Chapter 94 094 This favor of yours, I'm repaying it...
Yun Tianjiao found it difficult to describe his feelings at that moment.
Something seemed to float away from my body, but it quickly returned.
If I had to use a metaphor, it's like a thin veil that's been draped over her since birth, suddenly lifted by the wind, then slowly falling back down, covering her from head to toe once more.
The feeling was so strange that Yun Tianjiao was lost in thought for a moment after sitting up from the phoenix bed.
Just half an incense stick's time before Yun Tianjiao woke up, the morning court was shrouded in mist. The entire court was not discussing state affairs, but instead, led by Yun Tianqi, they were kneeling devoutly before the ancestral tablet of the Heavenly Venerable, praying that he could set up a protective barrier for the entire capital.
The situation outside is chaotic. Blood demons are appearing in droves, the Imperial Guards have been mobilized in full force, and the troops under the jurisdiction of the Prefect of the Capital have all been deployed.
Most officials' residences could be protected by various deities setting up protective barriers, making them relatively safe. However, the road from their residences to the palace was not safe! Only by placing the entire capital city within a protective barrier could one be considered truly secure.
The high-ranking officials and nobles all cherished their lives. At first, someone whispered that only when the emperor and his ministers were of one mind and prayed to the Heavenly Venerable together in the court would they be truly sincere. Unexpectedly, everyone responded immediately, which led to the absurd scene before us.
"Heavenly Venerable One, your faithful follower Yun Tianqi and all the officials here sincerely pray that the capital may be protected by the Heavenly Venerable One and free from the invasion of evil spirits. I am willing to devote the entire nation's resources to building a thousand more temples for the Heavenly Venerable One!"
The crowd hadn't expected the Celestial Venerable to manifest, since to invoke him, one would have to hold a national ceremony at the incense altar. However, holding a sacrificial ceremony in an open outdoor space was too dangerous, so they had no choice but to try anything as a last resort.
Unexpectedly, just as Yun Tianqi inserted the three sticks of incense into the incense burner, the Heavenly Venerable's divine tablet suddenly lit up, and then the Heavenly Venerable's figure appeared on the steps of the palace.
Yun Tianqi was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at the radiant and majestic Heavenly Venerable. For a moment, he forgot to move, until the officials behind him suddenly knelt down and prostrated themselves, shouting that the Heavenly Venerable had manifested his power. Only then did he kneel down as well.
But Lin Shen didn't even glance at them. His eyes were dark and brooding as he looked towards the palace gate and said coldly, "Who came here just now and left?"
Yun Tianqi and the others were completely baffled by the question.
Who came? No one. Until the court assembly ends, from civil and military officials to palace maids and eunuchs, who would dare to leave without permission?
Lin Shen did not get the answer he wanted. In an instant, he moved out of the court and stood in the empty front courtyard. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked in the direction of Chang Le Palace.
For a fleeting moment, he seemed to sense that familiar aura emanating from the royal palace of Yunchi Kingdom, but it quickly vanished. He even doubted whether he had imagined it.
"Is it really you?" Lin Shen murmured to himself.
He flew high into the sky again, looking down over the entire royal palace of Yunchi Kingdom, but he could no longer find that trace of him. Just like in the past hundreds of years, he had looked down upon the mortal world again and again, but he could never find that person's trace.
Lin Shen probed Chang Le Palace with his divine sense, but was blocked by a powerful and domineering force.
It actually managed to block his divine sense. This is... the Ghost King's barrier?
Why is the Demon King's barrier here?
Lin Shen was filled with doubt and unease. At this moment, Yun Tianqi and the officials also chased after him from the court, kowtowing and praying, expressing their requests.
It's so noisy.
It's so noisy.
Lin Shen's heart was burning with rage, and he wished he could slap these incessantly noisy ants to death. However, he knew he could not. Although the mortals beneath his feet were as insignificant as dust, they were the most powerful pilgrims in the entire Yun Chi Kingdom, and the leader among them was the current Emperor.
