The Prince of Ning's sudden action startled Song Xizhi, causing him to nearly jump up on the spot.
She pursed her lips and took a step back, then cautiously tried to pull the sleeve out of Prince Ning's hand.
But Prince Ning wouldn't let it go: "It's getting darker and the dew is heavier. If you don't let a man of iron will like me accompany Lord Song, what if you encounter some danger on the way?"
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi reflexively replied, "The palace grounds are heavily guarded; what danger could possibly arise? Your Highness is joking."
However, after she finished speaking, she suddenly came to her senses and remembered Zeng Yaxian.
Speaking of danger, her greatest danger is probably Zeng Yaxian.
Just now at the banquet, Zeng Yaxian's burning gaze followed him like a shadow, haunting him, making Song Xizhi break out in a cold sweat even now when he thinks about it.
But how did Prince Ning know about these things?
Song Xizhi looked up in surprise, gazing in the direction of Prince Ning: "Your Highness, you also know about what happened that day?"
Prince Ning was taken aback by these words, but staring at Song Xizhi's serious face, he blinked, concealing the bewilderment in his eyes.
"Yes, I know what happened that day, which is why I was worried about you and wanted to go with you!"
Seeing the fleeting confusion in his eyes, Song Xizhi knew that he wanted to go to the Empress Dowager's palace with her, so she just made up a casual remark.
However, I never realized that Prince Ning was this kind of person before.
Song Xizhi's lips twitched suddenly, and he quickened his pace to follow the eunuch Li.
Prince Ning watched Song Xizhi's retreating figure, snapped his folding fan shut, and strode after him, shouting, "Judge Song! What kind of look is that!"
"I do not lie, and I naturally know what it is!"
He rushed to Song Xizhi's side, gradually lowering his voice, and his bright eyes gleamed with wisdom: "It's actually about the Zhao family, isn't it?"
"You have done so much today, presenting Master Yuanhui's calligraphy and offering Prince Xiu a lacquer mother-of-pearl birthday gift. Prince Xiu is pleased, but Prince Yu... Prince Yu, and even the entire Zhao clan, have lost both their wives and their troops."
"Consort Liang already harbored resentment towards you, and the Zhao family will certainly not let you off the hook."
In the deep darkness, Prince Ning deliberately lowered his voice, speaking in a low, eerie tone, as if telling a ghost story.
After speaking, he raised an eyebrow slightly at Song Xizhi: "How about it? Judge Song, are you scared? Do you need me to accompany you?"
Listening to what Prince Ning said, Song Xizhi felt that Prince Ning was not wrong.
With what has happened today, Prince Yu will go mad, Consort Liang will go mad, and Zhao Qingshu will go mad too.
If Zhao Qingshu wanted to do something to her, Zeng Yaxian would be his most convenient weapon.
As Song Xizhi pondered this, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and became even more polite to Prince Ning.
She extended her hand to Prince Ning, bowed slightly, and pointed in the direction in front of her: "Your Highness's company is something I would be most grateful for. Please go first, Your Highness."
Prince Ning waved his hand, remaining standing beside Song Xizhi without moving: "Oh dear, why are you being so polite?"
"I don't mind these formalities."
Song Xizhi choked up, unable to get angry at his smiling, handsome face, and could only say stiffly, "This humble subject minds, but this humble subject is a married man."
Prince Ning paused abruptly, feeling the watchful gaze of the bodyguard beside Song Xizhi, who was glaring at him menacingly. He still muttered something and followed Song Xizhi's lead, continuing forward.
"Oh dear, your husband has been lying in a coma ever since you married him. No wonder I forgot he existed~"
He turned his head halfway through his sentence and said meaningfully, "You must have a very hard time on weekdays. I really feel sorry for you."
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi's lips twitched violently: "With Your Highness Prince Ning having such a bad memory, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager must be very tired from worrying about your marriage."
Prince Ning nodded solemnly: "How could it not be? The Empress Dowager's hair has turned white from worry."
The group followed the young eunuch into a small garden.
The garden, usually bustling with activity, becomes eerily quiet and desolate at night, with hardly anyone around.
As soon as Prince Ning finished speaking, the originally lush branches in the Imperial Garden began to shake violently.
Before the group could react, they saw countless dark figures descend from the treetops and rush towards them without hesitation.
The young eunuch screamed and stood in front of Prince Ning in a panic: "Your Highness... Your Highness... There's an assassin! There really is an assassin!"
Prince Ning could no longer laugh; he never expected that his casual remark would become such a self-fulfilling prophecy.
However, at the critical moment, he still fearfully stood in front of Song Xizhi and said with a cold smile, "Don't be afraid, I have guards. In this deep palace, they must not have any weapons. They have no chance of winning at all."
No sooner had Prince Ning finished speaking than Song Xizhi saw the assassin's long sword flash with a sinister cold light, and it came crashing down on the little eunuch's face.
Eunuch Li screamed, so startled that he fell straight into Prince Ning's arms.
In an instant, Song Xizhi felt a sharp scream erupt in his ears: "Holy crap! Damn it, where did these assassins in the palace get their swords and knives?!"
No sooner had Prince Ning finished speaking than his guards swiftly grabbed the poor eunuch Li and snatched the lantern from his hand, using its wooden handle to deflect the assassin's sword.
The wooden handle was split in two in an instant, and the red candle spilled out like blood.
Song Xizhi felt a chill run down his spine, his back was covered in cold sweat, and he felt as if all the blood in his body had turned to ice in an instant.
She knew that Zeng Yaxian harbored resentment towards her. She originally thought that no matter what, Zeng Yaxian would only resort to some underhanded means, but she never expected that Zeng Yaxian would actually send someone to assassinate her in the palace.
Song Xizhi quickly pulled the hairpin off his head and handed it to Siqin beside him.
Siqin then rushed forward and, together with Prince Ning's attendants, fought desperately against the assassins.
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