114 Who Is the Hunter and Who Is the Prey

The next day, a light drizzle fell.

Guan Qinghuai arranged for a carriage to take Shi Bilian to the Qitian Taoist Temple to pray for blessings, and Dai Chuan, the commander of the Imperial Guard, personally saw them off.

Watching the carriage roll out of the Guan residence, the old steward asked, "Master, the monk who impersonated the young master has been rescued. Shouldn't we be finding a way to track them down? Why are we wasting time on that girl surnamed Shi?"

Guan Qinghuai was already fuming. "That crafty little bald brat! I thought she was using her menstrual pads to pass messages, but it turns out she was using my own investigation into her cycle to relay information! I have lived for so many years only to be fooled by a mere child! It is infuriating; I must regain my dignity!"

The steward hurriedly advised, "Master, please calm down. Getting angry will only harm your health. The news of the monk's escape won't stay hidden for long. Our priority should be preparing for the Crown Prince's inevitable arrival."

"It is precisely because I don't want the Crown Prince to have time to come here that I sent Shi Bilian away today as promised," Guan Qinghuai said, his eyes regaining a measure of cold logic. "Judging by that little brat's tone, this Shi Bilian is most likely the Crown Prince's person. Once she leaves the estate, won't the Crown Prince move immediately? Once he moves, the Second Prince will follow. The two factions will surely clash in a life-or-death struggle. And this is the perfect opportunity for me to help that blockhead, Yi He, cut his ties with the Crown Prince."

"What is your plan, Master?"

"Hmph, she thought I would kill Shi Bilian first to protect the estate. Little did she know, if I have decided to eliminate threats, why would I leave the final root intact just to kill a useless girl like Shi Bilian?"

"You mean—?"

"The Crown Prince! I intend to use this power struggle over Shi Bilian to take down the Crown Prince himself!"

"Master!" The steward was terrified; that was tantamount to treason.

Guan Qinghuai flicked his sleeves and turned back. "I am going to change my clothes. I will handle this myself. You just make sure to guard the Guan residence well! Remember one thing: until I return, do not let Yi He out, no matter what he says!"

At the same time, in a civilian residence outside the Guan estate, Ping Shi was issuing orders to Dai Chuan: "Don't act yet! Wait until the carriage is out of the city, and wait until those flower sellers and young women heading to the temple have all cleared the city gates."

Dai Chuan asked, "Flower sellers? Women heading to the temple? We're killing them all?" Would that be too cruel? Wouldn't such brutality cause the Crown Prince to lose even more support among the people?

"Do you really think they are flower sellers or young women?" Ping Shi sneered. "It's a rainy day. Why would they be out if it weren't for a specific purpose?" He curled his lip in mockery. "The Second Prince is truly naive. He actually thought these people could lure the Crown Prince out of the city! He is still young and reckless. Look at those men he sent—their oversized feet splashing in the puddles. Any person with half a brain can see they aren't real women."

Dai Chuan felt embarrassed. He had been so focused on killing Shi Bilian to justify an armed raid on the Guan estate that he had overlooked the obvious. Fortunately, it wasn't too late. "Understood!"

Dai Chuan withdrew, signaled several dozen guards, and chased after the carriage.

The carriage moved at a leisurely pace toward the city outskirts as the rain intensified. Shi Bilian lifted a corner of the curtain, intending to check the weather, but saw flower sellers and people carrying incense on either side of the carriage.

At a glance, she knew she was being watched.

Shi Bilian dropped the curtain and drew her sword. The Second Prince had promised that if she were in danger within the Guan estate, someone would save her—but now that she was outside, who would come? And who wanted her dead?

Inside the carriage, Shi Bilian braced herself. Outside, the men disguised as flower sellers and pilgrims were silently cursing.

Was this supposed to be a surprise attack? They had been given nothing but women's clothes and oversized veils. Couldn't the organizers at least provide pants long enough? They could handle the trousers looking like capris, but those massive feet exposed beneath the hems were ridiculous. It was lucky the streets were empty, or everyone would see right through their charade.

Wait—the sister-in-law had said the point was to be noticed. If people didn't realize they were men in disguise, how would they lure the target out of Shengjing?

When the sound of hoofbeats approached from behind, they felt a brief moment of admiration—which vanished as the rain soaked their ill-fitting clothes, making movement even more difficult. They couldn't help but wonder if this "disguise" was actually revenge for their gambling on the two of them the previous day.

