Chapter 50 Let me check if my abs are about to get chopped off...
Yun Kui nestled in the Crown Prince's arms, the clamor of the people, the sounds of fighting, and the clash of weapons all mingling together in her ears, soon mixed with the muffled thuds of swords slicing through flesh.
Having lived in the deep palace for so long, she had never seen such a brutal scene of fighting, yet inexplicably, nestled in the man's strong and powerful arms, she felt as if there was nothing to fear.
She vaguely guessed that His Highness the Crown Prince knew in advance that the lighthouse had collapsed before deciding to leave the palace. The fact that the soldiers were able to divert the people away in time was also due to His Highness's secret planning and preparation of countermeasures. He even patiently accompanied her for a walk just now. This was truly a master strategist!
"Your Highness is truly amazing!"
The prince gently stroked the rabbit ears by her temples.
This girl isn't stupid.
A group of people hid far away by the Magpie Bridge. Perhaps they had heard the man in black shouting earlier and noticed that the tall and handsome man in brocade robes by the bridge was actually the Crown Prince. They were both shocked and frightened, even more so than by the collapse of the Qiandumen Lighthouse.
"It's the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince has left the palace!"
"Could the Crown Prince have been responsible for the lighthouse collapsing tonight? He wants to kill us all!"
"It must be him! He's insane and deranged, he takes pleasure in killing, there's nothing he wouldn't do!"
Upon hearing these comments, Yun Kui's blood boiled, and she shouted at the man in blue who was yelling the loudest not far away, "What nonsense are you talking about! It was His Highness the Crown Prince who saved you! If it weren't for His Highness, you would have been injured by the lighthouse long ago. Instead of being grateful to him, you're slandering him!"
The Crown Prince was already used to those insults. He knew perfectly well how Emperor Chunming and the Empress had gossiped about him during the years he had been away from the capital, and he had no time to defend himself.
Surprisingly, this girl was willing to get into a fight with someone in the street for him.
The man in blue found the source of the voice and realized it was the enchantress hiding in the prince's arms. He boldly said, "Didn't you hear? The prince is tyrannical and cruel, and everyone has the right to kill him. These black-clad knights are here to act on behalf of Heaven. Today, they will make sure that the prince and you, this enchantress, are both beheaded!"
Yun Kui was about to curse again when a large hand on her waist suddenly tightened, and the rabbit lantern in her hand was snatched away. Before she could react, the wooden pole of the lantern had already pierced straight into the throat of a man in black.
"Oh my god! My light..."
The crown prince frowned and said in a low voice, "I will return it to you."
Yun Kui: "..."
Before they could answer, four or five more men in black swung their knives in their direction.
Yun Kui hurriedly pulled off the cheapest silk flower hairpin from her hair and stuffed it into the Crown Prince's hand, saying, "Your Highness, these are for you to use as concealed weapons!"
"Return this to me as well, preferably in the form of a gold hairpin."
The prince reluctantly accepted the hairpins, and with a wave of his hand, several hairpins shot out like arrows, instantly knocking down the first few men in black.
"That's amazing!"
The leader of the black-clad assassins noticed the movement and exchanged glances with his three companions. The leader then attacked from the front with his knife, while the other three quickly spread out to flank from the sides and rear.
The prince kicked away the wrist of the man in black on his left, grabbed Yun Kui's waist with one hand, and with the other hand, he snatched the sword and swept it horizontally to block the attacks from behind and to the right.
Right in front of Yun Kui at this moment was the assassin leader, who was highly skilled in martial arts.
He was dressed in all black, with a black headscarf and face mask completely covering his face, leaving only a pair of cold, dark eyes staring at her. After a glance, the man immediately raised the long sword in his hand and thrust it fiercely at her.
Yun Kui shuddered in fright, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
"I'm doomed! This time I'm really going to lose my life!"
However, when the sword tip was only half a zhang away from him, the prince suddenly turned to the side, his sword flashing, and blocked the fierce attack with a clang, and then fought with the assassin leader again.
Yun Kui cautiously hid behind him, dodging and weaving. It was the first time she had ever witnessed the Crown Prince's martial prowess firsthand. He was agile, his moves were fierce, and his swordplay was sharp and beautiful, much more impressive than the performers at the palace banquet who only knew fancy footwork.
While feeling tense, his heart was surging with excitement. He could even feel the muscles in his waist and abdomen constantly tightening, relaxing, and trembling as the moves changed.
"That's incredible! No wonder it kept me up all night."
Crown Prince: "..."
Every time she was terrified, thinking she was about to lose her life, the Crown Prince would always step in in time to block the deadly attack for her.
However, the black men's attacks became increasingly fierce, almost as if they were trying to undermine the prince's defenses. They attacked relentlessly without any defense, and every move was ruthless and deadly. Her presence was ultimately a burden. The men in black noticed that the prince had a burden on his back and was trying his best to protect her. Everyone changed their target, and the cold blades rushed straight at her.
"No!"
"I haven't even had a chance to properly appreciate the store's prized possession yet; it can't just die here like this!"
Dozens of sword blades flashed coldly, and Yun Kui closed her eyes tightly in fright. Her waist was held tightly, and she felt herself being lifted up and down. She was overwhelmed by the flashing swords and shadows, and another fierce battle ensued.
Several times, the encounters were extremely dangerous. Yun Kui even felt the blade almost graz her cheek, only to be deftly neutralized by the Crown Prince's skillful counterattacks.
Then, as more and more men in black joined in, their killing moves became increasingly fierce. Amidst the chaotic clash of weapons, Yun Kui suddenly heard the prince let out a muffled groan, and her heart sank.