Forcibly suppressing his anger, he pondered deeply for a while. Because the Ghost King was involved, he did not want to cause any unnecessary complications, so he gave up the investigation, returned to the ground, and said to the king and his ministers of Yunchi Kingdom: "As the Heavenly Venerable, all the people under heaven can be regarded as my believers. If the barrier covers the entire capital city, then I will be unable to take care of other prefectures and counties."
Yun Tianqi hurriedly said, "But the Blood Demon Calamity has not yet spread to other prefectures and counties. I hope the Heavenly Venerable will consider the plight of the people in the capital. Besides... besides..."
Lin Shen glanced coldly at Yun Tianqi, "Besides what?"
Yun Tianqi trembled with fear, but he still gritted his teeth and forced a smile, saying, "Besides, this disaster originally stemmed from the killing of Mu Ge! When deciding whether to kill him, we also consulted the Heavenly Venerable's divine decree..."
"Oh?" Lin Shen's drawn-out voice immediately made everyone present tremble, feeling the oppressive force emanating from his divine might. "Is Your Majesty blaming me?"
Yun Tianqi turned pale with fright, "I wouldn't dare! It's just... it's just..."
Lin Shen was too lazy to listen to what he had to say, but considering that he was the Human Emperor after all, he had to give him some face. He explained, "When I asked you to get rid of Mu Ge as soon as possible, I was expecting that he would become a demon after his death. It's just a pity that you did not do as I said to do your best to suppress him with filth."
Yun Tianqi protested, "I have already ordered someone to splash him with night soil..."
“That’s still not enough.” Lin Shen’s patience finally ran out. He said, “The Demonic Fiend is something that transcends the Six Realms. Even the power of the gods cannot eliminate it. This will probably be a long battle. My divine power can only maintain the barrier within half of the capital city. You can choose whether it’s the eastern half, the western half, the inner half, or the outer half.”
This was tantamount to a cruel blow to Yun Tianqi's spirit.
As the ruler of a country, what choice should he make? No matter what choice he makes, he will have to face the scorn and condemnation of the people of the capital whom he has abandoned.
"Your Majesty, your safety must be the priority!"
"Yes, Your Majesty! For your safety, we should prioritize protecting the inner half of the city!"
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!"
The ministers offered their advice one after another, but even someone as cunning as Yun Tianqi knew very well that they were not concerned for his safety at all. It was clear that the residences of most of the ministers were located within the inner half of the city, and that setting up a barrier only within the inner half of the city would have been sufficient to meet their needs.
"Your Majesty, I second that proposal." Prime Minister Shen, who had remained silent from the beginning, finally spoke up.
Yun Tianqi was somewhat surprised. "Prime Minister, even you think I should choose the inner half of the city?"
Prime Minister Shen said, "Only when His Majesty is safe can the country be at peace. If the barrier can only cover half the city, His Majesty should naturally take priority. However, this old minister suggests that the people of the outer city be opened to the inner city so that they can enter the inner city and be protected by the barrier."
"Absolutely not!" someone immediately jumped out to object. "Wouldn't it be extremely dangerous if refugees were to infiltrate the outer city's population?"
"Furthermore, the inner city is crowded with people from the outer city. These people have no land or houses and nowhere to work. They will probably have to sleep on the streets, making the inner city streets extremely crowded and chaotic."
"Indeed, Prime Minister Shen, your suggestion is ill-considered!"
Prime Minister Shen did not respond to these dissenting voices, but simply looked at Yun Tianqi silently.
Yun Tianqi really wanted to ask his elder sister for her opinion, but ever since he ordered Mu Ge's head to be hung above the city gate that day, he hadn't dared to set foot in Chang Le Palace again. His elder sister also seemed to be very angry with him, and hadn't come to see him for so many days.
But imagine if his elder sister knew that he had abandoned half the city's inhabitants and disregarded their lives, she would probably brandish her big sword and try to kill him again.
So Yun Tianqi made up his mind and said to Prime Minister Shen, "Let's do as the Prime Minister says."
After Lin Shen and the others finally reached a conclusion, he waved his sleeve and placed the inner half of the capital city under the protection of his barrier, then left without looking back.
In truth, with his abilities, he could easily have erected a protective barrier around the entire capital, but he didn't want to waste his divine power. After all, as long as he protected these leaders of Yunchi Kingdom, he wouldn't suffer any loss.
