Midnight Assassins

Finally, she couldn't suppress her fury and hurled the teacup to the ground.

The teacup shattered into tiny pieces.

"Damn it! Why isn't that vixen dead yet? She has such a strong life. His Majesty always cares for and dotes on her more than me. I've always been second to her. Why is it like this? What if His Majesty finds out she's not his biological sister...! NO! I absolutely will not allow it!"

Zhao Qing Yun clenched her hands tightly, her face filled with anger and resentment.

Her close maid saw this, approached, and whispered softly:

"Your Highness, please be careful. There are eyes and ears everywhere in the palace. If this reaches the Emperor's ears then..."

"This consort knows, this consort will be more careful."

Suddenly, an idea flashed in the maid's mind. She leaned close to Zhao Qing Yun's ear and whispered:

"Your Highness, this servant has an idea. Isn't the relationship between the Princess and the Empress Dowager always strained? We can use this, borrowing the Empress Dowager's hand to deal with the Princess. By then, the Emperor won't be able to defend her anymore."

Zhao Qing Yun smiled sinisterly:

"Indeed, a good idea! Let's see where she runs this time."

That same night, His Royal Highness Prince An, General An Ding Lun, returned from the border with news of victory.

The entire imperial palace became bustling. A beaming young eunuch ran in to report:

"REPORTING! Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince An has driven the Qin army from our borders. The King of Qin was defeated and has written a peace treaty, offering two cities as tribute!"

The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this:

"Is that true? Prince An is truly extraordinary in wisdom and talent!"

Immediately after, he turned to Eunuch Su, his trusted attendant, and said:

"Transmit Our imperial decree. His Royal Highness Prince An is resourceful and intelligent, having rendered meritorious service in preserving the empire and protecting the nation's safety. Grant him a thousand gold, bestow upon him the title of Great General, place him in command of the Golden Wing Guard, and entrust him with the military tally."

After issuing the order, the Emperor felt much more at ease: "Throughout history, the military tally has always been coveted by court officials. A military tally in hand inevitably leads to illicit schemes. But now that Prince An has returned, entrusting the military tally to him puts Our mind at ease. The Golden Wing Guard is the nation's largest army; with Prince An leading them, they will surely grow stronger and stronger!"

However, upon reaching the outskirts of the city, Prince An was ambushed.

Countless arrows flew out, aimed directly at Prince An's carriage. Prince An used his Lightness Skill to soar into the air. A flurry of assassins rushed from all directions, sharp swords in their hands.

They swung their swords decisively, every strike a fatal blow! After a period of engagement, Prince An fought bare-handed against the enemy. Assassins fell one after another, many sent flying. His strength was truly terrifying, indeed worthy of a battlefield general.

However, due to the fighting, his old wounds reopened, and blood soaked his robe. Prince An clutched his chest in pain.

Bei Zhen Cheng, who had just finished fighting a group of assassins, rushed over to support his master, his face filled with worry:

"Your Highness, how are you?"

"It's nothing, just old wounds. I can still hold on."

"Shall we return to the manor?"

"No, let's find an inn to rest first. This return was earlier than expected, and we cannot return to the manor in this state. We should avoid prying eyes for now."

That night in the imperial palace, hearing the news of Prince An's return, Shi Yi panicked, jolting up from her warm bed.

"WHAT?! An Ding Lun is returning soon?"

Her heart was filled with anxiety and unease: "Isn't Prince An this princess's fiancé? He has guarded the border for so long, following his father to the battlefield at the age of three, and it's been seventeen years now. This time he returns, the Empress Dowager will surely consider his marriage, and by then, I won't be able to escape! My beautiful days have only just begun; they can't end so quickly! Damn it, I just transmigrated yesterday and I'm about to be married off. I need to find a way out."

In the middle of the night, when the candles were out and everyone was asleep, Shi Yi tiptoed lightly to avoid making any noise. She carefully packed her belongings, preparing to leave the palace.

After getting ready, she carried a small cloth bundle, intending to depart.

She seemed very satisfied with her preparations: "This is enough. This amount of silver is enough for this young lady to live carefree. With my many years of experience, how could these city walls trouble me?"

Outside the palace, a commotion suddenly erupted, and shouts of:

"CATCH THE ASSASSIN!"

Shi Yi was startled by the noise outside the door.

"What's happening? Are there assassins in the palace?" Just as she approached the door to check, a shadow suddenly appeared from outside, pushing the door open. After taking half a step, he fell to the ground, covered in injuries.

Shi Yi was shocked: "Ah... No way?!"

Outside the Taiping Palace, the imperial guards panicked:

"It's bad, the assassin ran into the Taiping Palace! If anything happens to the princess, our lives will be forfeit."

The imperial guards quickly entered the Taiping Palace, hastily knocking on the princess's door.

"Knock, knock."

"Princess! Have you retired for the night?"

A voice from within replied:

"What is it? How dare you disturb this princess's sleep?"

"Please calm your anger. An assassin has appeared in the palace. For your safety, please allow this servant to enter and inspect."

Shi Yi, hearing this, angrily scolded:

"Impudent! Are you sure you want to search my room? Do you suspect me? Who gave you such audacity?"

Seeing the princess so enraged, and knowing she was not easily provoked, the imperial guard did not dare to act recklessly and led his men away:

"It seems the culprit is not here. Let's check other areas around the palace first. If there's nothing unusual, we should leave and not anger the princess."

When the imperial guards had left, she breathed a sigh of relief and approached the strange man.

She whispered to herself:

"He's so badly injured, can he still be saved? Never mind, let's see what his injuries are like first."

The moment she reached out to touch him, he suddenly woke up and tightly grabbed her hand.

"What do you want to do?"!