Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 80
“Behave yourself, don’t move around.” Jiang Libai warned once again.
Gu Yun coughed lightly twice, tidied her robes, withdrew her heated gaze, and then earnestly continued adding a few more pieces of charcoal to the brazier.
Once it quieted down, the sounds outside the carriage became even clearer.
The cold crept in, and the chilly wind seeped through the gap in the carriage curtain, bringing in tiny traces of dampness.
Jiang Libai carefully lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
A few raindrops splattered onto the back of her hand, their biting cold making her shiver.
“It’s raining?”
The sky outside was gloomy and overcast, thick clouds obscuring what had been a clear sky. The wind carried raindrops with it, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop even further.
Gu Yun glanced outside through the gap that Jiang Libai had lifted.
The rain had grown heavier, with tiny snowflakes the size of rice grains drifting down.
“It’s cold outside. Should I cover you with another quilt?” Gu Yun took hold of Jiang Libai’s hand, closed the curtain, and carefully adjusted the cloak around her.
Jiang Libai sniffed, feeling the warmth inside the carriage, and shook her head. “The fire in the brazier is strong now. It’s not that cold anymore.”
The silver-thread charcoal in the brazier was already glowing red, the flickering flames radiating intense warmth, keeping the piercing chill at bay outside the carriage.
Gu Yun touched the edge of the brazier and moved it closer to Jiang Libai.
But in the next moment, the carriage suddenly jolted, nearly toppling the brazier over.
“Muzhou?” Gu Yun steadied herself. Seeing that Jiang Libai hadn’t been knocked against anything, she turned and lifted the curtain. “What happened?”
Outside, the snowflakes drifted down, the wind howled, and the darkened sky made it nearly impossible to see the surroundings.
But Gu Yun could sense the thick killing intent nearby.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and she signaled Muzhou to halt the carriage.
“Consort…” Muzhou had also noticed the suffocating tension in the air. He gripped the reins tightly, trying to calm the increasingly restless horses.
A moment later, in the midst of the swirling snow, a group of figures shrouded entirely in black silently appeared around the carriage. Their dark attire stood out starkly against the boundless white, a chilling sight that sent shivers down the spine.
The guards from the Princess’s residence, stationed around the carriage, immediately drew their swords, fixing their gazes on the approaching black-clad figures.
The sound of blades unsheathing echoed clearly in the growing silence. Inside the carriage, Jiang Libai’s heart pounded as she moved to Gu Yun’s side, lifting the curtain completely to take in the stormy scene outside.
The leader of the black-clad figures wasted no words, simply giving a hand signal—murderous intent laid bare!
“Protect the Princess and the Consort!” Muzhou commanded, releasing the signal arrow hidden in his sleeve before drawing his sword and charging toward the leader of the black-clad assailants.
The other guards stood firmly around the carriage, engaging in fierce combat with the attackers attempting to climb aboard. In an instant, the air was filled with the thick scent of blood, intensifying the tension for everyone present.
The guards of the Princess’s residence were all carefully selected martial experts, each capable of taking on ten opponents at once.
But no matter how skilled they were, they couldn’t hold off the ever-growing number of attackers surging toward the carriage.
As one guard after another fell, Gu Yun pushed Jiang Libai back into the carriage, grabbed a nearby guard, and ordered him to protect the Seventh Princess. Then, she leaped from the carriage and struck the horse with a sharp slap.
The sudden pain sent the horse into a frenzy. It neighed sharply before bolting forward at full speed.
The guard on the driver’s seat clung tightly to the reins, steering the panicked horse away from the assassins closing in from all sides.
Inside the jolting carriage, Jiang Libai gripped the wooden frame by the window tightly. She turned her head and saw Gu Yun wielding a longsword, fighting off a swarm of black-clad assailants.
Her chest tightened with fear, her breath nearly stopping. But she dared not make a sound—she was afraid of distracting Gu Yun and causing her to get hurt.
Gu Yun had sent her away to buy time so she could escape.
She knew she should keep going, reach the nearest city, and call for reinforcements.
But…
She couldn’t just leave Gu Yun behind to fight alone.
The carriage sped forward, and the brutal battle behind them was soon fading from sight. Jiang Libai’s eyes turned red as she bit down hard on her lip.
But in the next instant, the frenzied horse, galloping through the snowstorm, hit a large rock under the carriage shaft, causing a violent jolt.
Caught off guard, Jiang Libai lost her balance and was flung out.
“Princess?!”
The driver, struggling to keep control, was horrified when he turned back and saw Jiang Libai had been thrown from the carriage. His voice cracked in panic.
The hoarse shout immediately drew Gu Yun’s attention. Her evasive movement faltered for a split second.
A black-clad attacker seized the opportunity, thrusting a dagger forward viciously.
Sensing the danger, Gu Yun swiftly flipped backward, but the blade still sliced through her arm, and fresh blood gushed out.
The sharp pain only made her mind clearer.
She was worried about Jiang Libai, and her will to fight wavered.
After cutting down the two assassins closest to her, she concentrated all her energy on holding back the surrounding attackers.
But as more and more of them closed in, her strength was gradually being drained.
This can’t go on any longer!
Muzhou tapped the ground lightly with his foot and leaped to Gu Yun’s side, helping to relieve her pressure.
“The princess is probably injured. Your Highness, you must go now!” He swung his sword, repelling the black-clad enemies lunging toward them, and shouted at Gu Yun, “We’ll hold them off here! Go quickly!”