The wealthy households in the outer city have their own ways of asking other gods to place protective barriers on their residences. As for the poor people in the outer city who are so poor that they can't even afford incense, why should we care about their lives?
Ordinary people who cannot become pilgrims are no different from livestock.
...
Yun Tianjiao was in a daze for a moment before she remembered why she had fallen asleep. She got off the phoenix bed and wanted to leave the bedroom, but found that the bedroom had been sealed off by a barrier.
Without any hesitation, she drew her demon-slaying sword and slashed at it. If one strike failed, she would strike again, making the entire barrier roar.
"Is Your Highness in such a hurry to leave?"
A voice sounded from behind him, and Yun Tianjiao turned around to look at Zhiwei.
"Why have you locked me up?" she asked coldly.
Zhiwei did not answer, but walked up to Yun Tianjiao.
"Why did Your Highness wake up?" His peach blossom eyes were always full of affection, and now he looked at her with the utmost tenderness, gently brushing away a strand of hair that was stuck to the corner of her lips and smoothing it back into her hair. "Your Highness shouldn't have woken up at this time."
Yun Tianjiao suddenly raised the Demon-Slaying Blade and held it to his neck.
"Let me out."
Zhiwei blinked, a beautiful smile curving her lips. "Your Highness, just kill me. If you kill me, this barrier will disappear."
Yun Tianjiao stared intently at Zhiwei's face, confused and furious. She pressed the blade into his flesh, almost gritting her teeth.
"Why?!"
Zhiwei remained silent, looking like a complete scoundrel who was at the mercy of others.
What exactly happened outside?
"Whatever happens outside is none of Your Highness's business."
Snap!
Yun Tianjiao slapped him across the face, causing Zhiwei to turn his face away.
"Let me out," she ordered him.
Zhiwei knelt before her, resisting with silent defiance.
The more he acted this way, the more terrified Yun Tianjiao became. The feeling of losing control over the unknown was like a bottomless abyss, slowly devouring her patience.
Suddenly, she raised the demon-slaying sword and held it horizontally against her own neck.
Zhiwei was both surprised and annoyed, and used her magic to knock the demon-slaying knife out of her hand. "What are you doing?"
The demon-slaying sword fell to the ground with a clang.
Yun Tianjiao smiled. "If you don't let me out, I will kill myself here. You can stop me once, but can you guard against me all the time? Zhiwei, you can't stop someone who is determined to die."
Why must we go out?
Zhiwei's usually smiling eyes darkened.
He knelt before her, looking up at her. As the Ghost King, he could have forced her, imprisoned her, or put her back into a deep sleep. But he dared not, nor would he; he feared that if he completely angered her, he would never be able to obtain her forgiveness again.
He was arrogant and domineering in the Six Realms, but he dared not be disrespectful in front of her. So he could only gradually redden his eyes, raise his hand to gently tug at her hem, and repeat with a hint of pleading, "Why must Your Highness go out?"
Seeing his reaction, Yun Tianjiao softened.
He was so beautiful, and his pitiful appearance was heartbreaking.
“Zhiwei, I know you must have your reasons for stopping me. But I am the eldest princess of Yunchi Kingdom, and I also bear my own responsibilities. In this life, I am called Tianjiao, not Tianjiao, because of the high hopes my father and mother have placed on me. I only wish to be a proud person, not someone who is pampered. Even if I am not the eldest princess, but just an ordinary woman, I should not be restricted by you.”
She bent down and cupped his face, just like she had comforted that lost and stubborn boy in the rain years ago, and gently placed a kiss on his eyes.
Zhiwei closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling as she felt the gentle touch on her eyelids.
The barrier vanished like melting ice. He thought: Oh well, even if she really has something going on, I'll just stay with her.
He was aroused by her kisses, so he pulled aside her nightgown, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her all the way up until he finally pinned her down.
She seemed to sense his unease and indulged him to the extreme, letting him run wild and unrestrained, wishing she could merge the two of them into one, becoming a close and inseparable whole.
"Your Highness...Your Highness..." he kept calling her, licking and fawning, like a little dog begging for its master's mercy, "May I call my name again?"
