As Changying returned, he heard the sounds of swords clashing in the distance. Startled, he quickened his pace and rushed towards the direction of the fighting.
When they arrived, the fighting had already ended. The ground was littered with severed limbs and remains, and blood splattered on the vermilion palace walls. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
In the blink of an eye, a dark figure leaped towards the palace gate, arms crossed. Chang Ying's taut face and sharp eyes were about to give chase, but Helian Nie raised his hand to stop him.
Helian Nie stood alone amidst the scattered limbs and remains, his black boots embroidered with gold dragon patterns spotless.
The crimson dragon robe was spotless, without a trace of dust, and there was not a single drop of blood on its entire length.
Changying knew in his heart that these were the traces left by the Emperor's shadow protecting the Emperor earlier, and he was overwhelmed with guilt, so he knelt on one knee:
"The subordinates neglected their duties."
"Imperial Shadows" is a collective term for a group of secret guards who protect the emperor. They are elusive and act as the emperor's henchmen.
"It's alright."
Helian Nie's sinister voice was extremely flat, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
His narrow, almond-shaped eyes fell in the direction where the fleeing man in black had gone, and his thin, crimson lips curled into a meaningful smile.
His gaze returned to the scattered limbs and remains on the ground, his eyes devoid of emotion.
He turned and strode away, his thin lips parting slightly, the words he uttered casually yet revealing a sinister and almost ruthless cruelty.
"Clean it up and throw it into the snake pit."
"Yes." Changying responded respectfully, without the slightest surprise. However, Changying still had a question in his mind: why did the Emperor allow the man in black to escape this time?
Knowing the Emperor's temperament, any assassins who dared to attempt his assassination never returned.
Furthermore, the assassin's corpse will be displayed in court tomorrow for the officials to admire. Why did it happen today...?
**
"Awoo~!"
Helian Si, the little girl, had just woken up. Wearing a bright red dress, she stood in front of the palace threshold, stretching her yawns.
It was already dusk, the sun had set, and patches of colorful clouds floated in the sky, dyeing the entire sky with the colors of sunset.
"Three circles to the left, three circles to the right, twist your neck and wiggle your butt~ Hey ya~ Hey ya~ Hey ya!"
The little girl stood at the threshold of the palace, her small body swaying back and forth in a rather pretentious manner, her little mouth humming a soft, sweet tune.
This strange little tune, when heard by the palace servants busy around, left them both amused and exasperated. Why was the little princess being so eccentric?
"Awoooooo~ Okay, Sisi's awake!"
After wiggling his little bottom, Helian Mousi felt refreshed and clapped his hands. With his short legs, he ran towards the small kitchen.
The cakes that the Third Prince gave to Sisi have been digested after a nap. He asked Sisi to go and see what delicious food the small kitchen was cooking today.
Helian Si, with his short legs, hadn't run halfway when he was met with a creak as the door to his second brother's house by Daming Lake opened.
The little Sisi tried to brake, but inertia prevented her from stopping in time, and her small body lurched forward several steps before finally coming to a stop.
Thinking that she had promised to play with her second brother by Daming Lake when she woke up before she drifted off to sleep, Sisi took small steps and then quietly moved back.
Helian Ci looked at the little girl's tiny feet, at her quietly inching backward, and his unusually red lips curved slightly on his sickly pale face.
The sweet, childlike words of that little timid child still seemed to echo in my mind:
Twist your neck, wiggle your bottom, hey ya~ hey ya~ hey ya?
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