Gu Yun was anxious, pushing her mental strength to the limit. In the instant that the surrounding assassins lost their senses, she swung her sword, cutting a bloody path through them.
Jiang Libai fell heavily onto the snow. With a sickening crack, her elbow seemed to snap. The excruciating pain left her mind blank, nearly robbing her of consciousness.
Just as she was about to pass out, she heard Gu Yun’s urgent call by her ear: “Princess!”
A pair of hands, wrapped in cold air, held her up. She struggled to see clearly but couldn’t make out anything. In the next instant, she lost all awareness.
Gu Yun caught her, but a powerful sword strike surged toward her from behind. She struggled to turn around and block it with her sword.
However, at that moment, she had one arm supporting the unconscious Seventh Princess while the other was injured. Against these highly trained assassins, she was at her breaking point.
In a flash, a rapid clatter of horse hooves sounded from the distance.
It was the guards of Guanzhou City, rushing over after spotting the signal arrow!
Hundreds of soldiers joined the battle, instantly reversing the tide.
Muzhou finally had a moment to breathe. He turned to the leading guard and said urgently, “The Prince Consort is still up ahead! Hurry and save him!”
—
The one-sided slaughter lasted until dusk.
More than forty of the princess’s guards had perished, leaving fewer than ten survivors. Moreover, the Seventh Prince Consort was gravely injured. As soon as she was brought back to the Guanzhou post station, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, terrifying the hastily arriving Governor Ming.
“Hurry! Doctor Li! Check the Prince Consort immediately!” Governor Ming was so alarmed that he grabbed Doctor Li, who was carrying a medicine box, and dragged him into the room.
Doctor Li knew the gravity of the situation and quickly set down his medical kit, preparing to examine the Prince Consort’s injuries.
However, Gu Yun pushed his hand away.
“My injuries are not urgent.” Gu Yun’s brows were furrowed as she gasped for breath, biting down hard to stay conscious. “The Seventh Princess is hurt much worse. Go check on her first.”
Hearing this, Governor Ming’s already clouded eyes widened in shock. “The… the Seventh Princess?!”
Seeing Gu Yun nod, he wasted no time and dragged Doctor Li in the direction indicated.
But when he reached the bed, he saw a disheveled… servant?
Upon closer inspection of the person’s face, Governor Ming’s mind turned to mush.
It really was the Seventh Princess!
And judging by her condition, her injuries were even worse than the Prince Consort’s.
As Doctor Li took the princess’s pulse, Governor Ming was already thinking about how to report this to the Emperor in the distant capital…
He despaired—an incident of this magnitude had occurred. He probably wouldn’t be able to keep his official position!
—
When the news reached the capital, the entire court was shaken. Emperor Yu was furious and immediately dispatched the Vice Minister of Justice to Guanzhou City to assist in investigating the mastermind.
He also sent the esteemed Imperial Physician Zhao from the Imperial Academy of Medicine to personally treat Princess Jia Ning.
—
In a secluded and inconspicuous courtyard within the palace.
“…The Seventh Princess… she fell from the carriage, broke her arm, suffered internal injuries, and is in critical condition…”
Inside a dimly lit study, despite the burning charcoal, the atmosphere remained eerie and cold.
Qiu Ju knelt on the icy floor, trembling all over, not daring to lift her head.
This time, their operation had gone awry—they had actually caused the Seventh Princess to get injured…
She had no idea how the princess would punish them once she found out.
After a long silence, Jiang Ying, who was seated in a wheelchair, nearly crushed the teacup in her hand. Her face was expressionless, and her voice was icy. “All those involved in this mission—execute them.”
Qiu Ju’s face turned deathly pale upon hearing this.
Those were elite assassins, trained with great effort!
If they were all disposed of like this, it would undoubtedly affect the princess’s future plans!
But she dared not argue. The princess’s decision was made, and she had no power to change it.
“Yes, this servant will carry out the order immediately.” She cautiously rose from the ground, bowed low, and retreated from the study.
Once outside, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, glanced back at the pitch-dark room, and then, trembling, stepped away through the snowy courtyard.
Inside the room, Jiang Ying lifted her gaze toward the window. It was covered with black fabric, blocking out any trace of moonlight.
Suddenly, she grabbed the paperweight on the table and slammed it down onto her own arm with a brutal force.
“Crack—”
Her left forearm snapped.
As she felt the searing pain gnawing at her bones, she slowly started to smile.
It was her fault. She shouldn’t have chosen to target Gu Yun at this time. She shouldn’t have struck when she knew that Xiao Qi was by Gu Yun’s side.
She deserved to die.
Thinking of how Xiao Qi was still unconscious, Jiang Ying’s heart ached. She lifted the paperweight again and struck herself in the chest.
As blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, she licked it with the tip of her tongue, tasting the pain that should never have been inflicted on Xiao Qi.
—
Fortunately, when Guanzhou’s guards conducted the rescue, they managed to capture two of the assassins alive.
Although the two endured endless torture and refused to speak, the Ministry of Justice still managed to uncover some clues.
“This was Yun Nation’s doing?!” Emperor Yu’s gaze grew even colder as he read the confidential report rushed in by the Vice Minister of Justice.
Yun Nation had attempted to assassinate the Ninth Prince of Jin, trying to make it seem as if Yu Nation had turned against him—
They wanted to sow discord, provoking Jin Nation into sending troops once more, so that Yun Nation could ease the pressure on their own borders…
What a treacherous and sinister scheme!
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