"Zhiwei..." Yun Tianjiao was immersed in the ultimate pleasure he gave her, and was somewhat lost in thought.
“There’s more.” Zhiwei seemed dissatisfied and increased the pressure.
"Ugh... Canghan, Canghan..."
Zhiwei shed tears as she listened to her gentle murmurs, and hugged her even tighter.
Only one person in this world knows his name from his lifetime. And if that person is no longer here, no one will call him by his name anymore, and he will have to endure countless centuries of loneliness.
...
The Censorate prison was located in the inner city. Shen Hengzhen's cell had no windows, so he couldn't hear the chaotic noises outside. However, he could get a general idea of what was happening outside from the snippets of conversation among the prison guards.
In Shen Hengzhen's view, this was another calamity caused by ghosts and gods. He wanted to speak to the emperor, but after speaking to the jailer several times, no one responded. He didn't know if Yun Tianqi didn't want to see him or if the jailer simply didn't pass on his message.
Amidst the constant torment, the cell door opened again that day, and a person walked in.
"Father?"
When Shen Hengzhen saw the hunched-over Prime Minister Shen, he was initially delighted, thinking that the Emperor had sent his father to visit him because he wanted to let him go. However, he quickly frowned.
How come my father has aged so much in such a short time?
“Father…it is your unfilial son who has caused you worry.” Shen Hengzhen knelt down before Prime Minister Shen and kowtowed several times.
Prime Minister Shen coughed again and hurriedly covered his mouth with a handkerchief, but Shen Hengzhen noticed the bloodstains on it.
Shen Hengzhen's expression changed. "Father, what's wrong with you? Have you seen the imperial physician?"
Prime Minister Shen casually tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve and waved his hand, "It's nothing. In this situation, it's already a blessing to be alive. What's this?"
"I heard there are evil spirits causing trouble outside. What, are those gods just going to stand by and do nothing? What's the point of all those temples built all over Yunchi Kingdom, and all those incense and candles burned with the people's hard-earned money every year?" Shen Hengzhen's expression was resentful, and his tone was mocking.
Prime Minister Shen sighed and said, "Zhen'er, perhaps you are right. The cult of gods in our dynasty should have been curbed long ago."
Shen Hengzhen asked, "Where is Her Highness the Eldest Princess? Why is she letting His Majesty act so recklessly?"
Prime Minister Shen said, "Her Highness the Princess is ill and is recuperating in Chang Le Palace. She has not appeared in public for quite some time."
"Ill? The Princess has always been in very good health, how could she suddenly become so ill? What kind of illness does she have?"
Prime Minister Shen shook his head: "Someone requested an audience with Her Highness the Eldest Princess, but was stopped by the Heavenly God Zhiwei beside Her Highness."
"Gods again!" Shen Hengzhen pounded his fist on the wall in anger, causing the chains to rattle. "Why do gods exist in this world? In my opinion, it would be a blessing if they didn't exist!"
He recalled the joy he felt when he first saw his father and hurriedly asked, "His Majesty has allowed my father to visit. Does this mean he intends to release me? I must see His Majesty immediately and offer my earnest advice!"
Prime Minister Shen put his hands in his sleeves, and a deep, enigmatic meaning suddenly appeared on his face.
"His Majesty was unaware of my arrival this time."
Shen Hengzhen was stunned and somewhat incredulous. His family had served the Yun family for four generations. His father, as the emperor's tutor and prime minister, was extremely powerful when he was at the height of his influence, yet he had never overstepped his bounds. Why would he do something so controversial now?
"Father, has something happened at home?" Shen Hengzhen asked tentatively, his heart pounding.
"It's nothing, it's just that your father misses you and wanted to come see you."
Prime Minister Shen's words did not completely dispel Shen Hengzhen's doubts, but when asked further, Prime Minister Shen was unwilling to say more and only asked about everyday food and other trivial matters.
An unfamiliar jailer came to remind him that the time had come, and Shen Hengzhen knew that this must be one of his father's men.
Before leaving, Prime Minister Shen stood at the prison door and said something inexplicable to Shen Hengzhen with his back to him.
He said, “Zhen’er, you must live well. If you ever have the chance to achieve your wish, you must be bold and go all out. Do not let down your heart for the world and the people.”
