Chapter 28 Three forces, different goals
The rain in Luzhou City was getting heavier. In the darkness, no one could see who was who. They could only vaguely distinguish them by the cold light reflected by the weapons. The rain was so loud that Shang Yuwan, Lu Heying and others did not hear the words "all captured".
Shang Yuwan's attention was all on Xiao Qinggu. He flew forward to block the fatal blow for her, and then took advantage of the chaos to exchange weapons with the man.
Lu Heying put his arm around Xiao Qinggu's waist, held her in his arms with one hand, and ran in another direction with his men. Shang Yuwan and the other guests followed behind to stop the killer.
Xiao Qinggu couldn't see Lu Heying's face clearly, but he was still terrified, "Could it be that you are the ones that Second Brother is looking for?!"
"They don't dare to really kill me! You're seeking death if you come out!"
Lu Heying's heart was beating like thunder, and he shouted, "Shut up!"
This time we need to end this quickly. If anything happens to Shang Yuwan again, won't Ah Xu skin him alive?!
After being yelled at, Xiao Qinggu immediately knew the situation and kept quiet, hugging Lu Heying's neck tightly and not daring to move.
During the fight, Shang Yuwan noticed that the group of people who had followed her did not use any fatal moves. Could it be that they were not the prince's men?
Seeing that the weapons had almost been exchanged in the chaos, she had an idea.
Shang Yuwan yelled at the top of his lungs, "Don't be so arrogant, you thieves! Baijialou swears to protect the princess to the death! We will not let the princess die at your hands!"
The inn's leader's expression changed as expected, and he shouted, "Catch that woman! Protect the princess!"
Her shout made it easier for him to lock on to the target!
"?!" Shang Yuwan didn't expect that his shout would bring him trouble.
Were these people coming for her from the beginning?! Whose people are they?
The prince's men were all filled with murderous intent, and the leader shouted, "Kill them!"
The Fifth Princess and the people from Baijialou were all their targets. No matter whose subordinates those people who suddenly appeared were, if they dared to stop His Royal Highness the Crown Prince from doing his work, they would die!
Shang Yuwan quickly sped up and ran to Lu Heying's side, "Leave her to me, you take them and run first!"
Lu Heying was unwilling to agree, "I'm faster than you, you run first!"
Shang Yuwan directly grabbed the person to his side, and Xiao Qinggu was on Shang Yuwan's back in a split second.
"Don't talk nonsense! I can handle it myself. Take them back to the inn to find the owner!"
Lu Heying was horrified, "What do you mean?!"
"Those people are here to arrest me and the princess. I might be arrested too! Come back to me when you're done!"
Shang Yuwan said these words quickly and jumped down from the roof with Xiao Qinggu on his back, and then he went around in all kinds of winding places.
There are many refugees in Luzhou City. It is raining heavily now and there is no one outside. She had seen the map of Luzhou City in the carriage before. The most urgent thing is to use these small roads and alleys to get rid of the people behind!
No one noticed Xiaoman who was still there.
She watched those people run away, and stood up from the water that gradually rose to the height of her calves, with a cold face, completely different from when she faced Xiao Qinggu.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince...you are truly disobedient."
There was a hint of murderous intent in Xiaoman's eyes, and the sound of rain covered her murmur.
She turned and left, heading straight towards the City Lord's Mansion.
Luzhou City was in turmoil, with people dying and being injured. Meanwhile, in Kyoto, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and there was silence.
Inside the palace, under the pavilion, a man and a woman sat opposite each other playing chess. The wind blew, the curtains fluttered, and their robes also flew up in the wind.
The man was dressed in a yellow robe and a cape, his long hair tied in a crown, and his features were handsome. He looked very similar to Xiao Qingji, but he was already over forty, his hair half-white, and the wrinkles on his face betrayed the hardships he had experienced since ascending the throne. He was calm, dignified, and imposing without even anger—this man was the Great Yu Emperor, Emperor Chengming, Xiao Ling.
The woman wore a vibrant purple dress, her hair adorned with pearls and jade, a strikingly gorgeous sight. She sat opposite him, her delicate hands smeared with a mixture of Impatiens balsam and alum. Looking up, she had sharp eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a mole on her right cheek, and bright red lips of just the right thickness. She exuded a commanding air of heroism, yet also a touch of allure.
