117 The Crown Prince with Eyes Burning Green

"Ouch." Fang Rulai repeated her old trick, feigning a stumble over the threshold and leaning heavily against the maid beside her.

A flicker of disdain flashed in the maid's eyes as she stepped out of the doorway, deftly dodging the contact. Consequently, she missed the sudden intensity in Fang Rulai’s gaze as she tumbled forward.

"Catch me, quick!" Fang Rulai crashed against the doorframe just as she had before. Seeing the maid turn away in utter disgust, unwilling to even look at her, Fang Rulai made her move.

Bracing her hands against the doorframe, she checked her fall. She steadied her center of gravity, then retracted her hands simultaneously, shoving them violently toward the maid. Caught off guard, the maid tilted sideways and slammed into the back of Shitao, who was holding the curtain at the carriage door.

Whether they collided or not, Fang Rulai neither knew nor cared. The moment her hands pushed the maid, she had already lunged across the threshold, bolting toward the left as fast as her legs could carry her.

From behind came Shitao’s calm command: "Stop her!" Assuming that Fang Rulai, who possessed no martial arts, could never break through the outer perimeter guards, Shitao did not give chase.

Two maids guarding the perimeter lunged forward at the sound of the order. Fang Rulai did not slow down, for from her angle, she clearly saw two glistening hidden weapons flying toward the back of the guards' heads. A moment later, she saw them strike true, piercing the skulls of both maids.

*Thwack, thwack.* Blood sprayed, staining her white cape as she dashed past. Ignoring the corpses collapsing on either side, she clenched her fists and accelerated. Not far ahead, Zhang Sheng had already leaped out, using his light-foot skills to glide toward her. They only needed to rendezvous to escape.

"Duck!" Zhang Sheng shouted suddenly, flicking his wrist to launch another glistening weapon, aimed straight at Fang Rulai’s face.

As she heard and saw the projectile, she felt a gust of wind at the back of her head. She pulled her neck in, and feeling it wasn't enough, she flipped her cape up over her head.

*Clang.* The sound of two hidden weapons colliding rang out just above her head. She lowered her body, bent her knees, and lunged forward.

She didn't make it; a corner of her cape was snatched by someone. Fang Rulai assumed it must be Shitao who had caught up, but she didn't stop. She quickly unfastened the toggle at her neck, and as she lunged forward, she flung the cape backward.

"Hmph, mere parlor tricks," a voice replied. It was indeed Shitao. Then came the sound of *swish, swish, swish*—Fang Rulai knew instantly that her cape had been shredded by a sword.

After slicing the cape, Shitao exerted her light-foot skills and gave chase. "Where do you think you're going!"

By then, Zhang Sheng had arrived. He dodged past Fang Rulai and raised his sword to meet Shitao. The two combatants, both skilled in precision, immediately engaged in a fierce battle at the narrow alley entrance.

Fang Rulai paused to catch her breath, then looked at Zhang Sheng. "Stop fighting, let's go!" More and more maids were swarming toward them from the carriage. On her side, only Zhang Sheng could fight. If they didn't run now, it would be impossible once more arrived.

"Understood." Zhang Sheng withdrew from the fray. He had failed to protect Zhu Xishi well enough earlier when outnumbered. He resolved that, no matter what, he would fulfill the final order Zhu Xishi had given him: rescue Fang Rulai.

He scooped her up, pushed off the ground with his toes, and vaulted into the air, heading toward the residential houses nearby.

The main road at the alley entrance was impassable. With the rain keeping people indoors, they would be sitting ducks if they used the open road. The nearby houses, however, were one of their strongholds. Filled with secret passages and hidden rooms, he could hide Fang Rulai there and then lure the pursuers away, ensuring her safety.

Zhang Sheng’s plan was sound, but as he landed in a courtyard, a pebble struck the back of his knee with precision, causing his leg to buckle. He nearly collapsed.

"Who’s there?" Zhang Sheng demanded, sword raised in alert.

"Guess!" The voice came from inside the house.