As Shen Hengzhen watched his father's figure slowly disappear into the dark prison corridor, he suddenly rushed forward, but the cell door had already been locked again. He could only grip the iron bars of the cell door with both hands and shout out, "Father!"
Prime Minister Shen paused slightly, then said one last thing: "Don't disappoint your father," before leaving without looking back.
...
Yun Tianjiao guessed that something must have happened in Yun Chi Kingdom, but she never expected that it would be such a big deal.
Mugo transformed into a demon, and even the gods could not subdue him. The half-built Qingyuan Temple collapsed, and the land of Wanxi turned into a blood lake. Blood demons crawled out of the lake one after another and wreaked havoc. Half of the people in the capital had no choice but to relocate into the inner city and became street beggars no different from refugees.
She had been the eldest princess of Yunchi Kingdom for more than eighteen years, and had never seen the capital city in such a chaotic and disarrayed state.
The once bustling and prosperous streets are now crowded with people, and people sleeping on the streets can be seen everywhere. Soldiers push and shove the newly arrived people from the outer city, like driving away obedient but dull sheep.
Officials and civilians, soldiers and merchants, regardless of their profession, all wore expressions of exhaustion and unease.
She was dressed simply, wearing a bamboo hat, and with only a demon-slaying sword hanging at her waist. No one here recognized her as the eldest princess.
Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd. Several squads of imperial guards were shouting loudly, ordering pedestrians to make way so that they could pass as quickly as possible.
A toddler was pushed down and nearly trampled when he couldn't dodge in time. Yun Tianjiao quickly pulled him up and handed him to his mother by the roadside.
The woman thanked him repeatedly, while the old man standing beside her sighed, "What kind of world is this? I wonder what happened this time that made these military officers so anxious!"
"I heard that some refugees broke into the Censorate prison and rescued Lord Shen, who had been imprisoned some time ago!"
"Hey, at a time like this, why are these refugees causing trouble?"
A relative in the fire-stricken area of Southwest China couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, "So your house is perfectly fine, not burned to the ground by the fire. Lord Shen was advocating for the people and was doing a great job with disaster relief, but I don't know why he was suddenly recalled! Otherwise, none of this mess would have happened!"
"Shh!! Are you criticizing the government? Watch your head!"
"What's there to be afraid of! Can't we even speak out if the emperor makes a mistake? Blood demons are rampant these days, who knows how long he'll live!"
The crowd whispered among themselves. The child's mother went to her stall to get some steamed buns. She was about to thank the righteous man in the straw hat who had saved her child when she discovered that he had disappeared. She then asked the people around her for directions.
"Oh, you mean that guy? He followed the Imperial Guards when they passed by, I don't know why he went to join in the fun."
Yun Tianqi was already worried about Mu Ge's matter when he suddenly heard at the court meeting that the Censorate prison had been raided and Shen Hengzhen had gone missing. He was so angry that he almost kicked the dragon throne. He immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to search the entire area and find Shen Hengzhen.
"I said before that letting the people from the outer city into the inner city would only give those bandits who have survived an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. They originally came to the capital for Shen Hengzhen, and now, taking advantage of the capital's crisis, they have openly attempted to break him out! They have no regard for the law!"
"If I remember correctly, it was Prime Minister Shen who proposed allowing residents of the outer city to enter the inner city. I wonder if Prime Minister Shen ever imagined that things would turn out this way?"
"Heh, you weren't planning this on purpose, were you?"
Prime Minister Shen's enemies jumped out one after another, and in the end, it seemed as if the prison break was secretly orchestrated by Prime Minister Shen, and his original suggestion was now seen as a premeditated scheme.
Yun Tianqi hadn't thought much of it at first, but as these people kept talking about it, he couldn't help but become more suspicious. Feeling flustered and unable to make up his mind, he asked Prime Minister Shen, "Does the Prime Minister have anything to say?"
He had thought that as long as Prime Minister Shen could clear his name and shut these people up, he would let it go.
Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Shen remained silent, allowing his political enemies to attack him.
Only then did the Minister of Justice, who was in charge of investigating the case, come to pay his respects.