"My royal brother is not feeling well. How about we play this game tomorrow? It's curfew."
The woman yawned, not at all afraid of the Emperor Dragon's might.
"I wonder if Seventh Sister knows about 'Baijialou'?" Emperor Chengming was obviously accustomed to her little impoliteness and did not scold her.
The white chess piece in Emperor Chengming's hand fell, and the black chess piece in the woman's hand followed closely.
"I know." She said nonchalantly, not really caring. "It's a gang in the Jianghu. It seems the first owner of the building had some relationship with the late queen... Xu'er's child's mother. Why did your brother bring this up?"
The late Queen Xu Zhiyao was Xiao Qingxu's biological mother and died during childbirth.
"I heard that Baijialou has a counselor named Shang Yuwan."
The woman looked surprised and said, "Oh? How could such a coincidence exist in the world? She has the same name as the girl from the Shang family?"
Emperor Chengming chuckled and placed another piece.
"Yeah, come to think of it, I haven't seen Xu'er for a long time."
The woman's face showed a trace of sadness. "Xu'er has rarely left Prince Qi's mansion since his disfigurement. Since the Shang family was wiped out and the Shang family girl died, he has stayed indoors even more. My royal brother is no stranger to this."
Emperor Chengming said quietly, "I thought that after returning from Langjiang, Seventh Sister really had forgotten what was happening outside the window."
"Who wouldn't know about something this serious? Even if I covered my ears, I couldn't avoid it." The woman also laughed. "My royal brother sent Ji'er with a secret decree to investigate the whereabouts of Luzhou City's disaster relief funds and help the Lord of Luzhou and his people survive this disaster. Why did he secretly send someone to follow him? Who is he trying to find, or who is he trying to capture?"
Emperor Chengming evaded the question, instead asking, "The world is like a chessboard, and the people are like chess pieces. The world is full of twists and turns, and events are unpredictable. Seventh sister, how many people do you think will be killed in Luzhou City tonight?"
The woman spoke seriously, her hands playing chess without stopping at all. "Those in high positions, or those without power, are nothing but ants in the face of natural disasters and floods."
One move and the whole game is lost.
The woman seemed to have just realized what was happening, and then chuckled, "My royal brother is an excellent chess player, I can't even compare to him."
The eunuchs and palace maids came forward to take away the chessboard and chess pieces, and set out fruits, cakes and hot tea.
Emperor Chengming shook his head, "Didn't I also waste several chess pieces before I won over the Seventh Sister?"
Emperor Chengming seemed to have suddenly thought of something. "Oh, right, Gu'er is also in Luzhou City. I wonder if Ji'er has caught that girl. As the Princess of Dayu, how can she be away from home all year round?"
The woman asked, "Why did my royal brother suddenly become interested in Gu'er?"
"She's going to be a marriageable girl at the end of the year, and there are so many people eyeing her position as a royal consort, how can she not be concerned?"
The woman seemed to think for a moment, "Brother, do you want Gu'er to come back and choose a consort? Do you have any candidates?"
Emperor Chengming shook his head. "No. I'm worried that she'll be out there all year round. If someone wants to do something to her, my men are too far away to reach her."
The woman tilted her head slightly and smiled faintly, "My royal brother is the Emperor of Dayu, why are you afraid?"
Emperor Chengming smiled, with a hint of bitterness in his smile.
"Didn't I promise Seventh Sister that I would never let you go to Langjiang as a hostage?"
The woman suddenly fell silent.
"I was wronged by my brother in that incident. I will never forget it."
Emperor Chengming lowered his eyes to look at the floating tea leaves. "Gu'er is like you. He looks like you and has a similar personality. Neither of them likes to stay in the palace for long periods of time. They prefer the vast world outside the palace. If possible, I am willing to support Gu'er for the rest of his life."
The woman smiled faintly, with something hidden in her eyes.
Not hatred, not resentment.
It is unwillingness and sarcasm.
"It's been a long time, my royal brother, you really are nostalgic."
Nostalgic.
Emperor Chengming smiled but said nothing.
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