, prepare your horses and bags. If anything goes wrong, we'll escort you away immediately."

·

The carrier eagle flew swiftly, and it took only a few moments to get from the prince's mansion to the farm in the northern suburbs.

The private soldiers raised here were trained by the loyal and martial marquis, and they were efficient. Their leader was originally a lieutenant general, but he violated military law and was expelled from the barracks. He later defected to the loyal and martial marquis. Although he was a little puzzled by the Fifth Prince's instructions, he immediately rushed to the North Palace.

The palace was built in a place not deep in the mountains or old forests, and the hilltop was not high. A group of people went up the mountain with torches to light the way. When they reached the outskirts of the palace, the few people who were exploring the way in front were stopped by flying arrows. When they looked closely, they found that they were the secret guards who were on full alert.

"He's really hiding here!" the leader said, "...move in!"

·

When Yu Qing was halfway through his journey, his personal guards discovered messy horse hoof prints along the way. It looked like there were quite a few horseshoe prints, and they must have been left not long ago.

She calmed Xie Tingchen and led the men out of the city from the Beichensi without delay, but unexpectedly she was still a step too late. The other party moved too quickly, and the secret agent was originally located in the suburbs of Beijing, close to the Beixing Palace.

Nearing the foot of the mountain, I saw a dark forest with tiny dots of fire winding into a line, all the way up to the palace on the mountainside.

Yu Qing frowned and rode faster, almost catching up with the enemy in front. Suddenly, the guard behind him said, "There's a fire."

She looked up and saw a bright fire not far away. Thick smoke was already rising from the moonlit forest.

·

The private soldiers were not as experienced as the secret guards, but they had the advantage of being numerous and fearless. Seeing that they could not attack the palace for the time being, they immediately set fire to the palace.

The vegetation was already lush, and there were many wooden structures inside and outside the houses. Adding fuel to the fire, it ignited easily. Then the wind made the fire burn stronger and stronger, and soon black smoke rose up.

The smell of burning filled the house, just a little at first, then became stronger and stronger, and the front yard was already filled with heat.

The secret guards escorted Xie Jing to the back wall. The enemy was trying to force them out, so they would definitely leave people at each exit. The secret guard said, "Your Highness, we will lead you through the barrier. Please be careful and stay in the center."

There was a chaotic crowd of people and horses. Xie Jing looked back at the several attendants and doctors who had been following him. His mind raced and he finally sighed.

"Don't follow me," he frowned. "Hide here for a while. When I leave, find a chance to sneak down the mountain and leave some secret guards with you."

Qiu Lian asked, "What does your highness mean?"

"They're all coming for me anyway," Xie Jing said, "As long as I'm not here, they won't care about you."

Dong Li said anxiously: "No, Your Highness, if we have to die, we must die together!"

"..." Xie Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "It's not time to die yet! You won't die, just listen to me. If you follow me, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you."

The maidservants refused to do so. In times of crisis, it was the subordinates who went out to protect their masters. I have never seen the masters go out first to divert the enemy soldiers, and then the subordinates escape on their own.

"I can't die either. They captured me because they wanted me alive..." Xie Jing thought for a moment and whispered, "If that happens, then when you go back, return Yu Qing's things in my box to her. There's a bracelet that's been passed down from her family."

The attendant was in tears, but Xie Jing didn't cry.

His mind was actually in a mess now. He had been feeling drowsy these days, either lying down or sitting. Suddenly this happened, and he felt that he really couldn't keep up with the pace no matter how hard he tried. Not only did he feel uncomfortable in his chest, he also felt a little dizzy and nauseous. He didn't know if it was because of the smoke.

He had no idea if he could survive. The other party might not leave anyone alive, so if they couldn't, then death would be fine. After all, he had been hunted down once before, and it wasn't the first time Xie Jing had experienced this.

But Yu Qing was not there this time.

So he had little confidence.

The secret guard led him out from the back door. Sure enough, there were many people guarding there. The secret guard chopped down a few of them to protect him. However, the noise also attracted other enemies nearby, who surrounded him again while shouting "King Jing is there".

The secret guard in front of him said, "Oh no! It seems like another group of people has arrived... and they're quite a few."