Rainy days were for sleeping. Fang Rulai, who lived by this motto, was currently fast asleep while hugging Wang Cai's neck. She sneezed, waking herself up and startling the dog. Wang Cai opened her eyes, looked at the bald girl stuck to her, and scooted to the other side of the bed. Sensing the loss of her "pillow," Fang Rulai groped in the dark, grabbed a handful of dog fur, and dragged herself back to Wang Cai's neck.

Wang Cai firmly believed that even though she had severed ties with her former master, she refused to do anything that would compromise her dignity as a dog.

Wang Cai shook her head and stood up. If she couldn't outrun her, she could at least hide!

Fang Rulai smiled with her eyes closed, her voice eerie. "You know what happens to those who don't follow my lead, don't you?"

Wang Cai immediately remembered the men who had set off that morning in their tight dresses, and she obediently nudged her neck back under Fang Rulai's head.

Never offend a woman—that was a lesson she had learned well.

The flower sellers and pilgrims were learning it too, and they were feeling increasingly aggrieved. The more aggrieved they felt, the more they resolved to vent their frustration during the fight.

As the carriage cleared the city gates, the Imperial Guards caught up.

Just as Dai Chuan raised his blade to issue the order to kill, the flowers in the hands of the "sellers" were flung like hidden weapons.

As Dai Chuan dodged, shouts of "Brothers, kill them and take their clothes!" erupted.

When the flower-weapons were cleared, Dai Chuan saw that the umbrellas in the hands of the "women" had been stripped of their handles, revealing gleaming blades beneath.

With a single strike, they severed the horses' legs. *Thump, thump*—the guards' mounts collapsed.

To avoid being cut down like their horses, the guards were forced to leap into the air.

As they leaped, a sound whistled through the rain—arrows cutting through the air.

Looking up in shock, they saw arrows raining down from the gatehouse, thicker than the raindrops themselves.

*Swoosh, thwack!* Countless guards were struck down before they could even mount a defense.

Dai Chuan was stunned. Had the gatehouse already been...

"Commander, look out!" A guard threw himself in front of Dai Chuan, taking an arrow and dying instantly.

Dai Chuan regained his composure. "Land and counterattack!"

The enemy's plan was clear: cut the horses' legs to force them into the air, putting them directly into the range of the archers on the gatehouse while keeping the attackers on the ground safe from friendly fire.

Who had devised this? And when had the guards on the gatehouse turned against them? Dai Chuan fought back while weighing his options: kill these people first and report back, or retreat now?

In that moment of hesitation, most of the remaining guards were slaughtered.

A guard near Dai Chuan shouted, "Commander, look at the city gate!"

The gates swung wide, and two squads of soldiers charged out with spears leveled. They were clearly not here to help.

"Commander, retreat! We will cover you!"

Before Dai Chuan could answer, a voice rang out.

"Want to leave? You'll have to ask my spear first."

Lian Tangcheng.

To Dai Chuan, this was his mentor, the man who had taught him every tactic he knew. No wonder these people anticipated their every move—Lian Tangcheng was leading them.

Lian Tangcheng reined in his horse. "Remembering our past bond, surrender now, and I will ensure the Second Prince spares your life."

Dai Chuan answered with a slash of his blade. "You taught me that a member of the Imperial Guard would rather die in battle than submit to an enemy!"

"Good, you have spirit! Men, stand back. Do not interfere; I will take him myself."

Lian Tangcheng dismounted and lunged with his spear. He didn't notice the flicker of triumph in Dai Chuan's eyes.

They hadn't expected the gatehouse to be compromised, which was why this ambush had failed. But Lian Tangcheng had one weakness: he respected honorable enemies and insisted on one-on-one combat. That was exactly what Dai Chuan needed. With the area surrounded, escaping was impossible unless he had a hostage.

Lian Tangcheng knew his style, but Dai Chuan knew his mentor's just as well. Most importantly, Lian Tangcheng was old, and Dai Chuan was in his prime.

After exchanging blows, Dai Chuan feinted, drew Lian Tangcheng's spear away with his saber, and whipped out a dagger from his boot. In a flash, he had the blade at his mentor's throat. "Nobody move, or your leader dies!"

The soldiers stopped.

Dai Chuan hoisted Lian Tangcheng onto his horse and shouted, "Go!"

The few surviving guards followed. They raced through the city and back into the Imperial Palace.

At the palace gate, guards intercepted them. "Who goes there? Dismount!"

"I have urgent news for the Crown Prince! Move!" Dai Chuan charged straight in.

Recognizing their commander, the guards parted.