Fang Rulai’s heart sank; the voice was familiar. She turned toward the sound and saw the Crown Prince, Li Yincheng, emerging from the doorway. At that moment, she realized with dread that the plan within the palace must have changed.

"Death to those who block me!" Zhang Sheng roared, charging with his sword.

Before Fang Rulai could stop him, she watched as Zhang Sheng was struck down by a single palm blow, landing at her feet before he could even land three strikes.

"Overestimating your own abilities," the Crown Prince remarked, taking a silk handkerchief from Luxi to wipe his hands.

Zhang Sheng coughed up blood, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and tried to scramble up to fight again, only to be held back by Fang Rulai.

She looked at the Crown Prince. "Even if you realized the fake women following Shi Bilian were meant to lure your Imperial Guards out of the city, and even if you guessed their true purpose was to infiltrate the palace while the guards were distracted, even if you had loyalists hidden in the palace to turn the tide after the Second Prince seized control—you could not have defeated the Second Prince’s forces, which were twice the size of yours, in one fell swoop. The only explanation is that you were prepared long ago!"

A hasty reaction could only save his own life, but to completely reverse the entire situation required more. It meant he had not only planned a counterattack but also possessed a secret force equal in number to the entire Imperial Guard.

"It couldn't have been Xu Zhenglin," she thought, ruling out the top-ranked official in the Prince’s circle. "He is the Minister of Rites; he cannot have private troops."

"And it couldn't have come from the Qitian Taoist Temple." That was outside the city, and Guan Shiyin had taken people there himself. Even if they had failed, there wouldn't have been enough time for them to reach the palace to help the Prince.

"The General’s Mansion? The Minister of War? The government offices? Impossible!" These were public powers. Unless the Crown Prince wanted his brutal deeds known to the world, he would never use them.

As Fang Rulai ruled out each possibility, Luxi’s eyes widened; he had never imagined a woman could analyze the situation so accurately. The Crown Prince, meanwhile, found her increasingly intriguing.

"You truly are the best candidate for Empress." With such a mind and such unique abilities, what could escape her notice if she were willing? Such a person must be his.

The Crown Prince flicked his bright yellow sleeves, acting with great magnanimity. "Speak. What are your conditions? Wealth? Power? Being above all but one? To be praised for centuries to come?" He could grant it all!

Fang Rulai’s eyes remained fixed on the hem of his imperial robes. "The original plan was to seize the gate tower to cut off the connection between your palace forces and the Qitian Taoist Temple so the Second Prince could enter the palace. You escaped the palace safely, yet you neither went to the gate tower nor checked the temple. You appeared here, which means you were certain of your victory elsewhere."

The Crown Prince’s expression turned slightly annoyed; it was the first time someone had completely ignored his offer.

Fang Rulai clenched her fists. "Then who could be the leader of your secret forces?" *Think, think.* If she couldn't answer this, they would never find a way to counter him.

The rain intensified, quickly drenching her. She was so focused on solving this crucial mystery that she didn't hear the Prince’s words, nor did she notice the changing weather.

The Crown Prince, however, noticed everything—not just the rain, but the changes in Fang Rulai’s state. Having lost her cape, she wore only a thin, form-fitting spring garment. Unaccustomed to the flowing, colorful dresses Guan Shiyin had provided, she had chosen a simple, white, unadorned one. Indoors, it had been comfortable and modest, but soaked by the rain, it clung to her skin. Her body curves were fully exposed, as was the bright red lingerie she wore underneath.

The bodice and undergarments had also been provided by Guan Shiyin, and they were all red. She had had no choice in the matter.

As Fang Rulai paced in circles, lost in thought, the Crown Prince watched her graceful, rain-slicked figure from every angle.

Zhang Sheng was the first to notice the impropriety. He opened his mouth to warn her, but before a sound could emerge, a gust of palm wind struck him. *Bang!* Zhang Sheng was sent flying into the courtyard wall.

Fang Rulai jumped in shock and turned around, only to find the Crown Prince’s face inches from her own, his eyes burning with a predatory, emerald glint.