"Your Majesty, I have confirmed that three days ago, Prime Minister Shen privately replaced Lord Shen's guards without registering them, and also met with Lord Shen in private."
Yun Tianqi couldn't believe his ears. "You...you're sure?"
The Minister of Justice presented a complete testimonies to Yun Tianqi, glanced at Prime Minister Shen out of the corner of his eye, and continued, "I also found that the transfer of guards in the Censorate prison today was also done with the Prime Minister's warrant."
Upon hearing this, the entire court fell silent.
Yun Tianqi felt all eyes on him, and his voice trembled slightly, "Prime Minister, are you not going to say anything?"
Prime Minister Shen finally stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and respectfully kowtowed to Yun Tianqi. Then, he slowly removed his official hat, carefully placed it on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this old minister loves his son dearly and could not bear to see his only son suffer in prison for too long. That is why I made a mistake for a moment. I hope Your Majesty will punish him severely to serve as a warning to others."
After saying that, he kowtowed heavily again.
"Prime Minister Shen, this is... treason!!"
"This is utterly disrespectful to the emperor and to the laws of the land!"
"Shen Hengzhen must be arrested immediately and executed!"
The ministers rose up in protest, but Yun Tianqi was too angry to speak.
This world has gone mad, even his teacher has gone mad!
They've all gone mad! They've all gone mad!
He was almost coerced by his ministers to order the imprisonment of the Chancellor, and, exhausted both physically and mentally, he announced his resignation from court.
On his way back to Changyang Palace after leaving the court, Yun Tianqi was somewhat dazed and confused. He really wanted to talk to his elder sister, even though he didn't know if she was still angry with him.
Being an emperor is too difficult. He was helpless in his current situation, so he endured a beating from his elder sister and turned to go to Chang Le Palace.
When they arrived at Chang Le Palace, Chunxi told them that their elder sister was not in the palace.
"Her Highness the Princess was ill and had been in bed for many days. She was only feeling better today, but she rushed out of the palace, saying she wanted to go to the outer city to check on the situation."
"Sick? When did my elder sister fall ill? How come I didn't know?" Yun Tianqi's eyes widened, his heart immediately overwhelmed with guilt.
He was completely unaware that his elder sister was so seriously ill!
"It was Zhiwei, the Heavenly God, who had been taking care of him closely. He said that His Majesty was busy with many affairs of state and had recently been troubled by the Blood Demon calamity, so he did not send anyone to inform His Majesty."
"Zhiwei went out with her elder sister?"
"yes."
Yun Tianqi was slightly relieved, but then he thought that Mu Ge had now become a demon, and even a god might not be able to deal with him, let alone Zhiwei, who was just a minor immortal lord.
"No, no. I have to go out and see... I have to go find my elder sister..." Yun Tianqi muttered to himself, his face pale as he stumbled out.
He is not yet sixteen years old, but he has already lost the most important people in his life one after another.
Leaving aside the late emperor who died young, even with Shen Qiongzhi, although he didn't have much romantic love for her, they had grown up together since childhood. From the time he was old enough to understand, he had always regarded her as his wife, the one who would accompany him for the rest of his life and bear the imperial heir together.
Now his wife has died a violent death, the prime minister whom he regarded as his father has betrayed him, and his brother, whom he considered his own flesh and blood, has run away and left him.
He has fewer and fewer people around him, and he can no longer bear the loss, especially his eldest sister who is his only family.
Yun Tianqi acted immediately, disguising himself and taking two experts with him, sneaking out of the palace that very day.
...
Protected by several skilled fighters, Shen Hengzhen evaded the Imperial Guards' search and hid in a dark and dilapidated alley.
He had been longing for his release from prison day and night, wanting to see His Majesty. Now he was finally able to see the light of day again, but he never expected it to be in this way.
At first, he genuinely believed that the refugees from the southwest were storming the Censorate and wanted to rescue him from prison in gratitude for his kindness. If that were the case, he would never have come out with them.
Then the most skilled of them approached him and whispered, "Young master, it was all arranged by the Prime Minister. He ordered us to escort you out of the capital as soon as possible to seek refuge, saying that you should not stay here any longer!"