Inside the Zhengde Hall, Dai Chuan knelt before the Crown Prince. "I have failed you, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince looked at Lian Tangcheng, who was kneeling beside Dai Chuan. "Instructor Lian, I didn't expect you to be back in my hands within a day."

Lian Tangcheng, who had remained silent the whole way, replied coolly, "Oh, is that so?"

Before the words were out, Lian Tangcheng struck like lightning. A fierce punch to Dai Chuan’s ribs forced him to loosen his grip. With an elbow strike, Lian Tangcheng broke free.

He kicked Dai Chuan away and lunged at the Crown Prince. "Die!"

"Lian Tangcheng, don't you dare!" Dai Chuan scrambled back to intervene.

The two fought again.

The Crown Prince sat on his throne, watching as if it were a play. "Faking capture to stage an assassination—a clever ruse. But it’s a pity you were the one to use it, Lian Tangcheng. You pride yourself on your martial honor—'rather die than submit.' If you had truly been captured, you wouldn't have been so silent. You have too many flaws."

Dai Chuan pinned him down once more.

The Crown Prince sipped his tea lazily. "Tell me, what happened at the gatehouse? Have they all defected to the Second Prince? Lian Tangcheng, your family has guarded this palace for generations. Do you really want to destroy your family's name for a traitor?"

"Hmph! My family only protects the true emperor who holds the Imperial Seal! You are not worthy!"

The Crown Prince sat up straight, smashed his teacup at Lian Tangcheng, and roared, "So he *does* have the seal! Where is he? Tell me!"

Blood streamed down Lian Tangcheng's face, but he didn't blink. "My family would rather die than submit to an enemy. Don't waste your breath!"

"Ha! Is that so?" The Crown Prince laughed coldly. "I know you have backbone, but what about your family? Do you not care for them? Lu Xi, show the instructor the box you just received."

"Yes." Lu Xi placed a black box before Lian Tangcheng and opened it. "These are your wife's, daughter's, and grandson's personal belongings, Instructor Lian. You recognize them, don't you?"

Inside lay a blood-stained earlobe with an earring, and a severed pinky finger.

Lian Tangcheng felt the world go black. "What have you done to them?"

The Crown Prince replaced his teacup. "What you see is done. As for what will happen in the future, that is up to you."

"You!" Lian Tangcheng’s lips trembled. Just as the Crown Prince expected him to beg, he closed his eyes. "For the sake of the Yaotian Kingdom, they die without regret."

*Crash.* Another teacup shattered.

The Crown Prince raged, "Fine! Dai Chuan, take him out and execute him. Kill his entire clan as well."

"Yes." Dai Chuan dragged Lian Tangcheng toward the exit. By protocol, he should have backed out of the hall, but as he stepped over the threshold, a blast of internal energy swept toward his legs. Instinctively, he pulled his blade back to defend, but the energy changed direction, slicing at his back. He leaped, still holding Lian Tangcheng—forgetting that Lian Tangcheng, no longer threatened by a blade, would not just sit there.

Lian Tangcheng grabbed Dai Chuan's hand, twisted his arm, and delivered a brutal punch.

*Thud.* It landed square in the chest.

As Dai Chuan vomited blood, he was kicked in the calf and fell to his knees. When he looked up, his own sword was at his throat, held by Lian Tangcheng.

Lu Xi screamed, "Protect the Crown Prince!"

Many guards rushed in. But as they appeared, their spears were leveled at the Crown Prince on the throne.

Lu Xi blocked the Crown Prince. "Insolence! This is treason! You will all be executed!"

Behind the guards, the Second Prince stepped forward. "I think the one whose entire clan will be executed is you, Head Eunuch Lu."

The Crown Prince pushed Lu Xi aside. "Second Brother, you're looking well."

"I am well precisely because you aren't around," the Second Prince replied. He walked to Lian Tangcheng. "Instructor, you've suffered."

Lian Tangcheng handed the captured Dai Chuan to his men. "For the Yaotian Kingdom, my family and I are honored to serve."

The Second Prince patted his shoulder and handed him to his attendants. "Go to the Imperial Physician. Don't worry, while you were stalling in the main hall, my men found where your family was held. They are safe now."

The Crown Prince’s eyes darkened. "Your schemes have improved, Second Brother."

"I am merely relying on these loyal soldiers," the Second Prince replied.

The guards leveled their spears. "We live and die for the Second Prince!"

The Crown Prince applauded. "Impressive. It seems I have lost this game. But before I am taken, may I ask a small question, dear brother?"

"Speak."

"Which eye saw that my guards were so easy to trick? Are you certain that what you saw wasn't exactly what I *wanted* you to see?"