Xie Jing was shaken and choked by the smoke, and coughed several times, feeling a little breathless. After hearing what people said, he turned around and looked down. Sure enough, there was a long string of flames in the darkness entering the mountain at a very fast speed, as if they were going to join these enemy soldiers.

His heart sank. He didn't expect that there would be a second group of pursuers. Were they really going to kill them all?

If this is the case, the secret guards might not be able to hold on and may not be able to escape tonight.

Amidst the chaos, there was the sound of weapons clashing, which was quite harsh. Along with the smell of blood, bowstrings began to sound, and arrows whizzed across the sky. One of the arrows hit the horse, and the horse immediately raised its front hooves and neighed, then fell backwards. The secret guard who was carrying him immediately rolled to the ground to protect him. In a moment, the pursuers came in front of him, and the other secret guards quickly flew to block them.

The flames not far away were gathering more and more. Xie Jing didn't know what he felt. Suddenly, he made up his mind and didn't even hide behind the secret guard.

The long sword was unsheathed with a clanging sound.

Even Xie Jing himself didn't know where this ruthlessness came from. The sword that had always been used as decoration would eventually see blood.

When he went hunting, he didn't know how to use a bow and arrow, so he always brought a sword with him just for show. When he came to the palace, he naturally had the sword with him too.

Yu Qing always kept her sword within easy reach, even by her bedside or pillow when she slept. This was her habit. He had been feeling restless these past few days, so he followed her example and kept his sword beside him, as if it were a form of protection.

In his haste just now, he also picked up the sword.

In a flash, his sword was surprisingly steady and fierce, as if assisted by God, and it pierced directly into the opponent's chest.

“…”

As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when it is angry. Xie Jing, this rabbit, killed the person the first time he bit him.

If the heart is pierced, blood will really splatter three feet, and the blood will hit your face. Xie Jing's hands trembled a little. He drew out the sword, and the feeling of the sword entering and exiting the flesh and blood made his scalp numb.

The rebel was also stunned. He didn't expect that the seemingly weak King Jing could actually take action. The next moment he collapsed to the ground and died.

When Xie Jing was in Jiangnan, he had learned sword techniques from a secret guard to help him recover. His sword techniques were simple and unremarkable, meant to look elegant and graceful. The secret guard had also taught him some practical moves, which Xie Jing had never used in combat, but he could actually use them in a hurry.

Not to mention the enemies, even his own secret guards and King Jing himself were frightened.

The secret guard came to his senses and hurriedly took Xie Jing to another horse. The private soldiers also rushed over and reached out to grab him. Xie Jing gritted his teeth and dodged, and at the same time, he sent out a sword in the gap. Although it did not hit the vital part, it did leave some injuries.

Xie Jing's chest heaved violently, and his vision went dark.

Screams and the sound of falling limbs continued to be heard in the distance, getting closer and closer. Xie Jing looked back and felt that the flickering flames were connected into one, as if they were surrounding him from all directions.

"...Forget it," Xie Jing sighed, "Don't worry about me, just run for your lives."

The secret guard was stunned and said, "Your Highness..."

At the moment, Xie Jing had nothing to be afraid of. He just felt that it was impossible to escape unscathed, so he had better not let all the secret guards die here.

At worst, I can just follow them. They can kill me or chop me up, it’s up to them.

Maybe if he is lucky he won't die and the other party can spare his life.

Would he be used as bait or a prisoner to threaten his brother and the others? Xie Jing thought of this possibility desperately and decided that if that really happened, he would just run his head into the knife and die.

He didn't get on his horse, and the secret guards were a little slow to act. Just then, another pursuer came over with a knife. Xie Jing subconsciously raised his sword to block it, but his strength was no match for a real warrior. The sword almost slipped out of his hand under the impact, and his entire arm and shoulder were numb.

Several secret guards also rushed over and shouted anxiously, "Your Highness!"

Xie Jing was almost out of breath after holding on for so long. He had already performed beyond his normal capabilities several times, but now he was basically out of strength and even had difficulty getting up. Seeing that the swordsmanship was approaching, he simply closed his eyes.

The sound of a sharp object entering flesh was heard.

But I don’t feel any pain.