Shen Hengzhen was filled with doubt and unease. He didn't know his father's intentions, but recalling their meeting in prison, he felt that his father was hiding something from him, which made him even more uneasy.
"What will my father do if I leave?"
The man said, "The Prime Minister said he has his own arrangements, so there's no need for you to worry, young master. Right now, we should leave the capital as soon as possible; it's a dangerous place!"
Shen Hengzhen was no stranger to great storms. He knew that this was tantamount to treason, and his father would not allow him to take this path unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, he dared not delay any longer, fearing that he would disrupt his father's plans. That's why he fled and hid in this shabby alley.
There were at least thirty or forty people who came to break into the prison, all of them elite soldiers. They were chased by the Imperial Guards all the way, and now there are less than ten left.
Shen Hengzhen himself was also injured.
Prime Minister Shen arranged for someone to meet them as they left the city. One person went out to make contact, while the rest of them waited for news in this alley, and also took the opportunity to rest and recover their strength.
Unexpectedly, a person walked in at the end of the quiet, deserted alley.
The guards all went on alert, drawing their swords and looking at the newcomers.
The two sides stood in silent confrontation, neither retreating nor advancing.
Shen Hengzhen narrowed his eyes, feeling that the person's figure and gait were very familiar. Tall and slender, the person looked like a woman despite being dressed in men's clothing.
"Is it... Your Highness?" he asked tentatively.
Yun Tianjiao lifted his bamboo hat, revealing a blank face. "Long time no see, Shen Hengzhen."
Shen Hengzhen's face lit up with joy. "Has Her Highness the Princess recovered from her illness?"
Yun Tianjiao had no time for pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Why did you do this?"
Shen Hengzhen remained silent.
Yun Tianjiao angrily said, "You were imprisoned in the Censorate prison, which was not a big deal at first. You were just going to have to endure the days. But now, you are doomed to die, Shen Hengzhen."
As soon as she said this, the guards around Shen Hengzhen immediately showed murderous intent, as if they were about to rush forward and kill Yun Tianjiao.
Shen Hengzhen raised her hand to stop them, saying, "You must not be disrespectful to the Princess. Besides, even if all of you were put together, you might not be a match for Her Highness."
The guards then withdrew and stood guard at the entrance of the alley, wary of anyone else entering, and also to observe the movements of the Imperial Guards.
Shen Hengzhen walked forward alone. He had changed into commoners' clothes, but he still couldn't suppress his noble air. His gaze was fixed on Yun Tianjiao without fear. He just looked at her quietly.
"Are you going to take me back, Your Highness?" His voice was very soft, but she could hear it clearly in the narrow alley.
Yun Tianjiao met his gaze, her eyes scrutinizing him with a hint of mockery. "Are you abandoning us, Lord Shen?"
Shen Hengzhen said, "Now that I am guilty of a crime, I am afraid I will no longer be able to gain His Majesty's trust."
Yun Tianjiao looked at him, but it was as if she wasn't looking at him at all. Instead, she was looking through him, through the alley, and into a more distant place.
"Shen Hengzhen, if one day I am gone, I hope you will treat His Majesty well, out of consideration for our childhood friendship."
Shen Hengzhen was stunned for a moment before frowning slightly. "I don't understand what Your Highness is saying."
Just then, a guard's anxious voice came from behind them, "Oh no, young master, the Imperial Guards are here!"
The guards quietly retreated from the alley entrance, all looking at Yun Tianjiao. If she shouted loudly or fought with them here, it would immediately attract the Imperial Guards!
At this moment, Shen Hengzhen's fate can be said to be in Yun Tianjiao's hands.
Yun Tianjiao silently watched them. For a moment, the head of the guards even sensed a murderous intent from the princess and couldn't help but tighten his grip on his long sword.
However, Yun Tianjiao smiled, stepped aside, and gestured for everyone to leave through the alleyway behind her.
"I told you I would do everything in my power to protect you, and I mean it." She gestured with her chin towards Chen Hengzhen, indicating that he should leave quickly.
The guards escorted Shen Hengzhen away. Yun Tianjiao watched their departing figures for a long time before the smile on his lips disappeared. He then said softly, "I consider this a repayment for your favor, Lord Ke Nian."
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