"Your Highness, are you injured?"
The prince gritted his teeth silently, without responding. He paused for only a moment before forcefully pulling his sword tip from the chest of the assassin in front of him, and then resumed fighting with the dozen or so people who had surrounded him.
Fortunately, Qin Ge and the others managed to withdraw in time, diverting most of the forces surrounding the Crown Prince. The men in black gradually weakened and were eventually no match for the Crown Prince's personal guards, dying one by one under a hail of swords.
The assassin leader was increasingly isolated and helpless. Surrounded by Qin Ge and Luo Zhang, he was too busy to help himself. When he was forced into a corner, he suddenly leaped up and jumped over a tall tree. The arrow in Qin Ge's hand flew out, but it only grazed his calf. In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared without a trace.
Yun Kui held the prince's arm and looked him up and down, finally noticing the wound on his waist and abdomen that was constantly oozing blood.
Her eyes stung, and her voice trembled with anxiety: "Eunuch Cao, His Highness is injured!"
Everyone immediately stepped forward to check on him. The prince looked a little pale and said, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
Today, this group of people came with great force and ruthless moves. They were clearly well-trained experts who were determined to take his life. Fortunately, he knew in advance that there was a problem with the lighthouse and brought enough personal guards and secret guards. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to resist the deadly attacks of dozens of experts.
Cao Yuanlu, supporting the Crown Prince, said, "Your Highness, please return to the carriage first. General Qin, please go and fetch Physician He immediately!"
Qin Ge immediately nodded in agreement.
He Bailing was providing free medical consultations at a nearby clinic and rushed over immediately upon hearing the news.
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. He Bailing first stopped the bleeding, then applied wound medicine and bandaged it, and it was treated quickly.
Subsequently, patrol officers and soldiers came one after another to report the casualties of the lighthouse collapse. Yun Kui had no chance to get in the car to check on the prince's injuries and could only worry anxiously.
Inside the carriage, Yu Han, the commander of the Crown Prince's personal guards, was reporting on the resettlement of the injured civilians. When talking about the group of assassins today, Yu Han guessed, "The heir of the Marquis of Ningde is dead, and the Marquis of Ningde is still in prison. The only ones who can still use these highly skilled assassins to deal with you are probably... The leader of the assassins today looks like a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
The crown prince's gaze was icy, when he suddenly heard a sighing sound from outside.
"I wonder how His Highness is doing?"
"It seems like I injured my abs..."
Crown Prince: "..."
Yu Han wanted to report on the Water Mirror Terrace, but the Crown Prince interrupted him, saying, "You stay and handle the follow-up. We'll report together tomorrow."
Yu Han immediately realized that His Highness was injured and bleeding, and it was inappropriate for him to disturb His Highness's rest by talking so much. He quickly got up and took his leave.
After the person left, the Crown Prince lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the little girl with a worried expression, and called out softly, "Yun Kui".
Yun Kui quickly raised her head, "Your Highness, did you call me?"
The crown prince grunted in agreement. "Come on up."
Yun Kui nodded and quickly boarded the carriage.
The carriage still smelled of blood. Yun Kui remembered the blood and blood-stained handkerchief that Doctor He had brought out earlier, and her heart felt heavy. Her throat tightened. "Your Highness, are you alright?"
The Crown Prince's complexion had improved somewhat. He looked up at her and asked, "Is this the first time you've seen me injured?"
This was certainly not the first time, but the previous injuries had nothing to do with her. Today, however, she was attacked while taking her out of the palace. If it weren't for her being a burden, His Highness, with his excellent skills, would have been able to escape easily.
Yun Kui whispered, "Your Highness did this to save me."
The Crown Prince said, "They want to kill me. The blades are pointed at you only to throw me off balance and make me unable to defend myself."
"What merit do I possess to have caused His Highness the Crown Prince to lose his composure?!"
Yun Kui pursed her lips: "I thought Your Highness was going to use me as a cushion."
The Crown Prince said, "...Since I'm taking you out of the palace, I naturally have to ensure your safety."
That's what they say, but any master would be lucky to avoid having their subordinates take the fall, let alone risk injury themselves to save a mere palace maid.
Recalling the scene of the battle just now, Yun Kui still felt lingering fear.
But she didn't expect that His Highness the Crown Prince would protect her from beginning to end.
She was even prepared to be thrown out and slammed against the assassin like she was with Zanhua, but that didn't happen.
This gave her the illusion that... she could always hide behind him, that he would shield her from all swords and blades, and that as long as he was there, she had nothing to fear.
The prince's throat bobbed slightly, and after a long while, he suddenly asked, "What were you arguing about with those people at the Magpie Bridge today?"
Yun Kui frowned as she thought of the slanderous words of the people under the bridge: "Your Highness just saved them, and these people are like dogs biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart."
The crown prince scoffed, "Am I a good person?"
“Of course.” The girl blinked at him with her clear, bright dark eyes. “After today, Your Highness will be a hero in my heart who saves lives. I can’t stand them slandering you, so I’ll fight back.”
Seeing that his expression had eased slightly, Yun Kui glanced at the injury on his waist and asked, "Your Highness, may I see how badly you are injured?"
The Crown Prince knew exactly what she was thinking. "It's already bandaged up, what's there to see?"
Yun Kui insisted, "Let me see how serious the injury is."
"Let me check if my abs have been chopped up."
"Look, look!"
Helpless, the prince could only slowly loosen the jade belt around his waist.
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