Two breaths later, Xie Jing raised his eyes and found that the man's knife had been snatched away by a secret guard behind him, but... at the same time, an arrow pierced his neck.

The secret guards were also a little surprised and looked to the side.

Then two more people fell to the ground beside him. In front of him, a group of people rushed out from the chaos. The leader was holding a bow in his hand, with the arrow pointing in the direction of Xie Jing. The fire behind him illuminated his vision for an instant, and Xie Jing was stunned.

It was clearly the face he had been dreaming about, elegant and cold, like ice and jade.

The man shot an arrow, which passed by Xie Jing and hit an enemy soldier diagonally behind him.

“…Your Highness!”

Xie Jing couldn't believe his eyes.

In the pool of blood on the ground, he just raised his head and looked at her intently, watching her whipping her horse and galloping towards him, with a heroic and sharp look, as if everything had stopped and she had even forgotten to breathe.

·

Yu Qing quickly dismounted and came close to Xie Jing.

Just now, she had watched Xie Jing nearly fall into the hands of the enemy, and her heart had almost stopped. Now, she was filled with agitation. Now, seeing him in such a mess, with corpses and blood everywhere, she was almost speechless.

Her pupils were trembling. She leaned over and held up Xie Jing's face. Seeing a blood mark on his face, her throat immediately stopped. She gently touched it with her fingertips and found that the skin was smooth under the blood. She breathed a sigh of relief - fortunately, it was not Xie Jing's injury, but just the blood splashed on it.

She quickly glanced at Xie Jing's body again. Although he was covered in dust and blood, he was indeed intact. Her heart, which was about to jump out of her chest, finally relaxed a little.

Before he could catch his breath, Xie Jing staggered to his feet, his expression a mixture of joy and sorrow, and threw himself directly into her arms.

He was trembling all over, his cold face buried in the side of her neck, his voice choked with sobs: "...Why...why are you here?"

At this moment, all the fear, grievances, and excitement overwhelmed him like a tide, and his forced calmness collapsed. He hugged Yu Qing as if he was his only support, his breathing became rapid and disordered, and tears fell.

Yu Qing felt the heat on her neck again, and it made her heart ache. She stroked the back of Xie Jing's head and back, and said quickly, "I'm late. Don't cry, it's okay. Don't be afraid."

Xie Jing vaguely understood that the previous fighting and shouting were actually Yu Qing finishing off the enemies.

He thought he was in a desperate situation, but someone actually opened a way out for him.

Yu Qing always appeared in his most difficult times, like a god who came to save him. As long as she was there, all his fear and confusion would dissipate.

Yu Qing moved aside a little and wiped Xie Jing's tears first. Xie Jing had never suffered such hardship before, with all the smoke, fire, and swords and seas of flames. Seeing his pitiful appearance, his heart was broken.

"Does it hurt anywhere? Are you injured?" Yu Qing asked.

Xie Jing shook his head.

In fact, his whole body was not feeling well. His throat was sore from the smoke, his arms were weak and were still shaking, and the smell of blood also gave him a headache.

"The smoke is too thick," Yu Qing said, "Let's go first."

Xie Jing nodded.

Yu Qing turned his head and saw that his men had already dealt with the few remaining enemies. They were now looking around as if nothing had happened, pretending not to know that the commander and His Royal Highness Prince Jing were hugging each other.

Yu Qing: “…”

The secret guards nearby were also very excited. Xie Jing's attendants were also called over. The maid ran in front with her skirt lifted, crying loudly, "Prince, wuwuwu, you are here, wuwuwu..."

Yu Qing: “…”

She couldn't coax so many people, and she hadn't even finished coaxing one princess. Yu Qing sighed, "Okay, stop crying and go back to the capital."

The guards and secret guards divided the horses and each took their own servants.

Yu Qing asked Xie Jing, "Can you still ride a horse?"

Xie Jing said, "Yeah."

Xie Jing thought Yu Qing was going to give him a separate horse, but Yu Qing got on the horse first, then bent down and carried him back up.

Xie Jing: “……?”

He leaned against her back, still a little dazed.

Yu Qing felt a little uncomfortable. She murmured, "You are lighter than the last time I held you."